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.