"The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the Earth, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need—if only we had the eyes to see."

—Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
 
Curiosity can be torture in Utah’s desert landscape, where mighty rivers carve canyons well beyond viewpoints, where ridges of unfamiliar ranges extend over the horizon, where forks in the trail lead to hopes of return, or where the way forward is blocked by a lack of time, experience, equipment, or courage.

 "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." – Hal Borland

Seeking solace somewhere that once brought serenity, now full of shadows we once danced within. 

Each year, the museum where I work hosts an Indigenous Art Market that draws top talent from around the country. And each year the museum presents one of the artists with a purchase award, selecting and purchasing a piece of their art to add to the museum’s growing ethnographic collection. This year, in 2024, that award went to Rowan Harrison.

A small pool of competitors made up the first ever Intermountain Hoop Dance Competition at Red Butte Garden, but it was still a grand performancel of spellbinding talent and powerful drumming, which I can't resist.