Resting from my trip to British Columbia at the end of August, I was settling into my nest here again in St Louis Park, when my tehanshi, Bob Pahl, contacted me, asking if I would be willing to drive with him to pick up an RV, Airstream Trailer. He was being led to considering this trailer as a new home, as he sold his suburban home to consciously downsize recently and moved into an apartment in St Paul. Having supported him on this journey, when Bob, mentioned his new mobile home vision, it so happened to be sitting 2000 miles to the east on Prince Edward Island, in a land some call Canada, here on Turtle Island, the indigenous way of considering North America.
I sat with the discernment if I have enough physical spiritual and emotional balance to take the trip. Well, spirit opened the door to what he envisioned to be a 5 day trip and quickly it became clear we had to "Trust the spirit" and the process, and let go of the illusion of control and trust tunkashila, our Higher Powers to support us in a good way for the expanded 6 days. . Thanks, Pidamiya tehanshi Bob for the shared adventure. Here is this authors view of the adventure. As always, take what fits, and leave the rest. Pidamiya for the journey.
Here is my first real camera image on the trip. Tehanshi Bob having the Sante, "Health" Breakfast in French in Riviere-du-Loup, on the coast of the St Lawence River in Quebec, Sunday morning, after two full days of driving. The first day from St Louis Park to Sudbury ON, then through Montreal up the coast of the St Lawrence to Riviere-du-Loup Quebec. I enjoyed a couple of Cafe Latte's here. mmm. Pidamiya.
My hearty breakfast with jambon (ham) with eggs, fruit. Hearty breakfast before our day driving up into New Brunswick, Nova Scotia then onto PEI, Prince Edward Island where Murray and Lea awaited, with the gleaming aluminum covered Airstream asleep in the cool evening breezes on the island.
Here is how the Trailer welcomed us upon our arrival on PEI . After a smudging ceremony with palo santo to honor the space with Murray and Bob, they went about there safety checks. Safety first! Bob and I had nicknamed the Airstream, on the way out, landing on the "Aluminum Turtle Twinky" - a trailer in the shape of a Twinky, that carries the energy of the Turtle and Turtle Island. Wicozani Wo Wokiya. May tehanshi Bob, and his black stallion Ford 350 Diesel, welcome all his relations in a good way. We noticed a spider, some consider a heyoka spirit, a contrary, that Murray carefully carried out side. A reminder to Bob and me, of the power of language, and how some 2-leggeds can spin stories in English, the language of "spin"...and it can be used for good or bad. Re membering our intentions and missions of service in a good way.
View of the Airstream from Murray and Lea's home looking west.
Bob and Murray reviewing the trailers "appointments" as Bob referred to the various options and attributes of his newly acquired RV. I served as a listener, and navigator during the next phase of the trip. On the way out, I was given the reigns to the Ford Diesel Black Stallion in a good way, and shared the driving of the steed. My sense, seeing this 31 ft wagon, is that I would support Bob in learning about his new wagon, from the position of his navigator and spiritual support, working to support balance and nutrition in a good way, for our bodies, minds and souls.
Bob and Murray going over the basics of the maintenance of the skin of the Aluminum Turtle.
Once we hooked up the trailer to the Truck, with the support of Murry and Lea, Bob tested the brakes in the dark on the way off the island, onto the 8 mile Federation Bridge back to New Brunswick and the mainland. Here is Bob, Monday morning outside the Super 8 in Amherst NB, note the flower power in his heart hand.
Murray encouraged Bob to check all the pins and connections between the Truck and Trailer for safety each morning. Bob also was learning about the anti-sway devise, here in orange, I learned is called the Hemsley Arrow. Fitting an arrow pointing to balance in the rig of the Black Stallion and Aluminum Turtle Wagon. For more info.
http://hensleymfg.com/
Close up of Bob's new Hensley Arrow.
How to feed the Stallion in a good way. Learning about the types of Diesel Fuel, #1 cleaner than #2 that has a tendency to gel in cold weather. Who knew? For me, being with the possibilities of the Not Knowing, like a Rosen Method Moving Adventure, allowed me to open up to new teachings and learning about diesel trucks, the environment and balance. Pilamiya tunkashila. Here is Bob turning the corner at the Amherst NB Irving and Circle K Station. His first full day piloting his hew steed and rig, in a good way.
On our second day, driving back, We drove through NB from NS in Canada, past Woodstock NS where we had lunch by the River, the day before, and entered the US of A, in Maine. After the required paper work at the border, we stopped at the Maine Visitors station and got a coupon book for motels. Hm, a new learning for finding cost effective tipi's, lodging for our way home, and we decided figuring out how to use the new wagon in Walmart Parking Lots, as suggested by Murray (wonder what experience he has had there :-), seemed like less of an "Easy Does It" approaching than just navigating to motels. Here is the truck and trailer in our Chicopee MA motel parking lot. After parking in the dark, we went to a local Friendly's for food and ice cream on foot and awoke to check the tires and all, to see that lot clear out of the trucks of a local landscaping and tree trimming outfit.
After the lot cleared out while we had breakfast, and the chan oyate and pejuta oyate, tree and plant people, like the cherry tree and milkweed with a green pod for seeds, told me to slow down, easy does and listen to our hearts and bodies, we noticed Nelson Mandela encouraging us on in a good way. My JT's bag carries balancing herbs and plants as teachers about nutrition and balance!
Here is a view of the green valley of the Mohawk River in New York as we followed I 90 west.
Bob had a phone conference to addend, that timed perfectly with our rest stop at the PA borden. While he was on the phone, I stayed inside, to discern what info would be helpful on our continued journey. It was raining a bit when we got here then then cleared up.
Here is Bob on the bed of the Black Ford Stallion, as we share a typical snack with cut up cheese, heirloom tomatoes from my garden, crackers and water. Easy Does it, with embodied self awareness.
Bob chose to learn more about where to find diesel fuel and how to pay for it here, first stop to feed the stallion in PA. Interesting we were surrounded by these cyclists from Brasil, Only could say Obrigato (sp) to a man. They were stopped by the rain. and Bob commented on all the stylish outfits and the similarity of the bikes. We made it through Cleveland OH and with our Ohio Coupon book spied a 29.00 motel at the Maumee Exit. Bob backed up the rig and we walked to a super market for sushi and dumplings we ate in our motel, run by some ethnic Indian Folks who honored Sai Baba. He welcomed us to the motel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathya_Sai_Baba
Lacking an early breakfast at the motel, we left about 6:30 AM to go to a rest stop with a Starbucks. Here Bob learned more about DEF in the manual as he added a gallon of the stuff here to the Stallion. DEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust_fluid
I focused on my plant teachers, here the fragrant leaves of the bay leaf type shrub with fruits while I enjoyed my morning coffee.
After leaving Ohio, we focused on getting through Chicago Safely and staying balanced on the red road. With a few "close calls" past the downtown loop, we ventured west to Rockford and then north into Wisconsin, when Bob's Stallion's dashboard twinkled a little error message tune, about his DEF levels, threatening to reduce his speed to 50 mph.
We spied a station with Diesel as the little twinkle sound emerged from the dashboard to see if we could find some more DEF ....fluid for his Stallion. A trucker informed us he "drained them of their diesel" and recommended a Kwip Trip nearby by Janesville that not only had DEF, the had a nozzle to fill Bob's stallion's tank! Grateful for messengers along the trail. So here is the first sign the DEF priceing, just below the gas and diesel pricing. hmmmm
And here is the DEF pump on the left, with the regular diesel to the right. Blue and Green color coding for us to discern. Father Sky and Mother Earth, is this balance or what. :-) Bob got on the phone with how to reboot so the little tinkling sounds and messages might go away.
As in the past , we got out some soul food, and made a picnic. Here on the table outdoors by the Kwik Trip. Yogurt, olives, cheese, heirloom tomato and peaches. When we we done, and got back on the road, after filling the DEF, no more messages. Pilamiya tunkashila
My sister Jane Newell agreed to meet us on Montreal in St Paul, to give me a ride to the western suburbs so Bob could corral his stallion and wagon for the night somewhere in St Paul. Here she is after getting the Aluminum Turtle Twinky Tour.
And here are Bob and me, with a photo taken by Jane and the end of the trail for this adventure.
Bob Pahl and Tom Weaver, the end of the 6 day trail to bring back the Black Diesel Ford 350 Stallion and the Airstream Aluminum Turtle Twinky Wagon fetched from PEI, in a good way.
Pidamiya tunkashila. Wicozani Wo Wokiya. More shall be revealed on the balanced path of life.
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