I walked on ski hill bypass road. Ponderosas flocked with snow were pretty. What a difference, though, from yesterday's sunny weather, blue skies, cranes burbling overhead and birds singing in trees!
WRSC hike was cancelled. I woke at 7am, looked outside, saw snow and slept in until 10am. Mary called spouse to say hike was cancelled.
Book found in library lobby non-return shelves: Shackleton's The Heart of the Antarctic: Furthest South Expedition 1907-1909.
Still wondering why hot water heater is sometimes releasing water from overflow valve on back porch.
I like The Source by Woodson Merrell. It helps to have healthy eating habits reinforced.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Book: A Mountain Year
I ended up appreciating Chris Czajkowski's book A Mountain Year: Nature Diary of a Wilderness Dweller. The book is a meditation on nature that draws you into the beauty and calmness of her world. She leaves out most of the gritty day to day details involved in the upkeep and running of her business - renting out cabins to summer tourists at her home, Nuk Tessli, in British Columbia. Behind the scenes of diary entries of her thoughtful observations on nature and with beautiful watercolors and drawings, a lot of hard work must be involved but she doesn't complain but instead distills the essence of the beauty around her into her journal.
I will be sad to end the book and leave her world. I admire that she lives there alone most of the year. She goes into the outer world for book tours and other chores such as resupply but mostly she resides at Nuk Tessli and says that she needs the solitude. She does have two dogs for company and keeps in contact with the outer world via email when her Internet connection is working. Though they are not "next door", there are neighbors in the area to help her if she needs it. Wwoofers, from the organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, come from around the world to live at Nuk Tessli in the summer and help her with brushing out trails and other upkeep of the grounds. She must realize that she is blessed to live her life her way.
I will be sad to end the book and leave her world. I admire that she lives there alone most of the year. She goes into the outer world for book tours and other chores such as resupply but mostly she resides at Nuk Tessli and says that she needs the solitude. She does have two dogs for company and keeps in contact with the outer world via email when her Internet connection is working. Though they are not "next door", there are neighbors in the area to help her if she needs it. Wwoofers, from the organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, come from around the world to live at Nuk Tessli in the summer and help her with brushing out trails and other upkeep of the grounds. She must realize that she is blessed to live her life her way.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Old Chili Line Near Ojo Caliente
The LL group hiked on the old Chili Line abandoned roadbed on BLM land just past Ojo Caliente. Mary Ann and her Colorado friend, Eloise, requested a hike that would put them about an hour closer to Colorado.
The hike started out past dumping grounds - a bad habit that northern New Mexicans have. When I asked her, Eloise said that kind of dumping doesn't happen in Colorado. She lives near Denver and she met Mary Ann, who lives in Golden, on the Colorado Mountain Club hikes.
The group of 14 people stopped for lunch after two miles and then headed back to the cars for a four mile RT hike. After six hours of sleep last night (got to bed at 12:30am), I didn't offer to drive as it sounded far and I was afraid I'd fall asleep. The country was pretty but not as pretty as the Pojoaque Badlands because it was more of a flat, open area. We did start up a ridge for a lunch spot but didn't go all the way up. At lunch, we had a view of the northern Jemez Mountains and could clearly see Pedernal's outline in the distance.
It's cold today, especially in the house, but it was fine down in the valley. If it's above 32 degrees in White Rock, our leaders wear shorts but they didn't today. One man said it was 18 degrees in White Rock!
When Mary Ann and Eloise took off for Colorado after the hike, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye because I had to visit a bush right before we got to the cars. For some dumb reason, I didn't realize that the blue SUV taking off was them and I didn't wave goodbye because I realized it too late.
The hike started out past dumping grounds - a bad habit that northern New Mexicans have. When I asked her, Eloise said that kind of dumping doesn't happen in Colorado. She lives near Denver and she met Mary Ann, who lives in Golden, on the Colorado Mountain Club hikes.
The group of 14 people stopped for lunch after two miles and then headed back to the cars for a four mile RT hike. After six hours of sleep last night (got to bed at 12:30am), I didn't offer to drive as it sounded far and I was afraid I'd fall asleep. The country was pretty but not as pretty as the Pojoaque Badlands because it was more of a flat, open area. We did start up a ridge for a lunch spot but didn't go all the way up. At lunch, we had a view of the northern Jemez Mountains and could clearly see Pedernal's outline in the distance.
It's cold today, especially in the house, but it was fine down in the valley. If it's above 32 degrees in White Rock, our leaders wear shorts but they didn't today. One man said it was 18 degrees in White Rock!
When Mary Ann and Eloise took off for Colorado after the hike, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye because I had to visit a bush right before we got to the cars. For some dumb reason, I didn't realize that the blue SUV taking off was them and I didn't wave goodbye because I realized it too late.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Full Moon Riding High in Sky
Went to interesting Los Alamos Historical Society talk at Fuller Lodge by Ellen McGehee who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She gave slide show about Manhattan era (Project Y) buildings that are being restored in the Anchor Ranch, S Site, and Pajarito Site areas. One interesting factoid is that all the work that was being done at Pajarito Site has now been moved to Nevada and the lab is in the process of decommissioning Pajarito Site or TA-18. One day it will be open to the public who can then tour the Pond Cabin which is on New Mexico's State Register of Cultural Properties. It was very well attended. One glitch was that it didn't start on time because first they needed to round up a projector screen. The one they finally brought in was so small! I handily whipped out my binoculars and was able to easily see it, though, from the very back of the room!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Potrillo Canyon
Went to Potrillo Canyon today with spouse. Somehow we found our way out and avoided all the pitfalls of various confusion junctions! View of Rio Grande was spectacular! Heard cranes overhead. Saw several other hikers and dogs. One day, before it gets too hot, I want to go to Potrillo Canyon and walk every path going every which way so then maybe one day I can understand that place.
Now's a good time to do a lot of hikes in the lowlands before it gets hot so here's my hiking wish list for next two weeks - Potrillo Canyon explore; explore of trails on DOE land outside of Pajarito Acres; Ancho Rapids; Guaje Mountain; Burnt Mesa; Ponderosa Campground to Upper Crossing; and Valle Canyon. The last two are for Dorothy as she wants to know when she can tromp around for the big trees of Los Alamos County project. That's what I love about Dorothy - she always has another project that she is interested in. I'm lucky to be able to accompany her!
The symposium for poets and poetry teachers at UNM-LA was interesting. I'm not going to become a poet any time soon but I enjoyed hearing the poets - Jon Davis, Michelle Holland, Joan Logghe and Miriam Sagan. Each was a fascinating individual. Jon Davis performed a poem in his alter ego persona of Chuck Calabraze that was absolutely hilarious! It was a list poem and listed all the work that men do for their family.
A very interesting woman sat down next to me at lunch. She had turned vegan after a bout with breast cancer.
I'm enjoying One Mile At a Time by Dwight Smith. I thought I would only skim it but I'm reading it all. Taking a bike trip around the United States at age 64 is certainly courageous. When I read about adventures like that, I'm envious but I would be too lonely.
I contrast that book with A Mountain Year by Chris Czajkowski which I'm also reading and I find I enjoy Dwight's better. Chris's is a very beautiful book with lovely drawings of plants and animals and a detailing of the natural world around her for a year but Dwight does a lot of philosophizing that shows his human side more. I like him for his humanness and fallibility and emotional vulnerability.
Now's a good time to do a lot of hikes in the lowlands before it gets hot so here's my hiking wish list for next two weeks - Potrillo Canyon explore; explore of trails on DOE land outside of Pajarito Acres; Ancho Rapids; Guaje Mountain; Burnt Mesa; Ponderosa Campground to Upper Crossing; and Valle Canyon. The last two are for Dorothy as she wants to know when she can tromp around for the big trees of Los Alamos County project. That's what I love about Dorothy - she always has another project that she is interested in. I'm lucky to be able to accompany her!
The symposium for poets and poetry teachers at UNM-LA was interesting. I'm not going to become a poet any time soon but I enjoyed hearing the poets - Jon Davis, Michelle Holland, Joan Logghe and Miriam Sagan. Each was a fascinating individual. Jon Davis performed a poem in his alter ego persona of Chuck Calabraze that was absolutely hilarious! It was a list poem and listed all the work that men do for their family.
A very interesting woman sat down next to me at lunch. She had turned vegan after a bout with breast cancer.
I'm enjoying One Mile At a Time by Dwight Smith. I thought I would only skim it but I'm reading it all. Taking a bike trip around the United States at age 64 is certainly courageous. When I read about adventures like that, I'm envious but I would be too lonely.
I contrast that book with A Mountain Year by Chris Czajkowski which I'm also reading and I find I enjoy Dwight's better. Chris's is a very beautiful book with lovely drawings of plants and animals and a detailing of the natural world around her for a year but Dwight does a lot of philosophizing that shows his human side more. I like him for his humanness and fallibility and emotional vulnerability.
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