Tudo Bem

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Jody Jett

The Trip

Spent a little over three weeks in Portugal from late October to mid-November. The majority of the time was walking from town to town along the southwestern coast of the country. The end was Lisbon and days and nights of city life. There may have been a few highlights, most of them involving music, food, and experiences on the trail, but truly the whole trip was constant all good—‘Tudo Bem’ every single day.

The Trail

O Trilho dos Pescadores, otherwise known as The Fishermen’s Trail, is around 140 miles long and goes from Praia de São Torpes in the Alentejo region to Lagos in the Algarve. Most of the path runs along the coast and connects various routes local fishermen still use to access their favorite fishing spots on cliffs high above the Atlantic, hence the name. The trail is one of several routes of the Rota Vicentina system which combines paths, backcountry roads, and historic ways to create a network of options for exploring Southwestern Portugal while hiking or cycling.

The trail has become a significant source of small-scale tourism over the past few years, and while it doesn’t feel crowded, it wasn’t uncommon to spot 30-50 hikers a day following the route. And this was in the ‘low season.’ Most folks hiking the trail walk from town to town, north to south, often having their luggage shuttled ahead of them. They eat and drink well at Portuguese restaurants each night, and stay in a variety of lodgings. Those planning to complete the entire trail generally do so in 11-13 days, while others choose shorter sections and only spend a few days on the route. The hiking isn’t incredibly difficult, with average distances of 12-13 miles a day and not a lot of elevation, though sand, sun, rain, and wind may make some days tougher than others. In short, it’s a mid-level, low-stress adventure highlighted by hearty meals, pastries and gelato, tiny cups of espresso, good (ridiculously cheap) local wine, surprisingly diverse vegetation, and incredible views all day every day.

For those interested in the trail there’s plenty of information out there so I won’t bother to go into detail. Krissy and I spent 18 days hanging out on the route, staying a couple of nights (rather than just one) at multiple towns along the way. The days we weren’t walking the trail we were also walking for miles, riding bikes, kayaking, watching it rain… The advice I would give anyone looking to go would be: 1) walk south to north; 2) plan extra days to hang out along the way. Will let the photos tell the rest of the story.

The Language

One of the things I enjoy most about traveling has become speaking a different language, though since the only different language I speak is Spanish, I’ve mainly traveled in Spanish speaking countries. Portugal seemed like a good opportunity to get out of that comfort zone in a comfortable way—that is not being competent, but also not being completely lost either. A challenge without much consequence.

If you speak Spanish, chances are you will be able to read basic Portuguese materials and comprehend the essentials. What you will most likely not be able to do, however, is understand anything anyone is saying or be able to speak even the simplest sentences—especially in European Portuguese, which is notably different, especially in terms of pronunciation, than Brazilian Portuguese. Lots of nasal and guttural sounds which don’t exist in English or Spanish. So, while I didn’t do a lot of research about the route or places to go or things to do, I did my best to spend some time each day for the two months between choosing Portugal and going to Portugal to study some Portuguese. As a result, I ended up learning a little bit about the culture and country in the process.

It was all a lot of fun and those details truly enhanced the entire experience. While many people there do speak some English, almost all of the people I tried to speak to in Portuguese were more than happy to go along with it, and the effort really made the trip both easier and more enjoyable. While the conversations never progressed to in-depth discussions, I did manage to text with lots of Airbnb owners, find rooms and food and live music, successfully get a taxi with a phone call, and even make a few people laugh with my jokes!

The Food

Portuguese people are often affectionately noted for being overly proud of their cuisine. It’s not that their favorite dishes are not respectable, more like it’s a little difficult to place them on the same level as the haute fare one might think of when imagining France, Italy, Spain, etc. The food is good, very good, but good like upscale Midwest delicious perhaps? Maybe picture a healthier Cracker Barrel with lots of fish on the menu? The funny thing is that all of the towns from biggest to smallest have an open market certain days of the week where vendors sell fresh meat, fish, and loads of beautiful local produce—but somehow that produce does not make it into any of the restaurants. Ask for a salad and you’re getting the same Iceberg with one tomato slice as you would in a Kansas steakhouse.

We did our best to sample all of the traditional food available. It was tasty, nutritious, and filling. Dinner was generally seafood and fish, often served in a soup, sometimes in a big pot for two, and also grilled, baked, fried, made into casseroles, and so forth. Breakfast in Portuguese means ‘a small lunch,’ which was included with a hotel stay and looked about like it sounds, coffee, tea, sandwich buffet with croissants… Our real lunch we always ate while hiking—and was often my favorite part of the day. Find a place off the trail on a cliff edge overlooking the ocean and tuck into a thick heavy loaf of freshly baked bread (1€!), some fruit, a bit of sheep cheese, maybe a nap after… The best!

One cannot write about eating in Portugal without mentioning the crème de la custard: Pastel de Nata. There isn’t a Portuguese YouTuber that doesn’t have an episode on Portugal’s famous custard tart. It’s so hyped, in fact, I assumed there was no way that little Christmas (the Nata of the name) pastry could live up to the propaganda. Turns out, however, it most definitely does!

We tried a lot of different desserts. A lot. But nothing matches the sheer pleasure that is eating a fresh pastel de nata topped with cinnamon. So, we sampled a lot of those too. A whole lot! We even made it to the bakery in Belém where the pastry (in a slightly different variation) is said to have been created, its original recipe still a guarded secret after 200 years. So worth it.

The City

Lisbon is Lisboa and a whole lot of fun. We spent several days there at the end of the trip and gave in to straight tourist mode, as that seemed like the only thing to do really. We did a whole lot of walking, which is the best part about Lisbon, especially getting lost in the narrow historic streets of the Alfama district, where we stayed. We also rode atop a few tour buses, hopped one funicular, spent an hour on a streetcar, took a boat ride on the Tagus River, went on a guided walking tour, visited the central castle, admired the views from countless overlooks, and then walked some more.

Lisbon is a very touristy and crowded place, I must say, but we saw a whole lot of it those few days and enjoyed every minute of it. One of the things I was most excited for was hearing live and heartfelt Fado music, something that proved sadly elusive the first few days. But it all came together the last night we were in Portugal with a front row candlelit table a few feet from the animated performers, coupled with tasty traditional dishes to eat and copious amounts of ‘vinho tinto’ till closing. A most satisfying finale to the end of three remarkable weeks.

The Company

Krissy is the one person I’ve met in the past several years that is both interested in and equipped for the types of trips I like to do, often with short notice and no real plans. We went on several off-trail adventures this past winter and this summer started doing some backpacking, camping, and traveling together. Krissy is easy going, adventurous, and above all appreciative of new experiences. She is also super fit and almost always smiling. I love that she never has an agenda, instead trusting that no matter what ends up happening it’s going to be fun. In short, the perfect travel companion. As a bonus, she’s also a great model for all the photos, and credit for the too many pictures of me in this and the last post goes to her. Here’s to beaches, bakeries, balconies, out-of-the-way places, spontaneous shortcuts, unintentional explorations, and all the sunsets.

If You Can’t Stand the Heat

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Jody Jett

Yes hot. Summer in SE AZ started off easy then took it all back. Six weeks or more of temperatures 110⁰ or higher every day. At the beginning of September we’re still hitting 100+ each afternoon and the monsoons have yet to arrive. Since last writing, I’ve spent most of my time working the days away and steeling myself for two-mile furnace-walks each evening. Only in the past couple of weeks have I finally motivated sufficiently to do much else.

May was a visit to Texas. June was a wedding of old friends in Bend, Oregon. July was extreme. August was straight brutal. And now, thankfully, I’m blessed to be spending a couple weeks in Olympia, Washington for work. 65⁰ never felt so good. I guess the only interesting thing of note is that after years of not, I’ve been making a little art again. Doing some drawings both pen and digital. Making a few stickers and a bunch of shirts along with rough plans for selling in the near future. Rough plans also for long hours outside again and a few weeks of floundering Portuguese.

Around Arizona

‘Blazing’ trails in the full heat of summer

PNW

Feeling a Little Sketchy

Krissy in Saguaro NP next to Fishhook Barrel Cactus wearing Purple Prickly Pear T-shirt…

Cañón Hi Choo

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Jody Jett

Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Phantom. Small boats in a big ditch. All the strangers were good people and all the energy pure positive. Bright Angel hike out and hours I could have lived in without end.

Cañón Hi Choo

blue skies and beaches
ribbon of river transects
stalwart swaths of stone

down jackets, dawn breeze
“Sun on Camp 7:30”
now here comes the heat

fresh coffee awaits
garlic and onions sizzle
‘crack’ in go the eggs

side hikes and tapered 
trills of canyon wrens. In lieu
of answers, silence

sweat beads on warm skin
and chilled cans—‘Pssht!’—squeeze of lime
Ice cold Tecate

red walls and big waves
brown eyes, heart-melting smile
deep sigh… hopeless crush

circling condors seek
lift from canyon rim updrafts
To be free once more

Resurrection

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Jody Jett

Short days since noting the lifeless nature of winter twilight—vibrant resurgence. Budding energy permeates the fabled lion winds of March. Emanates from fertile earth after months of benevolent rain. Short days after posting those last photos I found myself east of town in the Peloncillo Mountains, inert up top while blanketed in lively yellow flowers down below. Found myself the next day in the Gila Box, emergent blossoms in all directions. Found myself yesterday to the west, meandering atop Peridot Mesa amidst literally millions of freshly bloomed wildflowers. Found myself in awe, once again.

Dead of Winter

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Jody Jett

While much of the world has been experiencing exacerbated effects of climate madness this winter (or scorching summer in southern half) the past several months in SE Arizona have been phenomenal. Lots of rain, cooler temps, even a few flurries now and again. The upper halves of the surrounding sky islands are covered in snow. White capped peaks thousands of feet above the desert scenery. I find daily appreciation in the beauty of it all.

Photos do start to get a bit monotonous, however, with nothing but earth tones—browns, grays, and reds—for miles in all directions. Things look a little dead all over, but the walking around is as good as it gets. Less vegetation, no snakes, perfect hiking weather, and water everywhere. And I’ve been getting out a lot. Hiking, camping, and off-trail exploring. Too many miles to keep track of and plenty of new places. Making sure to maximize the moments before the heat settles in for the summer. Thought I’d share a few photos. Drab as they may seem on a screen, traversing these sparse rugged landscapes continues to inspire.

January 1, 2023. Dos Cabezas Wilderness from Ft. Bowie.

Picketpost Mountain

I’ve posted a few photos of this place before, but still find new trails each time I’m over that way. One of my favorite places to walk around for a day.

Superstition Wilderness

Spent a couple of days hiking and camping in the Superstitions. A short drive from the Phoenix metro area this place is heavily used, but if you get a few miles from the trailheads it’s easy to find solitude. Stark spectacular formations abound. One of the most prominent features is Weavers Needle, visible from miles around.

Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area

I stumbled across Whitewater Draw, a state wildlife area, last year while picking spots at random in the Gazetteer and driving to see what was there. I was a bit late last spring, but made sure to get back there this year to check out the record numbers of Sandhill Cranes that winter in this location. SE Arizona provides winter habitat for an estimated 40,000+ Sandhills and around half of those choose Whitewater Draw as their winter home. I suppose I feel an affinity for the cranes as they migrate from southern deserts to northern climes each year, with a large population summering in Fairbanks. For several years I would see the cranes at various locations across the US and Canada while traveling the same route there and back. The draw of the Draw is watching the cranes leave early each morning and return in the afternoon. Huge flocks darken the skies and their unmistakable vocalizations create a surreal sonic backdrop. There are also plenty of other waterfowl that share the area and walking paths around the ponds make it easy to check everything out.

Gila Box

The backyard. I’m here for work all the time and have recently been exploring in my free time as well. So much to see.

North Santa Teresa Wilderness

Spent a couple different days in February walking around in the Santa Teresas. Follow the creek for a while then climb till you can’t climb anymore. Your legs may give out before the mountains do.

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

I’m out here several days a month. The past couple weeks have been amazing. Side streams in full flow and waterfalls everywhere.

Like all my wildlife pics I took this one with a potato, but if you look close you can see a tree full of coatis.

Winter Tribulations

Getting up too early (after 13 hours in the tent) and waiting impatiently in 20° temps for the sun to crest canyon walls. Rough!

Redfield Canyon Wilderness

This is another area I cover for work, but it’s so remote that visits are rare. For a year now I’ve been planning a trip to try and see what the canyon is really about. Finally made it happen last weekend. Three days and 30 miles of isolated wilderness travel. A special place.

Hidden in the cliffs of the canyon is the Hope Jones house. A relic of the area’s ranching history.

And that’s that. Will finish with a flare of fabricated color. Purple skies and green walls. Just for fun. Upper stretches of Hellhole Canyon in the Aravaipa Wilderness.

México Olvidado

Posted on December 29, 2022 by Jody Jett

Three weeks in the state of Chiapas, a place of lush jungles, little known rivers, and drastic mountains. A land known as ‘Forgotten Mexico’ due to a history of government neglect and outright abuses of the prominently indigenous populations throughout the region. It took years of social unrest and the Zapatista uprising to finally draw attention to the area, and only recently has the government begun to invest in basic infrastructure and health services for the people of Chiapas.

The name seemed fitting on a personal level as well, as it’s been several years now since I was able to travel for any significant amount of time. This was my first extended trip (relative to life as I now know it) since I switched my world all around. It was certainly nice to sink into something different for a while.

The basics were broken up into two parts: a river trip down the Rio Jataté, part one; and a bunch of traveling around, part two.

The whole idea for Chiapas started back in the summer. I knew I wanted to do an extended river expedition somewhere in the world in the December time frame. I didn’t really have any strong opinions as to where, just how long and when. I knew I wanted to run some whitewater and sleep in a tent for a while. And I wanted to do something with Sierra Rios, an outfitter with the potential to operate in various spots across the globe. The owner is a guy named Rocky Contos, and Rocky runs trips, organizes trips, and outfits trips. The company also works to raise awareness of river issues around the world, though it seems like a lot of times it’s often running rivers for the last few times before they die behind inevitable dams. I started talking to Rocky in August, checking out the website calendar, and viewing the potentially available trips. In the end, the Jataté, which I’d never heard of, seemed the best option. And I think it certainly was.

Short section of the Rio Santa Cruz leading into the main river.

The Jataté (pronounced something like hah-tah-te) is a guides’ river and an expedition style trip. Most of the folks that sign up for these trips are small groups of guides or kayakers, and Rocky puts them together with one or two of his guides that know the stretch. The company provides requested gear, and organizes all logistics of food, transportation, and safety (which became a major issue in the 90s due to civil unrest in both Chiapas and Guatemala).

When committing to the trip Rocky asked me to try and promote the trip. I told him it was unlikely I would find any interested individuals, but in the end my awesome friend Emilie E., who I met on the Kongakut River a couple years ago, decided to fly down from Fairbanks and join. Her presence is what made the trip super special, and it probably wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without her around. In the end it was she and I, a group of three Hungarian kayakers, two guides from Mexico, and another kayaker from the States that’s working on guiding for Sierra Rios seasonally. Emilie, myself, and German rowed gear boats while the other five kayaked.

Jonathon and Roberto; Hungarian Dream Team (Bivi, Gyula, Kitshi); Me and Emilie

Nothing but good energy from both these dudes. Roberto and Bivi. Photo: Bivi.

The trip was everything I wanted it to be. It was eight days total, though lots of travel and sitting around for a couple of those days on either end. After a slow relaxing start, the canyon and rapids began on day four, and the whitewater continued until the morning of the last day. And there was a lot of whitewater. The run was mostly Class IV, but there were a few more difficult rapids, two of which we portaged—an arduous time-consuming process, but part of what makes the trip an expedition. What also makes the trip an expedition is that things are probably going to go wrong, requiring boaters to use skills they may have only trained with in the past. Things certainly got hairy in several places. Rope skills, mechanical advantage systems, quick thinking, and teamwork were critical in a couple of those situations.

The first few days and Rock Garden portage early in the canyon.

Piton Falls, The Slide, more drops, riverside flowers.

Most of the rapids in the first canyon are very technical, with a lot of precision moves leading into sizeable drops. One right after the next. On day five we were seriously running and scouting rapids for seven hours. It was amazing. At the end of the first canyon things opened up and the confluence with another river significantly increased the flow, changing the nature of the rapids to big water runs with huge waves and holes to crush or avoid at all costs. The run was at the extremes of what Emilie had done previously, but even though she was anxious throughout (we later determined she got five years of experience in five days) she killed it with a smile. As for me, I wrapped a boat (for the first time in my life) in the second rapid; I got an unexpected vicious tube suck in another rapid, was ejected from the boat, and broke a fiberglass oar in half with my ribs (still not healed) on my way out—my first swim in years; I also got surfed hard in a sticky hole above a nasty strainer… But the only really bad line I had everything turned out to be just fine.

The following blocks of photos courtesy of Attila ‘Bivi’ Hubik. Thanks Bivi!

The day after the trip Emilie and I hung out in Palenque all day. Ate a mellow breakfast, drank local coffee, went and visited the famous ruins, which were under construction somehow, walked around in the jungle with the amazing Pablo, an 11-year-old self-proclaimed guide, and finished it off with a feast of traditional Chiapan food. The following day we said ‘for sure a next time’ and went our separate ways. Emilie flew to Colorado and I spent the day busing it over to the capital of Tuxtla Guitierrez.

Pablo convinced me to hire him to guide us through the jungle. Best decision of the whole trip.

Part two of the trip was meeting up with a girl from Globe, renting a car, staying in nice hotels, eating a lot of wonderful food, and freewheeling it around the western side of the state for a week. Started the run with a boat ride into Cañón del Sumidero, spent a night in the cool little pueblo of Chiapa de Corzo, headed over to San Cristóbal for a couple days where we walked and biked, climbed down a couple hundred stairs to El Aguacero waterfall and then back up, spent several days on the beach of Puerto Artista, took a boat into some mangroves, took a boat over to Boca del Cielo for dinner, made the journey to the Zoque ruin site of Iglesia Vieja and had the place completely to ourselves for the afternoon (actually after leaving San Cristóbal we were often the only people around), swam in the Pacific, strolled in the sand, rode a 4-wheeler miles down the beach, spent a night in Tuxtla and danced to live marimba music in the park.

Peregrinos, craft cerveza, Iglesia San Juan Chamula

Otro cumpleaños en una playa mexicana. Puerto Artista.

We finished the trip with a day and night in Mexico City where I met up with Isaac, an online Spanish tutor that I’ve been talking to a couple times a month. He showed us some of the sights and then we ate a memorable lunch up on the rooftop patio of Hotel Zócalo Central. This is probably one of the best times to be in the big city as the weather is nice, everything is lit up and decorated for Christmas, there’s live music in the plaza, and happy people everywhere.

Once Isaac went home, we headed over to the Templo Mayor ruin site and museum, listened to mariachi music in Plaza Garabaldi, walked through the huge park adjacent the Bellas Artes building, browsed Chinatown, and called it a night. The next morning we admired the sun rising through the smog while we ate breakfast on the same rooftop, took a cab through empty Sunday streets to the airport, and flew back to Tucson. There it was a goodbye hug in the economy lot and back to disparate realities. Asi es la vida…

And that was it. Forgotten Mexico and remembering what the authentic self feels like at its best.

Solo bueno.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo 2023!

**And that’s a wrap!** Photo: Bivi. Culprit: Me.

Roam Around

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Jody Jett

Short on words, once again. Past couple months been visits with family, camping with friends, little bit of roaming around. Headed down south tomorrow. Mexico way. Hoping to find a bit of that way things once were. Ojalá que sí.

Ft. Bowie, Chiricahuas, Mt. Graham, Boyce Thompson, Arizona Trail, City of Globe

Oracle, Arizona Trail, Aravaipa Canyon

Vineyard Trail, Picketpost, Gila Box, Arizona Skies

Arizona voters to all election denier candidates!!!

Que trabajo tan duro! Gila River. Photo: G. Jett

Hasta la próxima…

Time Lapse Living

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Jody Jett

It’s been some time now and no time now. There is but vague recall of weeks long gone. Hazy recollections of months spent living in heat induced fugue. A compilation of obscure frames replayed in fast-forward—compressed memories of life condensed.

I don’t have much to say at the moment. Not a lot to report. It’s been hot. It’s still hot. Life has been a lot of time at work for lack of anything more inspired to do, regular siestas in the scorching afternoons, occasional attempts at being active. There were some day hikes, a couple river trips, a month plus of monsoons, lots of flowers, weeks of historically low water followed by a 100 year flood, numerous sunsets… There was a week in Sacramento for work, an oppressively hot weekend in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, local wanderings…

I don’t know if cooler temperatures will change the format, but I’m certainly hoping to find out soon. Thought I’d go ahead and post a few of those stop motion shots in the meantime.

100° Day Trips

Critters

Around Town

The evening skies in Arizona always amaze

World in Bloom

‘Till Next Time

*I’ll be spending some weeks in Mexico come November/December. Contact me if any interest in running a river or two down that way.

Desert Adaptations

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Jody Jett

Big changes for certain. One extreme to the next. Back in the desert after several years away. AK to AZ. 49^th state to 48^th. Deep negatives to upcoming triple digits. Not sure how I’ll handle that.

What’s good? New job. Lots of time outside. Sunshine. The chance to contribute to the protection and conservation of public lands. A position with autonomy and plenty of opportunities to hike and paddle both. Wild places. Wildlife.

Everything else? Same same but different. Starting over once again.

Was -30 most of the week before I flew out of Fairbanks on the last day of January. Got in a few final ski outings, saw a couple last light shows, said goodbye to a few good friends. Not easy. It will always be hard to not be in Alaska. Stayed a night in Anchorage as I didn’t want to leave the state all at once.

Flew into Texas on February 1st just in time for a solid snow storm. Was in Arizona a week later and already over 80° in early February. Hit 90°+ when I was in Phoenix that week and I was about to meltdown physically and mentally. Thankfully, things have cooled off since then. Been off and on, a little warmer each week. Wind and heat, wind and cold. Chilly nights, hair dryer days. Mountains all around. Sky islands with crazy names: Chiricahuas, Huachucas, Gilas, Dragoons, Peloncillos, Pinaleños, Dos Cabezas… Have been out and about for certain. Dirt road driving, wilderness hiking, desert camping, shallow water boating, small town visiting, border crossing, solo missioning…

Mt. Graham. Doing the rounds at work. Sunset strolling spot and nightly sightings of Great Horned Owls.

Inspiration Point, Chiricahua National Monument. Photo: R. Poginy

Reach out and tell me what’s good wit’ ya.

Sun on the Horizon

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Jody Jett

Having made it a goal to create one post each month in 2021, and seeing as how it’s the last day of the last month, I guess I better get on with it. And boy, what a month it’s been, though really more of a continuation of the couple before it. For many weeks now, Alaska has been keeping things interesting, firing from multiple barrels. The barrage continues to keep me pinned down, spending way too much time inside a little cabin where only a few hours of daylight filter in this time of year.

Climate madness is in full effect up this way. All sorts of records being broken on the daily, from warmest to wettest, but plenty of cold in the mix to add to the experiment. All the craziness has made it tough to spend much time in the elements, and impossible to know what trails or terrain might look like when heading out. The basics entail rapid fluctuations from one extreme to the next. Days of deep negatives, followed by quick warming and moisture. Last Friday, Christmas Eve, it was -27 when I went to work. On Christmas day the temperatures started to climb and the flakes began to fall in earnest. The next day, we saw temps in the 40s and heavy snow turned to icy misty drizzle, which showered steadily for 12 hours. By the end of the rain, everything was covered in several inches of ice. Ice that most likely won’t melt until April. Then the wind came and down went a bunch of trees. Power outages, collapsing roofs, etc. Without pause, an even stronger storm blew in, dumping almost two feet of snow on top of all the ice. A day later, we’re headed right back into a week of -30 and below.

It’s all a kind of metaphor for the last couple of years I guess, and probably all the years before those ones. There is no back to normal. No untroubled days ahead. There is only this. The what’s happening now. There is opportunity to find solace in acceptance. To appreciate the in-between moments, the work outs, good meals, companionship, spots of sunshine, an afternoon spent gliding along a well-groomed trail. A few hours to revel in a freshly cleared driveway.

I suppose the biggest adventure of the month was taking my turn with ‘the covid,’ as my mom refers to it. Not to be trifled with, but part of life and our world all the same. Honestly, I’m actually happy to have had the experience, to finally get it over with (at least for the first time… though the virus lingered for weeks and may be lurking still). No more fear of missing out on that critical piece of current affairs for me.

But the best day, by far, in December was the only one where I spent all day outside, which was the Winter Solstice. The sun barely rises this far north in December, and this year on the 21^st it sat low between a thick blanket of clouds and the horizon for but a few hours. Hours of punishing beauty. It truly is almost too much to take in at times. The layer cake sky, profound unearthly hues that hurt the heart to look at. Weight pressing deep into the chest, a sigh you can’t get out. To fully exist inside of that world, which IS a fragment of the world we live in, even if only for a few hours, is privilege. The privilege of being alive. The ephemeral nature of existence raw and exposed. Cold wind whipping across the frozen landscape. Unnecessary excuse for the tears in your eyes.

Anyways, the end of an additional calendar year is upon us. Another circumnavigation of the sun. The only certainty for 2022 is assuredly more change. Deeper sorrows? Greater awareness? Increased frustration? Projected enlightenment? Change and more change.

Speaking of, this will probably be my last post for quite some time. Changing things up a bit. All the best to you and yours. Happy New Year.

Like Water

Flow. Intention. Human Be-Ing… Travels, Runs, and River Trips.