Ordinary Beauty

The problem with commuting in a convertible, is that when I go to work in the morning the sun is in the east and when I drive home at night the sun is in the west–so the sun always shines on the same side of my face–the righthand side, which is now sunburned :-)

Just back from a visit to New Mexico. I don’t recall ever being there before, and was eager to go off to this land of vast landscapes, and spend a few days soaking in the mineral waters at Ojo Caliente.

These are the “cliffside suites” of the Ojo Caliente resort. We stayed in number 49 (7 x 7) and the room was quite nice–fragrant with the wood from the kiva fireplace. The radiant heat floor didn’t work, but hey, with a fireplace, who’s complaining.

This is the Soda springs, my favorite pool of the lot. I adore the whole thing of it–the simple roof, the black rocks at the bottom of the walls topped by the white rocks, the colored glass blocks. And, that there is a water snake who likes to visit here. I didn’t get to see the snake, but I spent a long time sitting, waiting–and the time spent was delicious.

The view while soaking in the iron pool, my second favorite. The water here comes sometimes out of a spout above a boulder in the wall, and always from beneath the pebbles at the floor of the pool. I stood on the hot hot space and contemplated the strength of the earth and the water–and their force.

100,000 gallons of water come up to the surface here from within the earth–each day. I struggle to imagine this volume, this force.

On the plateau above the hot springs are the Posi-Ouinge ruins. A short but steep hike from the hot springs gets you there.

I was awed by the number of pottery shards scattered and gathered on the ground here. This is BLM land and the area was occupied 700 years ago, and abandoned during some epidemic. Now, visitors are greeted by a pamphlet with the plea to leave the pottery shards where they are found, so that archaeologists can attempt to reconstruct this civilization. But, time and weather forces thwart this–the shards are everywhere, including in the designated hiking path, where they would be walked upon if not set aside.

So, all about the area are arrays of shards that have been carefully placed atop red stone slabs. It’s really rather eerie. And, it’s difficult to resist the pleas to leave the shards alone and to not take any. There are thousands, and clear evidence that the rains and weather are going to sweep them away.

The photo above shows just a few of the shards gathered in a spiral that has been built by modern visitors. Standing in the middle of the spiral, there is a 180 degree view of the area, and down below, the Rio Chama.

Three hundred and thirty miles in a 1964 Ford 2-ton truck with a fully (and I can’t emphasis fully fully enough) loaded box.

Just drove from Malo, WA to Magnolia, WA with my faded-blue truck, big-ass aluminum box on the back and the stuff of my inheritance inside. Shake shake shake rumble. Long, loud trip.

See, the truck truly is a farm truck. Drives like one. Comes with assorted debris of the ages in the cab, and the classic “Gas Grass or Ass. No one rides for free” sticker on the glove box.

Did I mention loud? And hurky jerky? All along the highway. Tiring. Plus, three mountain passes between here and there.

But I did it! And the truck is now parked here at my home, with the looming chore of unloading and finding homes for all the contents.

Did I mention fully loaded?

Last night in my dreams there was a large blue pool and in it turtles swam. One was especially large and I rode on its back.

Eighteenth-century hermeticist, Don Pernety, saw the tortoise as “the symbol of the raw material of the Art.” Of course, there are multiple cultural references and linkings of the tortoise to the universe, the cosmos, the gods.

Later in my dream, I was being handed the turtle and to accept it and cradle it I had to release from my left hand, three thin, short snakes.

A few things to consider if you are in Seattle in July.

It rains on July 4th, invariably, and is nice every day after that until the end of September (well, pretty much). “Nice” means up to 75-80 degrees on average, and daylight until, oh, 9:00 or so.

The Henry is NOT charging admission from now through Labor Day. I am overly fond of the James Turrell Skyspace and recommend you visit it perhaps on a Thursday when the museum is open until 8:00 and you might get the most effect of the changing of light in the evening. Or, on a day when the wind is blowing the clouds quickly through the sky.

Lunch 2.0 — I don’t know what this is but it looks interesting and is at Zillow. I ~heart~ Zillow.

Here’s a whole collection of events in Seattle in July. Hmmm.

And, Seafair. Including the Milk Carton Derby at Greenlake on 07 07 07 from 11 to 4.

An interesting looking channel, Eccentric Seattle. Again, I have not looked at this, but hmmm.

Wooden boats. I also ~heart~ wooden boats.

I am a geology whore. I love when a city is so obviously constructed from the materials of its environs.

I am waiting for Clark Kent to emerge from this building.

And this is where the Bad Guys get their just rewards.

Built of compressed dead sea creatures.

A bright life for the gentle set.

Providing the practical and less glamourous parts of life.

And when the systems and industries start to fail …

I am about to embark on a roadtrip with my BF. He is currently in Esalen, and tomorrow while he is driving north from there, I will fly United flight 0721 from SEA to SFO, where he will pick me up at the airport.

The “plan” is to linger in San Franscisco for a day or so and then meander up HWY 101 and take in some coastal splendor and oddities. Redwoods, and so on.

I am a wee bit wary, as our last road trip is illustrated above — 300 miles of snow. All the way from Malo, WA–where we did the Family Thanksgiving Rituals–to Magnolia in Seattle. And then it snowed for two more days. Or was it three?