trees, trees, trees

i miss trees. i love the desert. and there are some trees here, but i miss those huge gangly branches above that blank out the sun...another world underneath the canopy. and the live oaks whose massive limbs sweep so low they touch the ground...and they have a certain amount of give to them that allows their stiff arms to still be swayed in the breeze...the most perfect natural swing for and afternoon snooze. these pictures are an ode to trees.

pashley me blue, darling!

"the perfect companion for those warm summer day trips or jolly jaunts to the seaside."

yes, please.

manifesto by gypsy girl's guide

stones and caves and cubbies

i have stairs going up to my tent, handmade stairs, just for me!!

one day i will be in something as glorious as these...

portugal

greece

iran

cappadocia

spain

last, but not least, bisbee!! i will make a personal field trip to this cave someday soon...it's for sale.

ecoasis

saturday i had the opportunity to work the food trailer for ecoasis organic gardens and cafe (this link goes to their facebook due to construction on their regular site). ecoasis is a grassroots project that strives to offer it's locals not only delicious, healthy foods but also education on sustainable living practices such as how to grow your own organic garden, how to eat local, where to eat local, why it's important, other things you can do to help preserve the environment and how to reuse resources like water catchment systems. serena, one of the founders and organizers of ecoasis was granted a scholarship to take a certification course on cisterns...which will be an invaluable world of knowledge and information to add to the laundry list of services ecoasis already offers.
on the menu last saturday:
- quevos mexicana
- market omelet
- beef empanada
- biscuits and gravy
- bbq tempeh sandwich
-various sides including potatos, beans, fruit salad, cookies, (my) carrot cake cupcakes, and sun teas

all ingredients were organic and/or local, including the beef, eggs and tempeh...both foods no typically enjoyed when fresh.

yum fun!

in the ravine

the walk down

luscious lilac

exotic cat claw mesquite (the makers of that special ingredient the bees down in big bend use to create divine honey)

100 year old rose bush, now just a stump, had enough life to birth a new

looking up

seeing out

GET ON MY LAND

how appropriate, since blogging about my bell tent below. bell tent UK is hosting a new project entitled Get On My Land where landowners and farmers the world around utilize their property for that "camping with soul" experience in a secluded, quiet, off the beaten path, environmentally friendly atmosphere. the perk to this opportunity is that the camper doesn't even have to bring a tent...for a rental fee the bell tent will be ready and waiting for you and your's. a superb idea for those who don't want to lug around a big bulky tent, as i have, half way across the country to their destination, and still want that simple lifestyle, even if for a weekend. a retreat esque vacation, only farm style!

erecting the bell tent

clearly, an adventure in and of itself.
building the deck: there was lots of work preceding the pallet assembling...leveling the ground, moving large rocks, carrying pallets up our walk way into the ravine....yeah, i don't get cred for all that.

you wouldn't think it would be that difficult to collect empty cardboard boxes, but it took us about a week until we found these wax coated boxes that are thrown away because they can't be recycled....perfect for the impending monsoon season.

trust me when i say instructions are necessary when you have a tent from the UK. a smart design, indeed. but not obvious unless you've done it before. plus, we were smart enough to attempt this at night.

the final view

i love the candelabra

the struggle between fire and water

sometimes i feel terrible. not as in i've fallen ill, but as in i'm a terrible person. my actions, i can reflect on and be ashamed. mostly, i attribute it to being fire...which, arguably, is a solid argument....although not a good enough excuse to pardon the actions. and further more do not justify them. and then i have to sit back and ask myself  "why did you just say that?"
and then i'll go on and on (secretly, quietly) analyzing all the reasons behind why, and never come up with a satisfiable answer.
and this goes for lots of things in my life.
this morning, as in most mornings as of late, the question came up...do i need to continue my solo journey? therein lies my struggle. it is possible that even though i am more than satisfied with the love we share, including the dreams and aspirations to build a life on the road...something i've always desired, and with my partner no less...an undeniably internal watery moon desire...that maybe there is an unfinished journey i am supposed to continue (complete? finish?) that is causing me some distress with my place in time....like maybe i'm stuck, even though i know that i'm totally not stuck by any stretch of the imagination. but the fear that i haven't found what i was supposed to find on my unplanned trek is being put off because Love was found unexpectedly...and it's that fear that makes me lash out...like i'm subconsciously sabotaging so as to make all this uncertainty a little easier.

...is it Love that i was supposed to find?...

it is True that one cannot completely be happy in a relationship with another unless they are completely happy in their relationship with themselves...

my other fear is the longevity of this solo trek...there is no doubt in my mind that even though i know your love for me is solid...now...will it be there when i return? these things, no one can answer.

so i search for Truth, Satya, the new adaptation to my name.
chloe satya, welcome to your journey. solo or accompanied. there is always a journey in which Truth can be found.

you are what you eat

“Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food” – Hippocrates.