Bird count: 6 red-tailed hawks, 1 northern mockingbird (I think!), 3 robins, numerous crows, several unidentified birds. One raptor that may have been a golden eagle, but not sure.
What an excellent day! The weather was beautiful, but quite windy in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
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On the trip today, I listened to part of an audio interview with Great-Granddaddy recorded by Bill Owens in the 1950's -- after the publication of Adventures. My understanding is that they were originally recorded on reel-to-reel. It is so amazing to hear his voice. He had a great old-southern-gentleman accent -- not a Texas twang. What a treasure for our family. I have more to listen to over the next couple of days.
In his stories and recollections, one thing that struck me was how many people helped him and how many people he helped throughout the years to get jobs, make introductions and provide support and encouragement. He realized he owed a debt to these men who helped and advocated for him. He was a man who did great things, but many, if not all, may not have happened without the help of others. I began to think how different his life would have been had he not had the privilege of being a white man in the time he lived. He could have had the same intellect, same curiosity, same drive, but most likely a very different outcome if he'd been a woman or person of color.
He also was not afraid to make "cold calls" to folks. In one story, he was driving a pack of mules for his brother-in-law from Texas to Oklahoma. From a friend, he had heard of a lawyer named Leonard Doughty in the small Texas town of Goldthwaite who was a poet, as well. Great-Granddaddy had read some of Doughty's verses and was impressed, so, he parked his mule pack and went to Doughty's office to introduce himself. He surprised and impressed Doughty with his own literary knowledge -- a bit unexpected since Great-Granddaddy was in "cowboy" clothes, as he described it. They stayed up drinking whiskey all night and became good friends for many years -- much to his mother's dismay. ;)
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Photos from the road...
Glad you are having fun your first day. Great Post: Volcano views very nice. Only 4 starts because we miss you already.