Lake Shasta Powwow

"All my life I've always come back to one thing, my need to feel free and the need to feel the breeze,

the ride provides a freedom this gypsy needs, where every road is another blessed memory,

a new experience to carry inside my journey, a sense of belonging to a familiar tribe,

a brotherhood that goes beyond a bloodline."

Jess Chief Brynjulson

With our motorhome dealer and Grass Valley behind us, we began our two-week "shake down cruise". Our goal was to put Webegone through a few trials and test every feature and ammenity offered with our rig.

We first headed north toward Lake Shasta to rendezvous with Dick and Melinda, beloved members of our "earthling" tribe. As I ponder about the word tribe, it brings light to my consciouness that we are born into but a little span of existence called life...and for what? To serve, show compassion, help others, celebrate and experience love. And the some of the greatest gifts of this life are our friendships. Friends not only offer their love, but share in our pain and touch our wounds. We are truly blessed with our tribal circle!

Webegone was impressive, quite easy to drive, providing enough power to keep up with traffic while dragging our CRV up Highway 5 toward Mount Shasta. We were quite pleased to see that the level of the lake surpassed what we saw during our last visit here. As we slowly drove through this brilliant forest of earth tone hues, I am reminded that this is the trees' last spark into wild color, one last celebration of hue, before the black and white silence of winter. Autumn, a mosaic of all the seasons.

We arrived at out campsite being greeted by our dear friends. They had secured a lakefront view for our first night in the "wild" with our new home. And what a splendid spot it was. We could not paint a more beautiful backdrop.

This camping trip was not only to celebrate the delivery of our new motorhome and reunite with dear friends, but also an observance of Melinda's day of birth anniversary...this was her wing ding week...year! We saluted her trip around the sun with a few walks in the woods, a few reds, some "Nasty Girl cocktails" and a nightcap of dark chocolate. Salud amiga!

The waters are quiet now, no houseboats, no ski or fishing boats...nothing but serene blue waters, almost like the lake was taking a respite. This is earth's eye admiring all the beautiful landscape that surrounds us. The colors of autumn that flood this forest truly do offer so much allure and harmony...and offer a final reminder of how beautiful leaves grow old. May each of us mirror them as our years become yesterdays.

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