Sandy Wright's Blog, page 17

Witch in the Garden

Nature is sacred.

Right. Witchy lesson from year one. But sometimes it's hard to remember to get off the cellphone and laptop for a few hours, and go worship Mother Gaia.

Lucky for me, my husband keeps me grounded. He's not pagan, but he is a Missouri farm boy from way back.

One early spring morning I came into the kitchen, and he was all happy and bouncy. "What?" I turn to pour my coffee, and there they are, lined up like little paper soldiers on the breakfast bar. His precious vegetable seeds have arrived.

I take my coffee cup outside and he marches me around the newly-turned earth in my nightgown. "I'm going to try the tomatoes someplace different this year," he announces, inserting seed packages in the ground as markers. Early Girls Heirloom, Better Boy, Sweet One Hundred.

I run my fingers through the rich soil, and already I can see slices of bright red tomatoes, waiting to be added to the crisp bacon slices laying on the open-faced sandwich. I'll use the blue plates, they make such a pretty contrast….

Paul has already walked away, still talking. "I potted the herb plants earlier, before you got up."

He's left me kneeling in the dirt in my nightgown, and is now standing by a neat row of ceramic pots assembled on the patio table. "Look." He points at a pot on the end, and I come over to look, brushing the dirt off my knees. "I found some more white sage."

"Hello, you little ceremony in a pot," I murmur to the thin plant. "We'll take you up to the cabin to live with your older sisters. You'll like the cooler weather there."
"Oh!" He picks up another pot. "I also got you some patchouli."
I smile. He's pagan, he's just not interested in labels.
 
Gardens offer us a perfect opportunity to reconnect and remember our place in the natural world. 

Instead of approaching gardening as many modern suburbanites do – a way to tame and dominate their little part of the planet, our family sees it as a partnership with Nature.
We respect the earth, water, insects and animals. We buy or cultivate seeds and make our own compost. I aim to communicate with the plants, birds and insects in our garden, and listen for any messages they may have for us. (Well, except for the scorpions. They have spoken – and twice I've been stung. They're mean, and I want nothing more to do with them. But that's a story for another post.)

We didn't do it this year (it warmed up too early), but most years we plant in rhythm with the cycles of the moon. I've also printed chalk symbols on the garden walls to bless it. Hung wind chimes in the mesquite tree over the garden, so the plants can enjoy the music on balmy summer nights. Spread jeweled stones along the path down the center. Next I think I'll do simple altars at the four directions: A stone cairn in the north, bird bath in the east, and so on.

You might choose to ignore the clock time and water your garden when the sun hits a certain position in the sky. What fun! By opening your garden experience to nature's input, you can closer witness her cycles.

Everything you do--picking out seeds and planting, thinning and weeding, and finally harvesting—is a ritual dance with Mother Nature.

When we recognize that we are co-creators with the earth and the natural world, our relationship with the environment begins to change. We no longer feel the need to control all the circumstances around us and can relish the perfection in which we share.Are you thinking of planting a garden? Vegetable, herb or flower?
I'll leave you, then, with a blessing for your sacred space:

"I call to the Spirits of Nature, the Great Mother and Father.

Assist me now, by the powers of earth, air, fire and water.

Merge your magic with mine, circle around this place.

As we now celebrate the creation of a sacred garden space."

Blessed be, Gardeners.
 

Bucket List

I've been watching a comedy on Netflix called No Tomorrow. It started out on the CW, but unfortunately it wasn't renewed. The premise: This guy, Xavier, is convinced an asteroid is going to impact the earth in eight months, wiping us out.  So he quits his job and writes a "bucket list" of things he wants to do during his last days with his friend Evie.
Some of them are poignant, like reconnecting with his estranged father. Some are adventurous, like skydiving. And some are wacky. Rolling down a hill in one of those huge hamster bubbles was one.

When I turned 60, I experienced the same morbid feeling of "last days" and started my own bucket list. Now, It makes me smile every time I cross something off. Here's the list:
Write & publish my first novel (Done! Song of the Ancients, 2015)Earn $1,000 from book and apply for PAN status RWA (Done! 2016)Write a suspense novel (working – completed draft August)Write next novel in the paranormal series (starting August)Get a bigger publisher. Maybe an agent also.Learn to snowshoeLearn to cross country skiRun a 10k race as a seniorLearn to Tango-Salsa-MamboBack country hike YosemiteBuy a cabin in the woods (Done! We spend our summers there)Set up a home office and library in my home (Done!)Go through a Croning ceremonyMake a quilt (well, actually finish one!)Attend oldest son's wedding with his new love. (Almost. He just got engaged last week!)Become a grandma (done)Witness youngest son fall in love and get married.Take great vacations for book research in Hawaii, Scotland, Wales, Alaska, Newfoundland, Iceland, Central America (Have Scotland booked for July!)Visit an active volcanoParticipate in a shamanic journey ceremony Now it's your turn.  Leave YOUR bucket list in this blog's comment section. From the comments here and on my group site, paranormalromantics.com,
I will draw a random name for a digital copy of my paranormal novel, Song of the Ancients.
 
The only limitation is your imagination. Here's your chance to share your dreams!
 

Burying Your Books

 
Full disclosure: I did not get through all the cleaning chores listed here last week. Did you?

But I vacuumed the entire house, both floors. Completed the magickal sweeping and mopping (that oil infusion combo in the mop water is yummy! And I prepared my lemon-and-orange-infused vinegar to use next time. My husband and son also picked all the lemons off our tree, and Paul sliced and vacuum-bagged them in the freezer, so we will have fresh lemon in our water and tea all summer. Yum.

In addition to the thorough spring-cleaning of our home of 20 years, I'm also attempting to pare down and de-clutter. It's a daunting task, so I'm concentrating on only three clutter categories:
This is the hardest category for me because I absolutely love books. But I don't like to re-read them, with a few notable exceptions, like the Harry Potter series. So why keep them all?
 
To give up my cherished friends, I had to shift my mindset from eliminating to sharing. In that new mindset, I was able to take four boxes of books to the used bookstores in town. The move also prompted me to fill out paperwork and apply to have my own book, Song of the Ancients, accepted at Changing Hands.
Now, this chore has become fun! I selected a few old books to re-purpose. I plan to "plant" them in my poison garden at our cabin, when I finish it this summer. This book, an old Atlas of the Worlds, I acquired from the La Posada hotel in their "leave a book, take a book" shelves. I left a copy of my own novel in
exchange, plus a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
 










I stole the poison garden books idea from Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants. In her NY Times interview, she talked about her own poison garden. The books there are half-buried, or nailed to shelves so their pages turn in the breeze. Autopsy for an Empire, with its dried-blood-colored jacket, is planted beside the hellebore, which the Greeks used to poison the water of their enemies.

"I wanted the sense that the book I'm writing is coming out of the ground," she explained. I loved that image.
 
Amy Stewart's Hellebore
Back in the upstairs library, I've grouped my "To Read" books together—they take up an entire bookcase! I've myself I can only buy bring in a new book if I read and release one from my shelf.
 
 We've filled the shredder a dozen times with old tax files, receipts, out-of-date instruction pamphlets, appliance warranties, greeting cards.  I also sorted through our photographs and eliminated the duplicates, unflattering or boring shots. There were so many! Paul plans to scan many more, but I won't hold my breath.< > Another really tough chore. But now it's done. The boxes and bags are neatly stacked and labeled by donation site in the garage. One whole closet of my good work suits for a charity that specializes in outfitting women for job interviews. A stack of boxes for The Clothes House, which gives clothes to the homeless, and also launders their clothes for free, so they won't just be tossed when soiled. Another charity that has a free store for families who live in my part of Chandler.  Once those boxes and bags are gone—it'll take me about another week to make the deliveries—we will have 1 ½ bays of our garage open. Wow! We'll have room to park a car! Oh, and to store the half-dozen additional boxes of more expensive things, like crystal and collectibles we've inherited from both sets of parents, but that our sons have said they don't want.
 
So, the cleaning and decluttering saga is progressing, but not finished.
 
Since our spring vegetable gardens are now planted here in the Valley, I think I'll post next week on sacred gardening.
 
Until then, keep those brooms and dustpans busy!

Magical Housekeeping

It's time to give my home a serious cleaning. Not only can I see it, I can feel the magic dissipating. Old, stagnant dust is baggage. It weights the house down. My poor home is filled with negative yin energy.

Granted, our family has been distracted. The upstairs toilet developed a slow leak while we were out of town last month, and we came home to three rooms of wet carpet. No amount of disinfectant and fans could rectify the damage. We had to replace the carpet in the entire second floor. Which means, we had to move all the furniture out of the upstairs. Oh. My. Goddess.

So now we have fresh, new carpet. It's a muted mystical blue-gray and I love it.

Unfortunately, we also have crap everywhere, waiting to be either sorted and discarded, or cleaned and put away. It's a discouraging amount of work. To make matters worse, I decided to hold a garage sale last weekend, to sell some of the some of the stuff we've accumulated during the 22 years we've lived here. Not only is the upstairs in disarray, my front hall is full of displaced junk, and the garage has all the leftovers from the sale to box up and drop off at donation sites.

I realize that my state of mind is intertwined with the negative energy in my home. The chi energy is blocked by clutter and grime, which produces a depressed state. It's reflected in my life and emotional landscape.  A personification of, " As above, so below."
So I'm also not writing. Falling behind on deadlines. Stressed and cranky. And my blood sugar is spiking.

Enough already!

For the entire month of April, I'm going to clean and Feng Shui my entire home. Please join me each Friday and we'll make the journey together.
Get your brooms ready, let's do some…magical housecleaning!!
 
This week's Magical Housecleaning Chores
Cleaning house is powerful magic. Done with intention, it increases your energy, clarity and happiness, which in turn increases your ability to manifest your desires.
According to Feng Shui principles, our homes are a mirror of what's happening inside us, so clearing them out can literally clean up our mood and improve mental energy. Sounds better than bleach, if you ask me.
So, let's start there.

Magical Chore #1: Get rid of the toxic cleaning chemicals in your kitchen, and replace them with citrus-infused vinegar. I'm infusing mine with lemon because I have an abundance of lemons on the tree in my backyard, but you could also use oranges.
Fill a mason jar with lemon peels and pour white vinegar over the peels. Close tightly and let it sit for a week or two or three (depending on how lemon-y you want it to smell. Open, strain out the lemon, including any little pieces, and pour the vinegar into a spray bottle to use the next time you clean.

Magical Chore #2: Sweep and mop your floor with intention. As you sweep, visualize the stagnant energy being swept up with the dirt, and repeat, "I sweep away all negative energies, leaving only good and light," as you sweep. Then use your dustpan to dump all the dirt outside the house.Mop, using a magical floor wash. Here's one of my favorite recipes. In a mop bucket of hot vinegar water, add the following essential oils:

2 drops peppermint (get rid of negativity)
2 drops rose geranium (protect)

2 drops cinnamon (clear problems on the material plane)

Repeat as you mop, "I call upon these herbs to drive out negativity and chaos, and bring thy blessings of peace and accord in their place."
Magical Chore #3: Spring clean the kitchen
Take everything out of the refrigerator and freezer, and clean. (Use a natural cleaner if the citrus–infused vinegar is not ready). Throw away any expired or spoiled food and condiments (I tend to overlook the condiments).

Clean the stove, microwave and all the pots and pans. Get rid of or give away any pans you don't use or don't like.

Clean out all the drawers, surfaces, light fixtures, etc.

Next, minimize the clutter. Look at the items on the counters. Do you use each item weekly? Does it make you happy?

Take everything out of the cabinets and survey what you have. Get rid of stuff you don't use. Donate food that you haven't used in six months or longer.

The purpose is to create space, to make room for that which better serves you, and to create a fresh pathway for strong vibrant chi to flow around the room.

Think about bringing whole foods, plus three live plants or potted herbs into the kitchen to make it more "alive" again.  Locate them in an east window for proper Feng Shui and happy plants!

I'm going to stop here for the week. Have fun practicing your magical housekeeping. Let me know if it worked for you, and what part of the house we should tackle next week. I'd love to hear your ideas!
 

Vortex Energy

Like the scene around the Mars rover, Sedona, Arizona is a mystical landscape of dusty red rocks and towering boulders, strewn in haphazard formations like a giant Martian toddler's abandoned building blocks.

The land here has some serious vibe. I'm not surprised that the Navajo, Yavapai and Hopi recognized the energy and spiritual power of Sedona's vortexes. They came here for thousands of years to pray, seek guidance and alignment for their people, through vision quests, ceremony and ritual. But they never lived in the red rock country. It was considered sacred.

So, what is a vortex? It's swirling energy. Hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones are examples of vortexes.

In Sedona, the vortexes are natural geomagnetic points that create a swirling energy center radiating from the earth's surface. A place in nature where the earth is exceptionally alive with energy.

Some clues you notice when coming upon a vortex include tingling in the hands, or a buzzing throughout your body. You may heat up, feel a rush of energy, or a shift in consciousness or perception.

Often, the land around a vortex will be unearthly beautiful, and trees may show twisting trunks and branches, spiraling in the energy field.

There are fifteen vortex sites within a ten mile radius of Sedona. The rock formations are composed of ferrous oxide mixed with sandstone and basalt, giving the Sedona landscape its rich red color. The earth here also has an unusually high iron content. The summer lightning storms awe-inspiring.

Most of the area was once an ancient seabed with subsurface volcanoes. When the volcanoes erupted, molten magma forced its way into cracks of the sandstone. Over time, the softer rock wore away, leaving spires called volcanic intrusions. For centuries these giant monoliths have served as natural shrines for prayer, meditation and connection with Great Spirit, Creator, or what some term God.
 
I feature one of the most well-known vortexes, Cathedral Rock, in my paranormal novel, Song of the Ancients.

Excerpt:
 I pulled a brochure out of my bag, brandished my latte toward the red mountain in front of us, and lectured in my best peppy, tour-guide voice. "According to local lore, Cathedral Rock is one of five major vortexes in Sedona. Each site has its own personality. Some radiate male, yang energies, active and energizing. Others are female, calming and tranquil yin."
 
I studied Cathedral Rock. This one was definitely male. It looked like a larger rock wall had been blasted apart, leaving vaguely phallic slivers of rock jutting through the center.
 
Rumor pointed to a flat spot between two spires. "Up there is where we're going. It's steep but only about two miles round trip."
 
I turned to Rumor. "Kamaria says it has magical energy. What do you think?"
 
"She's not the only one who feels the area is unusual," Rumor said. "The Native people think those rock spires work like satellite antenna, connecting to one of those mountains out in the middle of the valley called Vision Butte. Tribal medicine men have used the site for hundreds of years for vision quests and ceremonies. Cathedral is state land, but Vision Butte was decreed sacred. No non-Native visitors."
 
"Do you know which one is Vision Butte?"
 
Rumor shrugged. "No idea. It's not on any of the maps."
 
Ignoring the burning muscles in my thighs, I climbed to the top and stopped, panting. "Wow."
The overlook was like a wide sidewalk, with steep drops on each side. The view was jaw-dropping in both directions.
 
We walked to the edge and sat down, dangling our legs over the side. The breeze came up the ledge from the desert below, lifting my damp shirt away from my sweaty skin. I sighed and raised my arms over my head, stretching out my shoulders.
 
 The place slipped into me, a shimmering wind I drew in with each breath. It wasn't just the view, or the breeze; there was a vibration in the air, not quite audible, like a dog whistle barely above hearing range. I closed my eyes and listened.
 
I didn't know how long I sat, feeling the wind whoosh up my legs from the valley floor far below. At some point, the vibration increased, and I could hear words, in a simple melody:
"Wakan, wakan, every creature,
Wakan, wakan, every rock.
Tuku Skanskan, the time surrounds you.
From sacred earth we send our voices.
Wachin ksapa yo! Be attentive!"
 
I reached for Rumor, to ask if she heard it, but she was gone. I jerked my eyes open and looked around.
 
Rumor was standing, eyes closed and arms outstretched in a "V" over her head, oblivious to the precipice beyond her. The wind spiraled around her head, swirling the dark strands of her long hair across her face.
 
 I stood up slowly and tiptoed over to her, took her hand and pulled her gently away from the edge.
 
"Oh." She made a little, surprised sound, like she'd forgotten I was there. Then she crossed her ankles and sunk to the ground. 
"Wakan tanka, we watch the Earth.
To Man below, we send our voices.
Wakan, wakan, every creature,
Wakan, wakan, every rock."
 
The song rode the wind, ebbing and fading until it was no more, swallowed by the air currents from the valley floor below.
*****
Each book in my four-book series will be set in a different sacred site around the world. This summer I'm traveling to England, Scotland and Wales to finish research Book 2 of the Ancient Magic series, set in the magical standing stones of Great Britain. Book 3 is set in Hawaii and features the Goddess Pele, goddess of fire and volcanos. The final book will take place in Alaska and Newfoundland, and will trace the history of the ancient land bridge between the continents.

Have you ever visited a physical site where you felt an innate, unexplainable boost of power?  Was it positive or negative? Was it male yang, active and energizing? Or female yin, calming and tranquil? Did the land speak to you, and if so, what did it tell you? 

Please share your experiences, I love to learn about unusual power sites.

March Man-ness

It is nearly March in America, when many a man’s fancy turns to… basketball.



For some of us, the approach of the NCAA Basketball Tournament (also known as March Madness) leaves a bit to be desired, especially if one’s alma mater is not represented amongst the 64 teams, or once your favorite team is eliminated (and let’s face it, most of us will be in that position eventually). Maybe you never quite saw the point in obsessing over brackets… until now!



Here’s a little something different, be we sports widows, rabid fans, or just everyday appreciators of man candy: March Man-ness, Tournament of Hotties.

Throughout the month of March, the Desert Muses will post match-ups of romance genre hunks. You cast your vote in the comment section for which stud sends you swooning. The winning hero moves on in the tournament, and your comment/vote enters you in a raffle drawing for a $60 Amazon Gift Card at the end of the tournament (March 27). You can vote once per round, with 3 total entries possible per person.
The first battle of the hotties will post here on Monday, March 6. And to the winner goes the spoils!

What I'm Working On Today

Yes, I'm working on another book, and stand-alone suspense set in Bisbee, Arizona, an interesting little town close to the Mexican border. Here's a short story synopsis:

"Staff Sgt. Jace Merrick has two short-term goals: Join the Army Counter-Intelligence Unit, and kill his wife.
 
When his bleeding-heart wife, Abby Merrick, volunteers at Hope House, a group that supplies stash sites in the Arizona desert for illegals border crossers, Jace hatches a scheme to make her murder look like a coyote smuggling operation gone wrong.
 
But before he can carry out his plans, Abby is shot—and he's the prime suspect.
 
Rumor Vargas is determined to find her friend's killer, but Deputy Sheriff Cooper "Coop" Jones warns her to keep her amateur nose out of his investigation. She's a sexy, persistent diversion, and she dredges up memories he'd rather forget, of his own murdered wife.  
 
Rumor appreciates the Sheriff's inquiring mind, and she's curious about his battle-weary eyes. But when his inquiry turns to her kid brother as a possible suspect, Rumor has reasons beyond attraction to keep Coop close.
 
The Sheriff suspects Alberto Vargas has Cartel ties, and this looks like the Sinaloan gang's work.
 
Rumor severed ties with her brother several years ago when he began to work for the Cartel. But could he also be a killer?
 
To complicate matters, Jace's lover, Kendra has her own motives for murder.  
 
The further Coop digs into the case, the less the facts add up on any of the suspects.
 
Someone else has a grudge against Jace Merrick. A life and death grudge. And it's time for pay back."

If you read my first novel, Song of the Ancients, you may recognize Rumor Vargas. She was Samantha's friend and business partner. This time, Rumor gets the top billing. You'll learn about her childhood in Mexico, as well as what she's been up to since she left Samantha in Sedona. Here's a photo of Rumor as I picture her in my writer's head:

I hope to complete Crescent Moon Crossing by June. Stay tuned right here for more news on the cover reveal, release date and promotions, as well as an opportunity to sign up as an ADVANCE reader and get a free book.

Then, I'm traveling to the United Kingdom to visit London, Scotland and Wales. I'll be conducting first-hand research of the power sites for the second book of my Ancient Magic series, when we re-join Samantha and Nicholas at the Council of Elders meeting in London next year.

Thank you so much for your support and patience. I appreciate you even more for sticking with me throughout my health challenges in 2016. My recovery is complete, and I am so stinkin' happy to be back to writing again!
Blessed Be.

Birthday Magick

It's my birthday tomorrow, and a rather momentous one, so I'm going to celebrate it with a special ritual, shared here.
 
I came across this ritual through pure synchronicity. A month ago, I participated in a book swap online. Send a book to the name you are given, put your name at the top of the list and share it on Facebook. One of those chain friends' things that never work—except this time it did. I was pleasantly deluged with books, including one from a woman named Juliette A. She shared one of her favorites, Grandmother Time, written by Z. Budapest. It was autographed for Juliette by the author in 1993!
 
Thank you so much Juliette. I am sharing Ms. Budapest's A Birthday Celebration, because, as she so eloquently says in her preface, "A life without celebration is only half lived."
 
A Birthday Celebration
 
Invite the friends you really want to be with. Old friends, good friends and family.
Get everything together as usual—decorations, cake and candles—but don't follow the usual procedure, because in wishcraft, blowing out the candles on your cake is blowing away your good luck!
 
Instead, arrange as many candles as you have lived years in this life, but put them on a tray separate from your cake. Take the time to make candle holders of aluminum foil for each candle.
 
 Then sit your guests down, sing "Happy Birthday," and serve the cake. But when you would ordinarily blow out the candles, light them instead.
 
As you light the first one, give thanks to your mom, who gave you the opportunity to come through the veil between life and death and become you. She is the origin of your universe. The second candle, and all the rest, you light one by one in honor of yourself. Tell a little story of your life, and let your guests react, laugh and cheer for you. Reveal about three good stories this party—save some for next time.
 
When you recall an event worthy of special attention, stop and offer a toast. In other words, celebrate during your story telling.
After you've finished lighting all the candles, let them burn down naturally. In the glow of your candle light, may you be awed by your own endurance and beauty!
 
Happy Birthday to all of my readers and friends. I hope you will treat yourself to this ritual on your own birthday. Thank you Juliette for the gift book. I will treasure it. And thank you Z. Budapest for sharing your life in writing it.
Blessed Be!

Trump-enomics

To say it's been a turbulent 24 hours for US-Mexico relations is an understatement, with President Donald Trump ordering construction of a wall along the countries' shared border, and now suggesting it could be paid for by a 20% import tax on Mexico.
 
But wait. Wouldn't an import tax result in a cost increase on imported goods? And who exactly buys those goods imported into the United States? This is a classic case of circular thinking, and it's making me loco.
 
I know, you're sick of Trump. I am too. And so, evidently, is Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. He cancelled his meeting scheduled with Trump next week. Get ready for a trade war, folks. It will hit Arizona particularly hard, since Mexico is our No. 1 trading partner.
 
I'm going to a wedding in Mexico in April. It will be interesting to see how our new man is viewed by the locals across the border.
 
In the meantime, I'm writing furiously on my next novel, (working title Crescent Moon Crossing ), which is set in Bisbee and Fort Huachuca, both near the border. The story includes human smuggling, Cartel drug runners, and the art of illegal border crossing in the plot, mixed in with murder. It's been a lot of fun to research, and—with Mr. Trump stirring the headlines—the topic couldn't be more timely.

On a happier note, 0ur family and dogs trekked to our Northern AZ cabin last weekend to play in the snow. Munds Park got a little over four feet of big, beautiful flakes over our long weekend. The hubs had fun trying out his new snow blower (actually, he informs me it's a snow thrower). We put a log of logs in the fireplace, and the dogs had a blast bounding through the drifts.

Here is Sadie, Teak and Woody leaving me behind. This is in the National Forest behind our cabin. Snow in the trees is sooo beautiful.
 
For those of you in the Northern or Eastern states, snow is no big deal, a hassle in fact. But to an Arizona resident, it's paradise.

 I'd love to see how your family celebrates a snow day. If you send me a picture in a comment, I'll post it next week. Until then, stay warm, and have a hot cocoa with mini marshmallows with me!

Grand Canyon Winter

Our family spent a day in the Grand Canyon last week, and my husband Paul took some beautiful photos.

 We stopped first at the closest, and by far most popular, put-out spot, Mather Point, for a rather Griswold-like experience full of foreign tourists with selfie-sticks. But their commercialism and noise didn't dim the beauty of this natural wonder.

Then we walked part of the Rim trail into the village for lunch. Note: If you want a mid-day meal at El Tovar, don't wait too late. Lunch ends at 2:00 and the restaurant doesn't open again for dinner until 5:30.  

The Canyon was snowy, so we headed out to the Desert View to explore the Watchtower. Although it looks like an ancient Hopi kiva, it was actually built by architect Mary Colter in 1932, with native weathered rocks to fit in with the desert landscape.

Most people left when the watchtower closed, but we stayed to see the sunset, and it was worth the wait. Isn't Paul's photo gorgeous? 
I think we'll return to the Canyon next fall for something that's been on my bucket list for a decade—the mule ride to the canyon floor and an overnight at Phantom Ranch. The Aspens will be turning and the crowds are less oppressive after school starts. Yes, the mules are smelly and the ride can be dusty, but I'm an old horsewoman from way back. And the views should be amazing. The mules take the outside of the trail, the hikers hug the inside when they pass
What do you think?  Would you join me?