Time to write to the new man in Washington again

Will there end up being a candidate for a new face on the mountain?
Well they wouldn't put up a new one anyway, no matter what.

Oh so much material to work with and so little time! What should I write about next?

I know that many people are taking up the gauntlet about health care so I decided to let that one go for the moment although the idea is rich with things I could and should say. I'll get to it.

I was thinking about what he said about the forgotten men and women who will now be heard. Well that's good, but there is another really large group of people whose lives are very directly affected by federal policy who are almost totally voiceless. I'm talking about employees of the federal government.

The Blue Lady Travels in the Red Lands. She visits Two Small Cities in Arizona

Winslow Arizona .... I know the song, of course, but I had never been aware that standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona is something that people actually do. Someone mentioned it to me when I said I was going there. "Nothing much to do there except stand on the corner." What?

Well there is a corner with statues, and it's even "official." You can go there. And stand. On the corner. And have a picture taken. And stand there some more. Now isn't that thrilling? We, as a people, are easily pleased quite often.

I got into town at the end of a long day. I noticed that out on the highway were the Safeway, Walmart, etc. etc. The town was mostly south of the highway. I did not find the town to be very impressive. I didn't see anything that would make me think living there would be a good idea. Corner standing will only get you so far.

The Blue Lady Decides to Enter into Correspondence with Some Red People

Taking the long view. Drop by drop, gust by gust,
just water and wind make great changes. 

The big change is approaching. I listened last night to President Obama in Chicago and came away both inspired and hopeful. He does that to me.

I decided that I have to start doing some things as a citizen or I will just go crazy. I can't possible run for office or get involved in actual politics myself. That's just not me, and even trying would make my life very very unhappy. So what can I do?

I can start by writing. I'm a writer. I can write. Writing lasts. Writing is powerful. Writing makes a difference.

The Blue Lady Travels in the Red lands: She Visits Some Places in New Mexico

Meanwhile back on the road, I stopped to visit two different friends in their new cities, and I stayed overnight in four other places. Two places each in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

I don't have much to say about Albuquerque. Of course, the people are lovely and the university excellent. But I was pretty much working all the time there and did not get out and about a whole lot. But I did make a couple of observations.

The Blue Lady Travels in the Red Lands. She Visits Places Where Nature is Awesome

So, Bears Ears is a GO. Thank you President Obama. I'l be writing you a personal note about this soon.

Meanwhile it's time to finish up this whole series. I drove right by Bears Ears this fall on the way to Natural Bridges. Next time I'm headed that way I hope I can visit both.

Natural Bridges is not terribly far from Hovenweep. You can easily see both places in one day unless you do a lot of hiking. It was a very early monument, the first one in Utah established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.