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For many years I have driven out to the Canyon Country of Southeast Utah to hike, camp, and sometimes backpack with the dogs. The wide open spaces and spirituality that I sense out in that country has had a profound impact on me. I always go in the offseason: fall, sometimes winter, but usually spring, starting around president’s day in February. The summer heat plus the chance of encountering a rattlesnake by my dogs keeps me away in the summer time. Plus, in the summer I am busy hiking in Colorado’s high country with the borders.

So I need to start cleaning up my house, in anticipation of another late February or early March trip out there. I have a place in mind that I have been wanting to backpack to, that I came across last March. I straighten the house to get ready for visitors since I need someone come by every day and collect the chicken eggs and drop them off in the refrigerator, so I don’t return to hundreds of eggs in the girl’s nest boxes. :)

One of the big benefits of living single like I do is to be able to head out like this whenever I have the desire and the weather allows it. It is always more complicated to coordinate things if you plan on bringing someone. Yes, I have to deal with lonliness, but after so many years single I am used to it. Plus I have three very intelligent border collies to keep me company.

And the thing about loneliness, is it is often something you have to go through to stay on the road to maximum freedom, and to intimitely witnessing the beauty of the earth.

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