It’s become a New Year’s tradition for me and mine
to go out to Lone Grove, a ghost-town near Llano
and my ancestral home. My aunt and uncle live there now,
and before them my grandparents and great-grandparents
lived there. My mother died there. I spent countless summers
swimming in the creek and wrecking on dirt-bikes there.
My family has lived on that land since 1888.
We are soaked into the dry soil and twisted trees,
our faces take on aspects of the landscape-
craggy granite outcroppings and billows of wildflowers.

We arrived not long before sunset, as usual-
with just enough time to get our bearings and set up camp.
The night went by so quickly- a cold and bright crescent
watching over us, with scintillating Venus swinging below.
The celestial bodies went to bed early, and left us
telling stories around the fire, twirling sparklers,
drinking honey mead and champagne
and singing appalachian love songs.

When day broke, we yawned and stretched and gazed
up at the blue sky through the tipi’s smoke vent
and stumbled out to greet the day.
Here I am sleepy and indistinct, but there are
glowing orbs and rainbow shimmers around me.

We stayed warm in the tipi with the woodstove
going- as long as someone woke up every
hour or so to stoke the fire and get more wood..

Cooking outside always feels like such an accomplishment-
especially when the meal turns out so wonderfully.
We made tortillas over the fire, guacamole, black-eyed peas
and cabbage (for luck!), sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs
with peppers, and a truly marvelous ham.
If my first meal of the new year is any indication,
then I reckon 2009 will be an incredible year!

This is my Aunt Ruthie. She is one of my very favorite people in the whole world.

I love her rock and cactus garden- they are like little sculptures
filled with magic and treasures. The crystallized brain on the left
is one of the many gorgeous rocks found in the creekbed.
We went hunting and found so many, we couldn’t carry them all.

Ruthie’s kitchen is a magical place.

These leaves fall in spirals and curlicues-
perfect for making elfin bouquets.

Francesca rock hunting in the creekbed.

You can find a lot of treasure there if you look.

Particularly if bugs, bones and rocks are your thing!

We relaxed all day, lazing around in the warm sun
and exploring my Grampy’s junkyard.
He was a mechanic, so there are lots of cool
old cars rusting to dust in the pasture.

I love this flying witch and rainbow on the Morris Minor.

Lichen is growing on Gertie, the 1959 Buick Electra
I inherited from my mother. One day we will get her up and running.

There are flocks of wild peacocks and mountain sheep
on the land. I managed to catch this shot of a peacock
in mid-flight which made me very happy indeed.
I see it as a good omen for the coming year!

There are more pictures here on my
flickr photostream if you’d like to explore more..