Palo Alto, Texas and Portland, Oregon

Hey y'all!

So there has been about a month or so of absence from the blog. It figures on my part. I'm not one for updating people on my whereabouts or knowing where I am, much less blogging and talking about it online. Maybe its time for face-book or just keeping up on the blog.

Just to make you all feel better, I think of you all the time. To the point of having fake conversations, thinking of all the things that I would say to you if you were here. That goes for many of you -even people I hardly know..or just know by acquaintance. So, I know that I have to pick up the phone more, and keep in touch more. I will and do try, but I will try harder. So, until then, this blog will do. I am also joining a letter writing group at the IPRC here in Portland. Once I get those all important things like a mailing address etc. I will be writing more letters and sending out more poems.

So, we are now in Portland trying to figure out where to go/when to stay.

The rest of the posts will be a mixture of re-cap/pictures of what we did in the last month.

 Enjoy!

Camping at Palo Alto, the second biggest canyon besides the Grand one in Arizona. 

We had the camp-ground/canyon to ourselves most of the time. 

When I was going through some tough shifts waitressing this summer, the canyons were the special place I would go in my mind. See, I have never been to the desert before this time. So, when I was trapped in a restaurant, with an aching head and knees...I would imagine me on a mountain in the desert. Peaceful and aware of my surroundings and thoughts, it was my place of all possible growth and tranquility.

 I was finally able to climb the canyons and wake up to the cleansing dessert wind and bright oranges, reds. It feels good to know that I took that place in my head and made it a reality. Even though it was only for a bit, I got to sit on a canyon and be peaceful. It felt really f-ing good to be there.

-mary

---------------------------------------------------Palo Alto------------------------------------------------

Sam made a snack of opuntia/cactus figs

We put all our blankets out to air in the desert wind

Sam must make art

open shutter sunset

Ashville, North Carolina

We had heard a lot of great things about Asheville, and heading west it was on our way. We stopped for 4 days and stayed at a kinda weird hostel. Not weird in a creepy way - more like staying at someones house where they are happy to have you but still pissed that they have to keep things cleaner and be hospitable. 

No big deal though, we were mostly out exploring the different neighborhoods. We biked around West-Ashville and downtown which were both pretty artsy and cultured. Stopped for some over-priced Indian street food sold in a swanky restaurant. Rode around in circles, loosing our way and passing the same art-hippie stores over and over again. 

The highlight of the stay in Ashville came from our hostel neighbors, Didi and Didi. They stopped us while we were walking back from the store, eating bananas.  They wanted to know of our lavender plant- did we really take it with us wherever we went? Yes, we answered, it helps us breathe and is nice to have something alive in the van- much less maintenance than a road dog. With this answer they replied, want to see something cool? It will only take maybe hour, hour and half. Hop in the back seat, come with us to see something cool.

Usually when someone tells you to get into their back seat to see something cool, its a red-flag. 

We did accept the offer though because they were so nice and looked like a cross between Sam's aunt and Mary's mom. Turns out they are Yogic nuns who run the Women's Wellbeing and Development Foundation and they were taking us on a sightseeing trip to the land they share with The Prama Institute. It was a delightful day that took us all around the land outside of Asheville. We had the chance to stand on earth that contains a Cherokee burial ground, ground houses from the Bronze age, and the graves of the Fischer's the first German settlers of the land. The Fischer house still stands, though it now houses more wasps and animals and spirits than anything else.

What a enlightening day that filled our hearts with so much peace and love.

Thanks Didi and Didi!

Snaggy Mountain- Boone, North Carolina

 We got into North Carolina by way of Tennessee and Virginia. Traveling back mountain roads in the dark is not something we were used to; when we got to Snaggy Mnt. road we were in the mood for something good. 

For real

  When we were greeted by Jeremy and Jared, we knew that we had found a very special place hidden within the Blueridge Mountains. Jared (and his roomies) play host to an amazing, revolving group of people that make Snaggy Mountain a refuge of music, art and creating. The house holds a substantial amount of energy that both soothes and uplifts those inside of its walls. 

The pigglet's name is D-O-G

During our stay a good amount of people passed through on various travels and destinations. A couple that were taking a break from deer hide tanning, a touring songstress from Alabama, a jack-of-all-trades fellow from Oregon. All of these people (including us, the sojourners /seekers) were welcomed and made to feel at home. So, thanks Snaggy Mountain, you helped us travel with lighter hearts and we look forward to seeing y'all again where ever that might be!

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save. 

               

                                                                       "The Journey" Mary Oliver

 

Florence, Kentucky

"So tell me, what is it you plan to do/with your one wild and precious life?"

                                                   - Mary Oliver, "The Summer Day"-

Outside of Cincinnatti is a little town called Florence. 

It has a pretty good skatepark and not a whole lot else....

We ate at a Wafflehouse coming in from our cold and scary night in Cincinnati.

(people drunk yelling at the van "you in there mofo's?")   

We spent most of the time hanging at the park, decompressing and skating. 

The night in Cincinatti was stressful and it made us re-think our plans...

...what the hell are we doing?

After a little time to think and talk we relaxed and reaffirmed ourselves to stay open to life and what it brings us. 

Evidently Cincinnati wasn't for us, and the city told us that loud and clear.

So moving south....

When was the last time you did a cart-wheel?

I went back to take some picks...this guy was covering up all the cool. 

Cooked some breakfast in in the parking lot, homemade tomato jam.

breathe, lavender, breathe

Lucky chickens from my mama

Sams shadow

We left Florence and headed towards Louisville.

...and then heard a really stupid sound coming from our exhaust part of the van.

Fast-forward to a day of sleeping in a Walmart parking lot and then trying to fix the holes in the exhaust while its pouring rain.

Sometimes it just doesn't work out that well on the road. 

We ended up checking into a cheap motel to spend the night; warm up/wash up.

Checked our e-mail and there was a note from a guy in Boone, North Carolina. 

It was through HelpX, we had signed up a bit ago and sent him a message on a whim. 

He said we were welcome to come and see the Blue Ridge Mountains and stay for a bit. 

We said what the hell, must be better than Louisville and warmer too. 

Off to North Carolina!

Ft. Wayne - explored

Life goes around in circles, reminding us that we will be here no matter where we are.

Sam's homebrew- molasses papaya beer

Our friend Micheal got a sweet new job in Ft. Wayne IN.

Making his dreams come true audio-tech style.

We helped him settle into his new pad and  explored his new town. 

He has really nice, beautiful things

His new apartment is eerily similar to the first one that he had in Milwaukee on 2nd Street, when we first met 6 years ago.  Feeling like I'm twenty again, in a new town- music blowing my mind for the first time and exploring new territory.

Downtown, down an ally

    Priorities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was really nice to see a familiar face in a new city for all of us. Its amazing to have a friend that's so talented, kind and easy to be around. 

Hey Micheal, we love you. 

And thanks for the cassette mix- and for working on the levels...input..or whatever that was.....that got you lost in the audio-hole.

Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Ft. Wayne's namesake

The Masons are big here, a lot of triangles if you look closely and also crazy cool stone-work.

Herb garden at the fort- sage, rosemary and lavender. Gathered and bundled.

I'm glad that we visited during the off season, so we wouldn't have to witness this "historical" reenactment.

Oven Envy