lil' bighorn

So I led a ride down Pleasant Creek in Capitol Reef National Park today. This particular section of the creek is in a beautiful canyon, with huge sandstone walls towering overhead and plenty of petroglyph (rock art pecked into the rocks by ancients peoples who lived there) panels throughout. The creek meanders along in lazy manner, and the multi-toned hues of the cliffs against the intense blue of the sky invite quiet introspection.

I love that canyon, its beauty, its accessible remoteness (hmm, oxymoron?). We encountered no other humans on our little jaunt, which of course made sense, as few venture deeply into the more desertlike areas in high summer. And it did get warm, into the low 90s. But the with creek at our side or underfoot the entire time, and with the early afternoon clouds shadowing us, we managed just fine.

My favorite part of today's particular trip was our bighorn sheep viewings. We saw sheep twice. The first time two of them (females, we thought) burst out of some bushes lining the creek when we were in the cliffs above them, looking at petroglyphs and apparently making threatening noises. The way they leapt up the cliff! It was amazing. They must have super-sticky stuff on the bottoms of their hooves. No, really, you have to see it yourself to truly understand how these animals simply--glide up the rock face. As if it's nothing, as if gravity does not exist for them, as if they are walking on flat and level ground.

The second sighting involved about seven or eight of them, including two little ones, one of which was quite curious about us and peered down from her aerie perch, perhaps trying to determine what sort of foreign sheep we were. I wish I had pictures...but alas, I left my camera at home today! Oh well...memories of the cute lil' bighorn will just have to sustain me.

lil' bighorn

fire season

The skies have been very hazy here recently. We have had fires burning over in Escalante and on Boulder, but the majority of the smoke is from the NoCal fires, which helped push all fire activity in the U.S. to a level five, which apparently is rather a challenge, as continuing fires might strain our nation's firefighting resources.

As if we don't already have enough going on!

(Hmm, I sense messages from the ether. Um...stop screwing with the environment. People, get educated. Pay attention to our (dwindling?) resources. Live more wisely and with less waste. Etc. Etc. Etc. Sigh. Yet it seems to be in our nature to deny, deny, deny--until we can no longer deny because it's all blown up in our faces. Sound about right?) ;)

My body notices the smoke here too. My nose and throat mostly, which have been more irritated than usual. And my eyes, which have been demanding eye drops almost daily.

Yet we still have plenty of people visiting our little corner of the Earth. Smoke or no, high gas prices or no, faltering economy or no. Which of course is good from a business standpoint, and certainly helps my pocketbook.

Although on the 1/2-day ride I took out yesterday with the boss, up to Blind Lake on Boulder Mountain (must put some pics up here, it is SO gorgeous there. Always been one of my favorite lakes), we got stiffed on the tip. And, interestingly enough, we both chalked it up to the fact that the family was Mormon. Now, that may be unfair of us. Yet it is also within the realm of each of our experiences, so I see a connection.

Life. Neverendingly interesting and unexpected. Who knows what shall happen today! Hopefully for me, a nap is in the works this afternoon...supposed to be 95 here today. Icky. Icky. Icky. And not conducive for being outside!

Hmm, but very conducive for writing in the coolness of one's lovely basement apartment....

fire season

a little morning musing

So far this morning, there's been

-a gorgeous red sunrise (does that mean weather later on today?)
-a black dog trotting purposefully through the yard
-a very cute little skunk walking right past the strawberry beds in front of my door (nervous moment for me, Pippin, the landlady's cat, and the skunk, all at once)
-journaling on the outside steps with my coffee, the sunrise, and the dog & cat playing chase and "spit" (as in, the cat does that unique feline spit/hiss/leap when the dog gets too close to her)
-the anticipation of taking 24 people riding today...eek
-yoga, yoga, how I love thee...how my muscles love thee
-being connected to the online world right here at home...love that
-the wonder of what else this day may hold

And it's not even 8am yet! Cool.

a little morning musing