Charlie – The Heron

Run Charlie Run!

January 28, 2018January 28, 2018 by Gregorio Perez, posted in Charlie, Hiking, tea time

Dogs are great! I’ve had a dog most of my life. Charlie is one of the best. Today’s hike was for her. We went to a local County Park that doesn’t see too many visitors. For that reason I like to take her there to run.

While Charlie ran and wore herself out I slipped into the zen of hiking; feeling each step and the sun on my face. There hasn’t been much wind lately so it has been even more quiet than normal. Sometimes I stop and try to identify everything I hear. There’s a farm next door to the park so the domestic geese are always vocal. Crow and Bluejay are always there to warn their friends of our presence. At one point along the trail we flushed a large flock of Junco. A Red-tailed Hawk scolded us from a distance. Charlie spooked up a squirrel and gave chase. I called her back quickly. There’s a picnic table along the trail at this park that I rarely sit at. But, today I chose to stop, sit and make tea. Well, actually I forgot my tea..ha! You have to read my last post to understand that I’m always forgetting things. I was fine with sipping on hot water. Honestly, there’s not much difference between hot water and mild green tea in my opinion. I bought a new Snow Peak backpacking stove yesterday at REI. It has a piezo igniter. I figured that was a good feature since on my last trip I forgot my lighter.

With all the warm weather I’ve been thinking about where to head to this Spring? Actually, I’ve been thinking about how more than where. I started looking at tear drop campers this week. I thought that might be a good option for Charlie and I.

To be continued…

Char-LEE Effect

September 7, 2015September 30, 2015 by Gregorio Perez, posted in Charlie, Life, The Heron

It has been two years since my divorce was final and about four years since I moved into an old house in a small quiet town. The solitude doesn’t bother me, nor do the long periods of silence. I prefer peace and quiet anyway. But, what does bother me is a life without purpose. I often feel like I am adrift. A lot of people tell me they wish they had my life. It is nice, but freedom without purpose raises more questions than answers them. I often ask myself, “What’s the point?”. I’m reminded of Thoreau when I think about wandering. He went into the woods to seek a simpler life but returned to civilization missing companionship. In the movie “Cast Away”, Tom Hank’s character befriended a volleyball and named him “Wilson”. I realize I’m not on a deserted Island, starving or delirious, so I think I can do better than befriending a volleyball. So, instead of a volleyball, I bought an English Bulldog and named her Charlie. She pees on the floor and bites on my toes. She wakes me up at all hours of the night and steals my shoes. She’s a four-legged menace to society, but she’s also adorable, cuddly, and did I mention adorable. She’s absolutely what I needed. I don’t wander as much as I used to. I’ve slowed down and stay home more. The decision to devote my life to caring for something other than myself has made me more focused. I even started writing again after a long hiatus. Finding writing again feels like finding a favorite pen that got lost in the sofa cushions. It feels good. It feels right. That’s the Charlie effect. Thank you Charlie.