How cool, that only an hour's drive separates recreation amid vast Canyonland's and red rocks from recreation amid neighboring Abajo Mountain's red maples and yellow aspens. It's also 7 degrees cooler… important for those whose bacon had been fried crisp on an 11.2 mile "Baton march" through the Needles District.
Impending "Heavy Rain" and flash flood advisories will hasten our escape from what has been a park-like ponderosa pine boondock, complete with deer, wild turkeys, and snappy 4G Verison (sigh). A two mile drive will have us regrouped in a paved National Forest campground, instead of what will soon be a quagmire of red sticky clay. Those deep ruts in the road up to our peaceful boondock was an admonishment to "Only stay high when the red dirt is dry." :))
 |
| Debbie in Red, Lauralee in Blue |
 |
| Goldie in UPS Brown and incognito Jim/Gayle hiding behind bushes |
 |
| Bobbie set up her Watercolor Studio |
 |
| A short bike ride to views of Abajo's South Peak |
 |
| The 29'er |
This splendid scenery by day (shallow and vacuous as it may be) coupled with DVD movies and reading by nights as quiet and serene as Walden Pond, is really Heaven on earth. And to think that as perfection wanes (as it always does) it is our prerogative to change with the weather that now threatens our Eden. Literally in minutes, we can be moving on down the road to the soul groove of the late, great Ray Charles, to a new "backyard," better weather, a new camp. Well, allow me just interject that, in my wildest childhood/working-day dreams, it was never, ever better than this reality.
It was after watching the DVD "About Time" a couple of evenings ago (a pass-it-on gift from fellowette, Lauralee) that I came away with a renewed appreciation for the gift of freedom and "drawing a breath" in this my present life's day-to-day, super-ordinary, beyond-my-wildest-dreams times.
In the movie "About Time," the young male lead character has the gift of being able to go back in time and change his actions, responses, deeds, etc., to affect a better outcome. Of course he learns the hard way that, as bad as somethings seem to have turned out, to go back and change them only leads to problems of another sort… sometimes bigger problems that left him wishing he would have just settled for imperfect and left things the way they were.
The moral of the movie was to live every day in your life in such a way that even if you had the power to go back and change something, you wouldn't be compelled to do so.
After the movie we got ready for bed. I shut everything down, turned off my cell phone, turned on my reading light and picked up my book. But I couldn't concentrate; read the same paragraph over and over because my mind kept going back the movie. "Live every day in such a way… "
I began to wonder about things I had left undone, unfulfilled, unsaid. I picked up my phone, turned it back on and texted my son, Caleb.
In utah, getting stronger with each hike. Just wanted to tell you how much I love you, and how much you have changed my life for the better. Goodnight. Dad.
It is the magic circle, and Mt Ellen is there right in the middle of it. My very own magic circle. I need to be there. It's about time...and yet...other stuff. Thanks for the photos, Boonie be darned!
ReplyDeleteWe humans are an odd lot. Always dreaming about what could be, or could have been. Always knowing what we should say, but not saying it. Thank goodness, that in our imperfections , our realities are tweaked by little sign posts along the way..."Call him". About time indeed.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this trip seems to be so filled with things you might not have seen coming. Sharon gets medical test news this afternoon. We hope and pray that her health will be manageable such that we can get back on the road. But whatever it is, we'll deal with it.
Other than this, we wish we were there.
What an amazing blue sky. But a lot of leaves have been coming down, so it seems.
ReplyDeleteLovely posts, lovely thoughts, and lovely colors as well! We are each so fortunate to be living this one magnificent life!
ReplyDeleteGreat decision! I am sure your son appreciate your spontaneous message and feeling shared:)
ReplyDeleteHave you read Steven Spielberg's book 11/22/63--same kind of scenario--traveling back in time trying to prevent one of our country's catastrophic events. We saw you guys nestled in the pine trees, we went up about another two miles but left on Friday--didn't want to get caught in that red mud! We are some of those folks who ride ATVs--we really do try and respect all other users--we stop when we see bikers or hikers, we drive slowly past campsites, etc. trying not to stir dust, many of us have installed "quietening" mufflers on our machines. We too despise the the "screamer" ATVs and dirt bikes and we truly despise those who abuse the land. The ATVs allow us to see places we would not otherwise see--we aren't long distance hikers/climbers.
ReplyDelete