Spirit. Thursday, July 9th, evening. So all this preparation to sleep in a small, smaller tent? My dry food I see is already in the bag, I sure hope he empties the juice of one of those canned chicken stuff when he feeds me the next time, why waste it? The kind they had for lunch today as they totally forgot about me since he has this new Friend called Michael. If this guy does not stop whistling at me, one more time and I will take a chunk out of him, easy when he wears those shorts, right to the bone. I mean really! When we are out riding I hear it all day that I am “cute”, not my favorite words, I like “hey good looking” much better. I hear that I am so intelligent, I have a name and whistling is just not going to cut it, specially that he is joining us camping. After all, I am the one that everyone takes a picture of, I never hear “can I take a picture of both of you?”, it is always me, so I have to start demanding a bit more respect, right?

We did not even go anywhere today, and the little fun I was going to have chasing the many rabbits here turned into chasing again the stupid stick. This morning was the worse as they both started throwing it as I was a retrieving machine! I need the exercise, so I do go after it, it is worth sometimes a treat or a scratch, but then I have them fooled, acting stupid as to not bring it back hoping they will run out of those. Why could they not go and get it back themselves? They sure look like they both could use some exercise. So I am sleeping most of the day in preparation of things to come. I know the drill. We will wander aimlessly as we always do, get lost at least half a dozen times, my stomach is going to end up upside down from all the U Turn he takes, and I also know I will have to wait for ever while he uses that wonderful camera of his to no end.

At least I am allowed in Michael’s house here, nice carpet let me tell you, soft, no good smells yet though, which is a shame. I napped all morning while they were ordering some motorcycle parts for some kind of upcoming maintenance day, which only means another boring day for me. I slept then, but not fooled when they talk about me, my eyes closed does not mean I cannot hear, unless it is something good coming up I prefer to ignore. I really don’t like being teased anymore as I am, just to prove that I am smart does not mean anything to me. I know who I am. So, I am sure we are also going to get up early and catch the cold breeze. I am still wondering why my windshield has been cut so short and then again it might be a good thing as he never cleans it. Just like my goggles, cannot get the message across that because of the low windshield meaning more wind, the snot from my nose gets on the lenses so fast and then within a few miles I already cannot see a thing! Oh! well… what is the sense of complaining… I sure Love my Buddy, it is just that sometimes… well you know… a Dog’s Life!

Friday, July 10th, early morning. “Some of us don’t escape to get away from it all. We escape to return. The further we flee from the wild, the more insane we become. It’s only when we make our way back to the natural world, free of human alterations, that our soul really feels at home.” Mark Renz

A good Friend send me this quote yesterday, very a propos considering where we are at the present time. I read and then went on to sit for a long time staring at the valley down by ahead of me. Sometimes I saw the present, sometimes I felt the past, the past of the past as we will never see it. For so long I never really saw Mother Nature as she is today. I lived on a sailboat for such a long time and only felt one of her many facets, water. Water so rarely still with her incredible ability of her different portraits. So many always asked me if I would ever get bored from that same scenery day after day, as often as possible, miles and miles away from shore. Bored? …as I would smile! How can one explain as one can see or can look or better can penetrate it’s complexity of the same storms we here witness or the same sunny day or even better when as glass a full moon illuminates it all making one feel so minute on the past surface I lived on.

I don’t think too often about those days anymore. It seems that any past before Lance got sick have vanished, erased forever. I did however today, it was as a spark triggered by the above words. I suddenly remembered that what I am searching for today on land, I had found it on the seas. I had found that ability to live for the moment, undisturbed, at peace, happy… Happy! A strange word to pronounce these past few recent years as it’s definition has changed forever. My sailing days were meant as an escape, I realize today they were meant to return to my own roots, mirror my soul and my mind while letting them live in Peace. There was no “human alterations” on the seas, none as they are here on land as it is those alterations that are making my own return difficult as I also do believe everyone else’s.

The accommodations on land have changed, changed so much. We have managed to remodel what was once what I was looking at today, this valley untouched only by Mother Nature, this little insignificant piece of land maybe everyone has forgotten, has been kind to leave it alone, at rest unlike so many others. And I thought that maybe this is why I feel so good here, as I feel so good at “The Oasis” and within a few other spaces. It is a need with me to be without barriers between the raw soil and my Soul. It is a matter of searching as I have done and “finding” over and over as we will, as we have done fairly well in the past.

Saturday, July 11th, afternoon. What an irony yesterday. Camping went down by the wayside. As soon as I locked the property I realized I had forgot my sleeping bag. Michael was waiting for us in Bozeman, us without a solution in mind, maybe a cheap blanket, and then to see he was not ready either because of his own work schedule. For the first time I realized I had rushed to a destination, we could not change the outcome, I saw it as a satire, the Urban Jungle awaits… here we were a total turn around as we planned a store run and spend the night in his City Home. Not any Home, but one built on a golf course as I smile reading again the above quote… “alterations!”. Patience… patience… and yet, those long days are vanishing fast. Even freedom at times does not give us a choice.

Sliced Mozzarella and Tomatoes, drizzled with Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar, chopped and full Basil leaves, all prepared in the above real small kitchen!

My surge to go taking a frontage road to Bozeman only resulted in one big frustration not stopping for a few photos, a few situations that had my thoughts going. It was first the sight of two bicyclists by the side of the road, their back to the sun, some lunch it looked like, both taking it all in, resting in the midst of the tall weeds. I thought what a great shot it would be but went on without stopping. Same road, same side, a mile or so later two white crosses within a few feet of the road also resting within the same tall weeds. The two sides of Life, of existence, four souls at such short interval, images of now and the certain future awaiting us. Again I did not stop. A few miles passed on and it was then a School yard with their children outside sitting in circles most likely taking advantage of the great blue skies of the day. I would have normally stopped, children always get a kick out of Spirit, even more so if I had stopped at the first two images as here was the birth of our future generation and yet a third side of the coin I was just witnessing. I would have liked having all three images side by side as so much thoughts went through my mind. I promised myself to never do this again, I experienced the moments myself but a reminder of the occasions would have been nice to ponder on further.

A cup of rice cooked with a can of Rotel. Sliced Pork sirloin with another can of Rotel, Cilantro leaves and Balsamic vinegar sauteed after removing the Pork. Some peas. A simple quick dinner.

We had a great dinner, much talk, Michael is of a deep Soul, the verbal interaction for me is often something new and it feels good to vocalize the moments of Life themselves. Tomorrow we are checking out some free camping in Columbus as we have to move Friday , might also go back to Red Lodge through 78 and photograph Beartooth Pass again.

My favorite little “Home” in Reed Point!

Merchandise on Smugmug, Photos and Free “e-card” on my new Zen  Gallery…

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Ara & Spirit

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 12th, 2009 at 8:00 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.