21 Stones

poem

2006-01-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

From the egg
I am present,
more lasting than brass.
In good time
with stronger reason.
Well found,
good friend,
enjoy the present
very earnestly,
free, easy, unconstrained.
Anew.
At last, finally,
on the way,
let there be light
in possibility.
Between ourselves:
the unknown.
Upon my faith,
(mine and thine),
much in little
by chance.

3,438 miles

2006-01-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

stone #21

2006-01-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

PAR HASARD
by chance

January 11, West Haven, Connecticut, Bradley Point, island

journey's end

2006-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

We arrived in West Haven on Saturday evening, returned the car, got one dog back, collapsed. Sunday we unpacked, pick up my car from Lyme and the second dog, and collapsed again. I had one more stone left to leave somewhere, but I couldn't settle on the right place for it. People called and emailed. Where is the 21st stone? How does it end?

Of course, there is no grand finale, no punch line, no epiphany. Because there is no ending. My feet are still walking, and the stones are out there on their own journeys, to be lost or found, incomprehensible fragments of a mysterious whole unknown to any who might find them, only complete here in a cyberspace blog.

Today I finally placed #21 in a spot more desolate then where the others are, but it felt right-- where the east ends at the Atlantic, on a rock that becomes an island at high tide, inhabited at this time of year only by crows and seagulls and a few contemplative souls.

stone #20

2006-01-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

MUTLUM IN PARVO
much in little

January 7, New Haven Tweed airport, bench

stone #19

2006-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

MEUM ET TUUM
mine and thine

January 7, Maybrook, New York TA station post

stone #18

2006-01-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

MA FOI
by my faith

January 7, Pennsyl- vania route 81 Promised Land truck stop phone booth

stone #17

2006-01-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

L'INCONNU
the unknown

January 7, Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania Super 8 Motel fountain

stone #16

2006-01-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

INTER NOS
between ourselves

January 6, Somerset, Pennsylvania Summit Diner, newspaper box

Januray 6: 3,000 mile mark

2006-01-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

Somewhere on route 70 in Ohio. Night. Trucks.

stone #15

2006-01-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

IN POSSE
in possibility

January 6, Ohio route 70 BP station pump

January 6, Ohio

2006-01-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

Ohio, we hardly knew you. A late start from Indiana today, as colds and unidenti- fied stomach ailments persist. A 10 1/2 hour straight through drive to make home by Saturday. The only sights for seeing are the reststops.

stone #14

2006-01-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

FIAT LUX
let there be light

January 6, Martins- ville, Indiana Starbucks, table

January 5: Bloomington, Indiana

2006-01-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

2 day stop with more of the Gasteyer family. Karl getting help with the candles of his cake.

stone #13

2006-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

EN ROUTE
on the way

January 4, Beverly Shores, Indiana, gazebo

January 4: Beverly Shores, Indiana

2006-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

A side trip to see the small town Karl's family comes from on Lake Michigan. The train station; the beach; sand.

January 3: Chicago

2006-01-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

Chicago! A stop we've been looking forward to, though it's cold and wet, and Karl and I have both reached the physical meltdown point, with bad colds, pulled backs and tired asses. We planned on getting into Indiana tonight but made it only to just outside Chicago in a broke down motel with a very unfriendly desk clerk. But, there's wireless internet!

stone #12

2006-01-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

ENFIN
at last, finally

January 3, Chicago Vetran's Memorial, steps

January 3: Chicago

2006-01-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

The remains of a lost airport being turned into a park on the lake; a night walk over the river; the theater where Karl's cousin Ana is playing the lead (Elpheba) in Wicked; Ana and Kate (Glinda) signing autographs at the backstage door.

January 2: 2000 mile mark

2006-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Illinois, route 55 north, exit 72. The first poor weather in the 10 days of our trip.

stone #11

2006-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

DE NOVO
anew

January 2, St. Louis arch, bench

January 2, St. Louis, Missouri

2006-01-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

The arch; an Emerson quote from the Lewis and Clark museum underneath; a billboard.

stone #10

2006-01-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

DEGAGE
free, easy, unconstrained

January 2, New Florence, Missouri, giant chair

stone #9

2006-01-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

CON AMORE
very earnestly

January 1, Kansas City, Missouri, Tanners sports bar, curb

January 1: Kansas to Missouri

2006-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Our longest drive in one day so far, 11 hours with one dinner stop. We saw a lot of this: very very flat landscapes with cattle, windmills and one very long very straight road.

January 1: Liberal, Kansas

2006-01-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

I suck it up for a tourist photo with Toto; sites of the Dorothy's House Museum; dirty shoes on a very clean yellow brick road.

stone #8

2006-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

CARPE DIEM
enjoy the present

January 1, Liberal, Kansas, Dorothy's House, yellow brick road

December 31: Oklahoma

2005-12-31T22:55:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve sunset over Oklahoma.

December 31: Oklahoma

2005-12-31T22:51:00.000-08:00

Clouds and endless horizons.

December 31: route 56 New Mexico

2005-12-31T22:47:00.000-08:00

Side of the road stop to unload digital camera card; first of the really big skies; the rockies in the distance behind.

stone #7

2005-12-31T22:35:00.000-08:00

BON AMI
good friend

December 31, Cimarron, New Mexico Chevron gas station newspaper box

December 31: 1000 mile mark

2005-12-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

Where we were when the Hertz Ford Focus rolled to 1000: New Mexico route 64, between Angel Fire and Eagles Nest. Altitude: very high.

stone #6

2005-12-31T22:12:00.000-08:00

BEN TROVATO
well found

December 30, Santa Fe, New Mexico San Francisco laybryinth center

stone #5

2005-12-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

A FORTIORI
with stronger reason

December 30, Corrales, New Mexico San Ysidro graveyard stone

December 30: Corrales, New Mexico

2005-12-31T21:55:00.000-08:00

Corrales fences; San Ysidro graves; sandhill cranes enjoying a cornfield.

December 29: Corrales, New Mexico

2005-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

A walk with the Gasteyers through the Cotton- woods of the bosque in Corrales; Sandia mountain; Corrales dirt.

December 28: Corrales, New Mexico

2005-12-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

The Gasteyer house. A 2 day stay with family here.

stone #4

2005-12-31T21:34:00.000-08:00

A LA BONNE HEURE
in good time

December 28, Jamestown, New Mexico, Grandma Max's wall

December 26: route 89, Arizona

2005-12-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

360 degree sky fire sunset in Arizona.

stone #3

2005-12-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

AERE PERENNIUS
more lasting than brass

December 26, Grand Canyon, Arizona, rock

December 26: Grand Canyon trail

2005-12-31T20:52:00.000-08:00

Down into the canyon; canyon dirt; exhaustion.

December 26: Grand Canyon

2005-12-26T22:46:00.000-08:00

The canyon, the canyon, and the canyon.

December 26: Arizona

2005-12-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

Landscape on the way from Kingman, Arizona to the Grand Canyon; the Plane of Fame air museum; strange planes.

stone #2

2005-12-26T22:38:00.000-08:00

ADSUM
I am present

December 25, Hoover Dam window sill

December 25: Hoover Dam

2005-12-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

stone #1

2005-12-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

AB OVO
from the egg

December 25, Golden Nugget column base

December 25: Vegas

2005-12-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Vegas Christmas- lunch at the restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere tower; the view of the strip; desserts above the desert; first stone downtown at the Golden Nugget.

December 24: Vegas

2005-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

My first roller coaster at Circus Circus; the Venetian- a juggler, the indoor skies, the canal and a desperately needed cup of coffee.

December 23: Vegas

2005-12-26T22:09:00.000-08:00

Vegas angels in the mist; the strip.

December 23: Vegas

2005-12-26T21:59:00.001-08:00

First day. Our pink motel and Oklahoma rental car; Harrahs; Karl checking out the scenery.

stone poem

2005-12-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

I brought 21 smooth black river stones to leave along the way. I got into the habit of placing small objects in interesting locations at RISD, starting with this string of Latin and French phrases from the back of my beloved old thesaurus, that make a lovely sort of poem when put together. Back then I scattered them over the Hill in Providence, this time I'll make a path of them across the country.

The gold lettering paint and list of phrases in the hotel room. I paint as we go.

the beginning

2005-12-26T21:39:00.001-08:00

December 23, 5 hour flight from JFK to Las Vegas, Nevada; 2 week drive back home with many stops along the way.

Jet Blue over the desert.