Dawn

The soft desert dawn is something you shouldn't miss. The beautiful pale purples, whispers of pink, sighs of blue misting over sharp mountains and flat stretches of sand, cacti, pencil trees span the sky to welcome the sun.

I begin my day looking and finding water for my tanks, a slight decline to park my truck on so I can change my veggie fuel filters before entering Mexico, filling my diesel tank with diesel, cleaning out my cab.

Now I have arrived in Ajo, a sleepy little town that begins with crumbling little pale trailers and what looks like those pre-fab stark small houses, until the town square where the same houses sit but painted with bright colors and desert plants growing out front.

I stop at the desert visitor's center, find out about the national park, and buy desert books for Daboo.

I am ready to cross the border. I will be open to spending time at the desert before entering Mexico though. I probably won't be back this way again in my life. The Sonora desert. I've already passed the prerequisite military installation, stopped at the rest stop that has the plaque with pictures and rhetoric about the necessity of testing bombs - and why not use the desert until we test them on people - for our democracy and country.

I have found the coffee shop that doesn't have anything organic - although the owner is open to buying some organics to have on hand for folks (like me) who ask for it - but has internet so I'm blogging quickly before it gets too late so I can enjoy this national park.