Its Halloween in the Deep South

All the Gouls and Goblins will arrive at the end of the day.

Not much happening.

Havent gotten back to the gym. Its a mental struggle for sure.

The home office is coming along nicely.

Slept well last night. Up early this morning.

I need another workout partner.

Thats it for the last day of October.

45 days left.

Sitting here.....

Thinking.............

Which could be a bad thang....!!

Bradly came over this afternoon and helped me re organize the office here at the house.

We had supper with Eric.

Eric is a former meth boy, who has gotten his act together.

It is good to see someone who has whipped that devil and made it back to the top.

Other than that, Life is good on the Red Bricks....and bout 6 weeks till the Fat Lady Sings.

Been a while here.

Tis Saturday morning and I am posting this from the new iMac.

Its a good machine, especially with the new Aperture feature.

After I returned from NM, I had a bout of health matters, the gout returned, got the upset stomach, and haven't made it to the gym in forever.

But I shall return....soon to the gym.

I am about 49 days away from heading off into the sunset with the career. There is a feeling of sadness to some extent, then feelings of having no responsibilty to staff and clients. In the past few years my staff at the center has risen to 159, with several outcamps positions.

I will be writing about my experiences here soon, as the date draws to a close in mid Decemeber.

I made my first fire in the fireplace last night of the season. Had Dennis, Bradly, Brian, and Robby over for chilli last night, and a fire in the fireplace. Woke up early this morning and felt real good.

Its caught up with me today.

I am dragging.

More to come.

I am home.

980 miles

14 hrs 18 minutes.

From above SF to the Red Bricks

All in one day.

I am resting now.

Headed Home

Whoa........

The sun is setting on my New Mexico sojourn.

Been here since Sept 29....will pull out early headed toward La on Oct 15.

Been one helluva time, thought provoking sun sets, clear days of thinkin' not a damn thing but earth, wind, and sky; hikes to the upper reaches of the imagination, broken ribs, sinus infection, ah.....but the skin is doing good, the mind is rational..well almost.

I will be back to New Mexico soon..for Thanksgiving.

The sister's house is a wonderful creation of New Mexican with an Asian flare.....starkness....but a warm light. I know that she will find some peace there among the pinon trees, rocks, and creatures. With Remi and Rue always at her side.

My friendship with K & V has a renewed strength, meet new acquaintances R/E.

The hikes were a true realization for me of the wonders of nature and the creation of all that I saw. It was made possible by my long time friend K, he let me into his world, without expectation, to share with V and him. No gift could have been more special.

I feel that New Mexico will be always on my horizon for the next few years.

But, as all thoughts must come to reality......I am headed back to Lou..zee...anna.....

As they sing "you are my sunshine" as I ride into the sunrise of tomorrow morning...!!

Well.......I took the plunge

I brought an iMac

I am now a Mac.ie

I also decided purchase a high end printer that will print on fine art paper.

I am taking the plunge on my desire to be a artist/photographer/artist.

That is what two weeks at 7120 ft will do for you.......

Finding one's self looking at sunsets....and wanting to make art out of them is something I really want to do.

More pics to come.

More pics of today's hike to Tent Rocks. We did a slot canyon, thats the third pic on the page. All this with a lil pain killer, two fractured ribs, an apple, and lots of water.

I have realized that I miss my Canon XTi. The close ups that I have been getting with the Canon A640 are ok, but nothing like the range I did with the big Canon.

Pays to lug all that camera equipment with you ......

Creatures and pics from Tent Rock Natl Monument. Today's hike.

More wisdom and pics to come from this hike.

Its Thursday on the High Desert Mtn north of Santa Fe.

Ribs are getting better, thinks to modern medicine and a good pain killer.

Sinus is getting better, a lil chest congestion left.

Lil Sister will be here tomorrow.

I am leaving for La on Tuesday. Heading back home.

I have had a good stay despite all the physical aliments, loosing the hard drive and other maladies.

I am looking forward to heading back to the house.

I hear by the neighborhood drums that I am up for president of the Garden District Neighborhood Assoc......hmmmmmm sounds like folks have been planning this while I was gone.

I guess they think I would be a good person for the job.

One of my sources said that the @Five Cocktail hour on some one's back porch, I was discussed, those in attendance said that my humility and graciousness would serve the Assoc. well.....they all must have been into their third gin and tonics.

Shit just happens

This morning my hard drive crashed or some how got fucked up.

Lost all my pics!!!!!!!

At least before I left La I had burned all my pics on disk.

But the Valles Caladera pics from this week are gone.

Also, all my shortcuts to EVERYONES' BLOGS.

So, please, please leave a comment or email me from my profile your blog address.

Thanks a bunch.

So with broken ribs, lost hard drive, this lil stay at the sister's house has not been too fun.

and my damn email is not working either...i can rec'd but i cant send.

Its time to head back to the disfunctional Louisiana to get right again.

Well......my hard drived crashed this morning.

I lost all of my photos.

I do have some backups of them back in La, but every one that I took in the last 10 days here, including the Valles Caladera pics are gone.

So, besides bruising my rib cage, I lost my hard drive, and I aint sleeping good these days.

So,......when baby Sister comes, I am heading back to La.....back to the Red Bricks.

tis time.

More pics from the recent hike.

First pic is looking at the back side of Pedernal

Second pic is a rock on another rock near the Chama River

Third pic is a ground squirrel looking

Fourth pic is a raven soaring on the thermals above an apsen hillside

I am staying another week!!!!

Here are pics from today's hike. We started at 930 am got home at 830 pm.

I communed with nature today, up on the Caladera, in the Himez Mtn Range. Spent the day with K,V,E,D. Made new friends and had a great day. I was a lil stove up, from my fall yesterday, but I pulled it thru tho. The experience was a once in a life time hike.

I am blessed.

Well....it might not be Georgia O'Keefe ......its just Red Bricks....!!!

This is my sister's compound some where high in the mtn desert in New Mexico. The mountains in the background are the ones I look at every morning. This is the area where all my photos are coming from

I happened to be out walking today around noon time. Started at the house and thought since I have just been consentrating on the sun sets......I might look to taking some of the flora here.

First is a black locust tree in the courtyard of the house

Second is a knot hole on a young aspen tree

Third are cedar berries on a ridge near the house

Fourth ....I don't know the name of it, but the purple color amazes me when i see this plant. High in the desert of New Mexico and such a brillant color

Also, I am thinking of ordering me a desk top MAC with Photo Shop 3. I could be on to becoming an artist my self. Living a dream of both mine and my momma.... She always loved the lens of a camera.

Its Friday in the high desert up above Santa Fe.

I have been sitting here, watching the shadows as the day passes. Its amazing how one can not see a house, barn, canyon, tree line until the sun places the sun light on it. I find my self searching all the time for new things on the horizon. I can see why all those artists came here in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s....and how this place attracts folks here today.

This time away from my little city on the Red River has given me a deeper appreciation of all things. Especially as my career comes to a close and new prospects are on the plains of expectation.

I received several calls yesterday from calls at the work place. Tiding up matters here and there. As I was talking to each of them, I begin to actually realize that in a matter of weeks, I will not have a responsibility to or hold on those folks as their boss. My authority is now waning, I can tell that. In months before, folks would not have hired someone without asking me, now since my extended stay here in New Mexico, they must do the hiring, and take the responsibility for that. In years past, they would hire, but if some event or wrongdoing occurred, it was my responsibility...now they must bear the brunt of those hiring.

In my business, there is a supreme commander, he has the authority of all matters, and its good to be king of the kingdom, however with that comes the responsibility of total authority and whatever outside actions, legal matters, you must yourself bear the load of it all. There is 'no passing of the buck' your It.

I see now, that type of authority structure is leaving me. Yesterday, I was traveling down one of the county roads here up in the hills, two women (late 20s and early 20s) were walking with a golden retriever. They hailed me down, ask me for a ride into town. In La you would have never thought to stop and roll the window down. But here, there is a since of time lasping and helping your neighbors.

So I rolled the window down, they ask if they could catch a ride into the plaza. Without questioning myself, I said "yep get in".....so they did...those two and the retriever......off we went to the plaza.

I must be letting myself go......adopting to the local flavor of it all......leaving that authoritarian world I have lived in behind....

Which is a Good Thing.........I think.

Well, the first picture is the bunny rabbitt that stays right near the edge of the green grass.

And I thought at the end of today I would share a sunset. The second picture is an enlarge one of the left hand side of the bottom pic.

I went to Borders Book Store today and picked up a copy of Dog Years by Mark Doty, as referenced in Thom's blog.

I have always admired Thom for his knowledge of the written word, so today I thought I would begin to read Dog Years.

Truly an expansion of thought and human emotion.

Today, its caught up with me. I had a bad night last night. Wheezing, coughing, the allergies are back. Or it could be the dry mountain air and I am just adjusting to it.

This morning when I woke up, I felt much better than the night I spent.

Lil Sister has some guys coming to fix several doors over the next couple of days here. So, I will be around making sure all goes according to plan.

I am putting on moisturizer and drinking gallons of water.

I think I will be here for another week or so, leaving sometime on wed or thurs of next week.

I am looking forward to the weekend here, Kirt/Val are taking me to an arts fair on Sunday, I think.

I have had thoughts of even relocating for a period of time here. Renting my house out in La and coming out here for six to eight months. Just to experience another way of life.

More pics to come.

This is the hummingbird that is gathering the nectar from the flowers in my sister's courtyard here in NM. My lil camera did well.