Archive for January, 2013

Same Day, another Year gone by. TX

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Paragraphs of Daily Thoughts, some Mental Therapy and some reviews of our “well seasoned” Gear, published Weekly or so.

The Moon-3

Carl Sagan for Journal

"I wait. Now the night flows back, the mighty stillness embraces and includes me; I can see the stars again and the world of starlight. I am twenty miles or more from the nearest fellow human, but instead of loneliness I feel loveliness. Loveliness and a quiet exultation."
~ Edward Abbey ~

Indian Trail-16 xxx

“Indian Trail”, a Gem near by Terlingua where we spend an afternoon exploring.

Indian Trail-6 xxx

The day is only moving slower these times. It is for most just another day, as it should be. It is for me the Day of the Year I say again Good Bye as I did 9 Years ago. It is a calm day, it is a stormy day, all in between as sometimes torn so hard I don’t even know how to maintain a so much needed balance throughout it all. What an amazing Life with a big sigh, a tear and a smile where confusion still reigns too often but will be. 

Indian Trail-13 xxx

Indian Trail-12 xxx

Rooted like an Island in this Sea of Society licking it’s shores, I feel as the tide taking me up and down with no rest to be seen and felt. The beaches of the mind are scarce these days, rocks prevail not yet dulled from these years passed. Will they ever I wonder? Will I ever come to terms? Does it really matter as good times do surface and then on choked with a darkness as a sky with no Moon and hopes of the stars brilliant and yet not bright enough to sometimes lead me on a better path. There are not many words to describe these past days always taking me back to the last ones of my Boy leaving to never return. The clouds of the past perceptions, of those foggy days knowing the outcome, but never believing it lingers as today it is real, unlike seemingly those days were not, because we never wanted to accept such outcome. 

Indian Trail-15 xxx

Indian Trail-14 xxx

Indian Trail-19   x

Indian Trail-18 xxx

There was always a hope as today I find it so inconceivable that we thought so, ironic was our Human Nature. We did live the moment those days as the breaths were still being taken, we really did not want to face the somber reality they would stop soon on a January 26th by the end of the daylight hours. So here we are now, a heavy chest, a pain so deep I pound the ground back and forth awaiting my own time which maybe will lead me to again a togetherness so absent today. These past years have indeed been the "Journey" of a Lifetime with it’s ups and downs embracing a helpful Lifestyle where the Human "normality" has been set aside trying to grab a truer core of our surroundings.

Indian Trail-26 xxx

Indian Trail-32 xxx

Indian Trail-30 xxx

I gaze throughout the sights, the horizon is at times a flat line often broken up by Mountains and a landscape reflecting the spaces we wander throughout. The thoughts dwindle as sometimes I do not even want to think and yet feel a guilt when I don’t only wanting time to move on with it’s giant hands of a clock on a fast forward motion. These are not times to wonder what is right or wrong, they are only moments so present to try to not wonder and ask questions, they are not the times to ponder on the faith of Life itself as the currents are too violent for a present pool effervescent and tumultuous. 

Indian Trail xxx

Indian Trail-11 xxx

Indian Trail-20 xxx

There are no walls as we live, only the fabric of Life weaved by our Friendships, the true ones that understand, they try to. I only want them to feel the good surface of it all, but they do recognize such times and land a hand as well as they can lifting always to a higher ground I must remain on. A must. They are the pillars of the path, they are those bright stars on those dark nights, they have slowly made their way into the Journey unselfishly with much generosity of their thoughts and their own sharing of their well being. I thank them Daily. 

Indian Trail-25 xxx

Indian Trail-22 xxx

Indian Trail-33 xxx

These are the days. I am glad to be here at "The Oasis". Seems to be the yearly pilgrimage. Nowhere else truly would I want to be within such present times. An absolute freedom of thoughts, mind, Soul, all is present here. There are no rules, only ours. The absolute sanctuary as then on we can leave and confront another year mapped ahead of us with it’s surprises and the landscapes in their glory awaiting our senses. That is then the uphill motion always one step at the time. I never thought I would reach the top yet I also never thought I would be on this high floor feeling, a Gift of Life because I know deep down it is as such. Lance’s Gift. The one I share. The perception of Beauty surrounding us is here and present. How miserable it would be to turn my back.

A ride on “Indian Trail”

All about our Gear

”A Shower and a Bucket”

There is never one item more important than the other. They all have their equality and purpose which if absent would tilt the balance of utilizing the spaces we camp on. Maybe “the one” is the SAT Phone which I call our “Lifeline” and so fortunate to have one. A feeling of a certain insurance. But that is for another day.
Camping Gear has come a long way mainly becoming smaller, lighter, better materials and all around more efficient. That is the case for two items we use a lot, a bucket and a shower manufactured by
“Sea to Summit”. The old stays at “The Oasis” as the new comes with us.

Bucket and a shower xxx 

Pretty much a brainless decision.
The
shower has a capacity of 2.6 gallons made from a wear and tear resistant material, actually a bit larger than your regular 2.5 gallon plastic container. It folds in a pouch which only measures 3” x 6”, weighs 4.25 ounces and can be attached to a belt when hiking toward a water source for an impromptu shower. I like the twist spout. I have broken many pull out spouts when with soapy hands they get stuck. 8 and a half minutes of shower with it fully open, more than enough and it takes about 3 hours of full sun to warm up the water. I also like the fact since it’s closure are two D rings, it can be used as a dry sack while tucking away the 20 feet cord which is used to hang it.

Bucket and a shower-2 xxx 

Bucket and a shower-4 xxx

Bucket and a shower-5 xxx

Bucket and a shower-6 xxx

We use the bucket constantly. Personal hygiene, washing pots and pans and since water is gold for us and if a source is near by, besides the water cans I carry it is nice to have this extra 2.6 gallons of water. Same capacity as the shower. Again it folds as small as the it’s companion and can be attached to a belt or backpack before filling. Only weight 2.8 ounces, is PVC free and food grade coated with a 420D nylon material as a base and handles for extra strength and 210D around it’s sides. No complains on both of these items, they have performed flawlessly. Smaller, lighter, efficient, what could go wrong?

Bucket and a shower-7 xxx

Photos Galleries are on Smugmug

Calendars, 2013, 2 styles, are on Lulu LuLu Journal

Spirit Calendar

Calendar Nature

Stay well, always…
                           Ara and Spirit