“I’ve been gone for so long… don’t it feel good to get back home…

 …To the friends and the people that you'd love to see

There's a twinkle that's in her eye both smiling as you go by
They know what you what you really wanna feel…”  * (Rusty Wier)

heavy lunch (mensaf) before travel

My Magic 8 Ball’s pre-trip prediction of not making it back appears to have been another random miss by the non-oracle of Delphi @ Eldorado. The journey home was not without its fun- like the exercise of explaining a yoga block (in checked-luggage) to airport security Amman, and 18-hours later our flight (last-of-the-day) from Chicago to Albuquerque being canceled with no explanation or announcement/posting at the gate. I've got an idea that next trip's 12+ hour flight will find me using my seat for a" supported Sarvangasana" - of course the person sitting in the next row might not appreciate my feet in their face, but I'll feel better.

Akmed (Capt. Jack) & ship-of-the-desert

Being back in the land of benevolent bureaucrats (OK, I see some are still clueless or on-the-nasty-side) I can ease into the list of home-health-care: fix the main irrigation drip line, trim the chamisas so Lucy can play basketball, sand & finish the front/back doors (better yet, buy new ones), sign-up for summer session tennis & yoga at Santa Fe Community College (after all, Margaret Monsour is the best yoga instructor west of Jaisalmer… you’ve now read it on the Internet so it must be true), some site steward activities, family visits, annual fire refresher, watch the Dodgers lose more than they win, and dis-n-dat.

inside Bedouin camp tent - Wadi Rum

Upon walking into home I found a recent telephone message asking if I could address the Santa Fe National Forest and SiteWatch site stewards in October re: my recent assignment. We penciled-in January ’12, because the team of Bill, Bruce & Phil are slated for a sequel in Petra in October (inshallah), Petra II: Return of The Infidels.

Our Petra-gig was only 8-weeks, but I was recently asked if the time was “life changing.” I originally balked at such a declaration, however upon reflection I suppose it was in many incremental aspects: so many new friends and points-of-view/rays-of-light.

arches at Royal Tombs

“Don't it make you wanna dance, don't it make you wanna smile
When you're down, down, down in the country PICK AND sing a while…”*