12th Feb – 15th Feb 2012
Feb 13th.
We left Quartzsite yesterday, in somewhat of a hurry. Strange how days and days can go by, similar days I mean, and then your lives change on a dime. After receiving word from our old job at Costanoa KOA, that they are undecided about hiring until April, we were fortunate to find another workamping position in the town of Carmel. We accepted immediately and here we are en route for Santa Cruz or rather Carmel, which is only an hour’s drive south from Santa Cruz.
We are camping at one of our old campsites in theMojave Desertfor tonight and it is quite cold. Huge billowing dark clouds have closed in all around us giving us a fine show of formidable strength and power but only a mere few drops of precious rain. All show but no, dare I say, substance?
We are both ready for a change. Five months of living in the desert of being in a world of brown, beige, black, light brown, dark brown, tans. We are so ready, so excited to lay our eyes on the soft greens of lush coastal vegetation. We are so ready to be in a softer world. The ocean calls and calls and we are happy to return to the her waters once again.
Leaving our campsite in Quartzsite was a bit of a wrench for me. I know that at some point I will be thinking of this spot and my aimless wanderings in the desert. I now know what draws me here time and time again. It is the vastness, silence and endless expansiveness of this terrain. It points and resonates to that same state within me, that I am only just starting to connect with.
So, home we go. Another new phase lies ahead of us. It is still so amazing to change directions so quickly and alter our reality at a moment’s notice. It will be wonderful to be near Gerry’s mom who has just turned 90! I think it is time for us to be more supportive to her and being so close to her will make it a lot easier. Also I am missing our son and friends.
Time to return.
As we awoke from our last day in the desert world, nature had shown up again in all her beautiful splendour. A white terrain lay at our feet, as we opened the door. Yes, indeed there was a lot of substance, cold and wet and the clouds still billowed in furious form all around. I take back all my words from yesterday and apologize profusely. We know who is in charge here and it is not us! Beautiful, white snow had settled during the night and cloaked the desert floor in a silent shroud of white ice.
What a way to leave …
in awe…
of beauty,
spaciousness.
authenticity
and simplicity.
It is this lack of ego that I wish to carry within me. How do I take this vast spaciousness back to a world of distraction, detail and much complex form and consumerism. How to bring spaciousness and freedom into everything I do. This is a state of beingness that I want to hold onto, but as soon as I try to attach myself to it, it disappears. I am sure there are a lot of articulate people who can verbalize so much better than I as to what I mean. I know, here is a quote that I think we all know well.
“ to be in the world but not of it”
I think that is right. I think that is close to what I mean and then add in all that spaciousness, expansiveness and freedom. That should do it.
I think I’ll have one of those, put that on the bill to go!
Thank – you , thank – you so much.
Carmel Valley,CA
15th Feb to 15th March 2012
Well here we are in our new home, at a Saddle Mountain RV park inCarmelValley. We were greeted by Maren the camphost, who immediately made us feel warm and welcomed. It is a relatively small RV park with 25 rv spaces and 25 tent campsites. There are beautiful views from the beautiful pool deck and the deck outside the office. The RV park is situated on the slopes of a hill so it overlooks the valley. The RV camp spots are pretty small and once again we have to acclimate from the wide desert to a smaller world. It was a challenge last year and so it is again. There are a lot of long term campers here and so in fact there is a feeling of community and good energy.
The office, ( my new job) where all the reservations and so forth are made is actually really nice. Training took place over a few days and here we are doing the do and exploring this area. It was a shock to come back to a more wintry place. I had forgotten that trees lose their leaves and that despite the “green” look it is still winter here. Perhaps that accounts for us both getting whopping colds!
We got to see our son Tyson, Cara his girlfriend, dear puppy dog Kedo and of course Gerry’s mom. We have only made 1 or 2 trips toSanta Cruzand still haven’t seen everyone except our dear friends Julie and Rena.
So here we are and I knew it, just knew it … yes I miss the desert….. but here we are and after sinking into a 3 day depression, I am starting to emerge. It is challenging for me and I am pushing myself to leave this small park and go on hikes to keep my feet in the natural world which is so comforting to me, my true home among the trees and the many plants, I recognise so many of them and they feel like old friends, as they reveal themselves one by one. There is poisonous hemlock all leafy starting to rise from a long dormant sleep. There is the first frothy fennel and yarrow leaves too. I see the jagged leaves of wild nettle, careful I want to avoid them, next to them is the antidote yellow dock and how could I forget the famous poison oak just starting to leaf next to the distinctive Mugwort, its antidote and of course Plantain looking so green and healthy. It is really so fun to see these plants again. California Poppy is perking up everywhere, sending out good cheer and brightening up this green world, so too are the purple flowered Lupine and the smell of Ceonothus in bloom fills the air and reminds me how good it is to be here.
The waves are crashing on the shore and the the wild movement of waves and suspended white spray makes me quite dizzy. It is a desert liquefied and on the move. The lines have become blurry and once again there are wide horizons and a feeling of endlessness. I have found a liquid desert. I remember now that the ocean is my other home, The oceanic home of beaches, cliffs and beauty. It is all here at my fingertips, I just have to get into the car and drive to it.
I know this is a good place for us. It is close to Gerry’s mom and that is very important right now. He can easily drive over there every day and check on her. She is a very fine lady and just turned 90!!! I doubt very much that I personally will see that age. Just amazing!
Carmelis quite the rich town. It is not impossible to be rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous here. Clint Eastwood has his inn and restaurant down the road, Doris Day her hotel for folks and dogs, it is like a miniHollywoodincluding the famousPebbleBeachgolf course and all the multi million dollar homes that stud this valley and shoreline.
We are close toMontereyand the incredible aquarium, fisherman’s wharf and the whale watching boats that can take you out into the bay to sight for the grey whales that are heading fromMexicotoAlaska, as well as humpbacks and maybe Orcas and dolphins. Just down the road isBig Sur, a strip of mountains that meet the ocean. Every year after the rains there are landslides and bridge devastations. This area reminds me so much of Chapman’s Peak drive inCapetown,South Africa. Just gorgeous, breathtaking views of a vast green, blue, topaz and azure oceanic waters that pound this coast or lie snoozing and nuzzling against the rocks. The fog comes and goes, softening the mountain contours or falling into the valleys. You never know if it is going to be warm or cold if you will see great views or if the world of oceanic magic will be hidden for your entire journey. Either way it is always an experience to enjoy, traveling down this coastline. For the first time Gerry and I saw 2 huge Condor birds sitting on top of a faraway tree. They are the largest birds ever. As one spread its wings, we just gasped. I’m not sure how many feet is the wingspan but from where I was sitting, it looked endless.
Maren has been introducing me to some of the hikes in theBig Surarea and they have been absolutely pristine. There are a number of streams that cascade down from the hills heading for the ocean and numerous hikes that meander inland or down to the beaches. So there is a lot to explore.
It is a busy place, though, lots of people want to be here and so many live here. So I have to learn to share.
Drats!
