Back on the West Coast

The postings are in reverse chronological order.  To see earlier portions of the trip, scroll down and click older posts. 

Big Sur - one of my favorite places on the west coast 

It's great to be back on the west coast. As I reentered California and got closer to the bay area I braced myself for heavy traffic and a faster pace, but actually it didn't hit me too hard. What I did notice was how green and manicured this place is. After getting used to the space and openness and big sky of the southwest; all this green growing everywhere feels oddly claustrophobic at the moment.

I loved the slower pace.  The trade-off seems to be that on "southwestern time" folks are nice and relaxed -- but don't expect things to happen on an exact schedule. I caught myself feeling impatient and frustrated by how laid-back things could be. I got with the program more and more as the weeks went by and it did me good. I found that I didn't need much "stuff", but I was dependent on my car and laptop and both had to be repaired in the course of the trip.

Does this mean I'm moving to New Mexico? There's no rush to decide. I definitely want to spend a lot more time in the Land of Enchantment and we shall see what happens. All in good time.

Final days in Albuquerque

Amos and Heidi and their loveable dog Zeb were my final airbnb hosts in Albuquerque before I left for home. They are world travelers, having lived in Nepal long enough to speak the language, and traveled recently to Central America. They are good citizens of the Earth, opting for bicycles over driving whenever possible, eating unprocessed foods (Heidi works in the co-op), and living frugally and simply. We enjoyed each other and I hope we will meet up again some day. 

                       Amos, Heidi & Zeb

On the corner of their street is a great little coffee shop where it seems like everyone in the neighborhood stops by for their morning brew and a bit of news.

 

Michael Thomas, Coffee Roaster

      Patio outside the coffee shop 



Ghost Ranch

Sacred sites of native peoples uncovered by excavations indicate that this has long been a place where the spirit world and the human world come close together. The flat-topped mouontain called Pedernal appears in tribal stories of creation.

Site of O'Keefe painting

It is a place of bones made famous by the artist Georgia O'Keefe, who drew the skull that is the Ghost Ranch logo. Rated as one of the top ten dinosaur fossil beds in the world, the Ranch attracts visitors from all over the world.

Arthur Pack bought the Ranch in 1933 and built a thriving dude ranch that attracted many prominent people. During World War II the Ranch was a secret recreation spot for scientists working on the atomic bomb in Los Alamos. Georgia O'Keefe found the Ranch in 1934. She purchased 7 acres and the Rancho de los Burros house from Pack, and spent summers here for many years. The Presbyterian Church accepted ownership from Arthur and Phoebe Pack in 1955, protecting 21,000 acres from subdivision and development and conserving the natural beauty. Debra Hepler, the Executive Director describes Ghost Ranch as "... an oasis of faith, learning, nourishment and friendship."  

   

At the entrance

Welcome Center

View from Welcome Center portale

7:00 a.m. walking to the labyrinth

Labyrinth

Meals outside, Pedernal in the distance

A good storyteller before bedtime

 

Starting the hike to Chimney Rock, moon on horizon

View toward Pedernal

The trail is steep

My hiking partner Terrye

View of the Ranch from Chimney Rock Mesa

At the top

Christ in the Desert

My friend Judy and I drove 13 miles on this dirt road along the Chama River to reach the Benedictine Monastery of Christ in the Desert. This day was the highlight of my trip to New Mexico. When I can I will return to the monastery and stay for several days.

Rio Chama

Surrounded by miles of Federal Wilderness, the solitude and quiet of the monastic setting is assured. Thomas Merton visited the church and said, "The tower is like a watchman looking for something or someone of whom it does not speak."

 

Entrance to dining room.  Guests eat with the monks in silence.

Madonna garden

Path leading to the hops field. Abbey Beverage Company was launched in 2005.

Dining room and gift store

The monastery shares with guests an opportunity for silence, reflection, and quiet discussion of important issues. It offers an experience of "peace which the world cannot give."

                                Guest house

 

On Pentecost 1968, Thomas Merton wrote that "The Monastery of Christ in the Desert is only in its beginning: it is a small seed, seeking to fix its roots firmly in the rock and sand of the canyon, like the hardy pinon pines around it. It does not have the monastic ambitions of the big institutions which have become famous. It seeks only to keep alive the simplicity of Benedictine monasticism: a communal life of prayer, study, work and praise in the silence of the desert where the word of God has always been best heard and most faithfully understood."

Ghost Ranch Service Corps.

Ghost Ranch. My bunk house was at the base of the mountain.

Today is my last day at Ghost Ranch. I'm near Abiquiu NM, in the Chama River Valley about 1-1/2 hours outside Santa Fe. This week I was a volunteer with GR Service Corps. in exchange for 1/2 rm/bd. I've had the great experience of working alongside new friends, providing services to the Ranch while sharing the "magic" of Ghost Ranch and the spectacular beauty all around us (and above us -- what a sky!)

Each day we decide who's going to do what

Varnish dries instantly out here

Building picnic tables

Margie & Jim

Mike & Dennis

Judy & Nancy sewing covers for the equipment

 Afternoon sky over the Welcome Center

Ten Thousand Waves

Brief retreat from the busy world

About 3 miles above Santa Fe is the world-famous spa Ten Thousand Waves. The staff was so kind and saw to my every need. I had a private wooden hot soaking tub and a riverrock cold-plunge. Delicate trees and lanterns surrounded my lovely wooden deck.  Afterwards I rested in the Japanese "relaxing house" and drank tea while listening to the sounds of water. I lingered by the koi pond until dark before starting back for Albuquerque.

Entrance to peace and tranquility

 

Stone pillows

The sound of a gentle waterfall

 Perfect setting for bodywork

Koi pond

May peace prevail on Earth