Book II – Further! Adventures on the Mojave Trail
An adventure in the Arizona Desert.
-
Ortíz Quebrada
The steam power plant is a roar of lights, whistles and screeching valves. The glitter of a thousand incandescent bulbs shed a purple-yellow glow from the base of the unit, to the very top, like a giant monochrome Christmas tree. The sound of a hundred steam and air driven systems assaults the senses. Whissh rrrummmhhhummm… Continue reading
-
Boundary Cone – Spirit Mountain
illustration © bmart333 The Quebrada family fought against the gringos during the Spanish-American war. They lost all their land in the aftermath. Despite the resentment los Quebrada held against the gringos, Ortíz remained optimistic. He left Mexico to pursue the North American dream. Little did he realize his job at the steam plant would be the… Continue reading
-
’49 Willys
The ’49 Willys trailed a billow of dust as it raced along the dirt road toward the cone that rose from the alluvial plain, like the horn of a rhinoceros. Continue reading
-
A Cosmic Flag
Ortíz subconsciously tools the truck along the wash, as it crawls over rocks and boulders, struggling to keep it from steering into the sand. “¿Que sera esto? What is this?” His thoughts ricochet off every test of logic he can put to the phenomena. The mountain has ripped a deep gash into the blue sky.… Continue reading
-
The Sage
It is a hot day in August. The thermometer measures one-hundred and twenty-two degrees. A day this hot is not unusual for the area. But the temperature is not the important thing. It is the events that occurred in this atmosphere of heat and dust that I am interested in. For it is an atmosphere… Continue reading
-
Ascent
Ortíz climbs along a narrow trail. The path rounds jagged rocks and cactus. Beneath the canopy of an ancient Palo Verde, the sun’s rays crisscross in a mesh of bright coolness. He allows himself a brief rest under its shade. As he waits, a calmness fills him. He breathes deep the sage-scented air. A coyote… Continue reading
CATEGORIES
TAG CLOUD
aging American Southwest arizona Arizona Desert Art autumn bob dylan Books Boundary Cone Mountain cello chinese-american climate change colorado river CONTEMPORARY cross-country desert Farmington first love Fort Mojave Four Corners guided imagery high school sweetheart hitchhiker hopping freight insight inspiration knowledge without thought Makalana'i meditation new mexico Ortíz photography poetry railroad rail yard religion riding the rails second sight small town justice southwest Spirit Mountain subconscious perception Texas travel Zen
Pablo Cúzco 