No Plan--Plan

Zion National Park

As travels, visits, roaming the countryside, and more are coming to a close, the no plan--plan is coming into view.  Have a place to live, car to drive, insurance, and two jobs, so what else? Going to see what shows up on its own while living. Meditation, gym, book writing, photography, and helping a few people with their horses are on the list too, but just going to let life drive the bus.  Nice opportunity to be, but willing to take action. Fun!

The Amazing Sunrise At Grand Canyon

Predawn

I needed to train my eye to see beauty within beauty, instead of looking for a point of beauty within disarray.  Nature is a wonderful teacher.  Grace. Thank you Gurudev for encouraging me to take photos and all of the positive feedback from others.

Grand Canyon, UT Sunset to....

Sunset viewing

Buffalo

Nice shot of a couple enjoying the sunset.

Fun to play with the light.

3,000 Mile Loop #2 Heading Home: Corn fields, MO to Desert, UT

Independence, MO

Utah heading west...

What Is Living?

Midwest USA

What constitutes living?  The night I walked away from my father’s hospital bed on what ended up being his final day on Earth, I remember the words, “live life while you can,” coming to mind.  Almost a dozen years later, I ask, what does that actually mean?  Having the privilege to meet a group of friends and family members who are in their eighties and approaching nineties, I listen, observe, and ponder the question of life and what that represents for each being in the diversity of living states. I can only live my own life, so is it walking in alignment to this growing inner state of awareness and moving with the form through the experiences and requirements that arise? Tasting, sampling, and having fun with all of the opportunities the Earth plan offers? 

Stories and memories appear to be what is left towards the end until the mind even loses this connection to one's history. Which expires first--the mind or the body?

Stayed here over 30 years ago with my horse, 1982.

Spring--31 year old mule who won the President's Cup. Living in retirement now. 

Diversity in 1,500 Miles

Amazing to drive this far and have the terrain change every few hours, minimal traffic, open road, unpopulated, and mechanically sound vehicle.  Photos are difficult when it is the feel of pure expansiveness and not in the details.  Ok, there are A LOT of snow fences and potential road closure signs to turn around, so I am thinking this is the time of year to drive this stretch of landscape, (California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Missouri.)

Elk Mountain, Wyoming

Snow fences, snow fences, and snow fences...

Driving meditation. Learning about scaffolding on vs. minimized. Fascinating to watch life from such a different perspective at times and still see the body operate.  Pushing the shopping cart of the body down the road with only eyes, but actually performing tasks. Staying out of the falling under the elephant state while driving, but it is present--learning.

Road Trip

Two hour loop around the neighborhood.

Going to drive to the Midwest/St. Louis, Missouri area  to visit friends/family, see the countryside, and then circle back through Las Vegas/Southern CA to pick-up clothes from my storage unit, hopefully see Jaz/Janelle, and head north to start work on Monday, July 21st.  It has been a very long time since I have had an official job with a pay check and benefits.

Continuing to learn every day from the feedback of living.  Playing with new exercises at the gym.  Plan to resurrect my bicycle and buy a swimsuit for additional cross-training.  The state of joy in my daily life is astounding.  Feeling very child like and gleeful with the simplicity and lack of attachment  to controlling what happens in a day.  Plenty seems to line up, but just having fun with the diversity. The book is coming along steadily and I am learning a lot from my editor/writing coach as well.

I was sorting through the photos with the thought of entering a few in a photo contest and it was so lovely to visit Gurudev and the ashram even if it is virtually.  Not a day goes by that I don't marvel at what I learned from Gurudev and continue to watch it appear to have a life of its own with it growing and spreading into every aspect of what I touch in a day.

Excited to take a road trip before digging into the new job.