That's an interesting thought.... I listen more and more to the sounds of the natural world. I think I always have, but my attention is now more acute, and I'm probably noticing things I didn't notice before.
I loved the reference to the Ortega Mountains. I had the joy of driving through the Santa Fe area a few years ago, on a meandering road trip from Austin to LA.
Growing up, I hiked up those mountains to the Lookout on the highway with my father, little sister, and our dog. From the there, we could phone my mother and she would pick us up. Did you by any chance pass over the Ortega Highway and stop at the lookout? 👀
An interesting question. We may be thinking of different places, perhaps? I thought you were referring to the Ortega Mountains, north of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
The only "Ortega Highway" I can find is between the Capistrano area south of LA and Lake Elsinore, inland over the mountains. It looks like a beautiful drive, but I haven't been there.
We have had a few long road trips in the Western areas the USA, starting or ending in LA. One big loop out to Arizona and back through Nevada, Death Valley and the Sierras, Toga Pass, Yosemite etc, in 2014. Then in 2017 a long meandering trip from LA to Denver, keeping to the quieter and more remote back roads, then on to Wyoming, Yellowstone and back into Utah to fly home from Salt Lake. In 2019 we Took the Amtrak from LA to Austin, then drove back to LA. We have also had a couple of coastal trips from LA up through Big Sur to SF and back.
Like Australia, the USA is vast, and I could spend a year on a road trip and not see all I wanted. I do particularly love the desert and semi-desert country, in the USA and here in Australia, where I lived in the desert for many years.
Ah! As I say - it looks beautiful.... LA is a city pretending that it doesn't live in a desert. The coastal mountains are superb, and I could wander them in bliss.
Of course, it's a long long way from Australia to LA, and our visits have been time limited, so we have tended to hit the road and head off and away...
It's always a surreal experience for us, because in one sense SoCal is very familiar to us, from film and television. Arriving the first time was a bizarre feeling because it was both weirdly "known" and of course also totally foreign...
Every time I watch the news, I am reminded of just how foreign it is.
Australia has absorbed a fair amount of USA culture, but remains a very different society - in both positive and negative ways.
I would love to visit the USA again, but those plans are on hold under current circumstances. I'm hoping that changes. :)
Peyton. This was a powerful perspective written reflection. This stopped me dead in my tracks. It read like a poem.
Leo Tolstoy says something about being stopped in his tracks, while reading poems, and asking "Now why did the poet do that?" This happens all the time. It's part of the code-breaking. When a word or phrase appears that's arresting, it does two things: it challenges my perceptions of seeing/hearing/feeling, and it moves me into new territory. By this I mean an altered state of awareness that's akin to an extended daydream, where all my senses conspire to provide fertile and syntactically engaging words or lines. It happens rarely, but when I'm there I tend to make the most of it, for days sometimes.
I do believe that you are a powerful thinker and that you have you mad skills. And because of this I wish for some sort of correspondence with you. I am going to kick it off by subscibring in the hopes you do the same. This will keep me accountable and motivated to leave comments such as this on your subsequent and previous posts. I imagine our bonded will power with these exercises will bear much fruit. Peyton; do keep me on your long distance radar. in the joy of eternal collaboration from shore.
Thank you for this thoughtful, praiseful comment, Conner.
I agree that the ordinary experience of life can be transformed into an extraordinary life with a certain kind of attention and particular turns of phrase. If inspiration is carrying you into new realms of creativity after reading this piece, then I’m deeply gratified.
I hope you are writing poetry right now, whether you are awake or asleep!
Hi dear Peyton
That's an interesting thought.... I listen more and more to the sounds of the natural world. I think I always have, but my attention is now more acute, and I'm probably noticing things I didn't notice before.
I loved the reference to the Ortega Mountains. I had the joy of driving through the Santa Fe area a few years ago, on a meandering road trip from Austin to LA.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Growing up, I hiked up those mountains to the Lookout on the highway with my father, little sister, and our dog. From the there, we could phone my mother and she would pick us up. Did you by any chance pass over the Ortega Highway and stop at the lookout? 👀
Hey my friend.
An interesting question. We may be thinking of different places, perhaps? I thought you were referring to the Ortega Mountains, north of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
The only "Ortega Highway" I can find is between the Capistrano area south of LA and Lake Elsinore, inland over the mountains. It looks like a beautiful drive, but I haven't been there.
We have had a few long road trips in the Western areas the USA, starting or ending in LA. One big loop out to Arizona and back through Nevada, Death Valley and the Sierras, Toga Pass, Yosemite etc, in 2014. Then in 2017 a long meandering trip from LA to Denver, keeping to the quieter and more remote back roads, then on to Wyoming, Yellowstone and back into Utah to fly home from Salt Lake. In 2019 we Took the Amtrak from LA to Austin, then drove back to LA. We have also had a couple of coastal trips from LA up through Big Sur to SF and back.
Like Australia, the USA is vast, and I could spend a year on a road trip and not see all I wanted. I do particularly love the desert and semi-desert country, in the USA and here in Australia, where I lived in the desert for many years.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Ah yes, my Ortega mountains are those between Capistrano and Lake Elsinore. Such adventures you have!
Ah! As I say - it looks beautiful.... LA is a city pretending that it doesn't live in a desert. The coastal mountains are superb, and I could wander them in bliss.
Of course, it's a long long way from Australia to LA, and our visits have been time limited, so we have tended to hit the road and head off and away...
It's always a surreal experience for us, because in one sense SoCal is very familiar to us, from film and television. Arriving the first time was a bizarre feeling because it was both weirdly "known" and of course also totally foreign...
Every time I watch the news, I am reminded of just how foreign it is.
Australia has absorbed a fair amount of USA culture, but remains a very different society - in both positive and negative ways.
I would love to visit the USA again, but those plans are on hold under current circumstances. I'm hoping that changes. :)
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Peyton. This was a powerful perspective written reflection. This stopped me dead in my tracks. It read like a poem.
Leo Tolstoy says something about being stopped in his tracks, while reading poems, and asking "Now why did the poet do that?" This happens all the time. It's part of the code-breaking. When a word or phrase appears that's arresting, it does two things: it challenges my perceptions of seeing/hearing/feeling, and it moves me into new territory. By this I mean an altered state of awareness that's akin to an extended daydream, where all my senses conspire to provide fertile and syntactically engaging words or lines. It happens rarely, but when I'm there I tend to make the most of it, for days sometimes.
I do believe that you are a powerful thinker and that you have you mad skills. And because of this I wish for some sort of correspondence with you. I am going to kick it off by subscibring in the hopes you do the same. This will keep me accountable and motivated to leave comments such as this on your subsequent and previous posts. I imagine our bonded will power with these exercises will bear much fruit. Peyton; do keep me on your long distance radar. in the joy of eternal collaboration from shore.
Sincerely, Cc
Thank you for this thoughtful, praiseful comment, Conner.
I agree that the ordinary experience of life can be transformed into an extraordinary life with a certain kind of attention and particular turns of phrase. If inspiration is carrying you into new realms of creativity after reading this piece, then I’m deeply gratified.
I hope you are writing poetry right now, whether you are awake or asleep!
Was asleep! However, that's nice of you to say. Looking forward, Peyton!