The Great Basin the spring

Here's a few more photos of the camp trip. I'll post more later. Our camp was at its base the couloir on left. The peak is almost 12,000 ft. In previous years, we've hiked to the ridge line.


That's where we were fortunate to spot the Great Basin Snowman one hot July day. Here's a photo of him from my Nevada Journal. He's looking down the same couloir and out over the valley below.



Flowers weren't the only things blooming. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums were out too but Swami didn't seem to mind as he chilled by the creek.

Wet spring in Nevada

We came back early from the camp trip. We could have driven to Montana in the time it took to pick our way around the the very elusive mountains near Area 51. Finding a way in was our goal this time but the ground is still too wet. Some places in the state got seven to eight hundred times the normal snow pack last winter and roads are washed out. Crossing and re-crossing flooded areas just tears everything up so we'll go back after things dry out a bit more. We had great weather though, balmy as Hawaii in spite of the night rain. We saw some cool stuff and I took about a thousand photos but the most notable ones were of swami's first ever bath.



On our way out we have to drive through Mina so we always check to see how Lobster Boy is doing. After the state shut down his "desert lobster ranch" about a year ago he dragged an old boat to town and is working on turning it into a classy restaurant. Since last fall he has cut 3 holes in the side and started a deck.




The Wild Kat Ranch brothel just down the road from Lobster Boy seems to be doing much better. They've painted Playmate on the back building and generally spiffed the place up.




Okay, that's it for now. This little photo log will have to be continued later. It's late and we're going to the gym in the morning then I'm meeting with some people from Ash Canyon for a free write. And... the Ash Canyon Review is back from the printer. It looks great. I think we should have gone with white stock for the cover but what the hell. The sandy gold is definitely Nevada.

Downing Street Memo, Impeach Bush

DOWNING STREET MEMO
"SECRET AND STRICTLY PERSONAL - UK EYES ONLY"

This memo is the smoking gun revealing how the Bush Administration connived and lied to congress to get support for his invasion of Iraq. It has the potential of doing to Bush what the Watergate tapes did to Nixon, bring him down. The White House, naturally, denies it's importance. Don't let them get away with it. Impeach the bastard.

"WE ARE AN EMPIRE NOW"
The radicals impeached Clinton for lying about a blow job. What a pathetic waste of time and money. Bush lies and American soldiers needlessly lose their lives. Bush lies and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens are maimed, and traumatized, tortured, killed. This bastard better be impeached!

IMPEACH THEM ALL!!

Off to the mountains

Well, we're off to the mountains tomorrow to camp for a few days in the Great Basin. Swami is so excited about going that he even took a bath. He hasn't taken one since Mexico. Actually, this was his first bath ever, but don't tell him I told you that. Anyway, we did some hard miles in Mexico. He can't wait to go tomorrow. He loves the road. I'm bringing lots to work on as I may not be hiking much. My foot is still sore from last week when I whacked it. So it's late and we're leaving early in the morning but here I sit, pounding out a blog entry. Geez...g'night. Be back Saturday.


The swami in Mexico

Fellowship results

The Nevada Arts Council met today to select the winners for this year's fellowship grants. I didn't even make it past the first cut. Oh well. My poems are rather...mmmm....odd, not tidy little narratives that are so popular these days. Four other poets from the Ash Canyon were there as well so it was fun in spite of the fact that I got the lowest score in the bunch. I did draw about 150 birds though. You may be seeing some of them here from time to time. They are friends of mine from Birdland...of course.
Ps. Happy Birthday Mark! :-)

The American Taliban

Ever wonder what the evangelicals are really up to? They are the Christian equivalent of the Muslim fundamentalists, complete with their own Jihad. Don't believe it? Read what these leaders of the Christian right have to say.