As OLD pointed out “the real numbers that I’m talking about are going to be whatever it is. But, uh, will be in a year from now when these monstrous huge beautiful places they’re palaces of genius and when they start opening up. You’re seeing, I think you’ll see job numbers that are absolutely incredible. Right now it’s a lot of construction numbers, but you’re going to see job numbers like our country has never seen before*.” To we the uninitiated that may all seem a bit incoherent but to the committed MAGAts, who are said to comprise some 37% of the population, it’s unquestionably gospel [if not prophecy], which leads me to think that not just the other 62.5% but all of us are in deep doo-doo and not about to get out of it anytime soon.  If ever…

well, whatever, and with that in mind it was up the creek where a lot of immature pine cones were littering the path. L. hung back long enough

to spot a pair of squirrels high up, tossing them down, maybe for squirreling away in

anticipation of winter although day after day there they lay on the ground…

Sunday Robert and Joan’s** big “Goodbye/Hello” celebration took place at Mountain Water

with John Barr***outstanding in the field of traffic direction, a lavish spread, brief speeches from DKD’s departing directors Dan and Sheila, many old friends [way older than incoming

directors Tim and Catherine] and an equally lavish spread of desserts, wrapping up with

a lovely sunset to go home by…and the next day more of the same; blue skies,

bluer bathrooms, loads of laundry,

subtler tones by evening and a

Tuesday lunch with Mike and Nancy for the legendary founders of La Veta’s Ryus Avenue Bakery Adrienne and Mary along with Mary’s sister Linda [legendary for other things] who read some of her poetry afterwards, which all loved and to which Cosmos paid rapt attention****.

The day went from one thing to another, lots of dishes in the aftermath and, like they say,

“if you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes*****”…never a dull moment up here.

*”Incredible” job numbers at least not seen since the Great Depression if the current Economic Miracle continues on its course, anyway.

**R&J were running DKD in the 80s when I first came down here but moved on to pursue illustrious careers further up the Front Range for decades before buying the land down the road and returning to build Mountain Water.

***A friend of Luz’ from Bennington days who now makes his life in this part of the valley.

****Leaving me feeling willfully woefully uncultivated…Monet, classical piano, all emanating from the fertile mind of a crusading criminal defense attorney.

*****Or, as Kirk Robertson put it in “Nevada Weather”; “If you don’t like the weather/look out the other window.”