“When we began our journey into nature, I had no idea how long this journey would last. My intent was, as long as I could physically, and mentally endure it, and financially afford it. I had know idea how long that would be. But I do know, each day we get to wake up in nature, and fall asleep in nature, it feels like we are experiencing a beautiful dream of being back home.”

Part Seven

February 11, 2018 – Sunday – Patrick’s Point State Park, / Sue-meg State Park, CA

On our way north, I was hoping to see the Roosevelt Elk herds that can be seen in particular areas to the north. We drove through an area along Highway 101 and there they were, a small herd of elk grazing along side of the road. And I yelled to the boys, “look, there’s the elk!” Nanook raised his head to see through the open truck window, and Takota continued to hide in his spot underneath the heavy cloth covering in the rear cab. The only times he will pop his head out is sometimes when we stop somewhere, or when we are home at our campsite. He always knows when we get into camp, and even before we reach it, which amazes me.

My Dad and family would always head north after the families camping stay at Robertson Grove State Park to visit friends, and to see the elk. So when we saw the elk, it was a special moment for me. Maybe Dad was with us enjoying them too.

Our drive was pleasant while seeing the elk, driving through the beautiful countryside, the forests of the coastal redwoods, and along the coastline of the Pacific. There was little traffic to speak of. The weather being cool with overcast skies. We pasted through the cities and towns of Eureka, Arcada, McKinleyville, and Trinidad. And five miles further, we arrived at our destinations, Patrick’s Point State Park, that in September 30, 2021 will be changed to Sue-meg State Park. Sue-meg has been used by the Yurok people to describe the area where the State Park is now located. Sue-meg was the name of the traditional fishing camp the Yurok tribe used prior to the settlement of the white settlers. I believe all State Parks should be named in respect for the native peoples who once lived in these areas prior to the settlers as with having the particular tribes having more presents and involvement in the communities and in educating visitors about their traditions, cultures, and about the lands they called their home. Many Americans relate to the Native Americans as a forgotten people that no longer exists, or a few who are making a lot of money in casinos.

For me, I feel the suffering they endured by the white Europeans. I wish I was able to connect with them on our journey, to better understand the struggles they face from the very governments that stole their lands, their way of life, and their freedoms – allowing them to soar the skies like the eagles once again.

My feelings about Indian Casinos are that this solution is the wrong solution. It is a way for the states to collect taxes, and fees, still having control over them, and it can lead to addiction, corruption, crime, and greed. It also separates the tribe from the traditional and assimilated. But then again, I also see it as one of the only ways they are able to survive. For the governments, it is just about the taxes that it brings in.

It was nice seeing the Pacific Ocean again, smelling the fresh salty breeze, hearing the sounds of the gentle surf, and crashing waves, and feeling the oceans magical and healing energy. Originally I wanted to avoid the weather of the coastline, but I am glad we didn’t. It is truly a place of awe and wonder – a place of magic and beauty.

We arrived at the campground at around 12:00 pm. No one was at the main gate kiosk to check in, so we headed for the Camp Hosts trailer while looking at sites available. Stopping at the Hosts site, I asked them what campsite would be good for us with the truck, trailer, a big tent and two big dogs? They told me they thought one spot would work that we might like. He showed us to the site. The campsite was nice, and it was also a bit tight to get into, but we made it in.

It was also a damp site that held moisture within it due to getting very little sunlight to dry it out. It felt like being in a rain forest.

On the way here we were experiencing off and on rain, and at the campground it became off and on light rain. I scoped out where the tent would go and the direction I wanted to have it. I was a little concerned if the rain would stop so I could get the tent set up. When the rained did finally stop, I was able to get the tent set up. Our Helping Spirits were watching over us, getting us here safely, and finding a good campsite. And the weather cooperating with us so I could get camp set up without getting everything all wet in the process.

When I find a site and get the trailer unhitched, let the boys out, and tied up so they can do there thing which is to pee and sniff. They are always excited, and have to do their sniffing everywhere, checking things out, and getting themselves all tangled up in their lines. And then I have to untangled them while trying to set up camp. Yelling at them like they were children, telling them to settle down, and to be good so I can focus in getting my stuff done in setting up camp. They always know that is our campsite now, and Takota goes into his camp protector mode. When Shiloh and I camped, once we got to a camp, he too would immediately go into a protective mode (refer to the blog, “Our Journey Into The Wilderness”), about Shiloh and my experiences, camping together.

I am always in a hurry to get the tent set up, especially with a chance of rain coming in. And during this hectic time, I make sure I pay for the site before we get too settled. The campgrounds makes it clear, once a campsite is taken, it is time to pay. There are those who don’t pay for their sites if they can get away with it.

As I had mentioned, it was a tight squeeze backing up the truck and trailer into the campsite. The road curved at the site and made it difficult to maneuver in a straight line with little space for backing in at the right angle with the truck going one way and the trailer going another way, dealing with vegetation on both sides of me, and with blind spots. With attempt after attempt I could not get a good line up for where I wanted the trailer to go. I had to get out of the truck constantly checking my clearances and getting a visual on the correct path to take. I was beginning to get a bit frustrated with this whole thing. I also did not want to block the roadway from other traffic from getting through. I had very little room to work with. The only way for it to work was to park the trailer and truck side by side, and giving me enough room getting into the trailer and truck. After many attempts I finally get it. I still had to maneuver the truck in and out each time we left the campsite. But it was worth it, we did have a nice site.

When we were coming up to Eureka, we accented a long grade to get there. It reminded me of our bike trip Mike and I took. We met up with another biker who joined us a part of the way. We were riding a close distance together up this grade. I found myself focusing on my peddling, my feet moving around and around, and I began becoming hypnotized with the rotation of my feet with the peddles, and with the wheel sprocket. I fell into a trance like state observing this experience. I found myself moving further away from my fellow companions, yet I did not want to lose being in this zone if just being. When I topped the grade of the accent, I waited for my companions to catch up. The first thing Mike said, “Man you were book’in!” I told him, “I did not know where it came from, but hope I could do it again.” That was the only time I was able to experience that. It reminded me when I jogged, every once in a great while I would go into a zone of joggling where it was effortless. I felt like I was floating above the ground. I could have jogged for miles. I could never figure out what I did differently, it just happened. Out of all the years I had been jogging, I had only experienced this maybe three times.

Once we got settled in a bit at our new campsite, we drove to the kiosk and paid for seven days. This is our forth campground on our journey, with many more ahead of us.

I thought the campground was fairly busy for this time of year. I thought in the winter it would be far less busy. But it was pretty quiet overall.

We are suppose to get nice weather for the week. The campground is in a beautiful area consisting of just a few redwoods, The main trees are Sitka spruce, red alder, the Douglas fir, western hemlock, and the lodgepole pine. Between the 1870s to the 1920s the forest in this area was cleared and burned for apple orchards, hay and potato crops. The land was also used for grazing sheep and cattle. Eventually the area soon began growing back to it’s natural beauty prior to the acquisition as a state park in 1929.

Once I got the tent set up, we headed south to Arcada to some places I might get firewood that I saw on the way up. They were both closed. I then looked for a Safeway to pick up some food, but instead found a market that worked just as well. I talked with a lady there and she gave me directions to Safeway.

I bought three bundles of firewood at the market and picked up a few items of food. I thought I would come back on Monday to pick up more firewood, and go shopping at Safeway.

It was much cooler here with all the moisture in the air, but it felt good.

This afternoon, and evening I found myself with little patience with the boys, and with myself. I was on a short fuse when things did not go my way. I was in a rush mode to get things done, and as a result my patience grew thin. A great day turned into me being in a pissy mood. It will soon pass, but I hate being this way.

I was told there are bear visiting the park on occasional, and mountain lion, so I have to be aware of any signs I might see.

I am not sure what the weather will bring, I will keep all the window and door flaps open. I did put the rain fly on. The reasons I like to keep the windows uncovered is to keep the boys comfortable, they like the cold, and I don’t mind it too much. I also like to wake up with a nice view of our campsite and the surroundings.

It is peaceful here, with the distant sounds of the ocean surf crashing on the shore. Once we got comfortable in bed, a light rain began to fall, so I got up and closed all the window covers.

February 12, 2018 – Monday

I slept pretty well on our first night here. It was not that cold during the night. In the early morning the raccoons came for a visit and, they found the only thing I left outside under the bench, my ice chest filled with bottled water and ice. Knowing full well how much they like ice, they munched on that for a while and left the bottled water alone. I heard the sounds of the ocean roaring all night. Not always a pleasant sound to sleep by.

This morning was a cold sunny morning. I was getting annoyed again trying to get my stove lit. I want my coffee!

The boys and I took a morning walk, and I stopped to talk with some of the park employees, and they told me this area is definitely bear country. They also told me Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is much worse for bears. I have a bear proof ice chest that I use mostly because it keeps ice longer, and I also have beer proof metal containers, but I rarely use them unless I am in the backcountry. If there were a lot of bears around, I would use those as well.

As with Robertson Grove, there are a lot of roots above the ground here, so I have to remember to watch my step, so as not to trip or injury myself.

My liquid fuel stove was still not lighting, so I went into the trailer to look for my new propane stove that was hidden in the trailer somewhere. Digging through all my stuff I finally found it, and next to it was my old propane stove, so I thought I would try using the old one first. I had extra propane canisters just for this occasion. It started up with no problem, so I put my coffee on, and fixed breakfast for me and the boys.

While making breakfast I noticed a bird that flew on a branch just over where I was cooking. It was a bird I had never seen before. He or she was very curious with what I was cooking, and just watched. It was about the size of a robin, with a light gray body, darker gray wings, a black crown on top of it’s head, and a short beak. A beautiful bird. I saw a couple of them in camp. I found out later it was a Gray jay. They are not suppose to be this far south according to so-called experts. And of course they are in the jay family. A Steller’s jay also dropped by in camp, but didn’t stay. We also have the crows around. I am excited to see the birds around.

I am pondering about staying here for two weeks. It is a beautiful area and close to the ocean. I have to focus on keeping a clean camp to avoid any bear issues if one decides to come into the campground. I don’t want a bear destroying our camp. Most people tend to ignore these warnings that can effect all campers. I tend to be much more cautious then most because I can’t afford to lose things that a bear may decide to destroy. And depending where I am at, it may be hard to replace.

Afternoon Entry

I was having a hard time shaking being in a pissy mood. It seems to come and go like the waves in the ocean.

We went to find some firewood and to go shopping for food. The first place we went for firewood was closed. It was a nonprofit group that was selling it, So I called the number, and they returned the call, and only had cedar and pine combined, and it was probably over priced. So we continued on to the next place a couple of miles away. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw a lady with a whole pallet of firewood in her truck, and I knew this was the right place. But I was clearly surprised by the cost of the wood. I told the person I was talking with, that I wanted oak, he told me it was wet. I asked what other type of wood he had, and he told me they had almond. Reluctantly I said, perfect and told him to load it up, and include two bundles of redwood kindling. The pallet was a quarter cord, and with the kindling came to $124.00, that put a hole in my pocket. The quarter cord was $108.00 and $16.00 for the kindling. In the end I was happy with the almond, it is a good burning hardwood, with a great aroma when it burns. They just slipped the pallet right into the bed of my truck, with a little adjusting for making room. If I burn it twice a day it should last for a week. I don’t burn big campfires. To me it is a waste, I like them somewhat small to medium in size. And while I am writing this in my journal, I am burning some right now. It started quickly without a fuss. And providing some nice heat.

I was a little concerned about bringing that much wood into the campground, but no one was at the kiosk entry, so I slid right in unnoticed. I was happy to get all that firewood. I have never had a problem getting large loads of firewood into campgrounds, but there is always a first time

The noise I heard during the night that I thought was the surf, was actually the heavy wind blowing. I guess we had a lot of rain that came in during the night, with the wind.

This evening the boys were getting excited about something just outside of our camp. I thought it might be a raccoon. I saw a pair of eyes glowing at me, then I put the flashlight on the critter that was about 20 yards from me. It was bigger than a raccoon and thought it might be a mountain lion. I then got a better look at it and it was a gray fox.

Today I visited the Sumeg Village leaving the boys in the truck. I wasn’t there long. Just a quick walk through. It was really interesting. I may checked it out further on my walk with the boys tomorrow.

I also spotted a robin this afternoon.

I was thinking today how I have been acting angrily about the littlest things, and for no real reason. I have to nip that in the bud.

I heard the fox call this evening that was exciting.

February 13, 2018 – Tuesday

We got up at 7:30 am with blue skies, and not to cold.

We took our morning walk to the Sumeg Village and hoping to explore it a bit further, then I saw a sign stating, “No Dogs Allowed.” So that was that!

I did say a prayer, and a tobacco offering just outside of the Village to the spirit beings. When I approached this area I felt I was approaching a sacred place. I had similar feelings when I was in Hawaii and felt a connection to the land of the Native Hawaiian people, and to the people themselves.

I have noticed this campground is pretty popular because of the redwood woodlands, the ocean, the beauty of this whole landscape, and of course in collecting Agates. It was also close to City populations.

In my past life I would be wanting to explore new areas, I would want to collect agates, and do the usual fun stuff. And now, it does not mean I wouldn’t do some of those things, they just aren’t priorities for me. If we did go to the beach, I would not pick up any agates unless one called to me. I don’t need more stuff, and would rather leave them for others to enjoy. I am learning to have more respect for nature, being more aware of the impact I have in the natural world. I am fine with observing nature in a way where I would not disturb them buy picking up a thing, or picking a flower or leaf. I am fine just observing nature. Now I do have to say, I am restricted in what I can do, due to the boys. Especially in any areas with other dogs that could be off lease.

During our time slowly moving up north, my time has been focused on connecting deeply with nature, in having a strong and spiritual relationship with all life, in the plants, in the trees, in the animals, in the four elements, in the air, the water, the earth, and fire – connecting to the life force of pure awareness, of all that is. Once one experiences this, it becomes a transforming experience into a different reality of consciousness, one experiences the awe, the beauty, and wonder in all life forms with more intensity. We begin to see that all life is connected to each other in a beautiful balance of creation. We gain an understanding that we are all connected to this web of life, we are all One with the Creator. All life becomes a miracle through our experiences.

Being able to share these experiences with the boys is truly magical. Just our presence with each other brings a deeper love and bond with one another in each day.

A lot of our time in nature is just spent in the process of living. Doing the cooking, shopping for those things we need on a day by day basis, doing laundry, and so on. These thing take more time then in the mainstream lifestyle of most. Writing in the journal can also take a good part of my time. I spend a little time photographing, but not a lot. I should do more, but I would rather just experience those moments. It can also be difficult to photograph with the boys on our walks. They never stand still for me to snap a photo, or they want to be in the photo. Keep in mind, they are always on leash. When an image is presented to me. I will photograph that image. I also very seldom bring my camera with me while going on walks with the boys.

I am not to interested in sight seeing, and one reason is because of the boys. Our sight seeing is on our walks, or just sitting in camp or on our drives from place to place. It is amazing what one can experience just being still, and watching, and listening from camp. For me, this can be all I need. I never feel I have to always be doing something – being busy just to be busy.

We are all looking for miracles in our lives. We look for them outside of ourselves, and not within. Being in nature in silence, we can find these miracles everywhere in the most unlikely places. Nature opens up our senses of Being that is filled with beauty, awe, and wonder where miracles happen when we go within. We can find it in a simple blade of grass gently waving in the wind, or in a single flower that opens up to the energy of the Sun in it’s vibrant color(s) and shapes, or looking at an alpine meadow where it is surrounded by magnificent mountains that reach into the sky above, or on a lake sparkling with glistening diamonds, or being as smooth as glass, mirroring the landscape within and without. It can be a humming bird buzzing around ones head, or from flower to flower for it’s sweet nectar, or a hawk soaring effortlessly in the sky, screeching to it’s mate that echos among the trees, and mountain tops. I once saw while sitting in camp, a bee circling near by me, flying in small circles, hovering over the ground. It eventually landed and began to dig, then just disappeared in a hole that was invisible seconds ago. It was the bee’s nest. It was a thing of beauty, and of wonder, natures provides to those who are observing of their surroundings. It can be the silent energy of the surrounding trees, or taking in a deep cleansing breath of the clean mountain air or the saltiness of an ocean breeze. With breath, it connects us to the oneness of all life. With our five senses, sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste, only nature can provide a cornucopia of experiences within us. Or the Sun rising every morning giving us a miraculous new day to new experiences. These are truly miracles we get to enjoy on our beautiful planet.

I could stay here easily for a month, but the limited stay is 14 days at the campground. Too bad.

I love burning the almond wood, sitting next to a campfire and having the nice aroma of the fire to enjoy on these cool mornings. Having a fire is good for staying warm, for cooking, and a sense of comfort. It provides light in the darkness of night. It can help reduce the fear factor as well, at least maybe a little. It can also be used in making tools, and be used for rescue if needed, or in clearing the ground from over growth of vegetation. The campfire has many uses, and purposes. For traditional cultures it is used in ceremonies – fire is seen as being sacred, one of the four elements of the natural world. For me, I have learned to see it as being part of the sacred, and to show respect for it’s powers and beauty.

From what I have seen, and observed, I believe most people don’t truly appreciate or respect the campfire for what it truly gives us in so many ways as it once did. They think it is a ritual that is part of camping, but not appreciating its true value. Most think, the bigger the fire the better. It is a ritual that has been part of the creation of the human species for tens of thousands of years, but the respect for fire has been lost, as with so much that has in our experiences in nature.

I have still been trying to get my liquid gas stove to work with no luck. I think I just have to resign in trying, and just send it off to the stove graveyard.

Our campsite is very large, and very wooded. It gives some sense of privacy, of seclusion. It has a nice open area within the site. It is hard to find such sites in a campground. Most sites are crammed together giving very little to no privacy. It feels like we are in our own private wooded area. It does feel like it is always wet in our site, but on nice days it dries pretty quick. Our access to water is close as with our access to the toilets. We are close to the cabin rental area, and parking. We also have close access to the beach down below from the parking area, although we are lying pretty high above the beach. The campground is under an umbrella of magnificent beauty along the coastal cliffs of the Pacific Northwest.

The critters we have seen in, or near camp thus far is the gray fox, Steller’s Jay, the gray jay (also know as the Canadian jay, whisky jack), the junco. The trees in camp are the Sitka spruce, and the red alder. There were a lot of ferns and moss that covered the ground.

Our friends the Gray jays and the Steller’s jays came to visit our camp to see what‘s cooking. No food seemed to be cooking yet, so they left.

(Photo of Gray Jays)

If the weather is good we will most likely stay for another week. Additional cost including firewood: $356.00.

Evening Entry

I spent some time attempting to identify the birds, animals and trees we ran across on our walks, or just listening to the sounds in nature.

We talked with Arwin at the kiosk for a bit, then went to the store in Trinidad for gas and some ice. Tomorrow we are suppose to possibly get rain.

I found my DVD player among all the stuff I have in the trailer, so tonight will be movie night.

It would be nicer at times to live lighter, but we are living in nature indefinitely, in all her seasons, weather, and conditions, and I wanted to be prepared as much as possible in any conditions we are faced with. It is not a weekend camping trip for one or two nights. The plan is also spending a lot of time in the wilderness. I also wanted to test, as well as try out different camping equipment on this journey.

February 14, 2018 – Wednesday

We woke up to scattered clouds, and when we finally got up around 8:15 am, the sky was overcast.

It was a difficult night getting a goodnight sleep. As in many nights, doubts creep into my mind about, what the hell am I doing out here? Is this really a smart thing to do? Especially facing the wilds of Alaska? But when my head clears from this sleepy haze and from these thoughts that want to drag me down, and look outside, nature calls to me in her healing ways. She tells me, we are suppose to be here. I say good morning to the boys as I always do each and every morning, and they come to me with an excited, and loving greeting back, with cries and licks. Then everything seems as it is suppose to be – me and my two companions enjoying nature together.

Once we get up and step outside, I take a deep cleansing breath of the fresh ocean air, the scent of the trees and plants all around us. Takota and Nanook raising their noises into the breeze for any scents they may pick up. I then know why we are here. It is simple. To deeply experience the beauty, and awe and wonders of nature. I wonder what it would be like in a dogs world experiencing keener senses than the human?

At 10:00 am it was hard telling what the weather will do. Will it rain, or shower, or just remain cloudy? It is hard gauging where the weather is coming from and how bad or good it might be, with the heavy tree coverage blocking our view from the sky in our camp.

Even with the coming of rain it was a beautiful morning. It felt like I was in Hawaii.

This morning we had some visitors come into camp for a visit and what’s for breakfast. At least four Steller’s jays seemed to enjoy the bird seed, and a couple of whisky jacks, waiting for the main dish on the menu, bacon, eggs, and some of the boy’s kibble. Whatever the boys leave, the whisky jacks would be happy to clean the bowls for anything left behind.

We also had a couple of new visitors we have not seen before. I am not sure of the species of birds. They had beautiful orange markings. When I went to grab my binoculars, they all flew off.

A friend of mine asked me how I prefer writing our experiences in nature. I prefer writing in a journal. I had brought with us quite a few journals. Writing in a journal gives me a sense of freedom in what I write vs. writing in an iPad or laptop. It is also much easier. I just open the journal and write, sitting in my writing chair, next to a small fire. I don’t have to worry about having any power, and I can do it anywhere. Because I just let it flow, I tend to make a few mistakes in writing, but I will rewrite them later for a finished product that hopefully makes more sense.

Once I finished my coffee, finishing writing in the journal, and buttoning up camp for any chance of rain, we were off to get some things done in town.

Afternoon Entry

I dropped by the Visitor Center at the campground, and the guy I spoke with was much more knowledgeable then most about the flora and fauna here. Surprisingly most park rangers know very little about the place they work at, which surprises me. This guy told me about the gray jay that should not be this far south, but obviously it is. He talked with a so-called expert about this, and the expert said he was wrong. He was also able to tell about the bird that came into our camp and told me it was a Varied Thrush. As with the quail, the Varied thrush seems to like to come out to feed after a rain.

We got a lot done today. From the campground it took about 45 minutes to get to Eureka. While in Eureka, we first dropped by the USFS office to get a Senior Pass to save 50% off of camping. I only got a one year pass because I wasn’t sure if it was going to be worth it, with the possible restrictions that may apply. I saw a triple AAA office in town so I dropped by to renew my membership, then off to Safeway, and picked up $200 worth of food there. And then filled up my truck with gasoline. Then before heading back to camp I dropped off the wood pallet at the wood place. We arrived back at camp at 3:00 pm.

It began raining in Eureka and Arcada, and when we arrived at Patrick’s Point, the rain had stopped. At 5:00 pm, it was partly cloudy. It was cold with a breeze, but beautiful out. We did get a little rain. The next two days are suppose to be sunny.

I also got a contact person from the Yurok tribe and left a message for them about meeting to learn more about the Yurok people. I thought it would be a perfect place to meet at the Sumeg Village to talk. Hopefully it will happen.

On our journey north, I have touched on in my writing the Pomo, the Sinkyone, and now the Yurok peoples, that inhabited northern California. In these brief writings, had to rely on written material, and on internet searches of their history. I cannot say all I have written is totally accurate. It is hard to discern what is truth and what is false or not totally the truth. It can be difficult relying on American History bias for the truth that actually occurred with the original peoples prior to and during the occupation of the settlements and colonization of the Europeans to this land, and about what truly happened between the new ones on the block and the original peoples that had inhabited this land for thousands of years prior to the invasions. One thing is true, brutal atrocities and cultural genocide against these native peoples did happen. And the land unjustly taken by the colonizers.

The different Indian tribes along the west coast of the Pacific Ocean were very similar, taking advantage of the rich food sources in the ocean, estuaries, marsh lands, foothills, and wooded habitats, and with the benefits of the temperate weather conditions.

The Yurok people of California are the largest tribe in the State. In the 1800s, the Yurok extended from the mouth of the Klamath River north to Wilson Creek, near Cresent City, and south to Little River, near McKinleyville. The Yurok people had fifty-six villages, from the north at Big Lagoon to the south at Trinidad. The villages varied in size from two to as many as 24 houses.

The Yurok were a “water” people whose lives and villages were centered around the rivers and sea. The name Yurok indicated a people who lived “down river.”

Each village functioned independently, with no need for a central government – no chief, no army, no courts and no police. There were no laws to secure the public interest. There was no need for this type of bureaucracy in these cultures. They were a peaceful people, and used trade with their neighbors that built a close relationship within this community.

The men hunted, fished and built canoes, the women gathered food in the abundant ecosystem that surrounded them. They were also known as excellent basket makers, as were the Hupa, Pomo, and Sinkyone tribes, as with other neighboring tribes along the coastal regions.

At this campground lies a replica of a small Yurok villege and is not an actual site (no original structures remained from that time a couple of centuries ago), the setting is close to traditional Yurok summer food-gathering locations.

In 1990 an all-Yurok crew constructed this village. It was officially named Sumeg – a name that means forever – in the hope that it the village would endure for generations to come. Today the village is used as a site for cultural and educational activities that preserve the heritage of several neighboring tribes – Yurok, Kuruk and Hoopa.

In 1973 the Patrick’s Point Garden Club created a garden in the park that consisted of plants and herbs native to this foggy coastal environment. In 1997 the garden was reestablished as a Native American plant garden, that is adjacent to Sumeg Village. It contains examples of plants that have been used for thousands of years by the Yurok people – some for food, and others for ceremonial purposes, medicine and basket making.

It is long overtime that we show the importance of the role these indigenous people play in the world. One thing I have learned from the indigenous people of the world is to show respect for all. And to see all life as being sacred. Knowing we are all connected to the circle of life and not being separate from. Much of the human race has broken this web that keeps us connected to all things – to this life force that we are all a part of. Through pure awareness, and experiencing stillness, can we find our way back to our natural place with all life.

Below are images of a typical Sumeg Village. Each village varied in size, from two to as many as 24 houses.

Family House

The structure was built with redwood planks split from fallen logs using elk antlers and wooden wedge tools. Carved planks were used on the roof for drainage. A covered skylight opening in the roof provided light, ventilation and for smoke from the fire inside to escape. The entire structure was lashed together with hazel saplings. To process the saplings to a pliable rope, they were rapidly heated in a fire. With the internal heat, the saplings burst into fibers that were then soaked and twisted into rope.

The houses were built on two levels, with the lower level (a square pit) where the fire burned, and the women and children slept during the cold winter months. When the weather was good, everyone slept outside. The upper level of the shelter had a broad ledge around the top of the pit for storage of baskets, wooden chests, and food. The Yurok people would never fell a live standing trees, for they saw them as sacred beings. The Native Americans and the First Nations of Canada saw all life, in the plants, the trees, the animals, in the four elements of air, water, earth, and fire, and even in the rock as being sacred. These beliefs have brought me to this place in nature.

Changing House

The shelters are used as changing rooms for today’s Brush Dancers. Each tribe – Kuruk. Yurok, and the Hoopa, has its own changing house.

Dance Pit

When a child became spiritually ill, they would use a dance pit for a brush dance – a healing spiritual and social social event for the child that would last several days and nights. A gathering together of friends and family to eat and participate in the ceremony.

In preparing for the healing dance, the local medicine woman would gather herbs, fast for ten days and ritually purify herself in the sweat house. The medicine woman would then sit in the pit and would prepare steaming, curative mixtures of herbs to help the child. Mother and child sat across the fire from the medicine woman, who faced east, while the men and unmarried woman in ceremonial clothes dance around them. The women’s shell-bedecked dresses “sang like rushing streams and wind in the trees” when they moved.

Sweat House

The sweat houses were an important part of to the Yurok culture, as with many, if not all Indigenous cultures in North America. When the weather was to harsh, the men and boys sheltered in the sweat houses to sleep. The house was a low structure mostly underground and having a separate entrance and exit. They were used for bathing and ritual purification by men and on occasion by the local medicine women.

A fire would be made inside the wooden structure and once the fire turned to coals, the participates entered the house. They would know this when the smoke stopped seeping through the structure.

Once the individuals felt their purification was complete, they would leave through the exit door where a source of water awaited to wash and completed their sweat. This process can be very exhausting to the participants and some may have to lay down outside the structure, before rinsing in the water.

Redwood Canoe

The canoes were made from naturally fallen redwood trees. For one person to build such a canoe, it could take up to seven years to build. These vessels were very seaworthy. The average canoe weighed about a 1,000 pounds, and seagoing hunting canoes were 40-50 feet long.

The Yurok believed their canoes had spirits and to keep from transferring any bad spirits to their canoe, the builders would never work on them when being angry or spiritually troubled. The canoe was seen as a leaving being. It was created with a nose at the bow, lungs and heart in the middle, kidneys at the end in the stern.

The builder of the canoe would cut a log of required length, and with bone tools and fire, would begin the long process of transforming the log into a usable canoe. Once the log was selected it would be moved to a nearby stream and floated to a good spot where the arduous construction would begin. Once the canoe was completed it would remain in the water to prevent cracking

Evening Entry

The rain has stopped, but the wind is keeping things chilly. I don’t know what the weather forecast will be for tonight.

The spatula I have been using for cooking, Nanook decided he would use it for a chew toy. I will have to look for my other one.

I am looking up out to the starry night thinking it might be a good sign for no rain. But in reality that means nothing. I decided to open up the tent for the night.

I have a 4 person tent we brought with us, and thought at some point I would set it up to see how we all fit in it. We may need it at some point.

February 15, 2018 – Thursday

We got up at 8:30 am though it was hard getting up because it felt so nice and warm in the sleeping bag. The temperature read 37deg. that my mind rejected until I stepped outside. And it was cold with clear blue skies. We do get direct sunlight when it is directly above us, but quickly comes and goes with the short winter days and the Sun moving lower in the sky.

In our situation I have a lot to consider when choosing a good campsite. And we are lucky to get some of those things in a campsite. I do really like our camp, but with no view of the ocean which would be nice to have. But then again, we would have to contend with the potential high winds coming through camp making it challenging. I would rather have a camp protected from the winds. We are close to the cliffs leading down to the sea. There are a lot of high thick brush and spruce trees that block our view to the Pacific Ocean.

Considering we have the road that passes our campsite for access to four rental cabins, day use parking, and to get to other campsites, it is pretty quiet overall. And this is what I am looking for – quiet to experience the sounds of nature and not people.

In my campsite I do have two picnic tables that is nice, but the way they are positioned does not make much sense to me, and they cannot be moved. But it is nice having that extra table space. We also have a food locker that is near to one of the picnic tables. I use the top of the food locker as a counter. It is almost like a galley type kitchen layout. Since we could have potential bear visitor, I do keep the camp clean from any food scraps.

There is a big tree limb that leans over one of the picnic tables that makes it difficult to maneuver around, but I found a good use for it, by hanging a lantern on one of the broken limbs, and a trash bag over another.

This morning the jays came in to camp for breakfast. A gray jay was watching what the Steller’s jays were eating, and thought, “what is this I see?” For the past few days they have been waiting for the big catch, bacon, eggs and kibble. He or she decided maybe it was worth checking out, and flew over to the bird seed and picked up a sunflower seed then took off with it.

We also had a covey of quail running between some thick brush and the roadway at our camp. A little later they came through an opening of trees closer into our camp. There were about seven or eight of the them.

Those who walk by our camp are pretty quiet, but Takota makes it known to them there is no trespassing allowed with his persistent barks. He makes it known to strangers, he is the camp protector. Nanook is not bothered by people unless a dog is with them. So far we haven’t had any issues with dog here.

There are restrooms across from the cabins, and that is where the water, and garbage is also. There is also another water spigot closer to us and next to the cabins. They have a shower building close to the Camp Hosts site that is also close to our camp.

I was getting turned around in my directions thinking the shoreline was running along the northerly direction, but it was actually running northwesterly. The shoreline does bend back to a north / south direction a bit further north of us.

We had a visitor come visit us last night. It sounded like a raccoon. It knocked something over on the table. I found out in the morning this critter knocked the stove off the table. Luckily it wasn’t damaged. I think it was probably the fox who was causing the trouble.

Yesterday, I picked up four canisters of propane for $10.00 each. That was extremely expensive. The canisters usually lasted for three days, cooking breakfast and dinner. I tried my liquid gas stove that I still held onto, but still no luck getting it to work. I will get my new liquid gas stove out today or tomorrow. It will be much cheaper to use.

I only have three full days left here, and I will pay for another eight days. This place is to nice to leave unless we get a lot of rain.

While washing the frying pan I was watching a guy and girl walking down to the beach. I felt thoughts of being in a relationship. How it might be nice having someone of the opposite sex being around to help out, and for companionship. That quickly shifted to my wonderful and fulfilling relationship with Takota and Nanook. And thought, this is all I need. I have always had a need for being in a relationship with a women. It is nice not having that need now. That is all I would be thinking about if I did.

Since I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like looking for the spatula, I just fixed some bacon and sausage, without the eggs.

It is 11:00 am and it is still cold. The temperature in the tent read 46 deg. but it seems much colder. But I love it. And I know the boys prefer it.

Afternoon Entry

I paid for eight more days and will be leaving here on Monday the 26^th of February. My plans were to stay at Prairie Creek State Park, and Jedediah Smith State Park for the month of March, then head into Oregon. An approximate date in reaching Alaska was June 1^st. I had no idea of the type of weather I would be hitting on the long drive up. I chose Alaska as my final destination because of the wildness of Alaska, and far less restrictions then the lower forty-eight as far as camping goes. But it is much more dangerous with the personality of extremes Alaska presents. It is a place one cannot take for granted, especially a new comer knowing very little about it. I also wanted to go up there to learn from the native people in their traditions and cultures.

Camping in the winter, spring, and fall can be, and is a challenge with weather. Once I get into Oregon, I want to head into central Oregon and eastern Washington to avoid the coastline winter weather. In my mind, I imagine endless rain that I would not want to deal with day after day. At least not camping in a tent. So far, we have not dealt with a lot of rain. The typical light showers I find refreshing, and contributes to the beauty of nature and the experiences of the changing seasons. My plan is to take Hwy 199 into Oregon, moving us away hopefully to dryer weather inland.

I met Nancy, a volunteer at the Visitor Center. A nice lady.

They were doing a lot of maintenance in the campground, so I stopped at where they were working next to the restrooms and asked if they could get the broken glass cleaned up at my campsite. I was finding that broken glass at campsites was a big problem. That glass was usually from wine glasses or beer bottles. It seems it is not that important for campers to clean the glass up. They don’t think or care about other campers or wildlife. They just treat nature as their garbage dump. I am concerned about the safety of my dogs, of the wildlife, and me. I find I am always on my hands and knees while starting a campfire, which exposes me to injury from glass on the ground. And for parents who let their children go barefoot, or just playing in the dirt. This is something I have a big issue with, and how people can be so disrespectful.

The maintenance guys said they would come by to get it cleaned up. Once they arrived I was surprised they did show up. They have a busy schedule in all the things they need to get done. I showed them where I found glass and they began cleaning it up. There are many times one will find the park not being so cooperative in campers requests, so I showed my deep appreciation for them doing it for us. One of the guys was also helpful in helping me better understanding the park rules and regulations. I learned very quickly how important it was to be very friendly to the park employees. If they feel appreciated they are more likely to help when help may be needed. Being kind is a good mantra to live by.

It was a cold day all day with a cold breeze attached to it. A cold night could follow.

February 16, 2018 – Friday

It was cold last night, but I slept well within the warmth of my sleeping bag. At 6:00 am it was already getting light, and the birds were active in their songs. I heard fluttering next to the tent, and it could have been no other than the juncos arriving in camp. The Steller’s jays, and the Varied thrushes joined the party. And one robin came in to join in the feast. The quail covey came for a walk through in the camp. I hear the crows and ravens everyday but seldom see them. They never come to visit our camp.

We got up at 7:00 am to get the morning started. It is a cool 39 deg. I got a nice fire going, and a cup of coffee ready to be sipped. I actually thought I saw a crow in camp, high on a branch of a spruce.

Everybody is back this morning, the quail, the junco, the jays, and the thrush. The quail seems to like the bird seed. A total of twelve quail appeared this morning. It is nice being visited by so many birds. They seem not to be bothered by the boys at all, and the boys don’t mind our bird friends.

I quietly got up for more coffee so as not to disturb the birds feeding, and scared the quail. They soon returned. A gray jay just dropped by and landed on the stove to see what was cooking. The Steller’s jay dive bombed the quail, pushing them away from the seed. The quail left, then came back once again.

When we can open up fully to the experiences in nature, she will show us beauty few ever see.

In trying to take photos of all the birds, it is hard to get any clear shot because they are always moving. I haven’t figured out how to adjust my shutter speed on my camera. That would help!

The bird activities are beginning to quiet down. It was exciting to see all the birds in camp. This is the most bird activity in camp so far. I am sure the bird feed helped. The quail seemed to be the most skittish of the birds, but would always return.

This morning while taking in deep breaths of the fresh ocean air, it reminds me of being in Hawaii.

We have been camping now for close to three months, our home is in a tent and in nature. My expectations for experiencing a deeper connection in nature has been difficult at times, but has also been easy at times. It feels I am being drawn in by nature’s calling more often. My thoughts that fills my mind and pulls me away from what is the now, and the feelings from within my heart that brings me closer to what is in the present moment – in a place of awe and wonder with the natural world. Expectations that takes me out of the present moment and takes me to a place in the future somewhere that does not even exist, or in the past that is no longer a place, but only an illusion of what once was – the good, the bad, and the ugly. I drift into those moments, and just as quickly, I can fall out of them, like the waves of the ocean. If we can only experience both as just part of the beingness of the moment as does the ebb and flow of the waves, being neither good nor bad, but just is – the rhythmical pattern of coming and going or the declining and rebirth. The ocean does not see the ins and outs of the waves as being good or bad, it is just the natural flow of what is.

As I am still getting my feet wet in figuring out this life style that is so different from what it was for over 60 years of my life, it feels so naturally as it should be.

In focusing on being there – the end result, where ever that is, and just being (being in the present moment). I find myself always chasing this elusive something that is always fleeting in my thoughts. I also cannot help, just being in the moment through experiences that nature brings to me within myself. It can only be found within, and not outside of us. It comes from the simple joys in our lives, and not from, when this happens my life will be better, happier, and more abundant. We fight to achieve the very thing we have been taught all our lives, and that is to thrive through a materialistic world. Through this life style I have chosen, I choose the simple way of life, in minimizing the materialistic treadmill of modern day life so many of us have been consumed with – in the need to constantly achieve more, to have more, that defines how successful we are in the more stuff we have. It is this endless loop we find ourselves stuck in. And yet we never feel truly happier in life, in being fulfilled internally within ourselves. Yet, we continue doing what is not working. We continue doing the same thing over and over again in hopes thing will get better.

For me, to focus on a deeper relationship in and with nature, and allowing nature to be my teach through respecting the plants, in the trees, and in the animals. To feel the experiences of connectedness and love with all life. With the realization that we are all one with all life forms, and not separate from. When we become aware of thoughts, that do not helps us on our path, we stop them at what I call the “Gate Keeper’s” entrance to who we truly are, and ask the question, “Will these thought help me in becoming my authentic self (my true self), or will it move me towards the false ego self, my inauthentic self?”

I am still searching my way on this path I have chosen, and dealing with the doubts that play in my head, and in my dreams, or should I say, nightmares I experience every night. But when I awaken each and every morning, I am greeted by the boys with their unconditional love, and greeted by nature through her abundant beauty and songs. And this gives me hope that I am on the right path. But when we search for it as I have mentioned in the beginning of this paragraph, when we search for it, we will never find it, because it has always been here in our authentic self. We just have to look deep within. And this process can be all consuming in this world we live in. Nature can help us go within, she can teach us that all life is connected as one life.

Throughout these writings I talk about “going within” because this is the only path that will move us to a more authentic life in this life of form. But it can be a very challenging and difficult path to walk. By asking questions, we will be guided in the right direction.

Evening Entry

Not much to say. It was a cold and breezy day. I attempted to charge the iPad with my solar, and got up to about 9%. The sunlight was occasionally blocked by cloud cover.

For the first time the juncos and thrushes came by for dinner. It seems when birds find a good source of food they share it with all other birds. There were quite a few juncos that flew in. Then something scared them and they all scattered. Then as quickly as they scattered, they are back again to finish their meal.

I am pretty much out of food, so time to go shopping tomorrow. I will also put the canopy up tomorrow for some cover from possible rains expected on Sunday and Monday. Saturday will be our week mark being here. And one more week to go.

I got a little reading done then took the boys for an evening walk around our campground loop.

Last night our camp was invaded by critters again. There were some footprints on the ice cooler. I also disconnected the propane from the stove and placed the stove next to my ice cooler and picnic table so the critters wouldn’t knock the stove off the table again.

At 6:30 pm we had a starry, starry night with the wind blowing through the campground, but missing our camp. Our camp is pretty well shielded from the wind in all directions.

I will get camp locked up from the critters, then do some reading. Then maybe watch a DVD of Survivor Man for some entertainment. I was hoping to get more reading done, but with the cold and early dark nights that comes in winter, I don’t get much reading done. And I don’t read well lying down on my bed. At least that is my excuse.

February 17, 2018 – Saturday

A cloudy morning. We are only getting a few new birds coming in camp this morning, and I don’t know the species of them. Last night I had the best night sleep in the past four months. No doubts, and no bad dreams.

I was reading one of Wayne Dyer’s books about the energy we create in our lives. It can be loving energy or the energy of anger. Times in my life I have had both, but I would say it was mostly anger energy. I pondered on that for a bit and chose to live a loving life, and removing all anger from my life. It is simply a chose we make. But this anger energy can creep into our unconscious, and rise into our consciousness, and if we allow it to, it can then take control through proving we are right, or labeling, or in judgment. These toxic thoughts and energy moves us away from love. Love brings us together to who we truly are, where anger and hatred pulls us apart and divides us. We have been brain washed in believing through the lying ego, as with in our society, that hatred, and anger gives us control over others and even within ourselves. Again, this is coming from the lying ego. It is only an illusion we live with, and only by choice, and the stories we tell ourselves. We always have the choice on the path we pursue, and what we truly want for ourselves. It always comes from within. Is it time for us to tell a new story?

We must become “Gate Keepers” of our thoughts. A filter of what thoughts we allow into our consciousness and what thoughts we don’t. We can also feel this through our energy field. As being aware in our outside world, we must also be aware in our inner world. This does not mean to judge what comes into our mind, but just being aware – to be the watcher of our thoughts.

Back in the 90s I had experienced an awakening, a spiritual transformation that literally changed my life. And one of the practices I used to help me stay on the good path was the Gate Keeper approach. It can be very effective, but it has to be used all the time. In my new awareness, I was always watching what thoughts came to mind, and using my filtering process in deleting them or allowing them through. The gauge in determining this was, through one simple question. Will it help me move forward in being a better person, a more loving person, and will it bring me peace? It works very well in diffusing negative energy quickly. It is our choice to choose who we want to become.

Afternoon Entry

Today is much warmer then the last couple of days. Most of the day was overcast, and on occasion a little speck of blue sky would appear through the clouds.

I talked with Mrs Host for a friendly chat at our campsite. She is a nice lady, as with her husband Mr. Host. In our chat she told me she grew up for part of her young life in San Leandro, the same place I grew up in. After our chat, I put up the canopy and added some Christmas lights that I had, to add some joy to our site. Unfortunately the canopy doesn’t cover our cooking area (which I prefer), but it does provide a nice covering from the rain for me and the boys to enjoy being outside. It is 30” from the canopy to the fire ring. Not far enough to prevent embers from burning holes in the canopy cover.

We went to Safeway in Arcada and spent $126.00. A quarter of that is for the boys. I give them small amounts of human food in their kibble because they are spoiled. It also gives them a better tasting meal besides just eating plain kibble.

There was a family that arrived next to us that rented a cabin, and having a trailer. They are a bit loud from their excitement in being here. It is a weekend gathering with family. It is indeed a special place to be to spend time in nature. It is unfortunate that in our culture, we have been taught that nature is there for recreation, and not for the simple pleasures of enjoying, experiencing, and just being with nature. We were never taught to honor and respect our planet, and all life on the planet.

While I am writing, rain drops are lightly falling. It feels like it will be a wet night.

The Day Use area is busy. Some people who ignore signs about dogs not being on the State Park beach, just plays dumb if they get caught. If they get caught they would probably say “Oh I am sorry, we didn’t see any signs,” which they did, and ignored, or what I find, people don’t read signs.

I didn’t cook anything for dinner because of the rain. I just had a salad. And for the boys, their kibble.

We turned in at our usual time, 7:30 pm after taking the boys for a short walk. There was a light misty rain tonight that had a calming effect on me. It felt refreshing hitting my exposed skin.

February 18, 2018 – Sunday

We got up at around 8:30 am. We looked outside to determine our weather outlook. It looked okay, then it began to rain. And as quickly as it began, it stopped. It is 47 deg. this morning and very chilly with the wind blowing with all the moisture in the air. The wind blew all night with off and on showers. Light steady showers began between around 3:30 am and 4:00 am, and never stopped until a bit prior to us getting up.

When the wind was blowing through the night our tent barely moved from our little cocoon within the covering of the trees and high brush. And with the comfort of our tent, enjoy the sounds of the wind.

I thought about how nice it would be to have a vestibule attached to the tent to keep the wet clothing out of the tent. But would I use it? Two of my tents have vestibule add-ons, but they would take up too much room and would be hard to find a site to fit them. Both of the tents would just be too large to be practical with the campsites in most campgrounds. It is nice having a comfortable camp, but I also want to minimize having to take down more then I have to when moving from camp to camp. It has been taking an average of two hours to take a camp down and packed up, and it would take longer to set up with those tents.

This morning when we got up, I decided to take the boys out for a walk hopefully before the rain begins. It had stopped raining, but it was very cold out. I saw bits of blue sky and large plumes of clouds to the west. What blue sky we had was quickly lost in the cloud cover. I am guessing we will probably get off and on rain vs a steady rain. Beyond our camp a strong wind is kicking up, while in camp it is pretty peaceful. The wind is not penetrating our fortress of vegetation. I am waiting for the rains to start any time. The clouds are building up for some action. Then, the clouds let loose with a down pour of hail. Time to retreat to the safe protection under the canopy. The boys found protection under two trees. The boys were looking at me under the canopy, and decided the canopy was much better than those trees. They are now laying next to me.

The juncos, robins, and thrush are in camp feeding on the bird seed. A little bit earlier we had about 30 – 35 juncos in camp. The juncos can be hard to see because they blend in with the decaying leaf litter on the ground. The thrush blend in as well.

Today, I will have to pick up more bird seed. We are attracting a huge crowd.

The Sun is trying to pop out from the cloud coverage, and the hale and rain has stopped. The cloudy sky against the ocean looks as if looking at a painting of a stormy seascape. The weather is suppose to be like this all day.

Looking out under the canopy of our little home in nature, I see the juncos happily feeding on the bird seed on the ground. The canopy of spruce trees are covered in hanging moss from it’s branches, and the sunlight streaming through striking the thousands of tiny droplets of water clinging to the tree branches, and needles glowing like tiny lights of diamonds. The ferns and bushes reflecting the sunlight that sparkles throughout the camp. It is a thing of amazing beauty, that only nature can provide to the one who takes the time to notice.

So this morning, assessing the weather, and taking the boys for a short walk, I decide to make a fire this morning, and happy I did. I brewed some coffee under the canopy, then soon made breakfast for me and the boys.

I mentioned the camp was not set up to my liking for this type of weather, and I remembered I have to small portable tables tucked inside the trailer I could get out that could make things a bit better, but I didn’t feel like doing the work taking them out.

I finally got to preparing breakfast for me and the boys at 12:30 pm. The weather looked like it would hold off enough to get everything done. Then dark cloud appeared half way in into the cooking. Then the winds began, and I knew there would be a good chance of rain and hale following. I stopped everything and moved the stove under the canopy to finish up cooking.

The juncos returned as did the quail. Maybe they know the weather will be fine for breakfast.

I placed aluminum foil on the wet picnic table for a place mat so my paper plate wouldn’t get wet.

Although these stormy days adds a little spice to the adventure, wet is wet, and it is hard keeping everything dry, especially me and the boys. I did learn to keep an extra pair of shoes in the tent, so I can let my wet pair dry, as with wet clothing. As for wet dogs, it is impossible to get them completely dry and they don’t seem to care much. Even the expensive canopy leaks.

So far the weather we have been experiencing has not been extreme yet. I am waiting for Oregon, and Washington and the weather it may bring. Our tent has kept us dry so far. But I know most tents are not made to be used everyday, and they will eventually start breaking down as far as the material, the seams, and the zippers. I have not gotten tired of living in a tent. I feel much more connected with nature in a tent as long as the tent keeps us protected from the elements. It makes the whole experience in nature more alive. I also feel a stronger connection with the boys with them being so close to me. We are experiencing this experience always being close to each other – One with each other, and they have been great to be with. This is why I chose doing this journey in a tent, and that is to bring us closer with nature in all that she brings.

Afternoon Entry

We took a drive to the market in Trinidad to pick up some bird seed, and something for dinner that I would not have to cook tonight. But first we dropped by Palmer’s Point to see what type of weather was coming towards us, and it wasn’t looking good.

On our way back from Trinidad to our camp, we saw some blue sky, and the beauty of the Sun’s reflection off the Pacific ocean. It was hopeful we would get some of that blue sky back at camp. On our return to camp I was looking at nothing but gray sky. It was the rainy type of gray clouds, the dark gray clouds that is holding moisture that could release onto the Earth in the form of rain or hail at any time. This is one thing about living in nature, in a tent, one is always aware of what is going on in ones surroundings. One pays attention to the little things that could impacts us in ways we may need to adjust to. Weather is always a factor whether it is rain, hail, snow, or wind. And just being aware, and experiencing those things that is part of nature. It brings us closer to nature, in her mysterious ways and beauty. The very things that provide us with life.

I had a roommate that lived in Southern California for a while then moved up to Northern California where I have always lived. She would complain about the cloudy weather, and the rain we would get. She just wanted sunshine all the time. She would always complain and feel depressed about the gloomy weather we would get. And most people do respond to the weather in this way. I know I did at times. But I had a type of shift in consciousness while reading about how people see and relate to different things such as weather. I began seeing these changes in weather, as beauty, as providing the Earth with needed water for the plants, for the trees, for the animals, and for us. Life cannot survive without this precious element of water. We just want to hide from it. Most people that so-call camp in RV’s, and trailers hide in these shelters when a little rain shower begins, or it gets a bit too chilly or windy. This is why we have a canopy, so we can stay outside as much as we can. We may give up some comfort, but we also experience the beauty of nature. But this does not mean we become foolish either.

I bought two bags of bird seed, so all our bird friends should stay happy with the exception of Whiskey jack who is very selective in what he or she eats.

It began hailing, and the boys do not like it much. It may also be the loud sounds it makes when hitting the surface of things.

A few days ago my left knee was getting sore from kneeling in the wet, cold water, while doing dishes, and developing a sore from the cracking of the skin. I put some coconut oil on the cracked area and it felt much better.

Evening Entry

We had clear skies, clouds, wind, rain, and hail all day, over and over and over again seemingly in an endless cycle. It made it interesting to say the least. Never being able to predict what the weather will be doing next. It could be worse with having continuous non-stop rain and not having a good wind block around our camp. Everything outside is wet, even under the canopy which means no place for the boys to stay dry. At least inside the tent, truck, and trailer are staying dry with no leaks. There is a point when we do have to seek shelter in the tent.

It was an early night for bedtime in our dry tent.

February 19, 2018 – Monday

We woke to part blue skies and clouds. The Sun is out, and I hope it begins to dry things out in camp. The temperature thermometer indicates 34 deg. most of the early morning.

Some of our bird friends were looking for food earlier this morning in camp. I laid a lot out on the ground first thing when we got up, so they should be coming back soon for breakfast. I spread the feed all around camp. They quickly arrived in numbers. Somehow they just know the feed is there for them. It has been a joy watching them in camp with the numbers, and species of birds growing.

We have about 21 split logs left, and I will burn about 3 or so logs this morning. The three logs turned into seven. It is a cold and damp morning. We will restock our firewood today that will last us for a good week while we are here.

It pretty much rained off and on through the night. I was wondering if it would ever stop. We are in the Pacific Northwest in the winter, don’t forget. The hail covered pretty much everything when we got up. The ground is as muddy and wet as it was when we first arrived here just a week ago.

What I could see of the weather forecast, it was suppose to be clear skies all day. It will take a few days for our camp to dry out.

It is 11:18 am, and we just finished breakfast. It is 43 degrees, and cold with a dampness in the air.

Afternoon Entry

A nice and pretty young girl in her twenties I would say, moved into the camp across from us. She was alone, and from Oregon. I was surprises she was doing this alone. Times are changing. Women are becoming more independent. I thought it a bit crazy because of all the crazy people out there and women alone being a potentially easy target.

I picked up my ¼ cord of almond firewood, and also picked up a bundle for the girl. A bundle usually consists of 5 to 6 logs. I also had extra salmon, so I gave her a nice piece of sockeye salmon for her dinner. She openly accepted my offer.

She had no tent and was sleeping in her car. I remember those days when I was young. And never want to do that again.

At 3:00 pm, it was mostly sunny at 41 deg. and very cold and breezy. My firewood supply was good for another week, and then some. I am very happy having a good supply of firewood.

I had noticed the ground at our site was drying surprisingly faster then I thought it would.

This evening before darkness came, the boys and I took a walk before bedtime. The winds had subsided a bit and was not so cold out.

February 20, 2018 – Tuesday

This morning it got down to 33 deg, and overcast with a slight breeze. I felt the cold during the night, but was not too bad. While writing in the journal the wind began rearing it’s ugly head. I believe it is suppose to be cold all week.

As soon as we got up, we went for a walk to warm up. Passing by the girl’s camp next to us, we chatted for a short bit. She is going for a bike ride and may not be returning. She thanked me for the salmon, and gave me a nice drawing she drew of a fish, with her contact info. I did call her just to thank her for the nice drawing, and wished her well on her path in life. I was not sure where I would put the drawing, I decided to hang it on the inside of the trailer door.

(photo of the drawing if I can find it)

The clouds seems to be burning off, and it feels like it might be a warmer day.

Today, the plan was to stack the firewood, sweep the tent floor, get my other stove out, and take a shower.

A new bird came into camp today. I believe they are the Rufous-sided Towee. A beautiful bird with a black hood, wings, and back with white wing bars, and spots, and an orange, and white chest, and red eyes (Male).

Afternoon Entry

It never cleared. It is 4:15 pm and there is some blue sky, but still mostly cloudy. I checked the weather forecast and it looks like possible rain for Wednesday, and Thursday. Sunny Friday, then a chance of rain on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We are suppose to move on Monday. I am a bit concerned about moving if it rains on Monday. If it does, I will try to extend my stay here for another day.

The weather can put a damper on the things I was hoping to get done. I did get the firewood stacked and covered from the rain, but got nothing else done that I had planned. I did meditate which helped calm the mind, as with taking the boys for a walk.

While I was doing the few things I had to wash at the spigot, near camp, I felt for the first time, a deep sense of peace and presence in this process I do most everyday. It was an amazing experience for such a small act. With the experience of having nature all around me, breathing in the fresh air, I was feeling a deep sense of unbelievable peace within, and unconditional love in this small act of washing dishes. If only I could put this in a bottle to share to all.

The almond wood is crackling from the campfire, shooting embers in every direction. I had to be careful they don’t land on my cloth chair, or on the my clothing I have hanging over the chair to dry.

After removing broken glass from our campsite a few days ago, I found a more of it to pick up. What is wrong with people that they can’t pick up their mess. Many people just don’t think, or don’t care what impact they have in their actions.

February 21, 2018 – Wednesday

Again I had these wonderful dreams of doubt and fear invading my dream space on what I was doing and if I can even do it. I then remember the peace I had the day before while washing dishes.

It sprinkled a little bit here and there through the night. By looking at the ground this morning one couldn’t tell if any rain fell. The ground was dry.

We had a chipmunk visit us this morning for the first time. We have not seen any squirrels here which was surprising to me.

We had some blue sky and partly cloudy with little wind. It was 47 degrees.

Yesterday I was glassing a Steller’s jay. What a beautiful bird they are.

I called the Native American elder about possibly meeting. So far no response. I have my doubts I will get a call back. It is disappointing thus far that I have not been able to connect to the native peoples of this land.

Today looks like it will be a beautiful day weather wise, but everyday in nature, the giver of life is a good day for us – being in this garden in paradise.

I was feeling a little down this morning from my thoughts and dreams that I had during the night. I usually feel fine once I am up, feeling the joy the boys bring to me each and every morning, the joy nature gives to me. But these down feelings in my conscious are lingering a bit this morning, like a hangover from too much to drink. I know once I move around, and feel nature, I will awaken, and these feelings from the remembrance of those bad dreams will disappear.

After writing in the journal next to a warming fire, and feeling rejuvenated with thoughts of what my purpose is in doing this journey with the boys, I knew I was on the right path. And the answers I needed would come. I knew there would be thoughts of fear, and doubt at times, but, so far nature has always brought me to purpose, as with my companions, Takota, and Nanook by my side. The old saying, “A man’s best friend is his dog.” This is so true. Out of all of creation, only one animal can do this like the canine species. A truly amazing gift to mankind.

Afternoon Entry

We drove to the park kiosk for a weather forecast for Monday, and still does not look good for a moving day.

We went to Trinidad to pick up a few food items then took the side road back to camp for a nicer drive then driving on the highway, although the highway provides a scenic drive as well.

It has been a good weather day. The winds are picking up some that are cooling things down.

February 22, 2018 – Thursday

Last night around 4:30 am the rain showers began just as the weather forecast predicted. We waited until 8:30 am to get up. The rain held off until we got back from our morning walk. Back at camp the rain began again, and we got under the protection of the canopy to wait it out. It was cold and we were wet. After the rain subsided, I started a fire with some difficulty. The firewood was wet, and my lighter wouldn’t work. At 9:30 am the sky began to turn to blue skies. The weather forecast predicted the rain would stop at around 10:30 am. The forecast has been close to right on, which is not always the case.

I put the coffee on and the propane bottle went empty. So I got another one, then once again the dark rain clouds appeared, and again the rain started to fall. I looked into the dark cloudy sky above and thought, “It doesn’t look good.” So I put the stove under the canopy, and attaching the new propane bottle into the stove. It was hard getting the empty bottle off because it was wet. And the new bottle wouldn’t screw in. Then the sky let loose with hail, pelting me and the boys. The hail was bouncing all over the camp like popcorn. All I could hear was the force and pounding of the hail falling. I saw more dark clouds coming, then the rain began falling again. I saw slivers of blue sky followed by more rain clouds.

The campfire stayed lit amazingly. I tried getting the propane bottle screwed in, then realized the threads were stripped on the bottle. So I got another bottle and it screwed into the stove with no problem. I was finally able to make my coffee. I had to chuckle at this whole situation. Nothing seemed to go right and seemed to get worse. But that is how things happens at times. Things just don’t go your way. Luckily it was such a small event. I could have gotten frustrated and angry, but I didn’t. Trying to get things done in camp in bad weather makes it much more difficult and frustrating to say the least. It can be hard at time to keep ones cool. But when one can laugh about it, it reduces the stress, and even makes the challenges good learning experiences. That we can actually enjoy and even laugh about.

I was thinking about me and the boys waiting the weather out in the tent, where we could stay warm and dry. But we didn’t.

Camping, or I should say living, in nature, one has to learn from what nature teaches us, and weather is a good teacher, but most hide from it. I have chose to live it – to experience it. No matter how well one prepares for it, nature can always throw challenges our way, making things a little more uncomfortable. Doing this alone, one has to deal with it alone. Sometimes it would be nice having another person for support. But I enjoy being alone in nature with the boys. It brings me much closer to nature.

I asked the boys if they are enjoying this? They just walked away.

Even in these times of discomfort I become more in-tune with nature.

Evening Entry

I have to admit, the weather is getting on my nerves. I have a very short fuse this evening and this anger is being directed at the boys.

It is very cold, and windy. We are going to bed soon. It is 6:00 pm.

February 23, 2018 – Friday

We got up at around 7:30 am, 33 deg. and clear skies.

It is 9:30 am as I am writing this in my journal. The winds are calm with a cool 38 deg.

Last night all I wanted to do is escape from the cold and wind, and we found it in the comfort of our tent. The roaring sounds of the wind diffused all other sounds. It was so loud. In the tent the temperature read 40 deg. I was only wearing underwear, and three layers of upper body protection. A T-shirt, a regular type long sleeve shirt, and a fleece pullover. I was sleeping in the 20 deg. rated sleeping bag, and a silk sleeping bag liner that adds surprisingly more needed warmth. I also had a fleece blanket over my sleeping bag that always slips off the bag. The fleece blanket had a nice Navajo pattern on it.

With my hectic morning and evening of yesterday’s cold winds, and rain, and hail I was able to settle into the protection of the tent with the boys. Focusing on my breathing, it brought me into a peaceful state of being, with each breath I took. A nice change from the stress I was feeling.

So far our Columbia tent is doing well, with only a small leak in a seam.

After breakfast we drove to an Apple store in Arcada and had my iPad looked at. There was nothing wrong with it. So that was a good thing. They told me they would charge it for me and I could pick it up the next day. I found out that these units will charge better in an electrical outlet then with a solar charge.

Arcada is where Humboldt State University is, and it is obvious a college town. The University sat right across the highway from the town of Arcada. When Mike and I were on our bike trip to Canada, he wanted to drop by the Administration Office to make sure he was all set to start classes in the Fall of this year. Mike was excited about moving into a new chapter in his life. It was a nice campus, next to a nice town, and it was close to the Pacific Ocean and the Redwoods. I am sure he thought about having an exciting and rewarding career in the Forestry Service. Mike was the perfect match for this type of career.

Evening Entry

Doubt always plays in my mind mostly during my dream time. This happens to those, or can happen when to those taking a giant leap in their careers to a totally different direction. Doing something with little support, and simply based on wanting to hopefully make a difference in the world. Moving in a direction that is not the norm in our culture. Basically moving backwards in time, living in nature – not knowing the outcome. And how long can I do this financially?

Making the decision to camp in state campgrounds may not have been the right way of doing this due to the expense. But the convenience made sense to me as with the safety factor vs. staying in a Forest Service campground or even boon docking. If I wasn’t doing it in a tent and chose a camper, I may have done it differently, but maybe not. It just made sense to go with state park campgrounds. The basic needs of a safer place, water, toilets, showers, a picnic table, and garbage disposal made life easier. Also usually being closer to a town or city for resupply. We were also staying at each campground for one to two weeks (usually two weeks) that made more sense staying at a state park campground that was usually well maintained. And because we were camping in the off season these campgrounds weren’t that busy, so we could enjoy some peace and quiet usually.

Heading north back towards our camp, I decided to check out Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park as a possibility to stay at. I stopped at the Camp Host’s trailer and talked with him on what I was looking for. I don’t think he was really listening to me and was not much help. I drove through the section of campground that was open, and though it was nice, with a small creek running through it, the campsites were really small and wouldn’t fit my truck and trailer, or our large tent. I thought that was a big disappointment.

When we were pulling out to leave the park, I heard a honking behind me, so I pulled over, and it was Mike and Dundee. The boys got very excited to see them, as was Dundee to see us. I was surprised to see Mike. He said he was leaving on Saturday or Sunday. But if we choose to stay there he may stay another week. He showed me a spot next to him where we could camp, but it was far from ideal. It was in the open to the meadow where the elk grazed. Mike said it was a great place to watch the elk. I did like that idea, but that was it. We would be totally exposed to the rain, and wind. Mike had the comforts of a trailer with all its comforts. In an ideal situation weather wise, it could have been nice.

I decided to pass on this campground. Our next option was just to head for Oregon. Mike said, he was heading for Brookings, to the Harris Beach State Park, roughly a two and a half hour drive from where we were. It was just across the border from California and Oregon. I told him we might see him there, and for him to check out some suitable campsites for us.

I will begin prepping for our departure for Monday, with an option to stay another day if we get rain on Monday. Hopefully they will let us stay one more day if we need it.

It took us about a half hour to get to Prairie Creek, and on the way back to camp we stopped at the small market in Trinidad for some dinner and gas. It was pretty chilly at around 4:00 pm. Last night at 7:00 pm, it was 40 deg. and windy. Tonight it was 40 deg. at 7:00 pm with no wind, and very pleasant. At the same temperature, it can be very comfortable or very miserable with rain or wind.

The rain is suppose to come in early morning. Between the rains on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we will be planning our get-a-way to our next new campground in Oregon.

February 24, 2018 – Saturday

We woke to 44 deg. this morning, with light rain showers. It began around 5:00 am with light rain showers off and on.

I got the fire going, and the coffee perking. Thinking, should I fix breakfast or not? We have to drive to Arcata to pick up my iPad and I would like to get an early start if I can.

One of those things I enjoy on this journey, is sipping a hot cup of coffee, breathing in the fresh air of nature, sitting next to a campfire, and just being in nature with the boys. These are special moments for me. And on wet days like this, occasional drops falling on the pages of my journal, making ink splotches on the pages of the journal. I then I know it is time to stop writing.

The rain once again started falling.

We have experienced a lot of rain, hail, and wind in this camp. It can make it challenging, but it can also provide amazing beauty.

Afternoon Entry

It is 4:30 pm, 45 deg. out, with a bit of wind. I can see the blue sky, and Sun. I can still feel the cold. But it is a nice break.

I got my errands done in Arcata. The weather cooperated with us.

It is hard to find parking in this small town of Arcata, but I was able to find a parking place right in front of the Apple Store. I came out with a fully charged iPad. I then dropped off the wood pallet to the firewood supplier, then onto Safeway. I know Safeway is a rip off in general, but this is plain ridiculous. Safeway charges $10.00 for a bottle of propane, in other places they sell for $5.99, and as low as $2.99.

Evening Entry

There is a lot of moisture in the air just by exhaling of my breath. I have not experienced the cold too much so far because of my clothing, and as with good sleeping gear. And having a nice campfire. I even like the crispness of the cold being in nature. The boys love it. The colder it gets the better they like it. The cold seems to give them bursts of energy.

The sky is clear, but the clouds are moving in quickly. We have a chance of showers tonight.

The boys and I took our evening walk. I could smell the salty ocean air, mixed with the smells of the forest. The rains always brings out these lovely scents of nature.

I received a call from Mike, and they will be headed into Oregon tomorrow. Mike will let me know how Harris Beach State Park is.

Still thinking about staying at Prairie Creek, but it is really a bad idea, especially if we get bad weather which we will. We would have no protection. I think I am obsessed with the idea of the elk being in the meadow and so close to us.

Technically I am suppose to leave on Sunday. My maximum 14 days are up then. The ranger at the kiosk will give me another day, so the plan is to leave on Monday, and hopefully it won’t be raining.

February 25, 2018 – Sunday

I slept pretty well last night. We woke up to 40 deg. and no rain thus far. I didn’t hear any rain through the night. Looking through the tent window openings, on one side I saw gray skies, on the other side, I saw blue skies. When we got up I saw both having a better view of the sky, it was still hard to determine what the weather was going to do. When living in nature in a tent, weather is a big part of the equation. In one minute, we can have clear skies, enjoying the warmth of the Sun, and in the next moment, it can be a down pour of hail or rain. It makes us more aware of our outside environment. It determines what we can, and cannot do. It was nice to wake up to no rain, so we could enjoy the morning rituals of maybe having a campfire, enjoying my coffee, a nice cooked breakfast, writing in my journal, and just being in nature.

Unexpected thoughts come to mind much more when alone in nature, or just being alone. We experience reflections of our past. I just had a memory come to me about being in an Art class in college and we were working with a new medium, acrylics. I have used charcoal, pastels, and gouache, and now acrylic paints. We never got into oils in the course because it took to long to dry. We were learning the tonal scales of the grays, between white and black. I just wanted to get into the painting stuff, and of course using color, but soon realized the exercises the teacher was putting us through were important skills that should be learned. In the beginning, we never used colors. It was always using black and white, and the shades of gray.

This process is similar in our better understanding of nature. To have a better understanding of nature, we should first observe nature. To explore self awareness within oneself. We then discover the magnificent beauty and wonders in nature. This allows all of our senses to come alive in all nature provides. An invisible painting comes alive through our senses and awareness to the natural world. We notice light and dark, shades, textures, shapes, shadows, depths of field, smells, and touch – we become aware of so many different compositions that play out everywhere we look, whether in nature or in the civilized world. The skills I learned in Art and Photography has helped me see the world in a different reality. I refer to it as the seeing with the “Artist eye.”

It was also like that learning photography, by starting out, strictly in black and white images. I always enjoyed the challenges using black and white vs. color in my younger days. I saw the images through the lens in color, but also in black and white and shades of gray in my minds eye.

While packing up for our new camp, I still had about an eighth of a cord of wood left, so I will have to pack most of my gear in the trailer, and the wood in the truck bed.

February 26, 2018 – Monday

We experienced hail and rain all night. It was 38 deg. when we got up at 7:45 am, and clear skies. I was thinking this most likely won’t be a good day for moving camp, because the constant changing of weather that comes about here. Blue skies one minute, rain and hail the next. We drove to the kiosk to check on the weather, and talk with the ranger at the kiosk about one more day extension on our stay. She said she would ask. We drove to Trinidad to fill up the gas tank in the truck, and grabbed a cup of coffee. I then went back to camp and I noticed the skies still clear. It felt like a good day to travel to our next camp. Hopefully the weather will be nice at the other end. So I decided we would leave today. The packing up went smoothly, and got everything packed including our firewood, got the trailer hitched to the truck, got the boys in the truck (they are always excited to head on the road for a new adventure), and we departed at 11:15 am.

We stopped by the kiosk, thanked the ranger for all there help, and told her we would be on our way.

I decided we would head for Oregon, and meet Mike and Dundee at Harris Beach State Park. Being pleased with our timing, I estimated we would arrive at our new camp in Oregon at around 1:30 pm. Driving along Hwy 101, the traffic was almost non-existent, and it was a beautiful drive along the coast line. We did see a small herd of elk along the side of the road that was a treat to see. I realized I did forget to grab the boy’s lead lines and was not to happy about that. They are not cheap. I will have to pick up a pair in Brookings.

On one late morning, I heard the sound of a helicopter hovering near by and I thought maybe someone was being rescued near the rugged cliffs of the coastline. I saw a Coast Guard helicopter flying over Wedding Rock and some rescuers on the rock. They were doing a mock rescue.