Part 4

CAMPING AT DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK – Continues

April 7, 2009 – Day 7 – Tuesday

The weather forecast was for rain Monday night, and instead turned out to be a beautiful evening. Tuesday morning was overcast, but it did not seem like we would get any rain. I was wrong. In this moment I had to stop writing in my journal, because of some rain drops splattering upon my journal page, creating ink smudges on some of the words I write.

This morning we went to work to do some contracts at our office / temporary home, and it rained off and on during the day. I forgot to protect the camp from rain, and I was concerned everything was getting wet. I was hoping my sleeping bag and the inside of the tent would stay dry. All one can do is hope.

I planned my dinner meal where no cooking would be involved in case it was raining in camp. Once I got to the lake I noticed the roads were pretty much dry, so not much rain hit us in camp and very little water effected the camp. It is a beautiful afternoon day in the country side. The evening was very pleasant with a mixture of blue skies and thunder clouds. It rained some during the night, but Shiloh and I stayed dry and cozy in our tent.

April 8, 2009 – Day 8 – Wednesday

Today is a special day for Shiloh and I. Our friend Tammy will be visiting us. That is if we don’t get rain. We got up at 7:45 AM, visited our horse friends then headed back to camp for a good cup of coffee and breakfast. The morning feels pleasant, with rain clouds looming overhead and small patches of blue sky trying to show itself. I think it will turn out to be a nice day. When I say, a nice day, it could mean anything that does not consist of rain. A light shower, can be okay. In the camp we are in, we have no protection from the rain, but the tent, and the natural covering of the branches of a pine tree.

On our agenda for this morning before Tammy arrives, I will take a shower due to things beginning to smell a bit around here, besides Shiloh’s lingering scent of skunk smell.

While visiting the horses in the pasture, I saw a patch of beautiful miniature blue-violet lupine along the dirt path, and displayed on the center of the palm shaped leaf, there was a solitary rain drop. The simple beauties nature provides. Many of them had captured these droplets and its appearance resembled that of a diamond in a palm shaped setting. Nature’s beauty unveiled itself with this visual delight – magical.

The days seemed to be going by fast with only eight nights left on this two week leg of our stay at this campsite. We have a forty-eight hour break and back to outdoor living for another two weeks.

This time with Shiloh has been a pure joy, although I am not getting as much done as I was hoping as far as my studying the flora, and fauna of the park goes. With all the spring flowers coming out it is very overwhelming trying to identify many of the plants. I am still relying solely on photos in books which as I mentioned before is not the best approach for learning about plants and the identification of them. The lupine plants seems to be one of the dominant plants in the area and is easy to identify with their palm shaped leaves and beautiful blue-violet flowers dominating many of the open meadows and clearings.

What has surprise me is, being consistent in my journal entries. I am writing in the journal at least once a day and mostly twice a day – in the morning while having my coffee and in the late afternoon.

It is 11:00 AM and the cloud cover is keeping things cool. It has been getting quite warm when the sun is out.

This morning before getting up, I had a couple of the window flaps open in my tent and I could smell the aroma of the wet grasses coming into the tent. This sweet smell reminded me of Hawaii, and transcended me back in time to the tropical islands I truly love. Hawaii has always had that aroma of a sweet freshness in the air.

Waking up to the sounds of nature; the fragrances of the oaks and many of the plants that cover the hillsides and meadows, and knowing you are just a few steps away from experiencing the splendor, and wonders of nature. It is truly an amazing and magical experience living in and with nature.

When we meet Tammy, we will take a walk along the lake. Her dog Bella is in recovery from an operation, so she won’t be coming with Tammy. Bella and Shiloh are best friends. When Shawnee was only eight weeks old I began taking her to the local dog park. Bella and Shawnee bonded immediately. The only dog Bella would let hump her was Shawnee and that says something about their friendship.

We will get to share with Tammy all our wonderful experiences here, and I am sure her response will be “Lovely, kill me now!” We will also show her our home for the last eight days. I am sure it will be a moment she will always remember.

We met Tammy at around 12:00 pm and had a short walk along the lake. Shiloh was so excited to see her. After our walk we then showed Tammy where we were living. Tammy stayed only a short while. I think she was experiencing the beginnings of a panic attack at the thought of someone living like this – a homeless friend living in a tent with his dog, in a regional park. Actually, I think she was really concerned about me living like this. Tammy is a pure city girl from Boston and the thought of wanting to live in nature is just too much for her to grasp or understand why any one would want to do this. When she was ready to leave, we hugged and she wished us well in her own quiet way. I hope she was able to recover from that frightening ordeal of being that close to “camping.” I think this was the first time she has ever seen a tent or a campground for that matter. We can only hope one day she changes her ways and finds nature a part of her life. Very unlikely though! Whenever I would mention to her the idea of being in the wilderness or camping, her response would always be, “I would rather eat dirt.” And that pretty much says it all. There is no converting her – she is a city girl through and through.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”

~ John Muir

April 9, 2009 – Day 9 – Thursday

We got up around 7:00 am, took our walk then back to camp, fixed some coffee and just relaxed. There was a light rain coming down.

We went to the office for a few hours and met Maggie (another one of Shiloh’s friends.) and her parents Robin and Perry at the dog park. Shiloh and Maggie were happy to see each other. Some other dog park friends where also there and got to visit with them too. It was nice seeing our dog park friends once again.

When we got back to camp, the skies were dark with a threatening chance of rain. Later that evening a light rain fell and rained much of the night. The pitter-patter of rain drops against the tent must have been soothing to me because I slept like a baby all night.

April 10, 2009 – Day 10 – Friday

It was 7:30 AM when we got up this morning. It seemed that both of us just didn’t want to get up. The morning was cool and overcast with misty clouds veiling the hill tops. A beautiful sight that provides me with a feeling of the many ever changing paintings of Nature. The scent in the air from fresh rain fall was a wonderful gift from nature. One can only experience these wonders when in nature. With camping, you are always outside experiencing these things – the changes of the weather, the call of the wild, and the sights, sounds, and smells of nature’s surroundings. The tent is used only for sleeping or bad weather. One day when it was raining, we just stood under a small pine tree for cover rather then being in a confined tent.

“Peace in every step. The shining red sun is my heart. Each flower smiles with me. How green, how fresh all that grows. How cool the wind blows. Peace is every step. It turns the endless path to joy.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

We took a nice walk on the west side of the lake today. Our usual walks are on the east side. Shiloh had to stay on leash on the west side, but I took it off in one area where he could play in the water. So far I found four ticks on Shiloh. Not good!

When we got back to our camp it was like there was a massive invasion at our camping area. Campers, camping trailers, RV’s, and even motor homes of all sorts covered our once quiet place.

There is a growing trend of Campers, RV’s and motor homes replacing the simple tent. I have found especially with motor homes, people never leave them. They are in the motor home more then they are outside. What is the point of being in nature if you don’t experience it?

Even when people come out to experience nature, they still isolate themselves from it by keeping themselves far removed and disconnect from her (Nature). And the frightening thing about that is, they are teaching their children to be disconnected when in nature as well. Through my observation of these weekend campers, they are not here to experience nature and all the beauty that she shares with us, but they come to be entertained themselves through games they bring with them to play, to bar-b-que and party. I do have to admit I was one of those in my younger days.

Even those who come to fish here are usually interested in one thing, and that is catching the big one. It doesn’t go beyond that. Everything we do as far as recreation is fine, but when we experience this on a deeper level through pure awareness, our Beingness in our experiences in Nature, it takes us to a higher awareness few ever experience.

Camping today is like bringing all the comforts of home with us in Nature.

While writing in my journal this evening, finishing off a bottle of Chardonnay, and in closing to a nice day’s end in Nature.

The true experience of camping in a tent or sleeping out under the stars is becoming a lost experience. I suppose I tend to hold on to what was, and move very slowly to changing times. Probably because I don’t want to be that person who always needs more of the newest and fanciest gadgets, in having more stuff, and being consumed to much with materialism. I am happier with less. Waking up to Nature and stepping out into Nature is a gift. Deeply experiencing Nature goes beyond what most can imagine. I am actually regressing, looking toward how I can have less and enjoy more. All of these things that technology provides to us, does have a good side to them, but we seem to have a tendency of over doing it, and becoming an obsession, being over indulgent with little regard of the impact it might have on us, on others and on our planet. And all this technology tends to pull us much further away from living within our natural environment. We must try to create a balance between Nature, and our modern world with an intent to always keep Nature a priority in our lives.

I believe most peoples intentions are to get out into the country and mountains to enjoy nature, but most have forgotten how to experience nature, so they bring their home with them, and all their toys, because they don’t want to get bored. We have become easily bored just being out in nature, and nature isn’t enough to keep our minds stimulated.

April 11, 2009 – Day 11 – Saturday

Five more days to go for our first two weeks stay.

Noise wise last night was not too bad considering the amount of people in the campground area. The night sky was much darker then usual. On the previous nights the skies seemed much lighter, where you could walk around without the use of a flashlight. Both offer an interesting perspective of the night sky, and the surroundings in nature.

I am enjoying the night sky with the abundance of stars. For a few evenings I would sit and watch the night sky for shooting stars and locating some constellations that I am familiar with. I have noticed faint lights moving across the dark sky. Their direction has no rhyme or reason to the common observer. They are satellites racing across the sky, possibly spying on us, or providing our favorite TV programs, collecting scientific data or some other use. It seems they can be observed every fifteen minutes or so. Space is becoming very populated with man-made technology – some good, some bad. I don’t like the idea that we can be spied on though. I have a little problem with that as we all should.

I notice most people are not interested in looking at the stars anymore. People in nature no longer look at nature. Even the children lack the curiosity to learn and explore what nature offers to our senses. The children are not taught to respect nature, they only have their parents as role models and they have become totally removed from nature. There is nothing wrong with being out in nature to be with friends and family, but we still need to respect nature and to clean up after ourselves. I suppose in today’s world, we should not expect the parents to teach their children such things as learning about our natural environment. That is what our schools are suppose to do, right?

When I was growing up we lived only a block away from the foothills. My brother, and I, and friends would spend many hours exploring these foothills. We were not taught about or how to respect nature from our parents. I learned most of what I know from television and even that was not a real good source for how we should be respectful of all living things in the world. But I suppose it was enough to have a positive influence in my later years. It was only about fifteen years ago, I began to really focus more on our natural environment, and our impact on her, and became less interested on what I can have in a material sense.

The temperature warmed up quickly when the sun rose above the foothills this morning. A nice breeze followed the heat of the day making it very pleasant. In the background you can hear the sound of the wind through the trees. It reminds me of being in the high country.

How many are in tune to this wonderful sound of nature? Being alone, one can focus more attention on appreciating nature, and all its wonders, and beauty. That is if one can keep one’s mind from getting bored. The homeless guy I spoke of earlier, was easily bored. He needed to be with people. I didn’t. I wanted to be alone with my dog Shiloh. I did occasionally speak with people, but for the most part we stayed to ourselves mostly because I was there to observe nature, and experience nature. Most were not.

Larry the homeless guy has moved on – maybe to another camping area. His last day was Friday. I thought I would see him again, but he never returned. He may have gone to the Chabot Lake campgrounds which is part of the East Bay Area Regional Park system. I was also surprised he had not become a hang around person at my camp. He pretty much stayed in his camp, drinking beer, eating and being bored. On occasion when he did come to visit, he enjoyed Shiloh and always brought him treats like ribs or steak which Shiloh always looked forward to. Shiloh knew when Larry was walking toward our camp, he would have a treat for him or he would watch Larry’s camp to see if he was coming over. Larry usually did most of the talking and talked mostly about trucks, a subject I could not care less about. I did ignore him at times in his conversations, but it did not stop him from talking away. I don’t think he noticed I didn’t care much about what he was talking about. I may have been rude, but I wasn’t here to talk with people. People need to be with people, and some have the need to be constantly flapping their jaws to feel important.

This experience would not have been the same if I had someone else with me, unless they were totally consumed with learning and experiencing nature as I was. I also wanted to find out if I could be alone for a long stretch, camping. And of course my focus was also on Shiloh.

Today we will take a walk along the lake, and later go to our other home to pick up another sleeping bag. The zipper on my sleeping bag broke. Luckily I have an extra sleeping bag, and one I have not yet used.

So far I have not written about my thoughts of being homeless and maybe I won’t. My mind is constantly being stimulated by the breathtaking beauty of my surroundings and how fortunate, and lucky I feel being able to experience this especially with Shiloh. I think he is enjoying this as much as I am. Sometimes I feel the need to reflect on things in my life, but then again, I am finding I am just absorbing what is all around me.

Yesterday I saw a White-tailed Kite on our walk. For those who don’t know what a Kite is, they are in the hawk family and are spectacular looking birds with their white body, with gray on the top of the wings and white with black tips on the underside of the wings. They have large red eyes that can’t be missed by the close observer. It is enjoyable to watch them hover in the air looking for prey. The first time I had seen them was back in the late eighties. They had become almost extinct in the 1930s and 1940s, and they have since made a spectacular comeback in California. The dog park I took Shiloh to had a male and female nesting next to the park.

Shiloh and I took our lakeside walk and two people told me of two rattlesnakes on the trail. I believe the rattlesnakes in this area are the Western Rattlesnake. I didn’t see any or any sign of them, but I was concerned because I am not sure what Shiloh would do if he saw one. He also tends to sniff in the grasses along the trail where the rattlesnakes tend to hang out.

It was a beautiful day, but cool, caused by the nice cool breeze.

After our walk we went to pick up my other sleeping bag. I was looking forward to testing it out. While leaving the first gate from my camping area, I saw the occupancy sign and it said “Full.” I hope everyone leaves for home on Sunday.

Many teenagers and young twenty somethings spend their weekend here to party. Many of them play rap music and play it loud so everyone can hear it, but not necessarily like it. Some play nice music that is more pleasant to the ear. Most of the young people that come up here have very little consideration for others and are usually loud and obnoxious and drunk. Because Del Valle is very close to civilization, it brings in the low life as well. They seem to go beyond the boundaries of respect for anyone or anything.

On our walks through the campgrounds as well as our walks along the lake, it looks like what one would see walking along the San Francisco Bay – litter and garbage everywhere. Don’t people have any decency? Don’t they have any respect for nature? Obviously not! The park has provided large garbage cans for our convenience all along the trails, camping areas, and picnic areas, but you will find garbage left on the ground right next to the trash cans. Thinking about it, it could be the scavenger birds pulling trash out of the cans as well, but it still remains, people are still leaving their trash other than in a trash can. I have little hope for man and our survival as a species if we don’t begin to make drastic changes and begin taking responsibility for our actions.

While on our walk today, I would focus on trees. Most of the trees are a mix of oaks with some pine, buckeye, elder, bay, and sycamore mixed in throughout the area. I thought trees would be easier to identify, but they aren’t – at least not for me. I am finding out, studying plant and tree life will take some time, and not as easy as one would think. Something one cannot just rush into. Other trees in the area, I have not spent the time to identify.

April 12, 2009 – Day 12 – Easter Sunday

I slept well in my new sleeping bag except for having to relieve myself in the middle of the night. The morning skies are clear, and the temperature very comfortable once the sun rose above the tops of the foothills. For some reason many of these mornings feels as if I am in Hawaii. I haven’t been to Hawaii for about four years and really miss the islands and the Hawaiian people and their beautiful culture. Hawaii is a truly special place to me. It is a paradise in the purest form. It is not about the nice hotels or the fine dining, but the pure magic of the people and culture. It is about their spiritual connection to the land that most tourists don’t see or understand. As with most populations of a country or region, it is the original people who always suffer for the successes of a few. It seems most of the Hawaiians have forgiven their occupiers (America) and have continued to give to its visitors the Aloha spirit. Some still hold on to this anger, and hatred of the US stealing their land. In which I totally understand and share in this injustice in the ownership of land. I think the land should be given back to the Native Hawaiians. But then again, I believe we should be giving back much of the land back to the Native Americans. But it is obvious this would not or could not ever happen.

A few campers have left, but looks like Monday may be a holiday because it seems most are staying for another day.

The campers across from me that I was condemning for their loud obnoxious behavior left last night or early this morning and with my surprise, left a clean camp.

I was hoping and patiently waiting to feel a special connection with nature on this trip and it has not happened yet – possibly too many thoughts in my head and trying to hard to learn about the plants and trees, vs. just experiencing nature in silence. One can learn all they want about the animals, birds, plants and trees and still feel the lack of connection. I think I will spend the rest of the time just observing.

Shiloh and I went exploring today and hiked a small portion of the Ohlone Trail. It was all up hill and a warm day. We were both panting. It was a nice trail that would be nice to explore on a cooler day. The Ohlone Trail or Ohlone Wilderness Trail takes you to Sunol Regional Park from Lake Del Valle Regional Park and the only access to the trail is from Sunol Regional Park or Del Valle Regional Park. The Ohlone Regional Wilderness is a 9,737 – acre parkland with 28 miles of trail. Only hikers, backpackers and equestrian riders can use the trail. The trail transverses through mountains, canyons, through woodlands and grass uplands. The wildlife is abundant with very little interruption by people and consists of the majestic bald eagle, the illusive mountain lion and bobcat, deer and even a small herd of tule elk that were once abundant in this area. I wanted to take my horses on this trail, but never did.

During the hike I did not bring anything with me as far a water or emergency supplies. I thought, what if something happened to me or Shiloh? Would I be prepared for any type of emergency? I was definitely unprepared if anything were to happen. I just flunked survival preparedness. I did have my Leatherman Multi-tool, and was thinking maybe I would be able to start a fire by friction if needed for an emergency, but had never done it before and really did not have any idea on the right materials. Though we only hiked probably a couple of miles, it is always smart to bring some supplies in case of an emergency. After our walk on the Ohlone Trail, I took Shiloh along the lake so he could play and cool off in the water. As always, he had fun splashing around in the water.

In the afternoon, we ran down to the store and I purchase a couple of trout for Easter dinner and thought I would try cooking them over the coals in the fire pit. It was a total disaster, though Shiloh thought it tasted pretty good.

Not many people left today. Maybe Tuesday will be a peaceful day for us.

The late afternoon still has been pretty warm, and is just starting to cool down at dusk.

April 13, 2009 – Day 13 – Monday

Shiloh and I slept in late this morning – I had a bad morning with bad dreams. Got up at 8:30 am with overcast skies and a pleasant temperature. We went for a quick walk, then had my morning coffee and breakfast. And after that, took a shower. Our plans are to stay around the lake today and work at the office Tuesday and maybe do some site work on Wednesday for a job that I was working on. On Thursday we will leave our campsite from our first two weeks stay at Del Valle, take a one day break then head back to another campsite for our next two weeks. We will return on a Saturday at our new campsite. Not sure how the next two weeks will play out. It depends on my work schedule. I would like to take Shiloh on a boat ride and check out the lake and maybe do some fishing.

It looks like most people are packing up to go home today. I am thinking another two weeks here will be enough. The crowds of people are becoming intolerable here at Del Valle. Since I have some work, and a little bit of money, I will plan a one or two week trip into the High Sierra Nevada Mountains with Shiloh. Del Valle is an incredibly beautiful place with the lake, surrounded with oak studded foothills and numerous wildlife, but it is just too noisy, loud and crowded for my liking. It will be getting much warmer as well. The crowds will be even worse in the late spring and summer months where even the weekdays will probably be crowded with people.

Originally, I wanted to try and stay here for two months, one month is enough with all these people, and their loud noise. I also have to worry about Shiloh and rattlesnakes since they are beginning to come out. Usually rattlesnakes start coming out of their dens when it warms up above 50 degrees. And rattlesnakes are abundant in this area.

Shiloh and I took a nice walk along the stream close to our camp and then came back to camp to just relax.

Back at camp, I started reading a new book on Aldo Leopold’s Biography, “Aldo Leopold, His Life and Works.” Born on January 11, 1887, Rand Aldo Leopold became a leader in the environmental movement. He was an American author, scientist, ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. His best known book, A Sand County Almanac sold over two million copies. He was also influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness conservation among other environment and conservation achievements. He died April 21, 1948.

Among the many survival books I have read, I also immersed myself with books on botany, Natural History, Ecology, wilderness and wildlife conservation. I had become totally consumed with the study of nature.

April 14, 2009 – Day 14 – Tuesday.

This morning there were clear skies, but exceptionally cold with a cold breeze.

Some campers were partying all night that kept me awake most of the night.

My tent is falling apart so I will look for another tent for my next two weeks. I will be spending most of my time in civilization today.

Warren, a new camper that set-up camp Monday at Kevin’s campsite just left. It was probably due from his disgust of the late night partying. It can be very annoying when someone like Warren or I come up for a little peace and quiet, and have to deal with obnoxious people. I found out later that he just moved down below our camping area to the camping area next to ours that was less noisy. I suspect the crowds and noise will get a whole lot worse with the nicer weather. The young people feel it is necessary to use foul language every other word they speak. This is extremely annoying, but even worse, many parents with their young children have to hear and deal with this as well.

Before returning to camp from town, I stopped at the store for a quick meal and some beer. To my surprise as with many others, it began to rain. No forecast of rain was mentioned in the weather forecast. I was a little concerned because my rain proof cover for my tent had failed and when I got back to camp a portion of my sleeping bag was wet. So much for my Coleman weatherproof tent. Coleman will be hearing from me.

Once I assessed the moisture damage, I closed everything up in the tent, and Shiloh and I took our walk along the shoreline of the lake. It was cold, but no rain while on our lakeside walk. Shiloh as usual was wet from playing in the water. It began to rain lightly, so we turned around to head back on the trail. It turned into a pleasant walk in the rain. It was to be one of those special moments we occasionally experience being in nature. We found a place to view the lake in the light rain, and just sat for a while to experience this magical moment in nature. It was one of those special times you find a place, an experience or a moment in time that feels so perfect, and so right – an experience one feels a oneness with one’s surroundings with nature. An experience that few seldom get to experience in ones busy life, or on a weekend camping trip, unless one pays attention to this awareness within. It was quiet, peaceful, with no one else on the lake. We saw only one person walking the trail and one person fishing. It was truly a feeling of solitude and beauty that cannot be matched, but for what nature can show us. The thing I like about Del Valle is the overwhelming beauty it bestows upon the observer of nature. It was like this experience was only given to me, Shiloh, the man on the trail and the man fishing on the shore line of the lake, to enjoy and experience.

For most of the lake area, they kept it natural for the most part. One end of the lake is developed for recreation and the rest of the area is all natural as it was for hundreds or maybe thousands of years with the exception of the lake and dam.

When we began walking back the thunder clouds let loose a rumbling of hale that added more excitement to our walk.

It is sad that, as human beings, we have lost our senses of hearing, smelling and seeing the wonders and beauty that is all around us. We have become so numb to nature’s voice, her crying out to us, to stop and just listen, smell and see all that is around you.

April 15, 2009 – Day 15 – Wednesday

Last night was a good night, I had a good night sleep. I woke up this morning feeling a chill in the air. Ice covered any water that had formed from the rain last night and Shiloh’s bowl of water was frozen on its surface. It is nice being able to experience these different changes in the weather while only having a tent for protection. Being able to wake up to nature everyday was truly a gift. I love to hear the soothing roar of the wind through the trees and waking up to the sound of song birds singing.

Many things I am experiencing being in nature may seem repetitive in my writing, but each experience feels new in its nature and quite different in its context. It is like opening a door in one’s experiences to find that each time the door is opened, one experiences a new and refreshing reality of the senses, a new awareness of the natural environment that is constantly changing.

I am still experiencing some soreness in my arms and back from the move to my friends house.

Since we have been camping here at Del Valle, I have been walking more, observing more, experiencing more then I have for some time. I am feeling a sense of well being. I still suffer from the active mind, but working on it slowly. It will come when it is time. I sense this is my place to be, being in nature. Everything I wanted to do when I was younger like photography would have been in nature, or things I have done such as painting and studying Art, nature was always something that drew me into Art, although I never painted nature.

In my current profession, Architecture, I was hoping to make a strong environmental and sustainable impact on our planet through this profession, in designing passive solar design, but still there is very little interest in the industry to do so or in the general public’s minds to move towards a more sustainable planet. Now that I have a nonprofit focused on the natural environment and indigenous cultures, I still search for ways of making a contribution for the betterment of our planet, though it has been a struggle in this economy.

Today is the last day of our two week stay here at Del Valle. We will pack up tomorrow.

I spent most of the day today in town doing things that needed to be done. Went to look at some tents and ended up buying a new tent, a big one. We will get to try it out for our next two weeks at Del Valle. I also bought another pair of boots.

Tomorrow I have a client meeting set up. I have been fortunate to have work coming in. Not a lot, but at least some.

After our errands we came back to camp in the afternoon. I took Shiloh for a walk and then began getting things packed up for tomorrow’s departure.

Shiloh and I went on our walk along the lake and on the way back I saw three birds soaring. At first I thought they were turkey vultures and then discovered one was a red-tailed hawk, one a turkey vulture and the other was a crow. I am not sure how common this is having a vulture, a crow and a red-tailed hawk soaring together. Observing them for a little bit longer nine other vultures joined the one vulture then flew off together. The crow followed them for a short time. It was an interesting sight to see.

While walking to the truck in the Marina parking lot where we always park for our walks along the lake, a woman stopped me wanting to know more about Shiloh. She was Native American, part Cherokee and something else. We had an informative conversation about the tragic loss of the Native American cultures in the US.

Returning to camp I began putting things away, organizing a little and had dinner. I had part of a sandwich, a salad and a few beers. We had a pleasant evening for our last night.

These two weeks were a gift spending them with Shiloh. He was a good boy, and enjoyed being in nature.

April 16, 2009 – Thursday

Today is our day off from camping. I spent time organizing my office and doing some work. Shiloh was getting use to his new home by finding a nice comfortable spot to lay down and take a nap on the front lawn. The few projects I signed contracts for, some have fallen through for some reason. I would be doing okay financially if I was able to complete them.

In my uncertainties with being able to sustain myself in nature, by far I would prefer it over civilization. I am finding the things I once enjoyed no longer excites me or interests me about life in civilization. There are too many people, it is too noisy, the air is polluted with car exhaust fumes and the buildings and houses I am finding are eye sores compare to being in nature. I have a feeling of restlessness being in civilization, where in nature I have a sense of well being. I sense this is my place and Shiloh’s place, my home and Shiloh’s home, being part of nature. It seemed everything I wanted to do when growing up such as my interest in photography focused on nature. Our society pulls us away from nature so as to make a living and during much of my life, nature was only a distant thought. Success and materialism took precedence over my life.

April 18, 2009 – Day 16 – Saturday

Our first day back to Del Valle was like we had been gone for months, though it has only been a day and a half. We arrived at our new camp site #61 around 4:00 pm. I unloaded some thing and immediately began to assemble our new tent. It went up easily and we have a lot of room inside for myself and Shiloh. Shiloh even has a new bed, and I have new socks. What could be better then that! Everything is good in the world for us. Once the tent was put up and things taken out of the truck, Shiloh and I went to the lake for our lakeside walk. The campsite was full and it seemed like my neighbors would be good neighbors, I was wrong. I will talk about that later.

Our campsite was one of the nicer ones in that campground area we were in. It sat right below the main road to the campground, and was one of the larger campsites with a good number of trees for good shade. It was somewhat private compared to the other campsites. I thought the noise from traffic on the road above us would be a problem, but it wasn’t bad. Our site was close to the campground entrance and the General Store. It wasn’t wilderness, but it was still a nice site considering where we were. Though this campsite is much larger than our previous campsite, our first campsite felt more secluded and set apart away from the main traffic, and campers. Kevin, who we were camping next to had the best site at the upper campground.

Our experience at the lake was beginning to change, changing from a pleasant place to experience nature, to crowds of people consuming the whole park. It is a perfect park for recreation. It has fishing, boating, boat rentals, camping, day use areas for picnicking, hiking, equestrian, nature photography, concerts, and for those few who enjoy being in nature. It has everything. But with so many people and the noise they bring into the park, it does impact nature in ways most do not consider or understand. Two of the biggest problems we face is over population that impacts the entire world, and the impact it has on the natural world, with much of the industrialized countries having little or no respect for nature. They lack the understanding, or have forgotten that the very things we are destroying, are the very things that supports all life. It is like going into National Parks with millions of people visiting them that impacts the whole eco-system, yet most visitors are unaware of their impact.

In an instant, everything seemed and felt different at the lake. Nature could no longer be seen or heard over the noise, the automobiles, and the hordes of people. The whole personality changed in this place that just two weeks ago was almost void of people during the week. Where nature could breathe once again. But now, nature is once again suffocating without a break from people until Autumn comes.

It was much warmer, more bugs were out, and the lake seemed to be getting ready for the summer season with an increase of people.

We got to the lake for our walk around 6:00 pm, and there was not much activity as I would have thought there would be on the lake for a Saturday. Shiloh knew we were back and excitedly moved along the trail quickly to find the first access to the lake from the trail. As always he enjoyed his time splashing around in the water and chasing sticks I throw out to him to retrieve. Shiloh didn’t swim, so I couldn’t throw the sticks out too far.

On the previous two weeks we were at Del Valle, we would occasionally stop at the Marina store for a drink or snack, and the employees would always welcomed Shiloh into the store. We dropped by the store today after our walk so he could visit his friends there. They enjoy seeing Shiloh again. As usual I get continuous questioning on his breed and weight. I am looking forward to new experiences with Shiloh here at the lake and it feels good to be back. It seems Shiloh is happy to be back as well bringing a warm smile to me.

When we returned to camp I got Shiloh’s dinner ready as with mine. On one side of us there were two guys, a woman and three small children. After having a nice experience at the lake with Shiloh, it changed quickly from a peaceful experience to one of disgust. One of the guys obviously the husband was swearing at his wife in front of his three young children. What came to my mind was, “not appropriate and a low life of a man.” People like that should not have the right to have children, in my opinion. What are these children going to be like, being mentored by a jack ass? I doubt they have much of a nurturing life in the environment they are in. The wife seemed to just except the abuse. His friend could have been a friend or brother and he said nothing. In any case they both had foul mouths. Hopefully they will be gone by Sunday. I found out later the guy’s friend had his wife or girl friend with him. One happy group of campers.

The bugs are out in full force, including the mosquitoes. The evening is beginning to cool as I am writing in the journal. The night sky is dark with no sign of the moon.

Our new tent, an Eddie Bowers tent, and is incredibly spacious for me and Shiloh. Maybe too much, but why not, if we are going to be camping a lot, why not be comfortable? I can stand in all the areas of the tent which is better than crouching down. There is a lot of room to keep things in the tent, and to keep dry such as my clothing and books. The whole roof area of the tent is open to view the stars when the rain fly is off, and has lots of windows for views, good ventilation, and light. One end of the tent has a large window / door opening that is like a screened patio. We sleep at the other end. So far I am very pleased with the tent. It will be interesting what Shiloh will think of his new tent. The great thing about Shiloh, he is not a complainer and just goes with the flow.

At this point, we have no plans for tomorrow’s activities at the lake.

I met the couple who were with the guy with the foul mouth from the campsite next to us, while taking Shiloh for a walk. They asked about Shiloh and seemed nice, but my impressions still has not changed for the definition of low life. It seems this is a recurring situation with a very dominant male, a submissive wife, and children caught in the middle in our society.

I remember growing up, parents never swore in front of their children. It just was not done, at least in my world and how we grew up.

During our evening walk before bed, I noticed there were fine yellow particles in the air. I thought they were possibly ash from the fires. I soon realized it was pollen from the pine trees. I have five such trees in the camp with a couple of small oak.

April 19, 2009 – Day 17 – Sunday

Last night I left the rain fly off the tent because it was such a nice night, and it allowed me to gaze at the stars It also allowed a nice breeze to flow through the tent.

Before getting up this morning, I looked up to the pine trees from my bed and a coating of yellow pollen lightly coated my tent and my sleeping bag. It looks like I will have to put the rain fly on the tent for the rest of the time, unless I want to be covered in pine pollen.

This morning we got up late with a gentle breeze in the air. The heat was coming upon us fast and I knew we were going to have a very warm day.

While taking Shiloh for a walk around the campground, we noticed no one was breaking camp, which meant no one was leaving, which meant a noisy camping area. On our walk I noticed each campsite had a short 4×4 post by the parking spot with a tag indicating the departure date of each campsite. So Shiloh and I wandered round the campground again to see who was leaving and who was staying. With our delight, everyone was leaving today and that meant peace and quiet, and the whole place just to ourselves, and the bugs.

Before getting up here Saturday, we had to pick up some supplies for the two week stay, so we dropped by where a cousin of mine works and talked with him for a bit. He told me he would tell me an area in the wilderness where he stayed for three months in the winter with only a knife and a fire starter. He also told me his daughter works for the Regional Park System as a Park Police officer, in the Parks Fire Dept. and as a biologist. I thought that would give me some sort of connection where I could stay at the park as long as I wanted. She was straight by the book and couldn’t help me. She may not have had any clout over how long I may be able to stay.

In our new camp, we have a family of ground squirrels with some very young ones who are now just starting to explore their new world. Shiloh and I would watch them play and eat around their holes with mom keeping a close watch for any danger lurking. I was surprised she allowed me to get close to observe the kids. I would tell Shiloh to leave them alone because they were our neighbors and he would just lie there watching them.

I was hoping Shiloh and I would take a boat out on the lake before our stay is over to see how Shiloh would do in a boat and maybe do some fishing. I really wanted to rent a canoe, but that would be pushing it with Shiloh. We would probably end up in the drink. I am still not certain on what we will be doing today. One thing I will do is brush Shiloh to get rid of some of his winter coat.

I forgot to mention, the smell of skunk on Shiloh was gone by day 10.

A few of the park employees we have met are very friendly and we usually attract additional attention because of Shiloh. One of the guys that works at the main gate is very friendly and always welcomes us at the gate when he is working, with a smile and small talk.

I noticed not a lot of Magpies in this camp. There is an equestrian trail going through our camp, so I will have to keep an eye out for horses, so Shiloh does not chase after them. When I had my horses and we would go to visit them, Shiloh enjoyed chasing them around, especially one of my mares. I also miss taking our walks to visit our horse friends at the other campsite. It was a nice daily routine for us.

It has been about a year and a half since I put Shawnee down. My friend Tammy always referred to her as a heathen. Shawnee and Tammy’s dog, Bella were best friends and saw each other everyday, rain or shine at the dog park. I still think of her and miss her especially now with me and Shiloh experiencing nature without her. But she may have been really a handful camping. She didn’t care much about sleeping in a tent and would just as soon destroy it than sleep in it. On one camping trip with the two dogs and two of my horses, I purchase a camping shower and Shawnee thought it would be a good idea to test it’s ruggedness. It failed the Shawnee quality control test. Tammy had a good laugh on that one. I am sure she had a clear vision of seeing Shawnee ripping it apart. On the other hand, Shiloh has really been great staying in camp and staying close to me, Shawnee may have been another story. One thing I do know, they would have had a great time together. Shawnee and Shiloh really loved each other. Shawnee always made it clear who was boss, but she gave Shiloh his moments of triumph on occasion. It was always a pure joy in my life watching them play together. Shawnee had a wonderful independent spirit to her. I really miss her. I am really thankful Shiloh is with me. It was a difficult time for me losing her, and Shiloh was able to fill that emptiness. Most of my attention was being with Shiloh and giving him as much love as I could. And in his own way returned it ten-fold. This journey we are taking would have been lacking so much without his company and companionship.

Since we have been camping, Shiloh would come over to me while I was still in bed and enjoy a morning scratch and rub from me.

One by one the weekend campers are leaving for their normal lives. They only got a glimpse, a microscopic piece of nature, if they got anything at all while they are here. It is virtually impossible for anyone to really experience nature in one or two days, unless it is their main intent for being in nature. But then again, most don’t go into nature to truly experience nature, they use nature to use, and play in. They do what they usually do in their lives, just doing it in a nature setting. They bring their campers, RV’s, and their disconnectedness, and lack of respect behavior to the natural world. They miss 99% of what is around them because they don’t change how they see things while in nature. Parent bring their children, and all their toys to keep them occupied so as not to get bored, and yet these should be times for the children to become immersed in nature, a time to explore, and a time to stimulate the mind with the wonders of the natural ecosystem. The parents should be teaching their children the many wonderful discoveries of nature and the reasons why nature should be honored and respected. But do the parents have that knowledge? It is not us who are giving to nature with our presence, but nature giving of herself to us unconditionally.

Shiloh and I spotted our first tree squirrel in camp. He or she was being chased down a tree by a scrub jay.

Late morning today after all the campers had left, Shiloh and I took the truck and hit the different campgrounds for firewood. We picked up about two days worth. What a find – free firewood.

After collecting our firewood, we headed for town and bought another pair of hiking boots and a hat I have been eyeing for about two weeks. The boots I thought were about $70.00 ended up being $150.00. They were nice boots so I decided to get them. After shopping at the sporting goods store, we went to the grocery store for a few things.

After getting back from town, I unloaded our things in camp then took our walk along the lake. Nothing unusual happened with the exception of Shiloh playing in the water, and of course experiencing the magnificent beauty all around us.

The evening was warm and pleasant. We had a little fire going.

A man and his son are here next to our camp.

It is quiet and peaceful here tonight – a good night.

April 20, 2009 – Day 18 – Monday

I had a pretty good night sleep. It was windy all night. We woke up late to a nice morning breeze. There is nothing like waking up to nature, and to Shiloh. Truly a gift.

Before breakfast I was observing our little furry friends, the ground squirrels. They were scampering around eating and playing with each other. I actually saw one humping a sibling – pretty funny! One of the siblings was with the mother and was tugging on her while she was busily standing guard watching the other kids. The father was busy eating, and paying little attention to the children. If any intruder or threat comes close, the mother or father (if he is around) lets off a single chirping alert or multiple chirps. When the parents gave off a warning chirp the little ones stood at attention watching for any danger. When the parents gave off a series of chirps it is time to get in the holes quickly, and the kids wasted no time obeying their parents otherwise it could be a meal for a hungry red-tailed hawk or other critter looking to find a young squirrel as a tasty meal.

After enjoying a good breakfast of bacon and eggs, we relaxed for a bit. As with yesterday, it is warming up fast.

A young adult red-tailed hawk or maybe it could have been a red-shouldered hawk has been squawking continuously in the mornings. There is not as much bird activity here as with the other camp. I only see a few magpies on occasion. The acorn woodpecker is pretty active in these parts though. A small grey bodied bird with a black head is seen occasionally as well. It might be a Dark-eyed Junco. The crows come to visit more in this camping area for food, probably because of less competition of the magpies (the magpies are part of the crow family). Last night we saw our first deer, a doe close to our camp. There is also a medium size orange colored butterfly fluttering about in the camp. Not sure what it is. When the magpies are around, they compete with the crows and are usually the more aggressive of the two. A tree squirrel came to visit us in camp this morning until Shiloh chased it back up a tree.

It was too hot to do much today so we just lazed around camp. In the late afternoon we took our walk along the lake. And of course Shiloh could not wait to get into the water to splash around. He seems to never tire from a nice dip in the cool water. Occasionally if he finds a stick or I find one, I will have him fetch it from the lake as long as it does not go out too far or too deep. I was hoping he would take the leap and swim, but it never happened. The lake was calm and looked very refreshing for a dip. There was not much activity for a Monday – quiet and peaceful. It seemed a lazy day for the lake as well as for us. It was a nice needed rest from the busy weekend activities. I am sure most of the animals enjoy this quiet time as well as we do. I really wonder if the animals look forward to all the people leaving their home? It is like having relatives staying too long, and you can’t wait for them to leave. Do we ever think about the intrusion we have on wildlife when we visit their home? Do we ever think about being respectful to these creatures, and their home?

We have a number of reservoirs in our area and most are open to the public. Many go for fishing and every reservoir I have been to has warning signs about eating the fish. The warnings are basically telling the people fishing, that the fish may have poisonous contaminants that could be dangerous to people. This to me is a very scaring thought and tells me what we are continuing to do to our environment. This is also water stored as a possible emergency drinking water source if needed. We as a people have become numb to what we have done and continue to do to our planet and to our environment. We are polluting the natural resources we need, and all life needs to survive – air, water, food and land. With ignorance or stupidity, we allow this to happen, and that effects all life on this planet.

“For mankind as a whole, a possession infinitely more valuable than individual life is our genetic heritage, our link with past and future… Yet genetic deterioration through man-made agents is the menace of our time…”

~ Rachel Carson, author, Silent Spring

“We find ourselves ethically destitute just when, for the first time, we are faced with ultimacy, the irreversible closing down of the earth’s functioning in its major life systems. Our ethical traditions know how to deal with suicide, homicide and even genocide, but these traditions collapse entirely when confronted with biocide, the killing of the life systems of the earth, and geocide, the devastation of the earth itself.”

~ Father Thomas Berry

Before we went to the lake I notice those little gray birds (the Dark-eyed Junco) with the black masks bravely and with little concern for me or Shiloh, entering our camp for any signs of food they could nibble on. They are a very bold bird. I also noticed a black bird and ground squirrel bickering over some object. It was hilarious watching their antics. I couldn’t tell what it was they were fighting for, but it looked like a small chunk of charcoal. Only in nature can we see nature at work with the interrelationship, and at times playfulness of animals. We also had a very small doe wander through camp today. I don’t think it was the same one as last night.

On the lake trail, I saw another bobcat slowly moving through the tall grass. Once it realized I was watching it, it laid itself down in the grass and began to observe us, probably wondering why I seemed to be so interested in him or her. They are beautiful creatures to watch. I am not sure if Shiloh actually saw it, but he knew something was up there hidden in the grass. It was a good time to put his leash on.

Back at camp our young red-tailed hawk or red-shouldered hawk was again making a racket with his vociferous squawking. It seems like he likes to show off his fanciful maneuvered diving capabilities to who ever is watching. Maybe he is trying to impress an observing female.

It is evening and darkness has fallen upon us. I am watching Shiloh and his senses are on high alert for any critters lurking out in the dark abyss of the woods. I really believe he is really enjoying this whole experience being in nature.

A few campers have joined us in our campground.

I do have to say, this outdoor living really suites our liking. The mosquitoes are coming out in pretty good numbers, but amazingly they don’t hang around for very long. Good thing! Even with Shiloh’s great company and companionship, I still think of how nice it would be with a woman out here experiencing this with us. Hmmmmmm!

April 21, 2009 – Day 19 – Tuesday

Last night some of the new campers had arrived, with their RV’s and campers, had their annoying generators going. So much for the concept of peace and quiet. Maybe these people need a place strictly for them and far, far away from those who really want to enjoy nature. Maybe at a KOA preferably. A place away from nature where they can park their boxes and allow those who really are trying to experience nature do so. Unfortunately, they have become part of the landscape in all our campgrounds, like a swarm of nasty, irritating mosquitoes.

This morning a park employee is cutting the grass in the campground we are in, I suppose to make it look pretty and unnatural. It would be terrible if the grass got too long. I guess nowadays a nicely groomed campground area is more appealing to city folk. Then they can do all their unnatural things in nature. Maybe nature is just overrated and just belongs on television for people to enjoy sitting down in their comfortable chairs in their nice big house with all the comforts of home close by. Then while they are watching a nature program, the over weight man yells out followed with a belch after chugging a beer, “hon, let’s go camping? Lets go experience nature. I will pack up the RV, you pack up the kids.” So they pack up their home and take it into nature where it does not belong. Maybe they can watch nature programs in their RV’s while they are in nature? We have become so isolated from nature, so disconnected from nature, and what it means to really be in nature and to really experience nature.

We have become so accustom to the manicured campgrounds and manicured landscape, the natural landscape seems out of place thus needs to be manicured so people who want to experience nature will feel comfortable. I prefer nature’s way of what is natural. I am sure the campers see the pine tree pollen as being a nuisance and being something dirty. The next thing the park may do is just cut down the culprits and end this problem by planting GMO (genetically modified organism) trees. Don’t laugh, Monsanto is working on this. This would mean, if you chopped down one of those trees or damaged that tree in anyway, they can sue you and the courts will back them up, or if you used a log or branch from that tree for firewood, they could also sue you.

(As I am writing this for my blog on February 2023, Monsanto is dealing with lawsuits for poisoning humans with their product, Round Up)

Pollen is part of life and we should respect it as with all life on this planet. So what if it gets on a few of our things, who cares, it is an important part of nature. The pine pollen is high in protein and is a good source for a food ingredient, so if a little gets into my food, all the better.

The winds blew all night and into the morning until about 8:15 am. It sounded like gale force winds coming through camp, but wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Just a few things blew off the picnic table in camp. After looking at some of the tents in the area, they were not so lucky. It looked like a very windy and uncomfortable night for some. These people can’t even put up a tent properly. Some think the tents don’t need to be staked down.

If one listens to the wind, one can hear it coming and sometimes get a sense of the direction it is moving in. I can hear it coming towards us through the trees, and knowing it will not come through our camp, listening to the winds shifting directions away from us. And at other times when it reaches our camp, the wind ends up just being a strong breeze. It is pretty amazing if one thinks about it. Just by listening, nature can tell you a lot.

The campers with tent problems are reassembling their tents for another round of winds. The valley we are in and the lake causes the winds to kick up like they do.

One camper who is across from me didn’t read the instructions on how to set-up the tent. I usually don’t either (A guy thing) but it does make things easier when you do and much quicker. One may even have a nice and peaceful sleep when it rains or if it is very windy. I have seen a few tents come down since I have been here from not properly securing the tents.

One thing I learned studying survival skills is to set priorities. It can be helpful in normal camping as well. My first priority is to sent up the tent first thing, or a shelter. This way if bad weather comes through, one is covered, and one has a comfortable place to hunker down, staying warm, and dry.

It looks like the guy with the collapsed tent across from us is packing up with his two young children and their grandmother. I guess one night in the outdoors is enough for them. It seemed his children were having a good time, but dad was not. As far as the grandmother, it seemed she did not care.

The teenagers who got here late last night are packing up too. They had to try and set-up their large tent in high winds and in the dark. Not a good combination for getting a tent up. So what is the point of even camping? I find the winds, the rain and the other elements we have faced during our stay is just a part of the whole experience of camping. But at the same time you have to be prepared for weather when camping.

This is how most people get in trouble in a camping situations when unexpected whether hits in a wilderness setting and the campers are not prepared for it. This also applies to camping at a campgrounds. For proper planning, one looks at the worst conditions that could possibly happen and then prepare for them, or take the chances of a miserable camping trip. This is how people get into trouble or die, by not being prepared.

A few high clouds are in the sky, it feels like it will be another hot day. We went into town for supplies and got back in camp at 4:30 pm. I changed my shoes, grabbed a beer and we will soon be off to the lake for our afternoon walk.

Leaving the lake this morning to go into town, I looked down from the hillside to see the lake and it was as smooth a glass. A beautiful setting for the sole.

Shiloh was not feeling well today and is currently grazing on grass. Maybe he will feel better cooling down in the lake. There are some beautiful thunderheads in our area and a nice breeze coming up. Tomorrow is suppose to cool down by 10 degrees and Thursday through next week by 25 degrees or so. With the few disappointments, I am not getting tired of this place and its beautiful surroundings, and I know Shiloh is enjoying it with the exception of the hot days.

The kids (young squirrels) are out with the mom ground squirrel keeping a watchful eye on potential trouble. Shiloh is keeping a watchful eye on all of them.

On our walk we saw our first cottontail rabbit at the beginning of the trail. The lake was still and peaceful. Each day we walk the lake I see more garbage. I don’t understand why people do this. Are we not taught by the schools or by our parents to respect our planet and nature? Probably not! I remember a campaign ad when I was young on littering. It showed an Indian (not a true Indian) seeing people throwing litter out of their cars, and then it would show a close up of the Indian shedding a tear drop representing the disrespect for our planet. That ad did have an impact on me and I believe it was a successful ad, but people, and especially corporations now think our planet is just a garbage dump. Though the fines are high for littering, I really don’t think it is enforced or is it a priority. What will it take for people to begin getting it, that this is not a good thing?

Abuses against the natural environment have been discussed and written about by the early environmentalists, naturalists since the late 1800’s and people still abuse it. What will it take for people to wake up? I am sure the Native Americans have been talking about this for much longer.

Since this writing we are in the beginning stages as far as we know, of the effects of climate change. Most are clueless to what this really means. It does not mean we are just going to have warmer days, it impacts the whole ecology of the planet. It will not just impact weather patterns, but it will impact the water supplies, it will impact migration patterns of animals, and humans, it will impact farm lands, and food production, it will impact the oceans, it will impact forest lands, it will impact where people can and will live. We will get weather extremes, causing massive flooding, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, and fire storms that are beginning to occur this minute. Many island nations will be devastated by the rise in sea levels, as with coastal cities. We live in an age of apathy when it has to do with our paradigm of how we see, and treat our planet. And where we just sit like ancient mummies encased in our own denial.

What will come about with climate change no one can know for sure, but it can be easily speculated. Whether people want to admit it or not, over population for our small planet with finite resources will be a big factor and one day we will have to face up to this fact. Animals know this instinctively. If food resources are limited, animals know not to breed. Over population of certain animal species will cause potentially massive die off’s of animal if there are too many. Or disease from over population could occur. Nature knows how to correct the imbalance – humans seem not to know this or choose to ignore it. It is estimated we will reach 9 billion people by 2050 if not sooner. This will already put undo stress on our planet and on the limited resources we have. What other factors can result from climate change? Millions of people will be displaced, millions will die from natural disasters, starvation and possible wars. The amount of land on the planet will be reduced due to rising oceans causing people to relocate which will cause a huge amount of stress to our ecosystem, the little open areas we have left will be populated by people and what natural resources we do have left will dramatically swindle. Because human beings have not figured out how to be peaceful, and we still live in a very violent world with wars going on everyday, there will be wars created by countries to keep and protect what natural resources they have from others who will try and take it from them and the powerful nations who will take what they want with military might. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in this type of world.

April 22, 2009 – Day 20 – Wednesday

We left early from camp, not even time for a cup of coffee. Headed back to civilization to get some drawings done. Got back to camp at 4:30 pm.

Today was a bit cooler. The wind was blowing again all night, but it was different from the previous nights. It did not have the roaring sounds we have been typically use to hearing, but more of a softer sound. When the wind is not blowing, the mosquitoes are out and are they a pesky bunch. They are eating my legs up. Maybe it was not smart to wear shorts.

A few more campers came into camp. A couple with teenagers brought their cat. I was not really sure what to think about that. They may wake up without a cat with the hawks and other predators around.

In the distance I hear Canadian Geese. I love that sound and love to watch them. On one of my horse packing trips, a Canadian was in our group and he called them flying rats. That irritated me a bit. I think they are beautiful birds.

Shiloh spotted a young doe walking close to our camp. I told him to stay and just observe. He did just that.

I decided to talk with the people with the cat. Shiloh and I dropped by their camp and talked with them for some time. Nice people.

Earlier I was watching Shiloh lying on the soft grass; he looked so content and happy. Shiloh is the type of dog who really does not move around too much. When he is lying on the floor in our old apartment, he would pretty much just sleep. Being out in nature, he is in tune with the sights, sounds and smells of nature. He is more alert and always watching and listening. Maybe our canine companions can teach us to be more aware of our surroundings.

It is nice to be in the fresh, and clean air, and away from the synthetic civilized world we human’s have created. We feel a sense of freedom not being stuck in one place and a freedom to experience nature.

Shiloh is dead to the world resting on a lush carpet of grass and I know he is in a good place. It gives me a sense of great joy, and happiness that I can give Shiloh, my best friend, and companion this experience as well as sharing this experience and journey of exploration with him.

While writing this on this beautiful evening, I see the flickering of distant fires of other campers. Maybe they are searching for the same thing we are?

Last night while taking Shiloh for our evening walk, I had my head lamp on and saw two pair of glaring eyes looking back at us from the pitch black woods. I thought at first they were raccoon’s, but saw that they were two deer. We watched and observed as they watched and observed us. At first it was like seeing aliens from another planet having a close encounter with us. It is nice having this connection with the wildlife here.

All I can say about this experience we are having is incredible. I love waking up to the fresh air, the sights of the trees and animals, the sounds and scent of nature all around us.

Earlier this morning I met some fellow campers in the campsite next to me. They had asked when the store would be open. They needed a coffee cup. I offered mine and they turned my offer down. A little bit later I asked if they would like some eggs and again they said no, but they decided to take my offer of the coffee cup. That coffee cup had gone with me on many camping trips and you get attached to certain items. I was attached to that coffee cup. I was hoping they would return it. We were gone for most of the day and when we returned to camp, I saw the coffee cup and it was clean, and a cd they had done with a thank you note. It was nice of them to do that. I believe in small acts of kindness to others with the intention of nothing in return, but it is nice when they reciprocate.

April 23, 2009 – Day 21 – Thursday

I slept pretty well last night, but had a little too much wine. There was no wind during the night. We got up around 8:00 am. The day starting out quite a bit cooler and should be a comfortable temperature today. There is a little cloud cover, with a cool breeze. Today and Friday we will stick around Del Valle with the exception of a store run for some food.

I have written 66 pages in my journal. May not be a big deal for some, but for me it has been a major achievement for me. I have written in the journal everyday. I do need some refining in my writing, but it is a good start.

We are starting to see more visits from our deer friends. I forgot to mention, I heard coyotes howling last night for the first time on the whole trip so far. It was pretty exciting.

Another windy day today and was pretty much that way all day.

Shiloh and I took a long walk along the lake today. Much longer than our usual walk. Portions of our walk I had Shiloh on leash. It was a warm day and thought the rattlesnakes might be out. Del Valle is a prime habitat for the Western Rattlesnake and can be easily found on the trail sunning themselves.

On our walk back I was watching for rattlesnakes, Shiloh was off leash. For one second I looked back behind me at Shiloh to see what he was up too, and when I turned back around, I walked right by a rattlesnake on the trail. It can be in that split second that one can miss possible danger. I thought, how I could have missed him? During that whole time I was constantly scanning the trail. The strange thing about that rattlesnake was that he was missing all his rattles with just a stub for a tail. He was about a 30” to 36” snake and he just finished a shed of his skin. His new skin had a greenish color to it. He may have still had some skin over his eyes, because he didn’t respond to me, and they tend to be a bit slower after a shed. I put the leash on Shiloh for the rest of the walk just in case there are others around. It would be impossible to see snakes in the weeds along side the trail and that is where the dogs usually stick their noses in. After watching the snake for a few moments, it just slithered into the weeds and he was gone. I was very lucky I didn’t step on him. Even when one is being very aware of their environment, things can still be missed.

On our whole trip, that was the only rattlesnake we saw which amazed me. I thought we would see a lot more.

Tonight was quiet, watched the sky for shooting stars, but the cloud cover prevented it. It did clear up and cooled down considerably, but did not see any meteors.

We did have a visitor come visit us in camp tonight. It was a small skunk. He caught Shiloh’s attention and we seemed to catch his, because he was coming right for us. I thought he would be scared away by Shiloh and I, but he came running towards us like an excited puppy. I wanted no part of this, and Shiloh and I headed for the hills. We stayed a safe distance away until the little guy was gone from the camp. Luckily he did not want to hang out with us. Shiloh obviously did not learn his lesson about skunks because he wanted to chase the skunk. I later noticed a mound with a large hole leading into it next to our camp. I thought maybe it was a skunk den.

One time when I was horse camping with friends at a state park, they told us that a skunk hung around camp. I did not really think too much of it until one night while I was cleaning up the dishes after dinner I looked down and saw a little skunk walking by me. I politely asked him not to spray me. He was not threatened at all and just went on his way.

April 24, 2009 – Day 22 – Friday

We got a few rain drops during the night. But it wasn’t even enough to even get the paper towels I left outside on the picnic table to get wet.

This morning it was cool and overcast with a few rain drops here and there. Our friends are leaving with the black camping cat. The first cat I have ever seen camping. The cat doesn’t want to go. She likes it here too much. I could imagine for a cat who loves the outdoors, this would be paradise. I wonder if Shiloh will be stubborn in leaving as well? Probably not.

They didn’t stop to say good bye to us, so farewell friends and good luck on your journey to Oregon. They too were homeless.

Today I am not sure what is on the schedule. Campers should start coming in later this afternoon.

I am finding that people who bring the RV’s and Motor homes to the park tend to spend much of their time inside. That really does not make much sense to me. If you are in nature I would think the whole point is to experience nature – outside!

I see them looking outside through their windows while drinking their coffee and reading their newspaper – maybe reading brochures on where they may plan to go next on their journey. And all day long they sit in their little boxed homes looking outside into nature. Isolated from the reason they came here in the first place – to be in nature. They will never really get to experience what it is like outside – experiencing the weather changes, the sights, sounds and smells. Looking through their tiny window to a vast natural world to only close the shades to block the bright sunlight streaming through their window. And then they think, isn’t this beautiful being out in nature with all our comforts?

For me, while I am sitting outside writing this, I am experiencing the coolness of the morning air, an ant falling onto my page from the tree I am sitting under, the sounds of all the birds chirping away or just seeing the panoramic view of nature before me. The Box People I shall call them, are looking through a small aperture called a window seeing the repeat of the same scene with only a subtle changes of what the day brings, while they are breathing the formaldehyde, and other chemicals permeating into the air inside their boxed home.

I am breathing in the smells and freshness of the new morning. I don’t see one camper living in their little box houses outside experiencing nature. They only hear the hum of their generator that provides life support in their enclosed dwellings. I suppose the box homes can be good for extreme weather for warmth and comfort, but why not experience bad weather outside once in a while. I remember as a child, weather never seemed to be an issue. Rain or shine, we would be out playing. Unfortunately, when we get older, we lose that child like spirit of adventure and playfulness. We lose the wonder and magic of our world.

The RV’s and motor homes are given all these names relating to nature when they don’t represent nature at all. Some of these names are the Canyon Star, Eagle, Sandpiper, Four Winds, Mountain Aire, Blue Bird Wanderlodge and the Cherokee or Apache. I am sure the Cherokee and Apache Indians appreciates their tribe’s name plastered on a box on wheels. Have we not forgotten how to experience nature? Yes we have! And yet they tend to stay in the safety of their box homes while being in nature. With camping in a tent, you are forced to be outside unless you choose to be in a confined space such as a tent. But then, tents are getting much bigger nowadays.

For a minute this morning I was beginning to get bored and thinking I would go to work, but all I had to do was just look around me and see the magnificence before my eyes and the boredom lifted from my soul.

Living in a synthetic world and living a synthetic life, we lose our ability to really experience life. Right now I am a little cold, but that cold is real – nature is real.

I remember one time my brother and I went to a reservoir for the day. It must have been in the summer because it was extremely hot. There was virtual no shade on the beaches. As with everyone else there, we were miserably hot. My brother brought his canoe with us. We were next to a small inlet, so we put the canoe in the water and we wanted to see how easy it would be to cap size it. After doing that, we wanted to see if we could sink it, so we filled it with water and it wouldn’t sink even with both of us in it. Then we realized it had become a floating bath tub and it provided us with cool refreshing relief from the blazing hot sun. The surrounding people were just watching us being simply amused by our antics and all the time we were laughing our heads off like two little children. Maybe as a reminder, it is time to be child like once more while we are in nature.

Our friends with the black cat came back to Del Valle, because they could not get a campsite at Chabot Lake Campgrounds. My plans were to stay at Chabot as well until I found a temporary place to stay at my friends house. They were now camping at our previous campsite #131. We took a walk up to visit them and to check if Kevin made it up. We talked much longer then I had planned, but enjoyed their company. They told me their situation and they were hard hit by the economy as well, and were basically homeless as I was and LJ and maybe others we have not met. They were hoping to find a new beginning in Oregon. If you met these people on the street, you would have never guessed they were homeless. I was really impressed with their teenage children. They seemed to take the experience quite well and acted as a family unit, being able to support one another. This was very refreshing from the human behavior I have seen in the past three weeks here.

April 25, 2009 – Day 23 – Saturday

This weekend would be a busy weekend at Del Valle. They were having a free concert on both days.

We left camp early for a client meeting. When we returned we checked out the concert. Stayed for about an hour or so then Shiloh and I headed for the lake for our afternoon walk along the lake. I was listening to a discussion on climate change on the radio and they were talking about the impact of global warming will be seen as soon as 5 to 15 years. (On this rewrite, it is January 29, 2012 and we have already seen changes in our climate in 2010 and more climate extremes in 2011 and we still are not doing anything about it.) I personally believe these changes were happening back in the early 2000’s if not sooner. Already disastrous consequences are beginning to happen, with droughts, more and stronger hurricanes, more flooding, more devastating tornado’s and more devastating forest fires. These are strong warning signs we should begin paying attention too. The warnings from the science communities are not being heard by our politicians or the American people on the seriousness of this issue of the survival of our planet. Much of the disclaimers or what we call the deniers are from the oil, gas and coal industries who are spending millions of advertising dollars and giving millions of dollars in contributions to the Republican party to persuade us that it really does not exist. They are saying it is not man-made, but a natural occurrence. This will impact life as we know it in a devastating way. As one Native American put it, “The planet will recover, but the human race may not.”

April 26, 2009 – Day 24 – Sunday

Last night was cold, but I slept well in my -20 deg. sleeping bag. The -20 deg. sleeping bag might be extreme, but it is the only one I have, so it has to do. It is the first time I have used it since I purchased it a couple of years ago. Since my other sleeping bag I was using had a broken zipper I thought I would try this one out. For the most part, it gets to warm, but last night it was comfortable due to the colder weather.

The people who camp at this campground seems to be much quieter than the others. A nice thing to have to deal with.

We woke up to a beautiful cool morning with clear skies. The lake is as calm as glass. We went into civilization for most of the day. One week left remaining for our month stay at Del Valle.

I have noticed that Shiloh is very alert being in this environment. He picks up on anything that is stirring day or night. Today Shiloh went after a squirrel and got it. I thought the squirrel found the hole in time before Shiloh got it, but saw Shiloh batting it around. At first because it was so small I thought it may have been a frog, but when I went to see what he was playing with, I found it to be a baby squirrel. I told Shiloh to leave it, which he did, but was very curious with what he had caught. The little guy found a hole and quickly made his exit. A few minutes later I noticed two baby squirrels exploring outside without the parents to keep an eye on them. Did they sneak out? I was wondering where the parents were? This is the first time I have seen these little guys out without parent supervision. I was wondering if the parents may have been snatched away by a predator.

Most of the weekend campers have left once again and most the crowd from the concert were leaving. I was thinking we will have a nice quiet Sunday evening. There were only a few campers remaining. My plans are to go into civilization Monday to get some work done, then on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will hang out here and hoping to take Shiloh for a boat ride. Our last day will be Sunday.

April 27, 2009 – Day 25 – Monday

We left this morning around 8:45 or 9:00 for civilization to get some work done and to pay some bills.

The morning at Del Valle was sunny and a little on the cool side, but nice. Pleasanton was overcast and cold, and where we would spend all day.

After I got some drawings done, I had dinner with my roommate who owns the house we are staying at to do the little work I had, and when we are not camping. Then met our friend Tammy for a drink. Shiloh stayed in the truck and just hung out until my return. He does not like me to leave him alone anywhere, but for some reason he is fine being in the truck alone. I guess he knows I will always come back, and feels like the truck is just another home. When I can I always take him with me so he is not stuck in the truck, and I just enjoy him being with me. I don’t see Shiloh as just a dog, but a friend, and companion.

After a short visit with Tammy, she walked over with me to the truck to say, “Hi,” to Shiloh. Shiloh was happy to see her with a low cry of joy. Tammy tried to be supportive of us, but just couldn’t grasp, the idea why anyone in their right mind would want to camp.

We got back to camp around 6:30 pm. The campground was quiet with only one other camper here. I played with Shiloh and his squeaky tennis ball for a bit, than we went for a walk. I decided to take Shiloh along the stream that feeds into the lake instead of the lake. He had a little dip and then we returned to camp where we played a little more with his ball and then he ate dinner.

The weather was nice back at camp with a mixture of clouds and clear skies. The wind would blow off and on, and it was really nice when the wind did stop. The wind comes and goes when it feels like it.

Shiloh chased after three small does for a short distance this evening.

Shiloh was looking up the hill at something. His ears focused like a pair of radar dishes scanning for the sounds only he could hear. He probably hears some deer.

I was thinking about how this campsite is so different than the one we stayed at previously. Our other camp seemed more isolated, this one feels like we are camping in a city park setting. But it is still nice.

It was a long day, so we settled in for an early night. While getting settled down in my nice sleeping bag, Shiloh laying by my side, I was thinking of being in the real wilderness. Me and Shiloh, and what would it be like being alone in the wilderness. This experience cannot really count as a test for being alone. Too close to civilization, and there are always people around. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, the animals one would meet up with are about the same as here, with the exception for the black bear. The bear still puts a little fright in me, though I have had two close bear encounters while backpacking in the high country. I am more concerned with the damage they can do to a camp and to the camping equipment. I have seen many ripped up backpacks during my backpacking trips and it can ruin a trip in the back country right quick. Though bear attacks are few and far between, most all people are freaked out about bears while camping. Maybe this is why people prefer RV’s to tents or sleeping out under the stars. They have that protective barrier between them and the wildlife. Also, being alone, vs. being with a camping buddy, one tends to feel a bit safer. One feels safer in numbers, as with having more confidence.

We have been going to bed a little earlier these past nights because of not much to do here in the cold dark night sky, and if I don’t have a fire going or a lantern on, I am concerned with little critters coming to visit, like the skunks. It is also difficult to read with my lantern not providing much good reading light.

April 28, 2009 – Day 26 – Tuesday

This morning I realized I forgot to get some clean socks, so we will have to go back to the house to get some.

I didn’t sleep well last night – a little restlessness stirring.

This morning across from our camp are 13 to 15 turkey vultures enjoying a meal of dead squirrel. Most of them are just waiting their turn for any leftovers.

The morning is overcast and cold especially when the wind picks up. Our homeless friends are now camping at Lake Chabot before they leave for their trip to Oregon. I wished them the best.

Shiloh is watching a Great Blue Heron in another campsite.

Shiloh and I took a nice walk around the campgrounds. Many of the spring flowers I saw when we first got here in the beginning of April are now gone. The thistles are beginning to bloom and the green grasses on the hillsides are turning golden brown. It won’t be long before the grasses turn completely brown.

We headed to our new home for a clean supply of socks and a hot shower. Checked mail and phone messages and got good new on both fronts. I got a check and an approval for the engineering to proceed on a project I am working on. We were also surprised especially for Shiloh, our friends Perry, Robin and one of Shiloh’s best friends Maggie were coming to visit us at our camp. I called them back to set up a time to meet.

Once our friends arrived we chatted for a little bit and then took the dogs for a walk along the lake. Maggie and Shiloh were so excited to see each other and Shiloh was also happy to see Perry and Robin. It was a treat watching Shiloh and Maggie playing together.

It was typical when Maggie and Shiloh were together at a park, Shiloh would usually follow Maggie where ever she took him, he didn’t care. A park that we had been going to for walks for a while, had cattle grazing, and once Shiloh saw the cattle he was off and running to play with them and of course Maggie would follow. They chose to ignore our yelling at them to “come!”

It was a good day today, and it has turned into a beautiful evening tonight with no wind and the moon coming out to light up the night sky as it did when we first arrived here.

April 29, 2009 – Day 27 – Wednesday

We got up at 8:00 am to sunny skies and a cool breeze blowing through our camp. It feels like I may have a light case of Poison Oak. I could have gotten it from the wind, smoke from the fires or from Shiloh. I am guessing it was from Shiloh. I will see how it goes and if it gets any worse. We may have to cut the trip short. I am thinking, during Shiloh and Maggie’s romp while running all over the place on our walk yesterday, they could have run through some Poison Oak.

I have noticed a small sign of Poison Oak around my eyes, but does not seem to bad.

I just noticed my new Coleman stove is leaking gas at the valve. This is the second one that does not function properly. I am really losing confidence in their products.

This morning I glassed the Red-Shouldered Hawk. What a beautiful bird and even more so in flight.

We are continuously being visited by the Magpies. They seem to like Shiloh’s food. It is nice seeing them again.

Today I will be giving Shiloh a good brushing and tick search. I found a tick on him last night. They are usually in the thickest part of his coat and it always makes it difficult to get to them.

Being at Del Valle, I get a little sense of the feel of Alpine breezes. Can’t wait to be in the real thing soon.

Observing all the trees in the area, it can be overwhelming trying to identify them. I did identify the Digger Pine, but the many others have me stumped. I also haven’t spent the time going out to identify them.

Today ended up being a lazy day for me and Shiloh. I did some glassing, some reading, and some napping, then ran to the store for a few items for dinner. We had a sunny day, but the breezes came and went making it much cooler.

While sitting in camp I was listening to the wind going through the digger pine tree I was sitting next to in camp. I noticed a loud sound of the wind going through the tree. My question was, was the tree making the sound? Or was it the wind making the sound? I also experienced a moment of silence, a stillness with no sounds, no airplanes, no cars, no people, no birds, or animals, no wind, and no thoughts in my head, just perfect silence.

I wanted to see how Shiloh would do in a boat, so we went down to the Marina, and I rented a small motor boat to putt around the lake for an hour or so. Once we got to the dock, Shiloh did not care much about going on the boat dock, but got him to the boat. I tried to get Shiloh into the boat and he definitely wanted no part of it. I tried to coax him in gently, but again he adamantly refused to step one paw on to that boat. The guys that worked there and I were all laughing at poor Shiloh for his fear and apprehension about getting into the boat. One of the guys suggested trying one of their flat bottom boats. It was much wider and larger than the boat we were going to rent, and of course it had a flat bottom, giving Shiloh a more stable platform to be on. So I tried coaxing Shiloh into the flat bottom boat and he eventually stepped in. Success! Since he was still nervous about this whole idea of going on the lake, I decided maybe another time, and I also thought it would be a good idea to get Shiloh a life jacket for this type of adventure since he has never learned to swim. After we got our money back from the boat rental, we took a short walk along the lake. He liked his land legs much better.

April 30, 2009 – Day 28 – Thursday

Today we headed back to civilization to get some work done, and check the weather forecast. The weather forecast was going to be for the next few days, rain, rain, and more rain. So I decided to go back to camp and get everything packed up and head back to civilization – our month camping was over.

My final thoughts on this trip.

It was an amazing experience camping out for close to a month, and doing it with Shiloh. Only once was I bored, but I really got tired of all the people, and how disrespectful they can be to others, as well as to nature. I could not have stayed there for another month, or even another week. I found many of the rules for the park annoying, but I understand why they have them. It is because people are just to irresponsible, with little respect for nature. And even with the rules, many seem to just ignore them. I wish I could say it is just a few bad apples that are the problem, but the reality is, there are many bad apples at the party. We have lost that connection that deep inside brings us into nature. It is due to our educational system, our governments, as with poor parenting when it has to do with teaching our children about nature, and with society itself. It seems that it is okay to trash nature, and disrespect nature. But is it really our fault? This is how we were taught in our societies, and cultures.

If in the very beginning, the Europeans, then settlers, then Americans understood how important the Native Indigenous People’s understanding, and wisdom played in the natural world was, instead of the newcomers wanting to destroy them. We could have had a better understanding, relationship, and reverence for nature, and for all life.

Have I gained any wisdom or insight on this trip? All I can say is I don’t really know yet. What I do know is nature and being part of it and living in it is truly special, a gift. Every morning I woke up to nature and the freedom it gives. This experience with Shiloh has been truly a gift. It is a shame more people can’t experience this gift of nature and life in nature.

Reflecting back on this time, I am sorry I didn’t take any photos, but I did not want to be distracted from my full attention to Shiloh, and to nature.

“Rather than nurturing these gentle values (humility and empathy), we are encouraged to feel proud and superior, to use the gifts of nature without giving back, to cultivate our separateness from Earth Mother, and to exercise our “dominion” over plants and animals. At best, we are taught to “appreciate” nature, as though it were merely a scenic attraction and not the source of life itself. Contrast these values with those of the Native American, who literally worshiped the earth, who know its creatures so intimately that he could mentally “change places” with them, and who understood in his heart and soul that his own survival depended on their continued well-being.”

~ Tom Brown Jr.