Pilgrims, Art Walkers and Diamond Mines

Last night I swept around the streets of Flagstaff, AZ with two girlfriends. They in brightly colored southwestern ponchos and Indian blanket shawls. Me in a boring leather motorcycle jacket. Hey, it's Italian leather, bought during travel at a trendy fashion boutique in Perugia, Umbria. And no matter that I just saw in our favorite Silpada Jewelry catalogue a model wearing a similarly cut jacket, I was labeled "boring" by other art walkers. Art walkers? In the Navajo Lands we have "skin walkers" -- sorcerers of sorts, 'shaman' would be the ethnographic-sensitive term. But art walkers, what are those?

On the first Friday of the month, the art galleries and boutiques of historic downtown Flagstaff swing wide their doors offering wine and cheese, and other delectable nibbles to visitors and locals alike. So popular are the 'First Friday Art Walks' that the streets last night were filled with folks ambling, socializing and walking between Flagstaff's eclectic assortment of art galleries: art walkers.

I saw many familiar faces amongst the art walkers and was surprised at how many young people come out for the festivities. Northern Arizona University is just around the proverbial corner from downtown Flagstaff, and when I think back to my own college days, I, too, was always up for free food.

With wool hats and sweaters bundled against the mountain-town chill, walkers parade arm-in-arm up and down Old Route 66, San Francisco Street and over to Heritage Square. And then escape to mingle tightly -- old and young -- into warm galleries. I saw Ray across the crowd in one tightly packed boutique.

"Ray," I shouted. The local musician playing her amplified acoustical guitar among the racks of mod clothing (there's a metaphor hiding there somewhere) made it a little hard to hear. Ray is hard of hearing anyway. His wrinkle-grizzled face looks stately under his Indiana Jones felt hat.

"How was your pilgrimage?" he asked.
"Thanks for your prayers; I needed them," I answered. "It was a tough 180 miles. My Achilles tendons are still bothering me." I ended my pilgrimage in Northern Spain over 30 days ago and my 53-year-old body is still healing."
"I had a friend that visited South Africa many years ago," Ray explained. The quick-minded wisdom of this 80-year old sage always surprises me. "He met with the owner of a diamond mining company. The man took him into his office, opened the safe and pulled out a small bag. He emptied the contents of the bag onto his desk. There was a mere fistful of diamonds laying there. 'To unearth these diamonds, I had to move thousands of tons of rock and mud.'" Ray's eyes met mine with a piercing knowing. "'But it was all worth it,' the diamond owner said."
"Yes," I agree thoughtfully. "My Camino was like that: a huge effort, but worth every nugget."
"Well, you look good," Ray states welcomingly. "I like your jacket."

Controled burns in Flagstaff forests today

Controlled burns in Flagstaff today

After the drenching thunderstorms of the last 48 hours, the Mormon Lake Hotshots were out lighting slash piles this morning. The Mormon Lake Hotshots are an elite group of Coconino National Forest fire fighters based 10 miles east of our Munds Park home. Smokey clouds were billowing out of the Ponderosa Pine forests as Dan drove me to the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. "If the fires get out of control this morning, they'll be flooded by the monsoons later this afternoon," I said looking up at the tall, swirling white plumes.

From my 3F window seat on the small aircraft that flew me out of the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, it was a thrill to look down at the tops of those mushroom-shaped clouds of smoke dotting the forest below.

I followed my own advice from a former blog posting - "4 Tips on How to Travel Light" (see below). The US Airways reps at check-in were seemingly amazed at the (un)weight of my bags -- checked all the way to London. I was 25-pounds under the 50-pound per bag limit imposed by the airline. I packed my lightest clothes, went back and took out 20% of everything -- including my Ibuprophen tablets! Yes, I did count them out, and remove 20%. I'm a light-packing maniac!

Happy surprise at check-in: no luggage charge for two bags on international flights! (US Air charges $15/bag on domestic flights.)Checked the super-light backpack (for my El Camino pilgrimage in Spain), and a "carry-on" sized bag for the ballroom gown, business suit, etc for biz in London.

Did you know that now two airlines serve the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport? US Airways from their Phoenix hub and Horizon Air/Alaska Airlines from LAX.
Posted from the US Airways Lounge, Phoenix, AZ.