like the river

I followed the snaking foot-wide trail along the flood washout, past dark purple wildflowers that seemed to glow in the shade of the hillside, the smell of pine rising with the cool river breeze.  Just over the second log crossing, I found a beach and sat by the water. Hiking boots off, feet cleansed, eyes closed, so much sunshine... the only sound around was the loud rushing of the water, like it was going through me.

"Flow like the river", I started to think. It came to me again and again like a mantra. Flow like the river. The slow parts, the winding parts, the rapids. Be gentle, be strong, be fierce. Flow like the river; carve your own path.

lomatium

My new lomatium rings are inspired by a week in the high desert.  The feeling of sleeping under the stars, smokin' herb and making dashboard sunprints after a canyon white-out.  Friends, campfires, mysterious limestone crimps, lunar rings and moonlit contrails. Eating sand & losing a mitten on the way back from pooping in the trees...the magical river, too.

(not the poop part, just the magic part.)

Joe's Valley, Utah - April 2015

DOMINGO: from SLC to Joe's Valley. Dan & Lisa! hot dogs and tea. the moon is growing!

LUNES: granola, milk & tea, almonds, clementines, happy sour patch kids, burgers & beer.  Boysize, stone like fine-grit sandpaper.  "all I wanna do is read cool books in cool places".

MARTES: rest day.  granola, milk & instant coffee.  a drive to the reservoir & beach, the magical river - clear blue green water, chalked river boulders.  Right Fork, past the aspen eyes, greener. pesto pasta w/ peppers & sausage. a trip for firewood.

MIERCOLES: granola, instant coffee. warm up boulders, a juggy high ball V3, Caveman V5, V4 crack, a sharp V4.  a hike to Playmate of the Year, coal! beer in Castedale, steaks! & the growing moooon.  a halo with contrail shadows.

JUEVES: rest day. high 45*. It was cold. "It's just one of those days that you get through." Huddled by the fire eating hot dogs.  Right Fork Canyon white-out! beer, spliffs, friends and bed. pasta w/ chili.

VIERNES: to the river! two V4 slab climbs, limestone intrusion on sandstone.  worked V2 Angler (scary!). across the way to Big Joe.  short jaunt to look at the other boulders - droopy penis. a friendly farewell.

SABADO: full moon! left camp ~9:30am. grocery store hugs. arches @ 12:30-4:30. Pablo's Pizza, Grand Junction.  through the mountains -- Rifel, Vail, Copper Mt.  home with kitty and yum yums ~11p.

shop my lomatium rings here! www.bloomsandshrooms.etsy.com

boda de luz

“This kiss

and that kiss

on this piece

and that piece.

I am all

lips

and you

cannot help but

be

a perfect pile of pieces.”

— Tyler Knott Gregson, Chasers of the Light

“Don’t you know you’re rootless,

branch free and not yet

sunken into the soil below?

You can move, walk,

and run forward, you can

plant yourself anywhere

you please, let your roots

wrap around any stones

you wish, strong against the

winds that will strip you

of leaf, of limb. Sing me

the song of your branches

blowing, teach me of

stillness when the storms

have died. ”

— Tyler Knott Gregson, Typewriter Series #1275

“Give me a hand to hold,

and fingers that want to

wrap back around mine;

give me a heart that beats

and races, or slows, to

match the thumping drum

of mine. Arms that hold

as well as fold tightly

to be held. The push and

the pull, the give and the

fearless take. Love

is range, the grey

that lives in between the black

and the white.”

— Tyler Knott Gregson, Typewriter Series #1271