PANDEMIC DIARY - How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2 (a)

PANDEMIC DIARY

How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2 (a)

The Bike Trail

So, after eleven months, I had scheduled a mani-pedi for today, but - alas - my governor re-shutdown hair and nail salons, gyms, etc. yesterday because of the surging cases of Covid in California.  I shaved my legs for nothing.  But not to worry - no "woe is me" necessary as I live in the beautiful, rural valley of Ojai (Shangri-La or Oz to many residents) an artistic, mystical, spiritual, farming community an hour and a half north of LA, with residents ranging from farmers and winemakers to shopkeepers, writers, actors, directors, painters, sculptors, spiritualists, even movie stars. (How's that for a run-on description?)

Ojai is a unique valley and village which hosts a world famous classical music festival, the oldest amateur tennis competition in America... has an international film festival, a thriving theater community, and one the country's most sought-after resorts, an inn and spa with a PGA world-class golf course boasting breathtaking views.  Not to mention, Ojai is famous for its "pink moments" when the sun is setting and turns the Topa Topa mountains a gorgeous pale pink.  That spectacularly peaceful visage brought Krishnamurti to Ojai decades ago, along with Beatrice Wood, the mother of the Dada art movement.

But, like everywhere else in America that has a governor and a mayor with good sense, most all of the above activities have come to a halt once again.  But, we have trails and retreats where we can get outside and hike, or in my case hike-walk (hey, getting old with arthritis isn't always pretty), so today I'm focusing on my bike trail hike-walks that I've been doing with a friend (yes, we mask) during our sequester.

Our most frequent hike-walks is on the eleven mile bike trail from Ojai to the Pacific Ocean beaches of Ventura.  The trail used to be train track route for Ojai farmers to get their produce to market.

The part of the trail we hike-walk the most:

Ojai's original jail.  Drunk tank?

We pass Richard's athletic/tennis club

stone walls and arches from days gone by

a house on the trail from days gone by

Another section of the bike trail we frequest...

And yet another bike trail walk-hike...

One of the most beautiful places in America to take a hike...  so, we walk the walk while we talk the talk thru our masks.  Trail along with me as we leave the bike trail and head out to the Ojai nature conservancy and the Krotona spiritual retreat in my next blogs.

Y'all stay safe.  Wash your hands often.  Wear a mask in public.  Don't drink bleach.