How bizarre that a few years back, even maybe sooner, the Extraterrestrial Highway would have been a boring straight ride, just another road enabling us to get back to Utah. I even remember not too long ago being in constant verbal debate with my friend Ralph from Kentucky about the fact that he liked riding slow to admire the scenery, and I was just zooming ahead… tunnel vision… the road, the bike and my ability to keep a smooth fast paced ride! Not that there is anything wrong with it… The Georgia Mountains was my backyard for a long time and made me attend track days were I learned so much from The Class…

But we change, Nature has taken over my life, the simple fact of “looking” has become a sense which is developing daily. I take about 200 to 300 pictures a day and feel lucky if a dozen make it to this site nowadays. At first I felt lucky if one only was worthy of posting! I am starting to “see” my surrounding as never before, scenes jump at me and there is never a doubt in my mind that I will stop… take the glove off… and walk around! It makes for some serious slow traveling… never wishing anyone to accompany me… they would probably take off!… as I use to when riding with Ralph!… Sorry my friend if you are reading this… now, only now do I understand.

And bad weather makes for some great scenery as I witnessed yesterday on my way back to Utah.

From Beatty to Tonopah, the cold wind blowing east beat me up, 80 miles only you might say… I filled up again… 4 gallons! 20 miles to the gallon said it all. Walked into the station with my helmet on and left with it on… Spirit was tucked in the chair, 2 coats, blanket, (thanks again Linda… from the both of us…), he knows when to stay down and he did just about all day.

Finally going east toward Caliente the wind was from behind, still incredibly cold, rare that I will wear my heated gloves, but I did! Within 9 miles I spot a couple pulled over, Harley with a trailer… they have blankets on, rain gear on… they had ridden the 180 miles from Caliente against the wind… ran out of gas. I poured about a quarter of a gallon in their tank… well, actually he did as I would probably have spilled some on that shiny and glossy paint job, just enough to get them to the gas station… as being a deserted road… they were happy! I have already been paid I said when he tried t give me some money!… ten fold that is… what goes around comes around is my belief. My Journey in itself is a testament to it.

Somewhere along the way, another red truck picture for my friends in Fort Davis… this one I feel tops them all! Now… that would look awesome in front of your bookstore!… sorry Jerry, it is part of a Museum… Notice the chain drive by the rear wheel!

I found the Extraterrestrial Highway very outstanding, made me go into many deep thoughts, just a straight road you might say. Even stopped at one intersection of dirt and black roads to just… breathe… just stand there in the middle of a giant valley between the many peaks we went up and down on, no cars… nothing… nothing at all. The clouds were in layers like cotton balls, some going faster than others, they seemed so close… a bit further sheets of rain were dancing around and our prize reaching Caliente… a beautiful rainbow!!!

The cold did not matter anymore as vast empty lands, peaks covered with snow, spots of blue skies… all where on stage unrehearsed putting up an incredible show for the senses.

Was it the name of the Highway I wondered?… would I have felt the same if this would have been called “Joe’s Highway”?… I don’t know… I am still thinking about it.

At some point the road was cut into some dark hills, taking a turn, and as further we went, I could see peaks lined up with their fresh white paints of snow. I called it the “Portal”… I might have watched too many Sci Fi movies… I just thought it would be appropriate!

The cows?… well, don’t laugh… we had just been served tri-tip at the Rally… and somehow I felt sorry for them, all lined up, having their own dinner to most likely in turn provide us with one soon enough… I rarely eat red meat, that night was an exception, probably out of hunger… and I will leave it at that.

We made it back… filled with the joys of the road, its harshness at times, harshness forgotten as only the good memories linger… That is the reason and purpose of this Journey…

Steve Williams, the author of the Blog “Scooter in the Sticks” and winner of this year’s International Motorcycle Blog Award, had asked me about a Breakfast recipe… I made this the other day.

Great for Breakfast… this could also be a quick dinner around the campfire… but will call it Breakfast Burrito!… nothing exclusive to any menu… I like my Breakfast Burrito to taste “fresh”. What is “fresh”?… to me in this instance was diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro… I had found some thin sliced steaks at the Market, (hummm… I did write that I rarely eat read meat… well?), sliced them in fine strips and saute them in olive oil, added the tomatoes, cilantro at the end, (they don’t need to be cooked much as to not loose their flavor), and, which you do not see here, broke a couple eggs in the mixture, cooked a couple more minutes…

I am sure that you have your favorite Salsa… add more diced tomatoes, cilantro and sliced green onions to it… a couple per person… depending on the tortilla size should do. A Burrito is a source of imagination… what I used is what I had… It did taste “fresh”!!!

And now… for the, to me, “touchy” subject of the button above “make a donation”… sorry I could not find one that said… “please, make a donation”!

Many months ago, I started writing this Blog mainly for myself and some close friends. It grew… turned into a website… the pictures grew… a Dish… and much Bandwidth, lots of expensive Bandwidth.

I enjoy it a lot, and as I know from comments and e mails received, many also do…

I never realized it’s costs would go up as it has… I will never make it a membership or paste some Goggle Boxes!… I will not downsize the pictures or post less frequently… If nothing else I would like to soon post videos… more recipes… maybe even a small thread for readers to exchange ideas

of places visited… not a Forum! Always keeping it on the path that I have started it… clean and fun! This site is read to children and also by teenagers… our future. It has become in reality “your Blog”… and I appreciate… we appreciate your contribution.

For all the above the reasons I will post this with every Blog:

“Is your enjoyment reading this article worth a “dollar a month”? Please consider a small “yearly” donation to help me with increasing Internet operating costs” (PayPal button above)

We will be in Kernville tomorrow… yes, back to California…

Till then, you all be well

Ara & Spirit

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at 9:25 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.