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.

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.

May Draws to a Close – May 2020

May 31, 2020June 14, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

The last weeks of May are marked by wind and highs in the mid-60’s. The final days of May are a bit warmer, so we make an outing to Abajo Mountain for a picnic and music.

A trip to Ace Hardware in Blanding twenty miles away gives us an excuse to stop at Recapture Reservoir on the way back to Monticello. We are always on the lookout for places to camp.

At the close of the month, we do an exploratory outing on Abajo Mountain, checking out a narrow rocky road that leads to a knoll with a scenic view, followed by a hike to find Taylor Springs.

Besides our usual projects and these few outings, I take photos of blossoms in our yard, happy for their beauty in our lives.

Utah Outings – May 2020

May 17, 2020June 8, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

In mid-May when my brother Rollie and his lady friend, Tata, stopped to visit Clifford and me at our Utah home-base, in addition to rebuilding our deck, we went on two outings.

The first outing was a short trip to Pine Flats on Abajo Mountain west of Monticello. Although there were clouds and a breeze, we were not deterred from having a picnic and playing music in a grove of scrub oaks. Nearby aspens added variety to the scenery.

The second outing was a longer trip to Needles Overlook, south of Moab, about 20 miles off highway 191. Needles Overlook provides an unrivaled view of the dramatic landscape of the southern portion of Canyonlands National Park. In addition to walking the trail along the rim of the overlook, we again had a picnic and then played bluegrass tunes.

This area is worthy of more exploring and we did pull off on one side road, but there is more to be seen another day.

Flowers at Homebase – May 2020

May 13, 2020May 31, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

May starts out with a trip up Abajo Mountain for a picnic and music. In the morning it is calm with a lovely blue sky, but by time we head up, it is quite windy. We drive around Pine Flats until we find a spot a little more out of the wind.

The next two weeks are projects at homebase. With highs in the 60’s and windy most days, we are not so tempted to make more trips up the mountain.

Working on the backyard ….

as well as the usual editing and domestic chores, fill up much of my day. I play around with Snapseed to make the most of flower photos, as this is the first year that we have had such blossoms. Many of these become the daily Higher Vibration posts.

Rescuing a volunteer gaillardia on the street corner becomes a little landscaping project – little in size, but big in effort!

Clifford works with his ham radio and music with the dulcimer and the CI Legacy Project.

Most days we go for a walk around town, just to get out. We are looking forward to campgrounds opening, hopefully by the end of the month, and maybe other outings in the meantime.

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Tag: Utah