“Paragraphs of Daily thoughts, a bit of mental therapy, this and that, published weekly or so…”

“I am haunted by landscape, by the terrifying beauty of mountains, which I miss with the sort of internal, gaping, physical ache typically reserved for a lost beloved. I think best, and feel the most clarity, in the emotional and intellectual expansiveness of open sky.” 
~ Lee Ann Roripaugh ~

It is the beginning of another Year, obviously that is not news to me or Spirit. Just thoughts mingling as the stage remains and an increasing fervor of Freedom is taking place within. One would think after 6 Years the desire would dwindle down. It has not. Opposite. It is the Passion of being out with no walls surrounding us, the air fresh non polluted, the silence or the sounds when stormy and windy or when some creature passes by, flies by. It is that a bit different than most mode of transportation, on 3 wheels for us, yet similar to others on two wheels, sometimes though now with four wheels also. It is the time spend with my Buddy Spirit, 365/24/7. Cooking outdoor. In touch with true Friends. The senses have sharpened. Such a Luxury I can afford, the compromises do not phase me.

We have moved on, we have trekked again around another circle traced as when the past carrot was dangling it’s bright and strong call being an attraction as none before. It has wilted now, rotted, and the circle like what was a tight lasso is no more as gone and limp to the ground. Life is an amazing feat, the lessons never stop materializing. Some are free and some are costly. Some we have to attend it’s class again! Human Nature when we don’t learn their value the first time around. Eventually we do get there and the Diplomas add another notch to the stage of this physical and mental Freedom.

These days are grays mixed in with rain and a few flurries of snow. Snow in Big Bend. It happens once a year or two and I wish it would be more but it never lasts too long, maybe long enough for a quick photo. They are indoor days catching up on some e mails now a few weeks old as I try to stay ahead of them all to no avail. But, but New Year’s Day was uplifting and more while spending the afternoon in Terlingua at the Black Eye Pea Cook off by the Porch all mixed in with good Music and Friendly faces and Souls.

My wish came through last night. Much snow, maybe 4 to 6 inches. It will be water for us soon. Late in the night on my last looking up the skies it was dark and silent. Without a flashlight I did not realize it was snowing and almost end up horizontal. I stayed out for quite a while as the snow deadened even deeper any resemblance of a noise with an incredible calming effect. I went to sleep looking forward to early morning. What a Present Mother Nature gave us overnight. It is rare here, this much for a fact. It did not take us long this morning to gear up and on we went for a ride as with two wheel drive "Crusty" was rolling without a single hesitation.

Spirit was calmer than usual, he was also wondering what was going on even though not his first time on snow. I think he took it all in as I did. More photos when we came back as all to the most minute details were suddenly of a different texture, shape and color. Nothing had changed and yet everything has. This day so unique when the colors have died and yet all is more brighter and colorful than ever. We are always feeling in each moment of every day of our lives. The awareness is heightened within for us toward such an unusual landscape, one so white, so desolate while merging with a sky of almost the same color.

More looking up the skies tonight and the grays of the day have switched to the dark blue night with stars so bright I now know that what we too often take for granted,  the Sun, will be up in the morning. I think and know already even with the cold but invigorating ride and play in the snow this morning, cabin fever was starting to set in. Just in time as on demand the rays are now melting it all as slowly erasing a masterpiece surrounding us. The browns of the Earth are coming through, the whites dissipating, the drawings changing by the minute. The dirt is even drying out here and there itself with deep contrast of still it’s wet counterpart. Drip, drip, a symphony of water drops each with their own notes sometimes in tune and sometimes not like an unrehearsed melody.

A bit of a change now within this context. Magazines are not too keen on my writing for them [I don’t blame them]. I decided to here and there write up a Product report sharing some of what we use, the ones that really "work" in the field we are in and some I know can also be used by anyone with their likings of the outdoors. Some will be about camping, some about riding, cooking and who knows what else. I am really looking forward to sharing as such in details and at the same time help out some of our so kind Sponsors. As always my writing upon them will be honest with their pros and cons, sometimes products are a bit of a compromise and the pros outweigh the decision using them. 

Our latest acquisition are riding boots. I am one that always tries to cross over needed products. Sometimes because of their costs, sometimes because I feel  such product can be used multi purposely. As a few examples I use "Pelican" cases for panniers. Brand names, mostly metal which will bend at first fall have a cost of around $1200 a pair with mounts. I have had these for around 12 years, before a sidecar was attached, many falls and their cost on sale was $90 for the pair. They are still waterproof. I use "drawer handle pulls" bolted on to attach bungees for our bags. My stainless steel nuts and bolts come from an Ace Hardware store at one tenth of their cost compared to a Motorcycle dealership. My rain gloves [orange and green!] are $9 rubber gloves used for chemical handling versus $100+ motorcycle gloves which actually are never quite waterproof. My cold weather riding suit is an "Arctic" Carthartt one piece suit. A fraction of the cost of a Motorcycle suit and warmer. These Boots I will write about in the next entry are designed for in the Field Firefighters. I knew they would be an incredible pair to have not only riding but also hiking. And they are. 

I have updated our Smugmug Galleries. Prints and Digital uploads.

Calendars are still available. Both Designs…

Stay well, Ara and Spirit