The moon was full and bright,
That was the past few nights.
It stirred the night owls,
Begged for the moon to hide.
Tonight is a favorable night,
Home I stay, and it’s my delight!
Streaks of clouds across the sky,
Has brought me out and pry!
Took the chance to walk again,
Before these limbs begin giving in!
My eyes could still see,
But it seems that the vision is blurry!
Around the lake of Heritage,
People bike, they walk and run.
Unmindful of their age,
We are just having fun!
One day, my son was telling me how he does delivery of orders on DoorDash in our community. I asked him how much does he make and he said that he gets more from the tips from customers. I told him that if it’s not worth it, he might as well look for another job to cover the gas as well as the wear and tear of the car he uses for delivering orders. Well, couple days later, he mentioned that one of the car’s tire got punctured. We brought the car to the tire shop and ended up getting all 4 tires replaced. To keep him busy this summer, I allowed him to continue ”DoorDashing”. One night he came home laughing and quite jubilant. I wasn’t sure why, but the first thing that came to my mind was that, he might have made more than what he expected, but no! He told me how he delivered an order to this owner of a humongous house and tipped him with unexpected amount. I told him that it’s okay and that’s part of the job. Actually, I heard myself telling him that he should understand that there are many kinds of people. That some people (but not all), are compassionate, because they know exactly how it feels doing such job. There are some, and again not all, who don’t care, because they have not experienced difficulties in life.
The other day , we were driving by a community just a mile away from the shopping center and restaurants. At a side glance, I could tell that my son was smiling and I asked him, why? He said, “ Do you know that I make a lot of deliveries here?” I said, “Isn’t that good and don’t you like that because you save more gas?” He answered, “ yeah, I do!” Then out of nowhere, I made a statement that there are people who are just so kind and they want to help people who deserve it. It might be that some of the customers can just drive and eat at the restaurants, but out of compassion, they had rather share their blessings to someone like you, so be thankful and at the same time, careful too!
Anyways, he made enough to pay his school parking fee and couple of books he needs this coming fall semester. What is more important is that, he is starting to learn from just another road to life.
One day after having visited the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, we drove down I-5 south, took highway 76 then took I-15 then 215 north going back home. It was quite exhausting, considering the heavy traffic in the afternoon. As we got near the house at about half past 7 in the evening, I felt a longing to walk around the park in our community. I stopped the car and told my son to just continue the drive home. As I was walking along the path around the lake, something was telling me to walk back when I was just halfway through around the lake. Not ignoring the voice, I turned around and saw this old man driving his golf car and few seconds later, his car tipped off and this poor old man fell on the ground. That sent me to sprint to help him get up. Thank goodness, he was not badly hurt, and thankfully too, an old couple came to the rescue.
With that encounter, I realized that sometimes we have to listen to our inner voice to fulfill what we are bound to do. That was my deed of that day, I believe!
No picture was taken, but a poem is written:
After a long and tiring drive,
Down the freeways and
Highways past five,
It was good to be home,
Safe and sound all day long.
Along the road near dark,
An inner voice told me to park.
I turned off the engine,
Then down I walked around the park.
Halfway along the serpentine path,
A voice told me to go back.
I turned around and walked back,
And saw an old man fell from his golf cart.
I ran as fast as as I could,
To help this old man from the hood.
Thankfully he stood, with the help of
An Old couple with hearts of gold!
You beckoned my soul to a place unknown to me,
Led me on a road so rugged, narrow, and windy.
To the left and to the right I go,
I followed the directions that you show.
Endless road it seems to me,
Turning back is more than dreary.
I must go forward to find my destiny,
So I prayed to God to guide and lead me.
You hearkened to my soul and you read my mind.
You were always beside me and never left me behind.
I came upon a vast and spacious plain,
Decorated by nature with plants in brilliant verdure.
Sheltered me with lofty skies, gentle breezes, and fine weather.
My heart swelled with happiness, full of joy and laughter.
I thank the Lord our God, and our creator!
You commanded my spirit to soar higher to the mountain,
So I trudged up with courage, patience, and determination.
My heart was racing and the body in pain,
Tired and weary, as I set foot on top of the mountain.
Night fell, my eyes surrendered to slumber.
I slept through the night, under the skies of summer.
As I woke up on a new day,
You allured my eyes with nature’s beauty.
You directed my steps to the wilderness,
I continued to walk amidst the trees.
You called my name and I listened carefully,
I followed that gentle voice, that was not a folly!
I was not crazy, it was not a fantasy,
I faced Mother nature, with her stunningly perpetual beauty.
I sat beside her and immersed my whole being in her.
Never did I hear a word from her, but only silence enchanting as ever,
So eloquent, that virtually no lips of humans could utter.
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To break away from unnecessary pressures of life and to escape from the scorching temperatures of summer in the Inland Empire, Southern California, we took a road trip to the north, and veered through the wooded roads towards Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is one of the most visited places in the world anytime of the year, be it spring, winter, summer, or fall, as it is famously known for its gorgeous waterfalls, pristine lakes, fabulous beaches, majestic mountains, and ski resorts, to name a few. Lake Tahoe offers myriads of indoor or outdoor activities, both for the young and old. Water sports include parasailing, kayaking, windsurfing, jet skiing, and the like. For adventurers, there are many evergreen alpine trees shaded trails to hike and great mountain trails for biking as well. Indoors? there’s the beautiful Village center located next to the Marriott Heavenly Village where one can shop, or just hang out in one of the bars and coffee shops. There are big casinos, too, like Harrah’s, Hard Rock, and MontBleu for those who like to gamble.
Lake Tahoe lies between California and Nevada, tucked in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is the largest alpine lake and the second deepest lake in Northern America. Part of the lake’s appeal is its clear and cobalt blue color. Can you believe that the water in this gorgeous lake is about 99.7% the same as distilled water? It is amazing, too, that the lake does not freeze over in the summer.
We arrived at Lake Tahoe at around 5 p.m. and checked in at the Three Peaks Resort and Beach Club Tahoe Hotel where Bosco, our pet dog, was allowed. The 8 hour drive was quite tiring, but a light snack and a short nap for replenishment and reinvigoration sufficed to get us back on the road to see “one of the most photographed places on earth”, the EMERALD BAY. No wonder why tourists refer to it as paradise, it is because of the stunning view and picturesque scenery. From Vista Point, one can see the tiny Fannette island with an old castle/ tea house atop it. I could not get enough just by gazing at the deep blue and still waters of the lake surrounded by alpine forested peaks. What a breathtaking view! There should be more ways to get immersed into that beautiful creation of Mother Nature!
To catch the sunrise at the Emerald Bay, I took a second trip by myself early in the morning straight to the Inspiration Point to get the best view of the beautiful Emerald Bay. Unfortunately, clouds shrouded the skies and the surrounding mountains, thus resulted to dark photos that I took with my cellular phone. On the contrary, I was fortunate to have driven there that time of day, because there was no traffic and that allowed me to proceed driving to the Donner’s Pass. There were about 4 people including myself in the area. I found myself a good spot to sit and relax. Fleeting as it was, that moment was my best peaceful respite.
For a more thrilling experience, we ventured through the single, narrow lane roads of the Fallen Leaf lake. It was bumpy with some pot holes. I had to carry with me my driving skills, and of course courteousness to the other drivers you meet on the road. Nevertheless, we were rewarded a stunning and majestic, up close and personal view of the Quaint Lily lake, the Glen Alpine Lake, and the gushing waterfalls of Glen Alpine cascading down the boulders.
Like I have mentioned earlier, there must be a better way to experience the deep blue lake of Emerald Bay. Who would resist the call of the lake?
We embarked on the Bleu Wave yacht, that departs from the Zephyr Cove Resort for a Sunset Champagne Cruise. My kids started to get disappointed due to the weather. It started to rain and there was thunderstorms. I was hopeful, though, that the weather will cooperate. Sure enough, the rain stopped and the cruise began. I took some pictures while cruising the bay:
One of the highlights of Lake Tahoe is riding the Heavenly Gondola to the Heavenly Ski Resort. Just for fun and experience, my daughters, Katrina and Adrienne, and I went for it. I bet the place would be best to visit when there is snow. As you see on the photos, the place is quite dry.
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To end this story, I would like to thank my handsome son, Lance Paolo Cating for navigating for me to drive to and from Lake Tahoe and Menifee, CA. To Adrienne and Katrina, thank you for understanding your mother throughout the days spent in that beautiful paradise. Our dog, Bosco, you were a great company to us.
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JOY OF MUSING 