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Margaret Gacki's avatar

Stunning prose and photography. 👌🏼👏🏼😎

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Seth Biderman's avatar

Lovely piece, Erik. I grew up in New Mexico and your portrait resonates with me. Love the Beckett quote, though I'd say it's more like one in a thousand these days.

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Bonnie Clark's avatar

Greetings from Santa Fe, NM. This was truly beautiful. Thank you!

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Maia Duerr's avatar

Hi Bonnie!

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David W. Berner's avatar

You now have me longing for a return. Beautifully haunting and at the same time, sublime. I’m right there with you.

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Clintavo's avatar

"Ramblin', I'm gonna say

Sing my song, I've gotta find my baby

I'm gonna ramble on, sing my song

Gonna work my way, gonna ramble on

Gonna ramble on, yeah-yeah"

- Led Zeppelin

Fantastic photography. Enchanting words.

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Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

Such beautiful photos. These take the cake. I love love New Mexico. My BFF lived in Santa Fe for years and when we drove through to Mexico annually, we'd always stop for a few days, so we got to know the town and surrounding surreal country well. It's true--at first the landscape seems barren, non-descript, but it grows on you, and you see the beauty. Love it there.

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John Lutz Photography's avatar

Such beauty! Me and my family are starting the process of relocating to New Mexico. No coincidences. Never are in my short 66 years on this earthly journey. Thanks for the infusion of hope this morning.

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Maia Duerr's avatar

you're making the right choice ; )

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John Lutz Photography's avatar

Thank you, Maia!

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Gregg's avatar

thanks for the beautiful essay and photographs Eric. They remind me of many of the places my wife and I have visited during our trips there. The land continues to haunt me, and it’s constantly pulling me back. Remember, though, that the indigenous people are still there. The ancient cliff dwellers have simply moved down the dry Arroyo’s to the valley of the Rio Grande, where there is reliable water.

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Tara Perrot's avatar

I feel a little closer to the desert and to my humanity with this. 🙏

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Katy Marriott's avatar

Ahhh! I was waiting to read this until I had time to take it in properly, and you definitely did not disappoint.

Beautiful, and I love the slow, dreamy, intense afterglow. Thank you.

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David Kirkby's avatar

Gorgeous photos of a wonderful land....

Best Wishes - Dave :)

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Donn Harper Jr.'s avatar

Beautiful!

Northern New Mexico is amazing, I loved living there, and in Ruidoso, the White Mountain wilderness and Nogal canyon , beautiful.

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Sandra Murzin's avatar

Wow...I loved this piece,Erik...beautiful,moving writings;and those amazing pictures! I require clouds,and these are some of the most awesome pictures of clouds I've seen in a long time. I really related to "The mysterious roar of silence itself".Thanks so much for sharing,especially your visual diary...

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Andrew Cottle's avatar

Incredilbe photography. Wonderful quotes. I've always wanted to go there....maybe this will be the catalyst...no tourist attractions or yoga spas though...lonesome roads and landscapes are what i want...

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Hugh Mercer's avatar

Nice article. Love New Mexico, go out to ABQ every so often. The drive out to Madrid is nice. It is a short trip from the city, they filmed the movie Wild Hogs there. Sandia Peak is beautiful. Definitely land of enchantment.

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cal lash's avatar

Great scribbling. Thank you.

Bowden is my favorite writer.

A great reporter.

A rhythmic poetic scribbler.

He was my friend.

I'm also a fan of John Fante.

Ask the Dust is a great read and produced an excellent movie.

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