Love in the Time of COVID-19

Hello friends.

I have started multiple blog posts - mostly about the move that Lupe and I made at the end of January and the ensuing nightmares but, in light of the current worldwide crisis, all that seems like minor bullshit.  Suffice it to say, don't believe everything your real estate agent tells you. The good news is that I am going to start creating a California native backyard since our property is so large.  I also will keep my citrus and avocado trees which was the advice of the native landscape consultant. If we can get through this pandemic I am actually very excited about making our little parcel of land a wild haven - in the midst of suburbia. I also LOVE our new neighborhood. So, all's well that ends well and I look forward to entertaining family and friends and you soon!

I also want to complain here about canceling trips and the lack of baseball but then, come on, we are currently all healthy and that is what is important today.

My thinking on this blog post is that it will be a bit of a stream of consciousness while we are shut in and trying to avoid the horrors that we are seeing right now, for example, in Italy and even in New York City.   There is a reason many of us geezers suffer from anxiety and are overly careful - we've seen what the world can do...even in the best times. So, on that negative note let me just say that I hope that everyone reading this can find some joy and hope in each day going forward and that we navigate this difficult time with grace and cool and good fortune.  It would be grand if my few words and photos could provide some respite from the mess of the world right now. I believe writing these posts will do exactly that for me. The other night I had a Zoom meeting with my friends from Insight LA and it is crucial we continue to reach out and connect...here's my attempt to do just that...

There is so much fear and worry out there right now...try to remember to breathe.

I've been revisiting some of my old photos and trips and I thought I'd start by sharing a few of those.  Perhaps, this will provide a tiny bit of succor from the self-quarantining ennui.  I've been throwing them up again on Twitter and that's been fun, too. Thanks for letting me share.  Through these words and photos I hope to send out a bit of love during this harrowing time. I'm not sure how else to go about it. 

This first photo is from a trip I took to Pinnacles National Park back in 2015.  I took this photo on the Bear Gulch trail and was practically alone for the entire hike. That has changed in the last few years as the National Park status has elevated awareness of the Park.

The next photo is of the Smith River in September 2016.  I got up very early each day to take photos in this spot in Jedediah Smith State Park.

This next one was taken on an early morning drive along Highway 89 between Sedona and Flagstaff in Oak Creek Canyon. It remains one of my personal favorites over the last few years.

Here is a photo of nearby Santiago Canyon where I used to ride my Triumph Thunderbird regularly.

This next photo is framed and sits above our dining room table. It is of the train track, trestle, beach and pier at Gaviota, north of Santa Barbara. It is a place that I return year after year and have grown to love despite the sometimes gale force winds.

And here is another of my favorite California spots - it's a sunset view of Mugu Rock from Thornhill Broome Beach which is north of Malibu but feels million miles away from everywhere...

Now this is one of my favorite photos from my home away from home in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

The next photo is of a fiery sunset in Yosemite National Park in September of 2017. This was a meaningful trip as it was the last time I went with my long time pal, Jack, who passed away last year.  How blessed I was to be able to spend that few days with him.

Here is another from that trip. It's from a misty and quiet morning along the magnificent Merced River.

One last one. This is an iPhone photo of Quitobaquito on the Mexican border in Arizona. It is currently being ravaged and perhaps entirely ruined  by a needless wall. Enjoy this image...it's one of the most special places in all of the West. 

I have a dream I'd like to tell you about as I end this blog post. It's a simple dream but it seems awfully challenging these days. My dream is this...that everyone who reads these posts regularly and is a friend who shares my love for the land will meet me one day on the road in one of these remarkable places. I'll make the fire for us to sit around and talk about how we all survived the terrible pandemic of 2020. And how, after surviving it, we feel a little more grateful for all that we have and have had. And how life seems a bit sweeter than before.

Much love to all. I'll be back in a few weeks with a few more words and photos.

Until then...