Oh be joyful!

Here I am lying in the sun in the stifling desert heat. Taking it all in. Sometimes the desire to pull over on the side of the highway and explore is undeniable. The air is thick with the smell of creosote and I am taken back to my elemental roots. The desert is a magic land of twisted plant bodies and glittering sand. There is no where I'd rather be in this moment. We are just outside of Valyermo (spell check) California on the "Big Pine" highway. Indeed the road was full of sprawling hills and pine trees as far as the eye could see. But we've dropped in elevation and now head north back to the land of the ancient giants, the Sequoias. Their name precedes them. I cannot wait to hug one of their big red trunks and get lost in their history. Only looking up at the stars at night can make you feel so small. I am feeling very inspired at the moment but I must digress, as we have not spoken in some time ;)

We had a wonderful time in Southern California. It was full of learning and growth. We got to hang with one of the kindest people we know, who showed us around in style. We went to a full moon drum circle, swam in the ocean, learned to surf, ate some delicious food, and met some beautiful people along the way. 

Later, we went on to San Juan Capistrano, which I've told you a bit about in a previous post. It was very nice to see some family and feel the comfort of being around them. Keith taught us so much when it came to installing the solar panel on our trailer. We had no idea what a huge endeavor we were getting ourselves into! He literally stayed up all night helping us instal it with new batteries, wiring, inverters, the whole 9 yards. We are pumping in more energy than we can use right now and we are so happy to be truly off the grid! We cannot thank Keith enough for his determination, patience and general know-how! 

We even got the delight to go to Disneyland while we were in Southern California. Sue works for the horticulture department there and was kind enough to sign us in for a day. It was a once in a lifetime experience and the people watching was top-notch ;) we rode lots of rides and had a blast. 

Then we went to Santa Monica for the night where my friend Kristin happened to be visiting an art school she got into for grad school called Otis. She will be one of 12 students in her department. We're so proud of you and happy for you Kristin!! It was so nice seeing her and going back to our old sense of humor, taking pictures in a photobooth and laughing so hard that beer came out of my nose! Much love and luck to that sweet girl. 

But here I am writing when I should be dancing in the desert. I hope you understand, and I'm sure we'll talk again soon :)

Kyle feeling small in a bugs world at Disney land! 

Screamin' roller coaster. Yep we rode it. The flip gave us a mild case of whiplash.

Kyle under a cool sculpture at a park in Santa Monica. 

View of the pier. 

 

Some silly photobooth pics!

Kristin being cool

One of the best antique shops we've visited ever- in Wright wood Ca! 

The beautiful forest town of Wrightwood. They are used to young travelers as this is a stop on the pacific crest trail. Very friendly people here!

The road goes on forever. 

Desert dreams 

See you in the Sequoias! 

Travel does the soul good!

Here's a link to a short article about happy people! ~ 

http://elitedaily.com/life/10-things-that-the-people-who-love-their-lives-are-doing-differently/598934/

And here's an inspirational quote that spoke to me this morning...

And here are some sweet baby succulents in Sue's backyard :) 

Much love from California! 

Heaven: Special Delivery!

Truly amazing things happen when you open yourself up to receive them. Yesterday, Kyle and I woke up in our trailer, and walked out to our car to find a citation from Orange county. We had parked our trailer on city streets for more than the allotted 2 hours, and received a $50 ticket. Not exactly the best way to start our day... It was already not ideal to be sleeping in Orange County in the first place, as we were evacuated from Escondido due to the Coco's fire which sadly burned down most of Sky Mountain Institute- the non-profit organization and permaculture farm where we were staying and helping. Yes the massive fires took a huge toll on southern California, and the Coco's fire that we were effected by burned more than 6,000 acres. 

We were unsure of what to do with ourselves, feeling a bit low and displaced. So we decided to run a couple of errands we had been needing to get done. After some thrift store shopping and getting our purified water refilled, we headed back towards the spot where we got the ticket, right outside of the Ecology Center we planned on volunteering at for a few days, when all of a sudden a white suburban pulls in front of us. Kyle, not knowing who was driving it, told them to go ahead and take the parking spot he thought they were racing to get. When I saw the faces of Sue and Keith in the driver and passenger seat my heart filled up like a balloon! I was so happy to see the familiar faces of my family! Sue is my mother's cousin, who I met and bonded with at our family reunion a few years back in Cape Cod (as well as her husband Keith, and children Meghan and Brent). We were planning on calling them when we went through LA,  because I had thought they all lived in Riverside. This was truly a sign that we ran into them at that time on this day! Today Keith and Sue are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary- congrats guys!! 

Sue and Keith took us to the quaint downtown San Juan Capistrano and showed us Dana Point where we took a lovely stroll on the beach with their dog Tucker. 

Keith is a machinist and knows a lot about building and has given us some great ideas on how to install our solar panel in the next couple of days as well as some other design elements that are going to benefit Skipper greatly!

Today we went around looking for scrap wood on peoples curbs to build some storage units which will double as seats towards the front of the trailer. As we were driving around we saw a "Farm to Market" store that was going out of business. We decided to go in and see if they had any wood they were willing to donate so we could recycle it. They were so kind and actually gave us a few great crates which will work perfectly as well as a really cool shelving unit that says "Brad's raw foods" which fits perfectly next to our sink where we can store food and dishes!

We've really lucked out in the last couple of days, and hope/plan to give back to this community and the people who have made all of this possible for us! All love and good vibrations~~ 

Kyle and I at Dana point. 

Sue, Keith and I on the beach!

One of the cool wood crates we will be using for a set and storage in the trailer! 

We made some great memories in Lali's beautiful home just a few days before the wildfires. It is now in this state. If you are willing and able Sky Mountain institute will will be setting up a relief fund- check in with their Facebook to help  this amazing organization rebuild. 

Set a fire in your heart

Aloha!

Unfortunately we were evacuated from the farm in Escondido yesterday as large wildfires raged and swept across the county. Luckily, our home is on wheels. And we weren't taking any chances. So we drove up about an hour to meet our good friend Julian in Orange County. We were just in time for a full moon drum circle in Laguna beach! It was a beautiful celebration of life and a miraculous change to an eventful day. Today we checked out the Ecology Center where Julian has been volunteering, it was amazing! They are doing lots of great things there like educating children on food, water, shelter and waste management. Then we hung out all day on the beautiful beach of camp peddleton. We are definitely enjoying our time here and feeling a bit more like a vacation :) but we do hope to make it back to the farm to continue our work there, hoping everything is ok!

Peace and blessings until we speak again ;) 

Wildfire smoke from Sky mountain institute. 

Dancing to the beat of the communal heart! 

Geodesic greenhouse and the ecology center! 

From farm to table!

Artichoke blossom.

Tiki garden by the ocean ~ 

Buildadome

Sky Mountain Institute is doing some pretty amazing things here in Escondido! They offer courses in Expressive Arts therapy and workshops on many different fields of permaculture and sustainability like rainwater harvesting and earthworks. We were lucky enough to get to help build an Earthbag dome. It will be used as a temple when it is complete. The process includes mixing the materials, bagging them, and using the compass (pictured below) to correctly align the bags to create the dome. Eventually the dome will be covered in plaster and the bags will no longer be visible. The dome is so strong already its incredible! 

Building an Earthbag Dome! A sustainable home created with sand and clay found in the local environment. They can last 500 years with proper care. 

Community workshop day at Sky Mountain Institute!

So heres an example of sustainable, affordable housing. Unfortunately most states have laws against people living in earthen structures such as these... in California you are only allowed to build an earthbag dome that is 120 square feet. If these laws were to change imagine the possibilities! 

So we write

So we write about our journey, to share that when you jump into the cold water--things seem to grow out of it. While there have definitely been moments--like when I saw a flock of older folks coming out of the Fry's parking lot we were napping at in Yuma--the question floats through the mind -- who is our community now?  Why is there no one like us, this parking lot is full of oversized RVs and the only thing for miles is sand and asphalt. 

Have we fallen into the "retiree" category ? Are we just content with seeing, but not doing? We're now just on the Silk Road into the sunset, alls good and Rosie! 

Well, not quite. Romantic and all, but while we can use our bodies, explore them, the dimensions, float, wander unknowingly miles into the ocean...and think once we've returned to shore, or maybe even, the next day-- we were way out there! But why not float way out there, when you have the means to return? 

So we did and drove on up to Escondito California. Many thanks to Lynn, Laurie, and the awesome things they have have going for them in San Diego. Make sure to visit Art Produce on University ave if traveling through. 

We are here now, on a beautiful permaculture ranch, the Sky Mountain Institute. A fellow by the name of Alden has been kind enough to clear out a space for our trailer for the time being. After erecting a cloud of dust and thrusting the trailer and vehicle in reverse up the dirt driveway, we settled into our comfy little abode and began decompressing from action of the city. 

Alden is working on some extremely fascinating projects here, collecting rainwater through a few different techniques, settling ponds, roof catchment, and hoodoo structures. He's finding ways to use the water around his property that would of otherwise just wasted off down the streets or eroded other landscapes. Today we moved a few tons  of clay from the bottom of pond (it's currently dry, no snorkels this time) to a nearby earth bag dome structure that he's been working on. Without going into to much detail, it's a modern, simplified way of building adobe or ram earthed style structures. The bag acts as a form, as opposed to heavy and less appropriate technology based structures.  The only imported item is the bag itself. A book on the subject is Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter & Donald Kiffmeyer. 

So far, our travels have taken us to some great places. It's a true blessing to be able to give back to the communities that we pass through. We hope it continues this way and our luck with crossing paths with such remarkable folks carries on! And on! 

Great beer at this archetectural masterpiece--Mike Hess Brewing in North Park, San Diego

Will we ever return? 

This is what I look like napping in Yuma (photograph was not taken in Yuma)

Books books books--the Rollin' readers, we are. Thankk youu Ms. Lynn. 

Cool shot out of our window-Escondito,CA

Candlelit dinner

Thanks for reading, check back soon for more exciting content--see ya next time! Adios now! 

Unsurpassed since 1931!

Kyle found this cool old ad for the Airfloat! Skipper is still going strong, ours was built in 1952.

San Diego, me encanta

Sunshine, surf, and sand. Southern California has been a pleasant surprise. Our first day here we went straight to Ocean Beach, a little piece of San Diego that seems to be stuck in the 60's. Since we missed that time period we were transfixed by this easy-going, laid back style. We hung out by the beach all day, and Kyle even took a dip in the freezing ocean! The city is so big and buzzing we weren't sure where to park Skipper. But we found a sweet, peaceful spot next to a small park and a community garden. The next morning we woke up to light-hearted humidity and birds chirping outside of our windows. We rolled out of bed and straight into the garden for visitor day. We were gifted berries and fruits from the farmers' plots and had a great time exploring the fertile landscape. The next day it was time to meet up with a friend of my mother's who lives here in S.D. Lynn lives in North Park, a hip, also relaxed neighborhood with lots of breweries, restaurants, and shops. The homes here are all beautifully designed, and are like viewing architectural history.  Lynn owns an art gallery/ garden called Art Produce on University Ave. this is an amazing place if you're even in San Diego you've got to check it out! She is an artists herself and a very inspiring person to be around. Lynn has made us feel right at home here and we could not be more grateful. She's even letting us use her sea kayaks today! There will surely be more pictures to follow that adventure :)

Awesome planters at art produce.

North park street art. 

Beautiful orchids in Lynn's backyard sanctuary.

Heavy metal in Ocean beach. 

Don't save us! 

Walking the beach in Encinitas after a lovely lunch with Kyles family! So nice spending time with Azmina and the Jims! 

Cool rock formations on the beach.

A flower tree! 

Hess brewery. Another architectural phenomenon. We had some great craft beer here. A pumpkin stout and a dark fig saison :) yum. 

This is an older picture of a horse smiling at me in Julian, Ca. I thought it needed to be shared for obvious reasons ;)

Off to kayak in the ocean! 

Much love from Madz and Kyle

Welcome home

Hello out there! We sure have had luck these first few days on the road. Yesterday as we were leaving Pine Valley we saw a sign for Organic Produce, if you know Kyle and I, you know we had to pull over for that. As we walked up a long driveway to a house on top of a hill we were surrounded by bright orange California Poppies. The land here is so fertile even in high elevations with pine trees. We met the farmer Tomás who showed us around his property. He had a few small greenhouses, raised beds and compost bins- we felt right at home. He was also a wood worker and nature photographer! We would have loved to stay and work on the farm with him but it was pretty small-scale, so we are still on the look out for a farm to work on. The mixed greens, Swiss chard, and Oyster mushrooms he shared with us were so delicious. Tomás reccommended we take the drive through Julian. I'm so glad we did. On our way there we stopped to watch the sunset and enjoy a glass of wine by lake Cuyamaca, which was like heaven on earth. There's nothing like high elevation lakes surrounded by pine trees and mountains :)

A cool garden in a canoe. 

Some starts to be planted after Memorial Day. 

A herd of deer crossing. We also saw wild turkeys on the side of the road. (Forgive the blurry cell phone pic)

View from the rear view :) 

Alright well we're off to San Diego and beyond! We'll try to update again soon.