gradual companion piece

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  Dang Dude! Day Three:

  John’s parents own the most beautiful home in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This will be base camp for the next 4 or 5 days. I wake up and look out the window and everything is beautiful and wild. We get our showers in and get on the road to a place generally referred to as Piedra. 

  On the drive out, we get our much needed fix of T. Rex and praise Mark Bolan at every turn. We come to an overhang of a canyon and stop to take some pictures and admire the beauty. The wind howls and I feel as though I am going to be swept off of a cliff. We drive further to a general store inhabited by real cowboys and their cow ladies(?). Everyone is very nice and has that thick country western accent. We buy cliff bars for fuel and head to the lake. 

  The lake today is choppy due to the wind, but we pull the kayaks out anyway. We paddle to a little island on one edge of the lake and fight the current. There is a small creek there and we speculate how far back it goes. We later find out it goes for miles, but it is on public property. The beauty of the land these people live on is criminal, but they need places to store their horses, cows, goats and yaks. 

  We call the kayaking a little early due to the wind and head over to a small trail to a place called Piedra Falls. Fat white tourists and their children abound as we make our way to the falls. I won’t be expending much energy today it seems. As we come to the water there is mist and rainbows everywhere. The water is very cold due to the fact that it was snow only moments ago. We take pictures and move on down the road. 

  To the grocery where we pick up some basic proteins, vegetables, beer and whiskey. We also grab folding chairs with cup holders (a road trip necessity) and I get my film developed at the local shop. They do a really nice job and are about %300 cheaper than any lab in NYC. I set up an account with them and hopefully they can stay in business. 

  Tonights menu is seared Ahi and asparagus. The ahi steaks are amazing! We crack open some much needed beers. I show John the wonders of Simply Lemonade and Evan Williams and this will come to be our drink of choice at least up until the moment I am writing this for simple reasons I will disclose later. I get drunk and sort through the photos. Generally I am happy with the images, which is a feat, considering I’m never really all that pleased. We talk about failed loves, the not so distant future, and the Northeast. I am happy to have another good friend coming to the city, where relationships are generally fleeting for a variety of reasons. I lay my head in a drunken stupor and dream of tomorrow or not at all.