Desert Diva

The days have passed swiftly, and it’s time to think about heading for home. I have previously lingered to capture the final moments of vacation, and then did a “marathon” of driving to reach home. You can call it age, or better common sense that I’ve decided to take a more “leisurely” pace to drive home.

My biggest regret is that our school year begins in August. I would much rather have the school year end later (we got out May 23rd) and go back after Labor Day. The month of August has always seemed “magical” to me in a way. It’s the height of the summer with fruits and vegetables coming into season and the amazing display of flowering plants.

Living in an eighteen-foot RV does become somewhat mundane, and being alone with just Cali feels “lonely.” My “darling brother” fed her way too many treats and two small cans of “wet” food. Let’s just say that her stomach revolted several hours later. I should have stepped in to stop the feeding, but I didn’t want to offend my brother. Cali’s always had a “sensitive stomach” and I’ve taken her to the vet twice when she ate rawhide chews. They just don’t agree with her and so now she is not allowed that “treat.” Once in a great while she “gags and upchucks.” I’ve learned that it’s just something she does and not to become alarmed.

I did go to a wonderful benefit on Sunday for the owners of Barking Dog Farms who lost their home in a fire. The outpouring of love from the community was astounding. There was food supplied by a local restaurant, a cash bar, a silent auction, (I had a “Marion-tini.”) great music from local bands, and tons of people.

The weather is cool, sunny, and windy on the coast today. I found a “secret” place where I’m going this afternoon to pick blackberries before driving inland. It’s a long drive home…

Yesterday, I found a “pearl” on the Oregon Coast - Fogarty Creek Beach. The day was radiant with sunshine sparkling on the ocean waves. Walking along the beach, I finally decided to “give into” my inner-child and sit on the warmed rocks and search for agates. Gentle waves washed over the tide pools as I found many sea treasures. It reminded me of the carefree day last summer I spent with friends Ray and Terrie near Newport, searching through the sand for similar beach rewards.

An older woman was with her family on vacation actively scouring the beach for surprises. At first sight, I thought she had a “camel-pack” for water. Upon closer observation, I realized it was a portable oxygen tank - the smallest I’ve ever seen. She was quite animated, and I silently hoped that the tank was nothing more than a temporary nuisance for her.

When I was younger, the extent of family vacations was an annual trip to visit my grandmother in Southeastern Kentucky. Before the advent of interstate highways, the trip took several hours along roads that snaked through the mountains. My father would come home from work on a Friday evening and rest for a few hours. In the wee hours of the morning we’d leave in our station wagon, stopping at daybreak for hot donuts before reaching my grandmother’s house.

We’d spend the days exploring along the creek, hiking along country roads, and watching “community” movies with my cousins on Saturday night at my Uncle Alex’s general store. There was always a big Sunday dinner, with fried chicken (we were assigned to pluck the feathers after a dip in scalding water), creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh corn and green beans, cornbread, and always a huge chocolate cake for dessert. I never took up the offer of buttermilk - preferring the cold, sweet milk or fresh water from the well.

Visiting sacred spaces are good triggers for forgotten memories…

In Lincoln City, Oregon there is a small, but beautiful coastal garden. Connie Hansen, an artist and enthusiastic gardener tended the grounds with love for twenty years between 1973 and 1993. It was said that she often could be seen working in her beloved garden from “sunrise to sunset.” Although Connie Hansen has passed away, the beautiful garden remains open to the public under the auspices of The Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy.

There is something to be said about caring for and loving the earth - it’s an intimate and personal act to nurture flowers and plants and encourage them to thrive. I lingered for almost two hours - photographing, thinking, and strolling about the grounds. A couple of times other people also came to visit, but hurriedly took perfunctory photos and left. I was caught up by the beauty and the “story” behind the gardens. As a result, I feel that I captured some beautiful photographs from the legacy of a woman who “loved” a small part of this planet.

It’s almost the end of July, and my first actual day back for the school year is August 9th. In some ways, I want to extend my vacation. However, part of me wants to be at home and sleep in my bed again. I want to visit my familiar coffee shop where I’m greeted and they know my order before I give it. I want to take a long, hot bath.

Traveling is wonderful, but there are small stresses that come with it. However, returning to “real life” will reveal a different kind of stress. One of my favorite books is “Blue Highways: A Journey Into America” by William Least Heat-Moon. A college professor with his life in transition, he travels for several months in a converted van he dubs “Ghost Dancer.” One of the quotes from the book is, “If you can’t make your life go right, at least you can just go.” Somehow, that speaks to me on many levels…

I actually want to “lose my religion” and find my “spiritual” center. More often than not, I’m distracted by my day-to-day life - the disappointments and struggles sometimes create a mood that is difficult to move through. It’s like trying to tread water in mud.

However, I know I’m blessed and fortunate in my life. I have this extended opportunity to travel and heal. Most of the population are limited to a one or two week vacation. Yesterday (while having my daily latte) a woman came up to me and asked if I knew anything about the Apple “airport” (the Mac term for wireless). She wanted to find a Best Buy, but I’m sure the closest one is in Portland. However, I had stopped by a camera shop in Newport that had a Mac store and told her about it, looking up the address and phone number online. The conversation evolved to reveal that they were both survivors of brain injuries from automobile accidents, and had married a little over a year ago. It seems they were traveling to “scout out” a new area to live from central Washington.

The amazing fact about human nature is that we’re stronger than we think - especially if we find experiences and people to “feed our soul.” While far away in “cyberspace,” I’m grateful for people like Julie, Lisa, and Sandi. They read my sometimes “boring dribble” and help me to feel “connected.” Terrie and her husband Ray, I felt I met for a reason. Terrie is such an open person and shares her love unconditionally. Ray is quieter, but just as wonderful. So, I’m alone but not lonely…

It’s a sunny, lovely day. From where I sit in the coffee shop I can see the ocean and kites flying on the beach. I’ve neglected my photography since my “disappointment” with my brother. It’s time to get out and “explore the day” to see what I can find with my camera.

Life goes on…