COLD

By Clark Frauenglass

White Sands

October 22, 2015

Harriet and I decided to spend the night in hammocks rather than deal with unpacking and repacking our tents for just one night. Everything was great until about 2 in the morning, when I woke up to the realization that I was earth-shatteringly cold. I could feel the heat leaching out of my body through the bottom of the hammock. The skin on my back felt frozen. Trapped in my sleeping bag, afraid that any sudden movements might spill the hammock, I quietly sang all the sun related songs I could thing of, praying for morning to hurry the hell up already! 3 hours later, unable to stand the cold a minute longer, I threw caution to the wind, fell out of my hammock, and made a made dash for the van, wearing my sleeping bag like a cape. There I spent the remaining hour of darkness wondering why I hadn’t moved sooner.  Harriet stuck it out.

Obsession

By Clark Frauenglass

Big Bend

October 17, 2015

The area we are camped is surrounded by mesas. Each one has it’s own distinct geological characteristics. I’ve become obsessed with collecting rocks, I cannot stop picking them up! My hands and knees are covered in cuts and bruises from scrambling all over the cliff sides after selenite crystals and weird volcanic composites. I went down particularly hard right on top of a cactus and have been pulling spines out of my belly all evening.

Dancing on the dunes

By Eleanora Jaroszynska

White Sands

October 22, 2015

Clear Waters

By Sarah Molina

Turkey Creek/ Gila

October 16-20, 2015

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Slept in the cargo van last night. The temperature right now is pretty nice. 

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It’s so windy. It’s also really hot. Mexico is really beautiful. Everything in Texas is pokey.

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I hate Texas. Not only does it want to kill you, but it blows sand in your face constantly. Closed Canyon is really nice though.

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Untitled

By Eleanora Jaroszynska

Turkey Creek/ Gila

October 14, 2015

“Basket weaving is like music. There is the structure but with the freedom to develop patterns and unique design…”

                       

-Orien

Lost Again

By Clark Frauenglass

Turkey Creek/ Gila

October 13, 2015

I got lost again. I decided to take a night time dip in the hot spring along the edge of the river, but somehow failed to find the path in the dark. Instead of being sensible and back tracking until I found the entrance, I decide to just whack my way straight through the bushes to the edge of the river and hike down stream. Unfortunately, while bushwhacking, I got turned around and ended up heading up stream instead. I hiked through the freezing cold water for about half a mile before realizing my mistake. The spring is a short five-minute walk from my tent. It took me an hour and a half to find it.

It’s amazing how alone you can feel out here, even when there’s someone sleeping in a tent 10 yards away. Sitting alone in the hot spring at night, staring at the stars, surrounded by the rustle of unidentifiable creatures just beyond your field of vision, it’s not hard to imagine you’re the only person around for miles and miles. Totally worth the hike.

Anti-Fracking Link

By Erin Fussell
Four Corners
September 24, 2015


http://doodafracking.org/

Ode to Enchanted Light by Pablo Neruda

By Erin Fussell
Turkey Creek/ Gila
October 15, 2015

Ode To Enchanted Light

Under the trees
light
has dropped from the top of the sky,
light
like a green
latticework of branches,
shining
on every leaf, drifting down like clean
white sand.

A cicada sends
its sawing song
high into the empty air.

The world is
a glass overflowing
with water.

Pablo Neruda

The Final Shebang

By Harriet Fawcett

White Sands

October 22, 2015

I’ve seen about every type of weather condition now while travelling with Land Arts. As we arrived at White Sands National Monument we were welcomed by a pretty violent hailstorm. Now the weather is changing I feel a lot more at home in my winter coat rather than a constant layer of sun cream over my sunburn.  Once the storm had passed we were gifted with a perfect final day of weather.

Our chosen mode of transport at white sands

 















Great picturesque snaps to show the family back home.

 Braving it in the hammock to save my tent from the notorious gypsum sand

Disguised under a layer of sunburn I believe a tan is starting to appear. I’ve  finally adjusted to the heat just as we enter the colder fall months, brilliant!