Colorado, the right prescription. CO

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

 “The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” 
~ Barbara Kingsolver ~

Highway 114-4 xxx

For a change we are staying ahead of the warm weather. It is a game we play twice a year. Spring on North and Fall down the South. I remember winning the jackpot one July when camping on the snow at Lake Jacobs in Wyoming. It melted by the 10th day giving us a good run. I heard the area is closed this summer. The free spaces are dwindling down in numbers as also many road closures. What shocked me the most was the drilling around Moab, especially in Canyonland. I understand that it is still in the experimental stage. The giant cisterns are painted earth tones as if trying to camouflage the insult towards Mother Nature and us, roads on the plateaus as wide as highways are already in place for "their" trucks on once was green as far as you could see. I feel fortunate having experienced such spaces before the greed of too many takes over this Paradise we are slowly losing.

Shot about a week ago. Set in 720p HD for better definition.

Yet the best is not gone. Not yet. I cannot think that sort. There are those roads with no signs to the right and to the left. We see them often. Hope is not all lost, not yet. But these past few days we again have to stay within a good Internet connection as our book has now been uploaded to the printer. Of course I was thinking it would only be a matter of a couple days till I could give them an address for them to ship the first couple copies for our Editor and I to final proof it. I found out it is not so. It will take longer and my impatience surfaced. Not the one awaiting the book, but that one governing our whereabouts. I finally calmed down and let it go. There is no rush and we will after this Memorial Day weekend take off to spaces where connections might not be available. Will check in once a week or so. I also found out once the final go ahead is given it will take four to six weeks for the electronic format to be uploaded publicly. It is a matter of principle to not let anything get into our ways, break down this path we are on.

Also shot about a week ago. 720p HD for better definition.

So all is calm right now as we wander around Gunnison. Our rule is to move on Tuesdays or Wednesdays only. Those are the two days free spaces are not taken. I learned that lesson the hard way when landing on a Friday in areas where not even a square inch was available to set up. One of the many rules while on the road. We took a day ride to Lake City and Lake San Cristobal and it was like old times while braving the much colder temperatures, rains and heavy winds. Spirit never complaining! We got soaked, slapped by the strong winds, a penetrating cold and as I knew on the way back we would drop elevation to a dryer space, I was too lazy to add more protective gear. We dried up fairly quickly by the time we pulled over on the banks of Blue Mesa Reservoir where not a soul was present that late afternoon, only us taking in the few warmer degrees.

Blue Mesa Reservoir-5 xxx

Blue Mesa Reservoir-6 xxx

Suddenly yesterday it appeared on the printer’s website that "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash" had been uploaded. I quickly ordered a couple copies, the ones we need to read one more time. It is now that wait for that moment to hold in my hands the result of these past eight months. I am excited about it, most of our past seven years all printed between a front and back cover. The availability of the e-Books will indeed take longer. I have to read on for more learning. There is so much information I do not know and so glad I have and have had some incredible help from others putting us on the right track. We will have to stay in the area now as the mail will come in to Gunnison and then on more copies which I will offer through our Journal before and while it goes on Amazon. Those will be autographed by the both of us, the ones I will be mailing. I was asked to do so…

Crested Butte-4 xxx

Crested Butte-3 xxx

Crested Butte-2 xxx

Crested Butte xxx

Lunch in Crested Butte xxx

Lunch in Crested Butte-2 xxx

A few photos from Crested Butte before the rains! A great “Fish Tacos” lunch…

As the months are passing by and the core of being on the road surfaces after a busy past year, I sometimes realize times are just not the same as they were. And I know why. There is no more close Family. That part is now absent and in turn I try to understand the dynamics of the correlation between such a fact and my love for Mother Nature, the roads and what they means to me, to us. The affection is more than ever there but it has been a harder one to grasp. To reach mentally, to admire her work which daily surrounds us. Besides Spirit and our few good Friends, it is only her and I. My exchanges with my Mother, daily sometimes when a connection was available, that has vanished and left a blank space, a nothing space and that nothing is bare, lonely, empty with no return of a present affection and love.

image_map 

Exploring the area around Gunnison. For a sharper video set to 720p HD.

The snowman-2

I often wish I could go through Life lightly. I am just not built that way. My thoughts are all in depth, not quite over analyzing but feeling them on a level maybe a bit too deep and pronounced with these days more strength needed than ever before. Yesterday was another long ride south east of Gunnison. I call it an exploratory ride! We have always ridden north but only in the past once this route taken. And now I have to take back what I have said earlier. There might be a lot of drilling going on around Moab but these spaces here are still untouched. So many roads, well maintained ones, into BLM land spaces we passed. I was amazed and so pleasantly surprised. We will go back to them map in hand and mark them. As long as the cool weather maintains we will stay here enjoying those new treasures found. Slowly the colors are coming back and so is “that feel”. Yesterday was a marker of such for me. The deep greens, the inviting roads and even the snow. All brought back the certainty that every new day is the beginning of our Life. Hope maintains.

 

Saguache-14 xxx

Witnessing the first forest fire xxx

Lake San Cristobal

Spending also some time in Saguache. A quaint and welcoming little town.

Saguache-11 xxx

Saguache-10

Saguache xxx

Saguache-6 xxx

Saguache-4 xxx

Saguache-13 xxx

Saguache-8 xxx

Saguache-7 xxx

Will announce its release soon…

Cropped final for DEESTAMP for book

Stay well…
                Ara and Spirit

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4 Responses to “Colorado, the right prescription. CO”

  1. Voni Says:

    So close! We are pulling for the book to be born. That will give youthe freedom your crave once more!

    Happy trails!

  2. Randy Says:

    Feels good to begin a new day around Moab with you again.

  3. Ara & Spirit Says:

    Where are you three now?

  4. Randy Says:

    We’re back in Iowa. Got our motorcycle riding son married off last week. Zelda took the truck-camper out for a solo excursion a few weeks ago and we’re all ready for a near trip to the beautiful hills of Northeast Iowa next week. Headed for Scandinavia in a few weeks so that’ll slow an excursion until headed North mid Summer. Natasha’s ready now. Doesn’t want to even come in the house.

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