Abajo Mountain – Our Backyard Treasure

August 18, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

We who live in Monticello or nearby have a treasure in our backyard. Abajo Mountain with its variety of trees and shrubs and flowers, campgrounds, dispersed camping areas, mountain roads and jeep trails, “lakes,” and views provides something for everyone.

At 9,000 feet, Pine Flats where we picnic or camp is delightfully cooler in the summer than the valley below, let alone the canyon lands. A myriad of roads, sometimes rocky or rutted, lead to spots where a bit of privacy can be found, surrounded by scrub oak or shaded by great pine trees. Stands of aspen add their graceful beauty and ambiance to any stopping point.

Camping at Pine Flats in the shade of great pine trees

We have camped at Dalton Springs Campground and picnicked in the late autumn at Buckboard Campground when all campers are gone. The autumn-colored aspens on a clear fall day are quite the delight, even though sometimes it has been so chilly that we’ve ended sitting in the car for our picnic.

A picnic at Monticello Lake is a treat for us, since bodies of water or streams are a bit of a luxury in Utah. Fishermen certainly seem to appreciate Monticello, Lloyd, and Foy Lakes for their own reasons.

The paved route over the north slope of Abajo is a most enjoyable and scenic way to make a trip to Newspaper Rock and on to the southern entrance to Canyonlands National Park.

With all this being said, not all those who go up the mountain are aware of their responsibility as stewards of the land. When we are camping, I walk daily, sometimes on the jeep trails, sometimes on game trails, and I always come back with a bag of trash I’ve picked up due to the carelessness of others. Beer cans and soda cans, tinfoil, broken glass, and so on are found even in remote spots as well as along the roads and in campfire rings.

Messy half-burned trash is ugly and attracts flies and rodents. This thoughtlessness is inexplicable, as are the ruts left by those who choose to go off-road to tear around in the forest just because they can, not because it is good for the land. The ground layer here in the forests, especially where the wild iris grow, is fragile and easily damaged.

Even with signs prohibiting campfires during these hot dry summer months, there are campfires being built, which seems rather irresponsible and potentially dangerous under the current conditions.

We are fortunate to have Abajo only a few miles from town. Being respectful of this mountain and what it has to offer is a must for EVERYONE! “Pack it in – Pack it out” is a good start. Be mindful of forest fire season and refrain from campfires. Stay on the roads and don’t go making tracks through the forest (or other people’s campsites) with ATV’s, motorbikes, and high-clearance vehicles. Loud music and loud generators are not appropriate, especially at night. Being considerate of others and being good stewards of this land is not too much to ask of any of us.

Come and enjoy the mountain, the jeep trails, the picnic and camping spots, the fishing.

A fisherman’s delight – Monticelllo Lake on Abajo Mountain

Most especially, be mindful of the beauty that is here on Abajo Mountain. Treasure the treasure that we have!

August on Abajo – August 2020

August 11, 2020August 29, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

One of the highlights of these early days of August on Abajo Mountain is my morning walk.

One day I met a human on the trail. Clifford and I have been camped here awhile and I walk every day and this is the only time I have seen someone else out walking. The fellow and I stop and chat for a couple minutes before continuing on our ways. The brief encounter makes me realize that I miss having people to talk to in person, besides Clifford, of course. I am very grateful that I have him in my life and that I am not living alone. I am grateful for the calls from my kids and really really look forward to seeing them in person… just not this summer.

The walks provide the photo opportunities for my Higher Vibration Series, a daily photo with a comment to inspire people. I am on day 303 – that is 303 days of preparing and posting a special photo, never missing a day. I am also working on getting all of these photos on my website, which has been a big project. There is so much negativity in the world now with Covid, the environmental disasters, the political scene, as well as deep dark things that we scarcely know about, I feel compelled to off-set that in any way I can by contributing something good, beautiful, and uplifting to the energies of the world. It might only be a drop in an ocean of darkness, but it is a drop of light.

Another highlight is listening to Stjepan Hauser, the Croatian cellist who performs in interesting scenic locations and almost always barefoot. His posts on Instagram are short romantic cello pieces, played with beautiful sensitivity, as he seemingly flirts with the videographer. His concert “Alone Together” is a full-fledged concert, a contribution to the world during this difficult time of Covid when so many people cannot meet with family, friends, music colleagues, and so on. The performance is quite sensational and I would encourage music lovers to find him on Instagram or YouTube. I am inspired to take playing my cello more seriously again, with intentions of playing outdoors in a public venue, like a park, where people might be uplifted by the vibrations of a real instrument.

Clifford continues with his dulcimer, virtual flying, ham radio, and plans for continuing CI research. We both join a UK zoom music group twice weekly. Very challenging for me on the viola, but fun for both of us.

Clifford with the dulcimer preparing for zooming

Life on the mountain is good, social distancing at its best.

Abajo Hike – July 2020

July 31, 2020August 26, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

The last days of July include a hike with Clifford, leaving cross-country from our campsite. Heading south, we eventually come upon a jeep trail and since it is going the direction that we want to explore, we follow it in a big loop on the north slope of Abajo Mountain. Sometimes we are in pine forests or groves of scrub oak, sometimes surrounded by aspens or crossing meadows. The road is rugged, probably a lot of fun for ATV’s and mountain bikers. It eventually takes us around to the far side of Pine Flats, quite the delightful hike.

Having listened to a documentary on trees having feelings and friends (of course they do!), I started being more aware of trees hanging out in families, as couples or close friends, as well as the great trees called Mother Trees, which nourish the trees around them through their complex root systems and by providing shelter for saplings. Photos of tree families and friends will be featured in a separate blog, as there are too many for this blog. Wildflowers are always a delight to see.

Of course, music continues, sometimes individually and sometimes Clifford and I play together. The photo of me with the viola is a “Becka Day” as I realized that I was wearing pants, shirt, and shoes, all from Becka. Thanks, Becka!

While we are here, the roofing job takes place at home-base in town, and when I go to town to check on the roofing and run errands, I discover that a shrub near the driveway is BLOOMING! We have never been here this time of the year, since we are usually in Montana by mid-July. However, this year is different because of covid. It is a small consolation to see the beautiful blossoms of a Rose of Sharon.

With smoke from the forest fires in Colorado adding particulates to the air, the sunsets are particularly vivid these last days of July.

Oddities on Abajo – July 2020

July 24, 2020August 17, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

July 19-24

During these mid-July days, there are a few things I can mention beside our usual activities: rain and mud puddles for one. It is so great to have rain and I make the most of the mud puddles.

How do you make a mud puddle attractive – put it right next to a tree….

How do you make a mud puddle attractive – add flowers….

I have noticed how oddly shaped some of the trees are. Aspens in particular, usually gracefully straight-trunked in their growth pattern are sometimes not, and some pines have an unusual curvature of the trunk. This calls to mind a very interesting thought by Ram Dass (sent to me by my sister, as we are both tree lovers).

When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.
The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are. Ram Dass

So, I have two thoughts in relationship to this: For all these months (309 days to be exact) that I have been doing the Higher Vibration Photo series, I have been seeing trees and flowers as people – singing, dancing, having families, smiling at me, being wise and patient teachers of wisdom. What an interesting turn-about to see people as trees.

The other thought is Ram Dass’ use of ALLOWING. I have been learning that in allowing something to be as it is or someone to be as they are, I move beyond tolerating, which I’ve always been good at, but which still has a negative energy about it. Allowing means having no emotional hangups or mental judgment in regard to a situation or person. This can be a very difficult move to make, since tolerating is a habit but allowing requires thoughtful letting go, releasing. This is not to say one should let go of awareness and discernment, but these states of mind and emotions need to be approached with deliberate intent.

This Mother Tree is Bartholomew – she told me so herself…

The other unusual thing these days is an unexpected trip to town after dark, as the camera monitor in the house is picking up an unusual sound and we need to check it out. Cows, deer, and headlights make it a not-fun trip down the mountain. The house is fine. The noise was apparently fireworks, delayed from having no fireworks on the 4^th, allowed this evening because of the rain a couple of days ago. We are certainly relieved that there is no problem at the house!

Street corner project – seen on a daytime trip to town

Highlights of Abajo – July 2020

July 18, 2020August 13, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

July 13-18

We are camping on Abajo Mountain in southeast Utah, a dispersed area that allows for space and a fair amount of privacy from other folks who are also camping here.

The daily “highlights” don’t really touch on what’s important. The morning walk is important, on a superficial level for the exercise, but also for the photo opportunities for the daily Higher Vibration photo that I post on FB, Instagram, and on my website. But even more important is the positive vibration that I feel from the connection with nature. Opening to what’s positive, beautiful, and right with the world is nourishing for the soul, and I am blessed to be here on the mountain where I can take these daily walks among the pines, aspens, and scrub oak with wildflowers keeping us company.

For Clifford, bringing forward activities that have been left on a back burner for over twenty years is what is nourishing his soul. Playing dulcimer, virtual flying around the world, and ham radio have gained an important place in his life. After devoting himself to Carnicom Institute research for the past two decades, it is now time to fill in the life-gaps. He is still working on research projects, but his life is more balanced and enriched.

Covid has changed our plans, but we are not nearly as disrupted as most people. Self-isolation via camping/boondocking is a normal way of life for us. Even when we are in town, especially since moving to Utah, we are pretty much self-isolated – partly because of Clifford’s research, but also because we simply don’t know anyone and are not involved any social activities of the town, not that anything is going on now with Covid. So, other than missing the trip to Montana to see family, which is huge for me, we carry on doing what we would be doing in any case.

Monday: Town early to get the trash can out to the street. Play bluegrass music with Clifford. Listen to David Icke on the London Real program.

Tuesday: Morning walk through the pine forest, visiting a great Mother Tree. Clifford updates me on Covid, more than I really want or need to know. Taxes are done, slow because of computer and software issues.

Wednesday: Morning walk, especially enjoying the lower aspen forest. Clifford is not wanting to make the trip to Montana because of Covid issues. Play cello outside. I think I saw a mouse in the RV. Set traps.

Thursday: Mouse trapped, major counter cleanup first thing. Trip to town for errands and domestic chores at the house in town.

Friday: Longer walk this morning, then more counter cleanup (another mouse trapped). Review the journal of the St. Mary’s Pilgrimage in August 1996. Continue editing I Am Markus Desmend, Ang’s sci-fi novel.

Saturday: Forest walk, mostly in the aspens. Deposit insurance check for roofing work (following hail damage), which is scheduled to begin soon. Begin rereading Way of the Essenes. Sit outside to eat dinner and watch a beautiful sunset.

Snippets on Abajo – July 2020

July 12, 2020August 2, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

July 6:

*Morning walk; I use photo of a purple flower for today’s Higher Vibration photo, *Run all computer programs, trying to keep my laptop working, *Check & answer email, *Make edits to a memoir by an author from UK, *Play viola with Clifford playing dulcimer, *Work on my website – the Higher Vibration Gallery, *Dinner & dishes, *Talk to MI, a friend from CA – Words of wisdom from MI – “Don’t re-enforce negative thoughts by repeating them.”

Purple flowers for Higher Vibration Series

July 7:

*Happy Birthday photo “card” to my son Tye, *Trip to town for errands, laundry, watering flowers & bird baths – takes up most of the day, *Dinner & dishes, *Foxtail at sunset for Higher Vibration photo, check FB, which is entirely too time-consuming

Morning road loop walk – the aspen section

Foxtail at sunset – Higher Vibration Series

July 8:

Repeats: *Morning work through the woods, *music with Clifford, *Email, *Finish editing memoir, *Higher Vibration photo from the morning walk

New or different:*Research literary agents for Ang’s fantasy novel – Dragons of Va’Haden. Send one query, *Calls with roofing agent and home owner insurance agent – work on roof will move forward

Morning road loop walk – the scrub oak section

July 9:

Repeats: *morning walk, *email, *meals & dishes, *Website HV Gallery

What’s new: *Start 2^nd edits for Ang’s sci-fi novel, “I Am Markus Desmend,” *Clifford makes a trip to town for propane, gasoline, and water – Right after he leaves, boys on motorcycles come tearing right into our campsite. Guess they are a bit surprised to see a wild mountain woman running out to tell them to get out of our campsite. I don’t know what they were up to, but no good, for sure.

A “road” less traveled – except by deer (just right of center)

July 10:

*Morning walk taking photos of “tree friends” and a photo for the HV series, *Edits to Markus, *Website Gallery, *Music with Clifford, *Meals & dishes, *Calls from a CA friend and from my youngest daughter, who will probably not make the trip to Montana due to covid. It is a long flight from Hawaii and there are too many unknowns about the health consequences. Plans for a get-together for her birthday in Glacier Park are postponed.

July 11: Variations on some of the above

Another, more mature, grove of aspen – off trail

July 12: The morning walks take up the time I usually spend journal writing, quiet sitting, inspirational reading, and so on. The time spent with nature makes up for it in many ways. However, the journal is a record that needs to be kept, so that is today’s focus – getting caught up the journal.

Little yellow flowers thrive in the hot dry climate

Roads Less Traveled – July 2020

July 5, 2020July 26, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

July 1 – 5: My days here at Pine Flats in the Abajo Mountains of southeast Utah begin with a walk through the woods, groves of aspens and scrub oak, with pines on the periphery.

The road less traveled through scrub oak

There is one especially large and impressive pine, a subspecies of Ponderosa, that grabs my attention. At my sister’s suggestion, I ask the tree what its name is in people language. I don’t get an answer until, as I turn away, Bartholomew pops into my head. So I take it the tree is to be called Bartholomew.

Yarrow and some kind of little yellow flower are the predominant wildflowers; red blossoms, like teeny day lilies are also found, but scare. I enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the “road less traveled.”

Photos for blogs and the Higher Vibration Series, journaling, editing for my daughter Ang – a new sci-fi novel, and domestic chores take up the rest of day. Clifford continues with his ham radio, playing the dulcimer, and virtual flying.

Every day the sky is a gorgeous blue, highs are mostly in the 70’s and some days big billowing cumulus clouds build up.

No rain, however, except on the 4^th of July, there is a brief, but heavy rain storm, which apparently causes the tipi group camped near us to pack up and leave. Even though it is great that people want to be out in nature, some folks are a bit loud and we don’t mind when the weekend is over and most of them leave.

Heading to Abajo – June 2020

June 30, 2020July 21, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

We are eager to go camping for Clifford’s ham radio field day, the weekend of June 27 & 28. After considering our options, we decide to go to Pine Flats, the large dispersed area on the north slope of Abajo Mountain. We head up on Wednesday morning prior to field day, and partway up the mountain, there is road construction with a THREE-hour wait. Luckily we are able to pull off and wait it out in the shade of the forest service campground adjacent to the flagman. We make use of this time to have a picnic lunch, then Clifford plays his dulcimer and I write in my journal.

Finally we are on our way again, following the pilot car to the turnoff into Pine Flats. We are pleased to find that our favorite spot is available. The road is rugged and we drive about two to three miles an hour for the last half mile.

The spot is at the end of a side-road and with some finagling we are able to get Cougar tucked back under the pines so as to have plenty of shade for these hot summer days. I am hot and dusty by time this accomplished. It is pleasant to sit in the shade and relax before we finish setup.

Clifford gets his antennas set up; he is ready for field day, but also for the usual morning traffic net (ham radio message transfer). I make sure the inside is homey and comfortable.

The next days are a mix of sun, clouds, calm, and wind – sometimes all in the same day.

My mornings begin with a walk on the road that makes a big loop through this dispersed area, traversing pine forests, aspen and scrub oak groves. I really like the lovely peacefulness of these forests and photos taken on the morning walk often become the Higher Vibration photo for the day. Other activities include journal writing, photo editing and blogs, editing my daughter’s most recent novel, and either cello and viola as often as I can fit it in.

Clifford’s activities: ham radio, dulcimer, virtual flying.

Calls, messenger, FB, texts, Instagram – these are the ways I am in contact with my family and friends. While we are here, work is scheduled for repairs to the roof of the house following the hail damage earlier this month. Waiting for this work to take place means our Montana travel plans will have to be adjusted. Further adjustment may depend on the virus situation, as the news remains contradictory. But in the meantime, we are grateful for all the mountain offers in the way of peace and quiet, beauty and shade, and cooler temperatures than the valley below.

Home-base and an Abajo Outing – June 2020

June 24, 2020July 6, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Sunday June 7 to Tuesday June 24:

My mornings start as much as possible with quiet sitting, coffee, journal writing, and uplifting reading of some sort. I water the flowers, fill the bird baths, and run the sprinkler for a few minutes.

Clifford starts his day with his ham radio traffic (the passing of radio messages) net before moving on to his other projects, namely virtual flying, playing his dulcimer, and his CI experiments. I continue to make improvements to the backyard, along with editing for my daughter, Ang, posting photo blogs, and occasionally getting out either the cello or viola for a bit of playing.

We see a little damage from the hail and wind of June 6, but hear of other people with broken windows and broken windshields. As it turns out, we have the roof inspected, there is more damage than we realized, and a claim is filed for hail damage.

Our only outing is a trip up Abajo Mountain and this time we go to Monticello Lake. We are lucky that the spot way at the back behind the earthen dam is available. What a great spot for our picnic and music.

Great spot for a picnic on Abajo Mountain as seen from the dam

On this trip, Clifford also takes his drones and flies them for a bit. It has been breezy, but he manages to get in a couple flights with each of them.

————–*****—————

The “news” about Covid19 is so contradictory and smothered in political name-calling, it is nearly worthless, as well as filled with negativity. Other than a couple of documentaries sent by trusted individuals, I do not engage in the news about the virus or the riots. Clifford reads news from his outlet daily and fills me in where needed. My own effort in staying healthy and doing something good for the world is to stay in a place of positive vibration, focusing on what is still good, right, and beautiful in my life and in the world.

Picnics and Flowers and More – June 2020

June 6, 2020July 4, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

June 1^st Monday – 6^th Saturday: Clifford and I are engaged in our usual activities – music, ham radio, and virtual flying for Clifford; photography as it relates to blog-writing and posting on my website and on FB, editing for Ang, and domestic activities for me. I especially enjoy taking photos of our few flowers and preparing them for the Higher Vibration Series posted daily on FB. I am up to day 237 – one photo a day plus a comment.

Highs are mostly in the mid-80’s, 50 to 60 at night, wind is almost constant, although sometimes calmer in the early morning, and that is when I try to take care of watering flowers and refreshing bird baths. Some days the sky is beautiful blue, sometimes spraying creates haze.

On Thursday we go for an outing up Abajo Mountain, even though it’s breezy. We are happy to find our favorite spot at Pine Flats is available and we get set up with Suburban blocking the wind somewhat as we have our picnic and then play music. Of course, any outing is an opportunity to take photos, and right now it is the wild iris that demand my attention.

The big project of sanding the picnic table and a couple of benches in preparation for staining happens on Friday. In the later afternoon, a very strong wind causes a power outage lasting nearly 5 hours.In the night lightning, thunder, and rain wake me up. I am happy to have the rain.

Around 10:00 Saturday morning, with just enough warning for me to move herbs and potted flowers to safety, we are hit with a ferocious hail storm. The extreme wind, thrashing trees, and hail, some stones the size of gumballs, creates darkness and a deafening roar for several minutes.

Even after the storm passes and big cumulus clouds replace the dark storm clouds, it remains very windy all day. As far as we can tell, we have only suffered minor damage and are grateful it wasn’t worse.

What I have not mentioned because I do not want to focus attention on it, but for future reference, the controversy over how best to handle Covid19 remains, peaceful protests have been infiltrated resulting in rioting and looting, as well as undeserved deaths. The weather is increasingly unstable. It is a challenging time for this nation, the world, and our planet Earth.

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