Golden - November 7, 2023
Tonight, I sat on my couch and looked out the window to see the most beautiful golden hour over the land. It was a moment of core gratefulness.
The gate had a little more impatience today, which is ironic since there were overall fewer people.
I got many communication pieces done today, which was a big part of my list. Sometimes, that is all we can ask, to do something. Maybe if we work together, we can make something bigger happening.
Around the Horn Brewery is my favorite watering hole around Groveland, CA. There is a small community here that supports each other in small and significant ways. I met with a dear friend. I met with two souls seeking community. It is here, but you have to be able to receive it.
Are you willing to receive? How would your life change if you opened yourself up to the possibility of a new perspective?
My vision for the gate is instead of a barrier creating outstretched arms. But because we are the federal government, we also have the authority to be able to sort of bring in this community of people who are doing this thing and I love being able to talk with people and ask them where they come from and where they're going.
And have this just moment in the middle of whatever experience that is that they're having And share some information about where they're at and what they're doing. Because some people have a plan and some people are just Here to experience. Yosemite and that is what I'm here for is to enhance their experience.
And a fee is a transfer of energy. Somebody came up today and said, all right, well I'm here to pay you something and I'm like, well, that's right here, this is the fee. And in exchange, I have information and a map and if you want recommendations we have a few moments because there's not as many people around to manage this right now and that's okay.
It's colder. Everything's starting to shut down and people are really reluctant to that. They still want to go and see it. But that is the The reality of living in the high Sierras, is these mountains are their own. Force of nature, like we have the road here and we gate it because it is not safe to pass.
And that's what I always reiterate when I'm at the gate. Because, right now, we have two big roads that are starting to close and they close every year. But when they close, there's this huge reluctance to let the season end, especially this year when it got such a slow start.
And it feels like things are ending somewhat just very suddenly and we have to completely transition to this entire different way of operating. And I think I actually like this way better, I don't know. Maybe there's not a better. I think I'm just looking forward to having the undulation down right now.
You want to be in the valley and the summer, you want to be on the peaks. You want to go climb the You wanted to see the Vistas, you want to be on top of the world, but right now we're going into winter and we're going into this valley season where instead of going up onto the mountain, you actually come down into the crevices because that's where it stays warm and everybody huddles together, but you're able to stay warm and how those structures are set up.
And working depends on how the experience goes. Whether it is a growth state or a survival state and I like that the parks are able to be a growth state so I can give information. I'm an educator. Like I'm not an enforcer like I can tell you not to do it and if you go right now like I mean I have ways of sending it and the agreevishness of it is, you know, Sometimes objective but you know, most of the time, Makes sense.
If communicated well, and I just want this to be a place that catches people, like, I've had people come in saying that they've just come through of medical journey. And I've been there and this is just a place to come and catch you. And that's what I love about it.
I love being able to go down and sit by the rivers and find the perfect tree that needs a hug that day and see other people enjoy the space. And It is a service and I enjoy. Sharing with others. What I see in this place because I truly am drawn to places like this places that are wild and Yosemite is about as wild as you can get.
It's like The same energy of the desert, but there's actually trees and enough water. It's turning into a trickle and this was a big year, usually it's binge dry. And I'm noticing how the two rivers Are. Draining, I guess at different rates, depending on which side of the mountain.
It is so the Merced is on the like, southern eastern side of the mountain, and goes on the south side of Yosemite, technically right through the entire park. So, the roads are kind of built around the river and imagine, you know, a big oval outside of that and Where we are is kind of the higher elevation, but it's like,
I don't know, it's kind of like that out in the country bit like it's so interesting that's what it feels like. It feels like big oak flat is just out in the country and you know, It's just it's a very unique gate because then all the people from the city come here and this is like the third fare from San Francisco which is one of the biggest you know, international cities that people fly into, we get a insanely large amount of international guests and I've been trying to learn the languages to be able to Communicate with people at least basically like if somebody up comes up and says you know, love Espanol, I can be nice seeker.
Well. But I kind of, I don't know, I enjoy it. When people come up and they have a story and they're like, One family came up and and their baby was crying and they were just like, you know, sorry about the baby crying. I'm like, you know, I, I get it.
It's okay. Sometimes just gotta let out and she's, and they're like, yeah, but it's been all day and I'm like, she's telling me something. I don't know what they took that with, but Sometimes it's the altitude. Sometimes this car sickness, comes. It's just something you ate out of your usual comfort.
I don't know. It's fun. I enjoy reading people. There was this. But I read while in North Carolina the scent keeper and it was fabulous. There was a book club, we had a great conversation, love it so much and this Book was really unique. It was about a girl who kind of felt her way through life with set.
And I really understand that because that's what I do a sound and I express it by writing. And so I really like descriptive. Pieces that whole power. And that's what I try to write. And I, you know, sometimes I succeed but it's what I'm working towards and I enjoy encouraging people and offering perspectives and I think that's why I like about being at the gate is like somebody comes to my gate and I offer them a perspective.
Sometimes I'm like its a magical day. I tell people all the time. I'm glad that you are here. And it's going to be an adventure, and I love that so much. I love this like being able to kind of springboard people into this. This place that truly holds wonder So, I'm trying to bring that in different ways to my writing and create community.
I think that's what I'm called to do, is, is manifest, an online community. And so, it's just figuring out how to talk to each other like, what framework to set up. So, I'm not sure yet. I think I'm looking in a discord sort of direction. Because I don't want to do a social media platform.
So I'm I have like a square space website, I've been thinking about using that and just doing a like membership form and then just doing it. Literally people. I meet Oh, which was such a cool thing to today. No, not today. But this week a couple of days ago, I think it was Sunday.
Are these two?
Humans that came in and they were young and eager and they said they were engineers and like I see you and they had been living in their RV. Exactly what I do, I tend to do it more. Seasonally I stay in one place for a while, and then I move somewhere else and they were doing more faster, moves going around, like the whole country and doing the whole thing.
And I think that's fabulous for their way to seek community and I invited them tonight. There is bingo at our. Local brewery is kind of a gathering hole for people around here. And I'm meeting some friends there and It's fun to get together. Catch up and check in and I feel good to be part of community, I really enjoy that and I really enjoy having the opportunity to unwind.
I'm really looking forward to creating things right now because I've been sort of blocked with action. So I want to start working on reflection and expression.
Yeah. That feels good. Reflection expression community.
Okay good. All right, it has been a great chat. I love you. Bye.
