When the World says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

This is a difficult entry. Difficult because ‘I need’ to ask for help presently in Tucson awaiting major repair and swallow my pride. Financial help. My least favorite subject. Bluntly to the point. Cornered. My 658th entry, closing in on our 5th year, over one million five hundred forty thousand visits, thousands of photos, 250,000 miles on the odometer, this is indeed the major repair. Printed all up on paper these chapters would be a thick Coffee Table book with a few volumes at hand. I cannot fathom the idea this could be the end for the only reason of not being able to cover this major expense. Can you look at it as a Book purchase? A few? A subscription maybe? As my good Friend/Webmaster ‘Brian’ says “as long as it is ‘honest”… and it is “I feel”, as much as I have always been one avoiding any such imposition. We only have a few days ahead. Would you please?  You do not need to have “PayPal” to contribute from the button above and the transactions are perfectly safe. Thank you…

Well, today, looks like this is it. For now, unless. On 191, 20 miles north of Chinle a bag of rocks within the engine made it’s music about an hour ago, shaking and rattling, locking the rear wheel and coming to a stop skidding in the middle of the highway. I think the tranny is shot, maybe it is the final drive? Who knows, my mechanical knowledge only goes so far. Just when "Old Faithful" turns a quarter million miles. The weather is great, nice clouds, a nice breeze, food, water, what more can we ask for. Spirit is in the shade. My good Friend Dean is coming from Show Low with his trailer. Seems as he has saved us too many times these past weeks. How can I repay? Do you have Friend that will drive 780 miles in 2 days at a drop of a hat to rescue you?

A giant tractor pulled us half way off the road, the gears are frozen, neutral, clutch in, no go. A road construction crew loaned us a red cone and a local Navajo stopped by to invite us to camp at his corral a mile or so away. But we have it all, we cannot leave this behind, we will wait here, always prepared. Our last ride was on the desolate dirt roads leading to "Recaptured Pocket", breaking down within that space would have been a bit more detrimental. Or Muley Point, or anywhere else for that matter, far from it all as we usually are.

I was getting in the groove of our ride this morning when it all happened. A nice tail wind, beautiful clouds made me stop for photos a few times. Yet, here we are, on the "side" of the road instead. My thoughts were on Lance while riding, they were on my departed best Friend Bill. They were questioning why and how odd it was I could not call them anymore, speak to them, laugh, joke, listen to their non sense as so often they have listen to mine. It was then on an awakening, another reality making it’s way into our day, days.

We are in Tucson now, “Old Faithful” has been stripped from all it’s luggage, all the electrical to the sidecar has been dismantled, her rear wheel is resting on a doily for ease to be moved around by the great crew of “Iron Horse” BMW Motorcycle Dealer. It was not easy to get her on the trailer brought in by Dean. The wheels did fit but the rails where in the way of what we call, the left “jug”, the cylinder head of the engine, the rail was too tall. A truck had stopped also, local Native Navajos, they started helping before we realized the probability of breakage. “Karma” intervened. How many trucks would be carrying a engine hoist that could be put together in a few minutes? A quick ride to bring in 3 old tire rims and “Old Faithful” suddenly took a leap in the air to be placed gently on the trailer clearing the rails. It was quite a sight. Quite a deal. It would have not happened without them.

At “Iron Horse”, ‘Jim’, the service manager, well, like a precise surgeon, with the help of jacks, doilies and many hands, inch by inch she was pulled back to finally rejoin some of her distant cousins some ready for their rides, some also awaiting to get well. She is in good hands and yet, this is a major break down, this is a serious turning point for her as it is for us. We are in “Green Valley” at our Friend’s house, ‘Mark’, ‘Mark” who kindly opened up his doors when he heard of this new path we have taken, or more like it, this lack of path.

More news soon, we will be taking a drive toward her today, I can only hope they do not want to retire her. The long road mental and physical awaits for us. The valleys and the peaks… that is what Life has always been about.

"I have had a great deal of interest in my photography over the years, for which I am grateful. Their sales are of much importance funding this Journal. Yes, please feel free to purchase one or two… or a few. I have been adding some photos lately, there will be more as I sift through about 100,000 of them. Take a look. Also for merchandise also “Smugmug” stands for quality. For contributions to defer the always rising Internet costs please use the toolbar above. “Zen Gallery” is slowly filling up with new photos. Thank you for your help.”

Ara & Spirit

Be Safe and well
Peace, Love, Courage