Sept. 3, 2008
Its been a whirlwind lately. North to Wyoming, south to Texas, then yesterday west to Acoma for their feast day. Tomorrow I might pay tribute to the East(a short hike east at most). For now I am in the center. I dug a new outhouse hole and fertilized my melons. I also made my first fire of the season in the woodstove, it was so chilly this morning. Otherwise I didn't get much done. My brief encounter with west Texas over the labor day weekend was so unusual that it lingers like a dream, almost as if I wasn't really there. The smell of rain and creosote bush, and the black or zone-tailed hawk that I saw in the middle of Alpine, are my most vivid memories. My visit to Acoma was like entering a living dream of blue sky, white clouds, huge rock outcrops, centuries-old hand-holds in the rock on the way up, and down. Massive white kiva ladders leaning on ancient adobe and stone walls. Beautiful bare-footed dancers with multicolored mantas and eagle-plumed tablitas. The men half-naked with fox skins bouncing behind, black and white skunk-trimmed moccasins, shaking white clay-coated gourd rattles. Mountain fir boughs(in women's hands and men's armbands). The heartbeat of the drums reverberating in the narrow passages. Cool-aide, pickles and snow-cones. The water cisterns full of tadpoles(spadefoot toads), gulping air. Yellow sand and clean air. The mission church with pink trim and beautiful deer guardians, walls 1o feet thick. Ancient corbels and vigas, brought from far. Older than the United states. Fields of corn and chili, rock houses.
Sept. 11 - I was delighted to find this little Collared lizard on the west rim of the Rio Grande gorge yesterday. I had never seen this species in that area, and it really made my day. In fact, I had just been thinking about Collared lizards and was planning on going to the place I had seen them a few years ago, when this one, with its tail held high, caught my eye.
Sept. 11 - A few days ago I managed to get up into the high country in northern NM. It was great to be in that world again. As I ascended I was surprised to find the first fallen gold apen leaves on the trail. The rushing streams and deep spruce-fir forest around 10,000 ft soothed my soul. An unexpected bonus was finding an abundance of chanterelles, after a disapointing 'shroom season near Santa Fe. After passing a well-used elk wallow I arrived at tree-line to find a herd of bighorn sheep grazing on the grassy slopes above me. They were not unduly alarmed by my presence, and I was able to get very close to them. When I sat down, some of them approached to within 20 ft or so. Another herd joined them and I took a lot of photos. There were a few of this years lambs staying close to their mothers. Up on the ridge line I got to see a variety of raptors, including a pair of golden eagles, a harrier, a coopers, a sharp-shinned, and a small falcon.(The evening before I had seen a peregrine passing over the ridge) Fall migration is underway. I saw many marmots and pikas in the rock fields, and Clarks nutcrackers noisily going about their business.
