Took a Lost Farm Super Boof live resin gummy half an hour ago at the Chiricahua travel stop along I-10 halfway between Las Cruces and Deming, headed west. My head was already a little tight from dehydration, vodka, maybe the bowl of Strawberry Pines last night, maybe not.

My wife is driving. The trains are running. It's not as hazy now as it was east of the mountains east of Las Cruces. The air over White Sands and Alamogordo was thick. We stayed at the Pine Springs Inn in Ruidoso Downs last night. Like Brook says, the place is a step back in time.

If I had to do it all over again I might give more thought to geology. Rocks. I like rock, and rocks, more and more. I appreciate them. They're part of the earth, a really important part but rocks aren't asking anything from anyone. They're useful. Erosion control, minerals, structural support, roads, drainage. It feels good to be in a place where rock is of interest. In such a place, you will probably find some other beauty. Rocks are possessed of such an unassuming richness.

What's new in geology these days? Looking for lithium for our batteries, looking for rare earths for our phones. Cracking rock open to get at nat gas to power our AI, our social media. Breaking rocks, breaking into the earth so that we can grow closer to our computers and to our phones. To power the new intelligence. To make our lives easier. Progress through powdered rock. Rare earth, it's always been such a powerful phrase. Metals, minerals, like time buried in the ground. Find it, you find a little bit of extra time, while the machines do the work we get to...

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