My First Morning in Pecos

I began my first morning in Pecos by waking up in my spare room and tumbling out of bed as the morning bell rang. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, washed my face and headed to the chapel for morning prayer at 6:30 am.

It was surprisingly chilly and it stayed that way until late afternoon. I wished I had put on socks and a jacket. After prayer, people gathered in the main room of the Abbey, which has a southwestern architecture with riverstone fireplace, wooded beams lining the ceiling, and stucco walls. It is surprisingly beautiful and cozy with its low slung ceiling and comfortable couches. Several people greeted me, filling me in on the things I had missed in the orientation session the night before.

A quick walk after breakfast took me down a gravel path and around a marsh where I saw red winged blackbirds searching for breakfast. A little further down, I crossed a cement bridge over a rushing river and paused at the midpoint in the warm sun. Suddenly I noticed many many tiny birds with bright green backs and black wings flying back and forth across the water, rising and falling on the wind currents. It was thrilling to stand there over the center of the river as they flew over my head swooping and diving. I had never seen birds like these and marvelled at the variety in God's creation. I may have gone my whole life and never known about these birds. But here we were, both enjoying this same place and moment together.

On the other side, the trail headed up the rocky cliffs and I thought about the possibility of snakes as I made my way slowly up the rocky hill. Almost immediately I was winded and I knew the altitude was contributing to that and the lightheadedness I was feeling. Nothing a lot of water and a few days of acclimation won't fix, I was told.

At the top of the hill I saw a cross with its base covered in stacked stones. I added my own to the pile and turned to take in the view.

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