Poof!
Just like that, nearly seven weeks have evaporated into thin air. As our time here in this beautiful place is quickly coming to a close I’m trying to extract every bit of enjoyment I can from the last couple of weeks.
I’ve learned from our stint of extensive travel (2017-2019) that on every trip, somewhere just beyond the halfway point you realize no matter how long your trip is it never quite feels long enough. That’s certainly been the case here.
Since Amstel is getting older and his stamina isn’t what it once was, we got our beagle boy a carrier so he can go on longer hikes with us. This is a real workout for me carrying an extra twenty-seven pounds on my back. He instantly took to it as you can tell from his chill demeanor. His bar of expectations has been raised once again.
This dog carrier should be fun back home too. I’m going to see how Amstel will tolerate short bike rides. I guess time will tell. Maybe I'll get him a little pair of goggles for those fast rides on the VanMoof. What a sight that would be.
Sedona is truly a place like no other. Where else do wild javelina pigs forage at sunset? We spotted this herd of eight in my sister-in-law’s back yard. As I was snapping this picture my wife reminded me that it wasn't a good idea to stare at them too long. I guess they see that as an act of aggression and the entire pack will charge at you. Thankfully I got that warning before it actually played out. I don't know how fast they can run but don't want to find out the hard way.
Coming from the Upper Midwest where spring may not rear its head until May it’s been amazing to get an early glimpse of it. Lilacs and flowering crabapple trees are a common sight in Minnesota but we were surprised to see them blooming here in the yard of our Airbnb.
Absolutely everything is in full bloom here now and the fragrance in the air is almost unbelievable. This is definitely the best time of year to be here.
Apparently yesterday was my lucky day. I found a piece of raw turquoise in the gravel by the side of the road during a walk around our neighborhood. It's customary to see small veins of in larger rock formations around the hiking trails but this is the first time I’ve seen a piece all by itself. I may have it set into a pendant for a necklace at some point. For now, it’ll be my good luck charm.
Our Last Few Weeks
My brother and his family will be down in about ten days to join us and then we will hit the road for home the very day they leave. We had initially come down here to Arizona to scout out a few acres of land to eventually build on. After some research we realized we are either way too late or, possibly, very early to the party. Just have a look at these prices.
Due to the booming real estate market all across the country there’s a massive land grab going on that makes it very difficult to find anything reasonably priced. It’s the same story for single family homes. Historically the real estate market is cyclical though (not always true with land prices) so we’ve decided to wait it out. Once the market cools down we'll resume our search for a winter home here.
I’m not quite ready to give up on our Sedona dream just yet. As I relayed in my previous post dreams sometimes take years to manifest. This will be worth the wait.
Enjoy the rest of your week everyone! I’ll be posting more in our last few weeks here in the desert.
Eric
--
(Photos are original.)
Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.