Picaresque

Picaresque is the adjective to describe writings about a common or low character who survives the pitfalls of life through luck or good fortune. My travels, interests, my animals, my photographs, my wonderful friends and family are featured.

About Me

Name:
Location: Arapahoe, Wyoming, United States

(Note: Blogs read from bottom to top; scroll down for beginnings, scroll up for most current.) After 30 years in public administration and four degrees, as well as numerous workshops with luminaries in Education and Public Policy, life in a slower lane became a goal. Most recently I have done policy writing and consulting for the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes. Mostly, I am just coasting slowly and gently downhill these days-seeking joy where I can find it before the glorious ride ends.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Dateline Los Lunas, New Mexico 2/22/2005

A Thunderstorm! here in the parking lot of the Los Lunas Wal-Mart. In truth I pulled in to make a phone call to see if the campground at Bosque de la Apache Wildlife Refuge would be open when I arrived. It is 17 miles in the boonies beyond Socorro, NM and no place to be wandering around in the dark if the porchlight is not on. The Wal-Mart Security guard corrected my pronunciation of Socorro -rolling more r's than I did/do, and said "Gosh that is another sixty miles. If you want to stay here I will show you where to park." So I did and I am glad. Stocked up on groceries- some ready to eat and some easy to fix. We are right next to a field so the doggies got a good walk - the Garden Center is to our left so we have posies to look at. I have been very lucky with the freebie parking spots. Last night at Albertson's in Lakewood, CO we were along a tree lined creek with a bike path. A sylvan setting to survey while sharing Delores' excellent coffee cake, New England Coffee I brought back from Maine, and grapes from Brazil when Donna came for breakfast this morning. Philosphy discussions flowed. Donna was sharing her class notes on how we have ideologies formed from birth on and to see beyond them is almost too frightening. Her Boulder campus students are flakes this semester and the Denver campus students are engaged. Good visit.

It took first gear to pull the long haul up the Raton Pass today with the dead weight of the Jeep but coming down the other side was pretty fast!!!! I am still discovering treasures from my friends and neighbors. Nice surprises and nice cards to warm me in those lonely moments.

Bought a lot of gasoline today and am thinking I will hole up at the Wildlife Refuge tomorrow and continue to settle in. I need to fill my water tanks with a little water- not too much because it is heavy stuff and a shower would be really nice. It is convenient to Soccorro and I have a better camera than I did at my last visit in 1997 for both town and the birds.

See you tomorrow!

posted by Stephen's Pictures | 7:56 PM