Pushed off a little late after having to perform minor surgery on the trailer... Trying to make Phoenix by gametime.... We made it and 20 Stellas later (the beer, not women, but it would have been nice) found our way to a safe haven at our friend Tafoyas' house. We are also traveling with Matos 13 year-old ailing dog Azul. He can't really walk and we each take it in turns to carry him around like a baby... But he is a guardian angel of traveling musicians - our guardian.

Friday-Left Phoenix late...

Damn Stellas... 6 hours worth of mountain passes later we arrived at Thirsty Ear Festival.  On our shortcut found an old gun store in Arizona Rockies so Greg picked up a rustic 45 and Juancho a turquoise shank   Their fascination with 45s had us running late and barely made show-time. The festival is at a western movie set in the desert...More than 300 western movies shot there... Silverado/Young Guns/Wyatt Earp and Slash guitar Solo on the video of November Rain .... We played at the old hotel in front of hundreds of peeps. It was exhilerating.

It was in an old saloon and Greg and Juancho's fascination with the cold steel made sense now.  Everyone was dancing in tie-dyed cowboy hats.  Hung out with reggae legends Steel Pulse backstage even though they denied us wine for not being an international band. This was a bit more of the cold steel.  But they warmed up after we sent Azul in for food and Azul got a great taste of international ham straight from the Steel Pulse guys.  And that was his last meal.   Went to wake Azul the next morning, but he passed away in his sleep.  Santa Fe was calling out to his little soul.  It broke  everyone's hearts but he was ready to go - he was having problems walking and he couldn't eat that well either.  We buried him in the desert in a powerful simple funeral with sage and cedar - it's a surreal day. 

Then met two learned PhD-acquired ladies who were worldwide activists against nuclear proliferation. They offered us their driveway so we didn't have to pay for parking.  It's a strange and mystical Saturday.  I know of some hot springs in Taos.  I think we're heading that way soon.