The Dark Days of Winter

This being my last week here, I'm packing it in. Sunday I drove the van to the Chiracahua National Monument, and stayed in a very remote campground. The trip involved driving on a washboard dirt road, which the Nomad Moon is not accustomed to. Of course there was no cell service, so if I'd gotten a flat I'd have been royally screwed since I don't even have a spare. After 10 very slow miles I arrived at the deserted campground, where I encountered bear warnings, and one man camping out of his truck. While I should have been relieved for the company, I avoided him (just in case he was a serial killer). It was a cold night and I realized I was very low in propane. Thankfully, neither the bears nor the cold nor the fellow camper did me in. What luck--not even a flat tire on the way out! I even got to see a family of 9 coatimundis, which are raccoon-like critters I’ve only ever seen before in tropical Central America. I was also rewarded with some other worldly landscapes as...

Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer with Humane Borders at Trump's Wall.  It reminded me of the Great Wall of China.  Though I hesitate to get too political at a time when our country is so polarized, I have to say I was speechless when I saw the wall. A great deal of time and money goes into keeping that monstrosity in good repair.  And yet thousands of people, desperate to get over here, find ways to breach the wall with blow torches or whatever.  Yes, it's illegal to come without a visa, but do those who oppose undocumented migration ever think about the root causes?  And no, it's not to bring drugs into the US or some other illegal activity.  The locals are fed up with election year rhetoric. According to NY Times writer Jack Healy (see link below) the locals in Sasabe, AZ don't feel the migrants are a dangerous threat, but are frustrated by the lack of government response.  Wall contractors, ranchers and left leaning humanitarians alike a...

At the risk of being boring, I can’t stop marveling about these amazing cacti and their indomitable will to survive. The desert has no secrets so it has to protect itself somehow. These fierce little plants develop some amazing adaptations.                                              Cactus spines hold onto moisture better than leaves do. One of my favorite ones is the “jumping” cholla, which gets its name from its ability to attach itself to anything nearby—so efficiently that they actually seem to jump onto you. The only way to get them off is with a wide toothed comb apparently. There's a variety called the "teddy bear cholla", which looks so fuzzy, that you're tempted to touch them, but don't be deceived! Some cacti have barbed spines, like this fish hook barrel cactus. Watch out! This one is starting to produce fruit, although I don't know what happened to the flower....

Every morning it is cold when I rise at 5:30 or so, no matter how warm it was the day before.  My routine is to sit in front of my beautiful kiva fireplace with my coffee, meditate and wait for the first morning light to greet the desert.  At the risk of sounding like a cliche, I like the focus of my early mornings to be on gratitude.  That I am able to wake up in this magical place every day is truly miraculous.  So I clear my head of the strange and melancholic dreams of night and my body of its arthritic pains with contemplative prayer and yoga.  Only then can I face another day. This week, having completed their grueling screening process, I was finally able to volunteer at Casa Alitas (which translates as House of Little Wings).  At the basic clinic there, I followed the volunteer doctor around seeing patients. When she finally turned me loose, I was overwhelmed by my first patient.  He was an African man, who spoke a language I'd never even heard...

In between trips around AZ and NM, I am grateful to finally settle into my new desert home, which I have named the Sanctuary. I am reveling in my solitude at last, not the least bit lonely, as I become acquainted with the house's uniqueness and little quirks.   When you first enter the yard, there is a cloister-like doorway that draws me to the house every time I arrive. The front yard is like a convent courtyard, with a dry fountain that I hope to revive at some point to keep the birds happy.                                                    The house is furnished throughout with elegant Native American and Mexican art.  There is pottery that I would love to identify, as I'm certain some are of Pueblo or other southwestern tribal origin.  There are several Talavera tile and porcelain pots from Mexico as well.       ...

Tw o days after the closing of my new house, I headed off for Santa Fe, NM with my friend Kathy.  Though I might have been better off staying put, I'd arranged a home exchange about a year ago, and the price was right (free) so off we went.  It was snowing when we left, and I was glad Kathy drove her zippy little Subaru, rather than me taking the big honking Nomad Moon. We travelled through some beautiful canyon lands, but didn't actually see the view (due to snow and fog) till the return trip 5 days later.  We stayed in a rustic but roomy house in the desert, about 20 miles outside of Santa Fe. While it had a lovely fireplace, we set off the smoke alarm while trying to make a fire and the entire house smelled like smoke for 2 days. No matter; during the day the strong sunlight warmed the house like a greenhouse through its many windows.  But at night it was poorly lit, making it hard to read. No internet, cell service or games to play, it was a bit more retreat...