A day at an Alpaca Ranch...

On Saturday afternoon, my relatives and I headed to my cousin`s alpaca ranch not far from a gold mining town in Julian. Upon arrival to this 14 acre property, you are greeted by close to 47 alpacas, Tika the Anatolian Shepperd which can also double as a pony with TEETH, four chickens, two moody cats named Ginger and Cotton tail and the friendly neighborhood coyotes. Thank God they were chilling in the mountains until the stars came out.

Walking through the ranch, you can't help but notice how relaxed you quickly feel. Tall trees, the scent of nature, the silence of city life, the gentle sounds of nature, the fluffy alpacas roaming in their gated space while eating hay and rolling on the ground enlighten your senses.

My sons decide to climb into the female alpaca zone and are greeted by Vanessa the friendly one of the bunch. Rub her on her neck and belly, and you will soon experience a hug from the furry creature. Human and alpaca necks entwine and all seems right with the world.

We were blessed with a feast to make our ancestors, homo-erectus, proud! All sorts of beef treats on the grill, ribs, tenderloin and delicious baked potatoes on steroids with farmer's butter and finely diced chives to please the senses.

Having a full fledged adolescent in my world, my son managed to convince my cousin to show him how alpacas breed and so with an audience around the stud, my cousin lassoed Daisy the female alpaca and delivered her to do the deed!!! A sight indeed!
It made National Geographic TV channel seem like child`s play. To some extent it appeared a violent act. Five minutes into it, we began to walk away while teasing my poor cousin with "is this what YOU do all day long?"

Once the first star came out, the kids went on a bumpy tractor ride to scout the ranch. My youngest son was happy to be bringing home a sample of coyote spinal bone in a Ziploc bag. Show and tell on the first day of school will sure help him stand out amongst his peers.

As we began to make our way home, one last look at the sky and you are showered by a slew of bright stars! The kids and I were overjoyed with the experience of it all.

The gift of meeting new faces...

A couple of nights ago, I had the pleasure of finally meeting a virtual friend whom I have known for a year. Online, he portrayed himself as an intellectual, well travelled, well read and somewhat adventurous, thinking outside of the box.
We had "met" online on a dating site and due to our wide geographic location, we didn't pursue it any further, other than a friendship.

Thanks to his Facebook status, I noticed he was going to travel to San Diego around the time I was visiting with relatives. We both agreed to meet face to face, one afternoon when my cousin was kind enough to entertain my boys for the evening.

I was so pleasantly surprised to meet my virtual friend. He looked like his pics, he spoke like his virtual online voice,and the evening went by quite naturally. Reason I am surprised is, that often we are told to be weary of who lurks online. People are fakes, they exude a different personna and create a mirage for the virtual friend.
I am happy to report that my virtual friend was real, his pics were true, his demeanour to be similar to his online activity. So not all virtual friends are a mirage, is my point.

My friend from St-Louis was pleased to see that I too was true to my exchanges...I looked like my pics and my personality was authentic too.
We spent the better part of the afternoon sharing a drink, discovering Torrey Pines Reserve State Park, me in my white Birkies and skirt hiking the trails. It was a sight indeed. We then shared a great meal and this is the part where I had an AHA moment.

Every person that walks into your life brings a gift to your existence. My virtual friend brought me a new sense of adventure. He has this uncanny way of ordering his meal at a restaurant. He empowers the chef to choose his meal for him and surprise him with a feast to grace his eyes and palate.
My virtual friend went on to tell me about his most recent need to experiment life in surprising ways, doing things he would not have necessarily done before...He has eaten a brain stew, zip lined, and is now looking forward to jumping off a plane.

What I took from his tales....leave your heart open to try things on this planet, plan less, experiment more, try new thngs everyday, surprise your instincts as much as you can....LIVE life!

Thank you My Virtual Friend from St-Louis!!!
It was great meeting you face to face.
I have learned a great deal.

facing fears...for some, in California!

My relationship with San Diego goes as far back to when I was fourteen. My dad, had decided he wanted to go visit his brother who lived on the sunny coast...and so we began our crazy, intense road trip to California. To this day, that first trip strengthened my ties to my cousins.

I began going back for my sixteenth birthday and continued on every few years to see them. Communication with them is free flowing; ties are tight; we are there for each other, for things that matter, for special events and for difficult times too.

Since my split, I had stopped going partly because of my mobility issue. Unlike other cities in the States, San Diego has no subway system, has some semblance of a tram, some buses; cabs are expensive and many renegade cabs (meter-less) take full advantage of the situation. Hence the use of a car is a must. Here lies my problem.

Up until this trip, I had never driven out of my comfort zone. Montreal, Vermont area, up North was as far as I would go. Funny thing is I have no issues roaming the streets less travelled around the world, but driving did become an issue in my head.

And so I faced my demons this summer. I rented a car and thought to myself: get over this fear...you love it in San Diego and you need to get past the idea that the X was your means of transport while there!

I am proud to report that I feel empowered and thrilled to drive the highways of San Diego! My boys have noticed the transition from fear, to nervous, to "OMG she's back to her road rage attitude"...Music 90.3 with a Rihanna and Usher, blasting while I meander my way around.

Moral of the story: Face your fears...you will feel overjoyed and elated!