Cerro Pelado Lookout
mid-april, first day
snow finally melted off 270 road
tho all the rocks right where I left'em last year
two turkey hunters already in the parking area
'that you guys gobbling down Water Canyon?'
'yeah we saw a flock of 'em way far away
took a Hail Mary shot but nothing'
clean all silverware + dishes
set in sun to dry
sweep + mop upstairs and down around radio repeater
wash windows all four directions
rattles + catwalk clinks + clanks
mustiness of moths and months
winds 10-15 out of the south
cloud cover 15% cirrus to the east over the Sangres
Barb over in Barillas LO not up yet but she did come back
working on her history of the lookouts of Santa Fe
46 degrees turn on oven + crack the door
make gluten free glop for breakfast
add yoghurt granola + nuts (+ honey!)
call Dispatch in-service for the summer
gonna be cold tonight up here at 10,000 feet
still things to unpack from truck:
guitar mandolin computer books clothes zafu
food for a week or more MREs agua
all my old friends: Redondo Valle Caldera el Rio Grande
la Sierra de Nacamiento Cerro Griego Cerro del Pino
San Diego Canyon San Pedro Wilderness
Borrego Mesa Paliza Canyon
Sandia + Mt Taylor across the flatlands
the pondos + PJ + goddamn rock squirrels
waiting to burrow up in my air filter
nothing but time
brew first cup of tea
sit down + look out
mid-july
warm front finally moving off east
dry air still mixing w/wet from the Gulf
towering cumulus every afternoon over the Caldera
tracking southwest out to
Cochiti Reservoir
or over San Pedro + Sierra de Nacamiento
tracking southwest over the West Mesas
light to heavy rain and hail w/lightning
giving weather updates to firefighters in the field
tho few fires w/all the humidity + moisture
one small strike up near Pajarito
Piñon Fire which goes out before they find it
other fires on other districts but nada on Jemez
clouds blowing off leaving
still air hot and humid
reforming later for blessed shade and down drafts
reading James Baldwin + Seamus Heaney
playing Bach + Johnny Cash on guitar
writing at night after the radio gets turned off
planning plans for
fall and winter
maybe a quick walk down the dirt road
checking my blind spots
