Our Journey Into The Wilderness

Camping at Del Valle Campground – Continues

Part 3

CAMPING AT DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK

April 3, 2009 – Day 3 – Friday

I slept pretty well on our second night out with the exception of our neighboring campers staying up late talking. The morning was cool, but pleasant. Shiloh and I took our morning walk around camp and visited our friends, the horses. They remembered us and came to greet our arrival. They aren’t showing the hesitation they exhibited when they first saw Shiloh on the first and second day. This would become our daily ritual for the first two weeks stay at this campsite, and then we will be moving to another campsite for two weeks in a different camping area within the main campground and we would be further away from the horses.

For breakfast, I put some coffee on and cooked up some bacon and eggs for Shiloh and I. It was a good breakfast, where food always seems to taste better while camping.

I was noticing some of the birds in the area and there were a number of yellow-bill magpies, crows, scrub jays, acorn woodpeckers, and doves, along with other species of smaller birds such as the dark-eyed junco. The yellow-bill magpies seems to be the hierarchy of all the birds (from my observation) in the area except for the predatory birds, and pushes all the other birds away when there are good food pick-in’s around the campsites. The magpies are a very beautiful bird and very interesting to watch as are the crows, and jays. They seem to show more of a personality than most birds.

The wild turkeys were gobbling from a distance in the oak covered hillside. Throughout our stay, we never actually saw any turkeys that I thought to be unusual. There is a large population of wild turkey in the whole Tri-Valley foothills, stretching from north to south for many miles. And for many people the turkey is becoming a big nuisance.

As for the magpies, crows, and scrub jays, they are always looking for an easy hand out, or for any opportunity to grab any tidbits unsuspecting campers have left on the picnic table or lying around. They are the scavengers of the campgrounds. If you don’t eat it, they would be happy to take it off your hands.

Our campsite was #131 in Camp Site Area D. It is relatively small, but large enough for one person and his big dog. It is one of the nicer campsites in Area D. Before camping here, I had come to Del Valle to check out all the campsites to see which ones were the nicest and would worked best for Shiloh and I. I then put together a list of potential campsites we liked, and I then made the reservations. I was lucky to get this one. It had a good flat area for the tent with a half decent separation between each campsite. It provided a little more privacy compared to the other campsites. Our site also provides us with sun and shade, as with some tree protection from the northerly winds.

I was originally going to try and stay for two months at Del Valle, but soon realized one month is more than enough considering the amount of people and the types of people who visit the park. There are many campers that come for the weekend, many to just party, and to be loud and obnoxious. We have become a society where we go into nature to get drunk, and to be disrespectful of other campers and to nature. Many ignore the 10:00 PM “Quiet Time.” Some will go on being a big disturbance till 3:00 AM. I always get my blood streaming with people like that.

Shiloh has been exceptionally good staying in camp and not wondering off to far from our campsite. He finds a comfortable spot to lay where he has a clear view of the area, and he is always looking, listening and smelling all the new things around him. He finds all the ground squirrels running around very interesting. Shiloh would be typically napping at home during the day, but with his new surroundings, there is way too much to stimulate his senses. I think he is enjoying this experience as much as I am.

The skies were clear on this day, with a nice cool breeze blowing through camp. We planned on staying around the lake for the day and just enjoy the sights, and sounds of the oak studded foothills and valley.

Though the weather for the month of April was usually cool, there was no real need for a campfire. But what would camping be without a small fire to warm the soul.

Being that the day was Friday I was anticipate a lot of campers coming in for the weekend. I was not really looking forward to the crowds and noise.

Today we met Kevin, our next door neighbor, and he seems to be a nice enough guy. He told me he comes up to Del Valle quite often for a little R & R from his business as a swimming pool maintenance guy from across the San Francisco bay. I did find him very inquisitive, and asking very interesting questions. He would ask me the same question two or three times seeing if I would give him a different answer. He asked me if I was Gay (homosexual), guessing because I told him I have never been married, and if I was homeless, probably because I told him I was staying here for a month. Both questions I replied with a “No.”

The night before, Kevin told me he had a visiting camper he met earlier, who joined him for dinner. Kevin told me his new found friend was homeless. He invited me and Shiloh over for dinner, but I declined, because I had food I needed to eat before it went bad. I am sure Shiloh would not have had a problem seeing what the neighbor had to offer for any left over scraps. When ever meat is involved, Shiloh is always happy to help out obligingly in eating whatever is offered. He doesn’t like wasting a good piece of meat if he can help it.

Shiloh and I just stayed around camp in the early part of the day and then headed to town for firewood and some groceries. It was late afternoon when we returned back to camp, unloaded our supplies and headed for the lake for a nice walk. That portion of the lake trail which is on the east side, and dogs are allowed off leash, so I let Shiloh off leash.

On our lake walk the day before, we saw a blue heron, coots, male and female mallard ducks and some killdeers. As soon as we reached the lake where there was easy access to the lake shoreline from the trail, Shiloh was in the water, biting at the water and splashing around having a good old time, and then once out of the water he would have this burst of energy and he would start running all around like something just bit him in the behind. He was hilarious to watch and I enjoyed the thought of him having so much fun. This is what it is all about. Shiloh wouldn’t swim, but loved playing in the shallows of the shoreline.

Further up the trail there is a large open area next to the lake they use for group camping, this has been our turn around point of our walk for most of our day walks. I let Shiloh play in the water some and I just observe what new things I can see, before we head back. And occasionally I will throw sticks to him to fetch or he would find his own stick to play with. When no one is around, the lake is a very peaceful, and beautiful place to enjoy the quiet and solitude of nature. I look forward to spending a lot of time in this peaceful place with Shiloh. It is a magical place and even more so with Shiloh with me.

The winds had calmed down for the day, yet it felt colder in the evening. The winds picked up becoming stronger, and was really blowing through the night.

We had to be ready for an early start the next day for spring shots for my last horse, Joey. Because of the bad economy, I was forced to sell all my horses but for Joey. Joey hadn’t been ridden since I got him about two years ago, so I focused on selling the horses I knew would sell first. I had a total of five horses. Two horses I gave away and two I sold dirt cheap to pay for back boarding rent. One of the horses I gave away was Lacy. She was my first horse I had owned and she was the most challenging. But she was a great horse and I learned a lot about horses from her. She had taught me well in patience. I had her for eleven years. She was the most difficult to lose. We had a deep bond. I had many great and fun rides with her although she was very head strong. She was known to everyone who knew her as Crazy Lacy because she had a mind of her own. Some people thought she was a dangerous horse, but she really wasn’t. Though she would fight me occasionally, she had a loving heart for people and she attached herself to other horses as a protective mother would be to her child. The first six months I had her she constantly fought me, but when I moved her to a different environment she had totally changed from fighting me to working with me. She definitely was not the best trained horse and not the best horse for some people. I had to work with her a lot, and the more I rode her, the better she became, but she had her own spirit and showed it occasionally. When a female was on her back, Lacy had more of a trust. It took me some time to get that trust with her.

About a year ago, we did the Poker Ride at Del Valle, I brought Lacy with me. There were a lot of horses with lots of energy and a lot of commotion going on with all the horses. Lacy was the perfect lady. She would usually get wound up with the other horses. We rode with a group of friends, about seven of us all told and the ride began very relaxed. Lacy was in the lead and she preferred it that way. We were one of the slower groups, and riders and horses began passing us by. More and more groups of riders were asking to go by and then Lacy began acting up a little because she wanted to catch up to those horses that had just passed us and that got all the other horses in our group excited.

Just to give a little background on our riding experiences, Lacy Girl was a Missouri Foxtrotter with a very fast walk. She could walk as fast as many other horses could trot and even pass them with ease at even a faster walk. She had three speeds in her walking gait. And it was as smooth as glass. She also liked being in the lead which can cause a few problems. We were only able to ride with certain riders and with certain horses which was also a problem at times.

Usually Lacy got the blame for getting other peoples horses all excited and I sensed this was happening on this ride, so I asked the group I was in if I could ride ahead? And of course they were more than happy to say yes to my suggestion. And it was fine with me.

Ever since I have had Lacy, I have always wanted to just let her loose and I would just joy the ride. And finally I had my chance. I of course had to be considerate of other riders, because this was not a race type of event. Every time we met up with other riders we would ask to pass and then I would just let Lacy go after we got a distance away from the other horses so as not to get them all riled up. It was like a joy ride for Lacy and I. The whole ride we cantered, did a little running and much of the time she did her incredible smooth and fast walk. It was a great ride with her. When we were almost to the end of our ride, Lacy began slowing down, then stopped and looked back. I was just observing her. She would do this to determine where the other horses were that she had past. She would always do this if we got too far ahead of the other riders. Once she heard the horses, she would then continue on. I would always let her do this because it was always amazing to me that she was always concerned with the other horses (her herd), behind us. Once she knew where the horses were on our ride we just slowly walked to the starting point of the ride. I had realized we had past every single group of horses in this event that had past us (which were quite a few) in the beginning of the ride. She was once again the lead horse. Others who had the chance to ride Lacy (all women), understood her spirit.

I have had many incredible rides with Lacy, but by far this was the best, because it was just me and her.

Having horses and being able to have incredible experiences with them was truly a wonderful gift in my life. Of the many life changing experiences I have had, having horses was one of the best.

Losing my horses was a difficult time for me. And in 2007 I had lost Shawnee, my other dog. She was only four. That event was extremely difficult for me, and I am sure Shiloh missed her as well. They both loved each other and I was concerned how Shiloh would take her loss. I was never able to really tell if he was depressed or not that she was not around. I was very fortunate to have Shiloh during that difficult time. He eased the pain I was feeling for the loss of Shawnee and I was able to focus on our bond strengthening with each other. From that point on, he never really left my side. We were two peas in a pod.

April 4, 2009 – Day 4 – Saturday

Shiloh and I got up at 6:30 am, took our walk to see the horses and then left for the ranch where I had Joey boarded.

It was the coolest day so far with everything covered in frost this morning.

It was good to see little Joey. Joey is a black and white Missouri Foxtrotter. I left Shiloh in the truck so he wouldn’t chase or scare the horses and I went back into the back pasture to get Joey. It was no trouble getting him. I walk up to where he was standing, put the halter on him and walked him out. He was a good boy.

Though I did not spend very much time with Joey compared to the other horses, he had a very sweet temperament and I am sorry I did not give him more attention. It was not that I totally ignored him, but I could have given him more attention.

At a later date the lady who took Lacy asked me if they could take care of Joey for me and at the same time she would look for an appropriate buyer for him. I had a friend work with him occasionally at the stables ,and he was responding well with her. I had one guy look at him for his wife when I still had him and he rode Joey while his wife watched. At first I thought he may have been a good rider until he almost ran Joey and himself into a fence. I sensed Joey really did not like men riding him. When the lady took Joey back to her ranch, she couldn’t wait to ride him so before they reached their place they stopped at an area where she could ride Joey and hopped on him bare back. She said Joey was great. That was a big relief. Eventually she was able to sell Joey for me. She was a wonderful lady and you could tell she loved horses – she loved all animals. She had a warm heart with horses and the horses seemed to know this. I was grateful she was the one who got Lacy.

After the shots clinic we headed over to my friends house where we would be staying to get my computer running so I could do some contracts for new jobs.

When we were going back to Del Valle, Shiloh got sick and threw up on himself and in the truck. We skipped our walk to the lake, so Shiloh could rest and take it easy in camp.

A group of campers came in late afternoon on Friday and took the campsite next to Kevin. I believe their nationality was Ukrainian. They were loud and obnoxious all night and into the early morning. They were not prepared for the winds that night and woke with collapsed tents. Kevin said his camper was rocking every which way. Our tent stood firm in the wind.

Kevin was not happy nor was I with their loud noise so late in the night. They did apologize to Kevin and gave him some homemade Ukrainian style jerky. That helped ease the anger. They gave me some jerky as well and apologized to me.

It is unfortunate there can’t be that respect for others when in this environment, because this environment brings those who want to just enjoy the simplicity of nature. Then there are those who just sees this place as just another place to party and getting high or drunk. It seems it is not about being in nature and experiencing the beautiful surroundings this place offers to us. Most people unfortunately have become totally disconnected with nature in our modern society, and unappreciative of her, and all she brings to us. But I also give the Ukrainian’s credit for apologizing, most people wouldn’t care or make the effort. I talked with them when they were leaving on Sunday and they were really nice people, but still, it can ruin a persons experience when wanting to just take it easy. I suppose if people just followed the “Quiet Time” rules, It would not really be an issue.

On the weekend, the campsites were about a third full and it was much quieter than I had expected.

Kevin and his noisy neighbors (who I found out later were actually Bosnian) made friends and they shared some of their homemade Bosnian jerky with Kevin. Kevin then shared half the delicious jerky with Shiloh and I. All three of us thought it was excellent jerky – the best I have ever had. It seems it is better to make friends rather than enemies.

I have a tendency of getting irritated by people who seem to have no respect for other people. But then again, people will be people and I am sure they don’t do it intentionally, they just are out to have a little fun. Maybe I need to lighten up a little a bit.

While we went for a short evening walk around camp, I was looking at the array of spring flowers and noticed a very interesting plant. It may have been a flower, but the flower or leaves were saucer shaped. Not sure what kind of plant it was.

April 5, 2009 – Day 5 – Sunday

I slept pretty well for the night. About mid-night the winds began to howl like a pack of wolves and never stopped until about 9:00 am. We got up at 8:00 am with the wind still blowing strong. Our tent stood firm in the gale force winds though other campers did not fair so well with theirs. It doesn’t take too much to collapse a tent if it is not tied down properly. Shiloh did not have a lot of energy the day prior and seems he is doing better on this morning. We went to visit with Kevin at his camp, had a cup of coffee with him and Kevin shared a dog treat for Shiloh. Shiloh liked Kevin.

We went on our morning walk to see the horses, but they were too far away and had no mind to take the energy to come see us. The winds were calm now with just a nice cool gentle breeze and a clear sunny day. We had planned to spend the day at the lake for some exercise, some observing and for Shiloh to take a splash in the lake. I was hoping maybe it would take some of the throw-up smell off of him or at least cover it up with the lake smell.

Some of the birds we have seen are the yellow-billed magpies, scrub jays, crows, acorn wood- peckers, quail, dove, red-winged black birds and Turkey vultures, but no red-tailed hawks. I was told osprey, golden eagles and bald eagles have visited here. A bald eagles nest can be seen from across the lake on the west side.

On our lake walk, we ventured further then usual and we spotted a bobcat. First time I have seen one in the wild. It was pretty exciting. He or she was just walking on the trail checking things out as we were. I quickly put the lease on Shiloh, so he wouldn’t go after it. We also saw a turtle by the lakeside.

There are many species of birds, raptors, and mammals that reside here, or with the birds, a stopping ground during migration.

Almost near the end of our walk of the lake trail from our return point for our walk back, I looked up into the sky and saw a number of turkey vultures circling high in the sky and with them was a crow flying with them. Everywhere they moved, the crow followed. Never saw anything like it before. It is nice just to watch, and listen to nature in such a beautiful area we find ourselves in.

On our return back to camp from the lake we found most of the campers had left. They left as fast as they came – like a storm passing through for a short visit – we would have peace and quiet for five days. The lake transforms itself from a bustling activity of people on the weekend to a quiet and peaceful place of solitude during the week. An incredibly beautiful place when there are no people around.

I would have to say, most of the campers that come for the outdoors experience to camp, are not really for reconnecting with nature. It is more about being with friends or family, or partying. Unfortunately for them, I would guess they have missed 99% of the beauty that exists around them.

I was also surprised and dismayed on our return to camp, the homeless guy that was hanging out with Kevin the night before moved up to our camping area. He was in a campsite right across from us. I just hope he doesn’t decide he wants to start hanging out with us. It is not that I don’t want to be sociable, but I don’t. I came here just to hang out with Shiloh, and enjoy nature alone. I am not really crazy about the music he is playing either. He had a camper shell on his truck, where he called home.

The whole day was warm and beautiful. The drive to and from the lake from town is spectacular – the green meadows, the sycamore tree lined roadway, the valleys, the oak trees scattered throughout the hillsides giving the eye a visual treat too incredible for words. Seeing the old farm houses and ranches dotting the hillsides and valley floor brings one back to what the past must have been like here. The further you travel on this country road named, Mines Road, the further it takes you away from civilization and into this vast emptiness of the rugged untouched landscape, so different from the softness of the oak studded rolling foothills.

In a few areas close to the lake you see some scattered homes somewhat modern compared to the old farm houses and ranches in the area. It is a shame they built these homes with little attention to any architectural style or blending with the surrounding landscape of the country side. They are just rectangle boxes standing erect on the hillsides. Maybe it is the architectural background I have, it is something I quickly notice, when I pass by homes. Even some nice landscaping can add a lot to the home.

It is sad that that our society has, for the most part, no interest in reconnecting to this magical place we call Nature. This region is a treasure trove of biodiversity that can offer the Nature lover hours of enjoyment over and over again. Many who come to visit I would have to say probably feels no real connection when they come visit. nor want to. I am sure they come for the beautiful landscape, but it becomes just a backdrop that is rarely looked at or experienced on a deeper level. It become just a nice place to go out of the city for. It is just a park which is defined as a green area for recreation, which has many definitions in the use of the park. The least use is the experience of deeply experience all that it offers as far as Nature goes.

Litter is found everywhere, especially around the lake. The park provides trash cans, but for many it is too much of an effort to carry their garbage a short distance to dispose of the trash properly. So they leave it for everyone else to see, and wildlife to be impacted by. There is no excuse for litter in the campgrounds, because large dumpsters are provided, but again some just don’t care.

After dinner, Shiloh wanted to check out some squirrels at the same time a park police car was cruising the area. And of course he stopped because Shiloh was off lease. Beside the homeless guy, we were the only ones in the camping area, and of course the police officer had to make a big deal about it. He proceeded to question me as if I was a possible wanted felon. It wasn’t about the dog being off lease more than it was to check up on me. I felt it being almost a fine line towards harassment and I was pretty put out by this whole situation, but I kept quiet because he could have easily given me a ticket for Shiloh not having a dog license or being off leash.

He asked me about an incident back in 2001 where my name showed up on his little hand held computer. I was surprised about this because I did not have a clue of what could have happened relating to the East Bay Regional Park Police and the Regional Park system back then. He wouldn’t tell me what it was for or about, and he expected me to remember something that happened eight years ago. I thought he was going to handcuff me on charges of me being in their records, for me not remembering what it was about and for Shiloh being off lease. “I asked him what it said,” and he responded by telling me “it didn’t say why my name came up.” Maybe he was lying, maybe it was a test. He definitely was not Mr. Personality and seemed he had issues dealing with people in a respectful way. I was trying to figure out where he was going with this lame reason to question me. I was not a happy camper about this whole situation.

Because my dog was off leash, the police officer had to call on his hand held computer to find out if I was a wanted criminal or worse, a homeless person? He also asked me, what I was doing camping? “Are you here for business or pleasure sir?” “What the heck do you think I am here for, I thought? I am camping!” Couldn’t he just say, please keep your dog on the leash and enjoy your stay at the park? There is no excuse for a police officer to treat anyone like this.

After the incident with the police officer, I took Shiloh for a walk (off leash) to see the horses, thinking the police officer was probably spying on us.

Before calling it a night I wanted to do some writing in my journal. While I was writing this very material in my journal, I noticed Shiloh was gone. It was dark and he was off leash. I called him and while looking around for him I saw this sheepish figure appearing from the darkness of the vegetation next to camp with head down coming towards me. And then, I got a whiff of a very unpleasant odor in the same vicinity of Shiloh and it wasn’t a pretty sight, or smell. He got sprayed by a skunk.

I told him, “He was sleeping outside.”

It looked like or should I say, it smelled like he was only grazed by the spray around his head. The smell was bad, but not that bad and I allowed him to sleep in the tent with me. Probably not a smart move on my part, but I felt it would be better for Shiloh to sleep in the tent. just in case another skunk came by. I am not sure if Shiloh would have liked it being alone outside either.

April 6, 2009 – Day 6 – Monday

We got up around 7:00 am and the weather was cool and clear. The night was surprisingly not too bad with the slight scent of skunk lying next to me. The fresh scent of skunk smells different than what we are use to when smelling a road kill. When Shiloh got sprayed, he was foaming at the mouth and looked miserable. I was hoping this experience would teach him a lesson, but I soon found I was wrong. A friend of mine told me dogs don’t learn from the experience and will continue to chase skunks. When I heard that, I kept a close watch over Shiloh and around our camp.

Shiloh slept quietly, not bothered by his bad smell.

The first thing on the list of things to do for this morning after coffee and breakfast was to take Shiloh to the lake for a rinse and maybe he could get some of the smell off of him. The odor was not that bad and I was not really in a very good position to try any remedies to rid this newly acquired scent of his. I was curious to see how long it would take for it to wear off by doing nothing. For those inquiring minds, it took about 10 days for the smell to completely dissipate.

Our camping area had only three campers remaining from the past weekend. It means, we will have peace and quiet for a few days,

On our lakeside walk at the gate entrance to the lake trail, there was a female police officer by the gate and I was thinking, “Am I going to get harassed by her?” I ended up talking with her and she was very nice and pleasant. Isn’t that how police officers should be? Instead of, “Your papers please – show me your papers please.”

While on our walk along the lake I noticed the lush grasses on the foothills were beginning to change from their vibrant winter green to their shades of summer brown or what Californians prefer to call it, golden brown. But it indeed does have nice golden tones to them. Seeing grasses with an appreciation of what they add to a landscape, as an Artist would see them in a painting, gives us more of a greater beauty, and connection to nature. It gives a greater awareness in all things in nature.

The magpies are squawking as usual this morning, waiting to find any tidbits on the picnic tables, or the ground that campers have left behind. They also check out Shiloh’s food bowl and sneak a nibble or two when Shiloh isn’t looking. Shiloh is laying down keeping a close eye out for any sign or movement of ground Squirrels. It seems he is not to interested in the birds. He is more interested in ground squirrels than the magpies stealing his food. The ground squirrels seem to be very abundant and active this time of year.

Last night I was talking with the homeless guy camping across from us, camping in his camper. He goes by the initials LJ. and is from his home state of Arkansas. He was talking about being bored with nothing to do. LJ is a welder by trade and just lost his job. His current home is living in his camper. He is here because it seems the most likely place to stay when one is homeless, rather than sleeping on city park benches with a newspaper blanket, or in card board boxes in a vacant lot or alley ways, in recessed doorways or under freeways, or parked on city streets, or in parking lots. Campgrounds, when one can afford them is a much more suitable place to stay with far less chance of being harassed by law enforcement. That is, as long as you pay for ones campsite. I suppose also that it is all about how one looks at it. I would think it would be a great place to stay, but I am not really homeless, and I have a mindset of being able to enjoy this experience with Shiloh. This is why I am here, and I am also taking advantage of this situation to study and observe nature. I see it as a journey Shiloh and I are going on. I am sure he is dwelling on his misfortune and would rather be making money then being in nature. And this is understandable considering the feeling of uncertainty for the future – especially when one sees themselves as being homeless, and without work. I can’t really call myself as being really homeless, because I have a place to stay with a roof over my head and a place to work, with some work, at least temporarily. But it was uncertain for me where we would live until my friend offered me a place to stay. I was also fortunate enough to have some work to keep me going. I think most people would find themselves very bored and miserable if they were forced to camp just to have a place they could stay temporarily.

All LJ pretty much does during the day is drink beer, listen to hideous music, sleep and eat and talks to anyone who will talk to him. He is a nice guy, but I am not here to hang out with people. I suppose, if it was a beautiful woman, I might reconsider.

Like LJ, so many Americans relies on the outside world to determine who they are as a person, our value, and the values society places on us of who we are – especially when it seems like the world, as with our lives are collapsing under our feet, and it seems we are falling into a deep abyss, seemly with no way of getting out. We feel a sense of failure, and worthlessness. Darkness falls upon our being, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Even if our situation, was caused by outside elements beyond our control, we blame ourselves for it.

I have been at this place of despair, and hopelessness. And I could have easily fallen into this trap again. But while thinking about what I was going to do, I thought this could be a good opportunity to experience our home in Nature. And I made a choice to enjoy this experience with Shiloh, as with deeply experiencing the wonders, and beauty of Nature. I always loved being in Nature, but never truly felt a deep connection with her. But it seemed it was growing slowing inside of me – continually I was being drawn to her like a silent whisper in the wind. And I would follow this silent voice that was awakening me on Nature, and in my Being. Maybe, it was always there, but took time to realize it.

It was hard losing my horses, because they brought me closer to Nature, as with appreciating, and loving these incredible animals. It was always enjoyable being around them, even cleaning their paddocks, or just brushing them. Lacy would always swing her back end towards me so I would rub the inside of her rear legs. The lady that took Lacy. When she walked over to Lacy, Lacy swung her back end towards her, and she know instantly what to do. I knew she was the right one for Lacy. As I may have mentioned before, Lacy preferred women riding her. I was fortunate I found them good homes, and just had to except what was.

It is unfortunate that in today’s world, we tend to see people who are considered homeless as undesirables, and wishing they would just go away. We tend not to wonder, or ask of their story. Even when this economic meltdown was caused by a few, and even benefited from this disaster, and were not punished criminally, when so many suffered, lost their homes, with no place to go. Many jobs were lost, businesses closing, and retirements lost, with very little recourse by the governments. And all due to greed.

There is no guarantee one will ever experience homelessness in their lifetime. In America, people view this condition or social illness as something that must be seriously wrong with people that are homeless. But people who thought they were secure in their life and immune from any possibility of this ever happening to them, are now happening to millions of people in the United States – to men, women and children. The government did very little for the common good of it’s people, but only in rewarding the rich. These situations will continue to play out, until we fix our broken, greed driven, and corrupt system.

During this rewrite at the end of 2011. As of 2009, there were 643,067 who were homeless and another 1.56 million who used a shelters for a short time. That is 1 in every 200 Americans who were homeless at least for a short period of time. A large percentage of this is caused by the economy which really has not gotten any better.

Most of our month stay here is to observe and study nature – the flora and fauna. It is also to experience camping alone and camping for a longer period of time. I hope to possibly learn a few survival skills along the way, but being in a park campground this has its limitations because of the restriction and rules that apply. Practicing many of the survival skills I want to practice will have to be put off for another day, as with other less restricted areas.

A few books I brought along are The Audubon Society Field Guides to North American Birds, and Wild Flowers and Trees. I did not realized that the learning I was hoping to do will take much longer than just a month and I will soon realized I only scratched the surface of knowledge that nature provides. But it is a beginning.

I did learn a good and valuable lesson, and that is, take the time to learn in depth the tree structure, and habitats, as well as the structure, growing seasons, and habitats of the plants and flowers. It will make identifying the trees, and plants much easier. Just going by the images of trees, plants, and flowers can easily cause misidentification. I began doing it by images only, because I was being lazy, and it became very frustrating trying to identifying anything. In learning the proper way to identify trees, and plants, it makes it much more enjoyable and creates a deeper connection with the natural world. At least from my perspective.

I know if Shiloh was not with me in these hard times it would be very different, and in many ways much more difficult. He has become more than just a dog, he is my friend, and companion on this journey and the responsibility I have in keeping him safe and healthy are always on my mind. It keeps me focused on other then just me, and knowing I will not be walking alone. He was my pillar of strength.

In the truer sense of camping alone in this type of camping area is that you are not really alone. There are always people around. It may not be campers, but people that use it for day use and all the employees that work at the park. You are also very close to civilization and if an emergency happened, you could be cared for within an hour or so. I found later on my journey in rediscovering nature that being alone in a park setting compared to being alone in the wilderness is like the difference between night and day. But for me, the fewer the people the better in any of these camping situations. It provides a more peaceful, and quiet environment to observe Nature, and feel a peace within that we are all connected.

Being in this beautiful natural setting with Shiloh, I was thinking of my other dog, Shawnee. She would have been here as well, if I did not have to put her down a year and half earlier. She was only four years old when I had to put her to sleep. She was a year older than Shiloh and matured into a very independent girl with a mind of her own. She was extremely intelligent and used it to her advantage. She would have probably been a handful being here, but I really do miss her and wish she was with us.

Shiloh does great off leash. He likes to just hang out around camp and does not really wander. On the other hand, Shawnee would have been another matter. On other trips we have taken together and one camping trip in particular, Shawnee would take off to explore and Shiloh would always follow behind her. It was like, she would say to Shiloh, “let ditch dad and have some fun,” and Shiloh would say, “okay!” I was always concerned with Shawnee’s safety when she was off leash and as for a camping companion, Shiloh has been great.

Shawnee will always be in my heart and every time Shiloh and I were off camping this year, Shawnee was always with us in spirit. That way she wouldn’t get in trouble.

The days are beginning to warm up and so are the amount of bugs that are about. They are beginning to show their presence. March was a very wet month, and warm weather in April was a welcome change. There is suppose to be a chance of rain tonight, but the morning skies showed no sign of that. Not a cloud in sight.

Like everything else in today’s world that has changed, real camping is becoming a lost experience, except for those who still choose to keep that tradition alive. Many now have motor homes, RV’s and campers to replace the tent. To me they are just an eye sore in Nature, and shouldn’t be allowed. At least limit the size. I suppose back in the olden days, campers who slept under the stars, with just a bed roll, or canvas tarp for protection from the weather. It is nice to have some comforts when you are in nature camping, but at the same time keeping it to a minimum, will provide more of an out in Nature experience.

Though Del Valle is only a short distance away from the city of Livermore. once you arrive at Del Valle, you feel you are hundreds of miles away from civilization with the exception of the manicured campgrounds and picnic areas. And of course, all the people on the weekends. and their presents remaining, by the trash they leave behind. I guess you can’t expect more then that since it is called a recreational area.

I noticed while taking my dogs to the dog. park I would take my dogs to had an incredible view of the valley, the foothills and Mt. Diablo to the east. On the opposite side to the west edge of the park lay grass covered foothills with scattered oak trees and some sorts of shrubs. There was an incredible amount of wildlife in this relatively small area that animals visited and often visible to the people at the dog park, but very few noticed them. There were coyote that would visit, deer, turkey, quail, red-tailed hawk, white-tailed kites, crows, a variety of song birds, rabbits, mice, snakes, lizards, Canadian geese, occasionally a Great Blue Heron and egret would drop by for a visit and we had for about two years a lone pheasant looking for a mate. Unfortunately he never found one there. Occasionally we would have a young coyote come down close to the dog park fence and begin to bark and yelp at the dogs. It was an enjoyable sight. I remember once a roost of turkey in the oak trees were be harassed by a coyote and soon the turkeys turned the tide on the coyote, where the coyotes were being harassed by the turkeys. It was like watching a nature in live action before our eyes. We had all this wildlife to enjoy, but for most of the people in the park, they would typically miss it with their tunnel vision. We have become numb to Nature.

When one truly experiences the outdoors, in Nature, one has the sense of freedom, a sense of wonder and a sense of connectedness to all things. We begin to see things that most people miss and we begin to feel our connection with nature – a connection with the trees, the plants and with the animals. Mindless entertainment begins to vanish, and is now directed at watching nature and seeing nature, listening to her voices at work as she begins to show herself to us. But, we must begin by learning in becoming silent in this dimension, and let Nature begin to unfold her mysteries and wonders within our consciousness, in our pure awareness. We become awakened to the real Truth.

It is ironic I am sitting in camp and watching a park employee cutting the plants and the grasses down in the campsites to make it pleasing to the eye for the visiting campers. While the park employee is cutting away at the plant life, we (visitors) are not allowed to pick any plants or flowers, pick up or disturb any animals or kill any animals in any of our regional parks except for fish of course. Maybe this is a good thing. I am not sure if insects count on this list.

I personally think fish get a bad rap. It seems like they don’t really count for anything except in the recreation category. Del Valle is a popular spot for fishing. There can be some whoppers caught here at the reservoir. They also come with warning signs that consumption should be limited, or avoided depending on the fish species.

These rules we are required to obey are due to our disrespect, and being irresponsibility towards nature, as to our fellow campers. We would not need such rules if we behaved properly in the natural environment.

Similar rules should apply to corporations that pillage the land for natural resources or industries that feel free to pollute the environment with their waste products. The mining, the petroleum, the natural gas, and the chemical industries, our farming practices, and other ventures continuing to pollute our lands, our air, and our water, with little regard for causing devastating impacts on our environment and the health of our planet.

Del Valle is a good example of showing little respect for a place that offers such a diverse ecosystem and incredible beauty, by dumping trash throughout the park, and not cleaning up after oneself. Even when the park does a great job of supplying adequate trash cans throughout the park people still choose to throw it on the land, that impacts people, and Nature.

One of my primary goals for this month of camping was to study and identify plants and trees. I have found studying plants as well as trees to be very overwhelming because of the abundance of plants and the many species of trees. Relying just on photos in field guides are useful but is not the right approach to take. I would learn this lesson very quickly. It took me a year to realize, you have to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the parts and terms of plants, as with the parts of the trees, their bark, leaves and flowers to properly identify them. For me, it makes it much easier to identify flora and a much more enjoyable process. It can still be a slow and meticulous process until one gains the experience, knowledge and confidence that only time will allow. Throughout the summer it became easier for me to identify plants and trees, but still much more difficult not having the proper basic knowledge needed for the identification of plants and trees.

I had a good day spotting new birds in the area, a robin earlier in the day and finally a red-tailed hawk late afternoon as with a steller’s jay. While walking the lake I saw a common tern in the lake. There were a number of them swimming in the lake a few days ago. I also found the bald eagles nest across the lake, and a different spotted woodpecker in our camp, but could not identify it.