The Myth & The Majesty

This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary... - Opening lines of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey Every place you visit sticks with you in some way. Sometimes it's a specific thing -- the fo   Sometimes it's negative (I have no need to return to Beijing) and sometimes it lingers (twelve years later, I'm still thinking about Saint Petersburg). od, the people, an experience, a building. And sometimes, you find yourself browsing the job listings, looking for a reason to stay. I first stopped in Moab on my way back from Oregon. As it turned out, two nights in the desert were perfect for a body and soul to recover from a week and a half on the road. Sadly, my second stop was two full years later, a mere pit stop between the Grand Canyon and Denver for lunch and a stretch. They were on...

... By Throwing Out My Back 1. Problems build up over time. Spraining an ankle and limping funny for awhile, moving many stacks of boxes and furniture, uneven volumes of physical exercise -- all of it can come back and bite you when you dodge pets chasing each other while you're bent over funny trying to find something. Sick days as an adult! 2. In related news, these are the times old injuries will haunt you. 3. Injuring yourself in a house full of people is much better than injuring yourself while alone. More embarrassing, but better. 4. I am very whiny when I'm abruptly helpless. 5. My family is a group of remarkably patient humans. 6. I like chiropractors. 7. Biofreeze is weird stuff. 8. Getting stuck holding still for a day or two isn't the worst fate, but I'm going to be relieved when it's over. 9. I can't imagine how people deal with this kind of thing on a regular or constant basis. It hurts too damn much for sanity.

Today, a mild case of existential angst, brought to you by everyone's favorite animated dog-children. [Pretty sure I've posted this here before, but then I found Animaniacs on Netflix and it wormed its way into my head again...]

We had a little extra excitement around here on the fourth. It's been dry. Hot, windy, no rain -- the grass is already hitting a crackly stage that makes a girl nervous. This is the kind of summer I remember from college. The kind that sparks forest fires seemingly out of spite, without aid from lightning, humans, or even just a hot engine. So you can imagine what happens when Independence Day rolls around and thousands of flaming sticks take flight. We had finished supper already when someone rang the doorbell. Or more importantly, when it rang seven times in a row. I can safely say that when you hear the words, "There's a fire out back!" it doesn't take long to find shoes and a door. Note: I'm standing in our backyard while taking this. Before the fire trucks could get here, the entire neighborhood showed up. Garden hoses were unrolled and buckets were found. People clambered over the fence to start spraying down the edges, taking buckets t...

Well, hello. Yeah, I still exist. I've even got a couple posts in the works because while I've been not writing, I've been cooking food for small children or on the road. It's been a weird summer. I have also been watching a whole bunch of documentaries (because my hobbies are nerdful fun!) and I'm going to send you to two of them. I admit -- it's because I get a huge kick out of watching things about places I recognize, and these both involve the Hills. The first is a documentary currently on Netflix about the discovery and conflict over Sue the T. Rex. It's called Dinosaur 13 and ... okay, so if you haven't heard of Sue, maybe it won't interest you the way it did me. If you have any particular curiosity about the trials and tribulations of big paleontological discoveries, I recommend it. Or if you like dinosaurs. The second is for my space nerd friends. Space Men is a PBS special, part of the American Experience series, and it's a...

(Yesterday's comic.)

Hikes, a birthday, some great food, and American Craft Beer Week. Oh, and an injury. All things considered, May was pretty okay. How about yours? This bridge was built in 1929 and it is absolutely gorgeous. Near the southern terminus of the Centennial Trail. Sylvan Lake. We found a mine!   The creme brulee process. Delicious AND fun! I love family meals.   Buglin' Bull in Custer. I'm missing my Monte Cristo wrap in this picture, but that was tasty, too... Hay Camp in Rapid City. Their barrel-aged beer is to die for. Stout floats at Miner Brewing in Hill City. These are a food group of their very own. Possibly my favorite food group. Oops.