Tag Archives: cycling

Exploring Life Changes: A Journey Through Nature

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Near Gold Beach, OR

Returning to San Diego in mid-June has created an odd start to summer. Usually by June, I am somewhere to the north of Southern California. This year I left San Diego at the end of June, still heading north but much later than normal.

I have felt unsettled and not sure which direction I wanted to take my travels. I had thought about heading east to visit family, yet summer is not my favorite time to visit the East Coast. It is hot and sticky. It is somewhere I would rather visit during the shoulder seasons.

Why am I unsettled? I wish I knew the answer to this question. If I knew, then I could fix it or move in the right direction. The uncertainty of the answer is hard for me to understand, emotionally and spiritually. It is about depression, sadness, and loneliness. There is more, and that is undefined to me.

After spending the winter with Drew (healing from surgery) and a whole month with other people during my trip abroad, it is hard to be solidly solo again. It has been nice to visit friends and then spend time alone and then visit friends again. It is the best of all worlds.

I decided to head north. I love the Pacific Northwest with its beautiful long days. The water, the forests, and friends. I love to visit my friends and catch up on the last year. I especially feel so welcome when friends (The Gold Beach and Whidbey Island friends) get excited about me coming and make me feel loved and supported.

As I was trying to figure out where to go, my good friends who live in Boise, Idaho, helped me decide on my summer. They were looking for a cat and a house sitter while they traveled to Europe to visit their son and explore new territory.

I spent a week in Donnelly, Idaho, about 100 miles north of Boise (still in Idaho). I have been to this small town in the mountains before. I really enjoy spending time in the higher mountain country. This year was different. There was so much smoke from the fires in the Pacific Northwest that it made the sun hard to find. It also limited what I wanted to do. I did manage to take the tram up the mountain to attend a free yoga class. I thought if I could get high enough, maybe it would be less smoky.

I have spent most of August in Boise. Misty the kitty has become a joy to be with. I am so glad to be getting an animal fix. It is also interesting to have more time to explore the Boise area.

“I realized before I even arrived that I needed to make myself get out and do things. So what did I do? I found places to explore in the Boise area. One day I went to the Peregrine Fund. For over 50 years, The Peregrine Fund has worked to conserve birds of prey.

Oliver the Owl

“We repopulated a continent with Peregrine Falcons in just 30 years, doubled the population of Critically EndangeredRidgway’ss Hawks in the Dominican Republic, and identified and addressed the cause of the Asian Vulture Crisis in the mid-2000s. Today, we work across five continents on behalf of all 561 raptor species.”

Female Harpy Eagle
India Ink Etching by CC Wari

I was able to meet up close with an Eagle Owl. I got there just in time for the one o’clock introduction of Oliver the Owl. Not only did they have birds of prey, but some of the local artwork within the facility was also amazing.

I realized that I needed some people contact. I looked online at the public library, and each Wednesday there is a group of crafters that meets for two hours. I took my crocheting and decided to give this a chance. I joined them and made a friend. This past Friday Eleanor and I went to the Western Idaho State Fair. It is good to have someone to hang out with.

Karen, a neighbor and friend fo Linda’s, also got in contact with me. We have visited and shared meals out. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It is nice to have Karen up the street, I can walk over for a quick visit.

I have been biking and walking usually each day. When I am in need of life encouragement, being outside helps so much. I met the nicest family while cycling when I stopped at Barber Park to get a drink.

Tomorrow I am officially off cat-sitting duty. My friends arrive home from a trip to Switzerland. Misty the Not-So-Invisible Cat gets to reunite with her peeps. All will be right with the world.

It has taken Misty almost the full three weeks to decide that I am an OK person. Now she follows me around asking for pets and skritches. Cats!

Where am I going from Idaho? I am once again heading west towards the Oregon coast. I have eleven days to arrive in Salinas, CA. My next kitty sitting job awaits. Woody the Cat will need no break in period. He and I have met several times before and he is a love bug.

Elkhorn Slough

It will be nice to be back near the Elkhorn Slough. The kayak is going to get busy. Migratory season is starting so who knows what I will find out there. I love birds, and I love nature. I enjoy exploring the Monterey County area.

As I have begun to mention to others my feelings of dis-settlement and yes a mild depression, I have heard from others that I am not alone. So much is changing in my country. I try to keep politics to a minimum on this site, but there are many things that are happening beyond my control. I know the changes have a lot to do with it, yet I feel the biggest factor is the insensitivity and anger so many seem to carry around with them all the time. It generates a saddness in me that is hard to shake. Sigh.

As the season change, I am getting ready for change too. On Tuesday me and EmmyLou will be rolling west, looking for birds and other wildlife. And I will remain thankful.

Today I am thankful for Misty the Not-So-Invisible Cat. I am thankful for this big wide open country that I call home. I am thankful for all my friends who continue to love and support me as I explore my world.

Today I am Open Arms Thankful.

Farewell Mexico-Hello United States

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Ah, my adventure into a small section of Mexico is coming to a close. Tomorrow a small group of us will caravan to the United States Border and just like that this trip to Mexico will come to a close and become a memory.

It has been a fine two and a half weeks. I have seen a lot and relaxed even more. I visited two areas of Mexico, San Carlos Guyamas and Alamos.

One, San Carlos, is on the beach and the other is in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. The beach was a place to have fun, kayaking, walking, and biking, birding, and more importantly, visiting with the people I traveled with.

The other town, Alamos took me more into the interior and I got a taste of life in traditional Mexico. The town is old and what I would expect to see in Mexico. There is a lot of art and culture in this place. One night we went to the former actor, Rip Torn’s home for a benefit dinner. The house was fascinating and the food, all vegetarian, was amazing. It was an eight-course meal.

The restaurants in Alamos were delicious and enticing. I was able to experience a more classic Mexican cuisine. In ways, it was similar to what I have tasted in the United States yet there were dishes that I experienced here that I have not experienced in my country.

The eight others I traveled with were a delightful mix of couples and solo travelers. We meshed well. Bobbi was our leader in the arts. We painted rocks, shells, and seed pods. Many became great works of art. There was singing, yoga, and more. As a group, we meshed well. I am leaving richer for meeting and knowing these people.

I have learned that when I need time alone, I take it. Having traveled solo for most of the past ten years, there were moments when I was done being social. My rig and my bike gave me a way to leave for a while so I could return and be social again. This group supported all the members of its community. I like a loosely formed group. I like that others can support each of our independence.

What is next? I am not sure. It is a bit chilly north of the border currently. I am going to try to find a place where I don’t have to winterize my vehicle. Winterizing has to be done when it gets below Thirty degrees Fahrenheit. It is not hard to do but it is time-consuming and I guess I am inherently lazy.

Until tomorrow, I am planning to enjoy my last day “south of the border”. I have already been kayaking-I got up early so I could take advantage of the tide and the wind or the lack thereof. I have been birding. Now it is time to get myself ready to cross the border.

Until I return to Mexico again, Via con Dios.

On the Move North for the Summer

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I have been traveling. Woody the cat and I departed company at the end of May. Mandy, his owner, and friend, and Rocky the dog returned home. And, just like that my time in Salinas came to an end. 

It was a good month with a lot of kitty time, kayaking “The Slough” and riding my bike. Salinas and Monterey County is such an interesting area. It is the home of Monterey and Carmel, where the views are amazing and wealth abounds. It is also the home of many hard workers. They work planting tending and harvesting the crops of many things that we eat every day. Artichokes-check, cabbage-check, Strawberries-check, Garlic-check, check and check. The soil in this Salinas valley is so rich and something is always growing here. 

Memories of Salinas

As a Tour Manager, I remember taking tour groups through this area. We would stop at “The Farm” to learn more about this culturally rich area and the hard-working men and women and children that still harvest the food we eat. One group was even offered to get off the bus and help the workers harvest celery. The driver and I refused as it had been raining and these were seniors. The driver didn’t want to get his bus super muddy and I needed to protect my tour group. 

Salinas is Steinbeck Country. It is the home of John Steinbeck and his family. Have you read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men or Cannery Row, and many of his other books? Steinbeck wrote often of these hard-working people and the perils of the working man. Salinas has a museum, library, and more dedicated to John Steinbeck. You can even have a meal in his childhood home. 

My trip north was a good trip. I found State Recreation sites and State Parks to camp in. All of them are on my list for a return visit. One was on the Salinas River in northern California and the other was on the Willamette River in Oregon. I may be kayaking on the Willamette on a return visit.

The most memorable part of the trip north was visiting with friends. Mary and I were able to catch up, in-person in southern Oregon where she lives. She is getting ready to raft a few rivers. That is her June activity. I had the opportunity to swamp for her on the North Fork of the Flathead River several years ago. It was work and it was fun. We are planning a trip in the fall into the southwest, not involving rivers and rafting.

On June first I met up with Pat another Roadtreking friend. We had made plans to meet at Scenic Beach State Park near Seabeck, Washington about nine months ago. Why? Great Blue Herons and Eagles feeding on Midshipmen Fish that come in the spring to breed among the oyster beds, and an opportunity to see nature happening close up. I also had the opportunity to photograph all the action.

Now I am on Whidbey Island, arriving just less than a week ago, to house sit for another summer in the same lovely home I was in last year. Ooooh, more amazing sunsets. It has to become summer first. People who live here tell me they are still waiting for spring and summer to arrive. It has been raining, a bit. 

And…guess who was here to greet me? Birdy Boy? If you have followed my blog from last year you will remember the posts about my relationship with a sweet little Song Sparrow. He is still here and is back to sitting on my arms and legs and singing up a storm. It is so fun that he remembers me. I have been enjoying the low tides this week while waiting for spring and summer to arrive.

Summer is off to a good start.