Saint Thomas The Apostle Parish, Abiquiu, NM

"Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, Filé Gumbo ... "

... the sound drifts into my window at the Hotel Blue and colors the Albuquerque morning. Very poetic, Shawn, I am thinking. Where am I? Oh yeah, Albuquerque. There's an open air market across the street and it's Saturday.

I go downstairs for some less than perfect coffee, and wander across the street to find some beans and rice -- a "Farmer's bowl."

View from the Motel Blue

Winslow, Arizona

Do you suppose those guys actually went to Winslow and stood on a corner, or did they just choose Winslow because it fit so well in the song ... "Standing on a corner in ..."

I am not in California. That's for sure.

The Cathedral of Light

Confluence with Buckskin






Entering Wire Pass










Paria River

















Buckskin Gulch. It's the grand poo bah of slot canyons. It's a temple to something ... but we couldn't decide what. We set off to do Buckskin Gulch, basically a two day hike. With three days scheduled and a permit to do it. Five of us met, from all corners of the globe to take on the elusive hike. Two years ago we met (some of us) and canceled due to the risk of exposure. We hiked the Paria River instead. http://shawnkielty.blogspot.com/2007/10/nest-in-paria-canyon.html http://shawnkielty.blogspot.com/2007/10/we-choose-to-do-these-things.html

Andre de Saint-Obin (Netherlands), Walter and Hamilton Pinto from Alberta, Canada, and the Happy Hiking Guy (Chris Raye) and I met at the White House on the Paria River in Southern Utah camp this past week, to connect, reconnect and take on Buckskin again (I secretly suspect that the real reason was to cook and eat, test out new stuff, and brag tell stories about what we've done).

The following day the weather report was for 60% chance of heavy rain in the form of thunderstorms. Perfect recipe for a flash flood.

For those of you that don't know, Buckskin Gulch is a slot canyon, an extremely narrow channel formed by centuries of flash floods, sometimes so narrow that you have to stand sideways to get through. If there were a flood and you were in the canyon -- you would surely parish. In the 12 miles of this narrow slot canyon, you would be pulverized by a slurry of water rock and boulders. The route is 12.5 miles and has two escapes from the canyon, one at 6 miles and one at the far end. There might be opportunities to escape a modest flow at various points along the route, but a full on flood, doubtful.

So put a gun to my head ... with only two bullets in it. We talked about going ahead with the plan. I said no, I wouldn't go -- there was some debate. I have kids and family, friends who are counting on me. I can't possibly go there. I can not possibly go into that canyon, or any canyon around here, with that weather report. You guys go ahead, I'll run into Page and get some supplies, and be around camp. The four of them hiked a few miles into Paria River canyon, and out. It rained some, but the flood never materialized.

The next day the weather was clear and we hiked into Wire Pass to the confluence with Buckskin and hiked an hour or so down canyon. I am thinking 2.5 to 3 miles, because we were so excited. Except for one spot, it was dry throughout the length we traveled. We didn't complete our planned overnight, now complete the full length of the canyon, but now with the combined two trip we have done a large part of the route. Perhaps next year.

Wire Pass and Buckskin are amazing places. We saw log jams above in the sky 30-40 feet up. it went on forever, a cathedral of red rock and light, opening in small channels to the sky, a polished red rock surface scoured by water, profoundly visceral. A manifestation of incredible power.

中國的興起 -第二天 (China Rising -- Day 2)

Anshan, China, August 4, 2010,

It's playing in the background at the Club Coco in Anshan China, Shakira's Anthem for the 2010 World Cup - Waka Waka (It's time for Africa). The young woman I am sitting with, asks me, "Is this a hit in America ,too?" I say "Yes. I think it's a hit everywhere." Not only that, but it's pretty inspiring. It's not surprising to hear that Shakira has been on the Ellen Degeneres show ... because, well ... this is dance music. I want to jump up in the air with a triple arm pump like Hannah Kearney right after winning gold in Vancouver. This is glorious. A victory really.

I look on the streets of China and I see hot fashions. Sexy, contemporary fashion. Malls, shops. American styles. An even more on the street, Chinese style. Stuff I never have seen in America. I hear in the clubs and KTV (karaoke television) clubs, great Chinese pop. Hot, sexy video pop. Suddenly I want Chinese KTV on my cable at home. I have 400 effin' hundred channels ... how come there's no KTV?

I watched -- in my hotel in China, every day when I was supposed to take a nap, a show in English called "Living with Chinese." A great course in learning Mandarin. Do you think I can find that on my local cable? Not so much. Can I find it on YouTube? Not so much. I can't find it. The great firewall works both ways.

People in China are aspiring to own cars, they are owning cars. Mao's country of bicycles has turned a country of smog and industry. Powerful industry. Signs of affluence abound and personal wealth is obvious. China is a rising economic power. Symptoms of capitalism are everywhere. China seems an unstoppable giant.

I guess what I don't see so much is the effect of contemporary Chinese culture present in America's mainstream. I wonder just how long it will be before we hear some Chinese pop gone viral in the West.

Wire Pass

Buckskin Gulch

Intimate American Landscapes -- Show Catalog

Intimate American Landscapes -- Show Catalog
August 27 - October 10, 2010

Sunset
Usery Mountain Regional Park, Tonto National Forest
Maricopa County, Arizona
Proof Print from 4x5 Film
$225

Madkatamiba Creek
Grand Canyon National Park
4” x 5” Polaroid
$600

Basura
Hayward, California
Print from 35mm Film
$225

Ghost Pigeons
Times Square, Manhattan, New York, New York
4” x 5” Polaroid
$600

Owens Valley Tempest
Owens Dry Lake Bed, California
Color Print from Digital Image
$225

Owens Valley Tempest
Owens Dry Lake Bed, California
Color Print from Digital Image
$250

Church of San Francisco de Asis
Rancho de Taos, New Mexico
Print from 35 mm Film
$150

Lennon Memorial
Central Park, Manhattan, New York
Proof Print from 35mm Film
$225

Southern Cross
Usery Mountain Regional Park
Tonto National Forest
Maricopa County, Arizona
Proof Print from 4x5 Film
$225

Saint Patrick's Cathedral
Manhattan, New York
Proof from 35mm Film
$200

Elves Chasm
Grand Canyon National Park
4” x 5” Polaroid
$600

Park Bench in Central Park, near the Lennon Memorial
Manhattan, New York
Proof from 35mm Film
$250

Adobe Church
Grafton, Utah
4”x 5” Polaroid
$400

Fern Canyon
Redwood National Park, California
4”x 5” Polaroid
$425

Autumn, After the First Snow
West Fork Oak Creek, Arizona
Proof Print from 35mm Film
$225

Wall Street and Trinity Church
Manhattan, New York
4” x 5” Polaroid
$425