Yet another summer visit, sponging up the remarkable hospitality of a couple in Ouray, CO. In case I needed any more proof how important people were to an interesting travel lifestyle, I certainly got it.
There is a real advantage to a migrational loop that is approximately the same every year: it seems necessary to help friendships get beyond the 'two ships passing in the night' syndrome that some people prefer.
Short-term acquaintances seem uninteresting and frivolous to me. There is the tediousness and predictability of playing 20 Questions with them; the struggle to charm each other's socks off; adding another scalp to your belt, for whatever that is worth; and then you never see them again.
Then on to Gunnison CO to meet up with a friend from Patagonia AZ, and her friend. It was a real pleasure to talk around a campfire with other people. I gave up campfires years ago, partly because of the labor and fire safety, but mainly because you need a little tribe of people around the campfire to make it fun.
The dogs were part of that little tribe around the campfire. Back in Ouray I would take my dog to their dog park, right on the Uncompahgre river. Both she and I were starting to feel like the other customers there were a little tribe.
Once I asked the silly question, 'How would dogs act if they were hypnotized?' Another man played with the idea the same way two dogs might tussle over a ball or frisbee. Actually I felt a little embarrassed at such a whimsical question. Apparently it was getting on to the heat of mid-day and my brain was getting sleepy and dreamy.
Later, we started walking home. But before climbing the steep hill back to the campsite, we hit downtown and ate a little. Now I was really sleepy.
I stretched out on a long bench, partly in the shade, and sagged into a siesta. I was aware of heat radiating from a nearby, south-facing, brick wall. But the air and shade were cool at the same time. Noisy traffic was 20 feet away, on a busy federal highway. I was vaguely aware of it, but simply didn't care. It seemed so strange that I had never done this before.
After reviving we started the steep climb home. The sun hit full force. I wanted to stay back on that comfortable and cool bench, and mentally I did. How could I sleepwalk up a hill like that?!
I was aware of danger in crossing the busy federal highway twice, so, with effort, I stayed conscious enough to do that. But the exercise seemed to have no stimulating effect until the very end of the climb.
Don't ask me what any of this means. It was the first time it had ever happened, therefore I am writing about it. Relaxation is a wonderful thing; we probably can't ever get too good at it.
There is a real advantage to a migrational loop that is approximately the same every year: it seems necessary to help friendships get beyond the 'two ships passing in the night' syndrome that some people prefer.
Short-term acquaintances seem uninteresting and frivolous to me. There is the tediousness and predictability of playing 20 Questions with them; the struggle to charm each other's socks off; adding another scalp to your belt, for whatever that is worth; and then you never see them again.
Then on to Gunnison CO to meet up with a friend from Patagonia AZ, and her friend. It was a real pleasure to talk around a campfire with other people. I gave up campfires years ago, partly because of the labor and fire safety, but mainly because you need a little tribe of people around the campfire to make it fun.
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| How on earth did my new camera focus/range-find through a glass and screen window? The cargo trailer now has a kitchen window, and yet the two women who have gotten a tour did not seem overly impressed. |
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| My Barmah Australian breezer hat is sacrificed to the tribal god, a jealous god who only allows the pious to wear Henschel hats. Besides, a Barmah gets hotter than the dashboard of a car. |
The dogs were part of that little tribe around the campfire. Back in Ouray I would take my dog to their dog park, right on the Uncompahgre river. Both she and I were starting to feel like the other customers there were a little tribe.
Once I asked the silly question, 'How would dogs act if they were hypnotized?' Another man played with the idea the same way two dogs might tussle over a ball or frisbee. Actually I felt a little embarrassed at such a whimsical question. Apparently it was getting on to the heat of mid-day and my brain was getting sleepy and dreamy.
Later, we started walking home. But before climbing the steep hill back to the campsite, we hit downtown and ate a little. Now I was really sleepy.
I stretched out on a long bench, partly in the shade, and sagged into a siesta. I was aware of heat radiating from a nearby, south-facing, brick wall. But the air and shade were cool at the same time. Noisy traffic was 20 feet away, on a busy federal highway. I was vaguely aware of it, but simply didn't care. It seemed so strange that I had never done this before.
After reviving we started the steep climb home. The sun hit full force. I wanted to stay back on that comfortable and cool bench, and mentally I did. How could I sleepwalk up a hill like that?!
I was aware of danger in crossing the busy federal highway twice, so, with effort, I stayed conscious enough to do that. But the exercise seemed to have no stimulating effect until the very end of the climb.
Don't ask me what any of this means. It was the first time it had ever happened, therefore I am writing about it. Relaxation is a wonderful thing; we probably can't ever get too good at it.
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| Has nothing to do with the theme of this post except that I am still feeling whimsical. By the way, I always thought a box van like this was an excellent idea for a custom RV, except for the difficulty of finding one with low mileage. |
Comments
Sounds like more than relaxation......sounds more like happiness.
Not exactly the same thing, but when I was working there were many days I had no recollection of the drive home at night. It scared me sometimes.
Gayle
Actually my cargo trailer has some comforts that the most expensive RVs do NOT have, but women don't notice them. They define "creature comforts" too narrowly: to them it just means cyootsie-wootsie color combinations and patterns.
For instance, how high is the kitchen counter top in a $600,000 Prevost bus? I'll bet it's a good 4" too low for a man of 6 foot height. I've gotten a twinge in back several times in my first trailer when working at a kitchen counter of this standard height, and I have no history of back problems, nor am I especially tall (just under 6 foot).
So my "spartan" cargo trailer was built with a kitchen counter height of 39 INCHES! For the first time since becoming a full-sized adult male I can chop veggies without bending over and getting a sore back!
Whew. You and BrokeBoater suckered me into a rant. (grin)
I also don't remember you complaining about creature comforts while you sat on the couch in our rig, eating pizza warmed up in a microwave oven, watching the Broncos on MNF on the 42" LED TV, and enjoying a cold beverage from the fridge. All done while boondocking on BLM land outside of Zion. (grin again)
Sorry, I just can't resist the opportunity to poke you.
Television is not a creature comfort, nor is a microwave. Most couches are anti-comfort, since they are slouchy and overstuffed and have no lumbar support. That was my point: most of the so-called creature comforts are not really comfortable; they are simply conventional, bourgeois, and suburban.
A phenomena that happens everywhere with those who only wish to win, to come out on top, to soothe themselves of any responsibility, who see themselves as fairly perfect creatures who are victimized by lesser beings.
This is the political game as well (Case in point: Iraq) and is no different than the games that occur in all too many relationships. Gender is not the cause.