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

[flywgn]

Oh man, Ara, I'm thoroughly enjoying your trip and accounts and regret that I had not seen your thread until today. That's partly owing to the fact that we were in Baja until 11/28 and I'm only now getting caught up.

Sorry I didn't catch you on Avery Island, LA.

Allen R

PS - Scooter sends his regards to Spirit. He's envious.

 

[beemerchef]

Big Bend...

Hey... Baja is always a great excuse!... are you kidding... hope to see you on the road sometime soon...

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!

Ara and, of course, Spirit...

 

[beemerchef]

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

 

[Scott Brady]

Great stuff, and what a cool dog. Enjoy these days amigo :clapsmile

 

[beemerchef]

This is the start of Big Bend for me...

Haven't seen any of you here.... and why???

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...

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

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

A bit more of Big Bend...

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...

Be well... and enjoy...

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

You would have had fun!!!

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...

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

With some 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...

Ara & Spirit

 

[calamaridog]

Ara,

Someday, we too will be displaced, and the next group who inhabits that piece of terra firma may not charge $5.

Enjoy your holidays:campfire:

 

[beemerchef]

The west side of Big Bend and more...

I have been thinking about the past post all day... never thought about it that way... we are a cycle indeed... that might be true...
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...

Ara & Spirit

 

[calamaridog]

Wow,

I've never seen Big Bend. And here I thought I never wanted to visit Texas again Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pictures.

I'm sorry something I said caused you to think I can assure you that was a fluke

Hope you feel well, and soon.

 

[beemerchef]

Searching for a Doctor...

Oh!... yes... I thought... and got sick... too much pressure!!!:drool:
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

 

[beemerchef]

The road to Presidio...

The wind had its fun yesterday, it blew with full force, took my “dining room” down... we rock and rolled most of the time! Just like in a good Western the tumbleweed was trying to make a touch down on the goal line, as the night went on, the other team won however as the wind changed direction by 180 degrees!
It was an anticipated ride on river road to Presidio and I returned just on time before its full strength, still my arms sore... what a work out it was!
Today is a down day... a catch up day... again the good stuff... laundry, reorganize this place and brace ourselves for some cold weather... it is all in the Blog...
Be well...

Ara & Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

Riding with Pots and Pans...

I have been trying since my departure to switch places with Spirit some days! But no deal... he is a stubborn dog!... and last Sunday was one of those days, courtesy of the San Antonio Riders visiting Big Bend, that I tried really hard to convince him... hey, riding ain’t that bad buddy... the bike runs good, you can build up a bit of your upper body muscles, get a bit of adrenaline rush here and there... you will still get to eat, drink and mingle... but no go...
So I guess I am stuck in this position, witnessing sometimes on a daily basis all the attention he gets, and the petting, and the scratching... where did I go wrong?
And there is more on the Blog... I hope this situation lingering ahead does not alter my mind...
I am after all, only a human being!

Enjoy... Be well...

Ara and Spirit... I had to sign for him, he is too busy...

 

[beemerchef]

A tour of Terlingua, Texas...

So this is where I lived...

This is where I live now...

How ironic that public “progress” is the reverse of my present life’s progression...
Thought I would give you a tour of Terlingua, a little town unlike others... with a lot of local flavors and inviting little spots... all in the middle of some of the beautiful landscape I have ever seen... I will be leaving in about 10 days... and I know that I will miss it... but the road is already calling... more Texas? New Mexico? Arizona? Southern California? Maybe Spirit can decide...

Be well... enjoy the Blog.

Ara and Spirit