Extended Blog Break~

Hi!
It's me... just wanted to say hello  & let you know I have just been taking a bit of a blog break due to life circumstances. If you'd like to know why... read on!

 It has been a crazy, busy time since I arrived back in Santa Fe on Aug 5th & I've been working pretty solid ever since. I spent my first week here working like crazy, living out of a motel room & looking at places on my lunch break & after work. (I had given up my apt when I went home for the summer in an effort to save money... thinking again I'd have no problem finding an inexpensive little rental once I got back into town, ha ha.) In hindsight, I wish I'd have kept that little apt.... but hindsight is always 20-20, is it not? At any rate, I did find another little apt that seemed like it would work & was in my price range... but it had a one year lease. Now, I typically don't do leases, because you never know how the place is going be until you actually move in... but  living out of a "cheap"motel & working overtime at stressful job I was desperate! So I signed. Yup, complete with the clause that should I break the lease, I would have to pay rent until it was re-leased, plus a $ 500 re-leasing fee. Yikes. Anyhow, I signed, moved all my things from storage, box by box in my little corolla, set up my air mattress & begun unpacking.

 That is when I found out how noisy the place was. Are any of you out there "noise sensitive?" I totally am. I like to come home to peace & quiet... it is essential to my well being! I explained this sensitivity to the rental company-  and she assured me it was a QUIET complex. What she did not point out was that the complex across from mine is a complex that has a play ground full of screaming kids (and sometimes screaming adults!) Don't get me wrong- I don't have a problem w/ kids, but... it's that ear piercing screaming that you usually hear from an unattended child in Walmart that drives me nuts. It's like nails on the chalk board of my soul! This was not apparent during the day time when I looked at the place... but it usually goes on during my prime relaxation & decompression hours after work~ from 5 pm til 9 pm. Despite closing my windows (which bothers me as I love that fresh Santa Fe air) & turning on the swamp cooler... I can still hear it. It does have it's moments of quiet- usually in the mornings when I am off to work. The walls are also paper thin, so I hear my neighbors when they come home late at night (it sounds like they are moving furniture in the room next to my bedroom!) Last night, after being woken by this noise from a peaceful slumber at midnight, I moved my air mattress to the living room, put in my ear plugs & turned on the swamp cooler. That is when I realized, 10 days after I moved in... I just can't do it! I will lose money & perhaps defeat the purpose of finding the "inexpensive rental," but there is absolutely no way I can stay here! A hard working girl needs peace at the end of the day. Period. So, as of tomorrow, I'll be back to looking for a new place, & hoping the finding of a new place coincides with the timeframe of someone renting this one... I really can't afford to pay rent on 2 places!

Yeah, so that is what I have been up to. Very frustrating really, and quite exhausting! I just want a simple, safe, quiet home to live in that is relatively inexpensive so that I can focus on taking classes~ (which start next week by the way!) And for some reason, I don't think it's too much to ask... but it seems quite difficult to find! I do get tempted during times like this to just pack it up & head back to be closer to family & some sort of support system, but I am really here for the clay, and I am determined to a finish at least one more semester of clay classes! Well, wish me luck. I have a feeling the next few weeks will be just as busy as when I arrived 2 weeks ago, and I seem to be having issues w/ an inconsistent internet connection currently~ but I look forward to catching up with all of you once I get truly settled.

High Sierra Loop Part 3

Our backpacking loop was short but sweet~ I'll take 3 days in the backcountry over none any time! Here are some photographs of our last day of hiking~

Large snow field near Evelyn Lake.

Morning sunlight on frozen ponds... yes, it froze during the night at our high camp, though daytime temps were perfect!

Evelyn Lake outlet looking toward still snow covered peaks~

Evelyn Lake reflections.

Saying goodbye to Evelyn Lake,

and Hello to Fletcher Lake... a great spot for a lunch break!

Beginning the descent, looking back toward Vogelsang & Fletcher Peaks.

Further down the trail... it is always amazing to me how quickly the scenery changes in just a few miles!

Looking down towards Tuolumne Meadows... we still had a ways to go to get to the thickly forested area in the distance.

Made it! Our last section of the hike took us back along the Tuolumne river. It was a great trip, and so nice to be up there again. I am always overcome with a sense of gratitude spending time in the Sierra. It is hard to explain, but I think John Muir describes it perfectly when he says "Going to the Mountains is going home..."

:)

Lyell Canyon to Evelyn Lake: High Sierra Loop~ Part 2 of 3

"Keep close to nature's heart... and break clear away once in awhile and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."

               ~ John Muir

Oh, that John Muir was a wise man! My nephew was the recipient of many such quotes as we hiked along the trail...

:)

Here's the view from our first camp in Lyell Canyon, along the Tuolumne river~ looking towards Donahue Pass. Just gorgeous isn't it?

Crossing one of the many wonderful creeks along the trail.

Climbing higher, the trail intersected Ireland Creek which was thundering down the mountain. Having come from New Mexico where we are in a significant drought, I was totally in awe of the amount of refreshingly beautiful, life sustaining, powerful, clear water flowing from seemingly everywhere!

I chose this spot for a lunch break (push the play button for a quick 5 sec video.) It was awesome place to hang out a bit before continuing on up the trail!

A lovely flat meadow gives us a bit of respite in our upward climb before heading into snow country!

 As we climbed higher, amazing views opened up around us. It is estimated that the High Sierra received somewhere between 178 & 200 % of normal snowfall this year (depending on which website you look at.) 

That, combined with a cool spring means we were treated to snow in July... and quite a fair amount of it as we reached higher elevations!

I was fascinated by the Sun Cups in the snow & the interesting patterns they made. (Click twice on any image for detail & to bring a bit of the High Sierra to your home!)

My Nephew negotiating the Suncups on the "trail."

They were quite fun to hike across, though in some places the snow fields were long enough to obscure the trail completely & it was necessary to employ our stellar route finding skills to find the trail once again!

In some places snow melt took the path of least resistance, flowing down the trail itself.

Little Snow Bridge over unnamed creek.

You've got to pay attention when traveling over snow as it's melting, as in some place you can punch through to unstable footing below.

Our camp at Evelyn Lake~ click to enlarge to see the little yellow tent in a sea of snow and granite, trees and sky.

Walking around camp at sunset,

taking in the shadows & patterns made by shifting light on sun cups in the snow.

The last rays of sunlight, kissing mountain peaks goodnight.

:)

Yosemite High Sierra Backpacking Loop: (Part 1 of 3) Lyell Canyon

Have I mentioned that I LOVE being out in the wilderness? Love, love, love it! I hadn't been up to the High Sierra for a couple of summers due to work & school obligations, but I think my absence made me appreciate it all the more. I had started taking my nephew up to Yosemite when he was only 13 on his first backpacking trip. He just turned 18 & this is our 4th trip together. I was surprised when I saw this pic at how much shorter I've become, ha ha! I was also happy to let him carry more of the gear this time around!

:)

Cody & I @ Tuolumne Meadows~ Yosemite National Park

Our hike began in Toulumne Meadows~ this is the trail going up Lyell Canyon. Just gorgeous, isn't it? The sunshine, blue skies, clean air and the smell of forest were just amazing & I think I had an ear-to-ear grin all day!

We saw plenty of deer, though they weren't interested in turning around for a photo- op!

Though I've hiked this trail many times, the beauty never ceases to amaze me. They had an enormous amount of snow this year, & the lakes, streams & rivers were full.

Sitting & soaking in the view at my favorite secret swimming hole along the Tuolumne River.

That's me making a splash! I had to jump in twice before getting my nephew to jump in the icy waters...

 I thought this shot of him going in was a classic.

Farther along on our hike... enjoying views of the forest, meadows & high peaks.

Ha ha ha... I thought I'd put this in for a chuckle. It's me trying to fit all our food in the bear canister, which was a challenge. (The bears will get your food if you try to hang it & it would just be stupid to keep it in your tent, though I've heard people do. Bear canisters are actually mandatory while backpacking in Yosemite.) The mosquitos were so bad in the evening at our first camp, that I donned my rain jacket & tried to keep as much of my face & head covered as I could! (I hate to use that toxic mosquito repellant!)

While we didn't see or hear bears in our camp, there was evidence that they were there when we woke the next morning. The bear can was not in the precise location that I had left it... and the gashes at the top of the can were where he apparently tried to take a bite out of it, which I had never had happen before. Though so far, I have not heard of them being able to break into these cans.

My nephew in "the kitchen." Not a bad place to start the day!

Wilderness Coffee Shop

And what better way to start the day than a delicious cup 'o joe! I don't really go for that instant stuff~ I brought coffee from one of my favorite independent coffee house in Taos, NM! It's a great way to start the day & get ready for the next leg of the journey.

Stay tuned for Part two... coming soon!

:)

High Sierra or Bust!

Life has it's ways of making it's own plans for you sometimes. My plan last week was to be backpacking in the High Sierra range- instead I was laid flat most of the week w/ some sort of flu bug! Arrgh! I'm feeling much better now & it worked out just fine since I've got a little more time off and now my nephew is able to join me as well! We'll head up for a short little trip & hopefully I'll have some gorgeous photos to show you when I get back in a week or so.

:)

Oh, p.s.~ I found the old suitcase pictured above at a resale/antique shop, & for 17 bucks I had to have it. I thought it went great w/ the abandoned car that was nearby.

To the Ocean

I finally got a chance to get down to the coast today & thought I'd share a few pictures that I took while wandering around Point Loma.  

The tide was going out & I was happy to find this little cave in the cliff that would  otherwise be submerged on a high tide.

The colors & patterns on the cave wall were incredible. In artistic terms, I am not often drawn to the abstract, but in nature I am drawn to these abstract patterns time & time again. There is something about them that I just can't put my finger on, but i find them quite striking.

While the last photo doesn't really fit with the others, I enjoy the color, contrast & simplicity.

It was really nice to see the ocean & breathe the ocean air after many months away.

:)

A Stop in Winslow, Arizona

I had heard of & have seen pictures of "Standin' on the Corner" Park in Winslow, Arizona, but had never stopped while on the road to & from New Mexico. This time I decided to stop & see check it out. The artwork was done by illusionist mural artist John Pugh & was based on the famous 1972 Eagle's song Take it Easy.  It's well worth the visit if you happen to be passing through~ the mural work is awesome.

 The requisite "Flatbed Ford" parked on the corner.

On a more somber note, Winslow is also home to this "Remembrance Garden," to honor those fallen in the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Click to enlarge to read

 I don't know how many states in the U.S have a memorial such as this. As sad as it was to visit, I think it is important to remember. The steel beams are actual pieces from what was left behind from the World Trade Towers. 

As I ran my hand over the twisted metal, I reflected back on the day of the attack. I'm sure every American knows exactly where they were at that moment... and we all shared the horror, fear, grief and the uncertainty in days (weeks, months, years) that followed.

My thoughts drifted to those that were lost, and the grief of their families and loved ones. In a single day~ Sept 11, 2001, the life of every American forever changed...