Birthday

Steen’s Mountain.  My birthday.  Nice place to spend the 1/365 of the year when you can claim it is all about you.  After a brief chat with the rattlesnake that was passing through our camp we head off to drive to the top of the mountain.  Amazing day but hazy in the distance.  On a clear day you really can see forever – today maybe only till the middle of next week.  We meet another couple from Portland.  Seem like interesting folks and much like us.  How does one manage the time to stop and get to know people like this and still do what you think you want to do?

Always in awe of nature here.  The sky meets the earth so gently and at the same time so aggressively.  Kiger Canyon, Little Blitzen Canyon, Big Indian Canyon  – all dredged out by glaciers in eons past.  So much sky it aches.  Out in front of the east face is the Alvord desert.  A mile down to the flat desert floor.  We can see 15 to 30 miles in every direction and are looking down probably no more than 50 people.  How anything survives is a mystery, yet much life exists.  We climb to the top and watch the sunset.

Driving back down the mountain in the twilight we hit a deer – om mani peme hung.  Life is very fragile.  Hard lesson in impermanence.