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

If you’re tired and the road seems long…
If you feel that you were wrong,
Do not be lead by the days and the times, begins anew.
If life seems too preposterous,
If you’re disappointed with too many things to too many people,
Don’t try to understand why, start again.
If you’ve tried to love and be useful,
If you knew the poverty of your limit,
Don’t let there a commitment fulfilled in half again.
If others look at you with reproach,
If you are disappointed, irritated,
Do not provoke, not ask them anything, it restarts.
Because the tree sprouts again forgetting winter,
The branch blooms without asking why,
And the bird makes its nest without thinking to autumn
Because Life is hope and always begins anew.
~ Author Unknown ~

Morning it is from more Desert. It will be this wild and desolate space for a while. A cold front a bit shy at first is making it’s way through, just about as apprehensive as myself am toward my own confrontations of these past days, yet not reluctant. It is as surfacing for air asphyxiated for so long and trying to now find out who I really am. I know the ladder has no end, I have acquired that knowledge that the above platform is only a mirage, only a pigment of one’s imagination for such complex minds we have. Growth it is, realizations, lessons, a few more drops of awareness, the decisions to make a right or a left, maybe just go on forward, sometimes backtrack. Clarity descends as a veil of lighter colors now, stunningly so beautiful that the element of surprise catches me off guard. Who was I then and who am I today? The past will never be the present, what is then this "now" which here confronts me with more clarity than ever seemingly as stitches finally encircling a well formed pattern of Life. 

The answer is simply that I do not know. Tip toeing within the present circumstances of a winter coming while as sailing through this Paradise surrounding us, my Buddy and I. It is as I want to taste more than ever my Mother Nature that has nurtured us. The logistics of this and that ironed out, the decisions to go here or there weighing always in the scales. Strange as how with one wave at the time, one whisk of the broom the stage has remained and yet the colors and it’s feels can change. Some of what then appealed does no more today. Some of what then appealed, crumbs left, strikes today with more fervor than ever. The decisions do come easier but still the confusion of it all is so present. The clarity is almost transparent, it is all a matter of space. That untouchable entity surrounding us, it’s passion and premonition, sentiments and prophecy oblivious becoming from anything else that could themselves present.

The Calendar seemed to be spinning with an incredible force as I realize it is Saturday. Or is it really? And we are still here at "The Oasis" as I thought we would be again pitched somewhere in the Park. I quit wondering what happens, how the days roll in and roll out, how this luxury of time not kept keeps making it’s presence never leaving us as does it really matter? Awareness of this package delivered daily, this time present because of Art Walk taking place in Alpine and we will not be going. The presence of such crowd is not pulling me in at all. And then on comes up "Thanksgiving" which always drops in with the mindset to be "Thankful" of these present times having nothing to do truly with a Turkey or Dressing.

We did however get into the Park, I think it was a couple days ago. One road which was the first one ridden on our arrival many Moons ago. "Old Maverick Rd" which forks out toward "Terlingua Abajo". A Space that has always pulled me to spend some time as "Santa Helena Canyon" is only a few miles away and there is nothing like it when present for it’s Sunrise riding the few miles in the dark to be present for the curtain rise. The road had been closed for a couple weeks, I was curious as to what they had done to it. "They made it nicer and easier to ride", in my thoughts, an unfortunate event. I know Edward Abbey also would have not liked it. 

Settlements where present a while back. “Terlingua Creek” is not so far as is the “Rio Grande”, those were often flooded I read, replenishing the soil for future crops. Maybe as the flooding that happened a couple years ago. Of course then, no one really cared about the richness of the soil, they were only concerned about the Golf course being taken out, that was in Lajitas. I find it comical how History of Mankind has as such taken this evolution. No one is there now at "Terlingua Abaja" [or "Abajo"], yet I feel the past presence of the earliest Texas Tribes, the Chisos, Apaches, Comanches and the many other Native Americans camping and taking roots lured by the presence of water and most likely also the more perfect climate of winters compromised by the harsh heat of Summer times. 1880’s. Those were the last years. "Extinct" is the word. No more of such presence as only a few primitive campsites remain.

Amazing how memories are long forgotten as also names and origins are. The importance that "Terlingua" began on "Terlingua Creek", near the mouth of the "Santa Elena Canyon", is too often ignored. Might be so few even know about that fact. Names of places are today remembered more for commercial reasons rather than for Historical accuracy. "Terlingua Abaja" is the first "Terlingua" and it might be for that reason I am always drawn to it easily imagining the previous villages erected and seeing a few remaining dwellings having endured the years as proof as "all" at one time was here, and not "there".

This morning this amphitheater feels as being on alien soil while the skies above have become low and gray and wet coming through the clothing as a humid summer day but cool. It is that time for our morning hike, this is when Spirit will smell every bushes letting me wonder which of the wildlife has visited us while sleeping. This is when he will continue proving with his eyes locked into mine that he still is the best "Clown" around! His daily lessons, proof that Life can be lived in the moment, are still being given daily. The ultimate fashion of living never unlocking the doors to any outside interferences. Easier said than done, I have not myself graduated yet.

2 “2013” Calendars of the Best Photos taken these past 6 Years. One is of “Nature”, mostly “Sunrises” and Sunsets”, one is of course “Mr. Spirit and Old Faithful”. Below is a collage of some of the Calendars Photos,

Both available from Lulu      

Stay well…

                Ara and Spirit

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 17th, 2012 at 10:52 am and is filed under travel, spirituality, pit bull, sidecar, motorcycle, cooking, photography, riding, homeless. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.