Everything Is Broken

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE

I'm a big Bob Dylan fan, the wife is not. There is one song, however, that she just loves: Everything Is Broken. Some days it seems like it's our theme song.

We'll get something new and it gets scratched the first day. Everything Is Broken

An appliance we've had for years suddenly goes on the fritz without warning. Everything Is Broken

While getting ready for a big event it's inevitable something will happen like a shoelace will break, a seam will split or the car won't start. Everything Is Broken.

I've been on an Everything Is Broken cycle for a week.

First, my camera broke. Don't know why, it just quit working. Lens error, it says

Then, my knee started hurting. No reason except old age, I guess.

Yesterday, our home office computer quit working. Hard drive failure. I tried a few tricks to repair the disc but it's dust. I put the original hard drive back in and it works fine. The only problem is the original HD is 160GB and the drive that failed is 500GB. It's a good thing I have a back up. I just hope it's not broken.

Since my knee is still sore--but much better--I'm not going to do anything too challenging this week. I can't risk it. Too many things have been going bad lately. Last night the wife even had a bad dream about me. It's like someone gave me the malocchio.

I went over toward the trails near my house and when I went to take my first picture the camera failed. Change your batteries, it says. Of course they are. I have a back up there, too and whip out the iPhone.

There is not a good flat trail I can hike around here that will allow me to rest my knee so I have to take what I've got. See any flat spots, Kahlua? No. I'm not surprised.

At least the weather is perfect. A little cloud cover and 75º.

If it's not broken, it's lost.

I don't know why people do this but there are at least seven cairns at this trail intersection. Seven! In my mind one is too many but seven? Once my knee gets better I'll be back for a little trail clean up here.

Even when things in life aren't going perfect, getting outdoors puts things in proper perspective. There's nothing broken out here.

Back So Soon?

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY

While I try to hike in a different place every day but sometimes it's not possible. Generally I wait weeks or even months before going back to an area but today I went back to a hike that I just started on Wednesday. I found a new trail and wanted to see where it went.

The trail I take is well marked. It even is marked when it travels over some bigger rocks.

As I turn off of the main trail onto the trail that goes up the canyon there are several Indian trail shrines.

I follow the trail up the canyon to see what I can find. It is easy to see where to go at this point.

That doesn't last, however. As I get to this wash the trail pretty much disappears.

I guess I'll just go over here and see if I can see anything.

I've come quite a way from where I started. It hasn't been difficult even though it's a constant uphill. The footing is not great since I'm stepping on rocks the whole way but after a while you get used to it.

I don't see a lot of interest but then this circular thing catches my eye and I have to hop over several boulders to go and check it out.

It is a mirror. I have no idea what good a mirror would be up here but I guess for some people it's important to look your best while exploring.

I look around some more and find a few dry tinajas. There may be some larger ones up here that hold water but I've got to get back and head to work. I don't think I'll be coming back as soon next time. I'll probably wait until fall when the weather cools off a bit.

There's nothing to see here today but the water that catches in here could remain for weeks and would be a nice watering hole for wildlife.

I wish there were some record, or some old guys who knew the history, of this canyon. Since there's not I'll just have to make it up. I've decided to call this Yucatan Canyon since it's above the Yucatan area of La Quinta. Now I just have to get out of here without spraining my ankle.