"Canyon and Cosmos"

My Flagstaff friend Don Lago just sent me a publisher's copy of his new book, "Canyon and Cosmos: Searching for Human Identity In the Grand Canyon." I'm so excited for him! He's published other books about the Grand Canyon, but I didn't know him then. This one will hit the bookstores in May. If you want to preorder, here's the Amazon link: ref=sr_1_1

Here's Don, who's usually either hiking

or with his nose in a book.

From the book jacket: "A major work of literary nature writing, Canyon and Cosmos takes readers on a journey through the Grand Canyon's deep time, geological forces, and biological evolution, making them very real, personal, and meaningful. Through decades of hiking and kayaking, author Don Lago has gotten to know the canyon intimately. Ranging through world mythologies and Native American spirituality, he explores how humans have sought to understand the universe. He confronts existential questions of whether humans can find enough meaning in the scientific cosmos. Through poetic prose, symbolism, and philosophical insight, he shows how existence itself is our deepest source of life and meaning."

My most recent trip to the Grand Canyon was with Don in 2023. Here are some photos from that trip.

And from my first canyon trip, 40 years ago:

These two pictures are me on very first trip to the canyon, in 1985 when I was 29 years old. I backpacked a couple of weeks down there, immersing myself in the incredible light and bird calls and river. Tourists on the rim only see the amazing colors of the rocks, but when you're down by the river there are lush green hanging gardens and sparkling springs and the clear cascading call of the canyon wren. It's a whole different and more intimate world at the bottom.

My last canyon visit inspired this quilt, above, for the colors of the rocks.

The piece I'm working on today uses those same colors. No surprise, since orange and blue are my favorite pairing! And now it's back to reading Don's book.

Have a grand day