Thoughts and feelings

Am I concerned?

Yes, actually I am very concerned.

This is not my usual "happy" blog but, one that comes from my heart. I just feel the need to express a few concerns that I have.

With the way things are going in this present world, and especially over the last few weeks, how can I not be concerned?

The earthquake in Japan, followed by the Tsunami and then the Nuclear Reactor problems, has more then saturated my senses with a dense and dark sense of gloom and doom. Now, while sitting here in California, I am told not to worry about the minuscule amounts of radiation that currently is in the air I am breathing. A small amount today, tomorrow and next week seems to be much like filling a cup, a drop at a time.

My heart aches for those affected in Japan and across the world. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis. The mere fact that I have uncontaminated food on my table, can flush a toilet after use or turn up the heat because I'm chilled, overwhelms me with feelings of sadness for the people suffering without these day to day necessities. My mind boggles that these are now luxuries to those that have lost everything. I can not imagine their suffering. 

As I watch the TV and read the news, we, as a nation are involved in bombing Libya along with the British and the French. The uprising in Yemen where people are killing their own countrymen leave me feeling that we are all doomed. I watch as it seems all the countries of the world, have began to take sides as they point fingers of accusations and fists of hatred towards each other. I have to wonder, are they using the media to fuel the fires of humanities destruction? 

Are we, the people of this beautiful planet we have named Earth, starting our own self-destruction? Or did it start long ago when we were just a few people, only to finally reached an explosive point much like that of a volcano? Will this be the end of humanity? I feel an emptiness in myself as I can only wonder.

I am sure my ancestors felt much the same way during World War 1 and World War 2, but at the same time cannot help feeling this is more threatening, more menacing and hostile then what we have done to others and ourselves in the past. How do we explain to our grandchildren the catastrophic casualties we are creating by our self-destructive decisions and behaviors for energy, oil, power, and wealth? How do I look my 8-year-old granddaughter in the eye and tell her that her future is tainted by nuclear fall-out from a power plant that is far across the ocean in a land she has probably never even heard about until last week. How do I not cry as I hold my newly born grandchild wondering if the air he is breathing has already planted trace amounts of cancer causing agents into his thyroid and lungs that will affect him many years down the road.  How do I face my children knowing that the decisions and actions of my generation may well be responsible for the demise of the earth as we know it?  Have we become so callus and cruel that we have forgotten how to care for each other?  What has happen to the human race?  When did life become expendable?

Where can I go to feel safe again? How do I get past the feelings of gloom and doom? The feelings of hopelessness that keep me awake at night and flood my mind in waking moments make me wonder if there will ever be peace in this world. When will I be able to enjoy life without these nagging demons reminding me of the turmoil in the world today?  Have we forgotten that life is fragile. All life! 

Here I am, 55 years old and I have never felt so besieged by feelings of vulnerability and helplessness. How do we continue in our day-to-day living, day to day working, following our usual routines and not feel the effects of what is happening?

Yes, I am concerned.

I am afraid. Not only for myself, but for those that I love. Not only for those I love, but also for those I've met on my journey in life.  I'm concerned for the complete stranger who is a thousand miles away from me.  I pray. I was taught by my parents to pray, especially when you are scared, worried or frightened, you pray. And right now, with the world in all it’s turmoil, it is the only thing I know to do.

We Conquered the Mountain!

Woke up in the morning to a slightly overcast grayish sky with the weatherman promising sunshine and warm temperatures.  Seemed like a perfect day to conquer Mount Diablo.  So with bikes on the truck, a few snacks and extra water, we were off.  

Getting there was a bit confusing.  Seems the GPS in the car didn't know where to go.  It insisted on taking us the long way around through Danville.  After a few deliberations, we found signs posting the way to the South Gate entrance.  The roads on the mountain are very narrow for a truck the size of ours and we realized we'd never be able to take our RV up this grand rock!  There are many hairpin turns, and steep cliffs.  The reason is very clear why there is a 15 mile per hour speed limit.  As you climb up to the summit there are turns that appear out of nowhere and if you happen to be speeding, you could easily go over the edge and find yourself several hundred feet down the side. While on the mountain, we spotted  a lot of mountain bikers struggling their way up with an effort that made my thighs hurt just watching them and others, flying down faster than most cars would be able to go and remain safe!  

One of the many ground squirrels

Here's looking at you kid!

A small waterfall

While on the mountain we did some of the Geocaches located there.  Here are a few of the many geocaches we did while on the mountain. 

"The Pillow Basalt"  Pillow Basalts form where two plates of the earth's crust were under water and moving away from each other.  Their blobby shape is characteristic of an underwater volcanic eruption.  It was really confusing to think that this rock could be located here as Mount Diablo is a mountain and not a volcano according to geologists.

Pillow Basalts rock formation

"Overlooking Livermore Valley"  had us running down the side of the mountain as it was so steep it was hard to walk.  Climbing back up was a chore and made me realize "I'm no spring chicken!"  This cache gave us beautiful view of the distance hills and cities below.

"Wind Caves" This is a stunning sandstone formation, also known as "Tafoni".  Although commonly referred to as "wind caves" the element most responsible for forming this creation is water.  Mount Diablo is probably only 2 million years old and these caves are estimated at only being a few hundred or thousand years old.  While standing this high above the valleys and outer hills, it made one wonder how this could have all been under water so many years ago and what changes will the future bring. 

A portion of the "Wind Caves"

We walked and explored different areas.  One that stands out most in my mind is Elephant Rock.  If you looked at the right angle, it actually looks like a Woolly Mammoth was frozen in time for all to see. 

Elephant Rock

Mount Diablo offers tent and very small, no larger then 20 foot, RV camping.  With an abundance of secluded camp sites one could feel they are all alone and on top of the world. 

Camping and picnic area

Interesting mossy rock that has been split over time

Interesting plant that seems to form it's own water pocket

As the sun was setting in the West, we made our way down to the North gate and home.  I'm looking forward to more hikes on Mount Diablo and can't wait to see what other discoveries we will make.  It was a great day and we "Conquered the Mountain!

Hope you enjoyed sharing in our adventure atop Mount Diablo.

Jo

"You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, 

Love like you'll never be hurt, 

Sing like there's nobody listening, 

And live like it's heaven on earth." 

William W. Purkey

Life

I have once again realized that Life has a way of moving forward and interrupting the best of intentions.


My intention, when I started this blog, was to write something every week, or at the most, every two weeks just to keep our followers up to date.  I really didn't think that weeks or months would go by without me posting a small tidbit about our RVing life and adventures.  But that's exactly what has happened


The reason could be, and probably is, twofold.  On one hand, since we are Work-Kamping, staying in one place until May and the weather has not been cooperating with warm temperatures and sunshine, limited our ability to go out hiking, and exploring has been very limited. It's tough to get out when it is raining cats and dogs and the temperatures hover near the 30's and 40's. So with that said, we haven't done much in the way of experiencing our surroundings.  I'm sure that will change with Spring on it's way with warmer temperatures and abundant sunshine!   And on the other hand, I've been spending a lot of time with my daughter.  One of the reasons for being in California was to be here for my daughter.  She was due with her first child in February.  How could I miss this exciting part of "Life"   Welcoming a new precious soul into the world! Being the mom that I am, I wanted to spend as much time as I could helping her prepare for the new little one.  With sewing sleeping gowns, making curtains, cleaning the house, helping with shelves and crocheting blankets, we had things together just in time.  My new grandson is here!  He put up a good fight with entering this world.  Seems "little boys never want to leave their momma's", quoted by one of the nurses at the delivery!  He weighed in at 8 pounds and is perfect in every way.  He is a delight to hold and cuddle and as Great grandma Pearl would do, I get all the "sugar" I can with kisses from his nose to his toes!  He has brought a new joy to my heart and proven once again the miracle of life. He is adorable and I'm not just saying that as a doting Grandma, see for yourself!

After much consideration, we have purchased bicycles.  We spent hours looking at different types of recommended bikes; road bikes, hybrids, flat foot bikes, and beach cruisers. We didn't need bikes for speed, and comfort was high on our list, so we decided on a pair of grayish colored Trek Hybrids.  The bikes are now outfitted with baskets, water cages and bells to alert any walkers that two old fogies are coming their way. We have done a little bit of riding here on the island and find them sturdy, easy to maneuver and very comfortable.  Now to share a few photos: a log cabin that is built on top of a big concrete garage and some of the furry creatures that live here.

Our future hope is that we will find the time and energy to explore Mount Diablo. Mount Diablo stands alone on the edge of Califonia's Great Central Valley. The Coast Range at this point consists only of low hills, none high enough to block the view from the upper slopes of the mountain. Several colorful yarns describe how the mountain got its name. The most popular account supposedly arose from an 1806 expedition of Spanish soldiers from San Francisco Presidio who marched into the area to do battle with the local Indians. In the midst of the fighting, a shaman clad in striking plumage appeared on the mountain. The Spaniards were convinced they saw El Diablo -The Devil- and quickly retreated. 

In 1851, Mt. Diablo's summit, long a landmark for California explorers, was established as the official base point for California land surveys. Even today, Mt. Diablo's base line and meridian lines are used in legal descriptions of much of California real estate. Toll roads up the mountain were opened in the 1870s and a fancy hotel was built. In order to make their California holiday complete, tourists of the time just had to climb Mt. Diablo and take in the majestic view.  In 1931, the upper slopes of Mt. Diablo were preserved as a state park. In more recent years, the lower slopes were added to the park, thanks in a large measure to the efforts of Save Mt. Diablo, a local conservation organization.  Today the park consists of some 19,000 acres of oak woodland, grassland and chaparral. Stands of knobcone and Coulter pine, as well as scattered digger pine, are found all over the mountain. 

That's all for now.  I hope to post more often, but please, don't hold me to that!  We are living life to the fullest and sometimes life becomes surprisingly busy and I struggle to find time to do creative writing for this blog.

Jo

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life. ~ Leo Buscaglia