The beauty of nature stuns me

The beauty of nature stuns me.   

Detail of Moro Rock aka Inspriation 

Being an artist starts with the heart.  When I look at something I'm not looking for the surface.  I may think of mixing paints and moving brushes and I do so intuitively, but mostly I look for vibration, sensation and essence.  In order to reconnect with my heart I often turn to nature.

When I'm connected to it, harmonies of color caress my eyes.  Sunlight on stone turns it to hammered silver.  Starlight mixes with treetops...  It's all so fleeting.  The moments last forever; the sum of them passes in the blink of an eye.  I'm grateful for the glimpses of eternity I've just seen in the mountains and ancient trees.  I'm grateful for the glimpse of the speed of time as my family morphs yet again into another form.   People are the other thing I turn to for inspiration.  Without my relationships to the people I love my life would be rather empty.

I didn't realize just how experienced I am at camping in the high Sierras until I got this note today from my mom.  I love hearing bits and pieces of memories I don't recall....

Sequoia

"You were too young to remember, but probably remember the stories. (I don't.)  Your first camping trip was when you were just under two and Patrick (my brother) was eight months.  We started out in CA, crossed the high Sierras, camped outside Salt Lake City, through Denver.  Stopped in Ohio where your Green Grandparents were living while your Grandfather built a dam.  On to Newport RI.  Spent about a month on the road.  Quite a trip.  You had a 1/2 size sleeping bag & a tennis net for a playpen.  Patrick had a car bed. So you are a very experienced camper.  Lots of stories about that trip..............in a VW, pulling a trailer for the luggage because it was also a cross country move. The lights went out, etc. etc."   

Andy, He's 6'1" so you can get a sense of the
size of the tree with that to scale it. 

I introduced my children to the Sierras and the Smoky Mountains but I don't know the mountains as well as they do.  My son has hiked a decent portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.  My daughter's intimacy is with the Himalayas as well as the mountains of the West Coast of North America.  Laura's friend Hannah, who joined us on our trip, worked for the National Park Service in the Santa Monica National Forest.  They've got creds.  I was in good hands.  I'm not sure when these "kids" grew up.    It was a right of passage for me to have them do so much on this trip.  

I was impressed at how well we managed to make our adventure work with little drama. (I shouldn't be with the above resumes though.)  Things could have gotten bad when we realized we left two of our four sleeping bags behind after rearranging the car numerous times to fit everyone's gear. (Prius, no extra stowage on top and four people.) 

Laura, You should see her eyes light up when she spots
a flat place to do a yoga pose in. 

We didn't want to run down the mountain to get bags once we'd realized our (well, probably my) mistake. We couldn't find blankets at any of the park markets so Andy slept under car mats and extra sarongs with every bit of clothing he'd brought.  Laura and Hannah shared a sleeping bag and spread an assortment of soft things on the ground and I slept in the car.  They did all have tents!

My tent was made to go over the back of of the car, so I was glamping to begin with.  Just for the record, I offered to share with Andy but he wanted to use his new tent. Probably didn't want to spend the night with his mom either....Little old for that and apparently not cold enough to go there! (oh I should and do feel really guilty) I used his sleeping bag.  It was in the upper 40's our first night.  We'll never forget essentials like that again. 

Every turn was more beautiful than the last.

The list of stories goes on.  We chased the sun around the panoramic rim of the park late the second day braking to stop at almost every turnout and joking about what fine American tourists we were.  Chased the sun up Moro Rock the third night and managed the ride home without permanent damage to any of our cramped limbs.  

You can't begin to know how I clung to the edges of the

 rockshere!  I had no idea this rock was here so it 

was a remarkable surprise!

We'll enjoy looking back at this short adventure but, for me, it was a glimpse into what our lives will be as they move forward.  Our roles are shifting.  I don't have to do everything.  THANK GOD. I used to try and it's a great relief to realize my days of being super woman are done.  I have a loving family community and I'm only a part of it.  I look forward to more adventures with them and the friends we've each gathered into our lives.  I'm sure many of you are reading this now.  

5x7 oil sketch done at our campsit 

Hannah Garcia, Mary-Gail King, Laura King, Andy King  

There are so many times I've forgone things like this thinking time and money were too limited but all I can say is I'm glad we all managed to pull it together.  I'm so fortunate (again, still) to have a life where I am able to do these things.  I do it on a budget with a make it happen attitude, little time, and a lot of teamwork.  

Two big lessons.  

1.  Have a checklist and check it twice.  

2.  Know each other's skills and support each person in using them for the good of the group. 

Laura, my professional packer 

I will definately do this again.  I've learned a lot about what to do to make things more comfortable.  I've learned not to take beans. (No one ate them.  I just got a hard time for bringing about six cans.)  I loved adding someone to the "family" and will do that again at every opportunity.  Let's put it this way.  Life is too short not to do a little something with someone you love any chance you get.  

You may not have the Sierras in your back yard but if you're in the US there are 59 National parks and  6,624 state parks.  There are nominal fees (much cheaper than a theme park) and your getaway will require nothing but gas and a picnic.  

Sleeping in my Prius was surprisingly comfortable. I bought a great tent that attaches to it, but the only thing you really need is a nice, thick sleeping pad and a sleeping bag or blankets to get started on your camping adventure.  I thought sarongs draped over the windows in an assortment of colors was nice for privacy and bling.  They came in handy for more essential purposes though!  

So pack your car and hit the highway.  It was so refreshing and has been the perfect way to recharge my creative battery.  I was running out of shapes to paint....