It is a beautiful autumn day, so after a quiet morning and breakfast,
My day starts quietly with tea and journal writing
we all head up the mountain for a picnic and music. After a quick stop at Indian Creek Road for photos, we head on up to Pine Flats. As the breeze has picked up some, we find a spot that is a bit protected and set up our picnic, followed by bluegrass music.
Stopping for photos
Picnic and music on the mountain
Tata makes dinner for all of us – lentil stew and cornbread muffins. It sure is a treat to have someone else cook!
I edit one of the photos from our picnic outing at Indian Creek from a few days ago and submit it to the San Juan Record, the local newspaper. They have a weekly contest and I only recently discovered that I was sending my submissions to the wrong email address.
Photo submitted to San Jun Record
The next outing is a geode hunting expedition. The road is rugged, a jeep road only, so I am seeing mountain country that Clifford and I could never see in the Suburban. We pick up a few rocks to take back and of course, I take photos.
Jeep ride to find geodes
Mountain and desert combo
Views from the stopping place
When we go to the market to pick up groceries for dinner, I see that my photo submission is this week’s winner and featured on the front of the newspaper – Hooray!
Featured photo for this week
Tata cooks ribs for dinner and we play music while the ribs cook. I run out of time to do dishes, but get the daily higher vibration photo done – a photo from today’s outing. A good end to the day.
I go on longer morning walks these last days of August, since I know they will be my final opportunities to spend time in the forest.
Double Mother – Bartholomew
Dancing Scrub Oaks
Old Aspen friends
Curvy pine and aspen friends
We play music in the afternoons, sometimes zoom with the UK group, sometimes Clifford has other groups, or we each work on our own instruments. With the UK group I play viola, but on my own, I play cello, enjoying pieces that I’ve just touched on over the years. I have thoughts of playing in the little park across from the post office, so want to have a few pieces worked up in case I actually try doing that.
Rain showers in the afternoon are a welcome relief to the dry conditions here on the mountain.
Looking out at the rain on Abajo Mountain
After the rain
Rich forest color after the rain
On the 30th, since I am up before Clifford, I go for a final morning walk, but close to camp, heading off in a direction I didn’t often go, then around to say good-bye to Bertha, one of the Mother Trees I’ve enjoyed visiting. Back at camp, after breakfast, we pack up with some reluctance and head down the mountain, back to home-base and the Carnicom Institute tasks that Clifford has set up for himself.
Aspens near camp
Pulling out
While the word is in turmoil with covid, hurricanes, wildfires, and rioting in the cities, we have been at peace on the mountain. It is my hope that this sense of peace will remain with us as we go forward.
August 21th to 25th – Our place on the mountain is peaceful except for the occasional ATVs and motorcycles that come down our road. The world, however, seems to be in more and more of a turmoil.
My morning walks are a special time I really enjoy and I go far afield from the original loop road. I have walked here enough that I can go any direction and not worry about finding my way back. My biggest concern is the archery hunters, but hopefully I don’t look like a deer or elk to anyone. I have made up a game “forest pick-up sticks” where I have to make my way through the densest forest without stepping over deadfall, pushing through bushes, or bending under low tree branches. It’s just a bit of silliness, but it is also about awareness of how and where I am walking. Oh yes, no stepping on wildflowers.
Scrub grove on morning walk
Forest Pick-up-sticks
Don’t step on the wildflowers
Mother Tree
I enjoy playing my cello outside and Clifford likewise spends as much time as he can playing his dulcimer outside. We both play with a music group in UK via zoom (I use viola for that) and Clifford also plays and sings with three other groups. While zoom doesn’t take the place of meeting in person for those who are no longer able to because of covid, for us it is opportunity to play with others that we would not otherwise have.
Errand Day – Rose of Sharon in Monticello
On the world front: there are two hurricanes, Marco and Laura, coming into the Gulf of Mexico and they are expected to cause much havoc. At the same time, wildfires are increasing in California, while those in Colorado have not abated. Even in Montana, my sister sees smoke coming up from the ridge of the Sapphire Mountains behind their home.
Sunset on Abajo Mountain – color enhanced by forest fire smoke
Discord, controversy, and contradictions on covid protocol continue due to lack of knowledge and outright deceptions in regard to the illness.
For my part, I try to focus on what I can personally do to make a difference, and that is why I persist daily with my Higher Vibration Photo Series.
Higher Vibration Photo
Each photo and the words that come to me are meant to uplift the viewer, to bring a drop of light into the vale of darkness. It might not see like much in the face of all that surrounds us, but it is something valid and real, and I trust that in the larger scheme of things, each photo and each sentiment makes a difference for good in the world.
These are good days on Abajo Mountain. Our daytime temperatures are in the low 80’s, while in town they are mid-90’s, as I discover when I go down to do laundry and run errands.
Smoke in the valley from Colorado wildfires
The morning walks continue to be a source of outer peace so that I am better able to experience inner peace. As one wildflower fades from the scene, another takes its place and now I see thistles sporting their beautiful purple.
Sunlit grass on the morning walk
Leaning Aspen
Morning….
walks….
on Abajo
A highlight of these days is a visit from a friend who also lives in Utah. It was quite the delight to have him visit us on the mountain, and I even got to ride on his fancy motorcycle from the entrance of the dispersed area to our out-of-the way cul d sac. Such good conversation. It sure would be great to have get-togethers more often.
A ride on the fancy motorcycle
A low point for me is a discussion with Clifford as we finally decide for certain that a trip to Montana is not going to happen this summer: mostly covid, but also finances and our aging Suburban are factors. This is a great disappointment to me, but I do understand the thinking behind the decision. Great advice from one of my daughters is to have a Knowing that I will see loved ones in the future and hold that thought with joy.
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.
Heading up Abajo Mountain
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.
Buckboard Campground
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.
Autumn at Monticello Lake
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.
Newspaper Rock
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.
Damage to forest floor
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.
Outing on Abajo
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!
Morning walks continue to be a source of inspiration for the Higher Vibration Series, the blogs, and for me personally as a calming and centering influence in troubled times.
Morning Walks
August 12th, we have a picnic with real people, a couple of women who were computer clients of Clifford’s back in the Santa Fe days. They are traveling together in a Class C, having intentions of seeing the country, plans totally put on hold by covid. However, since they are in our neck of the woods, having finally “escaped” from hot hot Arizona on their way back to New Mexico, we manage to pull off a picnic in the park behind the library. Big picnic tables under a shelter for shade, trees, and a spacious lawn provide a pleasant place to visit and share travel stories. It is so fun to actually visit with people in person, first time since May when my brother and his lady friend stopped by on their way to Montana.
A couple of days later, Clifford and I go for a hike, this time cross-country to the jeep road that we had discovered on a previous hike. We explore another road, but as it seems to go down down down, we forego it after awhile and just continue the jeep loop back to Pine Flats where we are camped. It was a great afternoon for a hike with lots of opportunities for photos.
Sitting with a Mother Tree
Sasquatch kids at play?
Friendly pines
Twisted aspen
Aspen family
Clifford on the trail
While the world seems to be in turmoil with covid, controversy and contradictions at every turn, we are at peace on the mountain.
One of the highlights of these early days of August on Abajo Mountain is my morning walk.
Mountain walk attire
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.
Aspen grove at sunrise
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.
Wildflowers for inspiration
Wildflower composite
Aged aspen couple
Aspen fammily
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.
A drop of light in the darkness
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.
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.
Hike with Cllifford
Rugged road
Scrub oak grove
Pine forest
View through the aspens to LaSal Mountain
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.
Aspen Family
Friendly aspens
Wildflowers on Abajo
Yarrow
Waiting for rain
Scrub oak at sunset
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!
Music day with….
Clifford on the dulcimer
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.
Rose of Sharon at Home-base
With smoke from the forest fires in Colorado adding particulates to the air, the sunsets are particularly vivid these last days of July.
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).
Unusually curvaceous aspen
Unusual curvature of the pine spine
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
Another curvy girl
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.
Are they trees or are they people?
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 4th, 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
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.
Camping on Abajo Mountain
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.
Aspens…
and more aspens
Abajo sunset
Wildflowers…
and more wildflowers
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.
Mother Tree
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.
Cello outside
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.
