Mmmm. I'm cozied-in up in the Great White North, illuminated in a glow of ultra-white from the persistent snow outdoors reflecting diffuse sunlight in through the windows of my winter retreat. I think it is warmer today, but I am not sure because I haven't been outdoors yet and I am sitting on the couch adorned with the electric blanket and my woolen slippers and leg warmers are doing their jobs well.

It's morning and school is in session so there is no sound of kids gleefully bombing the toboggan hill they constructed on the weekend just outside my porch door. If I were a daring sort, I might envision taking a flying leap right off my second floor balcony onto the top of the run. But that's a pretty good gap. Maybe off the roof then, but the pitch is at the wrong angle. Ah well.

At long last I have posted a selection of photographs from the summer of 2009 and the activities enjoyed: camping, fishing, hiking, foraging and cooking up meals on campfires! Despite a long campfire ban, almost every weekend through the summer was spent on the camp. The heat was hard to beat, but by seeking out the coolest nearby temperatures and then finding a high-altitude lake at that location, preferably 4x4 required for access (to reduce incidence of camping near other people), it was possible to stay somewhat comfortable through the hot summer. There were a few days out there though that pushed my limits.

I wonder where is the most sun, the least precipitation, and the coolest weather. It would be some kind of desert I would imagine? So maybe not the least precipitation and the most sun, but how about the coolest temps mixed with about 30 days of rain a year, and no more than 15 days a year over 80F? That would be ideal. Avg temp around 70 with partial sun and no chance of flooding.. that would be nice.

In any case, these pictures, reflect but a tiny percentage of all that was experienced and enjoyed these last months. Regrettably, both my aging digital cameras have developed lens flaws and I get frustrated by the dark spots in my pics, so I stopped taking photographs almost entirely for awhile now. I would like to get a new camera, but that will be a process and I've just had other things on my plate.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities and time I have had to explore the planet and get to know the earth in a new way, to develop a personal language with nature and a growing understanding of it from my own visceral experiences.

Breathing in the clean air of the remote, less inhabited areas nourishes and supports me. The peace and the quiet are like the finest velvet blankets that surround and warm me. Mental elevation has unobstructed passage, a manna of bliss, fast track to openness. Aural, and visual disturbances of the urban environment demand a body protect itself from the jarring vibrations, create defensiveness and a closed attitude. I would like to remain open. This challenges me.

May your goals be close enough to be attainable and yet far enough away to transform you.

A list of places recently camped:

Pegg Canyon, Eastern Washington
Lillooet Lake, British Columbia
Cinnamon at Duffey, British Columbia
Kingdom Lake, British Columbia
Hope Creek, British Columbia
Bridge River at Russell Creek, British Columbia

Pictures of some locations, flora/fauna coming soonish. Currently spending more time camping than computing.

The earth here in British Columbia is warming and I am longing for Chiapas, for Mexico, and for the rainstorms. The opportunities of the next few months will keep me more static than the adventures of the last years. I have an apartment in a town now, having left the rustic cabin behind in lieu of things like electricity, running water, and internet access.

My nature is to nest, spending hours and hours decorating this new apartment into my style and tastes. But if, after a year here, I have successfully decorated this apartment, but I haven't finished my music project, or learned more with an instrument, or written copiously, I will be very disappointed indeed.

I am looking for an owner's manual for a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4 with 4.0L inline 6 cyl engine. If you have one for sale or free, please send me an email with your information and we'll make a deal. I have a Haynes Toyota 4Runner Repair Manual that could make a nice trade if you like to barter.

UPDATE April 30th, 2009: Jeep Manual located. Thanks for the help!

Tags: Wanted, Jeep

Ego is precious and helpful.

Ego props up assumptions, creates a model with which to test boundaries of existence.

Ego smoothes a chaotic universe by recognizing patterns and defining them as rules. Consistency is soothing. The universe and all of creation is chaos. Ego filters the chaos for conforming information. This is 'perspective'.

Ego, Judgment, and Prejudice are the tools that reduce stimulus, information, and memory, such that this mortal brain 'can make sense of it all.'

One of the most wonderful things about San Cristobal de las Casas is the amazing rainstorms we get here in the afternoons. One day, I set up my camera in a few different windows in the house to try to illustrate the power and majesty of the rain here. I hope you enjoy the movies.

Please enjoy photographs from the April-May 2008 Road Trip from Portland, Oregon to Montgomery, Texas and back. The trip down took us from Oregon into California and then down through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and into Texas. The return trip included driving through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, and back to Oregon (and then, eventually, Seattle again.)

There was both snow and sweltering heat along the way.

Water bottles froze overnight in the tent at the Grand Canyon.

West Texas is absolutely beautiful. The Davis Mountains are rather unbelievably cool.

Spent a wonderful time with my family in Montgomery.

Tasted of the sulphur springs of Oklahoma.

We lost the tent in the return trip, too, in a pre-tornado storm that swept through Kansas on the night of April 30th. Within 15 minutes of having the tent set up and staked down, Shawn would be laying on top of the shattered shelter to keep it from being whisked away entirely. We spent some time in the howling wind trying to decide how to move the tent to a better spot before finally aborting and heading for a motel. We would later discover that every pole in the tent was in bits, with major rips in the seams of the tent, as well as the guy lines still being in the ground where they where originally staked (along with the canvas tabs that used to be attached to the tent.) Ah well.

I have posted a few photos from the Rockaway Beach trip in Oregon this spring. I was so lucky to have a few beloved members of my family join me there.

I may be a bit out of touch for the next several days. I embark upon a new adventure. And we shall see what comes of the work.

xo,
c

After a shy two weeks in Mexico, I am feeling settled into something of a routine and feeling comfortable with my surroundings. I have rented a scooter to get around town, and I can get to several places without using the map. My spanish is improving daily. I'm drinking coffee again because it is darn good here.

(pauses for a sip. mmmmm. even slightly cold it is delicious.)

I've created a new photo album of pics from the area. Enjoy.

A back of the napkin, spontaneous poem from my first attempt of going out alone, all dolled up, on a Saturday night in San Cristobal:

Still, a loud bar is a lonely place
whether there are others here, or not.
I'll one two.
I'll three four.
I'll lead this music with my four on the floor.
I'll take you on
one eye behind my back.

I didn't have a great time. Although I was really impressed with the DJs early set, as it got further into the night it got more typical "discoteque" and less interesting to me. But, the dude was spinning vinyl and that rocked me. I haven't seen anyone spinning vinyl in awhile. Maybe vinyl is still cheaper in Mexico than setting up an all e-rig. Ho hum.

I love you,
Carly

As of August 12, 2008 at 3pm Central Time, I will be in Mexico and en route to San Cristobal de las Casas. If you'd like to be in touch while I'm Mexico, please use my cell number to actually call me, and do not send me text messages.

Yes, this is total reversal of what I have told you about me and my phone. I am fully cognizant of the impact this will have on your psyche. Breathe deeply. Hold my hand.

Email is also be a fine option for contact. I expect to have internet access during this time.

You are permitted to utilize the contact form here on this website. You are welcome.