Forty Hours in Three Days

And then I went back to Grand Canyon on Friday. Thank God I had a good group.

SISTER MARGARET: Sister Margaret is a Christian Speaker at Women's Clubs and Aglow Lighthouses. She's a Pulpit Minister and Missionary.

She's looking forward to President Sarah Palin's inauguration and she has grave concerns about the winner of the last election. But she's not fighting the last election, she's looking forward to giving people like me a "taste" in the 2010 election.

We couldn't be more opposite - AND - I love her!

She's intelligent, charming, educated - and as strongly opinionated as I am. I've never had someone "correct" me when I explained the geology of the formation of Grand Canyon. Northern Arizona, to Sister Margaret, is evidence for the "recent 'Creation'" theory and the WorldWide flood. But she did it in a polite, loving, educationally sound manner. It was really fun to hear why my explanation of how Grand Canyon was formed is all wrong.

Sister Margaret was horrified by my description of the development of the American West as the "Mother of All Stimulus Packages", and the genocide of the Native Americans in the West as the "Apocalypse";but, she bravely shared her opinion in a loving and polite way - which helped me see where I can change my "Stimulus and Apocalypse" lecture. I'm going to e-mail Sister Margaret. I hope she becomes my friend.

Wild horses on the Res.

Bull Elk.

Jane, from Sweden. Jane is the student every teacher wishes he had in class! She brought a notebook and sat in the front seat. She offered me European cough drops when my voice was tired. She offered me candies and fruit. She made sure my water bottle was full. And she asked EVERY question she could think of ---- including, if I used and English word that she didn't understand ( "This is 'pristine' desert", I said. "What kind of desert is that", she asked.)Everyone on the bus was amused and educated by her questions. She was innocent.

"It is such a shame," she lamented, " that Americans do not have drinking water in their homes, as rich as Americans are". What? Since she's been here for five days, she has only observed Americans drinking bottled water - so, evidently, one cannot drink American tap water.

Isn't that sweet? Everyone enjoyed Jane's company. I wish I had someone like her on every trip.

When I showed her the Indian gaming Casino: "Poor things", she again lamented, "Did they have this forced on them?"

"Yes, Jane, yes they were forced to accept millions and millions of dollars. I'm waiting to be the first in line when the Irish are forced to accept cash".

Buck mule deer with his doe deer in the park.

We saw a lot of wildlife this trip.

Jane asked, "How do you stop the Germans from shooting them?"

Her cultural innocence was downright amusing. What the hell was she talking about?

In her experience in Sweden, Germans cross the border and poach any animal anytime, so she assumed Germans did that here too. Picture a bunch of German poachers invading Grand Canyon National Park. Wouldn't that be provocation for war under the Bush Administration? (I wrote that to irritate Margaret).

Jim and Nancy ( No Picture). This trip was Nancy's gift to Jim for his 55th birthday. Jim is a geneticist and Professor at University of Pennsylvania. He was fascinated by the stories of the many civilizations that have lived in AZ. When Jim met the Navajos, he thought he recognized a resemblance to the Mayans. Perhaps. Perhaps.

I was exhausted by the time I got home. Ruined for days. But it was a good day.

Zuni Drum Circle: Everyone must hit the drum at the exact same rate --- making them "One".