“It’s not enough. It’s never enough. But sometimes it’s all we can do” ~ My Friend and Winter neighbor “Voni”

“A very wise person once said to me that we all help in the way that moves us the most” ~ My Friend “Louise” ~

So I have calm down from the previous days. Often the window opens up and words come in, as magic they can shift it all in the proper gear, and even if the sprocket is a bit old, still remaining with a grind, well, those simple few words appeased me, they made more sense to me than the tumultuous flooding of thoughts running through my mind lately. My Friend’s words are priceless. This is Life, how will it all change some day? Most likely we will never know in our own Lifetime, but there is I know also progress. It is an upcoming gift for all of us and the ones that will follow in our footsteps. I hear from others as a “crusade”, for lack of better words,  fueled by awareness toward each other, toward this soil that supports us daily, this air we breath, toward it “all” really. And that is a good sign. A happy one. Maybe the plague of build up “greed” from Centuries past will flip it’s coin and show us “generosity” and “care” and mainly “unselfishness” on a greater scale than today.

And our day end up being the reflection of those sunny thoughts as also the weather was. I love Big Bend Park, it is just that the feeling of being watched at all time (webcams) and with the inability to have Spirit taking many steps in either direction quite too often, I find myself more comfortable outside the Park, around the corner often wandering and applauding. “The Oasis” and it’s surroundings are too far for the common rider lured by Terlingua to adventure themselves around here, even if only 30 miles away. Being all private land the choice often is in reality not theirs, between 700 and 1400 miles of unpaved roads, depending on who is giving out the numbers. Traffic is inexistent for us here, and as “they” keep saying “tomorrow… tomorrow” about the incoming bad weather, but today, give me a few clouds any time and a sun playing hide and seek, and suddenly this inner mind of mine just wants to go out there and search the beauty surrounding us to photograph.

It was a day with no ripples, just a non planned anything day, as most of them truly are for us. I always feel as have never seen every square inch of this land surrounding us, and it is true, I have not and will not as it’s vastness will not allow it fully. I enjoy at times to take a ride with Spirit for the only purpose of taking photos. To search those few images that maybe have escaped me previously or where never there. I call it “getting into the zone”. Discover the physical changes Mother Nature has laid out when every thing constantly changes, from the color of the rocks, to the path of the mud, it is always as a new stage never knowing what to expect. Just to be out there for that single purpose to discover an odd dead plant, a live one that has changed direction, a rock out of place even if they really never are, anything that always glistens specially after the serious rains we have had. It is really that simple. A deep breath with every step within this total silence that surrounds. Not the big expedition with hours of preparation. It is just grab the boots, Spirit, the cameras, a bit of water and go. The preparations took place years ago, we are now on a “onward” mode, have been for a while.

The roads were clear, a bit muddy here and there, puddles of clear water in pools reflecting the newly washed rocky bottoms. I stopped often, it is as being suddenly transported on another planet a bit. Spirit has here and there the freedom to run, he is really good one on one, never listens when other dogs present. I walked often ahead at times feeling the road till finally the drop into the last creek was of that good mud that will build up in no time and fill one’s vehicle fenders. “Concrete mud” is what I call it. It comes in many colors but only in one consistency, the kind I truly avoid after being stuck on the way out from Toroweap I think it was last year. And if ever that mud dries out, it then turns into a hard rock consistency, I have had a tire grooved that way!

I still feel it as a strange entity able to call it all around us “my backyard” as what a “backyard” it is! The endless formations remains of an Ocean floor today able to ride it, walk it, is always such a unique feeling. I often think about it, the thought that at one time maybe as much as a thousand feet of water or more where above us and today Mother Nature having given us the priviledge to step on such a floor in the company of the fossils, reminders of a past reality. We are so fortunate being here, I sometimes feel guilty failing to remember such actuality, the reminder always present when as soon as we are away.   

Today the stage has changed. It has been a gray ceiling, have not seen the sun, it’s rays and felt it’s warmth. Tomorrow morning a quick round trip to Midland and back, plunge in just a while in “that” different world.  This should be only a tease of bad weather, that reminder to open up our arms greatly and always embrace our “now” moments. As well as we can…

Till next time, you be well, always, it is our best choice.

Ara & Spirit

If you find yourself perusing this site extensively, please, consider purchasing Prints, Merchandise or making a contribution above to help us with Internet costs.

“Please do not e mail us with attachments. No forwards. No photos. No funny cartoons. Text only. Photos? Please use links only from a Photo Gallery”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 4:59 pm 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.