Quick update from Taos where it is DAY 3 of our “State of Emergency” (due to a natural gas outage). The whole town has been a bit topsy-turvy as a result, but I’ve been holed up in my casita, staying warm, and recovering from a head-cold. It helps to know that much of northern New Mexico is in the same cold boat. I can’t complain — my casita has been kept warm with a space heater plus a flurry of creative work on my part (not sure how much the latter actually raised the temperature but my brain was sweating at times).

Keeping the water dripping in all taps has kept things from freezing up.

Rumor has it that the governor has dispatched some troops to come help the gas company reps as they start to turn system back on (restoring pressure) and there has been a call on the local radio to have licensed plumbers turn out to volunteer as well. Starting tomorrow morning, they are supposed to begin reconnection work in the Taos area, so all residents need to be present as they will go house by house to reconnect and relight systems. Meanwhile, the electricity has been flickering intermittently today, with outages in some areas (but not in Taos… yet). Fingers remain crossed.

I have been listening to various community and public radio stations as I work, which always makes me feel as though I’ve been out and about, keeping on top of local and world events, instead of being a creative hermit. Democracy Now has been covering the situation in Egypt every day, and I just received word that our friend Mohey was interviewed by Public Radio in Northern Michigan as well: NMU Professor discusses situation in Egypt, his homeland

As I write this, a skunk of epic proportions just crossed the snowy yard of the Wurlitzer Foundation, waddling like an overfed house cat. Last night, walking back from the mailbox, I caught a gorgeous sunset and a great (horned, I think?) owl swooped low over my head before rising to roost atop a pole behind my casita. Wild, wild life!! (“Things fall apart, it’s scientific, whoa yoey. Sleeping on the Interstate, woahoho. Getting wild, wild life!” – Talking Heads lyrics)

“Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.”