Would you care for a glass of wine to go with your view?

 The end of the school year and Gabriel's All-Star baseball schedule have made it very difficult for me to escape to Shambhala.  However, I did manage to get there today to make an outdoor furniture delivery.  The temperature was a very comfortable 75 degrees, with a cool breeze. The resin wicker set is comfortable seating at the edge of the cliff and/or around the campfire. Caution, the bugs and mosquitoes are out in force.  Make sure zippers on tents are closed quickly behind you as you enter and exit.  Previously, I've noted that there are still more tasks that I must complete to be able to stay at Shambhala for any contiguous length of time.  I'm getting closer.  I"ll make a few modifications to the guest tent and stay there so that I can put in a full day finishing projects.  It's fun, but a lot of work...

What a Great View to Wake Up To...

...Fuzzy headed kid not included.
Feeling good this morning. Don't have meal and/or cooking equipment which leaves me feeling a little hungry.  Fortunately, Lauryn provided me with a thermos of my special coffee blend, Colombian Dark with Cayenne pepper.  After a few cups of that fiery poisonous mixture, I'm feeling good and the cayenne pepper burned away the hunger pangs (along with the epithelial layer of my throat).

Won't get much done this morning because I have commitments in Los Angeles today.  Shambhala has reached the stage where those who think they are being called, need to understand the true journey to reach Shambhala.  I'm not talking ethereal here; I'm talking about  the ability to just climb the mountain.  Here's what it looks like on my way down.

Bring on the night...

As a guest, I can stay in the Guest Tent.  I still don't have my chemical toilet system setup yet.  However, I do have a toilet seat, toilet paper, and a shovel; should nature call.  Several of the tiki torches have citronella oil and wicks.  I assembled the fuel for the campfire in the fire pit while it was light.  Only a match is required to light the kindling in the fire pit later in the evening.  One of the chaise lounge chairs in the screened tent was moved into the Guest Tent for use as a cot.  My mummy style sleeping bag is unfurled on the cot and I'm ready to experience the night life.

The temperature has dropped into the lower 60's to upper 50 degree range.  The warmth from the fire feels great.  The warmth and smoke penetrate my body as I spin rotisserie style in front of the brilliant glow. The sky is clear and has a three-quarter moon in the southeast.  The stars are too numerous to count.  If my phone battery was charged, I'd use my Sky Map to identify the constellations.  Maybe next time.  No matter, the big dipper can always be counted on to be easy to find.  One of the embers from the fire crackles and soars from the pit. It is guided upward by the smoke and makes a vain attempt to modify the star pattern of the sky; until it looses its thermal energy and fades to black.

Before I turn in for the evening, I want to hear the sounds of he night.  I was a little disappointed that I could still hear dogs barking and vehicles on highway route 18 over a mile away.  The mountain acoustics are pretty strange.  There are  times you can hear a conversation in the valley between people who are 1/2 mile away.  Tonight, I was treated to the amplified sounds of the rushing creek and the boisterous frogs who make the creek their home. With a full belly, pajamas that smell like my campfire, and singing frogs -- it's time to go to sleep.

Guests are Welcome!

The original vision for the guest tent is shown above.   The sequence of events that lead up to pitching the actual Guest Tent is shown in the images that follow.

The 7' x 9' footprint shows the flat area that is available for the tent.  The area requires some grading.  Future plans may include building a deck or platform as a base for the tent.   I'm always looking for a reason to fire up the chainsaw.  As a matter of fact, I bought a chainsaw blade sharpener this weekend from Harbor Freight.  Damn, I don't know how I've been able to make it this far in life without one.

The footprint is roped and the tent oriented to provide the best possible view.  The 7' x 9' tent appears to fit nicely between 2 large boulders.

The Guest Tent has a maximum center height of 6'5".  The tent is made of nylon.  It is in excellent condition.  I believe that I purchased the tent in the mid 1970's.  A rain fly was not included in the original purchase.  I think that a rain fly should be added.

It is perched very near the North/Western side of the cliff with a breath-taking view.  Its proximity to the cliff encourages one to think twice before late night binge drinking.  Oh yeah, I'd suggest going to the bathroom before turning in for the evening, too.

My reluctant volunteer shown in the photos spent much of the day using a concrete chisel to reduce the size of boulders found under the Guest Tent and the boulder under the hammock.  I plan to dress him in an orange jumpsuit on his next visit.  He's looking forward to the cable service I plan to have through Shambhala in the near future.

There is progress.  The video is how Shambhala appears today.  It's Saturday -- I think I'll stay as a Guest...

Above the clouds...

It's been a productive weekend.  To mill or not to mill?  Easy answer, let Home Depot mill so that I can complete Shambhala before I am in need of reincarnation.  This weekend's task is to continue working on the deck for the Columbia tent.  The tent is called Columbia because that is the name the manufacturer, Coleman, put on the box.  It is a rather rare tent as tents go.  It is made from a material patented by Kimberly-Clark laboratories and feels very much like a ginormous Huggies disposable baby diaper.  It is comforting to know that Columbia will keep me dry should it rain or poo.

The deck is one-half completed.  The 2" x 6" x 10' foot planking is hellacious to carry up the hill, but makes one helluva great base when attached to the 3 lodge poles I assembled. So far, everything is leveled and square.  I'll need 12 more planks, then I'll water seal the whole platform.  The first plank attached is a 12 foot long plank installed in the original Simon residence.  Nearly 50 years ago, the Simon cabin was burned to the ground by vandals before it was completed.  I do this to honor the spirit of someone who attempted to live a simpler life and inhale the nutrients that Shambhala provides. 

As described, Shambhala's surface material is decomposing granite.  Sleeves for the tiki torches were inserted by driving metal poles into the surface to loosen the granite. Once the hole was created, the pole was removed and a pvc sleeve was inserted.  The tiki torches will add ambiance and I hope the burning citronella oil wards off insects.

When I left home at the beach this morning, the skies were gray, blanketed by a heavy marine layer -- June Gloom.  It was about 59 degrees and the morning dew sprinkled parked cars.  So much moisture in the air, I expected that rain was possible.  No matter, I'm headed to Shambhala.  A place above the clouds.  As I climb above 3000 feet, I can see blue skies and feel the 81 degree sunshine on my face. 

My arrival time puts me at the hottest time of day, on an especially hot day, on a day that requires many trips up and down the mountain.  One must be prepared for exhaustive work in such conditions by taking the necessary actions to absorb perspiration.  The old saying that "cleanliness is next to godliness" is followed by the reality that "funky is next to nobody".  My newly discovered solution for remaining fresh and non odoriferous in conditions that invoke profuse sweat and potential body odor -- panty liners. I'm partial to Care Free Originals.  They have a fresh scent, compact, inexpensive and make great tinder for fires.  Hell, they are the Swiss Army Knife of personal hygiene.  Place a liner under each arm pit of your shirt and a liner in the crotch of your boxer drawers -- Voilà! -- instant fresh prince of the outdoors.  No more skid marks AND, add a little hand sanitizer and a match to the used pad and you have damn-near spontaneous combustion!

Of course, the proper way to end such a great day is to bathe in the waters of the Eternal spring. This is a "clothing optional" area.  In reality, anyone needing to wear clothing is probably at the wrong spring.  Word to the shy, clothing is not permitted at the Jones Beach area.  Jones Beach is easily located.  It's the sandy area of the spring with the guy signing for you to "take it off" while floating paper airplane dollar bills at you.  However, should you see or hear a banjo, I strongly recommend that you cut your visit short.