A photograph for no one
The last thing I took a photograph of that was for no one else but me was the mountains of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge through the thick foliage of Corn Creek. I deleted it immediately because my camera phone does not capture the presence and majesty of that landscape. There are so many startling outdoor gems in Las Vegas but it is the surprise views of an ancient and quiet landscape that arrest me. I want to shout, "Can you see this? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"
Where I go to think
Any walk or hike instantly shifts my mood and clears my mind. The best thing about living in Las Vegas is at the end of any major street you have the open desert. The north end of Durango, the west end of Farm Road, the southern reaches of Las vegas Boulevard, as it heads toward the California border.
Sunday morning
O, Sundays! The clear horizon of a day that MAY be punctuated w/a few chores/laundry, but which will certainly be focused on which hike I will take with my dog, which book and snack I'll bring on the hike, and which audiobook I'll listen to in the car on the way to the trailhead. (Note...Saturday follows the same "Xmas morning" pattern, but with beer/wine at the end of the day and possibly pizza). Last Sunday I hiked past a 3,000-year-old bristlecone pine known locally as "The Rain Tree." I continued past it to a natural spring that created a small space of verdant, orchid-style blooms, mossy rocks, and an aspen grove. (Full disclosure: I am still feeling the effects of this extra-long hike five days later.) If the weather is inclement, I may go to brunch and then catch a movie. Or explore Omega Mart at Area 15. There is much to explore in my city (and in most places, I've discovered). If I am feeling especially virtuous, on Sunday night I may organize my work so that the Monday work transition is easier, but tbh I am not often virtuous.