Ara & Spirit / from the road, now in Big Bend, TX

[beemerchef]

Took me 5 years to arrive to this Forum, 5 years on the road full time. <br>63 now, Spirit, a rescued Pit with a Heart of Gold is about 7 1/2.<br>We started on a motorcycle/sidecar/tent. Into then for the&nbsp;short bursts of winter a 23' Tioga RV, plan B, which I like because of the rear kitchen and larger bathroom instead of a queen size bed sitting there doing nothing (!). More tents! <br>I have been writing my own personal Journal for these years as my therapy after the loss of my only Child, my Son Lance, 26, from Liver Cancer. The big "C" always seems like. They are just my daily thoughts mixed in with photos, travel maps sometimes, "one-pan" recipes as I was (maybe still am!) a Chef for 40+ years and dislike eating out. We travel without refrigeration and it has become a way of Life. These past week we have been given a Honda Element with an E Camper as a sponsorship, a welcome vehicle as we will tow the sidecar for the long distance seeking always cool weather. <br>Using much solar (portable from Goal Zero) and right now dealing with our tent that blew away last week! It will not be replaced, the less the better... <br>Much more... but most of it is<A href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/?page_id=62" target=_blank> here</A> and <A href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/" target=_blank>here</A>... <br>Looking forward to going through this Forum and learning more about "austerity" as Social Security is getting tight, basic Life is now getting also expensive.<br>Also looking forward to meeting many of you in January and bringing in maybe some ideas&nbsp;I myself have learned on the road...<br><br><IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/photos/i-D6wXQHF/0/M/i-D6wXQHF-M.jpg"><br><br>Be well, always.<br><br>Ara &amp; Spirit<br><br><A href="http://www.theoasisofmysoul.com/" target=_blank>www.theoasisofmysoul.com</A><br><br><br><br><br>

 

[Vanimal]

Very nice to have the both of you! I have read your blog before and I enjoy it very much!

 

[cyndi]

<FONT size=3>Welcome Ara and Spirit, too!&nbsp; Your ECamper was the subject of admiration and discussion, in a thread here somewhere!</FONT><BR><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<BR><FONT size=3>I am so sorry for the loss of your son.&nbsp; I can think of nothing more devastating.&nbsp; </FONT><BR><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<BR><FONT size=3>Looking forward to seeing you in Quartzsite (or somewhere on the road)!</FONT><BR>

 

[Suanne]

Welcome Ara &amp; Spirit,<br><br>I look forward to checking out your blog.&nbsp; I also travel without refrigeration and hope to find some good recipes.&nbsp; Also, similarly, my adult daughter (29) passed from&nbsp;brain cancer&nbsp;3 years ago on the 5th.&nbsp; The road and my journal have been welcome companions in&nbsp;my journey to deal with that loss ... as you say, a therapy.<br><br>Sorry about your tent, but congrats on the Honda Element.&nbsp; How did you make that score?&nbsp; And, what exactly is Honda sponsoring?&nbsp;&nbsp; That is, what&nbsp;is Honda getting out of the deal?<br><br>Enjoy Big Bend!&nbsp; And, again, welcome.<br><br>Suanne<br>

 

[beemerchef]

Thank you Cindy..<BR>Nothing to add on the feelings Suanne, I so understand you and feel you. It will be 8 years this coming January, it is as yesterday, now. I was very angry the first couple of years, having camped all my Life it was the decision to leave with nothing. When the worse has happened, what else can go worse? I have always written for myself, odd at times and often, I often wonder of the reasons of the readership.<BR>The sponsorship is not from Honda and in truth I cannot talk about it. Only to have the ECamper with us. Sometimes those "aspects" are strange but I guess all part of Marketing. I am happy with it, it will open up an easiness for the winter for sure. <BR>my Webmaster (as I am computer ignoramus) is opening a new section for those recipes. I sometimes will buy chicken yet cook it the same night. All "one-pan" recipes.<BR>Stay in touch and if your writing is public send me the link...<BR><BR><IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/photos/467514960_XdGA4-M.jpg"><BR><BR>Be well, always.<BR>Ara &amp; Spirit<BR><BR><A href="http://www.theoasisofmysoul.com/" target=_blank target=_blank>www.theoasisofmysoul.com</A><BR>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<b>Welcome Ara and Spirit, looking forward to meeting the two of you at the RTR.&nbsp;I had your blog in my favorites but could not get yours to let me follow. Will try again.</b><br><b><FONT color=#00ffff size=3>Dragonfly</FONT></b><br>

 

[Guest]

Hi Ara, Good to see you here. Hope you stick with us for a while. You are an inspiration to me for sure.<br><br>I wanted to offer my place as a stop on the way to City of Rocks if you want to. I have lots of floor, a couch and Spirit and Dina will get along famously. I live in Truth or Consequences and we can ride to the City of Rocks together, up over Emory Pass which is phenomenal riding...it is everything the Dragon's tail is....<br>C'mon by....<br>bri <br><br>

 

[beemerchef]

<img src="http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/photos/i-xPjH8r5/0/M/i-xPjH8r5-M.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br />4th of July, a Rodeo, Friends and Nature&rsquo;s Fireworks. WY.<br /><br />No lack of excitement these days. Staying above 9000 feet, trying to and leaving only when Mother Nature decides to throw in her own Fireworks. Spectacular I must say when witnessing Mountains blowing up at Brooks Lake. A little Parade in a little town called Dubois, a Rodeo in another little town called Lander, all this is taking place in Wyoming. Brooks Lake up to the moment when the Mountain erupted only 9 miles from us has been one of the best space found with cool temperatures and many off chute roads we yet have to ride them all. Snow was even present when we arrived. I saw it as free ice even !<br />Tomorrow starts another leg in the Journey. Salem, Oregon to pick up... ( another surprise for now!) and on to Leavenworth, Washington, for a couple cooking Classes with the combined efforts of Snow Peak and Overland Journal. <br />One day at the time. Schedules? Never... We try not to anyhow. <br /><a href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/">Enjoy the photos of our past days.</a><br /><br />Be well, always.<br /><br />Ara and Spirit <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />5 years, the Stars, living under them&hellip; <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[mockturtle]

Alas, all three links you provided in the text give a 'not found' message.&nbsp; <img src="../images/boards/smilies/confused.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />&nbsp; Is this just another forum glitch?&nbsp; The links at the bottom are just fine. <img src="../images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[beemerchef]

I changed it. Have no clue what happened... Ignoramus here!<br />Thanks. Ara and Spirit

 

[beemerchef]

<img src="http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/photos/i-mLsWd6z/0/L/i-mLsWd6z-L.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />A few days in Salem. The road to... OR<br /><br />The stage has been #20 ~ #26 westbound toward Salem. Rural Americana with it's rustic remainders of now almost defunct villages and the farmlands adorning the shoulders mixed in with the entrances and exits of the various National Forests. As sad a bit such little villages are today as I could only guess from the faded storefront signs of their previous wealth, they provide a slice of History never found in books or pamphlets. The price of today's now as an antique standing tall fuel pump denotes the year when slowly the main street folded giving way maybe to a bypass or just the fact of a new generation leaving for the big town where the jobs might be more rewarding. <br />&ldquo;Sublimity&rdquo;, &ldquo;Gates&rdquo;, &ldquo;Idanha&rdquo;, &ldquo;Unity&rdquo;, &ldquo;Prineville&rdquo;, &ldquo;Sweet Home&rdquo;... <br />We stop when the old oaks have enough shade to cover us from the hot sun for Spirit and I to stand all alone within the silence of a non existent traffic and just be, sometimes often still hearing the noises of the past glamor today vanished. <br />We could have spend weeks covering such short distances, but we had to be as we are right now in Salem awaiting for "Terra Explorer&rdquo;. A surprising turn of events for us as seemingly this Journey has always brought on.<br />More Photos on the Journal... Enjoy.<br /><br />Be well, always.<br /><br />Ara and Spirit <br /><a href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/"><br />www.theoasisofmysoul.com&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Journal<br /><br />

 

[Stillwater]

Thank you for sharing your days in the blog, Ara. Reading it has been a blessing. -Stacey

 

[beemerchef]

Thank You...<br /><br /><img src="http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/photos/i-9R9LpS9/0/M/i-9R9LpS9-M.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Intermission times... AZ<br /><br />Helping Friends with some house sitting, the same Friends which will take care of Spirit while in Munich for a couple weeks in a week spending some quality time with my Mother. Here sheltered from the heat of the day, reorganizing photo galleries and more, all of it leading to some down time.<br />The local rides however are of many as Mt Lemon provides elevations up to 9000 feet pretty quickly while experiencing the afternoon summer monsoons, meaning buckets of water always a few seconds before rain gear can come on, Arivaca Road, Madera and Box Canyon or just sleep all day and stay up all night! <br />The thoughts are present and yet they are also ahead of these times. Wondering how things are doing at &ldquo;The Oasis&rdquo;, looking at maps for winter camping, reading feed backs for better warmer gear for those coming days as now, with &ldquo;Terra Explorer&rdquo;, the ability to travel on some forbidden trails are of the past. <br />It is a bit odd as always to be planted in an urban environment. We are enjoying it as much as we can, yet I feel as I am biting my time missing the open spaces. <br />The fever for outdoor living is now permanent and will only get worse.<br /><a href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/">Enjoy the local colors... </a><br /><br /><br />Be well,<br /><br />&nbsp;Ara and Spirit.<br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[blkjak]

welcome .... blkjak