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"The Oasis of my Soul"... A Lifelong Journey on the road...

Parked in San Antonio... Texas of course!

Parked in San Antonio since yesterday... going to sightsee for a while and find some good Tamales!... the Riverwalk... anything else?
How do I manage to meet such great people?... How can my Karma be so good and so kind to my present life?... I must have lived right I guess... I can just imagine... trust me when I say “don’t let the few bad seeds of our society give you the wrong impression about human kindness”.
One always needs to be planted firmly on their two feet... but what a lift it is when one similarly meets good hearted people that open the doors to their home and heart!
Spirit had a blast yesterday playing with a buddy!... over one acre fenced was his playground... can this dog run or can he run!... He is so much in my care that it felt so great to see him have a good time! Such a shame that Pits have such a bad rap... it is slowly I think changing however... punish the owners... not the breed!...
Crossing Texas... for the first time is really not being felt!... This is the way to do it... take time and cover a couple hundred miles per day, if you have the time... It reminds me of the many times I have crossed Kansas to get to Denver, what a long straight road...
On my way to discover the town... and make preparations for Big Bend...
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Be well... have a great day...

Ara & Spirit
 
A bit to Urban for me... but nice.

OK... the weather is going to keep us here for a couple more days...
Larry... sorry we did not stop... could not get a parking spot... I will not leave the rig unnatended downtown... will call...
Hill Country will be for the coming days... I feel it will be a smart move!
Some riding yesterday... urban riding... amongst the city traffic... the stop and go and engine overheating surrounded with the fumes of freshly lay out tar... Somehow one has to sacrifice sometimes the comfort to be able to witness what some cities have to offer on an historical view point, touristic... it is after all a Holiday season... at the height of its commercialism and lights...
It was a great day, a full day... ending with a with a great culinary experience, a kind of food I am fond of... report on the Blog... with pictures...

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Enjoy... stay aboard... and be well...

Ara & Spirit
 
Yes, a bit of Texas Hills...

It seems that plans when living on the road are made to be broken!... As we have been watching the weather, they promised hail and snow and 1 degree temp for tonight in Big Bend... it was already last night... brainless decision to hold the departure for tomorrow am...
Food store today... new coat for Spirit... “camo” design I might add... not my favorite by from lack of choice... and a good night sleep for tomorrow’s travel... half way most likely if anything interesting pops up...
In the meantime, we took a short ride to the Texas Hills yesterday... glad that I did... I know now that Texas is not as flat as I imagined it!
Some pictures and ride report here on the Blog...

Hope writing to you from Big Bend next time!... really!!!


I could not resist the picture...


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Be well... from Ara & Spirit
 
Re: Yes, a bit of Texas Hills...

beemerchef said:
It seems that plans when living on the road are made to be broken!...
Ara, you left conventional life to vagabond, to taste adventures and embrace the ambiguous with an openness to everything. Don't set limits on yourself. Go when you feel it is time to go, stay when you are drawn to set down for a day or two.

The world will still be out there, and remember, you are traveling for you, not for us.

You don't really need a reason to go anywhere. Instead go to a place for what happens when you get there.

You'll get to Big Bend when you get there. It will be waiting for you like a old patient nanny waiting for her children to come home. They all do in time, in their own time.

You have time. And we will wait with you.

And remember; no matter where you go, there you are ;-)

TS
A fellow vagabond
 
Very well said Texas Shadow... for some reason it has been hard to break away for the "schedule mod"... never has been before on my yearly six months trips... this one is different... and... it is slowly going away... specially today 100 miles away from Big Bend... I stopped for the first time as we are on 90 going west... hardly a car and all that vast land around me...
That is what I needed... cities choke me... I started breathing today!
Thanks for the thoughts... well taken...
Stay in touch...

Ara & Spirit
 
Big Bend...

Made it to Big Bend... today!

I wanted to make my first sight in daylight and we took two days to get here... Sanderson was last night’s stop... but today I am in Terlingua... and without say... breathtaking... this is not having even been into the Park yet!
All I can hope is that my camera does justice to the scenery for the days to come...
Hwy# 90 was a nice ride... deserted... and as one might say the ocean can be boring and is not... the same scenario plays here. I have heard over and over... but there are no trees... of course not... but if one looks closely there is so much more to the eye... and the mind!
I will go on posting on the Blog as much as I can... lucky to have WI FI here from 6am to 10pm... and amazingly the days here are longer!... daylight till about 7pm... summer approaching?
Better not fool myself... winter is going to be here for a while...
Till then... till tomorrow... be well... I am breathing again!

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Ara and, of course, Spirit...
 
Re: Big Bend...

beemerchef said:
Hwy# 90 was a nice ride... deserted... and as one might say the ocean can be boring and is not... the same scenario plays here. I have heard over and over... but there are no trees... of course not... but if one looks closely there is so much more to the eye... and the mind!
Interesting you should note and mention that; I find the same in many others. They quickly judge by the superficial appearances without allowing themselves to see what really is there. And experiencing it.

It's like glimpsing at a book and judging it by the cover, without reading what is inside.

The world is a book; not traveling and stopping to see what all is there is reading only one page.

and amazingly the days here are longer!... daylight till about 7pm... summer approaching?
Wow! 7pm?? I'm surprised it stays light that long.

Watching your blog with interest; I hope to be down there in the spring when the desert blooms.
 
There and here...

Some black top riding in Big Bend today... what a huge Park!... Asphalt only and did not even cover half of it!... which you will see tomorrow...
I had still however some untold thoughts about the past couple days before arriving here and some hopefully interesting pictures!... for the Blog.

Hope you enjoy them... we did... Ara & Spirit

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This starts Big Bend for me...

Was having some real Internet problems... imagine that in the middle of nowhere...
We are riding... we are cooking... we are eating... A peaceful blanket has descended from the skies, what more can someone wish for. Spirit is a changed dog!... I think he is finally realizing that there is no home to go to, this is it, changing daily from our unplanned destinations. We have been taking long walks, longer everyday as I myself need to ease in to it! His appetite has been great, well, so has mine... wish he could tell me about all the smells! Mountain lions maybe?... cousins from the past hovering upon this beautiful land in spirit... who knows... his smile is good enough for me... all this after all was not such a bad idea!
Anyone cares to join me for the Holidays?... this is where we will be... I am looking for a strand of lights for the bike... it will be my tree... she has had a rough life and deserves some kindness too!
Might even go as far as feeding her some fresh oil!... and yes, a nice new filter also!
Enjoy the Blog...

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Be well... look up the skies and smiles... that is the bottom line... it is always the same for all of us!

Ara & Spirit
 
Re: This starts Big Bend for me...

beemerchef said:
Anyone cares to join me for the Holidays?... this is where we will be...
I certainly would if I were closer. But I have limited time off this holiday. I'm thinking of going back up to the northern canyons for Xmas. It was just fine for Turkey Day!

I am looking for a strand of lights for the bike... it will be my tree... she has had a rough life and deserves some kindness too!
Different colored tinsel :mrgreen:
 
Re: This starts Big Bend for me...

TexasShadow said:
I certainly would if I were closer.

Me too - should have stayed near Houston for a day or two so we could have a chance to meet you and Spirit.

Now about the lights - I just inquired about rigging up my Strom with a strand or two, and I'm told I can use a power inverter as long as I don't idle too long or plug in too many lights. I'll post up a pic for you when I get it done. (Maybe tonight?)
 
Inverter always handy... what size is your alternator... you need to know... add the wattage used and substract... must be in the +'s...
Love to see the pictures... will put you in touch with "Top Dog", my T Shirt printer in Atlanta and also a V Strom rider... he has a way to add things to the bike for pennies!... as my Pelican bags I have had for years for... $90 a pair!... He is on AdvRider...
I may be the millionth one visiting this Park... I so much wish now I had a better camera!... looking into it... will try to find optical zoom lenses for a great Nikon Cool Pix 990 that I still have... there are thousands of pictures just more stunning than mine... but this is my story... and... as they say... I will stick to it!
I will start getting into the Park at sunsets... sunrises... I am finding a lot of haze during the day...
I am trying... I want to stop every 100ft... the rock formations resembles so many scenes and people of the past daily life... and it will be fun to post the pictures and write about them...
It was a different ride into the Park today... the West end including Chisos Basin at 5401ft... and the Blog has it all...

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Be well... and enjoy...

Ara & Spirit
 
Where are you staying in BB , A couple of us are going to come out and ride some new years weekend , we will swing by and toss back a few to help the new year along . SEYA
 
Cagiva 549 said:
Where are you staying in BB , A couple of us are going to come out and ride some new years weekend , we will swing by and toss back a few to help the new year along . SEYA

Great thought!... I am at the "Big Bend Motor Inn Campground", interesection of 118 and 170...
Where would you guys be staying?...
Hope the weather holds up... has been incredible!

Be well... Ara & Spirit
 
beemerchef said:
Inverter always handy... what size is your alternator... you need to know... add the wattage used and substract... must be in the +'s... Love to see the pictures... will put you in touch with "Top Dog", my T Shirt printer in Atlanta and also a V Strom rider... he has a way to add things to the bike for pennies!

Well, I didn't do all the fancy calculations, I just went with it and knew that there were four fuses of various sizes between the lights themselves and the battery on the bike. If something went horribly wrong, one or more would blow and I'd know I had a bad idea on my hands.

Hard to see the 'full effect' because of the flash, but you get the idea:

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Looks cool!...
The Art Work by the way is awesome... and the Blog was great entertainment this am!... A bit under the weather... so... kept me busy!

As they say here... "Adios"...

Ara & Spirit
 
San Antonio riders?... today?...

It almost seems unfair to be here today... Friday... I remember the traffic jams... everyone getting ready for the weekend getaway... myself mentally abusing my mind to feed the hungry patrons of the late night restaurant scene... or trying to be the object of abuse by the capricious moods of the rich and not so famous billionaire clients, when catering in Naples, Florida, as a Personal Chef...
The brain waves screaming “WOW”... and “OH”... or was it “HO”... just don’t cease... whichever direction I am headed the scenery is just on a constant overdrive, so much that I just wonder how can I describe my being here...
But there was more today than just riding... seeing some familiar faces and a great time with Voni and Paul Glaves... and some... which I tried to put in words on my Blog...
Tomorrow is another great ride, the river drive to Presidio... I hear stunning... keep tuning in!

Be well... have a great weekend...

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Ara & Spirit
 
San Antonio riders...

This is in response to a comment on my thread on BMW MOA... “sensory overload”, truly I agree describes the indescribable... and after a while, a few days, one just wants to stop describing and just look.
Every few miles, a 360 degree span offers a new background, new silhouettes against lately the clear blue skies I have been spoiled with... the feelings are actually beyond the scenery, the space here itself is magical and spiritual as being transported in a different medium, which it is with no doubt. I have a tendency to always think about years back when it was the land of the Native Indians and sadness always occurs in my mind. I see families living here off the land, only using what their needs where, the children playing peacefully, the women going on to their chores... it is always the biggest puzzle for me as to what happened? How did this happen! They call life in the past “the dark ages”, I call the present years... “the dark ages”. None of the natives now are here and it was not so many years ago, their Spirits are still lingering, probably tearing constantly to the loss of their lifestyle and ancestry , manhood and civilization... It is to me one of the most mind boggling part of History... I am not even comfortable to the fact that it is now a National Park, sure, trying to conserve the beauty of it all, with rules and regulations needed for the masses that would ruin it all in a heartbeat... how sad would it be to witness some day a descendant of a family that lived on this land, walk to the front gate and pay his or her $5 to get in... can you feel his heart and emotions?... What a World we live in!... driven by greed... materialism and no fondness for the past in real sense... if it was... all the land would be given back... all of it!
NO... I am not a political person or would ever get political... this statement is purely from the heart!
On a different subject... it was a fun time meeting some of the San Antonio riders for a run through the Park, will also the presence of Voni and Paul... as written in my Blog...

Be well...

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Ara & Spirit
 
I shared (and still do) many of the revelations you wrote about in your last post. Especially on my road trip from Texas to Utah last September. Riding through the agricultural regions of the high plains, the Indian reservations....... vitising the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, CO, and again on the canyon floor in Palo Duro. History, generations of geological and cultural change, become more apparent and have new meaning; time transcends our own little microcosm and expands to envelope centuries of natural and human changes. It sheds a different light on how we view others and ourselves, altering our perspective of who and what we are and were. It also greatly expands our empathy for others.

My two weeks on the road a few months ago pulled me out of my eight-year stint of living in cities and back to when I lived a much more simpler life with a fraction of what I possess and have access to now. And reminded me of how much happier and fulfilled I was then. And cemented my decision to return to that type of life again.

I understand 'sensory overload' but wonder if some of that is attributable to the fact that most people become desensitized to their immediate surroundings. And don't take the time to observe AND enjoy the subtlties of their normal lives and that of new places. Sometimes all we have to do is stop and let it all in, embrace what surrounds you and let it enfold you to truly experience it.

Rather than ride through it at the speed of life and miss many opportunities to experience new sensations.

I'm glad you are having a good time. I hope you get up this way and have the chance to visit the northern canyons of Texas.
 
The west end of BIG BEND... and more.

I feel today ever worse then yesterday, but the weather was too nice to stay cooped up...
One always feel better riding anyhow... right?
Just had to ride “Old Maverick” road one more time going the other way... with many stops
and pictures which you will find on the Blog...
Tomorrow will be a trip to the Clinic, I was told that there is one in a little town called Lajitas not too far... otherwise, will be a 160 miles round trip to Alpine! A Z-Pack has always done wonders in the past...

In the meantime, you be well...

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Ara & Spirit
 
Sorry to hear that you're under the weather - the fresh air on the ride might do you some good. I think your body might be a little confused by the weather right now, so it doesn't quite know how to react.

No, I'm not a doctor, but I saw one on TV once....
 
In search for a Doctor...

All I can say is... do not take your good health for granted!... What a difference a day can make!
It seemed like such a long day yesterday in search for a Doctor in a town where everything seemed to be moving in backwards...
More pictures and report in the Blog...

Be well... we are again... Ara & Spirit

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