Archive for May, 2016

The Goblins… Utah

Saturday, May 14th, 2016

“Mother Nature is our teacher—reconnecting us with Spirit, waking us up and liberating our hearts. When we can transcend our fear of the creatures surrounding us, we then become one with all that is; we enter a unity of existence with our relatives—the animals, the plants and the land that sustains us.”  ~ Sylvia Dolson, Joy of Bears ~

Not the greatest days for photos as no clouds were present, but it is what it is! The nights made up for it as the nearest human light was 10 miles away…

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I have not seen five am since a very long time! We had to backtrack into Bluff a couple days ago and one more time address a repair of a repair. Charging system while driving. Lucky me, our Friends here Diane and Tim own this really quaint Campground slash RV park [Cadillac RV Park] and was [still is!] a full pledge mechanic. It has not only been the pleasant fact that all is now fixed but the aspect that I have learned the electrical system of this camper, AC, DC, continuity and a methodical approach to the problem all from plug to plug to plug! It has been about a month since we left and only now I feel a wave of freedom truly present for the coming months. Three months to the day from surgery. I keep thinking all is now normal but there is retaliation by the end of the day. Maybe a Post-it-Note on my forehead to take it easy might help. All and all I am thankful.

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Why 5am? There is much excitement about the future roads and spaces awaiting. With things going kind of so wrong so far I had almost given up! Even the thought of going back to Texas had passed through my mind. Juggling while on the road is at times not an easy task and too often of an expensive one. The few days passed in Valley of the Gods and Gooseneck had given me a boost and quitting is never an option. Just a thought in moments of despair, uneasiness. What we would do anyhow in 115 degrees in the shade? Be miserable for sure. All this compounded with the fact that I am falling in love [lust?] with our home on wheels! Seriously too comfy and too easy. I have no doubt some next season it will be back to the tent and its simplicity as that romance will always be embedded in me, but for now, it is what it is and not a bad solution at all. As they say "it beats the alternative"… which is nothing!

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We arrived in Moab yesterday and how things have changed! Just like many spaces throughout the country, BLM has shut down the free camping spaces with gates and signs galore! We experienced it in Death Valley a few years back, that notion has now moved on to here. I remember when arriving throughout a spring time and both banks of the river burning for eventually campgrounds being built which are now present. I did manage to find a quiet spot North of town but I think this will be the last time for this space. We should have backtracked to Valley of the Gods while awaiting warmer weather in Colorado. Maybe that space will also change some day. I hope not! Us who like to boondock as they say are paying a heavy price for the ones trashing the free spaces. A sad state of affairs and now on our way to Colorado it is time to take a better look at the maps trying to find some hidden gems.

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As if that was not enough a steel bat with full force hit me on the head yesterday. I was given word that our solar system at The Oasis, Big Bend, Texas, was stolen. It is a huge loss as I did have the presence of mind insuring it but found out it will not be covered because we do not live there at least 80% of the time. It is frustrating, maddening, upsetting even though only "stuff" yet costly. Another sad fact considering the vastness of the land, the lack of an urban setting and yet thefts have been rampant. It was only a matter of time as most of my neighbors had already experienced it. I always knew that in the back of my mind. A good Friend has offered to rebuild me a system, one smaller on wheels to be stored off the property for our cabin which hardly uses any power considering this camper is in itself totally self contained with its own solar. Still such a loss. I feel violated. Bunch of cowards who should have tried to steal when we were there. I guess that is why they are called thieves. A hundred feet or less from where Lance and my Mother lay. How dare they? My head is still not as they say screwed on right and even the though of selling that land and going back to the road 12 months out of the year instead of seven has crossed my mind. Yet, I love The Oasis, it is a mental and physical comfort to know we have a space to go back to we can call "ours". What will be next? Who knows. Dark clouds are traversing my mind as much as I am trying to blow them away. It is getting harder and harder to make lemonade out of lemons.

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On North towards Highway 70 we started heading up until I realized there is a 170 million years old playground we had never been. Only 80 miles away. We made a left instead of a right as Colorado could wait and here we are in such vast and beautiful lands that it lifted my spirits. A bit. "Goblin Valley State Park" itself surrounded with much BLM land which unlike Moab is wide open and free for the stay. It is remote, there is no cell reception, they are themselves on solar power. It is perfect as is the weather barely hitting the low 70’s. The entrance fee is $13 and is only good for one day. National Senior Passes are not accepted. We are camping only 3 miles or so from the entrance and will probably go in tomorrow for the experience at sunrise and again one more time at sunset. Maybe some day the States and the Federal will recognize each other and allow us seniors to use our passes since indeed we have paid our dues. Who knows!

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So today was the day to spend that $13!… and witness the sunrise and the sunset on these Goblins. Hundreds of them in the first Valley which we walked through. Amazing what Mother Nature can carve over time if we let her. There are more which are 2.5 to 5 mile hikes away but I am not quite ready for that kind of mileage especially carrying a couple cameras since I mostly again gave up taking phone photos for our Journal. It just was not quite the same. Tomorrow morning we really leave for Colorado! Probably stop again North of Moab since I now know some deserted area for free camping and it is Friday which means the weekend, which means everyone will also be out there on our path to the next State. Today took my mind a bit off the theft. I can’t help fuming about it when the thought crosses my mind, yet I know all will work out! It has for the past ten years one way or another. Will make due with what we have as we always have done.

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Stay well, Ara and Spirit