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"The Oasis of my Soul"... a Lifelong Journey...

BEEMERCHEF

New member
It does not get much better than this... I still have not made it to Texas... changes... why not... no schedule... I am now allowed to do so, or not to do so! I am in New Iberia, Louisiana. Seems like I am never going to leave this State... at least I know that I will never go hungry... It is morning as I am posting this... a great ride and experience from yesterday... but my mind is already on lunch!... The weather has been cooperative, the rig is running good, I feel healthy and.. overweight. I have decided to spend 5 more days here, visiting friends and everything that surrounds me... including cooking a couple dinners for them. Can't loose my touch in the kitchen... My Blogging format is still not finalized... my own website is still under construction... and somehow I feel Christmas right around the corner... with no plans what so ever... Oh! well... might be a quiet one in some woods celebrating with Mother Nature this year...
My stories are always on my Blog... hope you enjoy...
Be well... Ara and Spirit

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Another great ride today...

Today was a great day... it always is when nothing breaks down, the ride is good and the food even better... no rain always helps!
A nice loop, the Tabasco factory, a great late lunch... what more can a homeless person and his dog asks for?
It is all posted in todayÔÇÖs Blog with a lot of pictures... love that SmuMug!

Hope you enjoy... Ara and Spirit

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Ho for louisiana!!

Went to the tabasco factory 3 weeks ago,nice that you can take away about as many 1/2 oz bottles of the red sauce as you want,free!!
 
jgr451 said:
Went to the tabasco factory 3 weeks ago,nice that you can take away about as many 1/2 oz bottles of the red sauce as you want,free!!

Maybe they have changed the rules... they were 50 cents!...
Did you do the gardens?...

Be well... Ara and Spirit
 
A fine levee ride...

So glad I got to do the rides I had planned early on the week as today is a rainy day... of course rain has never stopped me... Spirit even has his raincoat, but I have to get ready for my departure from here Friday or Saturday toward East Texas... It is time for some serious camping, maybe even a bit of cold weather again, some adventures and some new scenery... try out all this cooking gear that I have been carrying with me all this time.
Yesterday was a great ride by the levee... I will not say on the levee even though a few miles did see me riding it...
Hope that you enjoy the report in my Blog...
You be well... Ara and Spirit.

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Forward West...

It is almost December, just a few minutes away as I am writing, my first December since graduating from Culinary School not spend working... I keep thinking sometimes... what am I doing? How ironic after all these years, finally on top of my profession, with not many mysteries left and some solid knowledge to be successful... to stop working! It just does not make sense sometimes... but I cannot go back as much as I miss the kitchen, this is one chance of a lifetime to extend a Journey over 6 months. I know that I have been on the road only a bit over a month, but I have never thought about turning back!... and I could have.. I never wrote about 2 new contracts that have been offered to me since I have left! As much as my passion remains for my profession... going back always seems like a dark tunnel with no daylight.
Today was, what I call a catch up day. A multitude of ÔÇ£thingsÔÇØ to do that accumulates... laundry, organizing, downloading the GPS with new maps, that sort of things as my time here remains at one day.
I will be pushing West... toward the vast lands. I had thought about staying East for a while, but my plans have been rearranged and the need is not there anymore... I am so drawn to the vast open spaces, it will not be the first time and not the last. The ability to actually live in one place for a few days or a few weeks suddenly is so appealing. It is the first time that I adventure myself in this fashion. The past has always seen me on the go... ride, ride, ride... only seeing the peripheral attractions which stood up in travelers brochures and magazines... I want to taste and experience the unadvertised paths which need to be discovered!
I want to unpack everything I have... cook... ride... discover the back roads daily, suddenly the knowledge that I am pushing west further has almost given me a new life... there just is so much on the road to share with you all, and strange enough... as much as I want to be there... I donÔÇÖt want to get there... afraid to miss what lays in between! I should be in Texas by tomorrow, it is 33 degrees here this am in New Iberia, Louisiana!... I know the northerners reading this are probably smiling, I am not complaining, I actually like the cold better than heat, this does however slow down the amount of outdoor activities, specially with Spirit.
Regardless of the mechanical break downs I have had, this first month has been a great trial time... and everyone in my path has been so kind and hospitable, I could not ask for more. If the rest of my Journey includes people as I have just spend time with, well, I will consider the luckiest person alive!
Friendships and human relations have always been for me the key of life. You know the classic saying... ÔÇ£money canÔÇÖt buy...ÔÇØ. How true it is, and how great it is when, strangers at first, we can spark such positive emotions into each otherÔÇÖs hearts.
I hope, as I leave here, that my Internet connections are many on the road followed! I enjoy posting these reports along the way.
You be well... enjoy your day... looking up the sky will always make you smile... try it.

Ara and Spirit.

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We are moving on to.... Texas!

It is a ÔÇ£commuteÔÇØ day for us... not a long one as I need to regroup and decide where I will make home for a while... Your comments, you should know, are always appreciated. And also... while in an area maybe interesting to you, if needing any information, just let me know. I will be happy to look it up... let me be your... traveling agent! I would say us... but Spirit is turning out to be a lazy bum on this Journey...
Someone has to do it!... and write about it... this is your own backyard, accessible... right under your nose, no Oceans to cross, we all speak the same language, the food is good, the water drinkable... and how can you not love your... ATM!
Lets see what you think after reading about it...

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Ara & Spirit
 
Big Bend..

Made it to Big Bend... today!

I wanted to make my first sight in daylight and we took two days to get here... Sanderson was last nightÔÇÖs stop... but today I am in Terlingua... and without say... breathtaking... this is not having even been into the Park yet!
All I can hope is that my camera does justice to the scenery for the days to come...
Hwy# 90 was a nice ride... deserted... and as one might say the ocean can be boring and is not... the same scenario plays here. I have heard over and over... but there are no trees... of course not... but if one looks closely there is so much more to the eye... and the mind!
I will go on posting on the Blog as much as I can... lucky to have WI FI here from 6am to 10pm... and amazingly the days here are longer!... daylight till about 7pm... summer approaching?
Better not fool myself... winter is going to be here for a while...
Till then... till tomorrow... be well... I am breathing again!

Ara and, of course, Spirit...

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There and here...

Some black top riding in Big Bend today... what a huge Park!... Asphalt only and did not even cover half of it!... which you will see tomorrow...
I had still however some untold thoughts about the past couple days before arriving here and some hopefully interesting pictures!... for the Blog.

Hope you enjoy them... we did... Ara & Spirit

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This starts Big Bend for me...

We are riding... we are cooking... we are eating... A peaceful blanket has descended from the skies, what more can someone wish for. Spirit is a changed dog!... I think he is finally realizing that there is no home to go to, this is it, changing daily from our unplanned destinations. We have been taking long walks, longer everyday as I myself need to ease in to it! His appetite has been great, well, so has mine... wish he could tell me about all the smells! Mountain lions maybe?... cousins from the past hovering upon this beautiful land in spirit... who knows... his smile is good enough for me... all this after all was not such a bad idea!
Anyone cares to join me for the Holidays?... this is where we will be... I am looking for a strand of lights for the bike... it will be my tree... she has had a rough life and deserves some kindness too!
Might even go as far as feeding her some fresh oil!... and yes, a nice new filter also!
Enjoy the Blog...

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Be well... look up the skies and smiles... that is the bottom line... it is always the same for all of us!

Ara & Spirit
 
A bit more of Big Bend...

I may be the millionth one visiting this Park... I so much wish now I had a better camera!... looking into it... will try to find optical zoom lenses for a great Nikon Cool Pix 990 that I still have... there are thousands of pictures just more stunning than mine... but this is my story... and... as they say... I will stick to it!
I will start getting into the Park at sunsets... sunrises... I am finding a lot of haze during the day...
I am trying... I want to stop every 100ft... the rock formations resembles so many scenes and people of the past daily life... and it will be fun to post the pictures and write about them...
It was a different ride into the Park today... the West end including Chisos Basin at 5401ft... and the Blog has it all...

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Be well... and enjoy...

Ara & Spirit
 
I found battery operated Chrismas lights to put on my bike, they are white, and kind of hard to pick up from the front. I found them in a craft store (AC More). They are cheap, like $3, need 2 C batteries. You turn them off/on by pulling out the battery! :)
 
SheRidesABeemer said:
I found battery operated Chrismas lights to put on my bike, they are white, and kind of hard to pick up from the front. I found them in a craft store (AC More). They are cheap, like $3, need 2 C batteries. You turn them off/on by pulling out the battery! :)

Barbara Hall must be very wise... love that saying!...
Thanks for the tip... yes, batteries would be good... I will have to go to the nearest store... 80 miles... and see what I can find!... as I will be away from my camp around the holidays to up to the Basin meet some other campers...
I also have in the trunk of the sidecar always a 600amp (!!!) power pack with 3 AC outlets in case I cannot find DC... exciting... it will make of some great pictures!

Be well... Ara & Spirit
 
Lunch with Voni and Paul Glaves...

It almost seems unfair to be here today... Friday... I remember the traffic jams... everyone getting ready for the weekend getaway... myself mentally abusing my mind to feed the hungry patrons of the late night restaurant scene... or trying to be the object of abuse by the capricious moods of the rich and not so famous billionaire clients, when catering in Naples, Florida, as a Personal Chef...
The brain waves screaming ÔÇ£WOWÔÇØ... and ÔÇ£OHÔÇØ... or was it ÔÇ£HOÔÇØ... just donÔÇÖt cease... whichever direction I am headed the scenery is just on a constant overdrive, so much that I just wonder how can I describe my being here...
But there was more today than just riding... seeing some familiar faces and a great time with Voni and Paul Glaves... and some... which I tried to put in words on my Blog...
Tomorrow is another great ride, the river drive to Presidio... I hear stunning... keep tuning in!

Be well... have a great weekend...

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Ara & Spirit
 
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