From this…

… to this?

It is in colors, but they have vanished, so has the sun, the warmth, everything we had has suddenly changed from one day to another, 230 miles or so north of Moab… Salt Lake City. The forecast calls for a bit warmer temperatures, specially tomorrow, but visiting my friends Jan and Sharon who live on a hill I am not too sure of this outcome. The support toward our rig being hospitalized to seek finer health has been incredible. It has already been dropped off at the shop yesterday, "Motorcycle Repair and Rendez Vous", where service prevails with Jeff and Ron running an old fashion service oriented motorcycle shop as it should be. None of this generic "sign on the dotted" line and will call you for your Visa number here… This is where detailed consultations happen for your and patient’s benefit. We are 99% sure that it is a sensor which should have never lasted 182,000 miles. Mick from Tucson who rebuilds them better than original already had one on its way which should reach the shop today. In between their booked for days service schedule they will attend to Old Faithful which I am as still early in the day is also being covered by the snow flakes.

So we are not really stuck here, almost, just sitting and waiting for the repair to be done so we can go back to the sunny days of Moab. The roads above are from the last ride we took, and I still have pictures of other rides which have never been published either… the wonders of digital photography! Jane Creek Rd is the name, which will turn into Hurray Pas if you keep going straight, Chicken Corners if you make a right and the continuation of Jane Creek when making a left, both of those later ones being rated very difficult by the four wheelers.

It all started very mild, always does, many interesting rocks and formations to look at, bit of hiking with Spirit who loves the sun but not the heat or the cold… A first creek crossing where I was told to take it from the right side as shallower, but the only problem was a steep bank into it which I figured we could go down and we will just take the other side, deeper but smoother banks on the return. Of course, looking back now, it was my first wrongful thought of the day.

We are already passed the intersection at this point that reads "Hurray Pass" and the other roads we did not take. The views are spectacular and as mild as the road was I could see a few campsite’s up with their occupants most likely as us exploring the region.

Things got difficult for us right after this picture and of course there was no way to stop and take some more as the rocky shelves sometimes a foot high, very loose sand in between and hair pin curves made their appearance. Not a problem at all for four wheelers, big problem for us and I have no clue what got into me to continue going up. Even with a knobby tire we cannot crawl as the weight of the rig with us in it is at 1200 pounds, we just start spinning. At higher speeds the rig does not have the suspension needed for softness to negotiate those shelves. A softer suspension will make the rig unworthy on black top and I have it at a compromising setting.

Maybe it was this picture that was pulling me and telling me to continue. At one hair pin curve the rig did not make its turn, jumping up in the air the sidecar landed at a 45 degree angle against a tall rocky wall. Spirit was suddenly looking down at me and I had to get off the bike with a bit of a bruised leg to roll it backward. That in itself because if its weight on loose sand and rocks becomes a delicate operation for it not to just slide downhill with the brakes on! We finally made it to almost the top as the thought of redoing this going down suddenly became a concern.

As I am catching my breath, shedding my jacket to take a break, Spirit totally unconcerned with the events can only baste in the sun… wish I had his demeanors, but it is not the case. We obviously made it back, crossing that first creek in the deepest part to avoid the steep bank, soaked to the bone, a couple miles later Old Faithful finally gave up. As I try to always look at the positive side of Life, this sensor eventually would have gone bad and it could have happened in a much worse scenario where maybe no help would have been available or with an engine shutting off right where power would be needed… So it is all good!… really good.

As we stopped waiting for a ride, I got to witness the rocks reflections in this other narrow creek, this was my favorite picture of the day, besides the one with Spirit on the ledge. Bicyclists catching a ride uphill…

And a new hobby here which I did not know took place, cliff jumping! You can see a little dot on "Tombstone", that is the jumper’s friend watching him fly away. Very exciting moments, specially when in the silence of the Canyon the parachute opens up with a sound unlike any.

Safe landing it was. Always wishing everyone whatever path they are on "a safe landing" also. I have decided to definitely not put ourselves in such difficult situations anymore, there are many other doable trails for us! This reminds me also of something written that was send to us by Don V. Z. a few days ago, this feels like the right time and place to read it again…

How to Dance in the Rain
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s; Arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry. As he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would Evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of
the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home. To eat breakfast with his wife.
I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied,"that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now".
I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ He smiled as he patted my hand and said, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, ‘That is the kind of love I want in my Life.’ True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you.

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
I hope you share this with someone you care about. I just did.
‘Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.’

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Ara Gureghian   853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245   Naples, Fl 34108

You be well and stay well…. Ara & Spirit