Satisfied….

From the moment my head hit the pillow last night I was determined to take a walk today.

With all the buzz about snow in the northeast, I know I was to be blessed with another beautiful day today here in Albuquerque. It isn't always like this, but today it hit 64 degrees F.  

So, with my tasks completed to my satisfaction, I set out on what turned out to be a VERY long and lazy walk to the river. 

'The Rio Grande'

On the way,  I was happy to locate a labyrinth I'd been introduced to during the solstice.

Built by women artists after a huge fire engulfed the bosque many years ago, it's still cared for and used by many. 

I was alone. Set my intention, and spent some quiet time there with the hum of Coors Boulevard whispering from the other side of the ridge.

I had stopped by the nature center headquarters before heading down here on my walk and thought how fortunate we are that there are a passionate and dedicated group of people who protect and preserve this land and it's creatures.

perhaps sometimes,

from it's self.

The beginning of this year has been very busy for me as usual. And in addition to grappling for new health insurance (don't get me started), and applying for Social Security Benefits (yikes!) I engaged in an Ayurvedic cleanse called a Panchakarma which left me listless and 10 pounds lighter.

Now I'm sort of back to myself and forging ahead (amidst a major financial adjustment) to fulfill my commitment to COMPLETE my renovation project.

In the mean time, during the days that didn't allow me to focus on that, 

I completed 

THESE!

So yes. Today I'm very...

SATISFIED.

A walk on the ditch.........

The North Valley of Albuquerque has a network of ditches that at one time irrigated the farmlands north of town........

these ditches pull water off the Rio Grande......and leave the river dry in the summer some miles south of the city.  

The Cottonwood lined 'ditch-ways' now create avenues for walking and running and riding horses........

and are a special feature if you live near one. 

This day I took a walk......to find the lone walnut tree I discovered last year........bags in hand......

in anticipation of a large haul.........

.......I was disappointed to find someone else had the same idea......

.....so I picked the old nuggets overlooked and left to dry from the year before.......

and took solace 

that I beat them to it last year!

Turquoise Moon..........

On the eve of the most recent Blue Moon.........

my friends and I gathered at White Sands National Monument for a night time tour of the dunes........

There are pretty much no words to describe the peace we found there.....

watching the moon rise.....

as the sun set to our west...at the same time

walking......

then resting on the sand as white as snow....

in the quiet....soft.....warm breeze....

New meets Old...........

Wuddaweek............

a week ago Tuesday found me on plane for a last minute visit to Toronto to finish up some

old business........

the weather was stunning.........the temperature gentle on my skin....and the low end of the summer light invited me to take a walk on the last evening of my two day trip there.........

I used to live in Toronto........

  my favorite path begins just to the west of the Royal Ontario Museum (the ROM)....and continues through the University of Toronto....south to Queen Street where....once upon a time I had a studio, near the Art Gallery of Ontario (the AGO)

 and that is where I walked this day.....

  past many examples of stunning Architecture linking new buildings to old.....

  my favorite is this one

Frank Gehry's amazing addition to this place....

is a wonder....

which makes this

 a magical place 

to BE...

A Walk in the Woods.......................

We turned into the Forest, Our Guide, My Group, and Me....

And almost bumped into this very LARGE tree.

It's name......Strangle Fig.........hmmmmmmmm.

What we learned today it that you cannot determine the age of a tree by it's size.

But to me, this tree is.............

Fiber Art.........

I could have stayed there for hours photographing it, but alas.....we had to keep up the pace.........there was.so much to see..

Like this Peppermint Stick Bug.........it's name from the scent it gives off when jostled............

And this Bumpy Satin Ash...............

It's fruit larger than golf balls and just as hard.....

And the Cassowary Plum...........the most beautiful blue!!!

Our Guide Adrian stopped to make this drawing on a wet river rock with chalky pebbles from the river bed........

And all of this enjoyed under the canopy of giant Fan Palms..........

We had time for a swim...........

Are those Orbs I see...........?

Good Good Energy in the Rainforest................

And ended the day looking for crocs.........

This traveler was happy to see only the baby......










There are 3,500 species of plants in Northern Queensland...........the Rainforest here is the oldest in the world..........It has a deep quiet energy.............a place I'd like to spend more time in.

Our guide for this trip, Adrian, lives off the grid in the middle of the Rainforest with a waterfall in his back yard........he used to own a busy hair salon in Sydney........

I asked him how it was to drop out.........he has no internet.......no tv...........seems like an informed fellow.....

He said the build up to changing his lifestyle was more scary than doing it....he said once he made the decision it was really easy........he said he just went from a life filled with 'busy-ness" to a life filled with peace..........

Food for thought.....but he picked a very very special place to be............and he is with people every day with his job. Charming guy.