"The Oasis of my Soul", 9th year on the road...

Nice to hear from you... Spirit has been doing awesome!... his energy is up... we run, play... he eats and eats... you know the story! I could not see doing this alone this time around, even if I have some compromises to make because of him!
I feel good too... My post about "melancholia" was a suttle way for VIVID1 to bring a White Pizza from Chicago!... Imagine that!!!... what a treat... it would be...
I am torn, as I leave here January 3rd, between shooting to Anza Borrego directly or spending some more time in Texas... New Mexico and Arizona, the two latter States that I am familiar with but would love to see again...
Will see what happens...
Food... anytime!... you know that... it is for me a part as much as the riding... even though I am having a blast taking pictures!... and writing...
Will stay in touch... hope you are doing well... and... Happy Holidays... for whatever it is worth!

Be well....

Ara & Spirit

I realized that was a BIG hint

I’m actually visiting a friend in OK my first night on the road and wanted to bring some Chicago style pizza for him, he rode through Chicago this past summer and I took him downtown to an authentic pizza place. I was going to surprise him with pizza, but I've been so busy with work and packing, just ran out of time to find a place that will sell it uncooked and how to transport pizza for so many hours/days? They ship them, so I’m sure there is a way just not enough time to make it happen.

Anyway, Chicago style pizza tastes best ….in Chicago. I'm bringing good Chicago beer if you're in to that oh, beer tastes so much better with pizza

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

Ara, may Santa bring you a lil Christmas cheer in the next few days.

Be safe and live life.

Darren

Thanks Darren... I am already in the mood!




Ara & Spirit

I am not going to lie and say “it feels like Xmas...”, because it does not...
The campground is fuller, a couple Adv riders have arrived, more tomorrow...
Old Faithful got a new front shoe today and some Xmas lights!
And a dinner at the Starlight Theater finally...
More pictures and a full report on the Blog...



Enjoy...

Ara and Spirit..

Merry Xmas and happy holidays for you, Ara and Spirit, from Denver. I wish I could be there with you on my bike, but I guess Xmas with the "Yellow Woman" and friends will do for now thinking of you my friend, Tomas

Thanks Tomas... you are in good hands with good friends in Denver...
Will stop there myself this summer... even though Pits are banned in the city!
Will have to sneak him in...
Have a great one!

Ara & Spirit

Merry Christmas Ara, and Spirit too

Maybe I can again add myself to the tent site... and change the address every so often!... Big Bend right now... still...
There has been only one “no good” weather day... and that was yesterday, I cannot even call it bad...
Last night the wind must have been blowing at around 50mph... Mike and John, that was John by the way... not James!... took refuge in their truck... the tough girls, Anna and Becca endured somehow the night in their tent. Real troopers... From Chicago and Texas... would you expect any less?
And the day cleared up and the ride was awesome... as usual... full report in the Blog...



Hope you are all having a great day, Many Thanks to all the great wishes I received... it sure is nice to know that friends think of me...

From Ara and Spirit... have a great one... and stay well...

That sounds great g. Real nice... Might actually intice some riders to join me!... also... I have a spare tent... all the tools needed... extra tent in case... and could even guide through the area!... sometimes... I might even cook!!!... as I do everyday
Really good idea... I will keep updating the thread # and give out GPS coordinate also as to where exactly my PopUp is...
Everyone has so much opened up their arms toward me, the least I can do while traveling also!!!
Let me posted and I will follow through...
Be well.... Ara & Spirit

Some thoughts went through my mind this morning as I was reading VIVID1's ride report...
I have been out of their shoes these days... but I remember how they fitted not so long ago. I live on the road, like Martha and Bob which I met today... we all ride... but there is more for us... we live on the road... there is no timetable... riding is primordial but it is not all, and, even from my past trips this is what I enjoy I have to say... riding has become the vehicle to able me living this life now with an array and multitude of other interests daily
There is just something about Big Bend... I still remember reading a couple E mails send to me even before my decision to come here... they said “you will fit right in”... and I thought... what do they mean by that? Do I need to look at myself in the mirror? One cannot help wondering what is awaiting at the other end when such a comment is delivered.
And I am starting to understand... my friends do know me well... like a puzzle I do feel like I was a missing piece. It feels like home... even some locals that I have met thought that I lived here!
And it is almost like... I should! The riding?... well, it is endless my friends... “Croton Springs”... “Paint Gap”... those were two news roads yesterday!... and there is more... much more.
There is a change today... There will be no link to SmugMug... In my search to improve this Blogging situation I found a better way to import pictures... and at the same time... I am still working on a website...
Hope you like the Blog today...

Be well...

Ara & Spirit

I found my original Big Bend National Park entrance map last night... it is dated the 12th of December... Have I been here that long?... I am taking roots... and still discovering the town, so unique... still discovering new riding... river beds are my new “thing” as 98% of Texas land is privately owned... found myself sitting in Kathy’s office... some chairs around the fire ring in front of her Kosmic Xafe... for a couple hours... by the road... the local source of gossips... waiving at most cars passing by and meeting more strangers... everyone has a story... a couple professional photographers wanting to take some shots of the rig and Spirit... no, not of me!... and more riding... not a problem...
More riding... and more riders are showing up... they want to see the “girl” that planted this destination in their mind... I am and have not be alone for a while now... and the company is awesome... including sharing some Pizzas for dinner... as it is written in the Blog...
Busy... busy... busy... I keep saying... “I need a vacation...!”
Today will be my first ride through the State Park, back through the river road to get there... versus the National Park which I still have to finish exploring and probably will not, leaving some for the next visit.
Till later... you be well...

Ara & Spirit

Merry Christmas, Ara, and Happy New Year!

I'm leavin' in the morning, hope to see you somewhere, sometime along the way. I'll be in touch.

wohoo ! Merry Xmas and soon to be Happy New Year Ara . Good to see you , rig and spirit doing well. Be safe ! I would tell you to enjoy but you wrote the book . You are a real inspiration.

mike p

Meathead... I will be in Fort Davis, 100 miles or so North of Terlingua as of the 3rd... for a week... 2 weeks?... Maybe my cell will work there... no clue... but will have WI FI...
Zippy... man, long time... since the GA Mountains... you like off road... you like black top... scenery... a piece of Heaven.... come here!!!... no need to go anywhere else...
Stay in touch, thanks for doing so...

Ara & Spirit

This is one of those days when you have to think by it’s end... any riding is better than none...
When you have to think, well we made it, we build up character, fought the wind, the sand blowing... never reached our destination... but we rode! This was not all however... we met some riders that knew me... and I knew them too... from the Forums... go figure that one in the middle of nowhere.
I might be wrong... geographically it is far down south... but I have stopped to think as Big Bend being in the middle of nowhere for many minds... there are been a sudden growth in the population!... and more to come... as you can read in the Blog...
The rain has finally, for the first time since being here, arrived... I can now lay back and write!
Be well...

Ara & Spirit

It suddenly hit me this morning, there is a whole winter ahead of me... cold weather for Spirit, myself also I am not denying, short days... where to go? No, it is not a problem by far, there is a need for a wise decision to be taken for both of us, as the 3rd is approaching, departure day from Big Bend that is closer than ever to my heart and my well being. For years, I have waited for a spark from my senses to ignite a desire to stay in one place... and as much as Big Bend has... I know myself well enough, bohemian blood running in me, I cannot stay still for too long.
Fort Davis has been my planned next destination, I know only a few miles up, but providing a totally different surrounding and vision. New Mexico, Arizona... all on the way West... but again, winter is making its mark and being in a no-riding situation is not an option!
My logic is leaning me toward a straight flight to the southern west coast... Anza Borrego and its surroundings... will it be warmer? Get situated, explore a bit of that beautiful land... and... head south to Baja, Mexico... Rig and Spirit only, leaving the camper and trailer safely behind with maybe someone offering some space.
I have time to think about it...
In the meantime, David and Mike showed up... truck, trailer and bikes... kitchen, outdoor heater... well seasoned campers!... Was a blast to cook for them... you can read it and see it on the Blog!
Be well...
Till later... Ara & Spirit

As the year is closing on us, I feel like there are life’s aspects I need to think about, maybe resolutions to take, try to better our life somehow... but I cannot find anything. I already live to the fullest every day, I can only on this occasion step back a bit and look around me, sometimes amazed at my own path. I am on the path of my desires, hoping some happiness for Spirit and missing my loved ones, the ones too far away to see and the departed ones...
Actually, I look forward to next year, a whole year on the road as I have only done 6 months at the time. There has been some incredible growth in just these past two months, incredible people I have met, the start seems so far away, even geographically as I have been so absorbed by my immediate surroundings... and the finish... I hope that there is none!
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, a healthy one, both physically and mentally... the rest will come.
It has been short rides the past day, still sore from fighting the strong winds on our way to Presidio, a bit of snow and fog has made the scenery and the ride even more enjoyable... after a couple cloudy days, the sun stands up high in the sky as a daily gift again, I think also sending great wishes for the coming New Year... and there is more on the Blog...
I think the pages have been saturated with the rig’s pictures... not that you will not see more of it, but today... my buddy Spirit... comfy and warm... is on the front page!

See you next year...

Ara and Spirit