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going, going, going?

When traveling alone in a foreigh country and you need a hand someone generally shows up. It must be an unspoken law of the universe. Someone will be by your side just when you want to scream out to the world, “HELP! I can’t read this map. The street names are driving me crazy. I can’t understand a word on a menu. And I barely remember where my hotel is because I forgot to take an address card.” Dah! It never fails that the nicest people will notice the agony on your face, and additionally, see a way to practice their English (I’ve been told it’s easy to spot an American. I’m not asking how; I don’t want to know), and Voila, you might have a guide for the day. When I’m in a tight spot in a foreign country I ask myself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to me right now?” Perhaps I have a lack of imagination, because when I ask this question, always I see myself sleeping on a bench at the local police station.

Travel essay books give great ideas as to the what, why and how of traveling. For instance, I just finished reading PASSIONATE NOMAD The Life of FREYA STARK by Jane Fletcher Geniesse. Freya Stark was an unstoppable traveler, or after reading the book, you might say she was simply unstoppable, and her life was an exciting adventure. Travel & Leisure says of the book, “Freya Stark was one of the most intrepid adventurers of all time. . . . Jane Fletcher Geniesse brings to life this intense, original personality, and her often dangerous exploits.”

If you want to get going, but have questions, read a good travel essay book. It can give insight as to the way other travelers see the world, and other views start to unfold for you, after which you just might find youself purchasing a one-way ticket to who knows where for who knows how long.

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it.” – Freya Stark, The JOURNEYS ECHO

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they bite

Ah, yes, being in the country is a source of delight. However, there’s one aspect that isn’t a source of delight. In fact, I see no reason for its creation. Nada! The creek is beckoning to me; it needs a little clearing and tender care, and the large brown fallen leaves have to be plucked from the beautiful daffodils that have begun to bloom their bright yellow color, soggy pieces of wood with their bark pulling away are sinking into the very moist ground and need to be lifted and collected, and there are those weeds. . . . I want to do this and I want to do that, but those annoying tiny flies feel they own the creek with its clear water and simple happy sound. Those flies are very good at protecting what they think is theirs. These tiny things go right for the eyes or they hover around the face – always teasing. They get into a hat, and while I’m busy brushing off the hat, they’re busy biting me.

And now bitten and itching I wait my turn to enjoy the land. I’ve tried sneaking out in the early morning before breakfast hoping they’re taking a break. And I’ve tried not using any lotions on my body. I’ve even talked to the energy that they are, feeling that we could connect and they would understand that I have to be out there, too, unhampered by their company. Nah! Nothing works so far. Isn’t it absurd to be detained by a speck-sized something having no real power other that it bites (leaving no serious threat to its victim) and flash flies? There has to be away to get around them. There’s always a way.

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city or country?

It takes a bit of effort to let go of stuff circulating in our head- so many thoughts held onto for dear life. I’m weeding in the Catskills and have been thinking that, for the most part, what we (may I say we?) think we know comes from here, there and everywhere. I wonder what it would feel like to see life with “new eyes,” to let the old stuff go, not a shred of evidence of those former beliefs (unless they serve us well).

Being in the country where it’s quiet, getting up in the morning and seeing an abundance of daffodils in full bloom, and wild turkeys scurrying around with their silly-looking gait, and deers eating fallen apples, gives a sense of whimsical to the day.
Sometimes you got to get away from all the concrete and all the stores in the city. And sometimes you got to just surround yourself with beautiful old, sturdy, green trees, and less extravagances, for a stay in the country. Nature’s way is serene, not noisy, and it gently invites us to stay calm and enjoy what it offers, and perhaps see things with “new eyes.”

“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” -Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter

“We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence. A life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that center.” -Thomas Kelly, British educator

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the catskills

Time spent in the Catskills – so close to Manhattan, yet so far away, without newspaper, television, radio, or car is quiet time. Here it’s seven miles to the nearest town. I stay put enjoying the numerous, beautiful massive trees surrounding the house; and the woods inviting me to walk into them to explore; and the daffodils that are beginning to bloom wherever you look; and the streams of clear water gently flowing toward the Black River; and the ladybugs. The lady bugs are everywhere. During the day they’re busy. By evening they’re a shell of their former selves. “What is their life span?” I wonder to myself. It seems they’re here today and gone tomorrow.

There are old, weather-beaten wooden lawn chairs scattered around the back of the house with old worn tables to accompany them. An Adirondack chair looks comfortable in its own space with its back to the house. They beckon the onlooker with their presence. Post card pretty is what they are. They say, when seen from the kitchen window or porch, “life is real good here, find a book, bring a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee, choose a chair and sit a spell.”

On the land is a well-designed grill made of stone. It’s very old. Actually, it’s a bit regal looking to me. It seems to sense that it fits in nicely with the land. It was probably built by a former occupant of the house-perhaps the same occupant who long ago built the lovely house. The grill has three shelves built-in for placing plates, utensils and pans. It’s a fine place for grilling and gets a lot of use. I said to myself today, “It’s a fine grill for toasting marshmallows, too.” Here the nearest neighbor is not next door. That’s okay, there’s plenty of weeding to do, and you can chat with nature while walking the wheelbarrow full of weeds to the back where someday they’ll be part of a nice bon fire. It sure is a change from life in the big city. They say change is good. I believe it.

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colin wilson

ALIEN DAWN An Investigation into the Contact Experience, by British author Colin Wilson, is a book I got for my birthday. In Chapter 1 he writes that at one time he was “totally uninterested in news items about flying saucers.” Somewhere along the way, that changed for him.

Before I began reading ALIEN DAWN, my limited UFO knowledge was based on mainstream documentaries. These documentaries have a habit of presenting the same information in different ways. ALIEN DAWN is the first UFO book I’ve read, and it was a wild ride at times. Picking up the book to read late in the evening kept me up half the night. The book is thought-provoking, and if you’re unable to turn off your mind’s switch at night, you won’t want it as a bedtime story.

Colin Wilson has a reputation for thoroughly researching a topic. Before putting pen to paper, he reads countless number of books written by writers who’ve spent years studying the subject he intends to write about. He speaks to anyone who’s well-informed on the topic, attends conferences, and willingly travels around the world for information. Some books have a way of turning our belief system upside down. This can be good; it’s a chance to get rid of stagnant information collected through time. This is the kind of book that is the reader’s gain if followed through to the end, because Colin Wilson delivers what he sets out to do. Life is fascinating. Right?

“Faith dares the soul to go further than it can see.” -William Clarke