The Oasis of my Soul...

[beemerchef]

Rolling this ball of Life... CO

"It's a very gentle, flowing tale, a nice mix of autobiography and travelogue. Less introspective than I anticipated, I'm having a hard time putting it down actually. The fun you had writing it certainly jumps off the page. It's poignant but not sad."

Yes, it is a comment on our Book. One of them. I cannot be the judge of it, I can only read what others think of it.

We are still in Gunnison, a few more days and on we will go once again “in the middle of nowhere”. We have had the opportunity to scout the areas and considering that 80% of the land here is public, the choices are greater than ever.

We have had Friends camp with us and their huge and beautiful 30,000lb custom built Unimog! I kind of felt like David and Goliath were on display. They fed us for two days, it was such a treat not having to cook! Always is.

A ride up and down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from which I made a video. A couple more visits into town and best of all the weather is cooperating while staying cool as we like it with low 30's in the mornings. Perfect.

Enjoy the videos, the photos and if you read our Book let us know what you think. Spirit wants to know...



Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book information

[beemerchef]

Lake San Cristobal. Reconnecting with Nature. CO


“Read your book over the weekend…absolutely touched my heart & spirit!!! It is one of those rare books that make you “feel” in all the right areas of your emotions and life…thank you for sharing your travels and life with all of us!!! I felt at every page that I was right there, seeing, hearing and smelling…"

“Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash”

Thank You Chris...

I know, cheap marketing but that is all I can do, afford rightly so.

We headed to Lake San Cristobal for a week on it's cliffs taking in the view and the lack of Internet! The camping was not free this time around but the sights are worth the $15 a night. Five nights actually.

Lake City has been in a total black out with Internet and I must say it was funny to walk the streets a bit, or sit on one of the benches watching the world go around, while hearing the tourists out loud wondering what they were “now going to do?”. Comments were as “will have to walk around”, “will have to take in the sights” and on and on.

The Editor of the local Newspaper even wrote on their Facebook page that the town's sidewalks were buzzing! A sign of the times... Life without Internet must be the worst punishment I think today's society could endure. I personally know a few that will have the shakes [true story] if their Internet goes down... SAD.

The area of course was familiar to us. It is a bit of a retreat just being and finding again ourselves before heading North one more time.

More photos and comments in our Journal. Enjoy.



Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book

www.beemerchef.smugmug.com The Photos

[beemerchef]

A Room with a View. Colorado.

This room is actually millions of acres. Free BLM land South of Salida and hundreds of miles of unpaved roads, mostly not on any maps that I can find. Perched at 9200 feet, it is sweater and wool hat time in the evening till morning when finally the rays slowly emerge from behind the eastern horizon and warm us up. No sense getting up too early.

I have finally learned the weather pattern here which starts with blue skies and by noon almost black at times the clouds play their odd particular shapes confronting each other with often a nice downpour to cool us of even more.

How are we ever going to leave this space?

On the Fourth of July we attended a wedding in Colorado Springs. Some dear Friends or ours tied the knot. We started then heading North. It did not last too long! We made a U-turn at Castle Rock and now again back here exactly where we started. Nothing unusual for us to change our direction in an instant. It is called the freedom of time.

The photos on our Journal will prove our logic! How could we not?



Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

[DesertWRX]

Keep posting those great desert photos. Oh yeah... and of Spirit too!

[beemerchef]

Keep posting those great desert photos. Oh yeah... and of Spirit too!

Thanks. You are in a great Desert! A bit sandy for us but we might be back there.

Stay well. Ara and Spirit

[beemerchef]

Snowy Range Pass, Wyoming


It is thought that the most beautiful spaces in this country do not have Internet. It is true. We have plunged into this other world today in Laramie, Wyoming, the one where laundry can be done, provisions purchased and then on escape back up to Snowy Range Pass which has been our home for now a while. So here we are with a connection

Right! Our SPOT and SAT phones are our only lifelines "up there". Who needs anything more when everything else is provided? Miles of unpaved roads, more little lakes I can count, shade and cool weather while staying above 9000 feet. The birds singing, the smells pungent, another Paradise we had never explored in this beautiful country of ours. "Get to know your Backyard" I always say.

Here, at lower elevations, the heat is already making its mark. August coming up is always the worse month for us and that will include our friends the mosquitoes. But, September is right around the corner and WA/OR should by then be cooler. We are spending a few days traveling that month with our Editor. It should be interesting as we are both looking forward to it. I wonder if she will also correct my speech!

Very nice comments have come in regarding our book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash". Some have even already read it twice! I might even do that myself. If you have not, all the information to order it is on our Journal.






Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

[beemerchef]

Through Bear's Tooth Pass... WY/MT

We went up through Chief Joseph Hwy and set up camp on Bear's Tooth Pass with much anticipation and our heads up high. A few days later, the mosquitoes won and near by Ennis, Montana, is where we are. The problem was not while riding but the frustration at camp. Off fan, Skin so Soft, wrist band, camp fire, we have it all... Cannot use Deet.

On the banks of Madison river amazingly just a few of those non sense flying pesky intrusions. Spirit is happier, his freedom without a cry found again.

More destinations surrounds us including Gravelly Range Rd, the one I call "the road to nowhere". We are about 12 miles from town. Easy refueling and purchase of provisions.

Some day are good as these are considering we are only at 5500 feet and last night was around 45 degrees. Just the way we like it.

Just in case you order our Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash" we are not too far also from the Post Office! Hint... The reviews have been very favorable.

The skies are now clearing after much welcomed rain. It is time for some rides and more photos.



Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

[beemerchef]

Montana! Gravelly Range Road and more…

Montana's roads and spaces are always exciting times especially when weather cooperating, none above 80.

Gravelly Range Road has been on top my list of favorites for a long time now and these days has been no exception. Combined with a new camping spot by Varney Bridge, about 10 miles from Ennis, and that does it for us spending over a week with a great base camp.

The sunsets have been exceptional. The photos are in the Journal. No doubt one can understand why it is here called the "Big Skies". They are indeed huge with a feel of being enveloped by them. This summer is continuing being good to us.

In the meantime I am also trying to let our Friends [you!] know about the release of our book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash". There are no funds for marketing, so doing the best I can and spreading the word will always be a plus. I actually received an incredible comment the other day:

"Could this book surpass the reality of "Ghost Rider"? Could it be the modern updated" Travels with Charley " and" Blue Highways"? Yes on all counts. A must read. Even more than once."

Of course as everything else, it is a matter of taste!

We will be pushing Northwest next week, we have to be in Portland by the 31st while we will be traveling a while with our Editor and showing her some of this beautiful country.

Thank You always for your support throughout this Journey of ours.


Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

[beemerchef]

A bit of past and present Urbanism. Montana

Today's News? Well, they are always all over the place, one in particular disturbed me greatly. You can read about it in our Journal.

In the meantime we hovered for quite a few days within past History between Virginia City, Nevada City, Alder, Twin Bridges and as far as Dillon. Weekdays are great as the streets are deserted and the locals are eager to tell their stories. Just as it use to be in past times when Internet was not present. Those stories are the joys while being on the road throughout our very slow pace.

The roads themselves are often lined up with antiquities from those past times. Some refurbished and some, maybe while running out of money, left as it for Mother time to take her toll. They will not be around for too much longer. There are already I noticed some which have disappeared and glad a few years back I had taken some photos of such dwelling. Today is a Hotel, a restaurant and too often nothing at all. Just a piece of dirt with no signature from what was standing sometimes not so tall.

The good "holes in the walls" places to eat are luckily still around like the white Taco Bus in Dillon. Their flavors have not gone away. A good thing as even the faces looked familiar.

Slowly it is on to the West Coast, the Pacific Ocean while we will soon land in the Olympic Peninsula including Neah Bay. Hopefully I will not notice too many changes. They would be a discrepancy with our Book!



Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…

[beemerchef]

The Olympic Peninsula. WA

It was rough going through Portland and leaving behind Palouse Country. Cities and us do not get along very well. A great lunch with a Friend not seen in years did make it worthwhile as also picking up our Editor to show her a bit of the country for a couple weeks. All arranged and preplanned with motels and campgrounds near each other. Olympic Peninsula has been our first stop, in Liliwaup to be more precise. The space is magical with it's rain forests filled with trees covered with moss, streams here and there and the highlight being Neah Bay including the hike to Cape Flattery which is the most western point of the country. The sight of an Island off shore with its lighthouse made me want that job!

The sea food is great including the fresh oysters which do not come my way too often.

The days are filled with conversations, remembrances on all the "hick ups" we went through while editing and proofing "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash" for six months daily without a single break. I don't know if we could do it again! But we will. A Photo Coffee Table Book this winter hopefully. 60 photos with descriptions, quotes and maps for each of them. Winters in Texas are good for such projects which in this case will not be as demanding. It will eventually be available "print on demand" only. Such books do not come by inexpensively. Just a "thing" I have been wanting to do for quite a while.

Tomorrow we head out towards Halfway and Hell's Canyon, Oregon, for a few more days. There is no doubt this path is bringing back quite a few memories from years past. Good ones.

Enjoy the hike and the photos in the Journal.




Till next time.

Stay well.

Ara and Spirit

www.theoasisofmysoul.com The Journal and Book "Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash"

8th Year, the Stars, living under them…