I was going to add “readers”, but Friends and Readers are all the same here as you all are my Friends… Do I sound “up” today? I am… I am trying to contain my joy as the news from the Dr are good. It seems all has been caught just in time on that November First, a date I will not forget anytime soon. A date I will always “Thank” Paul and Voni Glaves for rescuing me so unselfishly at the drop of a hat, for the same day I will always also “Thank” my Friends Kathy and Rob from Alpine meeting the Ambulance at the Hospital and being “there” with such incredible support, the same days afterward “thanking” so many Friends of this site for their support and help in too many ways to describe, and also for the Terlingua Ambulance Team that did such an incredible job getting me there, only one way to say it… alive! All those thoughts always so overwhelming. The meaning of it all being not on the proper medication, smoking, as the 6th artery that needed a bypass 13 years ago which could not be done, had decided that day to momentarily halt the flow under the bridges. More check ups are scheduled in a couple months, more monitoring of all the functions that moves all of us… I have been smoke free for over a month now with totally no desires to go back, I just cannot take that ride again! As Lance always said “It’s all good”.

Carl Chapman… Mr Pecan himself!

My Friends from Booth, south of Houston, Carl and Colette and their Friend Judy have been here since Sunday, staying in Terlingua, and it has been so nice to be in their company. Carl had warned me about bringing a big load of pecan wood, broken off their trees after the last Hurricane, but he had not prepared me for the surprise that he had also in mind. “Wood Good” as we joked just about all day like a bunch of prehistoric man building my outdoor furniture made out of… wood.

It is solid, strategically build and the new, bigger… fire ring is right now another project in progress. A metal tripod, cast iron cookware and we will be all set to cook outdoor as they use to, will even give it a shot at making some corn bread and cobblers! “The Oasis” is slowly starting to get crowded as we also rented a shipping container to, as the rental said, “prevent your Friends and neighbors from borrowing…”. It is actually to lighten the load from the trailer, empty those tool boxes and fill them with bottled water instead. Eventually the plan will be to have two (newer ones!), parallel with about 25 feet in between and a slanted roof covering the complete area for water catchments… no construction needed, not much labor involved… plans! 

We spend yesterday in the truck playing tourist. Carl and Colette wanted to take me to my Dr’s appointment which was at four o’clock, and so having all day to touch base with Marfa and Ft Davis. Marfa… of course my favorite lunch, open only during the week, “The Food Shark“. Authentic “Falafel”, it has been a year that I have been dreaming about it. They sure have not lost their touch… maybe will make the sidecar a “Food Shark” vehicle soon! Everything they make is just too good, eating under the new cover of Marfa. My Friends where happy, I did not steer them wrong.

Sorry Colette! I cannot help it…

It was then on to Ft Davis which Spirit and I had just drove through not too long ago, finally back to Alpine I have to say with a bit of perplexity regarding my Dr’s visit. I walked in weighing much, walked out light as a feather, specially seeing Spirit waiting for me in the parking lot in Carl’s trust! What a buddy he has been. I yet have to hear a complain or a moan as I know he felt it all this past month. Every single time that I think we cannot get any closer, we do. Every single time I think he is going to help me, can you tell he does? Without any wait, since all is well, just a bit tired, there was no waste of time to check our camping equipment this morning, specially this new tent which will be soon our home for 6 months, an early Christmas present… not the first one I must say!

Always packed in a waterproof bag, as I have used for years the ones from EXPED.com, being all their products serious outdoor gear, the tent itself is a great summer warm weather one. But the best feature, specially being on the road as we will be, is the vestibule in which I can cook, set the gear and my chair… of course Spirit’s soft pad! The tent is then a four season tent.

I think this one will do just fine. It is from Mountain Sun Touring Co., owner Jim which I have known for a long time as I use to be his product tester many years ago. The tent reminds me of a Hilleberg tent, at a quarter of its price. Incredible quality and attention to details. Exciting as we will try it for a few nights at the Big Bend Park soon and then on planning Death Valley in another week or so. They say it is a good time of the year. But the day was not over yet as I feel I have more Friends here than I ever had, or maybe as usual it is Spirit who makes the Friends. Colette, Carl and Judy, in company of Paul and Voni and a couple other riders, which of course I quickly forgot their names, (sorry if you are reading this), had a Chili and corn bread dinner planned.

Inquisitive Spirit! Of course he would love to join us… Full days, good days, great people surrounding us, not much I can add to all of this. Every day is a new day, as tomorrow will be I am sure filled with more surprises and maybe a lesson or two as School is never closed.

To the “millionth” visitor of this site, we don’t know who you are, you have been as all of you have, part of this incredible Journey which I feel is only starting.

Help us keep the site alive. Please contribute… I use to ask if reading this site was worth 1$ a month. I do again. This site has been far from being a free Journal for us as it was at one time!

Two years of Photography is finally in order on SmugMug… 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 SmugMug. If you like to order a print all sizes are available as I store the originals myself considering the huge bandwidth needed to upload on the Gallery.

Be well, always.   Ara & Spirit

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 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.