Happy Halloween

Halloween is a time for celebration and superstitions. I wonder how many little and fully grown goblins will walk into my place of work today. For sure I will snap a few pictures and serve some welcome candy for the little monsters. 

Did you know that Halloween is one of the most favorites holidays in the US? Perhaps it is that we find ourselves attracted to being in disguise and we enjoy the escape. Maybe it allows us to act and behave more carefree, a way we would otherwise avoid if we were just the same old us. Could it be that it is the process of transformation and taking on a new identity? To break away for a short time and drift off into the roam of fantasy. 

We have something similar in Germany called Fasching which will start on the 11th of November but lasts for weeks and well into the new year. The festivities are mainly on the weekends with masquerade balls and parties leading up to “Rosenmontag” and “Aschermittwoch” when everything comes to an end. I once heard a few people saying that we Germans like to party and have a a “Fest” (party, something to celebrate) each weekend. I call it life balance. There is more to life than just work and you might miss life all together when there is nothing but work. But this is a different post all together and I leave it with what I always say. “In Germany we are not lazy people, but we work for a living instead of living to work”. 

Another fun fact is that a fourth of all candy sales in the US happen during Halloween. 

Have a sweet day….

Rainbows

Found a few rainbows on my way to work and wanted to wish you a great Sunday. 

Current mood: I wish I could go explore and chase my pot of gold at the end of those rainbows. Both pictures have a double rainbow and how cool is that. ❤️

Have a great day everybody xoxoxo 

Unusual encounters…

No this post is not about extraterrestrial encounters and aliens, even though I am in the proud possession of a Alien registration card (green card). What I’m talking about are my unusual encounters in nature, the animal world and a few spirit animals.I recently wrote about two encounters with spirit animals and there have been more since then. In due time and when fitting I plan to write about those incidents at a later post. Some animals keep reappearing and I believe it is then that they are meant to signal something and serve as a spirit guide. In hindsight I know that it was through those encounters that I was introduced to different phases of my life. I know they signaled of what was yet to come and somehow guided me by teaching me to listen and see the signs. Since, I have learned to pay attention to nature and feel that my intuition has grown as I find the truth in the animal kingdom and nature. Both hold all the answers to the questions we could ever have. 

I can’t help but wonder how others may feel about this. I wonder if you believe in animal spirits and the connection between animals and humans that requires no words? Have you ever looked into the eyes of an animal while seeing a living soul instead of just a pet or an animal? You might relate and find yourself agreeing as it describes the world I live in. I’ve always had a pretty strong bond with these souls, domesticated and wild. Animals have a great meaning to me and I will swerve on the road to avoid running over a mouse. I have a few mouse traps in the garage and I hate them. I don’t want mice in the house but if one is caught in the trap, I’m the biggest pansy and I struggle to pick it up. Spiders are not my thing either and both will cause me years off of my life as well as gray hairs if I am forced to deal with them. 

Lately I have been thinking more about those animal encounters as these subjects have been emphasized through events transpired throughout the year. I am more aware today and recall older events as I notice the patterns. Maybe the reasons for these encounters point back to me and the person I have become. I believe animals pick up on our vibes, our personalities and I have seen dogs mimic the personality of their owners. Nervous or calm, it’s almost like a frequency we emit that allows animals to pick up on whether we are a danger to them or if we can be trusted. 

My encounters range from maybe “coincidental encounters” if that is what you want to believe they are, to the more strange and unexplainable moments that evoke a little more thought. Unusual encounters.

I have rabbits living in my backyard but I don’t exactly live out in the country. Granted there is much wildlife around the outlying areas of where I live, perhaps I can dismiss this one and check it off to coincidence. I also have squirrels that come to collect peanuts and other veggies on a daily basis as they also have made their home in my backyard. Earlier this year I had a couple of Dove’s make their nest on my porch, laying their eggs and I had a few Hawk’s visit in the past (another spirit animal). Partridges appear daily as the walk through the backyard with their distinguished calls, grooming the grounds. Still nothing too unusual but animals seem to flock to me and love my presence. 

My little buddy Luna, the Guinea pig gets all feisty when I come to visit her and her eyes get huge. She purrs and runs laps just like Nikki (my dog) used to do when she took off running her “Shiba 500”. I love to see marmots on the trail and had one that came down from it’s perch to naw on a bush, eating white little flowers right next to me. Usually they scurry away and hide into their burrows when they see humans. I have encountered deer on the trail, a few feet away from me and instead of taking off running, they just calmly look at me and pass me by as if I was one of them. All the Bears I had seen a few years back didn’t seem to have minded me either. I sit at a beach up at Lake Tahoe, look to my side, only to find somebody’s strange dog sitting right next to me that I have never seen before. No noise or sound, no nudge like “hey I’m here right next to you”, nothing, as it sits next to me just staring out onto the lake. Finally, I’m granted one last look before the beautiful soul turns and vanishes back into the woods where I hope its owner is as there has been no sight of one. Other squirrels encountered at the ocean, far away from my home try to climb up my leg and beg to be hand fed. As I have to say good bye, one squirrel is not having it and is trying to get into the car. It’s unusual encounters like these that I notice and come to appreciate. 

My friend David at hippiesartistsandfreaks.wordpress.com who I met online through artistful, a former website for artists has become a great friend over the years. He recently has joined me here on WordPress and I hope you check out his blog and show him some love. If you get to know him, you will discover the beautiful soul he is and I feel myself lucky, thankful and blessed that our paths have crossed. I do believe that people enter our lives for a reason and I had some pretty amazing people in my life, recently and past of who have great meaning to me.

David has followed my adventures for several years now and he once suggested that I might be an animal whisperer. And while I’m not sure if there is such an actual thing in real life, I love the sound of it and would be honored to be considered as such. What do you think, do you believe in animal whisperer’s or have experienced similar incidents?

One thing is for sure, I do love animals and the living souls they are to me.

Apology to my car….

Late last night my seven day work stretch came to an end, which should have been celebration enough as I was looking forward to a much needed day off. However it ended with a costly mishap and muffled my whole celebration. It was a busy day at work and we did much better than we forecasted to do. Great, awesome, fantastic, right….but it also brought extra work. A few sick calls, no shows and orientation for new hires just added to the already hectic day and it came down to just doing the best you can and putting the store together as much as possible. All in all a typical retail day but also a challenge as the store literally looked like a bomb had exploded and product was scattered everywhere. On the floor out of place, half eaten, you name it, you get the picture. On top of it, there would be floor care in the building tonight and all fixtures would have to be moved from one side of the store to the other which was our responsibility to prep. An additional task that would take away time we didn’t have. It’s funny and almost comical now as it’s never just one thing and it feels as if all these things gang up on you in a challenge of raising the difficulty notch just a bit. Can you paddle and swim any faster to stay afloat? You know what I mean and you have been there.

At 10:20 PM we finally call it quits, only now the alarm won’t set on the building due to various faults. The gremlins are at it again and more time is required to research the problems as everybody is clocked out and just wants to leave. I finally get the alarm to set, having to bypass some faults impossible to fix at this point. Out we go, I lock the door, we are saying our goodnights and thank you’s for having survived the hectic while rushing to our cars to finally get home. Before the celebration of being done can set in, I check the phone which I abandoned all day due to simply having no time and every minute counts. I see a message from a coworker, answer it real quick and get ready to leave. It rained all day, the windshield is wet and fogged up inside while it is also foggy outside and the clouds are hanging low. And then it happens and a repeat of how the day had progressed is playing Deja vu. Imagine everything happening at the same time, once again. I put the car in gear, start taking off while clearing the windshield in an effort to see better, forget that I parked next to the concrete light post, the wheels are slightly turned and the next thing I hear is metal such as in the form of my front fender and bumper of the pony rubbing up against the yellow post. 😡😡😡. I back up, get out and the damage is done through a  dent on both and the mark of the pole and it’s yellow ugly paint that somehow does not belong on my car. In disbelief of what just happened I get back into the car and of all the weird things that I can do, anger, scream or cry….what do I do???? I just have to sit there for a moment still in disbelief and I check my horoscope???? And to my surprise, clearly it already knew that something like this would happen, maybe I should have checked earlier. That whole scenario was definitely caused by being tired, stressed and in a rush of leaving to get home. I take off to drive home, this time clearing the pole and my celebration is stumped while I doubt that it is yet to happen. While driving, I try to remind myself of how little I’m attached to material things, it’s just a car after all, right, and it’s just cosmetic and not even all thaaaaat bad. Thats what I’m trying to tell myself anyways. I try to see the silver lining as I always do and I realize that it could have been a lot worse. While trying to calm myself, I’m surprised of how much it bothers and pains me, almost as if I purposely inflicted pain onto my vehicle that could have been avoided, like most accidents, (can it even feel the pain, perhaps I’m going crazy) and I feel sorry for it, the car. Is it still about the accident, or has it progressed to something else? Perhaps the high standards I set for myself? Something that silly shouldn’t happen to me after all the years of driving, right? Do I give myself enough credit and why can’t I remember that nobody is exempt and that things like these happen to everybody? 

Instead I continue and focus that on top of my agony now comes the inconvenience and the time requirements to get it fixed. Dealing with the insurance which I’m sure will raise the premium, no matter of how minor the incident, blah blah blah.  Maybe I should wait until after winter and maybe it’s just time to put that darn Bra on (a present that’s never been on the car) which is collecting dust in the corner, and cover it up for now. I see myself spiraling down the hole of negativity and bitterness and I truly need to snap out of it as I’m depressing myself sounding so negative. If it’s one thing I know for sure, it is that I’m not going there and it’s just not who I am. I need to choose my actions, but not before an apology to my car.

Dear beloved Pony, (it’s a Mustang)
We have shared the road for many years and I remember the first day I saw you.

All shiny on that showroom sales floor, you were perfect and it was love at first sight.

But I didn’t want to be superficial and base our relationship on your good looks alone for it mattered much more of what was on your inside.

The salesman turned the key and as you came to life, I started to choke up from your sound and from what you had to say. You spoke to my heart and  I had to walk away for a moment as I felt the emotions come up. I was simply overcome.

I knew right then that we were meant to be and that I somehow had to take you home that day. 

I had to play it cool that day as the negotiations were about to begin to determine your price all while you were already priceless to me. In the end you and I left together and you have been by my side ever since.

Since that day, you have been a faithful companion to me and 160K miles later not once have you left me stranded in all of our adventures pounding black top and a few dirt roads. 

You are powerful when my need for speed and the autobahn surfaces or when we have to clear the field from the back by getting away from all the other crazy drivers. 

I take care of you and you look brand new….not right now but usually you do.

All you ever wanted was new blood every 4-5K and no further maintenance has been required.

In my lifetime of driving and it’s been many years, three incidents have happened and they have all been with you. I’m only counting the one’s that are my fault and have been caused because of being in a rush and not paying a 100% attention. 

I messed your pretty front end up before, grazed and took off your mirror backing out of the garage and now I left yellow battle paint across your fender and your bumper with a few dents. All what the ….. Moments and all caused due to being in a hurry. Perhaps this is meant to be a lesson to slow down and not rush so much that needs to be learned here and the timing is impeccable as the most hectic season in retail is upon us. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this, but timing is seldom perfect and lessons to be learned will come to us at the right time, whether we are ready or not.

I feel bad that it has been you who has worn the physical scars, but it is me who has felt the pain within my heart of these unfortunate mishaps. I have nobody but myself to thank for it and it’s just frustration speaking right now. I know the sooner you are fixed or covered for that fact, the sooner I will move past this.

I’m sorry….and while your physical attributes may be a little flawed on the outside right now and not all battle scars are beautiful, it is me who knows what lies beyond the appearance and nothing has changed. You are as beautiful as ever. 

I am sorry this has happened and I’m sorry for my rush and my ability to focus and pay proper attention in a time that requires constant concentration. 

Spirit animals and totems

I woke up to a gloomy, rainy day and it’s been raining since yesterday. What can I say, I do love the rain and if I turned the TV on, you would hear people talking about how much we need the rain in comparison to recent years of drought. I can hear their voices speaking the words even though the TV is off and I seldom even watch it at all. Something else to evaluate when it comes to money not so wisely spent each month. It’s still kind of dark in the house but it looks like I found my own little sunshine this morning through all the wonderful comments you left for me overnight. And again, I’m reminded of the small world we live in and how many of us share similar experiences and thoughts. 

Yesterday I wrote about my year of travel to Canada and my introduction to what I now consider signs from spirit animals. It was the year of the bear for me and who knows, maybe there have been other sightings before, maybe I missed signs and messages simply because I wasn’t aware and in tune with my spiritual world. And I know that I wasn’t aware in 2010 as I merely felt lucky and blessed to have seen these majestic and powerful animals. The thought of it being more and it potentially being a sign of some sort never crossed my mind. 

It was also the year of buying the most useless souvenir ever. How could I leave Canada without some material momentum, something that would always remind me of this amazing trip. In reality, I wonder what really happens to all the souvenirs we gather over the years! Mine is tucked away in a box and it’s been there for years. Maybe if I think about it at the right time, given that I’m in the right place (near by the box), I might pull it out to look at it and reminisce. Is that the duty of a souvenir and it’s purpose? Well, if you read my prior post, you know that my favorite animal is the bear and that every trip into nature secretly holds the wish of being allowed to observe another bear in the wild. So what do I buy as a souvenir? A bear bell….????? The purpose of a bear bell is to attach it to your backpack, announcing your approach and allowing the bear to bail out in a hurry. And they do most of the time in the presence of humans. Why would I want that? I rather smear honey all over my backpack to attract, then to deter an opportunity to see a bear. Needless to say, I do like the bear bell (I hope that was reason enough as to why I bought it), but I never ever attached it to my backpack, nor do I have any plans in the near future to do so. 

It was the end of 2011 and night time was casting it’s dark shadows across my little village, as I heard something peculiar outside. “Whoot, whoot” and silence, and then again I heard it as I paused in my tracks, holding my breath to identify the the noise. After hearing it for three times and each time getting closer to the source of the noise, I knew it came from the backyard. I opened the sliding door and stared into the silent darkness. Nothing, but I have to admit that it felt a little eerie. My eyes were trying to adjust to the darkness but without the moon and any source of light, it was just too dark to make out anything. Still nothing and I stood there what seemed like forever. It was quiet and I was beginning to give up on discovering the source of the strange sound. I started to turn to get back into the house and then I heard it again. “Whoot, whoot” and much closer as if it was right upon me. A initial startle came over me as I felt my heart pounding. Gripping the flashlight, I turned it to shine into the direction of the noise and then I saw it. Two eyes, like those of a monster shining back at me from the beam of the flashlight. Sitting on a telephone post running along the fence side of my property, only a few feet away from me, there it was. A huge owl had come to visit me and I found myself frozen in that very spot on my porch. I watched it observe me, bat it’s eyes and turn its head in a 360 motion which appeared to have come full circle. I still have mixed feelings when I think about that night and for a moment I wondered if it could be a predator for my two dogs.

Still not in tune with spirit animals, their significance, as well as their signs and meaning, I had heard about the owl being a messenger from the underworld, a messenger of death. Two days later it was that it happened and Sparky, my dog didn’t return home with me from the vet visit. I had to say goodbye and it was a life shattering experience that affected me to the core.Immediately I thought of the owl and it’s visit being a sign. A message of death. Perhaps it was the first time I associated animal sightings with messages and you can imagine that I didn’t like owls all that much, for a long time. I associated them with bad omens, a message of loss. 

After the ugly beauty store experience and a trip to Hawaii that followed right after, I remember walking through a meadow along oceanside. It was lined with shrubs and trees native to the area and it was at dusk as a huge white owl took off in flight and flew right over me. It was only a few feet above me as it passed and our eyes met. I looked up and the giant raptor while it looked down at me in passing. It was giving me panic and I worried about everything and anything. Mostly about my mom in Germany who was not doing good at all and who I would visit the same year. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, it did over shadowed my vacation and left me with an unrestful feeling. My fear about the meaning of the owl had become my reality and while it’s symbol holds many other great attributes, it was the one of death that I associated it with. Luckily nothing happened, nobody died and I started to research more about the owl at a later point. I needed to find something else than death to cling on to and I had to shift my perception. 

Further I learned that the owl as a spirit animal is emblematic of a deep connection with wisdom and intuition. That if guided by this spirit, you have the intuition and ability to see what is hidden to others and what they can’t see. The presence of the owl announces change and boy, was I going through some changes at that time. It also signaled the capacity to see beyond deceit (the ugly beauty store) and the many ugly masks of it. It meant wisdom and as far as it being a messenger of death, I changed the traditional meaning a little to the symbolic meaning of a life transition, a change. This change and transition of thinking did not come overnight however and it was a personal choice to find something more positive to hold on to. I often felt that I had the very intuition to see things others couldn’t see, which in itself can be a blessing or a curse. It might even make more sense to you now and you understand what I was trying to say in the mentioning of such through previous posts. The experience itself when you are lets just say being blessed with such intuition, causes you to stand alone a great many of times. If you choose the vocal route, others may look at you strange while they assume that you are trying to stir things up. Unfortunately because of it, I often found myself opting for the silence path, as the ones that I wished to protect, had to go through their own painful experiences and couldn’t see my wisdom just yet. And in a way it’s the only that way we learn our significant lessons. If it’s not life altering, hard and gut wrenching, it simply does not define and grow us into the person we are meant to become. 

Since that initial experience in my backyard with the owl and seeing it in Hawaii, I had a few more visits from the owl. Always sitting on the telephone post in my backyard, “whooting” into the night sky before spreading its wings like a giant velociraptor. A sight to behold when watching the small dinosaur with its huge wingspan lift itself into the darkness. I also learned about the great honor that is bestowed upon you when a owl comes to visit (much better than the death vision, wouldn’t you agree?) and it is said that they pick up on your energy of wisdom and intuition. A compliment in itself and in my search of learning more about spirit animals and totems, I learned that we each have our own spirit animal. It was at a later point that I came across a test to determine which one was mine. This test would ultimately prompt the research on the subject to change my views. I didn’t like the initial results but it is also a prime example of how we have the power to view things and interpret them based on the choice we choose to see. 

After the initial scare of the results and moving past previous preconceived notions, I’m at peace now to know that my spirit animal is the Owl. 

Tigers 😔 Lions 😔 & Bears 😀 yes please

Have you ever heard of spirit and totem animals? Research indicates that a spirit animal may refer to a shamanic belief which guides, to help and protect individuals of which spirit is incarnated as human beings. The subject leaves behind much skepticism and fact driven humans may claim that there is no proof something like this even exists. On the other side you can easily drift off into the world of make belief and live by the motto that everything you can imagine, is real. I say it’s up to us which route we choose and it sounds a little like anything in life and the choice is ultimately always ours.

Being a dreamer, my only choice was to believe that it was the year of 2010 that I got introduced to my first spirit animal. I don’t mean my personal spirit animal and further research revealed that we all have a spirit animal based on our beliefs. What I’m talking about is the sighting of a spirit animal, not once or twice, not even three or four times but a total of 23 times during that year that I was given the incredible honor to see this animal in the wild. The funny thing was that I never even realized it at the time and the revelation of the spirit animal and it being a potential sign came a few years later as more events started to unfold. But it was definitely strange how it all came to be and it only happened once in my lifetime. That year in 2010 ranks pretty high as one of my favorite years.

You are probably sitting on edge wondering what I’m talking about and what I saw. Just imagine, 23 times I got to see my favorite animal in the wild. The Bear….strong, wild and free. Besides their cuddly teddy bear appearance, a pretty powerful one I might add, I admired their attributes, to be in nature, to live in peace and solitude. While most people would take off and run the other way, imagining horrible nightmares of being mauled, I loved them. I was seeking them out, followed them and the hope to be blessed with new encounters is always in the back of my mind when I’m out there.

2010 was also a great year of travel and besides visiting Yosemite National Park, which is about a three hour drive from my house, I got to go see beautiful Canada. Flying go Seattle and continuing the journey per rental car allowed much freedom to explore this beautiful majestic country side. Driving the Icefield Parkway was my absolute favorite and the scenery was astonishing. Every turn a new mountain higher than the previous one, turquoise waters and streams, lush dark green forests and then there it was….the first bear and the world stood still. “Slow down, stop please, I have to get a picture and watch”. For hours I wanted to stay and I didn’t want to leave as long as the was any bear present. Throughout the day, along the journey of passing glaciers and visitor centers, there were also other bears, fully aware of humans, just strolling along the highway, grazing on vegetation growing along the road. I remember one particular spot where other cars where pulled over and people had gotten out to see a bear further up the road. He or she was just walking down the street, grazing, uninterested in having a delicious meal interrupted by nosy bystanders. As the bear neared, a slight hysteria broke out as people scurried along to get inside their cars to lock the doors. Silly in a way as I’m sure the bear could have easily ripped the door off or bent it like a sardine can with minimal effort. But I guess in the end I can’t blame them and it remains a wild, strong and free animal. For myself, I felt no threat, no fear, nor did I feel for the slightest moment that I was in danger. It seemed like the most natural thing to me and I just stood there with the bear on the other side of the car. There had been a similar incident in Yosemite earlier in the year as a cub crawled up a ravine and walked right by me to cross the road. I felt like reaching out and touching it, but of course I didn’t. I’m sure Mama was close by, but neither she or the cub considered me as danger. 

Seeing this many bears in the wild, I found it hard to dismiss to coincidence and I once read that coincidences are signs from the universe. So with all of these signs and so many bears in just one year, what was it exactly that the universe was trying to tell me. If one thing was for sure, it was that I felt incredibly lucky to have seen these bears and here is what I found about the bear spirit animal meaning. 
The primary meaning of the bear spirit animal is strength and confidence 

Standing up against adversity by taking action and leadership 

The spirit of the bear also indicated a time for healing and using such abilities for yourself and others 

The bear medicine emphasizes the importance for solitude, rest and quiet time

And the spirit of the bear provides strong grounding forces
Have you heard of such spirit animals? Are you a dreamer like me or do you find it hard to believe in the power of these totem animals? I can’t wait to see what you think xoxoxo ❤️

Boom….Doom?

A few days ago I lost my beloved “Faith bracelet” at work and I’m sure that by now somebody picked it up and it has found a new owner. I had worn it faithfully for many weeks and after several customers had commented on it, it became a regular wardrobe accessory. It’s not that it was the most valuable piece of jewelry I owned, but the message and that one word, had a special meaning and stirred my heart…and now it was gone. Now what? Was I doomed? I have to admit that it was a weird feeling that the bracelet was gone and I reminded myself that even though I no longer had it, by no means was it that all of my faith automatically had vanished with it. Of course I knew this and yet it felt as if I was waiting for something bad to happen. Something had to be lurking around the corner. I’d better prepare to slay the monsters when they emerged out of the dark. I better be ready. Last night (and it was dark I might add) I was sitting here on the couch, emerged in my iPad, reading and responding to comments on WordPress. Not a thought about the bracelet and I had forgotten all about it. Everything is fine and after awhile I decide to indulge myself into holding a real book (I’m a sucker for books and there is just something about holding the pages in your hand). I’m in for a real treat as I pick up “Lost on the Appalachian Trail” by a friend Kyle Rohrig (Mayor) who is also here on WordPress under themayorhikes.wordpress.com. You just have to check it out for yourself and believe me when I say that you won’t be disappointed. It’s a story of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, a great tale of adventure, the strength of the human spirit, filled with challenges, overcoming and prevailing, as well as the wit, humor and just plain laugh out loud moments, even if they come at the expense of the author. I’m sure he can laugh about some of these moments by now and after successfully completing the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) just recently, I’m sure many such moments have added to the memory bank since the Appalachian Trail. And on top of it it’s a great book for any animal lover as he shares the journey with his beloved “Catfox” Katana a Siba Inu with a mind of her own. And so it was that I’m sitting here, by myself, in the middle of the night laughing out loud reading his words. They describe the situation so vivid and in such great detail that I can visualize the whole thing and feel as if I’m right there.

I read for awhile, it’s getting late and I’m going to check WordPress one more time before bed. I grab the iPad and there is nothing but the “Black screen of death”. Initially I didn’t even know such a thing existed. It’s literally non responsive and I can’t turn it on or off, heck who even knew if it was on or off. All there is, is the black screen. I mess around with it for awhile to no avail and eventually have to give up because it’s almost midnight and I have to work early in the morning.

In bed by now, I try to forget about the whole thing and put worries aside as the thoughts of self demise creep in. Oh my goodness how am I going to write my blog, pay my bills online, do I have to get another iPad, and worse has somebody hacked me and is stealing my blog. Needless to say I couldn’t sleep and I grab the iPad once more. I alternately hit the home button and the power button while nothing happens and I guess I’m talking to myself throughout the whole process. All of a sudden, black screen and all, I hear Siri saying “Mmmmh, that’s an interesting question Rhapsody”. Definitely not what I had expected at this point (not funny Siri) but it’s comical now, even though last night was a different story. She talked a few more times but that was all I got as far as any response trying to restore the iPad. Still paranoid with my mind taking off into all kinds of weird directions, oh wait ….this is all happening because I lost my “Faith Bracelets”, I now grab the iPhone. I have to check for any suspicious activity, even check my finances to see if aliens have taking over demanding a ransom in exchange for a working and functioning iPad. Nothing, until I finally get the brilliant idea to google the cause for the “Black screen of death” and you might say “Gee what took you so long”. I know right, I know, but in my defense, it was late and I think I had left all of my brain cells at work over the past few days. I was mentally exhausted. But luckily enough my brain managed to produce one more brilliant thought for the day and I found a tip on how to fix the non responsive screen. Hold the home and power button at the same time and count to ten. Seven, eight, nine and then magic…..tah tah and miraculously the apple icon appears and the gadget springs back into action as if nothing ever happened. Ahhh major relief….

I’m sure some of you can relate and have similar stories. And I’m sure some of you smile at my little story by now. Perhaps it was payback and karma for laughing at some of Kyle’s trail mishaps, but why ….it was all in good fun and I meant no harm. For sure it was merely a reminder of how dependent we have become in regards to our technology. Heaven forbid if we had to return to our old ways, perhaps even write a paper check. Do you remember those times? But for tonight I slay’ed the doom and all of its monsters. Peace is restored once more as I drift off to sleep and rest assured 😉

When I grow up…

Driving to work this morning, I had a feeling as if I was driving into the wrong direction. I wanted to drive “from” work instead of “to” work, to go back doing what I love, back to the trail or back to writing. Don’t get me wrong I like my job and once I got going the day actually flew by. I love being in a position that allows me to contribute and I’m lucky that I can make a difference for some people. But let’s face it, if I had to choose between going to work and being able to make a difference writing, it’s a no brainer which one I would choose. Writing is a much bigger platform and your work has no limits as to how many people you can reach worldwide. I was beginning to feel that the modest confines of my “work building” and the handful of people that I could reach, were simply not enough anymore. But for now, nothing changed and whoever I could reach in some way, would remain equally important to me. In a strange way my intuition said that I was about to embark on something great. I didn’t know what that would be and I had no expectations about the future, but already i had found something great in the people that I had met here on WordPress. I had found a purpose that was lacking before. Maybe that was linked to my hunch about what was lying ahead and time would tell as it always does. 

While driving I was indulging myself in dreams and vaguely thoughts flashed by me like little messengers trying to direct my thoughts. I realized that never before had I known with such intend what I wanted to be when I grow up. And while I was well into my adult years, I came to the conclusion that perhaps I had chased a career that was never meant to be for me. If anything stood out from it, it would be that it is never too late to change and that anything is possible. I reminded myself quiet often of it and I knew that it had become my motto. Something that I held onto, something that was giving me the inspiration to believe. So now what? Was this the moment I jump off the hamster wheel?

Three month ago as I started this blog, I wanted to be a writer and felt a strong calling to put my thoughts onto paper. A week ago this happened and the humble little blog has grown to over 200 followers. I’m truly amazed about the support and the love you have shown me and I can’t thank you enough. 

This encompasses so much I want to mention and yet for some reason I feel challenged to find the right words to truly pay homage to you. Nothing can express my gratitude for your time spent, for your comments to my posts and the encouragements to keep going . While your words and feedback means the world, they also allow me a glimpse into your lives and I love to meet new people on a daily basis. 

I’m not sure if there will ever be a point when the words will cease, where there is nothing to convey, but I surely hope I never see that day. Frankly I didn’t know what to expect as I started and I remember thinking about how cool it would be to be a writer. I guess I have achieved that and somebody once said that if you write every day, well then you are a writer. I never said that I was a good writer, but good or bad, I write. Mission accomplished, right? Well not exactly and my mission has changed a bit.

The bar is raised and my goals have changed. I owe this new wonderful dream to a few very special individuals that have inspired me through their words to become a storyteller. No longer do I want to convey just content and data and I hope it was never as drastic as it sounds. To me there is magic in storytelling and it’s a place that captures the reader in an escape from a reality that might have become too serious. To help you feel good inside and to inspire hope and believe. Perhaps to make you pause and re-evaluate what is truly important in your hectic life. To indulge yourself in magic and reaffirm that you are not alone. To remind you that others have been on that same path you find yourself on and comfort your journey. To free that inner child and laugh until it hurts. 

I have grown up a long time ago, but I don’t take myself too seriously and try to remain a kid at heart. I have to say that it is for the first time that I truly know where my place is in this world. What I want from life, how I want to contribute to society and how I want to refine who I am growing into as a person. And even now after all these years, it is that I realize more than ever that it is never too late to change your stars. 

As for me, I dream to whisk you away and weave you up in the magic of storytelling. To help you escape and pursue your hopes and dreams. And for you I hope you shoot for the stars and make your own magic come alive in any way you possibly can. 

Xoxoxoxo ❤️

Trail magic

Just recently I had the pleasure to learn about trail magic and I will go into detail of this came about in a later post. The subject deserves a post all of its own, and I don’t want to distract from a special message. Anyways, trail magic is a term used amongst thru hikers, especially long distance hikers. Trail magic could happen if a Good Samaritan leaves a meal behind for these hikers, maybe it could entail clothing, shelters and whatever else useful to somebody who has been out on the trail for weeks, even months. These simple things can become valuable as gold once stripped from the conveniences of every day comfort.That was the first part that inspired this post about trail magic. 

The second part came from my love of travel and it has become tradition to take a few days off in October before the holiday madness would choke the life right out of me. For the first time ever, this would not be possible this year, and this alone could have been enough to send me into a depressive state. Literally. Ok maybe not this serious but my adventure time is very important to me and as an empath I recharge in nature. I don’t compromise on it easily and I don’t take it for granted. Beyond my limits this year, October would have to move to January and it would be the earliest time I could request time off. Ugggghhhh is it January yet? 

I recalled a camping trip along highway 1 and the Californian coastline. And yes, I had deliberately begun to torture myself. Why even think about it, it wasn’t in the cards this year, and it was clear that all of what was in my immediate future, was work. This ocean adventure ended up with a trip to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, where magic happens every day. And then it hit me and I thought of something that made me smile big, bigger and yes even bigger. Just like Disneyland, the trail had always been a magical place for me. I decided to bring a little trail magic of my own. No I wasn’t going to leave food, as most thru hikers would have completed their adventures already before winter was sweeping over the land, and no I wasn’t going to leave a blanket or some clothing behind. I had something other in mind that would require me to be a part of the magic. 

The day started around 9Am, kind of late as the days are so short already, but there is something so nice and relaxing to ease into your day off with a cup of coffee and no rush. Our journey took us north towards Lassen volcanic park which is an amazing place all by itself, but the final destination would take us off course to a different location. It was gloomy with patches of low hanging clouds until we reached what looked like a cloud roll that spread for miles across the ground. It seemed as if it had jumped out of the sky to take a little break and rest while kicking back on the farm fields. It was unusual to say the least and I kept admiring it’s appearance. The road started to clear up ahead but I also spotted another cloud field way ahead. Or so I thought. Getting closer I could smell it and I soon found out that it was a controlled burn, so bad, I never seen one so thick of smoke and it nearly sent me into a panic gasping for air. I had to talk myself through it, calming myself and luckily the air quality slowly but surely got better. How the heck did I ever smoked for so many years. Nowadays I struggled to tolerate smoke and it felt as if I was choking for air whenever I was around a smoker. 

Another wall of clouds was lying ahead and I was relieved to find out that it was exactly that. Clouds and thank goodness no more smoke. In Quincy, we turned left towards Bucks Lake and shortly after passed a man on a tiny moped. It really was way too small for him but the thing even funnier than that was the metal basked on the back of the moped and the rubber chicken that was secured to it, now staring me in the face. Over the years, we had too many moments like these to count, always making them result in a funny memory. Funny, unusual things that may be dumb to some people, but if you are easily amused and you have a good sense of humor, well you get the picture. You kind of live for these moments and yep it’s just like being a bunch of big kids. 

Shortly after the human meets chicken encounter we reached our turnoff to leave civilization behind and climb three miles into our mountain lake paradise. As the dirt road climbed through the forest, I finally found my fall color. Yellow, orange and red leaved trees were competing in the morning sun giving the forest a magical glow. Here and there a few sun rays would find their way through the thick leaf cover to shine their light like a flashlight onto the forest road. “The destination is the journey” I thought to myself. Another thing I had read and something that has always been close to my heart even before I came across this saying. I was about to hike my first few steps and I had been in the car for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Yet the adventure had long begun and started with the first mile of driving. 

We arrived at Silver Lake and the trail greeted me with all of its magic. It was time to pay homage with my own greeting and my own magic and I put them on. I brought my own magic from Disneyland, my Mickey ears and in a way this single day became my October getaway. With the ears securely sitting on top of my head, no other human came in contact with this human mouse wandering through the woods. The trail climbed steeply up a ridge where it would level out and become more gradual. Turning around to look back at Silver Lake, now lying beneath me, I saw snow covered Lassen Peak in the distance barely peaking over the tree line. It looked so close, almost within reach due to the sheer size of it, but I knew it was a ways away and it was a nice bonus to catch glimpse from afar. The trail was fairly smooth, gradual, solid dirt, partially covered with pine needles which gave it little extra cushion for a padded feel. Soon it got rocky and harder to maneuver, which also makes it harder on the feet. There was a storm brewing further north that my bones could forecast in the pressure changes. Today would be one of those days I’d come to rely on my wooden staff for balance just a little more. The aching pains in the feet can make me feel clumsy when dealing with weather conditions and unfortunately not all hiking days are created equal for me. 

Soon we reached Gold Lake, another lake lying in a granite alpine bowl. This would be our end destination for the day and a place to stay for awhile. Getting off trail we found a sunny spot high above the lake that offered stunning views and a round soft padded ground spot just in front of a huge pine tree that was pretty to look at but wouldn’t steal our sunshine. We had worked up an appetite and ate our subs and of course more trail magic….cookies while admiring the lake below. It was warm enough to sun bath and perhaps work on that base tan with no tan lines (an ongoing joke) for one of the last times for this year. The sun felt good and it was very soothing to watch the big tree slightly swaying back and forth in the breeze. From time to time a bird came to visit it and you could watch a squirrel in the distance and that was really it. Nothing more….bliss. And how could any day be complete without the magic of a little nap in a place like this. Nature and “Trail magic” at its best. ❤️

Got Heart?

Got Heart?

I found this heart growing out of the mountain during my hike yesterday and it captured my attention.

It’s definitely unique and a great reminder to have heart and to be good to your heart.

What was something that touched your heart last?

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay tuned for more pics from my hike.