Zona

sometimes the evening is a pastel mistress that takes us quietly as the sun flees for the day.

sometimes the moon is a quiet romance contrast to the sun's shouting arrogant glare.

sometimes the quiet solitude is a welcome change to the daily garden parties.

even though in conceals the noises
even though it hides the meanings
even though it invites the mystery

I still don't sleep well most nights. I wake up early. But I kinda enjoy the dark silence and the low light start of a day off. The quiet never lasts long enough though.

Tori Amos has been keeping me calm the last couple of days.

People come and go and lately I've decided to be a come and go kinda guy. Sometimes I feel bad that I ducked out of contact with some but then again I always had the tendency to overrate some online relationships. So I got selfish and just kept the interesting and interactive around.

Of course I have several ways of maintaining contact with different people. Some here, some there, some the other place, and some just in email.

I'm a strong believer in friendship of convenience in many cases and friendship of souls in other. It's all a certain kind of exploration that settles out a bit different for each person who walks in and out of the doorway I happen to be standing by at any given moment.

I walked into the neighborhood convenience store this morning to buy Powerade for the range.

I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt and light blue flannel snoopy pajamas. He put a large cup of coffee on the counter. He set a pack of smokes on the coffee then walked over to the ATM.

I told the cashier, "if you ever see me in here dressed like that, shoot me....twice".

I may not be a fashion savvy dude, but I DO have some self respect.

up at 5AM and on the road. Helper, thru Price, Sunnyside, and I spotted this view while driving I-70. I had to take an exit that leads to ranches and then walk about a mile to get power lines and a fence out of the frame. Picked up some interesting rocks.

Back in the car and exit south on 191 toward Moab. Some red rock outcroppings get me to take a dirt road and a short hike. Those photos didn't turn out like I thought.

Stop for lunch in Moab. Bad mexican food and a customer who got snooty with the waitress because she found out the hard way that green chile has meat. The customer failed to tell the waitress that she was a vegetarian and blamed the non-mind reading waitress.

Back on the road and a relatively unproductive stop at a red rock surrounded rest area followed by perfect timing at Wilson Arch. At first I was pissed with the ropes dangling from the arch bit soon realized that climbers descending made for more interesting photos.

Down thru Blanding and I wanted to stop and ask people if they knew where I could buy some Indian artifacts. A year or so ago the Feds busted a ring of grave robbing illegal artifacts dealers in Blanding. Grave robbing artifact hunting is pretty low but it is legal on private land, and illegal on federal land. Two of those arrested committed suicide. One was a popular community doctor and of course everyone blamed the feds for him doing the hose in the tail pipe thing. I like to attribute it to messing with the wrong spirits.

A stop and another short hike to see the Anazazi ruins at Butler Wash.

Then on to Natural Bridges National Monument and $6 to drive the loop and see three natural bridges.

Then on the road again through beautiful red rock and beige sandstone. Over the Colorado river and through the most scenic part of the trip through miles of red rock cliffs north of Lake Powell. Alas the sun had gone down but now I have an excuse to go back. Into Hanksville at dark. Up the highway to I-70, back through Price and home just before midnight.

What a day

I can't sleep again so I stop trying and get up. Maybe it's the ghosts of christmases past. Maybe it's the fear of christmases future.

Maybe it's the garlic bread I had for lunch.

Maybe it's all this excess ear wax.

I'm listening to America's first album.

Three roses were bought
With you in mind
Three roses were bought
With you in mind

I'm not tired at all. I stress myself out by creating imaginary conflict in my mind. It's silly I know and I try to combat it with naughty fantasies.

I'd much rather drown it with three fingers of good bourbon.

But that's a no go in my house.

I was planning on going to Montana day after tomorrow but that's off now. My weekend got cut short because I have to prove I can shoot my gun, and a friend's mother is having surgery.

I hope nothing happens like that for my next 6 day weekend because I wanna go to Vancouver. There's a girl or two I wanna photograph.

Ah come on children get your heads back together
Ah come on children get your heads back together

arrogant recluse

99% of people annoy the shit out of me. just by their mere presence. very few interest me and most of them are women. I was awakened this morning but a wonderful pre-dawn thunderstorm and sat alone on the porch to enjoy the flashes of lightning, the sound of the rain, the mist that drifted into me, and the smell. that stuff never lasts long enough for me. someone always has to start a car to go to work. the goddamned sun always has to rise.

I feel this post yearning to be written down but I complain that the light of this computer has to be in my face and I dim it as much as it will allow. I put my headphones on and plug them into the perfect music but complain that I can't hear the perfect songs for the mood in the perfect order.

I saw an incredible woman the other day with tattoos that were amazingly thought out and I gave her my card. told her that I would gladly make the three hour drive to where she is to shoot her. she'll probably never call.

that's why I'm so reclusive. the people that are constantly around me are the uninteresting.

so I ignore them as much as possible.

LATER THE SAME DAY

10PM found me on the front porch again. another thunderstorm was passing through. more powerful with closer lightning strikes but unlike the pre-dawn storm people in the house were awake. nice storm, different feel.