The intrepid Deb Middleton and Lia Klunk are traveling to the Taos Poetry Circus from June 8th through the 18th. This dynamic duo will be sending updates to the Poets' Asylum website each night of their trip. Check back each day for the latest news, gossip and alien sightings.
Click on the link below to go to a specific day or just read through the entire tale by scrolling down.
| Log I | Log II | Log III | Log IV | Log V |
| Log VI | Log VII | Log VIII | Log IX | Log X |
Friday, June 8th 00:26 am - Travel Log I
It's 12:12 a.m. on Friday, we leave for the airport in just over five hours but I'm so wired (and no I haven't had any caffeine) I don't feel tired. Looking at my bags beside Lia's I sort of feel silly at the amount I packed until I realized I was packing for the both of us also. After all, one can't be too prepared can they. I've got the laptop of course (and all the paraphernalia that goes with it), the (sort of large) first aide kit, the Britta filter container (can never tell about that water down there) and other wonderful things we might need and of course all my costumes. What would Debbie be without her odd attire (strangely though, I seem to fit into the environment). Got to go, got to sleep at least a little.
Ok, FREEDOM! No husband, no children, no responsibilities except to myself, so why do I miss them already? Leaving home tonight was harder than I thought it was going to be. The drive down to Debbie's house was absolutely beautiful. The full moon in day two was shaded slightly by clouds and mist. I plan on taking advantage of my free time by sleeping in my clothes tonight... something I have not had the pleasure of doing since ... well, for a very long time anyway. :) 5:30 will arrive before too long. Time to take advantage of some needed rest.
If anyone has any questions, queries, requests for us while on this trip, just drop a note to us at: mistfell@earthlink.net. Hope to hear from you... hope you enjoy this cyber trip as much as we expect to enjoy the 'real thing'. *giggle*
Debbie and Lia
Worcester, MA
Saturday, June 9th 4:58 pm - Travel Log II
With some technical difficulties, we're now online! Debbie's ISP doesn't have a local number here in Taos, so here we are at the Taos Public Library doing our travel log. Since the library isn't open on Sunday, we'll do two logs on Monday. Also, since we can't get onto Earthlink site, we can't get Debbie's email, so if anyone has any comments, suggestions or questions, you can email Lia at liaklunk@hotmail.com.
Today, Friday we started our day off at 5:30 am with coffee we bought the night before and a sunny takeoff from TF Green. The flight was like any other flight... I suppose... just fine to those who have no problem with things like height, and ignoring the concept of throwing a two ton piece of metal into the air and expect it to stay there. *flail* With the tropical storm off the coast of Mexico, our flight from Houston was delayed an hour. But our arrival in New Mexico was amazing. Out the window were flats and flats of crop circles leading up to a HUGE mountain range. It was breathtaking. So was the turbulence caused by the peaks. Debbie and I got our car with little trouble and before we knew it, we were in Taos. We ARE in Taos! With some haggling, we got a great rate on our room, and settled down, unpacking 10 days worth of 'STUFF' we brought. (Ok, she brought STUFF, I just brought enough clothes for 10 days.) Debbie then took me on a tour of the incredible town and we had dinner at Tim's Chile Connection.. which went through a name change and is now the 'Old Blinking Light'. Those who have been to Taos know exactly what the blinking light is. Well was. It's now just a regular ole' traffic light. However, the owners of the shop managed to 'acquire' the old blinking light. Here we are in our room now getting ready to goto bed and typing like crazy. We currently do not have Internet access because our phone jack has been messed with and is basically a bunch of wires connected to some metal. Ya, we can make calls, but there isn't even a place to plug in our modem hookup. *pout* Tomorrow morning I am going to get that fixed though. No Internet my Butt... this is supposed to be a vacation, not a jail sentence. :) I miss New England... but am loving the surroundings here A LOT. Thinking of the crew. Till tomorrow. *wave*
Sure, up at five thirty am may not sound too bad ( a lot of poets I know are just getting to bed at this time) but she didn't tell you we hadn't gotten to bed the night before until twelve thirty and that my cat finally figured out what the suitcases in the living room were all about and decided to wake me up and discuss her objection to the whole situation. The flights went pretty good as far as I'm concerned (your talking to someone who spent a six hour layover in Chicago once and her last flight was on an airline that thought it's planes were grasshoppers and every time they got them into the right flight altitude decided they needed to land again) The only other irritation was the person sitting beside me (no names mentioned of course) who kept whimpering I want off, are we there yet, I'm tired of flying, are we there yet, are we there yet? But we finally made it here. After picking up our car about three pm this time (that's two hours later in New England time)we headed on our way in 97 degree weather. By six pm we were looking down on tepees sitting out at the edge of the Rio and still enjoying 86 degree weather. Gods I've missed this place so much. The food was so good and the servings so large at dinner there was no way we could even think to finish it all. So with the temperature dropping below 60 now at 11pm, we're getting ready to go to bed as we hope that the ass-holes next door with the two diaper wearing pizza smeared faced kids do one of the three things: shut up, break up, or make up. As long as they quiet down. (I know, temper temper Deb.)
The next 2 entries were received Monday around three in the afternoon.
Saturday, June 9th - Travel Log III
So the opening ceremonies have started and the Taos Poetry Circus is "officially" underway. After a terrific (and large) breakfast at Michael's Kitchen, then finally figuring out how to actually get our travel logs out to this site, I decided it was time to show Lia THE GORGE. Her reactions as we got nearer were a thing that shouldn't have been missed. When she finally realized the size of it she didn't know what to say. That was until we started to cross the bridge over this giant hole in the ground and her vertigo kicked in. Holding on with both hands to the railing made it a little easier it seemed. I think it would have all been fine if that eighteen wheeler hadn't crossed while we were in the center of the bridge still, causing it to feel as if it were bouncing all over the place. I think she would have actually forgotten about the height when we had to head back over the bridge. Later after as much of the opening ceremonies as we could stay for we headed out for the hot springs. This turned out to be a little harder than I expected since so much of the Taos area is growing up and landmarks have changed over the last three years. But after a two or three mile drive along a single lane dirt and rock road with a huge drop into the gorge, we finally reached the area of the hot springs where we had to get out of the car and walk. Along the path we came to a rather large cave area that houses bats and sparrows nesting but if you go up into the hollowed area and stand quietly you can hear the mountains talking as if spirits of the past and low echoes of drums could almost be heard. I swear I'm not making it up. Bad news, too much snow this winter has caused the hot springs to be buried under water so no hot springs for us.
To this date we have seen the following animal life forms: horses, cows, donkeys, magpies, groundhogs, a fresh water lobster (Lia says it was a crayfish but if so it was the damn biggest crayfish I ever saw) and the usual dogs and such. The ground hogs lining the road towards the pueblo were so numerous it reminded me of a nature show of lemmings jumping off a cliff and I kept waiting for them to leap in front of the car.
OK, Deb really summed up today really well. Real Well. Michael's Kitchen was a fantastic little restaurant that had a few really ancient stoves on display around the floor. Hanging on the walls some fantastic art work as well. AND... something Debbie forgot to mention, Cedar Smoked Bacon! We're trying to figure out how to bring some home. *grin* Running around trying to get online this morning was annoying. It seemed that at every turn we were being thwarted. First the damn phone jack in our room the night before, then having to get connected from another room.. then reconfiguring Earthlink so we could dial 9 to get out, THEN realizing there was no local number and the hotel would NOT let us call out without a credit card/ATM card. Since that couldn't be done on the computer we went to the Taos Library. The people there were very helpful, and it will be a pleasure working with them to get this log online the rest of the week. Plus the library itself is beautiful as well. Then we went to the gorge. Oh my God. If this is just a taste of what the Grand Canyon looks like... I can't even imagine it. The gorge is about 1/4 of a mile across and probably just as deep. We had a great time walking across (cough, right... remember that problem with heights I mentioned??) Besides the damn 18 wheeler trying to tip the bridge over, it was amazing. We watched the white water rafting tours go by. Tiny tiny tiny! On the opposite side of the gorge we collected some sage and looked at some of the wild things growing there. What a difference from New England! Walking back to our car was a little easier, no huge trucks. After the gorge we went to the opening ceremonies at the Oo-oonah Cultural Arts Center on the Taos Pueblo. Met Peter Rabbit. The reading was interesting. We heard two local teens read, and they were fantastic! Their names I can't remember and I feel bad about that, because they were very talented. After we left we grabbed some water and snacks to tie us over till supper. I got pretzels and Debbie got pork rinds. (ug, yuck!) So, just so everyone knows, I'm being pretty good on my diet :) (hi Bob) The flooded Hot Springs were at first a great disappointment but sitting on a rock with the Rio flowing around me really changed things. It was another place beyond words: rocks extending impossibly high above you, the water flowing like a brown snake shedding it's skin, the sounds of nature surrounding us... amazing. Debbie's got a ton of pictures and if the library has a scanner, we'll be including the pics hopefully as well. We ate at the Best Western Hotel for dinner which was nice too. Once back at our apartment we both took a relaxing bath and watch the movie The Coneheads. Somehow, it didn't match the day. Now, it's time to crash. 5 min. to midnight. Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful shopping experience... windows are see through don't you know. :)
Been thinking about Kev, Alex, Dri and it sounds like everything is going smoothly from my calls home. Ya know, I didn't expect anything different. :) Been thinking about the JavaHut crew as well... Sou, Bill, Gwen, Tony, Andrew, Eric, Erica, Bob, April, Bert, Seren, Sherry,... and OH! Alixia! Congratulations!! You rock girl! Hugs to everyone, till tomorrow.
Sunday, June 10th - Travel Log IV
Deb and I woke up around 7:30 - 8 a.m. Mountain standard time to a sunny and warm New Mexico sky. Breakfast was at this cute and inexpensive diner that really rocked! Hashbrowns that just melt in your mouth! We got there at 9 a.m. and didn't leave till almost 11. Yup, 11 a.m.! We had an awesome discussion on our hopes and visions of where we hope the Poets Asylum/Worcester Poetry Project will go. Beware board, I'm full of some very cool ideas to address at our next meeting. After that, we attacked down town Taos. We found Frank Zapa's store called ZOG. Oh man, I wish I had money! By around 3:30 we gave up and went back to our place and took a nap. We needed it! It was close to 100 degrees and in the dry heat we managed to wipe ourselves out pretty good. By 5 p.m. we were awakened by several people outside our door. Unlike the fighting couple the other night, we have a group from Intel getting ready to go on a white water rafting tour tomorow. What confuses me is that they're drinking heavily and plan on throwing themselves down a turbulant river in the early am. Wise?? You decide. However, we managed to engage in some great conversation with them and even read some poetry with them. Deb even sold a chat book!! (you rock Deb!) Tonight, while the evening news prattles on about Tim McVeigh, my only thoughts on that subject are this: He wants to die a martyr for his cause. It is up to us to decide what history will make of him.. The sun rising over the New England coast will not notice his departure, neither will the majestic Grand Canyons... or the vast blue oceans surrounding Hawaii.. .the polar ice caps will remain frozen, and the Amazon will still hold the most undiscovered creatures the world has never seen. That man has had an impact on too many lives for us to give him any more attention. When his veins drive the sleeping potion through his body, turn your backs and look to life. The life we have, the lives we will forever remember, the life that will continue on after 6 a.m. tomorrow. To give him more than another thought is just rubbing salt into an old wound. OK, enough of my spouting. I'm off to read a book called the Enchanted: Titania's Book of White Magic. Should be a great read. :)
Even as tight as my money is all the time I have to admit that I am an avid shopper. Thought I would never say that I had too much of it. After five hours straight of shopping, I can now say it is possible. Even going in and out of air conditioned shops it was so hot that I started getting sick to my stomach and needed to lay down to hold everything else down... including my spinning head. One thing Lia forgot to tell you about Frank Zappa.. He lives here in Taos! (some of you older poets like me please explain to the younger ones who Frank Zappa is) This was a very quiet day as you can tell since Lia seems to have said about all. I thought I'd share a few of my type of photos with you.
Well that's about it for now we'll write again tomorrow night.
OH! Almost forgot Tony, Tony, Tony! We saw a large golden eagle fly over the road in front of our car!
Gods it was beautiful!
Monday, June 11th - Travel Log V
Started the day off today by overloading Lia's "OH MY GOD" senses and dragging her out to the Taos Pueblo. After taking the quick tour we wandered around the village visiting all the different galleries and shops run by the individual families who still live in the Pueblo. Our guide said that over 200 families live there at different times in the year. It was as beautiful this year as it was the first time I saw it and Lia seemed just as thrilled. We were lucky we decided to visit today as within a day or two preparations for the circle hunt and the corn dance will begin and the Pueblo will be closed to the public at that time. The circle hunt consists of the men in the village who come together by foot and on horses at a field. They surround the field then slowly move into the field towards each other chanting and stamping on the ground before them. As rabbits come out into the open they kill them with clubs and bows, the hunter taking his kills back to his family for the feast before the corn dance and anything over what a family needs is given to the community for any who have no hunters in their family or those who are too old to hunt for themselves. These circles move from one field to another all day from afternoon to nightfall. Don't worry though, a lot of the rabbits are smart enough to escape. I've seen this myself the last time I was here.
The first Slam was held today also. One round today, one round tomorrow, then the top twelve people from the mix of both those rounds will go onto the finals on Wednesday. Lia and I both signed up for the reading today but since so many people signed up to read, they pulled out six readers names and told them they would be able to read tomorrow. My name was pulled but Lia was able to read. Unfortunately she did not make it into the final round but it was still fun. Immediately after the slam ended the Living Room reading began at the same place. The easiest way to describe this is everyone who wants to read sits out on this open patio for a round robin reading that goes around and around until almost everyone is gone. We got some good responses for our work but at times, not quite sure they were the responses we were expecting. Pieces I thought were so strong got an OK response and pieces I was unsure about reading got terrific responses. It was strange. The news says we hit triple digits today and I don't argue with them at all. It was HOT! Well, on to Lia after one more written photo and a joke.
Photo: Butterflies. Tiny multicolored flowers in flight. In great multitudes they fly constantly about before our eyes. Like the ideas continually fluttering about our brains.
Question: How many poets does it take to revive a stop watch with heat stroke after it's been left in the sun too long?
Answer: "Maybe we should put it in the freezer."
I'm exhausted. What a day! We went to our morning Cafe for breakfast then to the Pueblo. it was truly amazing to see the talent of these people, not only in their art work, but the art of how they upkeep their homes and the art of living itself. The first shop Deb and I went to we walked in so quietly that the owner, not even looking up said "you walk so quietly, I thought you were Indians." His shop was full of jewelry and art created by him, his wife and children. His wife and niece were on the cover of National Geographic. (which he had several copies of in the shop) The energy there was bone warming. From there we made a quick stop to the post office and then camped out at Cafe Tazza. After we signed up for the slam I took the car and ran to the library... err, drove... to type up the previous logs. I wound up on an ancient Mac which took 10 min just to load Netscape.
After almost 30 min. of typing I got out of there and back to the cafe with 8 min. to spare before the slam. The Taos Poetry Circus decided to go with 20 people and Deb got her name pulled to slam tomorrow. What you don't know is that there were 26 people signed up for the slam, and out of those, 6 were pulled. This is Debbie's terrible luck :( Ok. As my usual MO, I didn't do well at all in the slam. I pulled 7th and did Five Seasons... got a 26.2. It wasn't the lowest score by any stretch, but it was disappointing all the same. HOWEVER! (With me there always seems to be a however) Nick Fox came over to me later on during the break and told me that I was robbed and did one of the best pieces in the first half. I say you can't fix that. (Nick Fox is the new slammaster for Arizona BTW) Plus, for the rest of the day, people were pulling me aside to tell me how much they liked the piece. The point isn't the point... but I feel like I made an impression even with getting very 'few points'. It's all good.
Once the slam was over, Deb and I ran back to the library, read email, and went back to participate in the Living Room reading. We heard some great stuff, and can't wait till tomorrow to listen to some more. For dinner we found a Hunan Chinese Restaurant to DIE for! As a matter of fact, as I'm typing this I'm tempting Debbie with leftovers. Humph... she's not biting. Well, from there we came back home and have been chillin' out ever since. Tonight's news... George Bush wants to axe adding different endangered animals to the endangered species list because it's too expensive. I think someone better gag me right now. GRRRR... Well, it's time for a shower and hit the bed even though it's only 10:30. Deb and I are planning on getting up before dawn and watch the sun rise over the Taos Mountains. Bye all!!
Tuesday, June 12th - Travel Log VI
There is no scanner, no photos... sorry folks, you'll have to wait till we get home for pictures... but we promise you won't be disappointed.
At 4:20 am the alarm clock went off like a bug in need of a good squashing. We both looked at each other and grumbled a lot then got up. It took us only 10 min to get ready, then we were out the door in search of a sunrise.
We drove out to the blinking light and sat there for almost 2 hours before seeing the most spectacular spectacle of solar awakening you've ever seen. But it was chilly! I kept bugging Debbie to turn on the heat in the car. My husband reading this must be chuckling. :) Approximately 6:10 we headed to the El Pueblo Cafe, (the cafe that we've been visiting all week for breakfast) and had a slow sluggish meal and conversation. We stuffed ourselves on wonderful food and went back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. I think it was around 10:30 when the housekeeper started slamming the doors around our room. (We had the 'do not disturb' sign on the door for the first time in our stay) We collected ourselves and chugged to the library to type up the log. I think my typing speed is increasing... many people kinda stop and stare when I start clicking away. From there it was off to Cafe Tazza to prepare for the 2nd half of the slam. Debbie was calm and collected. Ya, you heard me correctly. There was only 12 people in the slam today, including the six from yesterday. They decided to take the top 4. Deb was very confident and waited her turn (she was in the 10th position) She got up there and did Gracie. It was an excellent performance, and the audience loved it. The only problem: the microphone was very unsensative, and two sets of judges didn't hear her, and her scores were terrible. The audience let them know it LOUDLY! She was very disappointed. I felt very bad for her. Ahh, there's a however. However, we've been talking to many people here and making some great connections with poets who know the scores don't matter. Later on, after the slam we stayed for the Living Room reading. This is where we both shined. We were able to read our pieces without the judgement of anyone, and our pieces were well received. I did channel Sou today and did Kensey Street.
Peter Rabbit was the host of the Living Room. He and I had a nice chat at the break where he asked about Sou and family. I told him they were doing well and mentioned the Celebration of Worcester Poets gathering. He was very interested, and hopes Sou will come back to Taos soon. From there, we went to dinner at La Hawaiian. *laugh* It was a very expensive meal, but well worth it. The coconut cream pie was sooooo good! I still can't believe how nice the people here are. They will suddenly engage in conversation with you, where you're from, why you're here, and really listen about what you do. It's genuine. It's a great feeling. It keeps the homesickness at bay. I miss my family. Anyway... We went to the Taoseno for the Tag Team Poetry Bout. It featured ...
"In this corner, May I present to you Gary Glazner and Amalia Ortiz! And in this corner, May I present to you Quincy Troup and Pat Payne." *chuckle*
It was an eight round battle with Gary and Amalia coming out on top! Tonight, for the first time we saw the famous (or infamous) Danny Solis as well! Now, it's almost 11:30 p.m. and time to start settling down for tomorrow. Thinking of everyone, hope all is well at home.
So I guess Lia's set the beginning scene of the day up pretty well. We finally got to bed the night before at 12:30 a.m.... to get up early. Does this sound familiar?? 4:40 found us parked aside of the road out in the desert with the window cracked so I could take pictures. I took them at progressing stages so we should have a pretty good flip movie for others to enjoy when we get home. I had to keep turning the car on and off so that the heat could re-warm Lia. As the sky started lightening, instead of hearing roosters crowing like across the street from our hotel, we could hear dogs going off. Had flashbacks in my head of the Twilight Barks from 101 Dalmatians... only in the morning. At the same time birds started waking and beyond the magpies crying Kittykitty from the brush, I swear there were two birds out there laughing at our dumb asses. There were a few scattered clouds about the sky, hanging near the mountain peaks. The rim of the mountain would start to turn gold with sunlight and Lia would cry out "look, look, almost, almost ... " then the clouds moved in and we were waiting again. This happened three times before the sudden explosion of light and the entire valley about us was covered in golden yellow light for about two minutes before it seemed to dim and daylight arrived. It really was spectacular.
Now let me clear a few things up about the slam and Lia's "opinion". Yes I did pull 10th place and I did read Gracie. Beyond that I totally crashed and burned. Calm and collective my ass! Not only did I shake so hard I could hardly stand up, I had a problem with the Mic. It was one of those that you almost had to eat to be heard and not realizing it, most people couldn't even hear me. So I lost. Yes, the judges were harsh, but I was just as guilty.
The living room was wonderful though. Hosted by Peter Rabbit, he kept a pretty tight reign on the movement and behavior of the reading and it was wonderful. Figured out here that a sense of humor is not understood by some people. One of the organizers made a philosophical comment to a group of poets and it went way over their heads, so he tried to explain it to them in "English". Two of of the four figured it out and explained it to the others. When the coordinator made a comment about them thinking I said to him jokingly "shame on you, trying to make poets think". Needless to say, my joke was not well received. Ok, I get it. Some people are just too stuffy. But, come on people if we can't laugh at ourselves sometimes...
Well, as I finish this, Lia's already fallen asleep on me so I'm going to end it here with a couple more photos and turn the TV off and get some sleep myself. It's already 12:30am.
Photo 1: Rising slowly with a thin blanket of clouds, the sun shyly exposes herself over the peaks.
Photo 2: Poetry moves in a circle of flowing magic as a sparrow drops from the tree above to land at our feet. Looks us in the eyes and smiles before flying once more away. Returning whenever we need a little more grounding in our flights.
Wednesday, June 13th - Travel Log VII
After breakfast I decided to drag Lia to a higher altitude than we already are. We headed up towards Taos Mountain Sky Valley cutting through Carson's National Forest. A long the road we stopped every once in a while to take pictures of the magnificent landscape around us. All around all you could see were large pines and birch trees. The strange thing was though, that unlike the white birch that I'm used to, these were different. As Lia said, their coloration was almost like that of aged paper. Yellow with white undertones. The last elevation marker we saw was 9200 feet and we headed a mile up the road even more. It was extremely gorgeous. On the way back down we decided to stop at one area where the river widened. It stretched out about 30 feet across, but shallow in most area, with little islands. While taking pictures I noticed a small campsite to one side. There was nobody there but at the edge of the river the occupant had left panning equipment. It was then that I thought ... "hey! I wonder..." After finding an empty worm bucket that some idiot had littered the river edge with, we spent the next hour or so panning for gold. It's not like we were planning to get rich or anything, but at least we could say we did it. We had fun and helped clean the environment at the same time. Oh, and by the way Sou, we found your cows! Took lots of pictures for you! On the way down the mountain I decided to introduce Lia to Juliette's Mom, and show her where Bill, Sou and I had stayed the last time we were here. Though the great Chihuahua bomb has been contained she allowed us into the extensive pen to visit them. It only took a matter of seconds for us to become covered in licking tongues and nipping pups. And as my usual luck one peed on my foot. The finals for the poetry slam was held tonight, and though I didn't agree with the judging at the first two rounds, I think the proper people won in the end. It was a really great match. Unfortunately we do not have any pictures of it or of the tag team match and will not be able to take any at the Heavyweight Bout. Cameras have been banned from all events inside. I have decided that Lia is an armadillo. I am slowly getting her to come out of her shell and go up to people and talk to them. A few more photo's and I'll turn this over to Lia:
Photo 1: Like tourists that flock insistently to this mountain town, the tree pigeons on this roof are so out of place.
Photo 2: Poised in the field side by side the two blond horses stand so still they seem carved into place, childrens toys left on the backyard lawn.
Breakfast was spent at our El Pueblo Cafe again then. It has become our favorite way to wake up. After a quick trip to the library, we began driving up the mountains. Our first stop was at the waters edge about a mile or two up the road. The water was so incredibly clear and fresh, it almost didn't seem real to me. You could see straight down to the bottom: all the rocks and contours of the river's edge. We both became adventurous and walked over this tiny bridge that was there that was made out of a material I can only associate with as a chain link fence. Below our foot steps, you could see the river rushing below you. Talk about vertigo! We were definitely the tourist today, stopping every so often along this mountain road to take pictures and stare at the scenery. Visiting the farm afterward was amazing. We need to add some more animals to our list. We can add pheasant, peacocks, roosters, chickens, and the Chihuahua! Juliette's Mom said they had pigs, cows, and Emu's too, but we didn't see them. From there we went and participated in the Living Room. Again it was a three hour event that flew past within a blink of an eye. Dinner was spent at Michael's kitchen. Wow, did we stuff ourselves! There was a phone booth at the restaurant too and both Deb and I called our parents to say hi. The coolest thing about this phone booth was that it is an old outhouse... fixed up of course, in the entrance of the place. Pretty cool. My son Alex had his music concert tonight, and heard all about it from my Mom and Dad. I'm so proud of him. I am very luck to be a witness to his growth, and watching him become a young adult. It is amazing that he's finished the 6th grade and will be in 7th in the fall. How time flies so fast!!! Anyway... from there we went to the slam. What a night! The top 12 poets duked it out for one round, then it dropped to 6... then to 4. The top four poets then had to do a round of improv. There was a poet there named Abraham who was mind blowing! The word he chose was fairy. He, without even thinking for more than a second or two, burst out into this piece about the mountains, and how they were so high, and the snow blowing around them... that he and his grandfather were up there, sneezing in the snow, and that they were so high they could almost touch Orion's Belt, and that in Orion's Belt was a fairy flying around almost like a fly. It went on for several minutes, and it has got to be the best improv piece I've ever heard. Everyone was clapping and stomping on the floor. He shook the place down. Amalia Ortis got up there too to do an improv piece and her comment before she started was "I've never done this before, but Nick Fox told me just to think outloud on the mic and go with it." Everyone laughed. Her word was water. She wasn't as good as Abraham, but for her first time improving, it was really good. The second place winner was a man named Gavin, who is staying at our hotel. He, by the way placed second for the very FIRST time slamming. He really knew how to connect with the crowd. Amalia placed first, and really shined tonight. Well, I've already fallen asleep once, so I'm off to bed for good.
And oh, I'm not an armadillo.
Thursday, June 14th - Travel Log VIII
Question: Who is Peter Rabbit?
Answer: He is one of the Coordinators of the Taos
Poetry Circus... an old beat poet: one of the originals, has been doing
this for 20 years now... this is their 20th Celebration of the Circus.
Peter did poetry with Alan Ginsburg.
"Debbie, what day is today?"
"Umm, Thursday."
"What are we going to do today?"
"Breakfast, library, then head into Los Alamos to the caves."
"Cool."
So 12:30 found us packing it up, putting it into the car and heading towards Los Alamos.
"So Deb, we gonna see where they built the bomb?"
"Maybe if there's time, we'll see. Los Alamos is South, isn't it?
"Sure is Deb, the map says south of Taos, then east on Rt. 4"
"There is no route 4, the sign says 502"
"Then take 502"
"Are you sure?"
"Umm, ya, you're driving with me, you can't get lost when you're driving with me."
"Ya, but remember I'm in the car too, and I can get lost at the drop of a pin."
"Doesn't matter, I'm in the car Debbie"
"Tourist information center next right... right here Deb."
(Screeching of tires)
"Give me a little more warning next time."
"The guy at the gas station thought we were Thelma and Lousie.. do you think he's right?"
"Nah, we're too nice." :)
"Follow this map... what do we want to do first, the museums, Bandelier State Park, or White Rock Lookout?"
"State Park"
"You mean we have to drive up THAT!?"
"It's not that high, just don't look out the window."
"Hey Debbie! Watch the road and not the damn swiss cheese mountains, OK?!?!"
"I am, I am."
"You're not, you're not!"
"We haven't crashed yet, have we?"
"Yet being the key word here, just drive, or do you want me to?"
"Nah, I'll drive."
"Parkentrancehere, parkentrancehere, Left, Left, no no no, you're other left! OK, park in the shade so we don't cook the inside of the car too bad."
"You could have told me that before we parked in this spot to begin with."
"I have to potty"
"We can in a moment, you always have to potty. Lia, don't look at the notice board, don't look at the notice board"
"Huh? What about it?"
"Oh, Lia, look, maps of the area."
"Cool"
(Discussion with a park ranger on what trail to take)
"Ok, if we have to climb up stupid ladders to see these cliff dwellings, you have to hold my water bottle."
"where am I gonna put yours? Mine's already in my pants."
"DEB, that sign says 'stray of the path and ring my bell'!"
"We wont see any snakes today, don't worry."
"We're not going off the damn path girlfriend."
"It's a paved path, of course we wont go off it" *snicker*
"MMM....."
The first set of pueblo houses were fantastic. It had a structure called the Big Kiva, a ceremonial place and school for boys. It was circular, and in it's day was underground. Then the trail began to lead up a rocky slope. It was at this time Debbie saw her first four legged crawling lizard.
"Lia, lizard, psst, psst, psst."
"Don't touch him"
"Why?? I wanna catch him"
"Leave him alone, you never know if it's poisonous or not"
"There's no poisonous lizards!"
"What about the Monitor that got that actor?"
"There are no Monitors around here."
"So, doesn't mean the little ones have no poison."
"You're crazy."
"Humph... leave him alone anyway."
"There he goes, there he goes, there he goes!"
"Yes, very cute. Hey is that a ladder?"
"Yup, and the first cliff dwelling to explore.
"Mmmmm.."
"It's easy to climb, you go first and I'll take your picture."
"Aren't you already on your third roll of film?"
"Nope, fifth"
The first cliff dwelling was small and oval in shape. The walls and ceiling were black from fires set in them for heat and cooking. It was barely large enough to sit in.
"You go down first and take my picture. You gotta carry the camera."
"Great... why are my legs shaking?"
"Just do it"
"Ok... Ok Debbie, say cheese."
(click)
"Umm did I mention that I have a small problem with heights as well?"
"Then what the hell are we doing here???"
"Lia look, those little kids are running up and down the cliffs, if they can do it you can, just like that lady we heard in the bathroom.... she was old and she did it. Hell all she complained about was how dirty the ladders were."
"*sigh* 'I won't let my fear of heights ruin my vacation... I wont let my fear of heights ruin my vacation.'"
"No no Lia, it's: 'I'm not afraid of heights, I'm not afraid of heights'"
"Right, whatever"
The second cliff dwelling was much larger. It had three rooms, and was large enough to stand up in.
"Lia poke your head through the window, I want a picture... no come on, further out."
"This is sick."
"Just do it."
*$#%^&* Cheese. (walking) "Hey Deb, is that an eagle?"
"Yup, I wanna get a picture of it for Tony."
"Will you snap the picture already?"
"It keeps moving"
"(duh) Deb! Watch it, you're gonna fall down the cliff... and STAY ON THE PATH!"
" I am on the path."
"No you're not, you're beyond the rocks."
"There are no snakes around, I checked"
"'Stray off the path and ring my bell.'"
"Hush... damn, he went behind the mountain... oh, there he is again... oh, he just went into that cave."
"Ok, lets go"
The path led us to another huge set of dwellings which we were not able to enter. The visitors sign informed us that the caves here were now used by bats in the area, who eat almost five hundred insects an hour each, and that the smell we might be experiencing is guano, their droppings. The dwelling walls here had may petroglyphs, and behind the glass in one of the windows was an actual woven rug found there. The colors could still be seen in the weavings, all red and orange. Further down the path we saw a pictograph of a bird. It was huge and in an area where it was hard to conceive a human being getting to.
"Look Lia, another lizard, psst, psst, psst. I promised my brother I'd bring one home for him"
"well, how the hell are you gonna do that?"
"I don't know."
"Forget it, leave the poor thing alone."
"I just want to hold him for a moment"
"NO."
"Eehhhh... (pathetic whine)"
"Debbie, don't make that noise."
"Eehhhh... but why?"
(glare)"ok..."
The third cliff dwelling was a huge dome carved into the cliff side. It was a meeting place, and had holes in the floor for what the guide book said were for a loom. The pictographs were in the shapes of spirals, Spanish crosses, people, and eyes. Some of the windows were cut in a Spanish style, as well as circular.
"This ladder is taller than the other two."
"Just climb it"
"'I will not let my fear of heights ruin my vacation'"
"Heh"
"Now come to the entrance and let me get your picture."
"Enough with the damn pictures."
"No, no no, come closer to the edge, it's too dark in there."
"I'm not coming any closer"
"Chicken"
"Damn right"
The inside of this cliff dwelling has a pictograph of a large rattle snake running across the back. The snake is all black, but it's tail is in the form of a rattle, but kinda in the form of a mans head as well. It was very cool. From here, the path led down into a large wooden area that lead to the ceremonial cave. It was a long walk, and on the way we had the pleasure of walking along a very cool brook that at one point cut right into the cliff wall and slightly underneath. All around us we could hear the chirping of tree frogs. To Debbie's disappointment we didn't see any. Ahead no loomed the ladders to get to the cave.
"You mean we have to climb that!"
"Ummm, ya."
"How high is that??"
(a man from behind us chirped up and said "140 feet")
"Thanks"
"'I won't let my fear of heights ruin my vacation'"
"Come on, just think, it's not straight up"
"That ladder is Straight up Debbie"
"Not quite, it's leaning against the cliff"
"I don't think I can do this"
"Come on Lia, lets go, one step at a time."
(Whimper...taking the first step) "And don't even think about taking a picture of my butt."
"I wouldn't "
"Ya, right"
The first ladder was approximately 22 rungs spaced about two feet apart. It lead to a real skinny area where we had to squeeze in between the rocks. Then there were flat slate stairs that were slippery, steep, and narrow that lead to the MONSTER ladder.
"Debbie, I'm stuck. I can't go up that, and I'm not going down that other one either."
"I'm not calling the park ranger to get you outta here so you'd better do something."
"Ohmygod. Ok."
"There's a four year old beginning to climb the first ladder...if he can do it you can."
"Wonderful."
The second ladder was 40 rungs, spaced again about two feet apart. It lead to a flat expanse look-out area where you could see where you were, and where you were going. It was a very long drop, someone lost their hat in the ravine below. We don't know what the French couple was saying as they watched us trying to catch our breath and our nerves once more, but they kept looking our way. The third ladder was about 15 rungs... not as bad, and the last ladder about eight.
"Debbie, I don't think I'm gonna get down, but it is gorgeous up here!"
"That's nice, I'm not looking down yet. Lets just sit here and feel the cool breeze."
"Yes... Hey, here's the little boy, he made it all the way up, he's a good climber."
"A lot better than we are, he made it here a lot faster."
"Hey Lia, get into that hole in the wall and let me take your picture."
"Leave me alone"
"Ya, but I want some more pictures of both of us."
"Then you get into the damn hole and give me the camera."
The cavernous area here was immense. It was about 55 feet tall and 100 feet wide (at least) The prayer chamber sprouted from the floor, and was still fully intact and using a short ladder we descended inside it. When the excavators found this, there was still corn, baskets, and woven blankets/mats inside.
"'I won't let my fear of heights ruin my vacation'"
"Well, we could take this tiny path (with a huge drop into nothing) and avoid one of the ladders."
"Cool.... Not cool Debbie, not cool! This path is only 13 inches wide!"
"Keep your butt to the cliff wall, it'll be OK, just don't look down."
"OH MAN!"
"I said not to look down"
"You're the one hyperventilating"
"Am not"
"Ya, right"
"First set of ladders... do you want me to go first or do you wanna go?"
"Get out of the way Deb, I'm outta here. Oh my god, help...."
"You're almost there, three more, two more, one more... safe."
"OK, go, I"m gonna sit here on the safe edge and catch my breath"
"Lia, how much further?"
(a man coming up the path shouts out "you don't have too much further to fall")
(whimper) "I don't think I like him. Ok.. next set."
"You go, my legs are still shaking."
"Fine.... hey wait till I"m all the way down before you start!"
"Deb, I gotta get outta here."
"Only one more set to go"
(cry)
"Look, terra firma! We made it"
"Ye $%^&* ha."
"I figured out now why we had that long trip through the trees, it relaxes you before you get there, and calms you down after you're done climbing...Lia, don't move!"
"Why? AHHHHH!"
(you see Lia trying to crawl up Debbie's back)"RATTLESNAKE!"
"No, gartersnake. Scared the shit out of me too... now get off me, it's in the bushes and gone"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure, it's right there, see? It squiggled across the road so quickly that I didn't have a chance to tell you nicely without scaring you."
"Ahh huh. Ya, it's a gartersnake. I had one as a kid..."
"You had a snake as a kid and you're afraid of snakes?"
"'Asps very dangerous, you go first'"
*giggle*
"I have to potty."
"I'm not surprised."
"The visitor's center is just around the bend."
"Good, let's act like geese and get the flock outta here."
Deb took great pictures of corn flowers and lady slippers. (two flowers on the endangered species list, we think) There were huge old growth trees that by their ring markings proved them to be close to a thousand years old. We have seen a Turkey Vulture, (what we thought was an eagle earlier) a Flicker (woodpecker), swallows and ravens that we kept mistaking as crows.
"Are you sure it was only a mile each way?"
"That's what the ranger said"
"It seems longer."
"Our legs are going to be damn sore tomorrow, but we'll sleep well tonight."
From there, Thelma and Louise ventured to a place called White Rock Lookout. The street signs lead us through a rural street, ending in several baseball fields, and a samll parking lot at the end of the street. We got out and you could tell we were on a peninsula like land mass and a huge canyon stretched out on both sides of the parking lot. It was awe inspiring . We could see the Rio Grande and about two to three hundred miles away, it was that flat, clear, and high.
"Ok, Lia, I am taking this picture right here, and I won't go any closer to the edge."
"Ok, But I'm gonna hold on to your jacket anyway"
"Let's take a look on the lookout"
"Cool, it has a guard rail around it"
"WOW"
"WOW"
"Umm, I don't thyink this is very cool, there's nothing underneath us..."
From across the way we could see the mountain top split down a little bit, then continue into a sharp point were a trail lead, heading down the mountain side.
"Wanna go there?"
"'I won't let my fear of heights ruin my vacation'"
"That old man and his two dogs made it, it can't be that bad."
"Fine, lets go for it."
"Are you sure? We can go back if you want"
"No, I think I can do it."
The climb was crazy, up and down volcanic rock that looked like giant meteors. The jette was about six feet across with a sheer drop on both sides.
"Debbie's trying to kill me to get my plane seat."
"I don't want your seat, just your ticket so I can cash it in."
"Oh my god, this is sick... beautiful, but sick"
"Look, a lizard psst, psst,"
"Don't stop, keep moving"
"He's all gray, he's so cute, I think I can catch him, here lizard lizard lizzard!"
"You suck Debbie. Come here and give me the camera, I'll get your picture, you get mine so we can get the hell outta here."
(wabbling) "I'm king of the mountain!""Good for you"
(click)"Here, change places with me. Oh my god, take the picture to prove I did it."
(click)"Ok, now get me outta here."
Debbie stopped on the way back to admire the herbs growing in the rock cracks.
"Debbie, don't stop"
"But look, camimile, and mint and ..."
"Debbie, move..."
"Lizard!"
"Debbie, MOVE"
"Here, smell the sage, calm down"
"What??? JUST MOVE"
"Some people.."
"Debbie's trying to kill me."
"No, I'm not"
From there we got into the car and drove home to Taos. The ride was about an hour and a half long. We got Pizza, breadsticks, and icecream for supper. 11:30 we are ready for bed. We have used 14 rolls of film today.
"Ok Lia, I'm plugging in the computer to do the log. What an awesome day huh!"
"Very awesome... Hey Deb, we should do the log in conversational form, what do you think?"
"Oh ya, that would be very cool!"
Friday, June 15th - Travel Log IX
Breakfast was quiet. We were both tired. The fact that we both can't move today shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I was holding onto the ladders so tightly that my arm pits today are on strike. After much debating on what to do, we decided to take it easy. The reason why yesterday's log was so late was because the lap top with our log in it died. the battery didn't charge up enough the night before. So here Debbie and I are, in the library, both muttering and grumpy, we decide "Let's goto the casino!". That was one of the side trips we wanted to make. Now, I told Sou and Andrew that I was gonna win $200,000. They said "ya, right". Well, they were right. I didn't win $200,000. I won $750. Granted, we put back a little of it, but it still made for an awesome afternoon, and we got our minds off our legs. After we felt sedated, we went back to the hotel for a change of clothes, and went back to the library with a new battery. Unfortunately, that battery lost it's charge, so the loge was definitely postponed till tomorrow too. Sorry guys. :( We were too happy about our casino fun to let it get us down again. We went back to that Chinese food place for dinner, and back to the hotel to drop off the computer and take an hour nap before the evening festivities. Boy were we stiff! Stairs hurt... but man the day before was worth it. The event tonight was Contemporary Voices, with Sharon Doubiago and Eileen Myles. They were both Fantastic!!! I have books so on Monday's reading we perhaps can read them. Sharon did this piece about her son that made me cry, and Eileen was born in Boston, moved to NYC, and now lives in P-Town and her program made me feel like I was home again. After the reading we socialized for a little bit and were pleasantly surprised. Many people that we've been talking to during the Living Room have been looking for us the past two days. They miss us, and want us to read more. MAN! What a feeling!
Now, I'm filling the bath tub so I can soak my aching body... hheeeeerrreee'sss Deb!
Hurting is not the word for it. Now I know why poets avoid strenuous work. I always thought I was in pretty good shape (except for my hands) until I woke up this morning. Sometimes walking is not a pleasant experience and let me tell you this morning was one of those. I just kept thinking back to the sights we saw yesterday to convince myself that yes it was all worth it. If anyone works in the computer industry and knows anything about the manufacturing side of it, I have a great idea for you to get very rich. Picture this, a charging carriage that you can put two or three of the large laptop batteries in for recharging. At the moment, according to the people at Hewlett Packard, no such thing exists in any company. the batteries unused and not in the system would hold their charges. (Ya right, Think again) anyway, getting back to the day, the Casino was a lot of fun even if I didn't have much to spend(I have been saving my quarters for the last two months) I had thirty dollars to play and though it many not sound like much, playing nickel slots it lasts a while. Lia hit the jack pot on one of them for $500. No bad for throwing nickles into a machine. With my normal luck, I left with pockets short by $30. but it was fun ( I think if Lia had hit the jackpot one more time though, i would have slapped her. one of these days I'll learn gambling is just not for me. The night of the contemporary voices was fabulous. the two readers were terrific. one thing I should mention that I thought was really great is before tonight at the living rooms we have been seeing the 'headlining poiets actually joining in. it wasn't like some years and some festivals where the big readers kept themselves aloof from the rest of the poets. they were very open and approachable where ever you went. some people in the new england area might not understand this as we don't usually see separation of poet experience levels though we do have our shy newbies who still need to be helped out of their shells. but outside our golden triangle it becomes very evident poets looking down their noses at those they don't deem worthy to. It was very pleasant to see these really strong poets sitting right beside you reading then later telling you how great they thought this or that piece was and even better when they just said they loved your work. It is Friday night here and we only have two days left in taos before we have to catch our plane back on Monday (boo-hoo) I love it here so much I don't want to leave. Well, my eyes are starting to cross, so I'm going to end it here for now.
Saturday, June 16th - Travel Log X
This morning we had our last breakfast at the El Pueblo Cafe. Looking round, I'm going to miss this place. It's a small almost greasy spoon type place... a few booths around the windows, a bar for the regulars, and a scattering of tables in the center. They serve lunch and dinner here too, and I'm sorry we didn't try and take advantage of that as well. Tomorrow, we'll be having a farewell brunch at JJ's Bagels, so this is our last Taos breakfast here. *sigh* I miss my family but I know I'll miss being here and the total emersion of great people and poetry. Since we had some time after breakfast, we went and did some final shopping (since there was still some money left *grin*). We found several small shops that had some fantastic and unusual items. This one store called 'Dwellings Revisited' (dwellings... well, at least this one was on the ground floor) had an entire room in the back dedicated to 'The day of the dead'. Most of the items were hand carved skeletons painted in bright colors. Another store was full of gems, minerals, fossils. We had a blast as you can imagine. From there we went to the Sagebrush Inn and saw a poetry intensive. Here, I was a little disappointed. The discussion ran into slam a little bit, and unless you had your hand up in the air for 20 min... or had a big mouth and didn't care if you were called on or not, you really didn't have a say. This was not the moderators fault, it's just the way it happened... especially with the youth of the area. I was very disappointed that they, who cry to be respected had very little respect for others in the room. (They even came into the discussion an hour late.) I guess that's just me though. Anyway, we went back to the Best Western for dinner, then off to the SLAM featuring Sherman Alexie and Saul Williams. Whoo... what a can of worms!!! Both were absolutely fantastic! Sherman made a point in his competition. One of the points brought up in the intensive was that all he writes is 'Indian' poems. At the slam, he did one poem, the rest were completely different topics. He did several pieces about his son, beautiful well crafted pieces that brought tears to the eyes. Saul was magnificent! He brought the house down. The only problem with his performance was that he spoke so fast a lot of what he said blurred, and that when he drove a point home, several individuals were so LOUD they drowned out Saul. I understand his powerful message as well, and whooped too, but it was quick to start and finish because I knew there was more he had to say. It was frustrating that these other people didn't realize that. But ... I suppose it's all good.
So I'm guessing you wanna know who won? *heh* When the judges scores were tallied, it was a tie. WPBA rules state that in the event of a tie, the crown should go to the previous champion, so Sherman Alexie won. A lot of hell broke loose. People screamed for a tie breaker round, people screamed for a rematch... people got up and left the hall. It was... uncomfortable. (here's that however again) However, Sherman got up to the mic and said that if schedules permit he and Saul would appear at the Circus next year for a rematch. It sedated some people, but others were still furious. Personally, I would have loved to have seen a tie breaker round, but it was past 11:30 and WPBA was being charged extra as it was for going overtime.
Well, I'm off to crash, night all.
After breakfast definitely had to be set aside for shopping. There were a few things I wanted to pick up as gifts that I just couldn't get the day we'd set aside for it on a few account; 1: we just got too damn tired 2: We had to budget our money and wouldn't know what we would have left until the end of the week and 3: We were both feeling slightly light-headed and sick to our stomachs so wanted to just lay down. On the 3rd we found out the next day we were not alone. A number of us who were not use to the altitude and dry heat had come close to heat frustration. Results, we felt sick. Solution: drink more and exert yourselves less, stupid. I really wanted to go see the poetry intensive with Sherman Alexie, Eileen Myles, and Lorna Dee Cervantes. It went pretty well at first until the question was raised on whether it was okay for minorities to play of their differences as a way to get ahead. Sherman Alexie fielded this answer with the answer that he hated it when he or someone else was put in a "box" then reversed the question on them and asked them if they felt the use of the phrase 'White Power' was as strong as 'Black' or 'Chicano' power. when there was a strong disagreement to 'whites' doing this he virtually told them they were guilty of reverse discrimination. It was some powerful words that put the younger ones into an uproar which was almost immediately countered by some elders in the audience telling them that born in America and never having to 'fight' for their ways and freedoms like their parents had, they really did not have a right to even be getting enraged about any of this. It was at this point that Lia and I, unable to get our questions or comments in on any subject decided it would be safest to just leave. When we got to the living room reading, it was already in progress and we ended up sitting on the outside of the circle on benches (in the direct sunlight) so our tans are starting to peel a little. Oh well, you can't have it perfect all the way. We still got great tans anyway. After a great meal, we headed over to the match at the Sagebrush Inn. What Lia failed to tell you is due to the large number of people who came out to see the ever (It was standing room along the walls) we had to park in a field behind the conference center. A field which just happened to also be a prairie dog community. So, every car that pulled in proceeded to collapse and destroy numbers of their homes and entrances. I just kept hoping we weren't trapping any of the poor little things in to die. It made me feel so guilty. Lia's main concerned was that we were out in the middle of a desert field and would get killed by snakes. As for the match, I'm not sure what else I can say. In the audience voting, I gave the match to Sherman. Like many people who complained,, Saul just spoke so fast that I could not understand his words at times until after a while the pieces he read made no sense. His pieces are great on page but if I had a choice I would rather read them myself than listen to him read. (Sorry, I say it as I see it.) It was a late night and we didn't get in till late. Ended up lasted that we planned too since some weird lady (looking for her boyfriend she said) started rattling our door knob and we soon found out, every door in the place. As she headed around for her third pass (moving through the parking lot as well) I pulled the paranoid New Englanded and called the desk so they could get the police out. The hotel decided the police were not needed and instead posted a 'security' outside. This gorgeous well built guy who took up his post on a chair two doors down from ours with a book as if he were a guest reading. (innocently at almost 2 a.m.) yeah (smirk). Well, with mister muscles outside I'm feeling safer (snort) so I think it's time for bed.
Sunday, June 17th
Today is our last day in Taos. Lia and decided instead of waiting till tomorrow morning to leave for Albuquerque to catch our flight, and risking the nerve-wracking chance of getting caught in traffic or construction. I was thrilled when she suggested it since I had been nervous about that. So before breakfast we were busy trying to repack the car with all our shit. The poor shocks on that car. What a strain we put on them. 10 a.m. found us at JJ's bagels and Cyber Cafe. This is always the saddest but one of the nicest functions of the whole week. Sad, because right after breakfast is when almost everyone leaves to go back to their homes (where ever in the world that is) and I do mean world as this year one couple and their daughter were from Czechoslovakia). nicest, because it is a time when those who are running everything can finally relax and sit back, relax, and you can finally have an honest face to face talk with them. Lia and I had a long talk like that with Jim Naves and Bob Masterson. The poets also set back away from the 'I need to win this slam' and 'I'm better than any of you and can prove it' and become themselves for a while. Now I'm not saying this last statement applies to every one but it does to many. We decided to skip the intensive for the day since we really weren't in the mood at that time to deal with the two hour 'was the competition last night unfair or what'. Instead I dragged Lia back out to the hot springs to see how much the waters went down on the river and collect some sage we wanted and promised to bring back home. We got a lot of great sage full of minerals (they were growing along the banks where the hot springs were) The river went down but about three feet so we were able to find the main hot spring uncovered. After seeing the small lobster (or very large crayfish as Lia called it) I was a little leery about going in. When I looked in and say it was a spawning growth ground for baby trout and the biggest tadpoles I ever say, I decided no way. Lia laughed at me and after dipping her foot in and declaring it was 'bath water warm' was about to stick her toe in when a small red water snake decided it was time to zip across the surface of the pool. Her shriek put an end to either of us deciding to go in. It may be ignorant paranoia on my part but I was always under the belief that all water snakes were poisonous. After sitting through half the last living room, we said our good byes to some new great friends and headed to Albuquerque. It was a wonderful trip up to the point when the dark clouds on the horizon was suddenly brightened slightly as a hazy redness rose from the ground. it took me only a few seconds to realize what was going on and quickly demanded that Lia roll her window up. seconds later were were in the middle of a swirling dust devil. We were only in there for about ten seconds but it was a little scary for a moment. Now, as I am writing this it is almost 1 a.m. We are at a great hotel where we have only recently finished eating a great meal in our room. This Hotel is so much nicer than the place we've stayed in all week and I feel like I'm being spoilt. It has not quite sunk in yet that we are going home tomorrow and I hope it doesn't for a while. Since this is our last log, we will be seeing you all soon. With luck, the pictures should be ready by the weekend. Can't wait to see you all and my family once again even if I hate to leave here.
I'm sun burnt. I have a passenger side sunburn. My right leg which I had propped up on the dashboard for 3 hours got a lot of great sun, but my left leg is still sickly pale. My shoulders are sun burnt from walking around today looking for sage up in the hills. I had on my bathing suit planning on taking a dip in the hot spring if it was unburied. Of course that SNAKE changed all that. *mutter* After we finished collecting sage, we went down to where tour boats begin their white water rafting down the Rio to dunk our feet in. The Rio was cool and refreshing after our hike... but it was COLD! My face is wind blown and sun burnt from the hike and from the Living Room reading the past few days. See, the open reading is held on the patio behind the Cafe Tazza and it is a solar pit. The way the sun sets over the patio just keeps you in light for hours. My shoulders and face reflect that. After we said our goodbye's Peter Rabbit began the reading again... however as we walked out there was a massive 'Goodbye Woostah' chorus. We did it guys... we went, we represented Worcester and the Java Hut, the Asylum, and Worcester Poetry Project, and were extremely successful. The ride back to Albuquerque was nice. Deb and I were quiet, listening to Blue Man Group and Ray Lynch. The dust storm when we first entered Albuquerque was pretty fantastic! There was no sound but the sand was whipping all around. We are staying at the Wyndham Albuquerque Hotel, and they are pampering us well. This is what we needed to end this perfect tour/vacation. The bellboy must have thought we were nuts: it was Thelma and Louise revisited. Oh well [:)] We dropped off our car this evening, saving a few bucks which is always nice, AND the hotel will drive us up the street to the airport, drop off and help check-in our luggage when we leave. Ya, they big time rock!!! I plan on going swimming as soon as I wake up before breakfast, which Deb and I will enjoy in our room. Well Woostah, we'll be home pretty soon. This is our last log. It's been a blast writing this every night. Hope all is well with everyone. See/talk to ya'll soon!
Love,
Deb Middleton and Lia Klunk
That's all the travels of our intrepid pair for 2001.
Last Update: 06/15/2001