North Franklin Mountains

Here are some photos from a hike that we took in the North Franklin Mountains.

I am so grateful for the mountains built of rock laid down over measureless ages that go all the way back to the Precambrian age (1.25 billion years ago), the hardy shrubs and flowers and ocotillo, the little cloud that hovered overhead providing shade like Jonah's gourd plant, and for Libby.

Amado Nervo

(August 27, 1870 – May 24, 1919)

Mi alma exiliada aún idealiza

los pequeños muros blancos,

pan fresco, empapada en caliza,

tus ojos, murmullos de Tlaloc;

la lluvia eso simboliza

la paz, querido Nervo, la paz--

que la hora espiritualiza.

Saturday Afternoon

I was intending to post about a story of mine that came out in a journal late last month, an excerpt from a novel I have been working on for over a decade.  I wanted to write something about finally seeing a small part of this colossal, extended project in print.  Unfortunately, I never received a contributor’s copy, or an answer to my email enquiries. (I did see the cover online, with my name among the contributors, so I’m assuming that it did get issued.)  I even sent a check for additional copies, but the check hasn’t been cashed.  I’ll still write something if I ever actually see a copy of the (print-only) journal.  I do understand that the staff are graduate students and may be graduating about this time.  So they are certainly entitled to have other things on their minds! 

     Oh well.  Instead, I am posting a couple of pictures of the Hueco Mountains, where Libby and the dogs and I went hiking today.