Paint Gap Rd. Tx

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

“Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear” ~ Mohandas Gandhi ~

Spirit  
Paint Gap Rd  

This Journal is my truth, it is my own personal one. Has no tentacles trying to pull anyone else in. It just is, it is only my stage as I have to remind myself of such fact often when I witness the foreign ones creeping up surrounding me sometimes with not much of a joy. Sometimes I feel like Captain Kirk aboard his Star Trek Spaceship. Logging in with my little tablet as even it’s sound reminds me of the one and only show I use to watch. The cooking is primitive though, the daily Life all in between, there are no ready meals to eat or blue concoction to drink, the tent is of past design, but it’s frame is of airplane hardened aluminum material. There is wi fi right along a compost toilet. I think I am only lost between many eras but mentally present for this one, borrowing a bit of the ancient logistics. I sometimes however feel as I could take roots on this land, turn into an old grumbling man, trailing his feet and mumbling to no end, his long beard and his cane pointed up to the skies, with his dog only at times raising his head to make sure I was still standing and feeding him. But that is not quite me! I think that was an old movie I must have seen a while back. Not yet anyhow. It is only the grays of winter talking and forming these sometimes images I smile at, often laugh at.

Paint Gap Rd  
Paint Gap Rd  

Besides my Friends visiting, we have not seen anyone for a few days now. Not rolled anywhere but only walked back and forth and up and down the roads and the trails here. Spirit is happy, I hear no complains as I don’t either from myself. It has not been 4 degrees again, only low teens right before sun up. So warm in past comparison. I was thinking about what my Friend wrote the other day, "feeling guilty" within this space standing still pretty much of the time. "Guilt" was not the right word, "antsy" is. The road always call, there is nothing more exciting and fulfilling than just being on the road moving, whether 10 miles for that day, or 300 or more.

Paint Gap Rd  

We are gone now, today, it happened. It has warmed up a bit. I needed to go to town and while there took advantage as right now sitting (with my tablet!) on Paint Gap Rd in the Park. The ride was liberating, the hike hot. Spirit is in great shape, I am not and have much again to catch up with. The yearly cycle of gaining weight throughout the winter seems to be eternal. The road is designed for high clearance vehicles, but overall a good road as Old Faithful had no problem negotiating. A bit of crawling here and there. It is quiet. Quieter than "The Oasis" where at times the wind will drift in vehicle noises from the road a couple miles away. There is no wildlife we can see or hear besides a few birds flying away, putting on a distance between us. The sun feels just too good, perfectly mixed in at times by yet a cold wind as we are up at about 4000 feet.

Paint Gap Rd  

We are hibernating, I like that expression. It calms me down. I don’t feel defeated anymore by the weather, but instead letting my mind travel if our bodies cannot. Not much fuel required, just some heat till April when we will be northbound again. I am feeling as every year is going by faster and faster. I know there cannot be the big hand slowing it all down, but even as living the moment, the desire is often on it’s surface. I have no clue as how this happened, but it seems we will be occupied till June. We are being invited to the “Overland Expo” in Amado, near by Tucson, on April 16th through the 18th. Many Friends will be there hoping more will join us for this great event. It will be then on to “The Valley of the Gods” for specially the last weekend of the month when the balloonists arrive. We have become good Friends with them, cannot miss it! We will camp out at Muley Point also for a while, Muley Point up from Mokey Dugway which I call “The Top of the World” as one can see Monument Valley, the Gooseneck, Mexican Hat and of course again Valley of the Gods. Then on to Moab as being the Photographer for “Desert Rocks” Music Festival. We will spend over a week on the premises from the built up to the take down. Hope to see many Friends also within that Space and time. Later on in July I would like for us to attend the BMW National Rally in Oregon. We have not been in years and being in the midst of thousands of other riders will set up a different pace for us.

Paint Gap Rd  
Paint Gap Rd Paint Gap Rd

Yesterday was a fine day, every day is of a fine one, but when the weather extends a personal invitation to visit Mother Nature’s canvas, well, as they say, it is always the icing on the cake. Back indoor now, struggling with the download of the Beta version of 2010 office, once installed only wanting to go around and around reinstalling itself every time I open it! My Smugmug Galleries are now in total disarray with only the touch of one little window! So bad that even their team cannot help me and now the task is to reorganize them again by States, close to 369 Galleries… Why does everything has to be so complicated. How did I ever reach this point is often a big question mark with no answer, maybe one I am not too keen on. But the photos are still there, they have not vanished.

Paint Gap Rd  

It seems as the wildlife is here more than ever if not seen in the Park. On our way out yesterday a big Hawk was perched right off the road. I rode close and shut the engine, I knew there would be no sense trying to get the camera. A giant Hawk, it was not a red tail. We stood there for the longest time till finally he took off soaring south. I got off the bike and just waived with my arm straight up in the air and he came back circling us for more minutes I could count. This morning a coyote woke me up, 30 feet away, howling to no end till he finally went on away nonchalant as they always are. I have not let Spirit loose today as I heard them almost surrounding us, so unusual for these daylight hours. It is still cold but there isn’t a cloud in the sky, a bit of warmth we could accentuate with a little fire today. Probably.

Paint Gap Rd  
Paint Gap Rd  

Nature is so alive. She upset me tremendously when seeing the images of the Earthquake in Haiti. She has been the Beauty Queen all along, she has failed however to stand up without a capricious mood as shown. She has been alike in her temperament this winter, we can only shelter ourselves here unlike however the too many just a bit south of us still trapped by it all.. Yes, my page still opens on Yahoo, and all day today adding to all, I was also disturbed how desensitized this World has become. Bluntly said, as also headlines or equal size sideline, who cares about Paris Hilton wearing size eleven shoes.

Paint Gap Rd  
Paint Gap Rd Paint Gap Rd

This morning all together a bleak reality hits me. I read a message that a Friend of a Friend has been taken away by his Cancer. I was following him since day one. It happened so fast, too fast. I have never met him, but I know him, he has been here, he still is, he still is here amongst us, only not as us. I wish him Peace, I cry for him. I read a report from the BBC on the aftermath of the earthquake. The images are so vivid and as I sit here I am at the same time transported amongst humans such as them, some live, some barely enduring so much pain, and some amongst them all having given up their lives. I cry more this morning, it is uncontrollable, nothing else suddenly matters but only this dark shadow which has descended upon so many. Suddenly another image of Life’s so panoramic path is developing right under my eyes, my senses, all.. How can there be such misery? How? For the first time I feel the need of a Friend that I can talk to, all is so bottled up in me. But everyone is so busy or feelings are not shared as I know this Space and little world of mine is too much filled with sensitivity and abstract thoughts off the mainstream most navigate on. And I respect that, it is as I have distanced myself by shedding the layers of Life non existent for most, not as their fault, only because that is just how Life is.

Spirit  

Could this be below the same one and only Mother Nature on this night painting her canvas so delicately, with so much taste and balance?

sunset  

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

Ara & Spirit

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4 Responses to “Paint Gap Rd. Tx”

  1. Lorena Says:

    Hey Ara and Spirit, Hi from your fringey friend who lives simply and in the moment and not in the mainstream. I lived in a tent in Arizona near Eden Hot Springs years ago when I was a young lass. Thanks for letting me relive the bare bones life through your website. Thanks also for the virtual desert vacation, it’s much welcomed this time of year. I miss the hardscrabble landscape .Love the quotes, Namaste

  2. James NomadRip Says:

    I’m never too busy. You’ve got my email, I think my cell number is on my Facebook. Everything you need to know about me and how I try to deal with things is in this thread on ADV: http://bit.ly/68GtL2

    I want to try a hot-air balloon this year too.

  3. Louise Says:

    The news from Haiti is so hard to watch. The Quiet One is especially upset; I can see it color his mood to a somber deep blue. On the other hand, I read how so many people have reached out to help. Millions of dollars have been donated for the relief effort. People are moved, and they are reaching out. Truly, this terrible event has brought out the very best from people’s hearts.

    I am sorry for the loss of your friend. I, too, wish him peace. May the goodness in people’s hearts offer you some comfort in a difficult time.

  4. Lyle Says:

    When we think Mother Nature is being cruel, it is because we see the consequences of our not respecting her or not understanding her rules. We know there are earthquakes, but we build houses that cannot withstand them. We know the river floods, but we build houses on flood plains. We know trees burn in wildfires, but we build houses out of wood in canyons full of trees. We know there are hurricanes, but we build houses on Florida beaches. Blaming Mother Nature for the consequences of such choices is like blaming the rock you tripped over (which I always, always do).

    Of course, that does not make the disaster any less heart-rending. The unfortunates could not afford to be prepared, or did not know that such an earthquake was possible. I take some comfort in seeing the generosity of the world as they respond. Just yesterday morning I saw a semi that was probably hauling a load of food from our warehouse to be shipped to Haiti, one of our products which is a food to feed starving people, much of which is donated by employees. There is so much aid flowing into Haiti that they are having a hard time getting it out of the airport and distributed. Seeing the response to the disaster is helping us remember that most people are pretty good examples of humanity– generous, caring, loving, kind.

    I am sorry that you have lost your friend. I wish I lived closer.

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