Reading Time: < 1 minute I continue to return to my daily routine. Today I am thinking about and paying homage to Mathieu-André Reichert, whom you’ve probably never heard of unless you play the flute. His story was interesting and, as such stories go, also tragic (at the end, at least). Born in 1830 in Belgium, he was a flute […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Today represented a positive step in returning to my “normal” life. Catherine deCuir, the talented singer with whom I regularly perform, came over (as she typically does on Tuesdays) to discuss upcoming gigs and rehearse a few songs. We also talked about the progress of the novel we worked on for two years. The Rabbi […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes How fast do you lose upper body strength that took 15 years to attain? How many weeks can you go without practicing your instrument(s) before you sound embarrassingly bad? How long does it take to get over a major disappointment, regardless of the many friends who are telling you that you’ve done an amazing thing? […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes I can’t decide whether taking the Greyhound bus back to Mesa was such a brilliant idea. What it’s turning out to be is a painful reminder of the hundreds of miles I walked through Arizona, the motels I stayed in, and the many places where I stopped to eat, camp, and rest. It might also […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute At about 6 pm the downpour started, preceded by thunder and lightning. Clayton asked, “Aren’t you glad you’re not out in your tent?” I laughed, but inside me I wished I was in the tent, 100 miles further down the road. Thinking about all this, I have mixed feelings. I know I could not have continued […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute Three bikers stayed at the Simpson Hotel last night and I ate breakfast with them this morning. They work for the Border Patrol at Las Cruces. George let me sit on his Indian for a quick photo op. Later, Rudy took me for a short ride on his Harley. No helmet—how stupid is that? Several […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute I continue to rest and recover at the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona. My hosts, Deborah and Clayton, are delightful; I am so fortunate to have been taken under their care. There are other guests to chat with at breakfast, but mostly I rest in my room or sit in the shade of the garden […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute I’m resting—let’s call it recuperating—from the past 40 days. The journey was not completely over this morning. I still needed to walk eight miles to Duncan. And frankly, those eight miles weren’t easy. I was running on fumes. I called the Simpson Hotel/Bed & Breakfast in Duncan at 7:30 am and Deborah, the owner, answered. […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes During the last week or so I’ve been facing a tough decision, and it makes me sad to write about it. I see forecasts of continued days in the 90°s and above, with only more to come. We are, of course, entering the summer. Sure, I could have headed north from Flagstaff. Like others who […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ants! Always when you least expect them. (Certainly you never want them.) After walking 15 miles in unbearable heat, I’d found a suitable site for my tent, set it up, and collapsed inside. While waiting for the sun to set I FaceTimed with Sharon. Looking over at my yellow squeeze bottle of mustard, I noticed it […]