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

“Happiness needs sadness.
Success needs failure.
Benevolence needs evil.
Love needs hatred.
Victory needs defeat.
Pleasure needs pain.
You must experience and accept the extremes. Because if the contrast is lost, you loose appreciation; and when you loose appreciation, you loose the value of everything.”
~ Philipos ~

Another week of summer like weather above the nineties in the Sun, shade is the gold of this Desert. Wondering if suddenly a harsh winter is going to drop on us turning this stage upside down. Maybe. We are always ready for the cold. Lazy these days. Maybe the full Moon after effects? Maybe just is as slowly Life is finding it’s balance after these tumultuous years seeking as such? No need to know. Only accepting the moment always away from it all letting the quietness indulge me from top to bottom.

It is late, yet a few words are flying in upwards. Four shots in the mouth from a kind Dentist, and I am not being sarcastic. We have some good people around us, talented, dedicated to a small town as their path could have very well taken them to the big city with the bigger wallet size. They work with everyone’s budget, never cutting corners, and the same goes for my General Practitioner, an old fashion Dr that knows more than the many other ones I have frequented. Done for a while, a clean bill of health. Good for a while I would say. A relief, an open door toward the ongoing Journey.

The night time cold has resurfaced. The base layers are worn to keep me warmer throughout these times as also Spirits coats have. Yet I am outside laying and watching the Stars, those enigmatic sources of lights when the Moon is resting. Their vision nightly ground me. This vast Universe and the constant knowledge of the multitude of Galaxies erases the daily mental traffic jams. How minuscule we are, how petty so much can we be as eventually we will all survive making due with what we have.

Spirit’s water outside this morning was a nice Frisbee made of ice. I don’t think he gets it yet but he likes to munch on it when I remove it. Layers on I was packing up Crusty. Layers off this afternoon I am drenched from putting up the tent on Grapevine Hill Road. Go figure. Back Country permit in hand here we are for a few days. The objective is to hike to the “Balanced Rock”. We have never been there.

It is the freedom of the road. I was planning "Terlingua Abaja" but had to out of the way ride to Panther Junction for the permit. Now I know we could have gone to “Costollon Visitor Center” for it. Closer. Next time, for Christmas and the New Year probably. The Hilleberg went up fast. It is a tent one must put up with the direction of the wind. And if up fast enough with all the vents open and the wind going through it will not heat up. Two stakes, 4 poles, pull one end, 2 more stakes, a couple more guy lines for plan B and that is it. This tent has been up and down so many times. With the ground clothe, tent and fly all always attached I think with eyes closed it would only be a simple game.

“Grapevine Hill 3”. I was not aware it is shared with number 2. The Ranger was in training and I forgot to ask as on the map it just did not look as such. Well, if we have neighbors throughout these quiet times I am sure they will be nice ones. Probably none.

There is even a food box. The kind that locks and I will use it as a table to cook on. Water is only 10 miles or so away, there is a tall Mesquite tree to hang my shower, all the conveniences of Home! Clouds have finally appeared this afternoon and the temps are cooling off suddenly quickly. We are so much more geared toward cold weather. Base layers of Icebreaker 260 and 320, Polartec Millet Fleece Super Stretch. Windproof layer. These new Vulcan boots are for in the Field Firemen. They keep warm and cool all at the same time with such an incredible Armor for riding and at the same time so much ease for hiking. Easy slip on and off. I am hoping they do the cross over toward also motorcycle riders. What will I cook tonight? It is early, yet starving. I bought some frozen chicken and pork for a change. One of the rare times. Maybe pasta with it since water source is not that far while I will use it’s hot water to wash the pans. It is called recycling.

I woke up this morning and for a single second forgot where I was. A big smile once I realized. Dipping into the unknown, a deeper space. So quiet here. A raven I see near by perched on a tree outside the tent is talking loudly. Another one passes by and I can hear the sound of his wings flopping through the air. Sun is up, warmth is taking it’s time arriving as myself taking my own time for our morning routine.

It is a routine as much I don’t like to admit as such. Has to be or we would never move on. Coffee is first, then comes Spirit bouncing around doing his thing, he gets his breakfast before mine, I eat, morning meds and vitamins and on for a short or sometimes long hike. A bit of reflection as to which way the wind is blowing, what is today going to maybe bring on, what is a must project? Can it wait or has it waited long enough as if not too careful winter times will blow by and spring, summer or fall are not projects conductive.

“Grapevine Hills Road” turns out to be another inspiring space to settle within. Time has escaped me. The skies have been generously putting on their scenes. This morning the sun peaked into the tent and realized it was that time to sneak out for a preview of the day. A band of clouds from one end of the horizon to the other was standing still above it before engulfing the warm rays barely reaching. For a while to the right a narrow opening was showing off the smallest rainbow ever seen. A few minutes. A message?

I savor these moments. I feel the good fortune has shown me this path. My thoughts are always on Lance in such times. I need to write them down. He is so close I can feel his breath, I can see the twinkle in his eyes. I hear his voice for ever lingering within my own Life. I get sad, I get happy able to handle the circumstances. A vast bowl of emotions. The hallway of thoughts in this vast Desert is always free of traffic and the images and the feels are sharp and concise. No one needs to understand it but myself. This is not how Life should have been. Yet it is unraveling on these present edges with a cliff on both sides. I yet have to take a wrong step.

There is a weather change tomorrow. I have 1 bar and 3 to 4 x’s on my phone. I find it odd, maybe just not as far away as I thought, yet able to check the weather on which we always depend. We left early and hiked to the “Balanced Rock” before the heat of the day which regardless dropped on us on the way back. A nice hike about a mile each way, the last of it being more climbing than anything else. Wrong sun for photos, this would be a better exposure in the latter of the day. But, as they say "Oh! Well…". We don’t just live for photos but the experience itself.

No cooking tonight besides a quesadilla. Much reading and all at the same time watching Mother Nature’s show unravel. None like it. The blues are making way for the clouds fanned here and there. The colors will start changing soon, colder is already present, two layers time. We are headed back to “The Oasis” tomorrow.

Our new Logo available on T Shirts or Home and Office “stuff” through “Printfection”.

Smugmug Photo Galleries

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 Monday, December 10th, 2012 at 11:31 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.