January 15 night
I am back at the fairgrounds and it is quite cold. I miscounted the stars, so to speak. The sky is carpeted with stars. At home I see the brighter ones. Here the combination of few lights and low humidity means I see the dimmer stars. The entire sky is covered with glitter.
I heard an Arizona tall tale tonight, from the husband of the woman running the event. He said that in a really rainy year they discovered that the frog that had been there all along didn’t know how to swim.
He also told me that the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 did not end the era of Apache conflict. He said the conflict continued in Mexico until 1930! I trust this to be accurate. He has been an Arizona resident for 60 years.
Enough. It is too cold. I’m into the sleeping bag.
January 16
Today I compete the horses at the Grass Ridge Equestrian Arena Driving Trial, a one day event. I have met numbers of loyal driving compeititors, including one who I at least knew by phone, who had bought a harness from me. I have made a contact who will let me base for a couple of days in the territory where I want to drive this week.