SW Colorado is facing a fierce drought. The fire known as the 416 fire rages on, now at 54,000 acres burned. For our Radical Joy for Hard Times day I decided to spend time with the dry, thirsty earth on a neglected lot near the center of town. A friend and I walked the dusty, crackling underfoot land. We listened to ourselves and the beings there. We picked up trash and made our RadJoy bird. We offered water to the plants. The time spent seemed to be about connection. My friend and I caught up on our lives and the challenges of living and working and finding a way to make your way in the world. We both noticed that we have rarely paid attention to this lot. By the end we felt a bond with the land, saw the signs of deer walking through it, noticed the birds in the trees. We became curious about its past and we learned that there is a housing development planned for its future. And so in the end, we felt glad it had some time being “neglected”—as if it has a chance to rest and just before it becomes another soldier bearing the weight of human expansion, growth and development. We agreed to check in on it from time to time, and bring an act of beauty—even if that is just a moment of noticing and appreciation, and a drink of water. And indeed, as I write this, the rains have arrived and the land has had some relief and nourishment.