Thursday, February 26, 2015

Why I Wake Early

I named this as a tribute to Mary Oliver. Unlike her I am not a poet but I love her poetry and mornings.

I probably wake early because I am what they call a morning person. I should have named this post - why I LOVE to wake early <g>.

I’ve only seen an owl , in the wild, once before in my life. And I have been listening to and stalking owls near my campsite all week.

One day I found the remains of an owl. Another, lots of owl scat. There have been owl feathers too. But this morning just before first light, I saw the silhouettes of two of them. They were perched in the tree behind my trailer.
I watched as one took off and returned for a bit and then left. I tried to see the remaining one with my binoculars but it was too dark. Little by little as the sun rose above the mountains casting a rosy glow on the sky and river, my world came to life. A great white heron flew by, the coots cam out of the reeds and headed out into the depths of the river. The owl began to stir.

It was looking around - could it want one last meal? Was it checking for predators, did it, like me just love to see the dawn and feel the warmth of the sun “returning”?
I’ll never know but eventually it flew off into a large tree with cover and passed on the watch to me, a creature of the day.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Scruffy has a day

Today started a little early when Scruffy got up at three for kisses. Fortunately, we quickly wrapped up in covers and got back to sleep. Then as the sun was rising, we got up again for kisses and play.




I love to get up and watch the sky change colors and drink my coffee and then I usually read something for inspiration. (As if the sun isn't enough). After that Scruffy and I take our first walk and then we meditate. After breakfast the day becomes more variable. And this one was definitely a surprise.

The second time we were out - I let scruffy and his leash take off into the brush at the side of the lake. I got distracted and next thing I new, he and his bright red leash were out of site. I was't worried about him getting lost, or getting to a road but I did realize that his leash could get caught up in the brush (don't worry he wears a harness not a collar) and since he doesn’t bark but tends to lie down and take a nap when trapped, it could take a long time for me to find him.



So I began, wandering through the brush and calling him. I looked for a while to the right of the path and then went back down the other side and looked to the left. When I returned to the top of the rise, he was standing next to my chair wagging his tail. Scruffy’s magnificent journey, I thought. And resolved not to make that mistake again.

Later we tried kayaking. Initially, he just got in my lap and slept. Unfortunately, I got the idea to rearrange my legs and that seemed to disturb him. He could not settle and decided to get up on the deck to ponder jumping. I had the other end of the leash, and we went through a few repetitions of I put a paddle in the water and he jumps on the deck and I decided we should call it a day and head in.

I then tied his leash around my seat so that he could not get to the deck and he sat while I paddled. I though perhaps being held in more tightly was calming for him.

No sooner had that notion passed through my head than he jumped over the side. As he hit the water I had his harness and pulled him back in the boat. He was soaked and the water, seemed very cold. Wrapped in a towel on my lap, with alternating, paddling and hugging, we made it back to shore - where he was more than happy to disembark.

For now, we will stick to hiking.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Meet Scruffy



Scruffy and I have been together for a week. He is a 1.5 yr old cairn terrier and I am a 2 legged mixed breed. My middle name is disheveled. He adopted me at a refuge in Apache Junction and we are now joined for a journey.



I began full timing in my Casita on Apr. 3, 2013 when I picked it up in Rice, Texas. I have been eager to have a companion but first wanted to see how this would work, since I hoped it would be a long time relationship.

So we just had our 1 week anniversary and things are going fine. Scruffy and I are a matched set. We both like to be outside and feel the wind, and sun and see whatever happens by. And best of all we both are often silent.

I am a Zen Buddhist practitioner and when I sit he lies next to me. I suspect he may prefer Vipassana but he is not saying. 

Sunday, February 1, 2015

No Place to Go

On Apr. 3, 2013 I picked up my Casita trailer and set out on a nomadic journey. When I set out I had no particular destination in mind. Oh, I knew that I was heading for Indiana to sell my kayak. But no overall plan.

I have heard that it is good to have a plan and I meet people on the road who want to see the US or visit all the National Parks. All I really wanted to do was live outside.

And so for almost two years I have wandered. Sometimes, guided by an RV rally I want to attend, a Buddhist session I want to sit, a house I will look after for a friend. But mostly I am guided by the weather. I follow the warmth south and the cool air north.

I have friends and family across the US that I enjoy seeing again when I am traveling by. And I have made many friends on the road. Some I continue to meet-up with to travel together a bit along the way. And I get recommendations from others who are traveling about what might be fun to go see.

Somethings I am asked by those who live in houses are: Don't you get lonely? Where have you been that you liked best? And some folks upon seeing my Casita are incredulous that I actually live in it.

My ans are: 1) No, though I think that site seeing, is more fun with others. I have the opportunity to take time with sales clerks and people in camp grounds, and laundromats and wherever I go. Cause I’ve got no place to go, and nothing to do. And so I am as social as I want to be.

2) I can’t say I have a favorite place. I love being outside - so I am pretty happy everywhere. Where have I been New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon, Northern California, Arizona, Kansas. Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a mad dash through North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana(because they connected me to someplace else. I’d have to write a book to tell you all I have seen in the last two years.

3) And as for my casita being too small - I have everything I want that comes in a big trailer and I have windows all around so my space expands to include the views all around me.