"The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.” J.R.R Tolkien

Muley Point was heating up, the shade turned into this oven set on medium high, simmering was not an option. A bit of a refuge in cool always Monticello where we sat for a couple hours posting my previous entry, more coffee and back on the road toward the green pastures of Colorado. It is an amazing space Colorado. A green contrast from Utah as if Mother Nature had decided to leave her work in a raw state of mind.

The Million Dollar Highway, look "Mom" no hands…. no guard rails. I had the iby jibes the whole way curve after curve. The width of the road stopped often at the white line and drops, straight down drops, nice and simple. And who needs a gym when one can ride such a road. The hack is a work out. Silverton, colorful little old mining town, Ouray, one more amazing stop spread out within the armpit of these peaks with a main street so inclined one only wants to cross it westward. What a place to live so centered and so close to the many other destinations I am so fond of such as Moab only a couple hours away.

We are at some dear Friends Home we have been trying to get together with these past years. Mark and Bobbie. We met in Big Bend when they themselves where on the road. They have stopped by and experienced "The Oasis", they have felt the road as us, Mother Nature is still while living here their daily companion throughout their hikes around this circle they are at it’s center. They needed a Home Base and they could not have made a better choice. The good news is they are getting ready to again go on into new Adventures. He has never stopped writing even off the road, so much information from this area is present now within his many chapters.

We have been here a few days now and the scenes one by one are starting to trickle in the enormity of their dimensions. It was originally as watching a 3 hour movie in a 2 minute span and an overwhelming sense unlike any other times. It always happens when arriving toward a fairly new space. There is so much to take in the senses spark in an overload mode. The reel has now slowed down and a Lifetime of trails has presented themselves to the taking with landscapes breathtaking at every curve. So much free camping for the taking, I like that, I like the freedom to be away without sounds of near by screaming, constant barking and bottles breaking at the start of a garbage can pile up, high pitch loud voices thinking they are the only ones around and neighbors having to hear their own latest. The classic one of course is “honey… change the channel will you!”.

How strange as my mind is resting here. Could it be the lack of oxygen as I feel as reaching for this state of “nothing” with a constant inner satisfaction within me. Even Spirit is happy! He has not stopped wagging his tail. Is it Colorado? Pain free the time is. We are on our way to Owl Creek Pass to lay back for a few days. Many roads unpaved, many we cannot ride such as Camp Bird Mine Rd ending up at Yankee Basin which my Friend Mark took us with his 4×4. A good thing. I might have ridden it not long ago but have stopped putting "Old Faithful " and my body and Spirit’s for that matter through rough road hardships. Those days are over. All need to last a bit longer.

"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. “Smugmug” stands for quality. Thank you”

Be well, always.

Ara & Spirit