Wind In The Bushs...

Last night, the wind blew fiercely, almost til dawn. We got just enough sprinkles to make the ground wet and totally unworkable, as far as my gold drywashing project goes. Oh well! As frustrating as it is, I am tired and maybe someone greater than me knows how tired my body is getting. When I am out in the desert and finding little(I stress little) pieces of gold, I guess it's greed or something that keeps me going; sometimes, beyond my endurance levels...

Over the years, I remember lots of times the weather would take a turn for the worse and I couldn't do my job, or whatever I was involved in at the moment. With a job to do and hard pressed to get it done, I remember the absolute frustration of being interfered with, and at the moment I remember asking: WHY do I have to get stuck in a blinding snow storm at at time like this? In retrospect, I would realize that I needed rest and if everything (the weather, and all) were right, there would be no chance to rest. Somebody or something stepped in and stopped me dead in my tracks; A subtle way of telling me; Take a day  off...

We don't  always know what is good for us, or when to take a break. As we age we have to live with the fact that we can't run the one minute mile anymore, not that I ever was THAT fast, but it is still humiliating to admit we are losing our youth or ability to do things we once did. Some of us try to fight it, but it is inevitable; We are no longer 18 anymore and that's a fact Jack(heard that expression in a movie long time ago)...

Here I am, out in the desert, digging in the dirt for gold, looking for something valuable, but have to admit that some things of value are not material. They say if you don't believe in miracles, you will never see one...
So many times in my past I have been in situations where I should  have been killed or badly damaged, but everytime I have escaped totally unharmed. Don't ask me why, but for the last 72 years I have lived a more or less charmed life.

I won't be able to dig for a few days now(til the ground dries), but as I sit watching the wind blow the bushs (not many trees around here) back and forth, I am forced ( delightfully so) to rest and sort through my thoughts. I have to say a silent...THANKS!  I needed a break...

NOT HIS TIME...

I remember watching a show on TV years ago, about where they found a prehistoric man frozen and preserved in the ice near the North Pole. With nothing to lose, the scientists worked and worked, thawed the man out and finally brought him back to life. A man that had lived approximately 25,000 years ago...

Needless to say, the poor man was in an acute state of shock, to wake up in a strange place and a strange time; nothing like anything he had known. All these strange people moving about and all looking at him. I can only imagine what must have been going through  this 25,000 year old man's mind. He was making noises totally unfamiliar to the modern day scientists, but some of the local Eskimo elders recognized that what he was saying was in a language even ancient to them.They could barely make out what he was trying to say, but finally realized he was asking a question. He was asking...where his children were? I hate to say it but I could almost feel the pain of his loss... As frightened as this man was, he still worried, first, about his loved ones. Right away, many of the scientists realized they had made a mistake reviving this man. He was lost and didn't belong here...in this time...this place...

I have heard some say they would like to live forever, but what if we could, but our loved ones could not? I think the loss of family and things familiar to us is a part of who we are and without these, we would be lost and like a fish out of water. I guess maybe this is why we live for a time, then our time is past. It is time to move on and leave this place we have known  for such a short time.

In the movie, the scientists built a place for the prehistoric man, duplicating conditions that he would have known in his day...in his time. Despite their efforts, the man remained lost. This was not his place in time and he was slowly declining in health and spirit.
The ending to the movie was a real shocker and in a moment of desperation, the man escaped from his simulated enclosure, managed to climb in to a helicopter(like a bird to him, I guess), without being seen. Once the machine was airborne, they realized what had happened, but too late...The pilot was helpless to do anything and the scientists below could only watch in horror as the man leaped from the helicopter and to his death.

The local elders told of an ancient belief and stories of people flying away at their time of death. This was not this man's world and he apparently decided to fly home to be with his family.

When the dismayed scientists laid his broken body in the earth, some of the local people came and placed a small  totem to mark his spot. Whoever this man had been, because of the language similarity, he may have been an ancestor. It was the least they  could do...

To What Point..Arrogance?

When the truth is known, we all, occasionally, suffer from a little bit of arrogance. I'm sure it is just another part of our inherent nature;  Another thing we get stuck with and have to struggle, to control. Even when I know I am as guilty as the rest of the human species, and know it leads me down a path of disaster, it keeps popping up and causing me problems. It is just me...or can we admit...all of us?

I guess most of us feel  bigger, being right. Ask yourself: Why is it so important to be right all the time? Is a feeling of insecurity, IF we admit we could be wrong? Blind arrogance doesn't leave much room for discussion, and often, the damage  done, cannot be UNdone.
 Wars are fought, relationships are broken and all around harmony ceases to exist, over something that could have been adequately resolved over a cup of coffee..or maybe tea. Nobody ever wins an argument...And if we slow down enough to see it, a happy medium is usually, right in front of us. It's called compromise! Compromise allows both of us to be, at least partly, right...and still friends...

I have known families to break apart and over the years, the parties involved even forget WHAT they were upset about. They just held this steadfast arrogance and knew there was SOMETHING they didn't like about the other person, but it had lasted so long they forgot, but it didn't matter any more; They wanted no more to do with... even their own blood kin...

I admit, I too, have caught myself in such a situation, and after a while realized; This is insane! It didn't matter what the argument started over...Nothing was worth losing someone I care about. How far was I willing to take this stupid feud? In retrospect, I knew I had lost everything, and for what? As I sit here, talking to myself, I remember having a dream one night. In the dream, I remember someone telling me I had died...I remember telling them I couldn't be; I was just dreaming... Then, came a firm voice telling me that I was dead. It was over with, and I was not permitted to go back. I can't begin to express the empty, lost feeling I had because of the ways I had left things. I  could no longer go back and say... 'I'm Sorry'! I had waited too long. It was too late...

I'm not sure  why or how, but suddenly...I woke up!

So Goes The Boomerang...

I have always understood that the Universe(if one can understand it) has certain laws , by which it exists and operates. It seems that a simple 'what goes around, comes around' idea is the basis of the whole. If that is true, WHAT are we doing to ourselves?

When I was a kid, we were taught to treat others as we wanted to be treated in return; Good for good, bad for bad (if that's what we wanted). I know, I don't want any bad to be done to ME...

 I look around me now, and what I see, makes me think that not all have been taught that same universal lesson. 

 I never quite understood the ' turn the other cheek' saying, but as I get older I am beginning to. I know there are times when one might give the other guy a second chance to reconsider, but it's also true that, at some point, one has to defend oneself...Enough is enough, but if everyone learned and honored that rule, obviously put in place by the Creator of all, we wouldn't have most of the problems we have...

Regardless of the excuses used (by whoever), anytime one human hurts another (intentionally)... it is wrong! There is no doubt in my mind that this law was put into place by some unseen(as yet, unexplained), when the universe was (however) created. I'm sure the great Lawgiver doesn't care about out petty politics, our various versions of something none of us can accurately explain, only that love is the strongest force...NOT hate!

We are all born, we live,then we pass on. We are given so little precious time, and I believe what we do with it determines what happens next. The idea of harming another for any reason is not going to keep that BOOMERANG from coming back...

New Day, New Chance...

We all have good days and, sometimes, a lot of bad ones. No matter how bad it may seem, it CAN be worse...Like, No MORE chances...
When we wake up in the morning we often think of how bad we feel; like we wished we didn't have to get up at all...

It may seem like life in general stinks, but be honest and ask yourself, what good have you done lately? What have you, as an individual, done to make anything better for humanity? Most send what time they have complaining about what they DON'T have, seldom do we appreciate what we have when we wake up in the morning... Simple! We have another CHANCE, to correct our mistakes. To fix the wrong we did yesterday. If we are not here to make things better, then what's the point?

Consider the alternative...that you might not get another chance, and NOT wake up. It's over! No going back.. no chance to make things better. Oh..for another chance!
 I believe too many people in this life waste their precious(limited) time trying to fix others; to  draw them into THEIR way of thinking. Maybe they just need company, in their misery?  Sad!

We all have to fight to remain free of the constant turmoil that surrounds us, but we are all individuals, that have to SHARE our planet, so instead of complaining and moaning all the time, get up in the morning, embrace the new day.  Appreciate the fact that you have another chance to really make a difference. Make that your  purpose for the day. make it a GOOD day...

Down A dark Path...

Everyone has an imagination, some more vivid than others, and sometimes it can get away from us. Have you ever wondered where a deep, dark path leads? You are on a nice walk through the woods and you come upon a path. You look, and it seems to descend downward to some place dark and who knows what's down there? I have...

I guess we all have struggled with ourselves, daring ourselves to find out, but something in the back of your mind keeps telling you...DON'T do it! Don't go down there. Chances are, there is nothing harmful down there but, WHAT if there is? I learned a long time ago that is is easier to STAY out of trouble, than to GET out of it...

I don't know if it was my alter ego telling me I'm chicken, if I DON'T go,  or what , but at last I had to 'Man Up' and find out for myself. I start  down the path,carefully watching where I walked, because I have learned that we are not the ONLY ones in the woods. Lots of things live there, out of sight, and hopefully, out of my way...Still, that nagging little voice telling me...'This is not a good idea'!

The  path is wide enough, as if at one time it was well traveled. The way is wide and clear and if anything was ahead of me I might have enough time to change my plans; Maybe... Run, if necessary. My pleasant walk in the woods has turned into an uneasy walk in the woods. Darn it! Why did I  have to let my ego get me into this? Suddenly, I hear a rustling noise in the brush. My heart jumped a beat or two and I stood still. What could it be?

I knew there were bears around and I really didn't want to run into one. No doubt, they can outrun me, and I don't have anything except my walking stick to protect me. Oh man! I waited and listened and then heard it again. There was definitely something moving there. Now, I know how the animals must feel when they are being hunted. But what was hunting, or watching me? THEN, I saw what it was. I breathed a sigh of relief  when I realized..no bear! Thank God for that. We both stood for a moment or two just looking at each other...

It wasn't the ferocious beast I had imagined and it was young enough that it probably hadn't learned to fear humans yet, but the deer just stood there looking . I guess he was curious, as to what I was. Old enough to be on his own, and curious about this strange creature in HIS woods...Meaning me...

Not at all alarmed, and when he got tired of watching me, he turned, walked a short distance and put his head down to resume eating grass. Much relieved, I walked slowly on, so as not to frighten him. Let him live a peaceful life, while he can.

I moved on down the path, feeling a bit braver now, since I hadn't encountered anything bigger than me. About a quarter mile farther the path began to widen and there it was; the end of the road/path and the answer to where it went. An old cabin, long deserted, but still standing. From the looks of it, it must have been built in the 1800s.

I wondered who might have lived here and wondered how they must have felt when they first raised it and moved in. I'm sure they must have had some reservations about what they were sharing the woods with, but they didn't have the road/path yet...

Just A Nice Day...

Believe it or not, I have nothing in particular to write about, but it is such a NICE day, I just felt compelled to say so.
For Arizona, in August, it doesn't seem too hot. A slight breeze makes what heat there is, tolerable. A couple of clouds in the sky....Maybe? A little rain would be nice about now, but till it happens, I won't hold my breath. It just feels like one of those days, that I am not rushed and want to lay around...

I am retired and don't understand why I EVER feel rushed. It's not suppose to be that way when we're retired...Right? Sounds good, anyway.
I live across the street from a school and I watch the kids running about, and remember how, LONG AGO, that was me doing the rushing thing. My whole life ahead of me; countless dreams of exploring, conquering the world. Yeh! I guess we all have a few memories, but now, my worlds have been conquered(as much as possible), all the hills have been topped and it gets increasing more difficult to reach the top. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that last Burrito...

Oh well, I have had a good run(life) and don't have too many regrets(except that Burrito), and regardless of the circumstances, I hope everyone else has, at least, one smile... and a good day...

Showing Respect...

Respect was (and still is) a big thing with Native American Indians. If a man, woman, or even an enemy was worthy of respect, they respected them. It may seem strange to engage in a battle with someone, to kill them and STILL show respect, but if an enemy fought well, he may be killed during the ensuing fight, but afterwards was treated with respect.
 I read of such an incident in Wyoming where a cavalry unit was overwhelmed by a much larger force of Indian warriors. The battle didn't last long but, as the story goes, the bugler  didn't seem to have a weapon...just his bugle, but in his own defense he was mounting a ferocious counter attack with just the trumpet in his hand. He was killed, along with the rest but when it came to taking hair(scalping) from the rest, the bugler was spared. He was buried with his hair still on his head. He had fought and died bravely and the Indians admired that. Years later, after a big pow wow in Laramie, warriors that remembered that fight and that brave bugler, went out of their way on the return trip home, to show honor to that fallen Bugler.

On another show of respect, comes the story of  young Crow Indian boy, who decided to prove his manhood by sneaking into an enemy camp and to steal some horses. Back in those days, it was  considered brave, but an extremely dangerous sport. Especially, if you got caught...

It was a very cold winter night and he knew that most would be huddled in their teepees to keep warm.He got into the camp, undetected, acquired a couple of nice ponies and was well on his way back out of the camp. It seemed his luck was with him that night. He had almost reached the camp's edge when he saw a old Grandmother, arms full of firewood and struggling to make her way back to the tent. All he could think of, seeing her struggling, was his own grandmother, so he just had to help. He momentarily tied the horses, and ran to help Grandmother. As surprised as she must have been to see this Crow boy in their camp, she accepted his help with the wood, In no time, they made it to Grandmother's teepee and she was safe with her firewood. It was then he turned and realized..he had been caught...

It must have been a frightening moment  for the young man, but what he had done, saved his life. His captors told him BECAUSE of his respect for Grandmother, he had earned a free passage out and a chance to live another day...But, don't ever come back...

Although the American Indian lived, often, on the very edge of existence, they respected the land, the animals, all of what the Creator had given them. Even though they relied on the buffalo, rabbits, and a variety of animals for their subsistence, they always showed respect(and more or less apologized and thanked) the creatures they were about to kill and eat. What must be done, must be done, but with respect...

When Life Seems Fractured...

I know, at times, life seems to be coming apart at the seams. Nothing seems orderly anymore and  I get to feeling like a piece of fractured glass...A piece here, a piece there; all over the place...

When my computer gets that way I DEFRAG it, put everything back in place and all is fine again. Unfortunately, we humans are a little more complicated than that.
When all is in disarray sometimes, I have realized we just need to take a couple of steps back from life and have another look at things. It would be nice to be able to look at it from a Bird's view but I haven't learned to fly yet...

When we have problems, most of us have friends that mean well and have lots of good advice, how to fix the problem. Too often, we end up hearing about our friend's problem, before we ever fix ours. For the lucky ones, a good chat and a cup of coffee, sometimes helps, but I find that SOMETIMES, that is the last thing I need. The problem is mine, and mine alone, and I have to get away from everybody and work it out. Thanks for the bits of encouragement, all the well meant advice, but I have to go...

I have often heard that running away from things doesn't help, But I have found that to be absolute nonsense. An occasional change of geography does wonders for me. Get away from situations and every body. Go off by myself and try to put things back in focus...

Even when people try to help, just the sound of another voice(well meaning, or not) only tends to enhance the confusion in one's mind. I prefer going off into the woods, to listen to a running stream, maybe

a bird or two. The birds make noise, but it sounds more like singing to me. It MAY even be a  good thing that I don't understand bird language.
 I know that some people pay a lot of money to go and lay on a couch and tell someone else their problems. I would have to ask myself : DOES this guy really gives a damn, or that he is making money just listening to you and loves his job. I have to say I prefer SELF analysis...Besides, most of us can't afford to pay someone to listen to us...

Our lives have become so crowded that we are constantly bombarded with everyone else's thoughts and vibrations; waves of all kinds are coming at us from every direction. We just need to go to a place where we are alone, with only OUR thoughts, to sort out. Some have found ways(Meditation) to completely shut everything out; sort of like locking the door and cleaning house...alone!

I find that, sometimes, just keeping my hands busy with some made up project, helps to clear my thoughts. I know, from practice, that sitting around in the house thinking about how to fix the problem, doesn't do a thing for me...

Some Things Never Seem To Change...

Everyone has problems, and these days, money seems to be at the top of the list, for most. It's true that some have more money than they need or know what to do with, but for most of us, it is just the opposite.

Day after day, the bills keep coming and there never seems to be enough to go around. Pay a little here, a little on that one, and hope they don't want more.

The world, as a whole, seems to be broke(at least 90%) and anyone that is picky about taking what work they chance to find, is out of their mind. As the saying goes: Beggars can't be chosers, is truer now than it was 20 years ago, but we need only to read a history book to find out WE are NOT the first...

Not matter what year, it is never easy and NOT much comfort to know, that EVERY generation has had the same problems, and ALWAYS the lack of money was at the top of the list.
Here, in the United States we have many welfare or relief programs(often abused) to help out when times get tough, but back during the GREAT DEPRESSION, there were none...People were desperate and dying, with nowhere to go and nobody to help. During that time people were riding the rails(illegally), going anywhere, just to find work...of ANY kind. It was that... or starvation...

I'm sure we have all seen a cowboy movie or two, but few have any idea  what a hard life that was, back in the 1800s. Life was nothing like the clean cut cowboy we know from Hollywood. Nothing at all...
The average cowboy was generally homeless and constantly moved from place to place looking for a job, that often payed no more than a roof over his head and food in his belly. It was that...or starvation...

We have come a long way, technically speaking, but some problems remain consistent , and like the ones that came before us, we will struggle and make it though the day, one way or another. It's like walking: One foot in front of the other...

TICKING OF THE CLOCK...

As I sat in my kitchen this morning, I realized how quiet it was. I could hear the smooth running of the Refrigerator in the corner, and the even louder sound of the clock ticking...For a change, there seemed to be no noise from outside and I had really never realized how noisy that clock was, before,  Tick, tick, tick...An almost haunting and antagonizing tease...

After a while the sound of the clock became almost hypnotic. Tick, tick! Before long I started thinking back to an earlier time. I remember a time when we visited different family members, long ago. Even a a young boy, I had noticed how utterly quiet  their houses seem, when the conversation had momentarily ran out and nobody was saying anything. I remember the sudden, alarming silence that filled the room. back in those days, a lot of people either  didn't have a television or it wasn't running 24 hours a day, as some do now. If someone wasn't talking, the only sound was of the Wall clock just ticking away; just counting off time and lives...

All these years later, as I sit and listen to my own clock ticking in the background, I realize that all those people listened too long to that old clock, and now...are gone...
Clocks may have their purpose but can also be a grim reminder that we only have so much time...Then, things run down...

Maybe it is better if we DON'T know what  time it is. Reminders only seem to make things worse...

SOME CURIOUS VISITORS...

When our Arizona weather finally cools and it's time for the Prospectors to come out, I, and a lot of others, pack up the equipment and head north to the gold fields(AKA Gold basin, Arizona)...

While the rest of the country is freezing during the winter months, we busy ourselves with prying rather small pieces of the yellow metal from the desert sands. Strangers to these parts might think that they are all alone out there...DON'T bet on it! There are more critters creeping, crawling, and sneaking around out there than one might first imagine. Some extremely dangerous, some you hear howl at night, but seldom see in daylight. That long lonesome sound one hears at night are Coyotes...

If anyone has ever watched cartoons they may well have see the infamous Roadrunner, being chased by Wiley Coyote. Actually, we have both of these cute little guys running around out here, but I have yet to see the Coyote chasing the ever superior Roadrunner. Reality is that it would be by trickery only that a Coyote would ever have a chance of catching a Roadrunner. That skinny little bird is faster than a rattlesnake...

The problem we have with the coyotes around here is that too many people leave too much trash and food around and these scrawny little dogs are always hungry. Although, most of us carry a pistol when we are out and about, in Arizona, the Coyotes are seldom seen during the day and seldom shot at, so they tend to become a bit over confident, and by nature, are more than curious...

I remember on one occasion, I had stayed the night; Just me, a very long night and it sounded like a thousand Coyotes, howling all night long. Finally, morning came and at first daylight I put the coffee pot on and while it brewed I decided to walk down to the wash and check on my drywasher; Not that there was anyone around to steal it...

Like I said, I was still waiting on my first cup of coffee and I didn't even think about strapping on my gun before I jumped down in the wash. I checked and all seemed well. My equipment was still there and intact. THEN, I just HAPPENED to look up. I hadn't heard a sound but, there they were: Two Coyotes, standing only a few feet away...Just watching...ME!

Normally, Coyotes are rather shy and keep their distance. For the most part, they don't trust humans, and they shouldn't , but at this particular moment I could only wonder...Were they just OVER confident, just  curious, were they totally desperate..or what? I was sure missing my 38 caliber at the moment.

I remember when I was a kid and we lived on a ranch in Nebraska, my brother and I witnessed two very skinny and hungry Coyotes trying to pull down a full grown cow. They didn't have much luck and the cow just kept butting them with her head and knocking them off their feet. They finally gave up and went looking for something much smaller, but the point is: With Coyotes, you can never be sure what is going through their minds... OR their intentions...

I, slowly, eased my way back to the Pickup and immediately retrieved my gun. I watched the coyotes, which remained for a while and at last moved on. I THINK they were just looking for a free meal, but I didn't make that mistake again. I wouldn't harm one of them unless I had no choice, because I know they (like all of us) get hungry and need to live.

I had my coffee and went to work, but  remained watchful the rest of day.  The Coyotes had disappeared for now...Out of sight, but I knew they were there...and watching! Why wouldn't they be...This is their home...

RAIN ON THE ROOFTOP...

While some have too much, others have little or none. I am speaking of rain water...
The weather has it's own schedule and as other parts of the country( The world) are getting flooded, our desert is parched from a lack of the precious liquid. Too much and we drown, too little, we die from thirst. If only we could strike a happy balance. For now, I am thankful to suddenly wake from a deep sleep,  disturbed by the sounds of rain of the rooftop...

First, a slight peck, peck, the all at once, a sudden burst, as if the whole sky opened up and dropped everything at once. THEN, it stops...

I can only say thanks for that, and know that for a short while I can shut the swamp cooler off and enjoy the cool air. What a relief, even if it is only temporary...Hopefully, it will stay cloudy the rest of the new day....

JUST RIGHT Elevation...

When considering the weather, Kingman, Arizona sits in just about the right place and at a good elevation to escape most of the severe conditions surrounding it...
True, it gets hot here, in Summer, but sits high enough to avoid the intolerable heat to the west; Areas like Needles, California and along the Colorado River....

I watch the cars and trucks  coming off the Interstate(I-40) in summer, knowing what a relieve it was for me when I was driving a truck. Up, out of that furnace(120 or so degrees F) to a much cooler temperature. It is like being able to breathe again...
Sitting quite a bit higher than the Colorado River area(Arizona-California line), Kingman is what one might call the cooling off point. From here on east towards Flagstaff, the road continues to climb. Sometimes, by the time one gets to Flag(as we call it), even a jacket may be in order. It cools off quite drastically...

Now, in Winter, the temperatures prove to be just the opposite...
To the west(Needles, California and such), you might find people running around in T-shirts, riding motorcycles back and forth; Things that people in the north would do in Summer...
In the meantime, to our east, Flagstaff, Arizona(much higher than Kingman) is buried in snow and ice.
Once the traffic gets past our town,  the road conditions become very much intolerable and slippery.

While Flagstaff and the interstate highway up there may be treacherous, we seldom have any snow. If we have snow, it (usually) is just enough  to cover the ground...and it is gone in about an hour or so...Not bad at all. I  don't know of anyone around here that even OWNS a pair of snow chains. I can watch the trucks and cars coming  down the hill all covered with snow, but with a light jacket, we just go on about our business, as usual...

At times, I have entertained the idea of moving away from here(just restless) but when my thoughts come back to the weather...Well! I think maybe I should stay where I'm at...

TRAINS COME AND GO...

I live within a few blocks of the tracks and I hear the trains come and go...all day...all night. When I first moved here, it bothered me; Wasn't sure if I could handle it, or not. I've been here three years now and if , for some reason or other, there is a lull in the traffic, I begin to wonder WHAT is wrong? I guess they have their reasons for the schedules they keep, but sometimes the trains(and their whistles) are spaced farther apart than other times. I guess one might say...I miss the noise; Their comings and goings...

I remember as a boy, sleeping very lightly at night and listening to the sound of the trucks on the nearby highway. We didn't have any trains passing by where we lived back then, only trucks. The effect seems to be the same. Vehicles of any kind, moving, traveling to far away places, carrying unknown people to, who knows where. One can only imagine  WHO might be going WHERE, to do WHAT...Out of all that daydreaming can come many possible scenarios; Tales of intrigue, mystery, adventure. I always assumed that dreaming was for the young, but as I get older and spend more time thinking, I realize the imagination NEVER gets old...Just the body...

For now, it is about time for the noon train. Very soon I can begin to hear the  whistle as they approach the crossing down the street. Not far past our station is another crossing and so it seems they never let up on that whistle till  they are long past our town...

I listen, intently, to the sound of the wheels as they roll along the tracks. I have also realized the weather and the air conditions effect the sound of the wheels and the long, lonesome sounds of the whistle; It's like saying...Hello AND goodbye...Sort of like a ghost passing through time...

Today, the noon train was right on time...First, the whistle from about a mile away, then again, as they pass...
They came and went; This one headed east...

A WORN OLD BLANKET

It's strange how some people can be so picky and ungrateful when some well-meaning soul gives you something from the bottom of their heart; Something that might not be considered 'nice enough' by most...

I went for a visit and upon arriving at the farm, my Aunt Bernice told me straight away:'I bought you a present'... I hated it when she did things like that, I hadn't brought her anything and that was not right. She went back in the other room and returned with an old blanket. It had definitely seen some wear already, but she told me she bought it for a quarter at a yard sale. She loved yard sales. Always lots of stuff cheap and Aunt Bernice was a horse trader. She loved bargaining... I'm sure she worked them down on whatever their original price was...

I didn't think much about it at the time and that was many years ago, but since then, I have spent many warm nights under that old blanket...

A lot of people don't give much thought to the art of gift giving, but it is not something to take lightly. I know it is customary among Native American Indians that if someone gives you a gift, you MUST give something in return. That is the way it is...

What if you have nothing to give back? It is not uncommon(for those who understand) to accept such trivial things as a rock...a small bundle of sweet grass; Just something, and if you understand the custom, it is more than sufficient. It came from the heart. It is the spirit of giving...

Many years ago, I was briefly acquainted with a tribal group in Virginia. One day I was asked if I would like to learn how to put up a teepee at one of the local schools; Sort of a 'show and tell' for the kids.  Sure! Never put up a teepee before. This would be a first for me. It turned out that it was easier than I thought. In no time we had erected 3 14 ft teepees and we were finished.

We were putting the finishing touches to the teepees when one of the teachers( turns out she was also a member of the group) came around with  glasses of lemonade and handed each of us a  glass and small red bundle...

The gentleman I was helping explained to me that it was traditional to give something in return for what we had done for them; Putting up the teepees, that was...It was a small bit of sweet grass wrapped in a piece of red material. If one is materialistic and doesn't understand, it might be considered a joke or something, but to these people it is extremely serious. We thanked  her for the gifts...and the lemonade...

Aunt Bernice has been gone quite some time now, but I can't tell you how many times I have warmed myself under that old blanket, and how I wished I could , somehow, give her a gift in return...

The old blanket is a little more worn now, but it is still mine and it keeps me warm...AND the little red bundle of sweet grass is tucked safely away. I will always remember what I learned...

STOP SIGNS...

I stopped at the stop sign. That's
 what it says to do; So I stop...

The thing  that bugs me is...I'm in the middle of the desert, I can see for a hundred miles, and there is absolutely nobody in any direction. Don't they think I could see if someone was coming?

My eyes work perfectly well and there is nobody...

I remember my Aunt Bernice once telling me: 'You can tell who lives around here, and who doesn't. Only the people NOT from around here, stop at the signs. The rest of us KNOW if someone is coming or not, and go on about our business'. I THINK  she was telling me to have a quick peek, then run the stop sign...
For a brief moment I started to take Aunt Bernice's advice, but for some strange reason...I looked up!

So much for that idea. I had decided to make a full  stop, just as the sign instructs. No doubt, that guy up there in that Helicopter will appreciate it...
Wonder what Aunt Bernice would say about all these eyes in the sky that we have now...

Tales Around The Campfire...

What is it that makes us want to tell stories...? Long before a lot of people could even read or write, traditions and ways of life were passed on by word of mouth, often sitting around a communal campfire...

 Adults and children alike would listen intently to the stories of family or tribal elders. They were older, had lived their lives and seen many things. Now,  it was their obligation to pass on what they knew, what they had seen, to the younger ones...

Long ago, there was a closeness among groups or families. This, sometimes harsh existence, was all people knew and there was no wandering off to the mall or any other distractions that we have today. This was their extremely limited world and what the old ones told was the all there was. Someday, the younger ones would grow up and  have their own experiences. Then, it would be their turn to lead and pass their stories on...

We have come a long way since then, but despite the fact that many more now, can read and write, We  have many more distractions; so many paths leading away from home and family. I find it disturbing that many families don't even sit together around the dinner table...I remember when I was kid we all washed our hands and came to the table when it was time to eat. It seems now, that a lot of families would rather eat in front of a TV and never mind talking to each other.

What I DO find encouraging is the fact that, no matter how many modern distractions there are now(malls, TV, Video games), when someone suggests CAMPING...most are all for it; Time to leave the city and get back to a simpler place that we all use to know. Back to the campfire, but this time EVERYONE has a tale to tell AND this time we have MARSHMALLOWS to roast...

Somethings change... Times change... Still, I believe SOMEWHERE in the back of our minds we STILL remember who we once were...A family, a group, a tribe, all warming ourselves around a campfire, listening to Grandfather tell us what it use to be like... in his time...

Early Morning Walk...

Oh, how I love early mornings;  PROVIDING I don't have to go to work...

I like it, especially in Summer, when it gets light so early;  Before the heat, and the air is still fresh and cool. The birds are singing and seemingly happy for this short time before it  becomes JUST another day.

For a short while, BEFORE the entire world gets up and SPOILS it, all is good and I can only look up and thank God  for what I have. One might say I thank my Creator for the day, and by the end of it, I have to come back and apologize for screwing it up...

What would make the morning unbelievably perfect is a gentle breeze...Oh!... There it is! Someone was listening and again, I say THANKS!

CHAOS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

We live in an age technologically designed to put us on top, but does it? All is well, as long as everything works...What happens when it doesn't?

I think we have become too complacent with the situation and if things do go wrong(quit working) we can COMPLAIN? Well, We all know what good that does. Besides, how are you going to call anyone if the phone don't work, and EVEN if you do get through, you find yourself being passed from one voice to another. Chances are that voice is a million miles away and either can't do anything about it, or just don't really care(It's just a job).

We have become slaves to our technology and have(literally) put most of our eggs in one basket. Too many things can go wrong, then we find ourselves, totally, HELPLESS...

As we are beginning  to realize, it isn't just a matter of equipment failure that might take us down, but now we hear of so many cases of people getting into the systems and taking control. Unknown individuals or foreign interests(not our interests) that are stealing the security, that we have worked so hard to acquire and maintain. Spies, both industrial and military; all with no good will towards us, as a nation...

Many years ago, when I was in the Military, we were given a demonstration of tactics use by our enemies at the time(During the cold war). Even, while technology had not yet made the advances we have now, in many respects we should have been way ahead of the game, BUT...even then, there was the ever present danger of losing our communications on the battlefield.

What the demonstration(by an allied friendly force) pointed out was, that our enemies(no names) had already PLANNED for such an event. Their troops were still trained to use simple tools, like flags...and bugles, to signal among their units. As long as they had a man standing, they maintained their ability to communicate. IF our radios and such went down...we couldn't communicate; we were running around in confusion.

We are not on the battlefield at the moment, but the danger is no less there. IF either the power goes off or somebody just blitzes our  computers, everything stops. We are helpless to do business, pay for the gas we just pumped; Any number of emergencies that would result from a loss of our smoothly running machines . Have you ever tried to communicate with your bank and (if you're lucky) get a recording, telling you the computer is down...Call back later! If you happen to be in the middle of a crisis, there MAY NOT be a later...

CABIN FEVER...

Here it is, the middle of another Arizona summer, hotter  than blazes and, for sure, too hot to spend much time outside(UNLESS one has to).

Same old chaos on TV, so it's just me and my computer, sitting under the AC, wishing for cooler weather so we can go exploring...

For a brief moment I consider the writer's of old(before my time) who didn't even have AC and they still suffered, struggled and wrote...

I guess if there is ANY so-called glory in this life, it must surely be in the STRUGGLE, not in the final accomplishment. It is being able to tell oneself: I DID IT! I beat the odds and I   DID it...(A bit of self pride)

I guess this is what happens from being shut in so long; It's CABIN FEVER...That's all...

Song Beneath My Window...

The day has been a hot one, but finally...Evening!

The air cools, and the sun goes down; let the music begin.

To some, they may be only a bug, but without Crickets,

Who would stay the night and sing their song?

It wouldn't be a true summer's

night without the sound,

of their choir, in the sultry mist.

For what they sing, does it matter?

Except, NOW...I can sleep...

Sudden Flashes...

As I walk down the street my mind continues to play out imaginary stories of people I meet. Something about the way they look or something they do makes me wonder who they are, where they've been in their lives?  I don't judge them, I just, temporarily place them onstage, sort of like marionettes...

On the other hand I have to wonder if maybe they have their own marionettes...like me? We are all puppets on an invisible stage sometimes...
I have a million stories in my head. I need to get them out, but HOW to  tell them ?
Long days and into the late hours of the night; So much to tell...so much to write...