About a week ago I turned into an owl.  Ellie had fallen asleep next to me and I was laying looking out of the tent with the rain fly and door open.  The whole of the constellations of the northern sky were visible above, and only the black silhouettes of the surrounding mountains and the closest desert scrub plants to the tent could be seen on the horizon.  From my perspective I suddenly took flight and was soaring above the canyon floor below.  I could feel the wind, and see the manzanitas and chaparral below.  Suddenly I sensed the movement of a lizard and swooped down grasping it firmly in my talons.  Then I was suddenly back in my tent.
     This all came about because a couple hours earlier, we were night hiking with our headlamps when two eyes were glowing back at me from up the trail.  At first I thought it was a fox, but then it quickly took off in the night air.  I then knew it must have been an owl.  Fortunately, it landed a couple hundred yards further up the trail and let us get within about 5 feet of it.  We stared transfixed at this tiny owl for about twenty seconds until it took off again, this time not to be seen again.  For as brief of an encounter as it was, it definitely left an impression.  That is how it is everyday out on the trail  There is always a new plant, rock, natural formation, or feature that inspires the deepest of awe.  The japanese call it "yugen"- that wordless state of wonder that makes you feel completely connected with all of creation.
     We're doing great on the trail, and hope everyone reading this is doing great wherever you may be.

Addendum:
I am shaking and near to tears as I write this.  We came straight from the trail to the library where we used up our hour of computer time to update our blog.  It wasn't until we checked in to a room and turned on the news after being in a desert without cell reception for 3 days the we found out was going on.  Watching my city plunge into the chaos that comes about from years of living in fear, subjugation, and poverty is almost too much to bear.  There is no justifying the violence being perpetrated by a small group of individuals, but anyone who lives in Baltimore knows that the powder keg of racial tension has been about to blow.   Ellie and I have both taught in the city school-to-prison pipeline and know firsthand how the kids feel.  If only their energy could be channeled in a different way, real changes could start happening.  Love and understanding must prevail.  We pray that this situation can end in the most peaceful way possible.

At the border 4/17/15 around 6:30 PM

Looking north from the border.

PCT Southern Terminus and the border wall between the US and Mexico

Fire damage can unfortunately be seen most everywhere.

Yucca in bloom. The stalks are usually about 8 feet tall.

The flowers create these green seed pods that eventually dry out and open to release the seeds.  All the while the mother plant is dying- creating the stalk is the last act of it's life.

Hiking down to Lake Morena

Campsite on ledge above Kitchen Creek

Mid-day siestas can end up looking like a photo shoot with our umbrellas in the bushes for extra shade.

Woodpeckers make holes and hammer acorns into the trees for storage.  These suckers are really in there!  We weren't able to even budge one.

Trees on Mt Laguna

Anza-Borrega Dessert

Storm Canyon feeding into the Anza-Borrega

Boulder field campsite.  While it was about 90 degrees all day, clouds and heavy winds moved in that night and it was around freezing with an even colder windchill.

Century plant

We're so lucky to see these cactus blooms everywhere everyday.

It's steep in the San Jacinto Mountains

The Blue Agave shoots are even taller than the Yucca.

Great campsite in a ravine on Granite Mountain

 Barrel Cactus

Right in the middle of this photo is a coyote. Ellie spotted it wandering from bush to bush in the distance during a lunch break.

These are actually relatively clean!

Camp at the end of a 23 mile day.  We started on Granite Mountain which you can see in the distance on the left,

Pastureland leading into Warner Springs

Eagle Rock

This is as high as Ellie goes.

Coyote Melon Blossom

We were walking in the clouds all day coming out of Warner Springs, but it was good that some much needed rain fell in Southern California.

The Manzanita bushes are in bloom.

Hikers lining up to get Chicken, Rice, Potatoes, and Tortillas at Mike Herrara's

Mike's oldest brother Rudy.  The "ornery" one!

Steep climb out of Nance Canyon

Ellie's favorite color

Camp overlooking the small community of Anza.  We were awoken by 50-60 mph winds, but the tent performed admirably. 

Dinner time.

One of the many snakes we see day to day

Steep canyon walls heading into Idyllwild.