I have been incapable of writing my thoughts lately. Something has come upon me and it is only from my megre experience in Life that I am riding its wave waiting for calmer waters allowing those shadows to emerge. We are not there yet, we will probably never get there as so few have, that is not what is important anyhow. Where is "there" and what is "there"? 30 years ago, lost in the years of my own immaturity, a Friend watching me going backwards in Life gave me this book which took me a couple years to comprehend it’s words, realizing then that a Lifetime might not be enough to unshed my first thirty years of ill programming. This book was published 33 years ago, its ideology remains, has been copied and imitated over and over many times, the book was and still is "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" by Ken Keyes. They all talk about, and you might have read the same words on this Blog, about living "NOW"… just "BE"… Sounds simple, almost too realistic as of course we are here "Now"… and of course "We Are"… but too many other factors come in play to make it a hard path to stay on.

And strange enough I received a comment from friends just a few minutes ago, they wrote… "make sure you find time to "BE" in the places you will soon discover. This is the "payoff", this is the "jackpot", for all those days you and Spirit have spent seeking more from Life than most. Be prepared to have all your senses dazzled." I think this comment, and "thank you Michael and Sandra", suddenly chased away the thoughtful shadows making room for the bright lights of things to come. If one can just "be" here "now", there is no room for clouds and shadows and anticipation for things to come. A total detachment from the immediate past and future… The sights around us right now are emanating the way… I know that we will be one step closer to being who we really are… one step closer to "The Oasis of my Soul".

We rode through Monument Valley yesterday… speechless it left me. I had a harder time getting close to the projection of its Monument as it is a crowded Valley with tours, even a Motel being built, but as the Grand Canyon, how can you blame everyone wanting to experience it. Once on the loop, sometimes a rough road which I would not recommend in a low riding car, I did feel isolated and in touch with it all. There are Native Navajo Indians living in the Valley. I spoke with some of them… Spirit is always an ice breaker, they also like his name… I told them I wish I could also live there, they smiled. There is magic, there is history and so much more… One can only feel it, as expressing it is so personal and will not do justice to what you yourself will feel and experience.

There is even camping available and my thoughts are to spend some time there also mainly to just "be there" for the sunsets and sunrises of the new days and the new nights. And how strange as upon returning going through 400 pictures I realized that for the first time that day, as I shoot totally on manual, one of my settings was set wrong! I saved a couple photos above by sheer luck, but 400 or so had to be deleted! I smiled as I know there is always a reason for most anything to happen. I have reached a point where I cannot fully photograph such sites unless I return, the initial inner excitement of being there is just not conductive to it. So of course… we will return!… We would have anyhow… I would love to spend an evening talking to some of the Navajos that live there, maybe share a dinner. Maybe Karma will allow me to do so. It is such a different civilization entangled today with the intricacies of our own modern days..

I wanted to show this town, population of 360, called Bluff which is only a few miles east of us!… Again another opportunity has risen. Leah’s fantastic Mexican food is moving 50 feet away in a larger building that is almost finished. The little shack will remain but will be empty of its food and smells and more important its charm that I find so appealing. It is just not conductive to sustaining her livelihood, expansion has been a necessity, and she has offered it to me to create my own path if so desired.

Of course I think about it… items that would complement her own Menu. Pies!… "The Pie Man"… Maybe you remember the "Pie Goddess" in Enumclaw, WA, where this Lady with a million dollar smile could be seen baking her pies right from the street! "The Pie Shop" north of Gila Bend, New Mexico, which I visited in 2000… Known all over the country. Maybe the "Pie Tin" or the "Tin Pie"… Unusual pies… such as the "apple, green Chile, chili powder and pine nuts…" and a multitude of others. Home made Ice Cream… How easy that would be… Just about everyone passes by here… Bake and chat! Home roasted coffees!… It sounds so exciting and at the same time my hunger for the road has not diminished a bit yet! There would be part of me always wondering what we did not do… where we did not go… I’ll sleep on it! What else can I do? I know deep down the road calls…

We took a ride to town this afternoon as the sun went down cooling off a bit the heat that has come upon us… no complains! We stopped to check out the rafters as we took the exit from the campground. They were leaving for Mexican Hat on a 5 days little Journey, a bit of floating an a bit of hiking. One gentleman was on his own in a double inflatable canoe, he was also into Photography and was carrying about $20,000 ‘s worth of equipment. Sounds and looked like fun, there would be just enough room for Spirit and I… just as I need another expensive hobby! A few miles further as we entered Bluff we stopped hoping the Art Works Studio would be open. No sign but a couple of the Artists where just waking up from their Siesta in their truck.

No problem, I did not want Spirit to start any trouble with them as protective as he is, so I just took some pictures of the outdoor Art Works and we went on our Merry way…

I like it! I really do… real "Urban Artifacts" here, the genuine item… And strange enough as if you look at the first picture you will see headboards making up a fence, we found the box springs a couple blocks down making up another fence! Hope you can see it. Total furniture recycling I call it.

Every town has a story of his History. Specially considering not too long ago Pionners with their wagons were headed West in this rocky and harsh environment on a mission to discover the four corners of this State of Utah. We took another ride to the Bluff Forth and I love billboards!… They save me a lot of explaining… and accuracy to the history.

Out of 50 cabins built, only one remains of the Fort set up for this San Juan frontier. A rough Life similar to the Pioneers of the Oregon Trail, with the added task of establishing trails through the rocks along the river. It took them six months to get to Salt Lake City. I just cannot imagine their tenacity and courage with such basic tools they had…How things have changed today. Insert a key and there goes moved with ease on wide roads in our vehicles in a few hours reaching the same destination. What was however their mind set? Have we really evaluated since this path of modernism we are on? We should have nothing to complain about.

Tomorrow morning we are packing. We have been here a week I think, well rested, with many tips from our readers to new destinations, new "spaces", I think the ultimate for us has yet to come. We are actually headed north to Blanding first to stock up on food, water and propane. The weather forecast calls for some heavy winds at time and only one day of rain as we need to be careful about camping on higher grounds. As here, there will be no phone service but the wonders of the Internet with my Dish will always be there, it has not failed us yet which also means that we can use SKYPE to call anyone if needed. My number/handle on SKYPE by the way is "beemerchef". Then back through here and on to "Valley of the Gods" for a few days, Gooseneck State Park being also on the agenda. I am looking forward to the full moon while in Valley of the Gods for some good evening photography… for some just being. Come and join us… don’t be shy!!! I will even ask Spirit to be on his best behavior… Just turned that key and go… as we did ourselves16 months ago… It only seems like yesterday!

You be well and stay well…   Ara & Spirit

"Throw the Dog a Bone!"… T-shirts… Mouse pads… Photography…

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Ara Gureghian   853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245   Naples, Fl 34108

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 8:35 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.