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On our way South, for now. NV.

These times have been almost as “where are we now?”. My Journal entries are still stuck in Gold Point and Hard Luck Castle, even though we actually are spending another night in Kingman before heading back to Tucson for Robin's Birthday which will be followed by a Concert of the B52's. I miss Gold Point, the quiet and serene times, the roads barely traveled by anyone but us, the little Ghost Town itself of 7 with Herb and Sandy being at the forefront of it all, including a dinner we had Saturday night. A great dinner! Unfortunately we had to leave. A couple days in Las Vegas at my Friends Christine and Jason needing some front brake repair as “Motorcycle Tire Center” promptly and with a big smile took care of “Old Faithful”. Then on a couple days to re-visit “Valley of Fire” where camping is only allowed in a couple campgrounds and now as mentioned on our way south as we will then turn around and follow the weather for the summer. North that is as the South is starting to heat up.
More photos on the Journal...

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

Then and Now. Life. Tucson, AZ.

Steve Azar, yes, as we are now entering the “Country Music” charts (a bit of humor here...) has made this great video of us depicting in less than 3 minutes what it has taken us these past years, a video with his song “Hard Road”. As we sit here in Tucson right now for a couple more days for my Friend's Birthday, watching such images and listening to such words brings on, I cannot help it, so many of recent past remembrances of us on this road we have embraced. All is only hard as much as we want to make it even if at times one cannot see it any other way. Hope and Faith in this Life of ours has become a must, a daily “headline”. I have realized not long ago all is about “acceptance” as the choices are not of many. Sitting amongst four walls was never an option, one then while on the road can only be subjected to it's surroundings, the physical ones such as 'Mother Nature's” moods and their own “mental ones” as dealing with cards overturned in recent past. It all turns out to be a package deal sometimes stumbling and at others sailing through as when all the Stars seem so perfectly aligned as they have been these past days. In a few we will again take off, probably within some cooler evening hours and head up toward the higher elevations of Utah... in a few.
Enjoy the video.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

“Show Low” with a smile. AZ

Tucson is behind us, hundreds, thousands of miles lay ahead of us, summer and fall do too, what an incredible scenario. Yet, we have not made further than a couple hundred miles as when being in Globe I remembered in “Show Low” my Friends Dean and Pam had taken residence building this compound since 2006. I conjunction with not so good weather passing by, snow this morning (!!!), well, we are still here enjoying the “Barn”, some serious cooking, Friendships and much chatting. It does not get ant better than this. One night turned into two, as we will leave tomorrow morning it will be three. How time passes by! Spirit has a couple new Friends, “Einstein” and “Buddy” and “Einstein” and him have been playing like I had never seen Spirit before. It is going to be sad to pull them apart when we leave as much as I am sure we will be back. How can we not! Discovering new roads from Tucson such as 77 to Globe and 60 bringing us here, “Tonto National Forest” and all it's well maintained service roads, all has been a plus and will see us again.
Enjoy the photos and some recent thoughts...

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

I am touched “Thank You”, Show Low. AZ

The ride? Well, it turned out to be a U-Turn about 100 miles into it from Show Low. The skies were falling on us ahead only a few miles, unlike felt gusts of wind and rain did catch up with us, it was a race back to Holbrook, Arizona, taking cover in a depressing Motel room. They truly always are. So we never made it to “Valley of the Gods”, “Boulder”, “Escalante” and on. We live on the road, there is no rush, no hurry, only some common sense to move on with the weather which lately has not cooperated too well. The upside are photos which I enjoy taking while the clouds, cotton balls turning into menacing vessels in the skies pass by, I will always stop regardless. We are back in Show Low sheltered by the incredible hospitality of Dean and Pam, we are getting to know each other well within this “Oasis” of theirs. It is always a matter of regrouping before taking on the awaiting miles again, hopefully this time a smoother ride.
Arizona Highways... then came the rain!

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

www.theoasisofmysoul.com

5th year on the road...

Motorcyclist Cafe Barn & Bunkhouse, Show Low, AZ

How about that! We are still under the hospitable wings of Dean and Pam at their “Motorcycle Cafe Barn & Bunkhouse” in Show Low, Arizona. Turning my back on a few blood tests lately has only left me with the decision to have a biopsy. This past Friday Dean drove the 440 mile round trip to Tucson and now it is for a couple weeks just a matter of keeping my fingers crossed and awaiting for the results. I have to keep the Faith of Life going as a few different scenarios are awaiting, obscure and unknown at the present. We are longing for the road and yet, being here has been relaxing, enriching as the company at times chatting, at other times cooking and sharing a meal has been a highlight of our Journey. How can one “thank” enough for such gesture? The World sure is filled with such good people as we have always crossed path with them these past years. They seem to be not advertised! Seemingly only the bad news escape and make up the headlines so often read. One does need to believe that the “goodness” of many roams freely amongst us. They are here and there, they are indeed everywhere. I took some photos of what here we call “the barn”... it will give everyone an idea what one can do for other. Enjoy.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

Mind Games “The Incertitude of Life”. Bluff, Utah

Rollercoaster it has been as yet we are comfortably camping in Bluff, Utah. Just mind games one goes through when outcomes of personal Health is yet to be announced. The scenarios? If the Nurse calls all is well... if the Dr calls, well, more scenarios on the forefront. I woke up this morning after the best night sleep ever as I always do in our tent, I woke up from a dream that sounded so real. I was on the phone with the Nurse and all was well. Message? I can only believe in it, there is no harm, there is much to gain. I am avoiding “primitive camping” for now only to have the ability to be reached when needed and this “Cadillac Park” is truly one of the most beautiful one we have been in. It feels as “home” to us, shaded site till late afternoon, quiet as only listening to the birds, the frogs and bullfrogs sounding like a heard of cows calling each other. The rides are of many, we have only been to the Gooseneck and Mexican Hat, we are taking it easy, Valley of the Gods will be next and an area filled with Hoodoos only locals know about. We have been here before, this is landscape and a space I never get tired of.
Till next time...


Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

www.theoasisofmysoul.com

5th year on the road...

The Silhouettes... “Valley of the Gods”, Utah

Again, so fitting. “Valley of the Gods”. So near by when the sweet nurse's voice announced as I almost dropped the phone “no cancer”. Life came back rushing in with the strength of a hurricane force, my heart missed a couple beats, “are you sure....” I kept asking. With such high PSA numbers I can only see this as a miracle or as otherwise the Medical Field trying to continuously scare us “men” of a certain age. The ride, the always magical loop on this 17 mile dirt road was then of the best I have ever experienced. Priorities suddenly changed, “living” again and again came at the forefront of my soul, just living, nothing else truly now matters. We are still near by, we now have a mechanical problem with “Old Faithful” which I guess decided “well, if you are OK it is now my turn...”. I have no clue yet, could be throughout the transmission or the final drive, we might have to backtrack into the heat of Tucson for some repair. Seems this summer all has been delayed for our northern arrival... but then again, who cares! I am alive, Spirit will have to put up with me a bit longer, that is all that matters. Thank you for all that have send me your prayers and your incredible well wishes. Enjoy the Video and more photos on the Journal.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

Help needed in Tucson, down for some major repairs. AZ

A difficult entry, thoughts traversing right and left, the fear of not being able to cover the repairs. As it stands right now, we cannot. It is the big one. We only have a few days ahead while staying at a Friend's house, the heat is intense here in Tucson and no transportation. I swallowed my pride in this new entry and in the Journal asking for help comparing these 658 chapters written these past almost 5 years, thousands of photos, maps, a few recipes, as the physical entity of a few Coffee Table Books, a subscription for a magazine? We are cornered. A couple days ago, only 50 miles into our ride the rear wheel locked, foreign loud noises of metal coming to pieces, I knew it was going to be it for a while. Our Dear Friend “Dean” drove 780 miles these past two days to get us to Tucson at the “Iron Horse” BMW Motorcycle Dealer. Amazing how Life has it's valleys and peaks... It was not long ago awaiting for biopsy results on myself, today it is awaiting for a different kind of mechanical illness to be taken care off. I am hoping to have this ability to appeal to our readers, I know at this point the future path depends on you, it truly does. It was an interesting concept how “Old Faithful” was put on the trailer and taken off. Many have already been involved through this process of getting her here hoping for many more to get her out of here and get us going again.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spiri

Upcoming "Ron Howard Movie"... Please vote for us....

Could you vote for us in this photo contest which we are a semi-finalist to be chosen as a "theme" for an upcoming Ron Howard Movie? 2 days left...
There are 29 photos left in this Worldwide contest. We are one of them in the "relationship" category! (of course...). Here are the instructions (they could have made it easier!). Don't try any other way...

Open the link and click on "Enter Gallery" in the middle left. Scroll with the "right top arrow" next to the film strip and you will find our photo, one click will do. Our photo will come up as a thumbnail, click on the photo, the photo will come up and you can vote for us... please...
Here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/Imagination

THANK YOU....

Ara & Spirit



Overwhelmed. “Old Faithful” rides on... AZ

All this happened too fast almost. The breakdown, 2 days to get to Tucson on a trailer, an outpouring wave of help and suddenly as fast seemingly as it happened “Old Faithful” is back on the road. “Iron Horse” in Tucson overwhelmed me, their handle on the situation has been exceptional. What a sweet sight it has been of “Old Faithful” in my Friend's garage while she is being “harnessed” again ready to take off Thursday morning. Boulder/Escalante in Utah... we have been trying to get there for it seems weeks now! The biopsy, the breakdown, this time it is a green light toward the weeks ahead rekindling our relationship with Mother Nature. So many have come forward as I sit here thanking everyone individually. It might take some time but it will get done.
Tucson has been hot, hot for us, and the only “drive” was up one morning very early, Father's Day, up Arivaca Road which is also the road many locals ride. It was too early for any other vehicle, I needed some time alone to reminisce on my past times with Lance while the Sunrise, a beautiful one, was taking place on this Day always filled with the past memories. What a week it has been.
Finally up is part III video of our Valley of the Gods ride and the sunrise photos...
“Thank you” all that have come forward, those two words will never be enough.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

Imprisoned in my Freedom. Escalante. UT

The weather! HOT. Too hot for Spirit, a bit too much for me, sadly enough as we have just arrived in this area we will leave tomorrow morning, stop in Salt Lake City for a rear tire and make a B line for “Glacier”. It is unlike us to do so, but late moving on North Mother Nature is being a bit rough on us. Daytime is a furnace, it leaves a bit of early morning and evening maybe cooling off barely before Sunset. That is just how it goes these days. No complains though, we are mobile again and one more time “Thank You” for all that have rescued us, as there is no other word for it. I am still trying to “Thank” everyone individually, I will get there eventually as all is always only a matter of time. Riding again brings on many thoughts. The word “Freedom” has been bouncing around and around as today turning 63 (and Spirit “7”) I am realizing that there can never be a turning around, it is too late to go back ever to a Life which is not what it is today even if so at times like the present, Mother Nature forces us to move on from a space I so much love being. More on the Journal just posted...

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit