Ready, set.....

Getting ready to hit the road again. This time driving a friends moving truck to Florida. Hopefully dodging the predicted hurricane. Lets see if my luck holds out missing them. Spending a few weeks in sunny F L A before hitting the road again with the Fun Finder. Destination unknown.

The Fun Finders cousin

 I'm staying at a campground, if you could call it that, in Las Vegas. Sam's Town, where cement and pavement rule the surface of the earth.......ugh. I'm on the perimeter, the fringe, next to the few trees and grass, where it cost LESS to park. ?? The closer you are to the pool, surrounded by you guessed it, cement and pavement and NO tress or grass, it costs more.....?? I'm getting to the age where asking why is pointless. and I digress....

 I met the cousin to the Fun Finder. Virtually the same trailer albeit different manufacturer, with an extremely unique owner. Must be with that cute trailer that makes people so unique you say, well, the person who owns the cousin is dooms day all the way. It fascinates me how whatever your walk is in life, (whatever walk you decide to take, or claim as your own, as it is a conscious choice. there is no deity standing over you commanding you to be a happy, sad, depressed, lucky person. you c h o o s e it yourself) there seems to be a cloud that hangs over you. It follows you like a balloon tied to a string floating above your head all the while you go about life. Some clouds are happy happy and yet others are doom and gloom. Why is it that some people choose to work as waiters in a casino buffet restaurant? Why would you choose that? What is in your mindset, your beliefs, your thinking that tells you it's ok to do this type of work. The choices people make fascinate me. In retrospect, I guess that I too have been asleep to some degree most of my life. For some reason lately everything seems so clear to me. Hmm...maybe clear isn't the correct word. Because the more clear things appear to be, the less enjoyable this experience is becoming. Possibly it is simply a refinement of wants/needs/desires.

Exponentially

So, I don't know what is going on. I knew that I had to leave the Grand Canyon area and head east as I have decided that this trip is over. The loneliness is overwhelming. YEARS of this feeling in Wellsboro combined with 6 months experiencing amazingness solo- sucks. I no longer want to go through life alone. I have amazing friends that I need to reach out to more often. And I have been doing that, but it doesn't fill the need. Having someone to share this with, regardless of the intimacy level, right next to me would change how I function/process quite a bit. The function level in the fun finder would be a challenge but the process level would be enhanced exponentially.

 The lessons have been learned, deeply learned. Engrave into my brain, making sure that the rest of my life is fulfilled by the interests that I deem worthy. If I had to make a list, which i really should, being a Capricorn we love lists, I would be here a while. Safe to say that they're really not new dreams or thoughts, just interests that I have always had yet, for reasons only known to the abyss of my brain, never pursued. Growing up there were always favorite foods/meals that mom would prepare, or Aunt Vonnie's nutbread (unbelievably delicious) yet I don't know how to make all of them. WHY NOT!? This pisses me off. Something that i love and don't know how to make. Ridiculous. Preposterous.

 With the regain of control of this ship,  I hereby do declare that life WILL be fulfilling, interests WILL be pursued, laughter and friends WILL abound, life will be.....lived.

and that I AM worthy.

More pics of Grand Canyon

 At the very west end of the Rim Trail is Hermits Lodge

 At the end of the 20 mile Rim Trail.

Hermits Lodge

Pics of Grand Canyon

 View from Bright Angel Trail

 One of the cabins you can rent. Anyone interested?

Kolb Studio

 Bright Angel Trail

 taken from Rim Trail

 Rim Trail is 20 miles with bus shuttles at every major viewing area

The average person spends 3 1/2 hours at the Grand Canyon. Obviously I'm not average, thank God. I've spend 3 days there and have only walked the Rim trail, and of that only about 12 miles. Most of the Lodges are along the rim and what isn't can be easily explored in the Grand Canyon Village. There is so much to see that moving at a quick pace isn't the point. Breathtaking, jaw dropping, mind boggling experiences encompass most of my time here. Day 4 I hope to complete the Rim Trail. If not, there's always day 5. Spoiled.

back at the canyon

 Being in Flagstaff, I could bounce back and forth to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. I have since moved to just a few miles outside the Grand Canyon. I had uneasy feelings about coming here and am not sure why. Coming up without the trailer and checking out where to park was a big relief. Who thought that you could boondock right outside a National Park. But that hasn't relieved my tension. My spot outside the park is grand. Surrounded by tall pines and gorgeous sky, no explanation for the fear. Just after leaving my spot in Flagstaff, a hawk, which I haven't seen in a number of weeks, flew right in front of me. Hawks are my totem and I would always see them daily. This hawk flew just above the road, almost grazing it,  directly in front of me, as if leading me. Then it turned and flew to my left, south. The meaning? I'm with you is the first, stay low, keep your head low, watch out, watch where your going.....the pine needles crunch beneath my feet where I am boondocking, making me uneasy,  and there is a warning today due to wind and low humidity.

Sedona

T

 These pictures were taken driving from Flagstaff to Sedona through the Oak Creek Canyon. The color of the stones in the water were so unexpected. Also, the large boulders were more or less of the same color providing a fun dichotomy between the two.

 I could add a hundred pictures of Sedona. It wouldn't convey the experience. The area felt like visiting your grandfather, who you hadn't seen in a while. That warm and friendly, familiar and safe, rugged and caring man who could melt your heart. Sedona is priceless, a must see yet more so a must experience.