We Ride a Serendipitous Trail ~ Oct 28, 2013

For the last three days Las Vegas has hovered at 85 degrees, 70ish at night. A slight breeze came up yesterday and cooled the afternoon a bit.   

I woke up about 5:30am with a soft howl in my ears that sounded like it was coming from the windows. I reached behind the curtains to feel a major draft and realize it's the wind. We are, after all, on the 27th floor. It seems that last night's said breeze turned into a red flag wind warning, with gusts of 40-80 depending on your location. Are those ripples in my water glass?

Windy Day

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We're on the road about 9am and the wind is indeed howling: tumbleweeds and dust devils are dancing in the vast openness, clouds of dust are drifting across the highway. The Expedition holds her own so we barely feel it. As a precaution, however, we keep a healthy distance behind large trucks and stay on the upwind side. A parade of big rigs bobbing and weaving down the interstate is not a comforting site.

Did you know that the first noted use of "serendipity" in the English language was by Horace Walpole? In a letter to Horace Mann in January 1794 he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip whose heroes were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of. That sounds about right.

We got a little turned around in Bakersfield trying to find our way to Costco so it took a little longer than expected to get there. We pull up to a pump and a truck pulls in behind us. The driver gets out and says "Hi Rod". There stands Jeff,  a friend of his from Santa Rosa. They've traveled together to Las Vegas for the March NASCAR races a number of times. Turns out Jeff is on his way to Missouri on some family business. What are the odds?

We decide to push on towards the coast for the night. Once out of Bakersfield, we head up I5 for a bit and turn left onto Hwy 46 for Paso Robles. It's a road less traveled, freshly paved, winding through ranches, vineyards and rolling hills. The remnants of a storm moving east provide some great visuals.

 
We stayed at the Best Western in Paso Robles last November on our way home from Arizona so we stop there again. They upgraded our room for coming back ~ cool beans. This also means we can walk up to Big Bad Bubba's BBQ for dinner (worth checking out if you're in the area). Long drive today so it's early to bed, looking forward to getting home tomorrow. I love traveling but it's oh so nice to sleep in your own bed.



Twilight on Tamalpais ~ March 14, 1921

Once again I'm back to work on family genealogy. The thrill of the hunt, an archaeological dig and jigsaw puzzle all rolled into one. You never know what you'll find around the next corner. Sitting cross-legged on my studio floor I was looking through a small file cabinet for a specific photo. I got sidetracked by a manila folder filled with some ancient newspaper clippings. Among them was the following poem.

Twilight on Tamalpais

High upon a mountain, whose fingers touch the sky,

Whose pillared sides and giant trees saw men and nations die;

There, standing in the twilight, in Nature's fiery tone

I breathe the air of freedom and joy to be alone.

Below, there ride the straining ships ~ the greyhounds of the deep

Upon whose decks the silent crews their silent watches keep;

And in the middle distance, as greylike as a tomb,

As befits a dreary prison, is Alcatraz in the gloom.

Behold the distant ocean, the soundless, tossing sea

As silent as an ocean in any dream could be;

The stretches of the City, flung far across the Bay,

Whose myriad houses glow with light ~ the light that ends the day.

Alone to feel the silence, alone and all in peace,

The calm, still peace of even, as daily labors cease;

The passing breath of sunset, in lovely shades of red,

The peace and joy of living 'mid the splendors of the dead!

All I know is that it was written by Frank Livingstone, San Francisco, March 14, 1921. It was no doubt cut from the local newspaper by my grandmother or great grand mother.

Undated, photo/postcard of Mt. Tamalpais in same file

Anyone who has been up on the mountain will recognize the views and thoughts he describes. I could only smile at the similarity of my own journal entry written 91 years later (March 2012 blog: Just a Thought Series ~ December 10, 1970). It appears Mt. Tam holds magic for all who spend time in her embrace.

Just a Thought Series ~ May 12, 1970

All you have been and seen

And done and thought

Not You but I

Have seen and been and wrought

Pilgrim, Pilgrimage and Road

Was but Myself toward Myself

 And Your Arrival

But Myself

At my own Door

Come you lost Atoms

To your Centre draw

And be the Eternal Mirror that you saw

Rays that have wander'd

Into Darkness wide return

And back into your Sun subside

I knew these words weren't my own so I did a little early morning research. The lines are from a poem called A Face in the Mirror by 12th Century Persian poet Attar.

Serendipity
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My whole life has been a series of serendipitous connections and threads. In retrospect these words were a prescient prelude to my month long adventure of self discovery in the Northwest and Canada that began August 18th of that same year. At the time of this journal entry I had no inkling of what was ahead, but then again, perhaps I did ~ food for thought.

Breast Cancer Journey - Off Season Training

I usually avoid traveling to the east side of Hwy 101 into Santa Rosa or Rohnert Park like the plague. I save up errands and appointments so I only have to go in every week or two. This week was an anomaly for sure, but all for a good cause ~ my future health!

I met with my Oncologist on Monday ~ reports are good, the tumor removed was about half the size they anticipated. I have positive estrogen receptors so it has been suggested that I start a regimen of Anastrozole to help lower estrogen levels ~ as if menopause wasn't enough! One of the possible side effect is hot flashes ~ Geeze Louise, I made it all the way through menopause with one night sweat and no hot flashes, so I'm hoping that whatever my body knew then it remembers now! Due to a long list of other potential side effects I've asked if I can start when I'm done with radiation. I should hear back in a couple of days. I don't want to hammer my body with too much all at once. Tuesday was a follow up mammogram to see if there were any residual calcifications. Report back from radiologist was that films were clean and clear. Oh Yeah!

Wednesday off to the Rohnert Park Cancer Center (RPCC) to meet with my Radiation Therapist and discuss preliminary treatment plan: five days a week for four weeks. We've got it worked out so I'll be done about a week before we take off on our 25th wedding anniversary adventure (destination pending ~ we keep getting new ideas).  

I got Thursday off and didn't leave the property except to attend a concert at Studio E with singers/songwriters Tom Russell and Thad Beckman. It was an amazing evening full of laughter and outstanding music dedicated to my late friend Trisha and shared with family and friends.

Friday took me back to RPCC for a CT scan, to document my treatment plan, design positioning devices to keep me in same position for each session and tattoo my skin for positioning accuracy (we're talking four blue freckles here, nothing major). I met with nursing staff for patient education and got more homework. On Nov 9th they'll do a Sim Verification or dry run and perhaps my first treatment.

Trisha's Bobcat ~ Cherry Camp Vineyard 2009

For anyone who knows me, Bobcats hold a special place in my life. As I walked into my Radiation Therapist's office and sat down I looked up at the calendar on the wall ~ there looking back at me was a Bobcat and the words of William Wordsworth "Let nature be your teacher". I no longer question these experiences, I just know my husband, friends and spirit guides have my back and are with me for the duration of this journey.

Eight Friends, Dinner and a Movie

We spent last Sunday afternoon in Santa Rosa at a private screening, for friends and supporters, of a powerful documentary made by our friends Ken and Betty Rodgers. It's about the 26th Marine Regiment, Bravo Company and the Siege of Khe Sanh, Vietnam in 1968. It is an incredible story told by those who lived it, survived it and are sharing the experience in their own words. The title is:

"Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor"

For a link to the project blog and trailers please go to http://bravotheproject.com/

After the screening, eight of us gathered for dinner at a Thai restaurant on lower 4th St. called Khoom Lanna, a short walk from the 6th Street Playhouse. As Betty and I looked around the table we realized this group of friends, old and new, from all walks of life had been drawn together by a common thread, our late friends Vince and Trisha Pedroia. We could only smile at the synchronicity of that moment and the serendipitous chain of events that brought this film from an idea to a realized dream. There be magic afoot.

The opening of a dialogue

After my husband Rod and I got home we started talking about Vietnam. I was a college student in my early twenties and pretty much out of touch with the realities of the war, perhaps by naiveté or by choice I don't remember. Rod had tried to enlist several times, but because of a medical condition was turned down.
 
We all need to think about the cause, effect and consequences for the generation, our generation, who was in the middle of it. I believe the film will provide new understanding and long overdue healing: for those who lived through it, for those who kept the home fires burning, for those who protested it, and for those too young to understand it.
 
The Vietnam War tore this country apart. No matter what your opinion was, it's now time to open your hearts and minds to the men and woman who did what their government asked of them. One of the terrible things about the Vietnam War was that our returning soldiers were not treated as heroes as are today's veterans, but as pariahs, spat upon and called baby killers. I hate the concept of war but I will always support the men and women who serve.
 
Unfortunately history continues to repeat itself and the same mistakes are made over and over again: A government of old men sends children to war and then looks the other way at the pathetic care provided for veterans and their families. The Ship of State following its Train of Thought over a cliff.
 
It's time for a sea change, a transformation of our thinking as human beings. Perhaps today’s young men and women can get it right and find another solution to the unending cycles of war that seem to stalk each generation.

D-Day Approaches ~ Right or Left?

The adventure begins at o'dark thirty on Tuesday morning. We've been watching the weather and due to the haze and heat down near Sequoia and Kings Canyon we're going to head north instead of southeast this trip. The parks are still on the top of our list, but think we'll wait until a storm or two has rolled through and cleared the air, perhaps in the Autumn when leaves are changing and the crowds are back home. This trip we could end up at any of these incredible places or somewhere else altogether.

Falls on North Umpqua River

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Today and tomorrow are the preparation trifecta: pack the rig, soak the gardens and clean the house (there's nothing like coming home to fresh sheets on a real bed after a couple of weeks on the road). We don't consider any of these activities chores, the payoff is the freedom to wander for a couple of weeks or more (Rod gets his August schedule in late July, so if he doesn't have time scheduled the first part of the month we can stay out longer - yeah baby!).

 Oregon Coast 

We'll be ready for any kind of weather Mother Nature chooses to throw at us, but it does seem a bit odd to pack rain gear, long johns and swim suits. The beauty of a motorhome is that you can take whatever you might need and you don't have to pack and unpack every day.

Imnaha Nights

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A little side note: After our last trip to SE Oregon in May I did a spreadsheet on actual costs (fuel, camp fees, food, etc.) and created the same hypothetical trip taking the Honda, staying in lodging and eating out. In spite of the cost of fuel we saved about $500 taking the motorhome. The biggest perk and true value is that we were able to stay in the woods, along rivers and at the ocean.

Rogue River

Fishing gear, cameras, walking sticks, hiking boots and binoculars ~ check! Books, books on CD and music ~ check! Next comes clothes, foodstuffs and systems checks. I'll keep you posted as we go. We may be off the grid for periods of time, but that's half the fun. There is a "follow by email" button on right side of blog, sign up you'll get notified of new posts.

Off We Go - May 18th

I've reconsidered my dislike of Interstate 5, at least in the springtime. We traveled north through some of California's most beautiful orchards and farmland. How many of us take for granted the wonderful produce we find in our local stores? Hard working farmers around the country labor through good times and bad to bring us their best. Think about visiting your local farmer's market and spend your money locally.

Our adventure really begins when we turn right onto Hwy 299 at Redding and head East to McArthur-Burney Falls. Wild flowers abound, the Redbud is in full bloom, meadows are still green, and the rivers high.

 Redbud & Pit River

We find a great spot in the campground within walking distance of the falls. There is no one down there when we take our morning hike.

Burney Falls (129 feet)

I've been coming here since I was a kid and I am always awed at it's beauty. The volume of water never changes. Snowmelt and rainwater percolate through the porous surface of the lava rock and is trapped in huge subterranean rivers and reservoirs. One of these underground aquifers feeds Burney Creek, and in turn, Burney Falls. The falls flow all year even though a half mile above the falls, Burney Creek is often absolutely dry. One of nature's wonders to be sure. 

Happy Campers ~ May 23rd will be the 30th anniversary of the day we met at the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic ~ how time flies when you're having fun!

Wisdom Part Deux

Serendipity once again dances round my campfire.

Shortly after posting my blog, Wisdom from a Refrigerator Door, I received an email from my friend Margo Metegrano at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/ guiding me to the source of those words "Fun, Freedom, Fierceness, Fearlessness".

They are from poet Paul Zarzyski, released in 2007 blogcast to the participants of his Writing Workshop at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV. Paul was a close friend of Trisha and her husband Vince. I attended most of his workshops, sessions and concerts at Elko this January and instantly understood the connection. He's a total character, an amazing writer and a gifted storyteller. The link for this week's reading assignment is: http://www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/paulz/2007/01/

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Trust me, the blogcast is well worth reading and you need to take a time out anyway. Go get a cup of coffee, find a comfortable spot, put your feet up and prepare to learn and laugh yourself silly. Perhaps your inner writer/poet will request a chance to be freed from inside your head. Perhaps the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be added to your bucket list. Life is short, live fearlessly!

Inspiration Sometimes Comes from Odd Sources

I was looking over a section of my friend Trisha's library yesterday and saw a piece of folded, yellow tablet paper stuck between two books. One of her delightful quirks was that she was never without a pen and a yellow pad. She was ecstatic when she found out the "note pad" on her IPhone was also a yellow lined pad.

We talked often of travel and adventures. Some adventures we took together, some were shared stories of adventures with other friends. Losing her last Fall was a wake up call to all of us on just how tenuous a hold we humans have on this thing we call life.  

Trisha was the hub of an extraordinary wheel and her friends the spokes. Through her loss we have found each other. As we have talked, visited and emailed over the last couple of months we find we are all on a similar journey: one that has us re-examining priorities, not sweating the small stuff and making plans for adventures, a "just do it" state of mind has taken root.

"Wandering"



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Here in lies the serendipitous and intertwining nature of yesterday's library find, a quote from Ray Bradbury.

"Half the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness"

"The Road"

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I've always been fond of the bumper sticker that says "I'm not lost I'm wandering" and to quote Anatole France "Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe."

"The Happy Wanderer"



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No wonder my parents were on the road for a decade, they got it! How many wake up calls does one need? It may be a different truth or destination for everyone, but it is the journey that is important. Pass go, pick up your $200 and step off the Monopoly Board.