Saturday, July 24, 2010

Tucson

Well boys and girls, just tweaking my blog and hopefully you will get an update when I post this, if not I will need to consult someone that is actually technical!  Went to 25th year high school reunion last night with Robin. Was hesitant, but it turned out to be pretty fun, we stayed over two hours so that must tell you something. The travel will come to an end as does the long days of summer. I will have to resume my real job as an art teacher, of which at this time of the year I'm glad for it to resume. Lots of changes at my school, new teachers, some others did not get their jobs back. I'm very grateful I do have a job that I love, but the lingering thoughts in the back of the minds of many arts teachers I'm sure have is will they continue to fund art?  Designing lesson plans, as I have already started to do involves a lot. Planing how they will produce, write about, and understand something new is both challenging and fun, it invariably takes more time than I think it will.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

San Diego

 The downtown buildings look like mountains in the early morning fog. As one proceeds over the Coronado bridge it curves up and over to the left. As you descend into the swarm of traffic, the Island you just left feels like a sanctuary and you wander why you left at all. The ribbon of traffic flows and you can reach your destination in no time. San Diego has created a perfect traffic flow pattern with its freeways and expressways, too bad the population will someday soon make this disappear. The moist sponge cake was drenched in a kirsch liquor, berry's and cream flowed over the top, the rose on top was dusted with gold. Each bite was sweet, tart, and quite extraordinary. This is an amazing desert place. It is on Beech street in Little Italy near the airport, called Extraordinary deserts.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

San Diego

Flew into San Diego on Sunday. The weather was overcast, had some great Chinese food, hung out on the beach with my brother and some of his friends. Monday Balboa park in the morning, the beach for the rest of the day. The skyline seems to change every year. As the sparkling lights began to shine like little stars reflecting in the bay, the change was apparent. For those that visit San Diego on a regular basis, like I do next time go over to Coronado Island and look at the skyline. More hotels and other buildings are creating an amazing skyline that gets brighter and brighter, that is if you like that sort of thing.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Santa Fe

As I leave the wonderful city of Santa Fe, a last glimpse or two of this oddly beautiful place.

Santa Fe after dark

The little dive bar, the matador deserves a more in depth description. As I sat at the small bar with my tequila, salt, and used limes piling up,  the show began. The music was a mixture of Hank Williams Jr, and the punk sounds of The Cramps, X, and other off the edge kind of music. On the video screen the original Mad Max was exploding with fire balls and car chases. As I sipped on my  tequila, salt sticking to my hand, a slow but steady trickle of interesting characters descended into the bar. Rockabilly girls with powder white faces and perfect red lips laughing and joking with guys with slicked back hair and tattoo's in place of long sleeves. An argument about something broke out, and the bartender yelled at the two people at the far end of the bar, but it ended as quickly as it began, I was sure they were going to get kicked out for sure. The crowd was mostly young, all now had a different look, sort of that Alpine/downtown look I mentioned before when I was in flagstaff, mixed with the 7 or 8 rockabilly types. This included the bartender and the DJ. Obviously this was THEIR bar. Well it was time for me to go, not really feeling a part of this scene, but somehow not feeling out of place at the same time. As I walked toward the door I took a last glance around and decided this was a great little bar.  It fit the strange, wonderful, and very different place it was a part of....... Santa Fe.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Santa Fe


Drove for hours and made it to Santa Fe. Ate pork tenderloin with a chili sauce at Casa Sena, was good and finally a meal besides fast food!  The main square was hopping with live Jazz and lots of people dancing, a really good time, with great music as it happens to be the New Mexico Jazz festival. Great bar called the Matador. One must walk down a set of hidden steps that look like a loading entrance. Don't know why I ventured down, but I heard some faint music playing and in I went. Great beer and tequilas, only one tonight as it is time to collapse into bed.

Early morning in the Canyon

The air was cool, a bit, but the sun even at 6:45 was starting to feel warm. I jumped in my truck and made it to White house trail head. I was the only person on the trail. I went through a tunnel in the rock and descended down a tiny path worn in the slick orange brown rock. The trail was a short but steep one, and  only 30 min later I was looking at the White house ruins. Deep in the shaded canyon a few Navajo women began to set up their wares for sale. The quiet was shattered by the echos of laughter from the two, and an very loud circling hawk. I watched the sun change the color of the sheer rock walls all around me. This was solitude at its best. Even with the laughter and bird it seemed so very quiet. A place of beauty that I did not want to leave. As I ascended up the trail I now felt the pull from my backpack, sweat now covering my back as the heat began to rise. The few people I encountered had a look of astonishment on their faces as they took in this marvel of nature, and I'm sure I must have had the same look on my face, all alone feeling just for awhile that this was mine.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Canyon de Chelly

Made it to the Thunderbird lodge, a left over motel type where you pull up to your door in your car. The grounds are nice, old buildings some made of stone. Best of all just a two min drive to the canyon. As I approached the edge of the canyon red and orange curves that seemed to be carved by some kind of giant knife contrasted with green patches of tree tops. Leaning ever closer to the edge, the ribbon like dry river bed below seemed thirsty somehow, but I know that at any time those black curtains in the distance could send a torrent rushing along down this canyon. Tomorrow I hike the canyon!

Northern Arizona

Well the trip to China was canceled because of a broken hip my mother had. You have to take care of your Mother.   Well,  I have decided after 4 weeks in the hospital to hit the road!  Today takes me to Flagstaff. The town is very interesting, small, full of college hipsters and various people from around the world on their way to the Grand Canyon. Young guys and girls with an alpine/downtown look. Tattoos and hiking boots, dreadlocked girls with Gucci sunglasses, coffee shops, thai food, and brew pubs. Will let you know if I end of staying the night, or head over to Canyon de Chelly in Navajo country.