Fumio Sawa Fine Art

Originally from Kyoto, Japan, we met Mr. Sawa at his gallery in Trindad, Colorado. A retired physicist, an artist and musician, he is a also connoisseur of antique glass with an exquisite collection in the gallery. He also practices kendo.

 

After hearing the incredible story of just a portion of his life including an upcoming exhibit of his paintings at the  Sangre de Cristo Art Center in Pueblo, Colorado (due to covid, exhibit was cancelled), we were treated to two performances on his electronic piano. 

Fourth Down under: Other Exhibitions

Meditations on Truth & Beauty

(cancelled)

Bach - Goldberg Variation

Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata

He has a Yamaha concert grand at home and noted that its keyboard is much different.

In The Style of The Hupmobile

We mapped out a circuitous route that would avoid the 8,000 foot (2438.4m) Raton Pass, an altitude that has, of late, caused breathing discomfort. It was five times the straight-line distance of Interstate 25, but we travel in the style of the Hupmobile

stopping to admire olde buildings, 

land stretchin' out far and wide,

German-engineering and savor the odour of mint that trails in the wake of one's roadside footsteps. 

German-engineered (no doubt)

Somehow we missed a turn out by Des Moines. 

It didn't dawn on us until we found ourselves in Raton.   

With darkness descending and myriad deer lining the twisting, winding two-lane highway that would've taken four hours to get us around the pass, Michelle did a virtual transgender transmutation into Stirling Moss and with me serving as "navigator" -- similar to the team-driving of the Mille Miglia -- we headed over The Pass.

It was touch and go through the numerous chicanes of construction detours. Closely tailed by two eager beavers, Ms. Cook was magnificent and we arrived in Trinidad without incident. 

Water Dragon

Born December 24, 1952 made me an (eccentric) Water Dragon.

From the looks of this box from Wonderful House in Trinidad, Colorado (wonderful people but perfectly adequate, mediocre food), they are trending more and more toward the eccentric. (I was drawn in by the Google reviews.)

The choices are limited in Trinidad, so I'm prompted to speculate that many of the reviews are folks' efforts to be supportive. The food is okay, but really nothing more than average.

 

Art Cartopia

They HAD to come up with a way to put Trinidad on the map. Pat Patrick and Rodney Wood got the idea. Though there's a larger "collection" in Houston, Texas, Art Cartopia is the nation's largest art-car museum (link to images).

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

And many more!!!

Gladstone, New Mexico

 

Somewhere, mid-afternoon, on the way to Trinidad, Colorado.

Monday Morning In Springer - Just past Noon

She, Frances, the owner, shrugged her shoulders and said, "Noon." when I asked about check-out time. It's now 11:52 a.m. and I just emerged from my baahth and finished arranging my pills for the day. I could feel Michelle's urgency when she asked if I was through -- a rare sensation coming from her -- but I had no idea it was so late.

The night seemed fairly average to me...I'm comfortable wherever I am, but Michelle had it rough. It wasn't HER BED and she misses Trixie, the cat.

We roused ourselves around 9:00 with the motivation of Dairy Delite, a local restaurant that's part Dairy Queen and part Frontier Restaurant. 

(The Frontier, on Central Avenue across from the University (in Albuquerque), is world-renowned for its food and art. The walls are covered, salon-style, with original paintings by famous artists from the last 40 years or so and their cheese enchiladas, roasted green chili, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, set the standard for the Universe.)

We ordered Belgian waffles and breakfast burritos. The waffles weren't bad but the burritos were outstanding! Every ingredient, eggs, potatoes, (ham, bacon, or sausage) tortilla, tasted fresh, distinct, and delicious! $4.25...and with "heft" besides; a meal in themselves.

A large mirror in the dining alcove (of the AirBnb) let me know I really need to go about as a pumpkin...or Humpty-dumpty. I'll try and attach the video of Anand complaining about HER inability to exercise. I chalk it up to figuring I'll drop at any moment and it really doesn't matter, but it's still a shock.

62 miles to Trinidad, Colorado: our destination for the day. (Update 10/1/20 -- We arrived Trinidad  promptly at 7:02 pm, five and half hours later. 62 miles/5.5 hours = 11.2 mph)

Springer

We embarked, Ms. Cook & I, on a northbound safari. Ms. Cook requires indoor plumbing so our travels necessitate finding "accomodations." First stop, the Oasis Motel in Springer, New Mexico. Both the Broken Arrow Motel and the Oasis are owned by the same couple, Tony & Frances. There are four children who help. 

We chose to come to Springer in order to go around Raton Pass. My limit these days seems to be just shy of 7,000 feet (of altitude) (2.133.6 m) and Raton Pass is 7,841' (2.390m). So we're going around; and Springer is the layover spot.

Though the Oasis is supposedly the "poor relation" of the Broken Arrow Motel, Frances said the rooms are bigger. In fact they're quite spacious with a small alcove for dining (they used to have kitchenettes, she said) firm mattresses a spotlessly clean bathroom and although we've not "experienced" the ambiance of the Broken Arrow, we are quite pleased.

Moon Over The Oasis

Senator Martin Heinrich

I came of age with the war in Vietnam. I saw the results of the lies they perpetrated -- in the bodies of my friends who died...and I heard the screams of the nightmares from the ones who lived. 

I vote at the local level for judges who work to end drunk driving; for commissioners who take their responsibilities as seriously as their forthcoming pensions. 

I vote for the bond issues that fund the library and other civic needs; for street maintenance and city beautification, but I've NEVER voted for a President. Maybe someday there'll be one worthy, but in the nearly 50 years I've been eligible, the only thing I've seen is how each has outdone their predecessor in proving the Presidency is nothing but a scapegoat. 

I voted for Senator Heinrich. And I'm continually amazed at how he balances the myriad interests of New Mexico. Included in the mix are: several of the nation's deadliest engineering sites including Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, innumerable tribes of Native Americans; the Hispanics; Asians (Albuquerque was one of 7 cities in the nation selected to provide asylum for Vietnamese refugees), our miniscule and (as far as I know) totally segregated black neighborhood, the Kirtland Addition (where my 1st wife and I bought our house when we moved to Albuquerque in 1976) and the increasing number of East Indians, Middle-Easterners, and, of course, all those from the bunches above and beyond whose sexual proclivities, persuasion, orientation and/or identity only coheres under an acronym that grows ever longer as we look to provide labels that lend dignity to diversity....something you'd think would just come naturally and obviate the need for labels.

But this just in from Senator Heinrich:

Dear Friend,

Today, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman in American history to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. I am filled with gratitude for Justice Ginsburg's extraordinary life that inspired America. For over a quarter of a century, she served on our nation's highest court with conviction and intellect, inspiring generations of women and young girls to stand firm in their fight for equality.

Justice Ginsburg was a champion for women - and all Americans - and an icon whose legacy will endure. Whomever fills her seat on the Supreme Court will have an enormous impact on all of our lives. A majority-conservative Supreme Court risks everything New Mexico values. It places at immediate risk access to affordable health care, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, workers' rights, voting rights, civil rights, addressing climate change, and so much else.

Never in the history of the United States has a Supreme Court vacancy been filled this close to a presidential election. Never. That shouldn't change now. We are barely over a month from the election. Voters in many states have already begun casting their ballots. It is absolutely critical that we honor the final wishes of Justice Ginsburg and fill her seat only after the next president is inaugurated.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the precedent for this very situation when he blocked Judge Merrick Garland's nomination for 293 days during the 2016 election. Majority Leader McConnell and all Senate Republicans should be held accountable to their own standard. Anything less is hypocrisy at its worst and a grave injustice to the American people. 

Senate Republicans' reckless rush to confirm President Trump's nominee to fill Justice Ginsburg's seat also demonstrates just how out of touch their priorities are. Millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet and protect their health in the midst of the pandemic. After refusing for months to earnestly negotiate urgent relief measures, Senate Republicans are now ready to move heaven and earth to ram through their Supreme Court pick. It's disgraceful and a true disservice to the people we represent.

I understand if you are feeling despair and powerlessness in the face of all of this injustice. However, I want to remind you that your voice is still one of the most powerful forces in our country. I encourage you to keep letting me know your thoughts on this and other issues. And never stop raising your voice and fighting for our democratic values and principles.

I'm right there with you.

Sincerely,

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

I admit to being a bit puzzled. But perhaps it's just further evidence of my Commie-Pinko leanings, but I've never thought of the "rights" mentioned above as "Democratic" values or principles; they seem like human values and principles. 

Look Alikes

 I noticed this cap with wig combo in the thrift store today. 

I look just like Kurt Cobain, don' chew tink?

Apocalyptica - Nothing Else Matters

 

Sent by Rie

                                     

                                                                                                         Thank you, Sweetheart. 💖

Because life goes on, the music told her, even when you think it can't. Yes, there is fear. There is real cruelty. Not knowing what the fuck. Those things are there. But listen because there is this too -- this beauty. The human adventure is worth it, after all. (From: The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce)

Strauss Waltz

 

This is number one of four. They're sequentially  designated on Youtube.

Another Version....of the Blue Danube waltz, that is.

Covid-19 - Deaths & Other Stuff

 Johns Hopkins Coronavirus

Resource Center - Map of cases and deaths

Cute Li'l Dickens Ain't It?

Just for the record....from USA Today. (Link is same as one below)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-updates-almost-200-000-125719114.html

Excerpt below from article (above link) by: 

Michael James and Rachel Aretakis, USA TODAY, USA TODAY•September 19, 2020

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 6.7 million cases and 199,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been more than 30.6 million cases and 954,000 fatalities. New case records were set in Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Puerto Rico, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Friday.

USA Today's Editorial Board

Bill Sternberg - Editorial Page Editor

                             https://www.asafehaven.org/speech-bill-sternberg/

                            https://www.usatoday.com/staff/2648215001/bill-sternberg/

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be

 

Videos

Way Out West (1937) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy - Beginning to 0:12 and 0:57 to 1:11 (2nd one is GREAT!)

On the Town (1949) Vera-Ellen, Gene Kelly --- 0:13 - 0:28

Rum Runners (1971) Brigitte Bardot La La Land (2016) Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone My Sassy Girl (2008) Elisha Cuthbert Silk Stockings (1957) Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse

SNL Emma Stone French Dancing

The Babysitter (2017) Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving Tickle Me (1965) Elvis Presley

Ojito

 It's an easy run from Albuquerque, just over 50 miles.

I'm not sure how big the wilderness is, but the "area" is extensive. It's bounded on a couple of sides by Pueblo Lands, but there are many roads leading to remote places.

The topography is varied. There are striking outcrops, ridges that run for a mile or so, and some badlands with hoodoos. The main road is better than the one above, but even the good ones aren't really suitable for the low-slung.

This part, below, is only a few miles from highway 550. Across the valley is a cliff that provides a backstop for the shootists. Fortunately, this sideroad is designated NO SHOOTING, but the sound of the enthusiasts across the way impinges on the experience.

The campspot is hidden from the "main" road unless you walk up the driveway a bit. Not many come here though. Over the years I've seen an occasional hiker and one or two other vehicles, but usually I can count on having it to myself.

Directions and coordinates available -- with the promise of non-disclosure.

Compromised Ferality

It was in the cards aisle. "Excuse me!" she said. I leaped up and apologized. "I could see you were concentrating." she added. Her sly smile gave her away and I swear the tip of her tail quivered the way Sophie, my cat's, used to b4 she was about to pounce.

When I thought about it, which wasn't all that often, I credited the feral posture with helping keep me limber. 

Occasionally, when accompanying Ms. Cook on her cat-sit rounds I noticed the "steps" some folks have that enable them to squat over the receptacle.

But with the post-infarction lassitude, Mr. Stomach has expanded to even greater proportions and he now, when I assume the position, exerts uncomfortable pressure on my heart. I'm consoling myself by appreciating how the increased distance (slightly) lessens der schtink.

Youse tink I should included a TMI warnin' at duh begginin'?

Escape From ABQ

It's the same every time. I plan to be in Albuq three days, a week at the most and it turns into more than a month. 

I DID get to meet with a cardiologist and am scheduled for a phone appointment with another next month. I got my meds resupplied and, most wonderful of all, got to spend quality time with Ms. Cook.

And today we, that's the royale we, Phoebe & I, escaped -- to the Ojito Wilderness. Cosmic as it gets, having traveled highway 550 from Farmington to Albuquerque NUMEROUS times, this time I saw a small road that leads into the Ojito. And it needs 4WD so there's not a lot of traffic.

Free Again

Michelle and I have a trip to Colorado planned for the 1st week of October so I only have a couple of weeks...not enough time to wander far. And that window in Utah will be opening soon; the Fall one, that is. This year it's The Swell. Or Goblin Valley. Or maybe Grand Staircase-Escalante. 

The nice thing about this stage is knowing it can change in a split second; planning is just indulging the whimsy.

Thoughts From Air

It's true, the pain of a heart attack is worse than you can imagine. 

This past Spring, on March 8, I used mine to vent some pent-up rage at the petty judgmentalisms that form the basis of major disputes around the globe. 

Recognizing the rage as judgement-based did little to affect my opinions, but the adrenaline infusion (interestingly) altered my biochemistry such that I now have a tad more empathy for others and a heightened proclivity toward humor. 

On the other end of the spectrum, though the event catapulted my life-long fascination with death -- the trebuchet having been a metaphorical device all along -- the patience required between "shots" continues to be a source of frustration. 

I keep returning to my first blogpost and chanting, "process, process, process"  augmented with, of course, a microdose. 

Jozien, in an email, mentioned the book Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing by Jeffrey Rediger, M.D. which led to When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

On pp 131-132, about the middle of the book, Paul writes: "Before my cancer was diagnosed, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn't know when. After the diagnosis, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn't know when.But now I knew it acutely.The problem wasn't really a scientific one. The fact of death is unsettling.Yet there is no other way to live." (You might notice the similarity to that  aphorism, "Before enlightenment chop wood carry water; after enlightenment chop wood carry water.") 

Then, on pp. 160-161, he adds some spin: "The tricky part of illness is that, as you go through it, your values are constantly changing. You try to figure out what matters to you, and then you keep figuring it out. It felt like someone had taken away my credit card and I was having to learn how to budget. You may decide you want to spend your time working as a neurosurgeon, but two months later, you may feel differently. Two months after that, you may want to learn to play the saxophone or devote yourself to the church. Death may be a one-time event, but living with terminal illness is a process."  

P.166 - "...the physician's duty is not to stave off death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence." 

I like that he includes several quotes from Waiting For Godot...one being, "I can't go on. I go on."

Rie's First Public Work

Relax.


                    Take a moment.


                                                      It's a metaphor for life.

Reek All Day

 

Yuh gotta dig deep when yer in Albuquerque.

Such Fine Script

Public Lands Grazing: Death & Destruction (podcast)

This podcast comes from Wilderness Podcast, 

a series devoted to wild places; it's hosted by Adam Bronstein, Idaho Director of Western Watersheds Project (WWP).

WWP has been fighting to remove livestock from public lands for nearly three decades. The podcast is an interview with Jon Marvel, the founder of WWP who retired in 2014.

https://wildernesspodcast.buzzsprout.com/515935/5195527-public-lands-grazing-death-destruction-jon-marvel-western-watersheds-project-ep-038

Corn Moon - 2020

I woke at 2:00 and noticed the light through the skylight. I figured the moon was bright and went outside to take a look. 

It's one of the things I miss when I'm in town: those incredible orange balls that rise up from below the horizon; then hover overhead for hours. Sometimes I wonder why it doesn't seem to move for hours and other times (in the winter) it seems to drop quite suddenly.

I miss the simple pleasure of just waking in the night and seeing it go over and change....and telling it hello, and Good Night.

I hadn't heard of the Corn Moon. Then she-of-the-Capri told of it. Here's an article by Sophie Lewis I lifted from the web.

(Link to Ms. Lewis' article)

A full "Corn Moon" rises tonight — and it only happens once every three years

The final full moon of the summer rises bright in the night sky on Tuesday. Known as the "Corn Moon," it only happens once every three years. 

September's full moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes living in the northeastern U.S., according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. They named it for the time of year when they harvested staple crops like corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice.

According to NASA, this full moon is also known at the Fruit Moon and Barley Moon in Europe, the Hungry Ghost Moon in China, the Binara Pura Pasalosvaka Poya Day in Sri Lanka and the Honey Full Moon for Buddhists in Bangladesh and Thailand. For Hindus in India, it marks the end of the 10-day celebration of Onam and the start of Pitri Paksha, which honors their ancestors through food offerings. 

NASA also refers to this full moon as the GRAIL Moon, the LADEE moon and the OSIRIS-REx Moon to mark three missions that launched on the day of the full moon, in 2011, 2013 and 2016, respectively. 

Typically, September's full moon is called the Harvest moon, because it is the closest to the fall equinox on September 22. But every third year, a full moon comes in October that is closer to the equinox, allowing September's full moon to use its traditional name, the Corn Moon. 

This year, the Harvest moon won't arrive until October 1. That means October gets two full moons — the other is a Blue Moon, occurring on Halloween, October 31. 

The full moon will rise just after sunset on Tuesday, September 1, reaching peak illumination at 1:22 A.M. EST early Wednesday morning, NASA said. The moon will appear full for about three days around this time, and skywatchers may also be able to see Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury in the night sky around this time. 

"As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon," NASA said. 

"And you might want to gather your fruits, vegetables, and other staples; avoid war; remember your ancestors; ask for forgiveness; and let go of grudges," the space agency added, referencing the customs of various religions and cultures during the month of September. "Here's wishing you have a good year!" 

First published on September 1, 2020 / 3:18 PM

© 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sophie Lewis

Sophie Lewis is a social media producer and trending writer for CBS News, focusing on space and climate change. 

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