Let's revisit yesterday. By the time I left my apartment, 11:30 am, the snow had disappeared. All except for that which fell on the Sandia Mountains. And I'm all for snow on the mountains.

My friend with the soup has an interest in all things outdoors. She and her mule are frequent visitors to Sandia. Her new wrinkle is getting Tilly the mule to pull a cart, which involves a special harness -- a new purchase that requires a lot of my friend's time. The leather needs vigorous treatment with saddle soap and beeswax before it can be used effectively. 

So after soup she got out the soap. Rubbing and rubbing, she explained that the leather soaks up the suds, no rinsing involved. The moisture is absorbed making the leather more pliable and supple. It's followed by a coat of beeswax. The process is repeated again and again to make the harness comfortable to wear. That harness is heavy -- it can at least be comfortable. Besides, the metal parts (the rings and such) don't line up well unless the leather strapping is softly bendable.

It sounds like life to me, and the process of learning. New experiences and knowledge gets rubbed into our minds and we absorb and become more pliable. More supple. Subtle changes. I am going to a slide show lecture at a book store this afternoon about the ancient history of the Southwest... beeswax for the brain.