"The Oasis of my Soul"... a Lifelong Journey...

[BEEMERCHEF]

On our way South, for now. NV.

These times have been almost as ÔÇ£where are we now?ÔÇØ. My Journal entries are still stuck in Gold Point and Hard Luck Castle, even though we actually are spending another night in Kingman before heading back to Tucson for Robin's Birthday which will be followed by a Concert of the B52's. I miss Gold Point, the quiet and serene times, the roads barely traveled by anyone but us, the little Ghost Town itself of 7 with Herb and Sandy being at the forefront of it all, including a dinner we had Saturday night. A great dinner! Unfortunately we had to leave. A couple days in Las Vegas at my Friends Christine and Jason needing some front brake repair as ÔÇ£Motorcycle Tire CenterÔÇØ promptly and with a big smile took care of ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ. Then on a couple days to re-visit ÔÇ£Valley of FireÔÇØ where camping is only allowed in a couple campgrounds and now as mentioned on our way south as we will then turn around and follow the weather for the summer. North that is as the South is starting to heat up.
More photos on the Journal...
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

Then and Now. Life. Tucson, AZ.

Steve Azar, yes, as we are now entering the ÔÇ£Country MusicÔÇØ charts (a bit of humor here...) has made this great video of us depicting in less than 3 minutes what it has taken us these past years, a video with his song ÔÇ£Hard RoadÔÇØ. As we sit here in Tucson right now for a couple more days for my Friend's Birthday, watching such images and listening to such words brings on, I cannot help it, so many of recent past remembrances of us on this road we have embraced. All is only hard as much as we want to make it even if at times one cannot see it any other way. Hope and Faith in this Life of ours has become a must, a daily ÔÇ£headlineÔÇØ. I have realized not long ago all is about ÔÇ£acceptanceÔÇØ as the choices are not of many. Sitting amongst four walls was never an option, one then while on the road can only be subjected to it's surroundings, the physical ones such as 'Mother Nature'sÔÇØ moods and their own ÔÇ£mental onesÔÇØ as dealing with cards overturned in recent past. It all turns out to be a package deal sometimes stumbling and at others sailing through as when all the Stars seem so perfectly aligned as they have been these past days. In a few we will again take off, probably within some cooler evening hours and head up toward the higher elevations of Utah... in a few.
Enjoy the video.
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

ÔÇ£Show LowÔÇØ with a smile. AZ

Tucson is behind us, hundreds, thousands of miles lay ahead of us, summer and fall do too, what an incredible scenario. Yet, we have not made further than a couple hundred miles as when being in Globe I remembered in ÔÇ£Show LowÔÇØ my Friends Dean and Pam had taken residence building this compound since 2006. I conjunction with not so good weather passing by, snow this morning (!!!), well, we are still here enjoying the ÔÇ£BarnÔÇØ, some serious cooking, Friendships and much chatting. It does not get ant better than this. One night turned into two, as we will leave tomorrow morning it will be three. How time passes by! Spirit has a couple new Friends, ÔÇ£EinsteinÔÇØ and ÔÇ£BuddyÔÇØ and ÔÇ£EinsteinÔÇØ and him have been playing like I had never seen Spirit before. It is going to be sad to pull them apart when we leave as much as I am sure we will be back. How can we not! Discovering new roads from Tucson such as 77 to Globe and 60 bringing us here, ÔÇ£Tonto National ForestÔÇØ and all it's well maintained service roads, all has been a plus and will see us again.
Enjoy the photos and some recent thoughts...

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

I am touched ÔÇ£Thank YouÔÇØ, Show Low. AZ

The ride? Well, it turned out to be a U-Turn about 100 miles into it from Show Low. The skies were falling on us ahead only a few miles, unlike felt gusts of wind and rain did catch up with us, it was a race back to Holbrook, Arizona, taking cover in a depressing Motel room. They truly always are. So we never made it to ÔÇ£Valley of the GodsÔÇØ, ÔÇ£BoulderÔÇØ, ÔÇ£EscalanteÔÇØ and on. We live on the road, there is no rush, no hurry, only some common sense to move on with the weather which lately has not cooperated too well. The upside are photos which I enjoy taking while the clouds, cotton balls turning into menacing vessels in the skies pass by, I will always stop regardless. We are back in Show Low sheltered by the incredible hospitality of Dean and Pam, we are getting to know each other well within this ÔÇ£OasisÔÇØ of theirs. It is always a matter of regrouping before taking on the awaiting miles again, hopefully this time a smoother ride.
Arizona Highways... then came the rain!
Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

Motorcyclist Cafe Barn & Bunkhouse, Show Low, AZ

How about that! We are still under the hospitable wings of Dean and Pam at their ÔÇ£Motorcycle Cafe Barn & BunkhouseÔÇØ in Show Low, Arizona. Turning my back on a few blood tests lately has only left me with the decision to have a biopsy. This past Friday Dean drove the 440 mile round trip to Tucson and now it is for a couple weeks just a matter of keeping my fingers crossed and awaiting for the results. I have to keep the Faith of Life going as a few different scenarios are awaiting, obscure and unknown at the present. We are longing for the road and yet, being here has been relaxing, enriching as the company at times chatting, at other times cooking and sharing a meal has been a highlight of our Journey. How can one ÔÇ£thankÔÇØ enough for such gesture? The World sure is filled with such good people as we have always crossed path with them these past years. They seem to be not advertised! Seemingly only the bad news escape and make up the headlines so often read. One does need to believe that the ÔÇ£goodnessÔÇØ of many roams freely amongst us. They are here and there, they are indeed everywhere. I took some photos of what here we call ÔÇ£the barnÔÇØ... it will give everyone an idea what one can do for other. Enjoy.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

Mind Games ÔÇ£The Incertitude of LifeÔÇØ. Bluff, Utah

Rollercoaster it has been as yet we are comfortably camping in Bluff, Utah. Just mind games one goes through when outcomes of personal Health is yet to be announced. The scenarios? If the Nurse calls all is well... if the Dr calls, well, more scenarios on the forefront. I woke up this morning after the best night sleep ever as I always do in our tent, I woke up from a dream that sounded so real. I was on the phone with the Nurse and all was well. Message? I can only believe in it, there is no harm, there is much to gain. I am avoiding ÔÇ£primitive campingÔÇØ for now only to have the ability to be reached when needed and this ÔÇ£Cadillac ParkÔÇØ is truly one of the most beautiful one we have been in. It feels as ÔÇ£homeÔÇØ to us, shaded site till late afternoon, quiet as only listening to the birds, the frogs and bullfrogs sounding like a heard of cows calling each other. The rides are of many, we have only been to the Gooseneck and Mexican Hat, we are taking it easy, Valley of the Gods will be next and an area filled with Hoodoos only locals know about. We have been here before, this is landscape and a space I never get tired of.
Till next time...


Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

The Silhouettes... ÔÇ£Valley of the GodsÔÇØ, Utah

Again, so fitting. ÔÇ£Valley of the GodsÔÇØ. So near by when the sweet nurse's voice announced as I almost dropped the phone ÔÇ£no cancerÔÇØ. Life came back rushing in with the strength of a hurricane force, my heart missed a couple beats, ÔÇ£are you sure....ÔÇØ I kept asking. With such high PSA numbers I can only see this as a miracle or as otherwise the Medical Field trying to continuously scare us ÔÇ£menÔÇØ of a certain age. The ride, the always magical loop on this 17 mile dirt road was then of the best I have ever experienced. Priorities suddenly changed, ÔÇ£livingÔÇØ again and again came at the forefront of my soul, just living, nothing else truly now matters. We are still near by, we now have a mechanical problem with ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ which I guess decided ÔÇ£well, if you are OK it is now my turn...ÔÇØ. I have no clue yet, could be throughout the transmission or the final drive, we might have to backtrack into the heat of Tucson for some repair. Seems this summer all has been delayed for our northern arrival... but then again, who cares! I am alive, Spirit will have to put up with me a bit longer, that is all that matters. Thank you for all that have send me your prayers and your incredible well wishes. Enjoy the Video and more photos on the Journal.Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

Help needed in Tucson, down for some major repairs. AZ

A difficult entry, thoughts traversing right and left, the fear of not being able to cover the repairs. As it stands right now, we cannot. It is the big one. We only have a few days ahead while staying at a Friend's house, the heat is intense here in Tucson and no transportation. I swallowed my pride in this new entry and in the Journal asking for help comparing these 658 chapters written these past almost 5 years, thousands of photos, maps, a few recipes, as the physical entity of a few Coffee Table Books, a subscription for a magazine? We are cornered. A couple days ago, only 50 miles into our ride the rear wheel locked, foreign loud noises of metal coming to pieces, I knew it was going to be it for a while. Our Dear Friend ÔÇ£DeanÔÇØ drove 780 miles these past two days to get us to Tucson at the ÔÇ£Iron HorseÔÇØ BMW Motorcycle Dealer. Amazing how Life has it's valleys and peaks... It was not long ago awaiting for biopsy results on myself, today it is awaiting for a different kind of mechanical illness to be taken care off. I am hoping to have this ability to appeal to our readers, I know at this point the future path depends on you, it truly does. It was an interesting concept how ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ was put on the trailer and taken off. Many have already been involved through this process of getting her here hoping for many more to get her out of here and get us going again.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[-CRASH-]

I also sent an e-mail off to BMW. Customer service was the only readily available but will poke some more. I asked them to look at the blog and see if they could help as it would be a tremendous gesture and PR opportunity.

[Mike_Philippens]

Good times - bad times... Great to hear you're allright. In the end, your health is so much more important than a bike. But I can see that the bike has become more to you than a mode of transportation and I would feel terrible too when it would break down on a 'lifelong yourney' like the one you're on.
I hope it'll come together one way or the other so that Spirit and yourself can keep on making us smile with your delightful road reports.

[BEEMERCHEF]

Overwhelmed. ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ rides on... AZ

All this happened too fast almost. The breakdown, 2 days to get to Tucson on a trailer, an outpouring wave of help and suddenly as fast seemingly as it happened ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ is back on the road. ÔÇ£Iron HorseÔÇØ in Tucson overwhelmed me, their handle on the situation has been exceptional. What a sweet sight it has been of ÔÇ£Old FaithfulÔÇØ in my Friend's garage while she is being ÔÇ£harnessedÔÇØ again ready to take off Thursday morning. Boulder/Escalante in Utah... we have been trying to get there for it seems weeks now! The biopsy, the breakdown, this time it is a green light toward the weeks ahead rekindling our relationship with Mother Nature. So many have come forward as I sit here thanking everyone individually. It might take some time but it will get done.
Tucson has been hot, hot for us, and the only ÔÇ£driveÔÇØ was up one morning very early, Father's Day, up Arivaca Road which is also the road many locals ride. It was too early for any other vehicle, I needed some time alone to reminisce on my past times with Lance while the Sunrise, a beautiful one, was taking place on this Day always filled with the past memories. What a week it has been.
Finally up is part III video of our Valley of the Gods ride and the sunrise photos...
ÔÇ£Thank youÔÇØ all that have come forward, those two words will never be enough.

Be safe and well.
Peace, Love and Courage.

Ara & Spirit

[Mike_Philippens]

Great to hear the bike is fixed! I was getting worried...

[BEEMERCHEF]

Great to hear the bike is fixed! I was getting worried...

I was too!!! Thanks... See below!





Could you vote for us in this photo contest which we are a semi-finalist to be chosen as a "theme" for an upcoming Ron Howard Movie? 2 days left...
There are 29 photos left in the contest. Here are the instructions (they could have made it easier!). Don't try any other way...
Open the link and click on "Enter Gallery" on the top left. Scroll with the "right top arrow" the film strip and you will find our photo, one click will do. Our photo will come up as a thumbnail, click on the photo, the photo will come up and you can vote for us... please...
Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/ImaginationTHANK YOU....

Ara & Spirit

[womanridge]

Done!

I was too!!! Thanks... See below!



Could you vote for us in this photo contest which we are a semi-finalist to be chosen as a "theme" for an upcoming Ron Howard Movie? 2 days left...


Ara & Spirit

[BEEMERCHEF]

You are all so great!!! One day left...
For those who still want to vote (you can only vote once) I found this much easier link...

http://www.youtube.com/imagination?x=us_hausswf_40383

Thank you for your support! We are having a good run...

Be well, always.
Ara & Spirit