02-14-2015

DF had been sick all week, felt weak and was just playing her hand as it came. I had a cap pop off of my tooth and the only time that the Mexican dentist could cover it was…in the middle of Valentine’s Day. The prognosis was looking kind of bland, but as the day progressed I sensed that there was something perfect in the air.

We headed down to Nogales that morning. As we got nearer to the border, the sunny day, projected to be high 70F’s in Tucson was beginning to get overcast. The elevation down south is higher and the temperature could be expected to be a few degrees cooler. This was not a good sign. We proceeded across the border arriving at the 11:00am appointment at 10:59. Things were somehow working out perfectly. The procedure came out with less needing done, a cavity that would have become a root canal was exposed and so problems were prevented. To top it off, this trip was very inexpensive. We happened to check price on a needed prescription at the local “pharmacia” and discovered another brand at one tenth the cost of the stateside pirate drug dealers that are known as Big Pharm. Things WERE looking up.

We had decided to take the scenic cruise back, going through Patagonia and stop off at the cute little town. We found a spot to park across the street from the “Velvet Elvis Pizza” establishment and strode in through the patio garden hungry and ready to eat. It was way past our lunch time. There greeting us inside, was the large velvet portrait of “The King.” Back before the free trade agreement destroyed the border tariffs, it was always a fun trip to visit the border towns on the other side and shop for curios, Mexican made tourist stuff. One of the favorites that I grew up seeing, were the black velvet sheets for a canvas with oil paint depictions upon them. These classic Mexi-Americana are not to be seen anymore, but not forgotten. This one was prime. I don’t wish to denigrate the décor, it was beautiful, with well-done iron furniture with long sheets of mesquite wood, polished for table tops, tile…well, we didn’t think to take pictures.

We decided that the patio would be the very best. We sat under a trellis canopy of Tombstone Rose. This species of plant was imported from China to Tombstone, Arizona back in the days of Wyatt Earp. The original plant still grows there, a huge beautiful vine all over one of the old original buildings for tourists. Cuttings are available. This former cutting had been trained most impressively above us.

We had a delicious meal. Me, a Sonoran style pizza with a Mexican glass bottled coke. DF had a well-executed curry dish and bright red hibiscus tea. By the time that we finished the special Valentine desert (a smooth vanilla Dairy Queen or frozen yogurt style ice cream in a crystal goblet, topped with brandy, Kailua, and dark brandied cherries) our day was looking very bright indeed, despite the overcast.

Pink Manzanita Blooms

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A Continuing Series

2015-12-24

There has been weather never before seen here. We have passed through many consecutive days of record breaking freezes and cold days. It is supposed to be cold, but the sun is out. I take my naked body as a thermometer out the door for a quick reconnoiter. In the sun, it is nice. The slight breeze gives a slight chill, but I am only slightly bothered. I need exercise and vitamin D. There should be no problems, if I keep moving.

I rush back in, gather my protective Vibram KSO’s and drink some water and kombucha. I then rush out the door.

I begin at a more brisk pace than usual. I had thought of jogging on the jeep trail. The new neighbor’s construction appeared to not be happening on Christmas Eve. But also to consider, there would be no rattlers under the brush and the stealth trail is so much more interesting. My pace quickens, as I get my footing. I begin to use my arms more to balance and maneuver around the brush and prickers. I am using a whole different set of muscles than jogging. Still, I am aware at each footstep, watching for cholla prickers in their characteristic bundles and buds. I take care about soft sand with collapsible tunnels dug in it and the uneven surfaces of rocks. None of my motion feels redundant.

The ground is soft from the rains. Under my footing, I see the imprints of several deer. In time, I realize that they are following my trail. Each leg of the stealth system reveals more of this consistent pattern. When I arrive at a bush that I jump over to hide the course of the trail, the prints jump as well! It is uncanny and this continues all the way to Havarock. How do they know?

My pace has increased as I gallop over bushes, between bushes, onto rocks buried in the ground. It is a lovely impromptu dance to watch myself doing. Sometimes running, sometimes jumping, I find it very fun and very diverse.

As I arrive at Havarock, I hear the rumble of a larger animal with hooves, a commotion. It could be deer, or javalina. As I cross the collection of boulders and mount the large rock of refuge, to my left, I see six or seven of the furry piglike critters. They are moving, disrupted by my presence. They are in a herd behavior. I stand, collect my hands and mentally coast into a meditative state, to send them the energy that is familiar to me as a natural divine grace. They immediately stop, relax and even begin to return to the shelter of the hackberry bush that they congregate under.

Heading Back to the Hackberry Bush Sanctuary

It is a complete uniform stop, not like a leader directed stop, they just all responded at the same time. It is as if I have used Jedi mind tricks. Yes, you may ask, “What kind of hoodoo, woo woo silliness is this?

I have noticed this in javalina before. The first time that I tried it, I was hiking nude deep in the Tortolita Mountains alone. Before we were aware of each other, I passed a pack of them on the side of the trail. The two males bolted, hightailing through the dense vegetation up the side of the steep slope of a large hill and out of sight. I had no clue that they could move like that, let alone through such thick vegetation. I would take me a half an hour to get through there, which they traversed in a matter of seconds.

They left a mother with a brand new babe. The cute little thing was so tiny that it could walk under her legs. It was so young that it still had the brown coat before grey sets in. It seemed to bounce along on its tiny legs.

They crossed the trail where I had just been. I felt bad disturbing them making them fearful. As mom and babe began to ascend the hill I did this energy thing. They immediately stopped and began to browse and relaxed.

We have been working with transpersonal energies for decades. I did my master’s thesis on it. I know that it does work on people, but this application is fascinating.

Back to Today:

Today, after this sense of oneness shared with my neighbors, I stand on Havarock and pray thanks for the gift. It is quite moving.

Young One Blends in Below Me

I start again through the desert, again in my movements and exercise. My body temperature, even when the sun goes behind a cloud is stable. I’m warm. My breath becomes slightly heavier at the pace. I’m achieving a degree of an aerobic state. I’m using a variety of muscles, and my movements are negotiated in a spontaneous manner. I’m moving fast enough on this stealth course that I find myself off of the trail by mistake. I use this opportunity to survey a fallen decayed saguaro giant. It has broken on the rocks. The previously accordion-like ribs of its skeletal structure are splayed in many directions.

I pause and look out over the vista at the massive Catalina Mountains. The clouds have lifted, which had appeared to cut off their tops, making them look as if they were buttes. There is snow up there. The mountains are white capped.

After this breather, I’m jogging, jumping, galloping, and dodging back over this course, which is anything but a path. It is great to run and see what an intricate machine we all have been blessed with.

I return to home, invigorated…with a moment’s deliberation, I do it again! Naked fun! So alive!

A Continuing Series

2015-11-14

Remains of an Old Friend’s Passing

I have been limited by nerve damage between my toes from a Cholla cactus for over six weeks. My hiking has been limited, but I still have been able to go to and enjoy Havarock. It is wonderful to have a place for a short hike and not overdo it.

We have had a couple of nights dipping deep into the 30F’s, so there are fewer reptiles about. The rattlers will soon all be in hibernation. When nobody is there to bite us, it will be a time to do some free range roaming, bushwhacking around the hills, so to speak.

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2018-01-11

When we left off last time…

…We had taken a New Years hike in a very crowded area, split from the trail, and discovered a wonderful natural interlude. The old wrangler had mentioned that there was a waterfall that would be fun, when there were rains.

It rained! It rained well. We had had drought for months and then three weeks of monsoon deluge in July. Then, only one sprinkle until we received a proper rain in December. We just woke up to more wet blessing on Wednesday morning. Thus, here in Arizona, that suggests…no, demands an “!”.

With this moister in mind and that we both had a Thursday off together, it seemed like a fun thing to investigate the waterfall, which might be during the opportune time of catching it with a water flow. There was a drawback, however. The temperatures would be a high of 60F. In that area, the chill of the mountain air drops off, flowing down through the canyons and that was where we were headed. It could be warm enough, maybe not.

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2018-01-01

Our usual New Year’s Eve band jam blowout was cancelled. We replaced it with an evening spent visiting with friends who stopped by. Ultimately, we sat in the sweat lodge in the light of five candles with two of our friends and two of their children. We wrote what we would like to pass off for the coming new year on cards, nailed them to a log and then tossed it all into the firebox. We brought in the new year in naked with a prayer and a song of letting go.

Having been up to all hours, we start our day in a leisurely fashion. As I load up the SUV with DF, she is amazed that I am so comfortable naked. I laugh at her bundled in her robe. It is a glorious day. She then pulls off her wrap, surprised by the discovery. This is the first of January, winter, and the high will be over 75F. I have gained seven pounds during these holidays and I have a resolution to keep. It is time for a hike.

The plan for today is to head back to the foothills to another trail, near where we had been recently. The story is here:

https://thefreerangenaturist.org/2017/11/02/sutherland-trail/

This time however, we will start at Catalina State Park, cross across to Southerland Trail, and then perhaps find our way out Baby Jesus Trail. I figured that the park will be busy, but the trail heading out to the remote Southerland Trail should be relatively less populated and it is Federal lands. Nude use would begin after we get off of the Canyon Loop Trail. Most of this is new territory for us.

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2012-08-27

We had a plan…loosely. Get up at the crack of dawn and get out to Redington Pass for sunrise, for starters. Well, the overcast clouds are out and we need rest. We are however, here at about 8:00am. We’re going to explore the rest of the Pass when we’re done here. We’ll go out to the San Pedro River on the other side of the mountains. We’ll just see how far we get.

The temps are wonderful and the clouds have gotten fun to look at. Lots of wispy alto-stratus (I hope I have that correct) that make for imagined dragons and such.

Imagined Creatures Fading Away

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2014-12-25

During winter months, it can be difficult to get out on a warm day nude. Often the outing has to be quite short. These down times can be used to explore potential hikes. I will get on the internet, or dig into literature, or both. I can work with topo maps and Google satellite images. I can plan and dream about what I have to look forward to. I also use these times to explore, cozy and naked in front of the computer. Some places may be bare of leaves, but come spring there will be cover. Visiting, I’ll know where I’ll want to return, on a more pleasant day.

On this Christmas Day, after a child’s presents and in between other festivities, there is a tradition of hiking here in Sunny Arizona. We decided to go to it, as we were already very south of town near the Santa Rita Mountains. I had been out there recently with my son, while exploring, I was scouting for free range naturist potentials and trails. I wanted to show DF what I had found and get away for a few hours.

Remember: You can click on the pictures to enlarge and produce more clarity.

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At this point, we have found a much greater sense of liberation. It comes out of the adjustment of our attitudes. We have been making a commitment at the beginning of each nude trek to stay nude throughout. We have been dropping any covering into a bag, or just using sun protectors to cushion our shoulder’s pack straps. We then are nude with no real way to cover, or quickly dress.

More strategic detail can be found here:

https://thefreerangenaturist.org/2017/11/01/rethinking-strategies-when-encountering-others/

This action says to our “civilized” selves that we are surrendering and embracing nature as a being which is more a part of nature. We are walking as we are, accepting our bodies as they are, a vehicle to navigate and be aware of what life simply is.

As we are abandoning all defense, we become free of other’s judgements, and expectations of our bodies. We accept ourselves as others must accept us, for what these bodies are, what they look like, what they express, nothing to hide, and the honesty. We are genuinely not hiding.

We feel that our illusions are reduced to the stark simple reality of our being, which is two people out on a trail, exploring, fully experiencing the blessing of our God given humanity. We breathe, we watch ourselves move, we observe how the world around us naturally interacts with a natural form. Warmth, body temperature, the multitudes of subtle sensory experiences are endless. A stone’s shape under foot, a brush against skin, a stretch, it is all observed as it happens, as Grace in action.

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I was rummaging through photos of Christmas past, which were reminding me of the ritual of it all and the “Griswald’s Family Christmas”.

This blog is about doing more of life, free from the confines of clothing. We may have similar holiday preparation experiences with others, but we do much of it happily nude.

Those years, we decided to have Christmas at DF’s place in town. The kids would come over, we’d feast and exchange presents. After hot chocolate, we’d bundle up to walk among the holiday lights of Winterhaven, where the grass and tall mature old trees are the perfect ambiance for decoration. Tens of thousands visit there each year.

The ritual of decoration sometimes becomes a little like spring cleaning. One notices a few details.

DF cleans the stove in preparation to mess it up all over again.

We do things in a much more modest fashion than the lights of Winterhaven. DF has bought new strings of Christmas lights; tis the season to purchase them. She slips on a blouse just in case someone passes by and she stands high on a stool to stretch lights across her patio awing. She calls me over occasionally, to hold a portion, or hammer in a nail. It is at times an irritating hassle, but the trouble gives fun results.  It is so much of a fun result that we decide to leave them up all year. They are festive during parties and entertaining when we feel it during the year. In Baja Arizona, the tradition is that strings of lights just cease to be for Christmas after the holidays end and they become party lights. These white ones give a good practical light to the porch. Okay, of course, they don’t have to be taken down and put back up next year, too…or for the next backyard party.

The Arizona sun is out and temperatures are very pleasant to be in her yard naked. Still, when the dark of night comes through, the temps plummet and a warm fire place in the living room is a pleasurable solution. So, this afternoon is a good time to break out the electric chainsaw and finish off the chore of making the pile of collected mesquite scraps into shorter lengths.

Long Becomes Shorter

I love chopping, cutting and splitting wood, especially with warn sunshine on me.

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2017-10-22

I recommend reading Part I before continuing into this section of our hike. It is found here:

https://thefreerangenaturist.org/2017/12/15/happy-valley-miller-creek-part-i/

We continue up along this trail carved out of this wondrous place.

Sometimes Water Flows

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