What a day yesterday was! Winds gusting to 50mph sustained, rocking and rolling, no danger truly, only by the end of the day a major headache! The fury of Mother Nature just unleashed on us never holding anything back, and yet, I knew that this too should pass as today even the balloons were able to go up. The photos are still in the camera, there was more to write before getting to them most likely for the next time soon. Space around us, this invisible space, untouchable, only sensed and felt, how different from each other spaces can be? Everyone leads me to different thoughts, a different mind set, some times an openness and sometimes not, but the Soul remains the same. These are Sacred Grounds we are on, they have welcomed us and yet, the Monuments surrounding us seems to hold back their mystery. I feel as they are watching us, they have been here for centuries, they are calm, inviting and at the same time will let you know when your welcome has been over extended.

John agreed for a reply on the Blog to his comment made a couple days ago.

Hi, Ara,

First, the pictures are some of your best; but, second, I think you are way too critical of the “boxes” that many find themselves within. I really do not see much of a difference between living in boxes, as you describe, versus living on a stage with different sets. Sounds like the same thing to me, but maybe with different real responsibilities. And it sounds like those boxes that many, most find themselves within are much more difficult to deal with than the travails of a professional traveler whose only responsibilities appear to be food, shelter and a companion dog.
Look at the responses you receive. The common thread is you allow people to escape their boxes for a short time with your pictures.
So, thanks for that; but relax a little more and don’t waste the negative energy. Because in truth, you may be very wrong. A person can be a Free Spirit no matter who or where they are.
An outsider can never ever perceive the true nature of the “box.”

sincerely
John

“a person with a highly individual or unique attitude, lifestyle, or imagination; nonconformist.” “One who is not restrained, as by convention or obligation; a non conformist” , a couple definitions I found of a “Free Spirit”.

I write from the heart, my soul, I write to lay in fonts what my mind might have observed, maybe not today or yesterday, remnants of a past Life with no one particular in mind. It hurts to see others hurting when they could not be and reason for those thoughts and laying them down. As I read my own Blog and your comment, I realized a bit of the obscurity that has prevailed in this instance, and I feel the need to rectify it, clarify it, even if many did understood it’s meaning through many e mails I received. I did write as “there is no right or wrong” as I read in your comment that “in truth I might be very wrong”, an important factor toward those, feeling maybe should I say “targeted” as it is not the idea, never is. I don’t target no one, only myself, our Life on the road. I merely feel as an observer only following this path I have been put on. At first, it is not a matter of how difficult it is to deal with our own Life. It was not the point. Of course it is more difficult to deal with times passing when one resides on the many stages chosen. A stage, a box, yes, they are all the same. There is no doubt about it. At the same time no one, as I repeat “no one”, will tell me the ease to deal with the loss of one’s own child when for a quarter of a century that child has been your Friend, your buddy, your Son. I will not hear “get over it”… Hard to believe, but I have heard it! read it… and also find it in your words above. My “travail”… it is not physical, it is mental. I am not comparing apples and oranges, all is within. We don’t drive it, ride it, built it, clean it… Life… I live it. 

My thoughts writing the past chapter was merely expressing myself to myself about yes, the different “stages”… “boxes” some are on/in, needlessly or willingly for the many personal reasons they are filled with. I did not want to be detailed and still try not to be. No reasons for it. Some situations are plain “ugly” and “deceitful”, reasons for the many make ups worn. I have been allowed throughout my own Life to be on the “center stage” of the many “boxes” and “sets” belonging to the same soul, and yet as in different circumstances they have opened up, the curtains have risen, the present soul’s make ups was as in night and day and all in between. No need to elaborate if one cannot read between the lines what I am trying to express. Many understand as I do. My point was only accentuating the simplicity of an honest Life by being always true to yourself, the situation, your Friends, your Family, acquaintances. There is no matter of an order because you will always be then the same no matter what… one stage… one character. No need to change “fronts” as the expression goes.

I am relaxed John, very relaxed, so relaxed that unless on the road for this amount of time and transported into our space, you will unfortunately never get the feel of it. I wish for you and everyone else to some day experience it within this such short Life span we are here. It is not negative energy, but so positive for me to be able to write and express what could be stagnant thoughts. And the “common thread” as entertaining as you might think this is, and I agree “is” at times maybe, well, it is just another Life story on the road, homeless, barely scraping at times, but no matter… more important is the therapy I have found that works for me. It is a chosen one, it is not for everyone. My “wealth” is within me, they are my true Friends, Mother Nature and Spirit. They are the other maybe odd characters we also meet on the shoulders. As I read the definition of “Free Spirit”, I have to agree that one “can be” one anywhere, anytime… that is what it says… I guess I have my own definition of it as a wanderer on the roads being more my own. I apologize about that and also “Thank You” for the compliments on the photos, coming from a photographer I take it as such. I hope this will put some of your thoughts and maybe others to rest. It is so simple. Be only one “you” and the play will go on happily for ever and after. As happy as we can be…

I am trying to bring back some “one pan” recipes you can prepare at home or camping. They have vanished with the “recipe” section I had to remove. Finding them will be even easier now through the Archives as they will be incorporated in the title of each Blog when posted

This first one is “Scallops and Shrimp with a Black Bean Salad” (for 2)

~ 4 dry packed large scallops cut half way on their flat side.
~ 4 large shrimp, cleaned, tail on.
~ 1 can black beans, drained. GOYA brand is my favorite.
~ 4 whole green onions sliced fairly thin.
~ 4 thin slices of Prosciutto.
~ couple pieces of jar red roasted peppers cut in thin slices.
~ 1 tsp grated fresh ginger.
~ 2 crushed cloves or garlic… or more.
~ 1 tsp cumin.
~ 3 T olive oil.
~ Juice of 1 lemon and 2 limes

In the pan, with a bit of olive oil, sauté the scallops and shrimp at high temp. It is nice when the scallops caramelized a bit, so you should start them a little bit ahead of the shrimp. Remove and let cool. Save the oil. With the point of a sharp knife make an incision cross wise half way down, just enough so you can rest the shrimp within, curved with it’s tail up. As in the photo, wrap each slice of Prosciutto around and stand them up, trying to tuck the end of each slice underneath. Setting aside half of the sliced roasted peppers and a lemon slice mix the rest of the ingredients including the remaining oil from the pan. Arrange as in the photo, sprinkle the left over peppers, an incision half way through the lemon slice and twisted will allow you to set it up as it shows. Enjoy.

My recipes on the road as I have mentioned it once are only templates of my imagination and often the results of what we have on hand. One recipe can become many with substitutions, that is the wonderful facet about cooking.

Twenty nine months of Photography is finally in order on Smug Mug… In “Your Favorites”, in “States”, some labeled “first year” and second year”, now also “Texas the third year”. Feel free to browse, you can even use the slide show mode and have fun. Merchandise is also available through Smug Mug. If you like to order prints, all sizes are available as I store the originals myself considering the huge bandwidth needed to upload them on the Galleries.

Maybe your reading the Blog is worth $1 a month…

Be well…

Ara & Spirit

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 26th, 2009 at 6:37 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.