David, I began writing this a couple years ago. I think it was for you. lee was gone. I try not to look back/ to live in the past. Was just trying to sort out some of the journey,... & be thankful for all. Somehow I'd like for the kids to know this some day. I'm still not sure how if they know or want accept Uncle Bill, or wierd Uncle Hargus. I just want them to have a good journey; Like yours, ups, downs, full of life. I've seen too many people damaged that carry darkness in their heart & soul and are miserable. I've avoided those people in my life. It's addition via subtraction. I add to my life by subtracting/ eliminating dark thinking people out of my life. it works.
I worry some about you in the rat race. NO, don't up and quit on an irk. I'd like you to find a less stressful life, more enjoyable. More rewarding for you & Jackie. The kids will be gone.... in 10 years! you've still got college, boyfriends/ girlfriends, families, grandkids ect... Your days to retire will come & they will be good. ?Do I have any advice for you? I thin i should be taking advice from you. You've done it right; i stumbled through my own mistakes. We'll talk. I can still fill in parts of this letter,... the states out west... in time.
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Coming in off this last/ recent, hopefully not the last, journey of this lifetime odyssey... of this walk of a brief time between the eternities take a few minutes and begin to reflect and realize the enormity of this last hump.
The Camino de Santiago was a good journey for sure. It was a good path.
It's July; this Covid-19 Virus has changed life so much in such a short time. After 3 months of shelter in place everybody is going stir crazy. There are still 20+ million people out of work; the economic dominoes are still to fall- hard! 50+k new CV cases today. It's going to get ugly. Maybe not soup kitchens but there will be a lot of evictions, foreclosures, and repossessions coming.
But looking on ahead... Reflecting on today is the main premise; where have I come from; What paths got me to this point? ?Where do we go from here? ?What's next?
And the main question now ; ?What is up ahead? where is this journey/ odyssey going to up ahead?
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Of the original cards dealt for this lifetime at a young age in 1950's ALAbama they were not a very good hand to start with. I was the 3rd -Lost- child, sisters 5 &6 years older, parents were already done raising kids by then, so I was pretty much on my own at age 7. & you know why I'm in such great health now at 73: it's because I didn't smoke or drink 'til i was 9. But over time drew some better cards for the long haul of the journey... of experience from the school of hard knocks, by being alone from a young age on this journey operating without a safety net, learned to be self sufficient- depend on no one else- played the hand as best as it could be with no regrets.
The pictures on this blog show moments of triumph and that's mostly what this journey was about. The perseverance, Hold Fast, don't give up and continue to march... THAT made ALL the difference. From an early age, too many times this journey was hoping to draw a good hole card that never came.
This journey was defined by mistakes, loss, or from things that never developed while struggling to survive... it became a standard of this journey to continue to march in spite of the odds that were defined by uphill climb. This journey was defined by overcoming the odds, overcoming the mistakes,... perseverance, tenacity... acknowledging the triumph because I know the struggle it took from starting at the bottom with no money/ no wealth, no position, no privilege, no advantage, with absolutely no help.
Struggle was constant from an early age, but it also taught me what was precious to behold, and worth while as truth. Near the end of this journey the triumphs are especially rewarding when I remember where I started from; Thank you Lord for ALL of these abundant blessings! I know the hard times; that is why I enjoy the good places so much. You learn lessons at rock bottom that are entirely different than at the mountain tops.
A friend asked me about the pictures of the raised hands. No it's not religious, not even spiritual. It's because it's the achievement of the day, usually in a place that was not planned... that I made it here to enjoy this day; most places were not planned and were a special reward to see these places on the road less traveled. ... I made it here against ALL the odds! AAnd... Lord, now I know what you wanted me to see! experience!
The expression of conquest,... of the moment of daily triumph came mostly from the journey of what it took to get here. The days turned out great because there were so many days from starting near the bottom. Alone from an early age with NO safety net,... the hard days,... I've laid asphalt roads in ALabama in August, striped and nailed roofing shingles on hot roofs in July, road construction at age 15 from a rented cheap apartment/ room, Shipyard working Mobile, ALa at age 17 from a rented room in Miss Bells boarding house on Telegraph road in Prichard, ALa, July days in the shipyard when the Cajuns said it was too hot and clocked out, walking guard in the snow on Thanksgiving day in The Marines, ... on the days near the bottom, alone, continuing to march through the difficult days ... no safety net; just me against the world... That's why I appreciate and am thankful for the good days. The odds were against me from an early age; to make it to a wonderful place in the world on a day and see places I never dreamed so unique,... that's my way of saying Thank You Lord for all these abundant blessing to see this; and to acknowledge a promise that I did not waste this time of life. It's just my way of saying thank you.
On this journey through a lifetime, adding up the periods of being out in the elements/ out under the stars for some 4+ years,... basically homeless... you don't really understand a life journey until you are homeless- and i don
t mean the street people, that is an entirely different category with no good answer to solve. What i meant was think of us when we wandered through the West- before covid- that was easy and fun. Coming back off the line each time was a period to reflect back and be thankful for the abundant blessing of having a home. Too many times talking with people on the road that did not have any safety net, you understand what is important, and what is not.
Talked with men that wanted to work; and there was no work to be had. Men that just wanted a chance to work and earn some of the basics of the American dream. The many times offering a few bucks to get them down the road... you couldn't save them. Jesus is in the saving business. All you could do was to offer a pittance to relieve their misery for the moment and see them off down the road for today. Some would say I'm a sucker to give homeless folks a few dollars. These few dollars were given to anonymous people; they were my Sons, your Sons,... my Nephews, your Nephews, my Cousins/ your Cousins. ALL these children/ people are ALL of our responsibility.
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Of this odyssey what were some significant journeys...
Of the paths walked...
Early on my own with a lawnmower and clorox jug of gas began hustling for a buck. Some Saturdays in the early 60's I'd have $6 bucks for that days work of mowing 4 yards. Then doing "man"s work at age 15 during summers from high school... road construction with Moss-Thornton at age 15[Lied about my age and told them I was 16]; responsible for a million dollars worth of earth moving equipment- bulldozers D-8, D-7, Euclid 14 pan scrapers, rock wagons, road scrapers, ect... $2.55/hr was $100 a week in 1966, very good. Back home after school work in a service station... one year after school working in a meat packing plant- Lumberjack meats... welcome to "The Jungle".
With no direction I was on my own early and stumbled through many mistakes. The Lord must have been looking after me for sure for what I came through and am still kicking.
Shipyard work in Mobile ALa with the Cajuns... age 17 in the honky tonks of Summer in Prichard ALa/ Mobile. Grew up fast that summer in the honky tonks on Telegraph rd... Cotrell's, The Rocket Club... Saw several bar room fights, stabbings, and a couple of shootings. I still cannot fathom the depths of stupid redneck mentality of fighting over nothing. Set my mind right then to go to college and climb out of this abysmal redneck world.
Shipyard work in Mobile with the Cajuns taught me to live in the moment... friends come 1st!
A hitch in the Marines; I'm about the last Marine out of The Viet Nam era. That was a Hell ride for sure. That hitch in the Marines at the end of the Viet Nam era instilled a discipline that honed the sharpness of what is important... and what was NOT [important]. Leadership to guide which path ahead was best. Luxury was not even considered, only necessity.
Parris Island, LeJeune, Courthouse Bay, Geiger, Jacksonville, The 2nd front, Onslow Beach, Fayetteville- Fayette-Nam-, Wilmington, Swansboro, Atlantic City, Morehead City, Cedar Island, New Bern, Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, Kitty Hawk, Nags head, Hatteras, Rockingham, Lumberton, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Columbia, Augusta, Atlanta,... from "swoop circle" at LeJeune hit the road on weekends.
Out USMC in '73 I'm about the last Marine out of the Viet Nam Era and got see the last of the "Old Corps": I got to serve with the last of the old breed. When we got out and came home they didn't throw any parades for us; we were treated as if we had got out of prison. After the Marines you don't look at the world the same. Once you've run with The Marines you're changed forever.
Going to college on the GI bill at UofALabama earned every penny of college and owed no one when finished. Literally dug ditches in Summer with McBrier underground utility work installing water pipeline systems in small rural Alabama towns] to get through college... and on the weekends 8pm 'til 5am loaded freight trucks at Bowman transportation/ trucking 8$/hr to save $$ for next semester. During college lived in Costa Rica Summer 1977... Cartago, San Jose, Quepose, Limon, Cahuita, Orosi, Puntarenas, Playa del Cocco, Playa del Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Irazu, Poas... Orleans. In 1977 Costa Rica was paradise. Also got to see 3rd world poverty. & banaanna republic; You either owned the plantation, or worked on it; NO middle class.
After college at Tuscaloosa, AL... other than ALa and The Bear... TCL was a dismal place; hot/ humid Summers and not the modern sports mecca of today. It was the last of the old University; literally- Old School[Oak chairs and tables with a chalkboard]. & I wasn;t Greek. Been around too many frat boys that thought they were so cool,... & many cheated their way through; I earned mine. That led me to Florida in the 80's; The grass was greener for a decade. A decade in Orlando hustled flipping houses in the '80s and saved up, raised a family. Then a big mistake; Miami [that was NOT my idea] is not the place for a Southern boy. Mistake was following Sue for her bank job.
The Bahamas in the mid 80's.. Flew a cessna for several years and loved flight. Boutht a half share of a 172. Thank you Grampa for teaching how to be a seat of the pants pilot. It was real flying. Grampa taught me how to land on the Gulf of Mexico beach sand, and do a slip on final,... they don't teach that at a flying school. Let me clue you in on something, a 12 year old kid taking off his Grampa Woods Cessna 182 at Birmingham Alabama on runway 24 is life changing. I still love airplanes & flight.
The Rat Race... five years['78 to 82+] of shining the corporate shoes on Wall Street was enough. These are the worlds best salesmen; could sell air conditioners to eskimos. Selling you that "it's an investment". A cubicle is a carpet lined coffin to kill your soul; one day gave my 15 minute notice and got up and walked out the door... a good decision/ choice. Flipping houses was much better for me.
Back to The South in the 90's; after a decade in Florida had to bug out. The melting pot population and culture was not fit for human habitation... not for a Southern boy.
There is not enough room or time to list all, but a few of the most notable off the beaten path towns/ villages/ hamlets traveled through... Skir Due, Skibberdeen, Marleybone, Cheticamp, Paradela, Muleshoe, Dawson, Souris, Cow Head, Kilchrohane, Murrisk, Chinle, Moki Dugway, Hanksville, Murdo, Ponferrada, O Cebreiro, Aruza, Cartago, Limon, Cahuita, Irazu, Boruca, Punta Arenas, Tamarindo, Cabra Dia, ABQ, Madrid NM/ Spain, Taos, Los Alamos, Jimez, Tec Nos Pos, Kyenta, Walden, Gould, Centennial, Silverton, Kenton, Trinidad, Ludlow, Creede, Frisco, Silverthorne, Downieville, Alamo, Yreka, JH Ranch, Medford, Crater Lake, Whistler, Grants Pass, Willits, Prichard, Chickasaw, Plateau, Creola, Saraland, Pinto Island, Pascagoula, Bayou la Batre, Gulf Shores, Ft Morgan, Orange Beach, Innerarity Point, Shalimar, Pensacola, Ft Pickens, Sopchoppy, Suwannee, Sanford, Kissimmee, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne/ Patrick AFB, Rock Springs, Blue Springs, Sebastian, Port St Lucie, Savannah, Parris Island, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Marsh Harbor, Cherokee Sound, Freeport, Hollywood, Dania, Hallandale, Miami, Coral Gables, Marathon, Key West, Alamosa, London, Russell Square, Grenwich, Genoa, Lucca, Arrezo, Siena, Cortona, Venice, Bologna, La Verna, Mexicali, Parris Island, Camp LeJeune, New River, The 2nd Front, Courthouse Bay, Sneads Ferry, Swansoro, Burgaw, Verona, Wilmington, Lumberton, Charlotte, Fayettevile- Fayette-Nam, Pendelton, El Centro, Jacumba, Mexicali MX, Needles, Bakersfield, Evanston, Paris, Jackson Hole, Gardiner, Cody, Atlantic City, South Pass City, Lander, Riverton, Shoshoni, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep, Sheridan, Greybull, Lovel, Big Timber, Livingston, Butte, Helena, St Mary's, Kallispell, Polebridge, Marion MT/AL, Libby, Lewiston, Asotin, Umatilla, Biggs, St Marys, Madrass, Bend, Weed, Castle Rock, Grants Pass, Eureka, Willits, Yreka, Eukia, Vancouver, Richmond, Chiliwhack, Hope, Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff, Tete jaune Catch, Merritt, Steveston, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, The Dalles, Biggs Junction, Maryhill, Umatilla, Weed, Madras, Tuscaloosa, Rosedale- B&G, Holt, Buhl, Coker, Eutaw, Livingston, York, Catopa, Enterprise, Daleville, Ozark, Ft Rucker -Lowe, Hanchey, Cairns field-, Brandon, McComb, Natchez, Port Gibson, Vicksburg, Clarksdale, Tunica, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Carrolton, Shreveport, Helena, MArvel, Hot Springs, Eufala, Bristow, Stroud, Chandler, Bartlesville, Ponca City, Kaw City, Sayre, Elk City, Woodward, Guymon, Kenton, Folsom, Raton, Bloomfield, Farmington, Shiprock, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Tucumcari, Capulin, Clayton, Cuchara, La Veta, Alamosa, South Fork, Pagosa Springs, Navajo Lake, Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Gunnison- Black Canyon, Fruita, Grand Junction, Glennwood Springs, State Bridge, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Loveland, Boulder, Nederland, Ft Collins,State Bridge, Eagle, Kremmling, Gould, Walden, Rangely, Woods Landing, Laramie, Snowey Range, Saratoga, Rawlins, Fargo, Devils Lake, Rugby, - MAnitoba, CA Brandon, Saskatoon, Grand Prairie, Jasper, Banff, BC- British Columbia- Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Ft Nelson, Toad River, Liard Hot Springs, Teslin, -THE Yukon Territory- Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Dawson City, - Top of the World Hwy-, Alaska- Chicken, Tok, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Nenana, Denali, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Ankorage, Big Arm, Portage, Williwaw, Whittier, Moose Pass, Seward, Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Anchor Point, Homer, Valdez, Snag Junction, Destruction Bay, Haines, Skagway, White Pass- Yukon, Frasier, Carcross, back down to Kamloops, Lovel, Trinidad, ABQ for a balloon ride, then east back to Ala. Life on the road is something else. One time they asked my address and I gave the tag#... it was ok. Add Milan, Genoa, Lucca italy, florence, Arezzo, Siena, Madrid, Astorga, Ponferrada, Sarria, portomarin, Palas de Rei, Melide, Aruza, Levocolla, Santiago, Fisterra/ Finistere, Muxia, Combria, Porto, Lavra, Vio de conde, Povoa de Varzim, Espoende, Viana do Castelo, Ancora, Baiona, Oia, Vigo , Redondella, Pontevedra, Caldas de Rei, Padron, Santiago, Cortuna, Porto, Rabat, Tangiers, Fes, Erfoud, Marrakesh, Agadir, Essouria, Cassablanca... Amtrak Zephier CHI to SaCramento & drive up CA coast to SEATAC, Amtrak #7 Empire Builder CHI to SEA... St Magherite, Ligur, Italy, Genoa, Toulouse, Fr, Arles FR, Lyon FR, Paris, Dublin, Cork, Mizen head, Killarny, Bantry, Kilkee, Connemarrah, Murrisk, Croagh Patrick, Reykyavick, Keflavick, Kaallifel, Arnarstapi, Porto, Cambria, Matoshinos, Lavra, Villa de Conde, Pavoa de Varzim, Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Vila praiaa de costelo, Caminha, Baiona, Oia, Vigo, Redondela, Pontravedra, Caldas de Reis, Padron, Santiago de Compostella- 2nd time,
RT- Road Trips The 90's into the 2000's
Blue Ridge Pkwy, A Great American Scenic Byway.
Hiking The Appalachian Trail... well... 75 miles of it, Unicoi, Helen, Blood Mountain, Franklin.
Rt's in ALa, GA, MS, FL, NC, SC, TN... The South... is a great place!
RVing ITW- Into The West...
4 Corners.... Into The West, 4 Corners of USA. The US 4 corners... been to Key West, Lubec, Maine, San Diego, and Seattle/ Vancouver; that's the 4 corners of the USA 48. Then there's Alaska. ... Then the North American continent add Cow Head, Newfoundland, and Anchor Point, Alaska -western most hwy of Alaska. East to West of North America; We have a great country!
NM...
AZ...
Utah...
NM... ABQ, Santa Fe, Hwy 14 through Madrid NM- "Wild Hogs!", Taos, Gorge Bridge, Los Alamos, The Valle's Caldera, Jimez, Farmington, Aztec ruins, Shiprock...
NYC too many times to Laguardia/ JFK what a hassel, 30 Rock, the skating rink at Christmas, Radio City Music hall- The Rockettes, Staten Island ferry, the subway, The Bronx, Fordham
AZ... Teec Nos Pos, Kayenta, Monument Valley, Chinle, up through Moki Dugway[phenomenal] into Utah... Ahhhh ... Gods country.
Utah... Mexican Hat, Moki Dugway, Fry Canyon, Hite, Hanksville, Hwy 24 to Torrey, Hwy 12, The Devils Backbone, Capitol Reef NP, Bryce Canyon, Hwy 89south to Kanab, Lee's Ferry, Navajo Bridge...
Back into AZ... Cameron, Hwy 64 to The Grand Canyon- West end, The Watchtower, South rim, Williams, Route 66 west- what's left of it, Seligman, Kingman, Boulder Dam, Boulder City, Las Vegas...
1965 to see the last of the original Route 66 from Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Gallup, Winslow, Flagstaff, Kingman, Needles, Barstow, to Bakersfield. ... then up to Alamo/ Walnut Creek.
The West:
Yellowstone...
Glacier NP...
Canada...
New Brunswick...
Nova Scotia...
PEI- Prince Edward Island...
Newfoundland... North Sydney, Nova Scotia [Dad was at North Sydney], one of the WWII Marines on convoys to Iceland] to Port Au Basque, Stephenville, Corner Brook, Rocky Harbor, Norris Point, Trout River, Cow Head.
And one of the phenomenal RT- Road Trips of all time,... to Alaska! Up the Mississippi river, west at Hannibal, MO to St Joesph, north to Sioux City, Fargo west to Rugby, ND, north up into Manitoba, Canada... heading out west onto the Canadian plains,... it was "ON" from there.
Alberta... on up into Grand Prairie... the oil / fracking boom, headed north to Alaska,
British Columbia... Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Fort Nelson, Muncho Lake, Liard Hot Springs, Teslin, Whitehorse The Yukon Territory, Dawson, pronounced Daaaawwwson- The City- not those motherscratchers at Dawson Creek that never went further north, The Top of The World Hwy, to Chicken, and Tok, ALaska. ... Delta Junction, North Pole, Fairbanks, Hwy3 down to Nenana, Denali, Eilson center, Talkeetna, Willow, Ankorage, Wasilla, Portage, Whittier, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Soldatna, Anchor point- western most Hwy in USA, Homer- out on the spit-, Chugach, on out to Glenallen, then hwy 4 down to Copper Center, to Valdez... ah Valdez... fishing for salmon on Prince William Sound, The Lulu Bell down through Prince William Sound to the Columbia glacier... glacier calving; magnificent. Back out through Haines... I didn't think you could get tired of eating salmon... but you can. Skagway,... Dyea camp- [THE trailhead of the famous Chilkoot Pass trail], the iconic trail of the gold miners climbing up the pass holding onto the pack in front of them to the gold fields to strike it rich; Jack London wrote his famous "cold" story here] The White Pass... the most beautiful sight... EVER! back to Whitehorse, Miles Canyon, on down back to the USA... what a journey!
Brother-in-law, Gun Cellar Tom, more like an Uncle, sometimes a surrogate Dad drove to Alaska in 1965. I thought a lot about Tom on the Alaska journey; he was an inspiration that he did that when AK was still pristine. Experiencing the rough roads and "heaves"/ dips from permafrost I understood why when he returned from AK he sold his '65 Impala convertible. AK will ruin a chassis. and he never spoke to his hunting buddy after returning. I understand why after a RT to AK.
The Yukon... You think you have seen wilderness? Sit down and I'll tell you about wilderness. You have no idea of wilderness 'til you've seen THE Yukon Territory. Whitehorse, Yukon... I met and talked with the real "Indiana Jones" for a half hour at Teslin. ... very kindred spirits... He is real!... he lives in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Alaska.... It IS the last frontier! Had I gone to Alaska with Dad in the late '60's to work on the pipeline... I would have never come back. Chicken, Tok, Fairbanks, Neenana on Hwy 3 heading down to Denali. My god what a sight... Denali... out to Eielson center, to the end.
Whittier, Portage, Williwaw, Homer, Chugach, Big Arm, A hot shower at the "Y" in Anchorage,...
Crossing over on the "Top of the World" hwy 9, dirt road from Dawson, That;s Dawson CITY - not those motherscrathers of Dawson Creek sissies that stopped and never went further north, pronounced as Daaaawwwson, to Chicken, Alaska, then onto TOK, Alaska. then up hwy 2 to Big Delta/ Delta Junction, to Fairbanks. Then on hwy3 down to Nenana, to Denali. Road out to Denali, jump off point to Eilson Center. The Denali view.
down onto the Kenai peninsula, to Soldatna,
then Homer.. out on the spit.
Then down to Talkeetna- what a disappointment, down to willow- another disappointment, past Anchorage, down to Big Arm, Portage, Williwaw camp below the glacier, Moose Point, Whittier,... catching our 1st salmon and had to brake off 'cause T-bird got a hook in her hand, and drive back to the Doc at Portage to get her hand treated.
Then back up to Glennallen and down the Hwy 4 past Copper Center and the glaciers of Wrangell- St Elias Nat Pk to Valdez.
Ahhh Valdez... What a wonderful place. I didn't thin you could get tired of eating salmon, but you can. There's not much better than getting a 10lb salmon on the line. Hargus 14, salmon 0. T-Bird 18, Salmon 0.
Boarded the LuluBelle through Prince William Sound- where the Exxon Valdez spilled crude oil... down to the Columbia Glacier; a phenomenal day to see glaciers calving. Then driving back out of Alaska was just as phenomenal as driving to.
Colorado...
Wyoming...
A few places have wandered out into the night to view the stars... oh my god... the stars... wonderful! Finding the big dipper and locating the North Star... have wondered about the Vikings following the stars, turning South to the UK, to mainland Europe,.. to pillage and plunder,... navigation by the stars... the same stars we view now...
Montana... The Beartooth Hwy... the highest USA hwy... after driving the Chief Joseph hwy from Cody WY... to Red Lodge MT.
Down through The Yukon again, British Columbia, to the Montana border; Back in the USA!!! Smoke from forest fires dogged us 'til we got back to Lovell Wyoming' bighorn canyon.
Italy 1...2016 Venice, Bologna, Florence- Michalangelo plaza- , The Doma, Ponteveccio Bridge, Rome. Ahhh,... Roma! The center of the universe... of Western Civilization for the last 2,000 years.
The Vatican, THE center of world power, Basilica de Santa Maria Maggiore, St Pauls outside the wall, Castel St Angelo, The Spanish Steps, The Sistine Chapel, The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain,
Italy 2...2018 Driving through Tuscana/ Tuscany. Milan, Genoa, across the Mondavi bridge that collapsed 6 months later, Lucca, Arrezo,
Pisa, the tower really does lean,
Livorno, the fish market near the docks, A "wet" market...
Arezzo, Cathedrals, the train station- train back to florence & Milan,
La Verna- St Francis' retreat, the "stigmatta",
Siena, Siena square, Cathedrals,
Cortona, The fortress, hiked uphill to see the plaza...
back through Florence, train to Milan.
What a road trip!
Then onto ....
Ireland...2019 BHM to DUB- Dublin, Cork, Skibberdeen, Mizen Head, Kilochrohane, Bantry, Kenmare, Molls gap, Kilarney, Talbert, Kilkee/ Kilkee cliffs, Doolin/ Cliffs of Moher, Ballyaughnan, Galway, Connemarah, Leenaun, Louisburg, Murrisk and climbing Croagh Patrick, Westport, Sligo, back to DUB/ Dublin.
then onto
Spain 2019, The Camino de Santiago... Where do I begin? ... ATL to MAD- Madrid, Ponferrada, Cacabellos, Vilafranca, Ambasmestas, Ruitelan, O' Cebreiro, Tricastella, Samos, Sarria, Paradella, Portomarin, Vents de Naron, Palas de Rei, Melide, Aruzza, Lavocolla, Santiago, Finnesterre-- To The End of The World!, and Muxia, MAD back to ATL/ BHM
You don't really understand/ appreciate life until you've backpacked, basically homeless, carrying everything you own on your back and not knowing where you will lay your head to sleep until 6 or 7 in the evening.
Chicago- Amtrak #5 California Zypher CHI to SACramento; CHI, Burlington, Denver, Grand Junction, Reno, Truckee, Donner Pass, SAC, Vallejo, Cloverdale, Fort Bragg CA, Glass Beach, Westport, Rockport, Arcata, Trinidad CA, Smith River, Brookings OR, Gold Beach, Reedsport, Florence, Newport, Depoe Bay, Tillamook, Astoria, South Bend WA, Aberdeen, Moclips, Quinault, Forks, Callam Bay, Joyce, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, Tacomma, SEATAC,
onto Iceland: Keflavek, Reykjavik, The Blue Lagoon, Ice lagoon, Snafellsnes Peninsula, Church Mountain, Arnarstapi,
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In a lifetime of Odyssey...
Thank you for all these abundant blessings!
I did not waste this time of life.
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?What do I still hold out hope for? What is there to still want to see/ experience. ?what is next on the path?...
?what are my expectations? There are NO expectations; I don't know where the rest of the path will go but there is some anticipation that there will be one more time:...
one more time to see, view, experience, to appreciate...
To view the dark black western sky with the stars so vivid, bright, and clear... so breathtaking that you think you can reach up and touch a star... they seem that close. To see another shooting star in the western sky... to see The Persieds shooting stars at Independence Pass- on the Continental Divide at 14,000+'
I've seen hundreds of shooting stars in the black western sky. ALL were wonderful. Most notably, at a campsite near Independence Pass Colorado, on the Continental Divide, elevation 14,000+'... a shooting star across the sky that lasted less than a second; I could describe it,... but it would take me a couple hours.
To sip steaming hot black coffee while watching a beautiful western sunrise at Saratoga lake in Wyoming and be thankful for the day.
to see another western sunset, preferably on a mesa plateau edge, an isolated, pristine quiet place - with NO people around complaining that there aren't any hot dog stands, or funnel cakes, or rides -- to walk quiet a few minutes watching the sky fade to the pinks, being thankful for another good day that was not wasted.
for another radio com from the tower,.. cleared for takeoff... reply rolling for takeoff roll.. just like Grampa taught me to fly his 182 when I was 12. The best hope would be to again fly left seat PIC- Pilot In Command- Those days are gone. Inner ear injury from Marine Corps acoustic trauma from percussion blasts that now cause some occasional vertigo. But that doesn't mean I lost my love of airplanes and flying. Even now I still love being in flight on the big commercial planes, the MD-88s and Boeing 777s, and in my heart and mind make every V1 rotate... every V-2 liftoff, flight, then approach, turn base and long final, cleared to land... I still am flying that plane. ...One more Cleared to land on final approach. Coming in on final, 30* flaps down, wind jostling you around some, down to 50 feet, flare out & touchdown. Yeah... i loved it.
to make one more hump/ hike... comparable to the past hikes... down into Canyon de Chelley at Chinle, AZ-- and talk with the Navajo men- Erik- men who were from the same bloodline as Manuelito. to hike to the headwaters of the Rio Grande river in Rocky Mtn Nat Pk.
To hike/ climb Croagh Patrik in Ireland; The Mountain Saint Patrick climbed, meditated for 40 days, then came down and drove the snakes- the pagans- out of Ireland and made Ireland a christian nation forever. To be on the summit when the fog lifts for a few precious minutes to see Clew Bay.
another hike/ hump like The Camino de Santiago, backpacking across Europe/ the iberian peninsula- carrying everything you own, that is important for life, on your back, basically homeless,.. on a pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain. Then going on to Finnesterre, The literal End of The World ... for thousands of years - when the thinking that the world was flat- the westernmost point of Europe was on the iberian peninsula; Finnesterre,... and Muxia. In my travels I have been to the 4 corners of the Earth. My earth, my world... mostly North America but a few significant places in Europe and Latin America.
When it comes to studying Western Civ You can keep your Austrian Hapsburgs, The Ottoman empire- Constantinople/ Istanbul, The Fertile Crescent, The Roman Empire - Augustus, Christianity, Democracy, Law, The Crusades, Alaxander The Great, Florence - The Medici's coming out of the Dark ages into the Middle ages and The Renaissance, Michelangelo, Music and Literature, Copernicus, Magellan, Genoa- Columbus, Magellan, Dutch traders, Greece... Athens, The Greek city states, the Hellenistic world and the Byzantine empire, The Norse/ The Vikings, The Goths, Napoleon, The Huns, Italy- The Franks, The Lombards, The political alliances of Lucca Italy,... Corinth, Carthage, The Phonecians, Acaba, Sumaria, Babalyon, Mecca, Medina, Armenian Christians, Russian orthodox, Ashkenazi Jewish, Druids in Brittan and Gaul, Hadrians Wall, Irish Celtic Christianity, Scottish Picts tribe, Polish Slavic and Baltic tribes,...
... All that... then you go to the iberian peninsula... Aragon, The Moors in the South- Grenada- Alhambra, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Gibraltar, Leon, Castile, Santiago, Finisterre- To The End of THE WORLD,
... You want to study Western Civ; you go to Spain!
Homer fought in war for 10 years and it then took more 10 years of Odyssey to get back home. You get started on a journey,... on a path that takes you through the wonder of the world/ time... That's what you live for. Take the path and see it; one day you'll get back home. You can rest then.
One more time back to Talladega to see the Nascar guys run. As a teenager worked for Moss-Thornton, the excavation contractor building the earthwork moving part of the construction so have a love for my home track and fortunate to have run a couple laps at 130+. Sitting in the stands can see Cheaha mtn, the highest point in ALAbama. From a young age Cheaha state pk was a familiar family outing and was the 1st wilderness experienced. Both places are still sacred to me.
One more time... To go to another dance with a really good rockin Cajun/ Zydeco band like Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, or Little Malcolm, or Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas... real House Rockers, or Zyedco Joe... To dance one more time to really good Zydeco music, dancing down close to the band where the music is blasting away loud enough to feel the vibrations of the music on your skin, to dance with a good partner that actually knows how to dance, knows the steps and knows how to follow my lead to the rhythm of the music...that knows how to dance to the rhythm of the music,... to pull a lady into a closed hold, reach around and pull her left shoulder blade to make a spin that raises her blood pressure. ... that's what you live for!
to see another concert. ...to experience and awe at the unleashed creative talent of musicians, artists, songwriters/ poets, dances... The best concert was James Brown, the year after he got out of prison. Backed up by The Soul G's - The Soul Generals, with a couple members from his original backups , The Famous Flames w/ Mazio Aldredge. And many other great artist concerts of Bob Dylan, BB King, Warren Zevon, Albert Collins, Elvis- the heavy Elvis in Tuscaloosa a year before he died, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Albert King, Willie Nelson - Emmy Lou Harris was the opening warm up, Ray Charles, The Temptations, Buddy Guy, Charles Brown singing one of my favorites "Bells will be Ringing", Al Green, Robert Cray, Chris Issak, Delbert McClinton, Junior Walker, Bonnie Rait, Los Lobos, The Beach Boys, Dwight Yoakam, The Eagles, Levon Helm, The Band, Charlie Daniels, Lee Benoit, Booker T, Rufus Thomas, Booker-T, Chuck Mangioni, Lil Malcolm, Roseanne Cash, Johnny Cash, Robert Cray, Rosie Ledet, Jambalaya, Patton James, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha's, Chris Issak, Peter Frampton, Little Richard, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys, Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Jeffery Broussard, Curley Taylor, Donna Summer, Charlie Musselwhite, Harmonica Red, Percy Sledge, Leon Russell, The Doobie Brothers, and of course... you haven't lived 'til you've been hammered in the 12th row at Lynyrd Skynyrd. /there are so many great concerts i can't name them all. What a blessing!!! Thank you for that gift! & this last year; Buddy Guy- Damn Right he's still got the Blues, Joe Bonnamaassa- Guitar!!!, Dwight Yoakam- Good concert Tuscaloosa ampitheater 18OCT24 Full Moon,
And opera, oh god don't leave out opera. Verdi's Masked Ball, La Traveata, Faust, Carmen- that huzzie- and The ONLY American opera; Porgy & Bess. concerts and symphony/ chamber music/ theater- South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Music Man, Cats- please don't make me see Cats again- Phantom of the Opera, Book of Mormon- a real disappointment, Mama Mia, many more.
And movies/ film... too many to list here but love going to the movies, Thank you Carmike Unc Tony & Aunt Nancy, w/ popcorn on a Saturday/ Sunday afternoon. I love stories, and good story tellers! I saw Ben Hur, Spartacus, The Vikings for a dime at age 9. Movies from way back in 1958 were great. Many times have stared into a campfire with the heart of a 10th century Viking.
To donate another pint of blood. My blood has the Rh factor that can be used for infants and small children; I'm over 150+ pints donated in a lifetime. ... the chance to donate again. I think of all the times desperate medical situations needed a pint of blood; glad i donated!
To walk into and take in the magnificence of some of the many European Cathedrals... from Venice, to Bologna, to Florence, to Ponferrada, to Aruza, to O'Cerbrio to Rome to Santiago, Thank you!
To put to sea again at North Sydney to Newfoundland on the North Sea, or Valdez on the Pacific.
To still see Iceland, Hike Hadrians Wall, Hike The Pennines, hike another leg of The Camino de Santiago, to do another RT- Road Trip... fly drive the Chilean Andes/ Patagonia, from Santiago to Puerto Montt to O'Higgins.
The Plan. Well, there were many plans. Most went off the tracks and were diverted; go to plan "B"... that's how most of this journey went. IAO- Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome[the obstacle]. That Marine Corps training served me well all through this journey and I made the best of changing situations.
Regrets... Yes Sir, there are many. I regret the things I said "NO" to. 1979 as a young stockbroker, could have leased a seat on the NYFE- The New York Futures Exchange, and would have been screaming in the commodity trading pits for 15+ years 'til I burned out of had a heart attack on the floor of the exchange. Same year passed on an offer to go through American Airlines Commercial Pilot training. The life journey would have been different for sure; probably more lucrative financially, but in hind sight probably not as rewarding as expected. After Viet Nam there was a glut of pilots with many very experienced pilots flying small commuter hops for $1,200/ mo. That didn't sound promising however, in 1989 with the pilots strike,... had I been qualified,... I would have crossed the picket line in Miami to fly DC-9s for Eastern.
Yeah... those are regrets but what I'm most thankful for are the things that were NOT planned, especially the RT- Road trips of the last decades. Often it was the road less traveled on the road to Emmaus.
Most of the time the plan was to the next 100 miles of the journey. The plan of the day to the next town/ destination. When talking with the local waitress/ person, I'd always ask the question; ?If your favorite Uncle came here/ through town,... ?What would you tell him to go see? Well, the places NOT in the chamber of Commerce brochure always were more interesting. The places that nobody else knew about... those places turned out to be much more interesting and rewarding. The river spot that had great trout fishing, the mountain/ mesa buttes that had GREAT sunsets... and there was nobody else there... those were the best! ALL unplanned, usually on the road/ path less traveled.
Those unplanned places/ sites turned out to be the most rewarding, the few great places of extraordinary experience... hiking down into Canyon de Chelley and talking with the Navajo men,... of the same bloodline of Manualito. The black Canyon of the Gunnison where pioneers went into and were never seen again. Historical places where Lewis and Clark camped on there way to the Columbia River, to the Pacific. The canyon that Chief Joseph escaped from the army chasing his tribe. Those, and many other places were the reward on this journey. The petroglyphs at Thermopolis went back 12,000 years to Folsom man... nobody else was there. ?WHY? Most of the time it was the road less traveled which offered the experiences, places, and sights that most did not encounter.
Sometimes I think I want to ask the Lord that I'm going to need another lifetime to see and experience all the great places and things I didn't get to on this journey,... then I come to my senses and say don't be greedy; just be thankful for this journey,... and I am. ...and thankful for the blessing of this gift of time; as promised, It was not wasted. There are no regrets of the road less traveled on this journey; there is no guilt of the magnificent phenomenal places, things, and events seen and experienced. They were ALL cherished! And i do really thank the Lord for looking out for me through a lifetime. Everybody in this life quit me, or gave up on me, or bet against me; the Lord was the only one who stuck with me through the whole journey... steering me around dark places as best as he could. My choices sometimes were not the best path- many mistakes- but the lord watched over me even though i didn't realize that til late.
To still see and visit with good friends and share their ups and downs over a strong cup of black USMC coffee.
To still be compassionate enough to help what little I can with a less fortunate soul.. and say a prayer for them.
To enjoy the days as they come and being able to find something good to look forward to. Something as simple as eating a samich at lakeside or sunset on a mesa butte... enjoying the sun and fresh air...
I still hope to take these walks... just one more day to see it...to be thankful of this time of life. Of the places seen and experienced on this walk of journey... This brief time between the eternities... on the road less traveled. My god,... i do love it so!
Thank You for these abundant blessings! It's been a good run! Whit AKA Uncle Hargus
