Monkeys & the Medicine Trail

In late May & early June I had the privilege of traveling to Belize and joining the faculty, staff and students at the archaeological field schools conducted at the La Milpa Research Station (aka Texas Arch. Center). I was invited to come and have a look-see by Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon (Cal Poly Humboldt). Lots of karma earned her way (photo).

Due to my health challenges dealing with pancreatic cancer and treatment issues the previous 32-months (see health update below*), and traveling alone internationally for the first time in many years, I decided to lay-over in Belize City (BC) for a couple of nights. I’d arranged for a snorkel tour on Saturday (27 May), but it got canceled one-hour before launch time: not enough of us registered to make a go of it. Fortunately, the annual Cancer Walk was happening right past the front of my hotel, and I was also able to hook-up with a tour for the day going to kayak some caves (also used by the Maya). My tour-mates were two young ladies visiting Belize during the very same timeframe: one was a U.S. Marine Lt. (whose Marine Recon husband was on deployment; she took this photo of me on-the-water), and the other a U.S. Embassy employee in El Salvador (majored in Criminal Justice, so I tried to softly recruit as National Park Ranger). We had a wonderful time paddling and late lunching. That evening was Senior Prom night in BC, so the area was jumping pre-midnight.

On Sunday I hitched a ride with Dr. Rissa Trachman (pictured) out to La Milpa. The University of Texas (UT) has been conducting field research in the area since the early 80’s, led by Dr. Fred Valdez since the early 90’s. This year students were again working with professors that have a specialty in pre-Hispanic Maya. In addition to UT, they hailed from Cal Poly Humboldt (Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon), Elon University (Dr. Rissa), Howard University (Dr. Eleanor King), and Western Colorado University or WCU (Dr. David Hyde). The primary focus was Maya common-folk (as noted on my attached Facebook post- pictured). I booked a cabana at the Eco Lodge next door to the Arch. Center: a 5-minute walk from my room to the Arch. Center.

A full hats-off sweeping of the sombrero to ALL of the faculty, staff and students that are part of the “Belize Archaeological Project” at La Milpa. I’m in awe of their efforts & works in some complex and trying environmental conditions. The heat and humidity are pretty much constant. Temporary relief comes from a daily shower, or the purchase of a cold drink (beer: $1.5 or soda/water: $1. Room/air temperature water is free. Beers available are: Landshark, Bilikin Original Recipe, or Bilikin Stout – I tried/liked all three). The temp my final day was 100F, with humidity that made the Feels Like 111F.

Mornings begin with the call to 1st Breakfast at 0600 (6AM) – there are so many in camp (ca. 90), that there is a 2nd b-fast at ca. 0645. The universities noted above have their own research projects in different areas, identified by their professors/directors. All under the umbrella of the UT/Dr. Fred permit has with Belize. Teams start for their field project areas ca. 0715. For the day, everyone carries 3-liters of water and electrolytes. There are only two taps of potable water in camp, operating under gravity feed (so you

use one at a time). Best to fill your water containers the night before (just like fire camp) as the line can be long in the morning.

Each field day (Sunday thru Friday) a cross-section of students can be found at Arch. Center working under the guidance of the lab staff: identifying, sorting, bagging, cleaning, etc. These important tasks and labor-intensive works continue all day.

Due to my limited strength and stamina I worked with the Mountaineers of WCU in the jungle of Belize, along the Medicine Trail. The walk each way was about 20-minutes, but after rains it was slippery and challenging for this 4th Quarter of my century guy. But, I did it (and my blood work numbers post-trip were the best I’ve had in years = credit is due to the Medicine Trail).

I’d like to give a shout-out to each and everyone that worked on the site. However, I don’t have all their names. I know their leader, Dr. David, kept things loose with professional observations peppered with dialogues about movies and the eclectic tunes that were serenading us. He peppered us with rock trivia and even remembered the Strawberry Alarm Clock as psychedelic rock (I forgot to ask him & the players this question: “Name the band that owned the SAC’s equipment? Their name was stenciled on the back.” Answer at end of this post). Dr. D., who also DJ’s on the university radio station, asked us to pick a “walk off” song – something to be played when walking off your climatic scene. I picked this one: "Life's been good to me..." (because it has): you'll probably need to copy & paste link to listen (that worked when I tried it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWvKDSwvls

I was worker #13 at the site- fortuitous for me, as the other “Dirty Dozen” took care of me and allowed me to participate. Jessica & David were two senior field leaders that had recently received their Master’s in anthropology from New Mexico State (they both attended WCU as undergrads and are going to SUNY-Binghamton for PhD work). Troy B. was a returning student helping lead field works also, along with another WCU grad that was a Biological Anthropologist that recently completed her Masters at Montana (Missoula). Linnea and Jo were rookies, but MVP’s all the way. From outside the WCU program, but key components at the site were Jim (a US Foreign Service retiree from the Olympic Peninsula – before that he was a National Park Ranger in the Bay Area), Leonardo (St. Mary’s College of California), and Orion Magpie (Humboldt). GS (?) is a counselor from Community College of Aurora and Balto was our local site Mr. Fix-it: “Have machete will travel” was his theme. I know I’m forgetting some, but they were contributors to the research record one-and-all. Upon arrival at the site we needed to carefully remove the tarps that covered the excavated units from the elements. Due to rain some nights, our day started with bucket brigades bailing water from pockets on the tarps. My first day in the field we were visited by five spider-monkeys: they stayed in the tree tops over us, but shook branches and limbs trying to break them down on us. One plastic clipboard was fractured thusly. As work progressed in the east units a rock pedestal re-appeared and in one of the west units a ceramic facemask covering/offering was recovered.

Early (3AM) one morning the Arch. Center camp & the Eco Lodge were awakened to the deep-throated call of a Howler monkey. It sounded just outside my room: I even checked in my loft to make sure it wasn’t up there. There calls can be heard over 3-miles. Listen to a Howler monkey roar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYar0dkZ6v8 One morning when I got up and getting ready for the day I noticed I’d apparently stepped on and killed a scorpion. My peripheral neuropathy is so acute I didn’t feel it, and I’m thinking the chemicals in me are what got it. I’m a regular walking Orkin.

My biggest regrets regarding the trip (they’re big): 1) I should’ve tried harder to get in-the-field with the Humboldt Krewe. They were why I went, but they had a much longer commute (drive & hike)- My heart remains with them & Salud Compadres! Wherever you go and whatever you do you’ll have these well earned memories. 2) I didn’t get to the La Milpa site (and it is in the guidebooks and a big part for why the Eco Lodge was developed). Another time! Additional photos are included in a PowerPoint, possibly viewable at (again you'll probaly need to copy & paste - lo siento): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wzpaujvg9a1xhhp6kmzup/2023-Belize.pptx?dl=0&rlkey=m5ysd4t843n054mt7z4wdjvkz

* HEALTH UPDATE: As many of you know I battled stage 3 pancreatic cancer starting on 01 Oct. 2020. Though the chemo, radiation and surgery worked on the cancer I was left with other issues. My shortened biliary duct was subject to closures and infections and brought about three hospital stays in 2022 (May-Aug.). These occurred after an umbilical hernia operation where the surgeon apparently hadn’t confronted the internal workings of a post-Whipple surgery before. They punted, in that they’d planned to place mesh over the repair, but instead made a quick repair, “pushed things around” (their quote), and closed without placing mesh because: “You’ll need additional surgery in the future.” Well yeah. The repair failed in less than a year and is protruding, cumbersome & painful (I look and feel like the alien, from the movie of the same name, is coming out my umbilical area). I’ll proceed with another surgeon soon. The, in late February I experienced extreme back pain. X-Ray & MRI showed a compression fracture at L3. We don’t know when it happened, but pre-Whipple therapies had weakened me and twisting while moving wood in the snow probably aggravated it. PT & acupuncture have helped some. This trip to Belize was a stepping-stone towards a longer trip Meme & I plan to make in September (Bali). Trivia Question Answer: The Rolling Stones (they owned and cached equipment in various locations. SAC had the L.A. inventory. I always felt hot jamming on their stuff: not a hot & humid Maya jungleland hot mind-you, but good just the same).

Remembering Jim Walters: "A Life Very Well Lived"...

We returned home Thursday PM from Pacific Beach, CA to Santa Fe for Celebration of Life of Jim Walters. He has been gone physically for almost six-months now, but yesterday’s gathering showed how much he is still with us. Sue Kozacek, his love of 31-years set the tone with stories of their many adventures together: noting his immense sense-of-humor and the non-professional/non-National Park Service (NPS) passions of his life: woodworking, motorcycling, traveling and World War II history. Jim’s sister Candy provided several initial family memories (followed by many others). Tony Bonanno (Regional Chief Ranger & Jim’s NPS supervisor and friend) provided the context of joys and challenges working with Jim in our mission of preservation. I shared a few memories too, like the following:

“Good Afternoon & THANK YOU for being here remembering & sharing our memories of Jim Walters. For some of us, he was a colleague, friend, compadre; for a couple of us a brother, companion & sweetheart; for ALL of us, a champion of nature. Jim & I also shared memories of growing up in SoCal, going to Humboldt State (showed my HSU t-shirt underneath), and working for the National Park Service. He was a Ranger early in his career and a noted Resource Specialist later. I have a few distinct memories regarding Jim, which I’d like to share:

1. He loved the wild: be it wildlife or wilderness. When I went to Australia for a month in ’98, of course it was Jim that lent me a copy of the book “Birds of” for my trek down-under. He loved ground dwelling mammals too: a friend to the working prairie dog. My first memory of Jim was as a defender of wilderness principles. It was over the logistical use of helicopters in Bandelier’s backcountry. As this year’s “Papers of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico (volume #49) points out you can protect both cultural resources and wilderness values. Of course Jim loved heritage resources, as well; anyone that discussed WW II with him knows that. How many of us have made the pilgrimage to Adm. Yamamoto’s crash site in the Pacific?

2. Jim & I had offices next door to each other in the Old Santa Fe Trail Bldg. The outer walls were thick, but the old wooden door between us- not so much. When he was in the office it was hard not to hear him on the phone: his baritone laugh; yuckin’-it-up. You could tell he certainly loved his job.

3. When I hosted a going away lunch for a beloved US Park Police Captain (Sal Lauro) who was going back to D.C. (he’d eventually become “Chief”) I had a grand time telling stories and jokes. Immediately afterwards Jim came up and busted me, saying: “You sure were lucky that ‘Prairie Home Companion’ had their annual Joke Show last Saturday” – Bingo, he was spot on.

4. However, most importantly, I recall that ever since Meme’s stroke and subsequent heart surgery (mid-90’s) he ALWAYS asked about her health and status. Also, when I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a couple years back he’d inquire each time we spoke or emailed – he cared, truly cared. THANKS for being you Jim: thanks for caring…” In addition, here are some add’l memories of “A LIFE VERY WELL LIVED”

A favorite memory involving Jim & I: Jim & I were members of a NPS & FHWA softball team in Santa Fe: Los Paisaños Lentos. We had some really good times together. Anyway, one fine late winter/early spring Saturday morning at Carlos Rey we had a practice and I was in left field when Jim stepped to the plate: we were simulating game conditions with hitters & runners. Jim blasted a streaking line drive that looked “way over my head” to my right: it had triple or inside-the-park homer written all over it. I turned and sprinted 45-degrees as the ball was a zinger. I stuck my glove out, following the old adage that "you just might catch something. I did: the ball went deeply into my glove. It was the luckiest & best catch I'd ever made (including college baseball). Jim was livid, immediately shouting out: "Young, you couldn't do that again in a thousand years..." We all shared a good laugh, as Jim was right-on!

"In the beginning..."

With the resumption of bi-weekly IMRR (Incident Management Remote Response) meetings for this year, which I call National Safety Officer calls, it is time for me to think about my future efforts in risk management with Incident Management Teams. It is very important we stress the management of risk, versus abolition, as incidents by their very nature are inherently filled with dangerous hazards and activities for responders. Be it wildland fire, earthquake, hurricane & flood responses, or SAR (Search & Rescue) missions, they are filled with potential gotchas. At present folks in California are involved with some post-flood operations.

The team’s Safety Officer (which I’ve been since 1987; having earned the nickname “Safety Dude”) is part of the Incident Commander’s Command Staff. Traditionally, the operational briefing is where we have our highest profile: it is where most incident personnel see and hear us at any one time. (Pictured, Incident Commander Bea Day)

The following is a short safety message developed years ago (due to my “advanced” status in trips around the sun), and used occasionally to further our adherence to risk assessment principles: “Good morning, [I introduce myself]. I want to address a rumor that I heard- I know it is going around and I want to emphatically deny it: FOR-THE RECORD, I did not do initial attack with Moses at the Burning Bush Incident! I was too young. I was still in school. HOWEVER, I was with the Pharaoh Ramses at the Red Sea, as you may recall that was an All-Risk incident. Unfortunately, Ramses did not adhere to risk management principles. He did not utilize our IRPG (Incident Response Pocket Guide) [I take it out of my pocket and hold it up for all to see- ], and totally blew-off assessing the risk management principles found on page 1…

No, Ramses’ Situational Awareness was totally lacking: he didn’t identify or assess hazards, let alone mitigate them. He failed to establish basic risk controls, and he sure didn’t implement LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes & Safety Zones). Did he have any Lookouts other than himself? No, and his Communications were line-of-sight-n-shout, without even using human repeaters [he wasn’t on good terms with the “eye in the sky” either]. His Escape Route was easily compromised, and his Safety Zone simply didn’t exist. Did he once consider “risk versus gain”? Again, NO he didn’t, and his resources paid dearly for it. I was lucky to have survived. Now, a lot of lessons learned and institutional memory went into these 120 pages [waving the IRPG] and we’ll be utilizing and re-assessing its principles throughout the day and throughout the incident.

Please, work to make it a safe day, and we’ll see each other back here tonight.” I hope you too have a great day, week, month, season & year: make-it-safe compadres!

We hope 2022 has been good for you.

It has been a roller coaster ride for many of us. We’d intended to acquire tickets for all our family & friends to an upcoming Taylor Swift concert, paid for by heavy retirement fund investments in FTX crypto currency, but that hasn’t worked according to plan (as you can tell, I’m back to just making things up for this update: that is a good sign of healthy imagination compadres). Phil said goodbye to his biliary drain tube in January, after 9-months, and Lucy after 12.5-years. Lucy “The Bullie” was 13 and battling numerous issues (including dementia). Yes, we still miss her (every day). In March he was able to take & pass the annual wildland fire Field Test and was poised and ready for the upcoming fire season (an extremely active one here), but a hernia repair operation in April + a series of biliary infections hospitalized him for ca. a week in May (and then June & August too), with outpatient procedures in July, Nov. and Jan. 2023. It KO’d him from any fire availability. Next year will be better.

We were able to attend the wedding of our goddaughter/grandniece Emily and Colton in the Phoenix area in March, followed by a trip to Pacific Beach (the first of three times this year: yep, making up for previous postponements. The Sept. trip included a Dodgers at Padres game [gee, our two favorite NL West teams], imagine that. November we finally stayed in a cottage on the Crystal Street pier, and we’d do it again). Some family and long time friends visited Santa Fe this year: Pat Medici/Hal Marcus (El Paso); Carolyn/Larry Eppler (Tonto Basin days); cousins Steve & Patrick Riley (NoCal, once-upon-a-time Glendale, CA)- now that was some special train trip from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO; Steve & Jackie Norris (Denver); Julie & Tony “Ranger” Wilson (Scotland) for this Christmas.

In August Phil did a solo visit out to SoCal (had some Southwest Airline credits expiring) for a Senior Bulldog Luncheon with high school classmates, alums & other chums: it was pretty special (see photo below). He was exposed to (in the ABQ airport), and came down with, Covid (though fully boosted). He says he would do it again to be able to see everyone (and hear “happy birthday” being sung). Phil helped teach a Jornada Research Institute course on Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) investigations in Albuquerque in May. In addition to a Tularosa Basin Conference in June, a long planned (pre-pandemic) Site Steward Foundation tour of some Tularosa Basin archeological sites finally happened in early October. Ex-FBI & Friends breakfasts, national Incident Management Safety Officer calls, ARPA snapshot training presentations/calls also helped fill the year.

Last year Justin transferred to the Albuquerque office of the NM Public Defender: one-year and still chugging along there. In late Oct. Phil ventured to first-half of Ranger Rendezvous (RR) in Tucson, visiting sisters & family around Queen Creek enroute. He did get to see some of his friends & colleagues at RR, but missed seeing some others = many more to see in the days ahead. In the span of a few weeks, Phil lost three NPS and State Historic Preservation work-mates. We’ll be thinking of them and their loved ones this season: knowing they’d want us to ALL have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS (and Happy Hanukkah, Kool Kwanzaa, Super Solstice, etc.) and a HAPPY NEW YEAR. Meme continues to be a caregiver extraordinaire and rock-climbing aficionado. PMA all-the-way, everyday… We LOVE YOU and hope to see you soon! Phil & Meme

Los Primos son aqui

Just visited by my maternal cousins Steve and Patrick Riley (our mother’s were the Newlin sisters back in Glendale days). It is always great to see them and recount our previous adventures: starting with family vacation trips in Balboa (where Steve & I first attempted kayaking) and Carpentaria (camping on-the-beach), and Sequoia-Kings Canyon & Yosemite (YOSE) National Parks. Photo is their family in YOSE: I’m on left, Steve is stripped shirt to right of me (my left) and Dennis Patrick (Pat) is to right of Steve (and their Mom- Auntie Ginny), also wearing stripes.

The last time Pat visited us here in Santa Fe was 2006. Meme, Pat & I hiked up to Nambe Lake, east of the Santa Fe Ski Area (Santa Fe National Forest). I was working for the SHPO (State Historic Preservation Officer) at the time and during our ascent we met Michael Romero Taylor (former SHPO and NPS employee) and Roger G. Kennedy (former Director of the National Park Service) as they descended. It was a memorable visit.

The last time Steve visited here was Mother’s Day in 2018. Being early in the Major League Baseball season these two Dodgers’ fans were still filled with optimism and keeping “wait until next year” at arms length.

The recent trip was the first time we teamed up in quite a while. Even though Steve was under-the-weather we were able on Wednesday to visit portions of the Civil War battlefield at Glorieta, hike in the Eldorado Preserve (open space); Thursday we took the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO, and Friday saw them seeing the sights around the Santa Fe plaza + the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture exhibit “Grounded in Clay” before it goes to The Met in NYC next year (I didn’t make the local things on the last day, as it was my turn to be puny). If you haven’t been on the Cumbres & Toltec try and schedule it in. Beautiful scenery, and we were there when Autumn was kicking-up-its-heals with color: the cottonwoods in lower elevations giving was to broad groves if aspen in the higher country. The RR does get up over 10,000’ and visitors do come from all over the ride-the-rails.

Another highlight for me of their visit was some of the spoken words. Steve stated: “You’ve been my best friend for 75-years”. I hadn’t heard, or thought about that before. I reminded him of when I locked him in a crate in my parent’s kennel (my Mom finally let him out when she discovered his plight). I did not remind him that as his “Best Man” at his first wedding, he pleaded with me shortly before the ceremony to “get me out of here”, and I refused. Some best friend I was then. As we were saying good byes Pat told me “I love you” and I responded in kind. We hadn’t had that exchange before, but I always felt it. My Primos (cousins) are primo! As I write this, they’re flying back to CA. I wish them safe trfavels: LOVE you guys!

Let the Fall begin

23 Sept. 2022 - Ga’Day, feels like Autumn in the air here in Santa Fe + while walking this morning there was the unmistakable sign of same: a tarantula on a walkabout (looking for a mate probably). Mr. T. had trouble crossing the shallow barditch at roadside, due to vegetation buildup, but was not to be denied access to the other side.

This summer was a rough and unsteady one for us. We were able to sneak in a Red River, NM trip with Meme’s sister Pat (Medici) to see/hear Michael Martin Murphy. In my last health update I mentioned being in the hospital in May for an infection in my biliary duct area. June and August also found me in the hospital for 5-day stints as the stents flushed out and weren’t working. What about July you ask? I had an outpatient ERCP procedure placing more stents (that also didn’t stay in place: hence, the August hospitalization). Rejoicing now as it has been over a month and bilirubin counts are holding: I’m getting blood work every one to two weeks.

I traveled to Burbank for a Senior Bulldog (high school) luncheon on Aug. 1st. I contracted Covid-19 (probably at ABQ airport), but it was only rough for 1.5 of the 4-days I had symptoms (really glad I got the boosters). It was great seeing so many longtime friends. I also was able to visit the gravesites of Mom & Dad, where I witnessed something extraordinary: Six antlered deer browsing on flowers followed by a coyote; eventually the two deer at the back had enough of the coyote and they did a 180 that got the coyote to turn around too, then they followed it for awhile until it was at a safe range. Every decade, or so, we experience a microburst T-storm here. In early August we got one with cyclonic winds and hail that stripped the paint from the exposed surfaces of the portal, ruined the hot tub cover, and leaked water into a couple of rooms (office and den). Decades ago we replaced the backyard lawn that was here when we moved in 33+ years ago, with a flagstone patio. Of course no water is needed for that, but also no water percolates of drains down through it either, thus the den leakage. All was back to normal in a few days.

We’re hoping for better & more active days ahead: Monday night we have tickets to the El Paso Chihuahuas at Albuquerque Isotopes AAA baseball game; on Wednesday we travel to San Diego/Pacific Beach (Thursday will be Los Dodgers vs Padres at Petco Park. Getting those tickets was a challenge with Ticketmaster in that I somehow ended up getting two tickets also for Cardinals vs Padres a week earlier when we weren’t in San Diego. I pointed out to Ticketmaster that it appeared to be a “bait & switch” as my computer history showed no “history” for that transaction. They basically told me tough “no refunds.” At least we got the tickets we wanted and the concierge at Pacific Terrace Hotel got the seats for this past Thursday. How is that for making lemonade? Lesson learned: watch your Ticketmaster transactions very carefully).

October 7-9 I’m coordinating a tour for the Site Steward Foundation of some Tularosa Basin sites (Creekside Village, White Sands NP, Water Canyon petroglyphs, and Three Rivers petroglyphs); the next week my cousins Steve & Patrick are visiting from CA (Redding & Concord), including a 64-mile trip aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway ( https://cumbrestoltec.com ) from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO; followed by a trip to Tucson for the Assoc. of National Park Rangers annual Rendezvous. Nov. 1st is to be my next ERCP procedure (stent swap), followed by another trip to San Diego Nov. 7-10 (we’re staying at a bungalow on the Crystal Pier for that one).

Yes, this will be quite a test for me. It sounds like a lot even when I was younger & healthier, but I’m looking forward to all of it. I also look forward to seeing you sometime in the not-too-distant future. We can rejoice for our many, MANY gifts we have in this life. Please BE WELL! Phil