What a trip it's been! I'm sitting on the couch in Hal's living room. Paul's on the side...preparing for his dmv test tom. watching american idol...flipping through channels.
the trip's been great education for me...in more ways than one. particularly about deep, middle america. nothing can teach you more than living, speaking, breaking bread with others. it's only in doing so that we can empathize or learn to feel for the other. nagsh said 'poor guy' to cowboy...because he sees only the part of him that lives alone in the mountains...that's where we don't get it. people outside don't get what it means to live in wilderness. and why.
(now we've switched to the Idaho programs...that hal's recorded...public tv ones...documentaries...we saw the origins of Idaho's rivers the other day).
let's see...let me start from the beginning.
i drove from sahil's...after we dropped off yukti...ate at a mexican restaurant. getting off from salt lake city...the land opened up...vast lands...clouds..mountains...and the wind...heavy, heavy wind that the car wouldn't drive fast...i wondered if the rental car was old or something...but later realized it's the wind...on the way to burley, idaho.
paul's dad hal - harold was welcoming. he has a cat named madison. she's very shy...scared to come close...he said today she's never been outside the house. she's come now and is sitting next to him on the hand of the sofa...where hal sits. i've tried make friends with her. but she's often scared. he asked me to feed her yday and today...which i did. she let me touch her...but withdraws...something.
hal he's born in 1929. he's totally amazing. i was actually surprised at the many things he does for his age. it's very unlike seniors in india or other countries. he drove over 100miles today. he's been driving everywhere. lives by himself. supports his daughter and son unequivocally when they need them. moved from california. fullerton. worked in the navy...wears a hat that says "CAN DO!" given by the navy...was saying today that he met his wife (she passed away 8 years ago)...when he came back from the navy...there's a black and white pic in front of me of their wedding...his wife was 16 years old...he looks very handsome like a movie actor. and next to that photo is her at age 50...she looks very young in it...paul said it has her ashes. hal also showed me pic of his lady friend from california...in her youth she was an air hostess...there's a pic of hers in front of those older planes. i also saw her birthday pic at 85...nice.
after coming back today after the trip...he showed me many things in the house...paintings, artifacts...old photos...lamps...flutes that he makes and won prizes at the county fair of cassia county where burley is. he's moved here 3 years ago. said retired then and moved here where terri is.
i admire him totally...that's what i said during the drumming circle last night...around the fire...i adore you i said...and i thanked for being so loving and open...he's been. i saw his pics in 60s...looks like narasimh...hmmm...he goes to church...doesn't like hearing swear words in movies...says have to go to confession...strongly catholic...he made us texas french toast yday. and pancakes later. he added chocolate chips to the pancake (and one packet of oatmeal) to surprise paul (he loved it)...
i learnt about trailers...how it offers mobility...to move around...some cost $200k. attach to pickup trucks...it's a different life...to always be in the outdoors...
terri's cabin was amazing...it was actually very luxurious. the bath...was walking distance...water from nearby hotsprings has been directed here. i enjoyed bath twice...in that hot springs tub. middle of the night when i got up to pee i saw the stars. so many stars. thot of ladakh, dx, mountains, cold, what's that slippers called...that...fully equipped cabin.
property...it's a word that's often used here...my property...when that happens people respect that.
Sawtooth national forest...cowboy took us here yday...wow it was wild. i've never met a real cowboy. and i didn't know what to expect. paul and hal always referred to him as cowboy. he's lived in the wilderness for 10 years. has high BP...seems recent. was watching salt/ sodium intake when we ate outside. he wore jeans...i was saw him at B&B repair at Oakley town...closeby. he was repairing jeeps along with Bob (Robert)...who's both Oakley town's mayor and repairman. that was interesting. he took us that day to city of rocks along with terri. i enjoyed it very much. and they were both surprised and enjoyed seeing me enjoy so much. i touched everything. climbed. went along.
next day was even more interesting. in a red 4x4 we went...terri drove first. it was fun to see two-two cowboy hats in the front seats. we kept going going. looking for mines i think. cowboy had been there years ago...he's been there 10 years. and he couldn't exactly find it. but we were on an adventure. we went up and behind rocks, mountains, grasslands...sage grass smell all around. he took out a knife when we needed to dig out peanut butter. he never spoke much. has a white mustache and beard. 64 years or so. bluish-grey eyes (paul, terri, hal...all seemed to have similar eyes...even amy i think). we got lost...deep in the mountains...and finally he found the way back...we went out from the other side of the mountain we were at...almost close to the utah border 20 miles...the other side would take us to nevada...these are dirt roads interior deep....we were many miles away from the cabin. he was tired by the time we reached.
he taught me how to shoot. by giving me his real pistol. i don't know what exactly it was...perhaps .22 caliber. there was a branch in the water...he said aim at that. and i did. paul asked him if i could etc. by then i was wearing a cowboy hat myself...we bought it at cal ranch the previous day...it's hanging on the hat hanger now.
we all gathered at night...drumming circle...cowboy kept saying the spirits will come out tonight. the rattle was made of seeds. earlier he told us a story. the time when hale-bop comet flew by...see below...
Hale-Bopp was an unusually bright comet that swung near Earth in the late 1990s, reaching its closest approach to the planet in 1997. It was most spectacular in theNorthern Hemisphere and visible to the naked eye for about 18 months.
that night he had a near-death experience. he said his spirit soared to the roof and saw everything that was happening around. there was a spirit horse that he rode on holding its mane...it took him to a native indian chief who asked him why he came...a few min before, he showed us a stone a special stone...that represented all directions from native Indian culture...north, south, east, west...and that day...he could soar see people...it was that day...someone gave him that stone...he had a choice whether to go on...or return...he said almost like anita moorjani...bcos the other side felt so happy...he was on his spirit horse...he looked into my eyes as he narrated. we were in his trailer. outside where all kinds of vehicles. ATV...snow boats etc. when we parted today...he said come back.
the climb this morning...i got up before paul and hal...after eating a banana...walked around...the mountain was calling me...it's steep...there are rocks on top. wanted to reach there. i went the other way first...but there was a fence...then i came back...and simply started climbing...i must say it was comfortable...i was more scared of snakes...for whatever reason...i later found out snakes won't come out in this season...they usually like sitting on rocks...rattlers...i went up and up and up...reached a boulder...there i stacked the stones...paul said it's called carin...then i went further...there was a bush....green...behind that...some more on top....and i reached the rocks...the base...i made another stack...offered my prayers...lied down with stomach...i was feeling the earth...fully...did ho'oponopono...pachamama...i could've gone higher...the mountain could've continued...but i didn't want to worry paul and hal...they would've got up...i returned...climbed down quickly...saw paul...then he came out again...and then hal too...shouted out to them...later they kept talking about it with others..."he wasn't even winded"
it was cliff (father of the mayor) who said...there's a lot of game at this time of the year...aren't people in this town nice and friendly?
hal taught his kids a call sign...goes like ooouppp...families...memories...as children...several times paul and terri were talking about...do you remember that time when...
("shyanne? what kind of a name is that?"...an aspiring cyclist on idaho public tv...she's cycling with her 72 year old grandma)
mount borah is the highest point...
minitonka - falling water.
snake river...longest...1400 miles...it goes nearby...
the trip's been great education for me...in more ways than one. particularly about deep, middle america. nothing can teach you more than living, speaking, breaking bread with others. it's only in doing so that we can empathize or learn to feel for the other. nagsh said 'poor guy' to cowboy...because he sees only the part of him that lives alone in the mountains...that's where we don't get it. people outside don't get what it means to live in wilderness. and why.
(now we've switched to the Idaho programs...that hal's recorded...public tv ones...documentaries...we saw the origins of Idaho's rivers the other day).
let's see...let me start from the beginning.
i drove from sahil's...after we dropped off yukti...ate at a mexican restaurant. getting off from salt lake city...the land opened up...vast lands...clouds..mountains...and the wind...heavy, heavy wind that the car wouldn't drive fast...i wondered if the rental car was old or something...but later realized it's the wind...on the way to burley, idaho.
paul's dad hal - harold was welcoming. he has a cat named madison. she's very shy...scared to come close...he said today she's never been outside the house. she's come now and is sitting next to him on the hand of the sofa...where hal sits. i've tried make friends with her. but she's often scared. he asked me to feed her yday and today...which i did. she let me touch her...but withdraws...something.
hal he's born in 1929. he's totally amazing. i was actually surprised at the many things he does for his age. it's very unlike seniors in india or other countries. he drove over 100miles today. he's been driving everywhere. lives by himself. supports his daughter and son unequivocally when they need them. moved from california. fullerton. worked in the navy...wears a hat that says "CAN DO!" given by the navy...was saying today that he met his wife (she passed away 8 years ago)...when he came back from the navy...there's a black and white pic in front of me of their wedding...his wife was 16 years old...he looks very handsome like a movie actor. and next to that photo is her at age 50...she looks very young in it...paul said it has her ashes. hal also showed me pic of his lady friend from california...in her youth she was an air hostess...there's a pic of hers in front of those older planes. i also saw her birthday pic at 85...nice.
after coming back today after the trip...he showed me many things in the house...paintings, artifacts...old photos...lamps...flutes that he makes and won prizes at the county fair of cassia county where burley is. he's moved here 3 years ago. said retired then and moved here where terri is.
i admire him totally...that's what i said during the drumming circle last night...around the fire...i adore you i said...and i thanked for being so loving and open...he's been. i saw his pics in 60s...looks like narasimh...hmmm...he goes to church...doesn't like hearing swear words in movies...says have to go to confession...strongly catholic...he made us texas french toast yday. and pancakes later. he added chocolate chips to the pancake (and one packet of oatmeal) to surprise paul (he loved it)...
i learnt about trailers...how it offers mobility...to move around...some cost $200k. attach to pickup trucks...it's a different life...to always be in the outdoors...
terri's cabin was amazing...it was actually very luxurious. the bath...was walking distance...water from nearby hotsprings has been directed here. i enjoyed bath twice...in that hot springs tub. middle of the night when i got up to pee i saw the stars. so many stars. thot of ladakh, dx, mountains, cold, what's that slippers called...that...fully equipped cabin.
property...it's a word that's often used here...my property...when that happens people respect that.
Sawtooth national forest...cowboy took us here yday...wow it was wild. i've never met a real cowboy. and i didn't know what to expect. paul and hal always referred to him as cowboy. he's lived in the wilderness for 10 years. has high BP...seems recent. was watching salt/ sodium intake when we ate outside. he wore jeans...i was saw him at B&B repair at Oakley town...closeby. he was repairing jeeps along with Bob (Robert)...who's both Oakley town's mayor and repairman. that was interesting. he took us that day to city of rocks along with terri. i enjoyed it very much. and they were both surprised and enjoyed seeing me enjoy so much. i touched everything. climbed. went along.
next day was even more interesting. in a red 4x4 we went...terri drove first. it was fun to see two-two cowboy hats in the front seats. we kept going going. looking for mines i think. cowboy had been there years ago...he's been there 10 years. and he couldn't exactly find it. but we were on an adventure. we went up and behind rocks, mountains, grasslands...sage grass smell all around. he took out a knife when we needed to dig out peanut butter. he never spoke much. has a white mustache and beard. 64 years or so. bluish-grey eyes (paul, terri, hal...all seemed to have similar eyes...even amy i think). we got lost...deep in the mountains...and finally he found the way back...we went out from the other side of the mountain we were at...almost close to the utah border 20 miles...the other side would take us to nevada...these are dirt roads interior deep....we were many miles away from the cabin. he was tired by the time we reached.
he taught me how to shoot. by giving me his real pistol. i don't know what exactly it was...perhaps .22 caliber. there was a branch in the water...he said aim at that. and i did. paul asked him if i could etc. by then i was wearing a cowboy hat myself...we bought it at cal ranch the previous day...it's hanging on the hat hanger now.
we all gathered at night...drumming circle...cowboy kept saying the spirits will come out tonight. the rattle was made of seeds. earlier he told us a story. the time when hale-bop comet flew by...see below...
Hale-Bopp was an unusually bright comet that swung near Earth in the late 1990s, reaching its closest approach to the planet in 1997. It was most spectacular in theNorthern Hemisphere and visible to the naked eye for about 18 months.
that night he had a near-death experience. he said his spirit soared to the roof and saw everything that was happening around. there was a spirit horse that he rode on holding its mane...it took him to a native indian chief who asked him why he came...a few min before, he showed us a stone a special stone...that represented all directions from native Indian culture...north, south, east, west...and that day...he could soar see people...it was that day...someone gave him that stone...he had a choice whether to go on...or return...he said almost like anita moorjani...bcos the other side felt so happy...he was on his spirit horse...he looked into my eyes as he narrated. we were in his trailer. outside where all kinds of vehicles. ATV...snow boats etc. when we parted today...he said come back.
the climb this morning...i got up before paul and hal...after eating a banana...walked around...the mountain was calling me...it's steep...there are rocks on top. wanted to reach there. i went the other way first...but there was a fence...then i came back...and simply started climbing...i must say it was comfortable...i was more scared of snakes...for whatever reason...i later found out snakes won't come out in this season...they usually like sitting on rocks...rattlers...i went up and up and up...reached a boulder...there i stacked the stones...paul said it's called carin...then i went further...there was a bush....green...behind that...some more on top....and i reached the rocks...the base...i made another stack...offered my prayers...lied down with stomach...i was feeling the earth...fully...did ho'oponopono...pachamama...i could've gone higher...the mountain could've continued...but i didn't want to worry paul and hal...they would've got up...i returned...climbed down quickly...saw paul...then he came out again...and then hal too...shouted out to them...later they kept talking about it with others..."he wasn't even winded"
it was cliff (father of the mayor) who said...there's a lot of game at this time of the year...aren't people in this town nice and friendly?
hal taught his kids a call sign...goes like ooouppp...families...memories...as children...several times paul and terri were talking about...do you remember that time when...
("shyanne? what kind of a name is that?"...an aspiring cyclist on idaho public tv...she's cycling with her 72 year old grandma)
mount borah is the highest point...
minitonka - falling water.
snake river...longest...1400 miles...it goes nearby...
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