Albuquerque

Albuquerque has two things going on this week. Heat and low humidity. I love it. I would love to plant myself under this high white sun and turn into a raisin. Dry out completely, and blow away with the desert sand.

It's not always easy to be here. The heat drives you indoors or under shade much of the time and my lips are cracking from the extreme temperatures.

But I love my sandy skin that doesn't seem to produce oil here. And the best part is that the heat forces your mind to sow right now.

Plus, the food is really simple. I've been drinking gallons of unsweetened ice tea and snacking on and roasted tomato salsa with flour tortillas.

Yesterday, we went for a short hike at the Petroglyphs National Monument, where prehistoric symbols and drawings are carved into the black, volcanic rocks that cover the side of a small hill. The hike was hot under a typically cloudless blue sky and sunlight so bright that we could even see the moon.

Afterward, we cooled off in the hotel pool for a really long time before heading to Nob Hill, Albuquerque's university district near downtown. We plodded down the street, passing costume shops, a head shop, Hey Jhonny, a vintage furniture store, and several thrift stores. A cool area, but fairly hot, like the rest of the city with awnings bleached nearly white by the sun.