Welcome To Sky Valley

(Play this track in the background as you read this Blog entry)

'The valley touches down from my forehead to the ground and the heat simmers your eyes in their sockets, Sky Valley is where I ought to be, where the desert is the sea and if you are here, then you're not with me.' 06/26/2018

I dream to live in that place, where the desert heat rages in the day and the coldness of the night brings relief.
The 'Four Corners', where the states of Arizona, Nevada, California and Utah meet. My body aches for the desert Sun and the great sky at night that blazes with the Milky Way.

I've been to all of these states in my youth and I've vacationed in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Southern California. I know, I know, as a Canuckian, I should loathe the states. My mind see's no 'borders', no class, race or country... In other words, I could give a rats ass who's president or prime minister. I just want relief. I know from having been in the 'desert states' while I had this arthritis and having traveled to Egypt that the arid, dry heat is my healer. But it's nigh impossible for this dream to be brought to fruition. This environment is rotting my bones and making my body weak.
If anyone has an answer to 'how I can get to live in one of these places', let me know, because I can't see a way out.

Desert outside of Las Vegas 2001

Egypt is out, for we'll never have peace among religions on this planet. There seemed, and I will underline 'seemed' a time when the World was almost at peace, when we 'seemed' to be getting on with one another, we 'seemed' to get the Earth was in trouble... But it all fell apart.
On my tour of Egypt, each day we had a security guard, armed with an automatic rifle. Dressed like someone who'd taken the movie 'Men In Black' way too seriously... 3 piece suit, dark glasses and no doubt a fake name brand watch...
In 1997 terrorists killed 58 tourists... Likewise in 1997 several tourists were killed outside the Cairo museum, this was why when we were let off there, we were told not to linger, the bus dropped us off and it took off as no traffic is to remain idle there.. No people, no one to shoot.
So, I understand why I can't take my tour guides advice to "teach English" in Cairo. It would pay ridiculously well, but would, I have to lie that I was a muslim? To say I was a christian would be an instant target and I fear to say that I believe in no 'god', would be even worse. How does a person who believes in no 'god' live in a country that is dominated by religions that already don't get along?

It's my conundrum, it's my curse, that my soul will drag the body along until I hit that rut called death and am brought back to the earth to return to the dusty material we're made of.

So this is why I'm 'stuck' with the US. it's close, it's cheap... I can stay there long enough and then return to still keep my medicare and citizenship. Some might say that 'Mexico' or 'South America' have dry arid places... but I'd totally rather live in the US than in South America... Another thought has been Australia, but I think to immigrate there would be impossible. Plus just to get there is uber expensive.

All I know, is to remain here will probably mean an earlier return to dust.... Don't worry, I mean this in a 'natural' way. It's just that this country and it's environment is killing me.

Just knock me out and leave me in the desert.

Phototropic

Kyuss

Under light, that I have never seen

Go to the light, reach up to the beam

Under light, under light

Reach up to the sun or you can run

Found the roof, the smallness of it all

Found the roof, you will never fall

You'll never (4x)

Songwriters: Josh Homme

Phototropic lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

This is why I listen to and love the music of Kyuss so much. It reminds me so much of the desert. 

In 1988 when my Brother Gordie and I traveled with Dad out West. We went through the 'desert states' and we traveled the highway through Death Valley. It was 110°|F and we had to stop every few miles  at these large water stations to hose down the radiator and engine. It was during one of these stops that I got out of the car and took a walk up the bank and off the highway. The dirt bank was high enough that after only a few feet when I turned around I couldn't even see the car... I did a 360° turn and all I could see was the heat rising off the desert floor and I never felt more at home. 

Odyssey

Kyuss

Take one to the mountain

Take one to the sea

Take one to the belly of the beast

And the you'll take one with me

Sudden?

Sudden?

Freezing in the fires

When I utter howl your name

Once you return from the belly of the beast

You're never quite the same

Shut it on?

Shut it on?

Fire on the mountain

And it rages inside of your soul

The fire inside the belly of the beast

Well it thunderizes your soul

Sudden?

Shut it on?

Songwriters: Josh Homme

Odyssey lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.