What a long strange November . . .

Harrisonburg is wonderfully hospitable as Doug and Nancy showed us the sites.  Who knew the theater was alive and well and western Virginia?  We managed to attend three plays in two weeks.  First a modern play in Harrisonburg - Love Song - was a treat and a glimpse of what we were in for in Virginia.  Next we venture down to Staunton,VA (pronounced Stanton for all you non-locals) to the Blackfriars theater and two  Shakespeare plays - Two Gentlemen of Verona and King John.  Both excellent and presented in Globe Theater style with no theatrical lighting.  An unexpected high point was the cast doing an acoustical version of the Rolling Stones classic Gimme Shelter.  Life is full of surprises.
An extra pleasure was a visit from Matt, a graduate school friend I have not seen is 20 years or so, who came up from Richmond.  Amazing how you can pick up a 20 year old conversation as if no time had passed.
Finally, after ten days or so of great political discussion, walks through the countryside, and almost constant munching, we are off for the drive up to Basking Ridge, New Jersey and our Diamond Way Buddhist Retreat.

550 people showed up from all over the world to participate in the Phowa course. I can't begin to describe the length and breadth of this here, but if you are interested check out Diamond Way.
I'm not sure how sitting on a cushion for eight hours a day can make one so hungry, but it does.  Fortunately there was ample fabulous food and an endless stream of wonderful friends to share an amazing five days of teaching and meditation.

After the course in New Jersey we make our way to Boston to visit another long time friend which I have also not seen in 20 years (is there a theme developing here?).  Dave, my old business partner from Massachusetts lives in Boston and has recently restored the 1955 GMC pickup we used in our building business 30 years ago.  (Ouch, that sounds really old)  Anyway, more late nights of catching up over bottles of old scotch made for a great visit.  Boston is really an interesting place if you ignore the traffic.  Spent a day at the Public Library - a magnificent building built in 1895.  Sad that we don't put this kind of attention and spirit into our modern public buildings anymore.

And now for something completely different . . .

After an all to short visit we are on a plane to Denver - then a car into the mountains for Jo Ann's niece's wedding.  The C Lazy U ranch outside Granby, CO is the setting for a marvelous time and a special occasion for Alyssa and Drew.  I must admit, when I heard we were going to an OUTSIDE wedding in the mountains in December in Colorado I was a bit suspect, but all turned out beautifully.  Once again in a short two weeks we were forced to consume too much delicious food and drink.  I'm not sure how we managed it  but we persevered.  Life can be challenging at times - fortunately, we are up to the task.

I also had a chance to get back to my non-existent cowboy roots.  One of the benefits of going to a wedding at a  ranch in Colorado is that they have horses - lots of horses.  And, you can actually ride them.  Well, you can sit on their backs while they move.  That's pretty close to riding but I won't flatter myself to say that I pulled off any Roy Rogers moves here.  I was especially pleased when the wrangler took one look at me and decided that I should ride "Mungo".  Mungo is part draft horse and at least a foot taller than every other horse in the herd.  Needless to say, my mount and I cut a striking figure against the Colorado landscape.

Of course Jo Ann actually did look like a total natural astride "Molly" and she galloped off into the sunset.

More about the month of December soon . . .

How did we get to Virginia?

Pretty quickly it turns out.

 After leaving Tucumcari, we blast straight to big D (actually to Grand Prairie) where we rely upon Particia's boundless hospitality for a couple of days of repacking.  It is amazing just how much time one can spend taking things out of one bag and putting them in another in slightly different arrangements.  But, such is life traveling - I can't complain.
It was quite wonderful to spend Tuesday night watching our country's return to sanity as Mitt and the republicans got, as Rachel Maddow put it, "shellacked".  Actually, if you have not seen the video of her November 7 show it is worth a watch here:  Rachel Maddow
What starts out as a good face slapping ends up as a coherent plea for national cooperation.  Let's hope the right hears it.
Then on Thursday, two short, uneventful flights and we are in Washington DC.  We spend a long day touring the White House and the Capitol with a little time to eat and drink with friends.  Friday night it is off to Harrisonburg Virginia to other sangha friends Doug and Nancy.  More absurdly wonderful hospitality.  I'm beginning to think I could get used to this.

Zuni Pueblo and across New Mexico

After driving the reservation (Navajo and Hopi) on Arizona 264 we cross into New Mexico and land in Zuni Pueblo.  It is the largest of the 18 or so settlements of the Pueblo peoples that inhabited this area from at least 2000 BC.  Most of the different pueblos have separate languages and customs.  Stayed at the La Halona Inn run by a Dutch couple and seems to be one of the few if not the only non-tribal presence in the pueblo.

Took a tour of the Mission Church of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe which the Spanish had the Zunis build in 1629 and was restored in 1966.  Starting in 1970, a Zuni, Alex Seowtewa painted fantastic murals of Zuni Katchina dancers on the upper walls of the nave.  These tell the stories of the different important Zuni religious characters throughout the seasons of the year.  Probably the most important of these, Shalako, is celebrated on December 1^st – sorry we can’t stick around to see it.  

The Zuni don’t have much for use for Catholicism so they mainly just give tours of the cathedral and the murals.  There appeared to be many similarities between the Zunis and the Tibetians in way of life, religion and even appearance.  Definitely a connection there.

Next it is on to Albuquerque for a night at the Monterey “Non-smoking Motel”.  I guess everyone wants to be known for something.  Mexican food for dinner and a little Day of the Dead party in Old Town for a good southwest fix.  Sunday morning we meet up with Diamond Way friends Kathleen, Shawn, John and Patricia for a great meditation and lunch.  Turns out that Kathleen is a good friend from architecture school of my ex co-worker Jen in Portland.  Small world.  Back on the road again for an evening drive with a marvelous sky heading for Tucumcari.

Tucumcari Tonight!  Great advertising campaign.  We stay in The Blue Swallow Motel.  Classic Route 66 spot built in 1939 and run by a recent transplant couple from Michigan – Nancy and Kevin Mueller.  Why anyone would stay at a Motel 6, Super 8, Hampton Inn, etc… when there are places like this available is beyond me.  Great attention to detail and customer service.  They really care if you have a good experience and want you to come back.  If there is hope for this country it is in people and places like this.

Late evening treat of a 1934 Ford hot rod on its way to Las Vegas for a car show.  The owner/builder stayed at the Blue Swallow and brought the car out for some photos in the neon.  Alas, I don't have the camera to do it justice in the dim light.  Really didn’t anticipate this trip would be so Route 66 focused but it has been fun.  People do seem very interested in the ethos of an earlier time.  It isn’t hard to imagine Tucumcari in its heyday lit with neon and the sound of heavy American iron cruising main street and the Mother Road.

On the Road to Texas

All usually works out for the best if you give it a chance.  Realized it would be good to have the truck in Texas to get around and the hurricane provided the opportunity to rethink plans.  Left Carmel Valley and headed east across California into the Mojave desert.  First night camping at Red Rocks Canyon.  Perfect night with a moon so bright you could see color.  Surreal landscape - I kept waiting for the UFOs to land.  Signaled the mothership but they must have had other plans as they never showed up.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Next was something equally as surreal as the rocks in the desert - Route 66, Barstow, CA to Williams, AZ. A living tourist trap.  Vintage motels, gift shops, photo opportunities with Elvis and, of course, lots of 50's autos (in various states of repair).  America can make a tourist attraction from pretty much anything.  Interesting to realize that almost none of the folks "reliving" the heyday of Route 66 actually lived the heyday of Route 66.  Only those pushing 80 would be old enough to really remember cruising along in their '56 Chevy reading the Bruma-Shave signs.  Still, it is an amazing landscape and an interesting history about how the southwest developed.  Spent a very pleasant night in Williams and enjoyed people watching.  Some things have definitely changed for the better - saw an interracial couple in the cafe at breakfast and no one batted an eye.  That would not have happened in 1956.

Then, straight up highway 64 to the Grand Canyon.  Great time to be here as the weather is fine and the crowds are nonexistent.  Absolutely splendid hole in the ground.  Nothing like looking a 600 million years of geologic history to completely mess with your sense of time.  Americans are definitely outnumbered here.  Many Europeans, Asians, etc... but not so may Americans.  Definitely heard some interesting languages being spoken.  Still, the park is beautiful - our tax dollars have made for a nice experience.  Very different than the last time I was there in 1967.  Definitely need to return to spend a week or so hiking the canyon.

Spent all day today driving across the reservation toward New Mexico.  It is mind boggling how many juniper trees there are in this country.  Hundreds of miles of nothing but juniper and sage.  Beautiful and staggeringly empty.  I love the west.  Zuni Pueblo next . . .

OMG! - Positive experience with United Airlines?

I am stunned but I must relay our experience.  With our flight to VA canceled and our decision to drive to TX to let the storm pass we needed to get a refund from United Airlines for the flights.  No humans answered the phone at UA on Sunday so we went to the San Jose airport on the way out of town today to deal directly with a ticket agent.  We were braced for a fight knowing UA and I contemplated long term parking as I figured we would be in arguing with them all day.  But, JoAnn went in to talk with the agent while I waited at the curb.  She was back out with refund in hand in less than 5 minutes! - we are still barely over the shock.
Could UA be turning over a new leaf?  Experience with them in the past few years has been horrible.  It seemed the bean counters had won out and they have seemed intent to nickle and dime everyone to death (all the while being a s rude as possible).   Could this be a kinder and gentler UA?
I guess there is always hope.

Sandy blows in changes . . .

The best laid plans . . .

In to Mountain View in preparation for flying east on Tuesday. Excccccccept (be very afraid now) big bad Sandy has caused everyone to cancel ALL the flights to the east coast.  Who would have figured a hurricane at the end of October threatening the eastern seaboard?  Good thing climate change isn't real and this is just a fluke. . .

So, looks like we will drive to Texas (an earlier plan) and fly to VA from TX after the storm has passed.  Stay tuned, all will be revealed in the final reel.

Ventana Wilderness Backpacking

“Challenging” hike by the guidebook.  From China camp on Tassajara Rd to Pfeiffer State Park at Big Sur.  First day rough trail with much brush but mostly downhill to Pine Ridge camp (8 miles).  Nice camp with water and good star viewing.  Tent without a fly under the stars.  Difficult night as the ground was hard and I didn't bother to dig hip/shoulder pits.  Too warm for the sleeping bag as well.  Second day about 6 miles to Sykes hot springs.  Great spot with good springs for long soak.  Great camp site, tired but slept well.  Only a few people in camp and at springs.  Our friend Martha snagged her foot on a stump and tore the skin on her sole.  J patched it up and she was OK on the walk out.  Third day about 11 miles out.  Lots of up and down.  Lunch at Redwood camp – very nice spot.  Canyons very steep and rugged.  Great oasis at creek at bottom.  25 miles in three days.  Can't say it was the easiest hike I've ever done but we made it.  Hopefully more where that came from.