Reading about Webutant's 3,000 mile drive from the great northwest to the beautiful southeast made me think of two things. First how large, varied and beautiful our country is and just how much my rear end hurts.

For a number of years, back when the earth was still cooling, I used to make the big swing from Ohio down through Texas and on to Taos, NM, up to Estes National Park and back to Ohio with stops in between. I did this in about six weeks. How long ago? Well, I climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and face climbed in Estes and it made me feel good. Now I get winded making coffee.

Those trips were great. I mixed a lot of climbing, hiking and rafting with visits to museums and one-on-one time with artists. I was allowed, as an Anglo, to photograph the ancient interiors of Taos Pueblo, but I also got stoned by a then young group called AIM for my effort. A few stitches to the head and knee, but my Leicas and my film were not damaged. NG didn't accept the photos. Bummer.

Canyon De Chelly, Bandelier, Gila and other astounding places are now mixed with "The Shed" (a then rare blue corn tortilla) in Sante Fe, "The Brown" in Denver ( a hotel with more ghosts than there are Teamsters) and sleeping under a sky that only God could have created.

I could bore you, my minion, with more, but I am going to pull out my journals from that time which I have not looked at for some time.

Oh, back to my buns. Just thinking about those drives makes them hurt. All done in a little "2002" with an air conditioner that had to be Union. It only worked when and how long it chose to work and I, as owner, had no say in the matter.

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