Retirement dawns, and desire for cooler summers than in Houston leads the old professor to the bank of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, where an epiphany occurs.

Meet the diverse and sometimes ornery cast of characters and situations I find myself in the midst of in a traditional fruit-growing rural community.

Wherein the transcendentalist loses his psychedelic virginity, on peyote, in a teepee in Taos Pueblo.

A radical lifestyle change coincides with an equally radical change in philosophy and psychological perspective. The reality of the unseen delivers healing energy.

Jungle drums, loud music, constant concussive blasts from some damn gun or something, and sorry, but I’ve gotta go!

The La Joya experience has come and gone and left me with these reflections on it, on retirement, and the future.

Reflections of the first seven years of retirement and looking ahead to the next seven, with appreciation of Emerson and Cicero.