ancient Mesquites lean dangerously
over the path as if whispering to
younger ones on the other side
some copses remind me
of groups of people lounging
under bushy ramadas
gossiping in low tones
‘look at those untethered ones’
‘they don't seem to know that
everything comes to those who wait
those rooted in place’
some remind me of leggy
spindly visions of
broccoli florets
–LE - 7/7/26
Three of us anchored the picket line at the Tucson VA's Ajo gate from 6:30-8:15am for the morning shift change.
Responses were similar to last few weeks, 75-85%. Only one obvious negative today... the guy with flicked middle finger... We just laughed and waved... probably just made him angrier... oh well...
The morning was cloudy, which is novel... at least this week. So what sunshine beat down on us was 'hazy'... But it was still hot, and I was sweating by the time we headed home.
Rode out under a cloudless sky
Again
Forecast is for blazing heat
Again (yet?)
Long shadows across the path
Strobelighting as we pass
Quiet morning
But light traffic sounds in the distance
And on the path
No resistance
Only a couple of leisure riders
And walkers encountered this trip
A skink and a single Roadrunner
Dithered as we passed
Back home after
An hour and a half
Catrike ‘stabled’
Until the next time
–LE - 7/9/26
(Wow, a 'full house', twos and sixes)
Only two of us anchored the picket line at the Ajo entrance to the VA for the morning shift change. We were there from 6:30-8:15am.
Responses were similar to previous weeks, 75-85%, with only one undeniable negative, a steady thumb down.
We are entering ‘high summer’ in Tucson. Temperatures are approaching ‘blastfurnace’ intensity, even in our post-sunrise protesting… thus, my frequent standing in the shade of that signature saguaro outside the gate.
–LE - 6/26/26
electric blue
dome overhead
long shadows
east to west
large skinks
sunning themselves
on the path
crickets
fiddling their
mating songs
in the shade
riverside brush
and trees
mountains
north, east, and south
just suggestions
in the blue haze
of distance
while those
in the west
seem more like
carnivore fangs
bright
sharp
gleaming
only a couple of
walkers
and
bikies
out
in the
early morning sun
an hour and a half
fifteen miles
behind us
when
at last
home
–LE - 6/23/26
Two of us anchored the picket line at the Ajo gate of the Tucson VA from 6:30-8:15am for the morning shift-change.
Responses were a little less than in previous weeks... Perhaps we're all becoming resigned to the chaos of our daily incomprehensible information flow...
There were a couple of definite negatives... from a bouncing thumb down to a 'no' head shake and an older guy in a newer white pickup truck, yelling at us as he turned down Ajo away from us, 'It's all your fault, you communist m.....f.....s'. Probably NOT a real cowboy or farmer... the truck looked 'pristine'... not used for any kind of real work... IMHO...; -)
Yes, we still had plenty of positive responses, and many pretended not to see us, too tired to respond, or just plain resigned...
