DISPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE PRAYED FOR THIS DAY to come and have longed for the time when I could leave this home and this island for the Journey On, I will miss those times that I have shared with my many friends locally as well as the times enjoyed watching the wildlife here. Still, in my mind and heart, I know that in future locations, there will be much more of this sharing within the brotherhood as well as much more wildlife viewing to come, whether upon a Journey somewhere in the windjammer or when sojourning at some place during one of my hiatuses.

Too, I do so look forward to the time under Kingdom rule when there will be great peace between all men as well as between man and wildlife, a time when wildlife viewing will be commonplace and not like today when it is usually a rarity.

Nevertheless, those rare times when I have seen animals in intimate moments are cherished memories to me and I endeavor to encapsulate and share as many as possible within my online photo gallery. However, in the new earth, meknows, those moments will abound for the joy and delight of all of God's people. Again, I thank Jehovah for providing for the sale of my home and making this Journey On possible.

But what is this Quest? What really is the Journey On? What is it that I have prayed continually for and have longed for most all of my life?

Yes, it is so true that the immediate Quest is for my retirement, something that I always felt that I would never see. And when such retirement does begins, I will have initially begun the Journey On, a truly momentous accomplishment indeed. Too, that day will arrive very soon.

But there is more to the definition of these two words, Journey On. In fact, in trying to put to words, what the deep seated feeling that are heavy upon my heart, I have coined a couple of definitions, besides the obvious definition of retirement.

One such definition is Life without the mundane. In this definition, the word mundane has come to mean to me all of that which locks a person into a daily routine, be it school, work, house payments, yes, and even possessions, any of which keep this person away from the real life. Thus, I have come to believe that life without the mundane frees a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually. Too, this same elimination of the mundane leads a person to a time period in his life marked by existence at or near the need level.

Another such definition is a time period in the life of a person when he has begun walking on the summit path, which is the path one takes to arrive at the real life in the paradise under God′s Kingdom rule by His Son, Jesus Christ.

However, ever since my first Journey On, the one which has been encapsulated into Episode One, Journey to Katahdin, (the digital version available free on this site) and hopefully the volume two, Journey to Zion not too long in the future, I have come to be made aware of another Quest for the Journey On, and yes, you could call it a spiritual quest. Too, this additional Quest that has become the focus in my life far overshadows any Journey On that involves any previous walk upon a mountain path or any mere retirement from secular work could ever provide.

Yes, the spiritual Journey On is one that has been in the works for millenniums, even back as far and when the most high God created the earth and put man in the paradise. Yes, what Jehovah desired was to have man living in a peaceful paradise without all the strife and turmoil that is commonplace today.

Jehovah intended for mankind to live in a paradise and there is nothing that will prevent Him from obtaining what he desires.

Read for yourself what God has promised to those of mankind willing to learn about Him and willing to follow his guidance. (Psalm 37: 9 , 11 , 29)

However, can we rely on this promise that has been made by God? Notice what a profit of Jehovah recorded in God′s written word. The entire 55th chapter in the book of Isaiah is the kind request from God for us to come to him, learn from Him and be blessed by Him. Issiah 55:6 states: Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

The profit goes on to say about God and the reliability of His promise at Isaiah 55:10, 11. There God inspired the profit to write:

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (italics ours)

This tenth Quire records the passage of the return to the Quest for the Journey On. Included in this Quire will be the continuing struggle to reach need level and the necessary desire to achieve peace with the path and with the people met upon the way of the wayfarer, both those of the brotherhood and those not yet having come to know about the brotherhood.

During the Journey On in Quire Ten, Chapter Ten is the endeavor to reach need level. Then, Chapter Eleven takes a look at the travel upon seven successive paths, each of which I feel much needs be traveled for me to acquire the summit upon the mountain, both summits that I am walking towards, the one upon the physical path and the one upon spiritual path.

The Journey On in Quire Ten, while including both Chapter Ten and Chapter Eleven, will come to a point when travel upon the Journey On has reached the total of one thousand days. Then, the Journey On takes a new name, and thereafter will be called the Journey of a Thousand Days.

Thus, each subsequent Quire will continue with a new Quest and will contain several chapters. Furthermore, each chapter of the Journey On will continue as an additional Journey of a Thousand Days, each having a topic related to the Quire wherein it is found.

While still being held captive by my circumstances, the start of the Journey On will begin by taking several test drives in the windjammer. I have been wanting to drive into Oregon along the coast and methinks, now is the time. However, not long into the journey, I begin to have thoughts about replacing the windjammer. However, I endure and after talking with my friend Joe, I have the water pump replaced while in Tillamook, Oregon.

Then, as I am getting close to arriving back in my home territory, the transmission dies and there is need to have it repaired as well. After that costly repair, I return to sojourn on the rock.

Arriving back on Whidbey Island, I stay here for a month or so and begin to look closer at the mechanical components on the van as to their road worthiness. I repair and replace what I deem to be necessary and also continue taking care of the business I still have operating.

Once again, I strike out on the road south to Oregon and northern California and stop at a wonderful bird sanctuary for some photos. From Tule Lake Wildlife Reserve, I take a side trip to the Great Basin National Park in Nevada and then back to Tule Lake where I am able to take many more photos of the birds in this sanctury.

Leaving northern California, I drive through central Oregon to return back to Whidbey Island, but it is only a short stay on the island before I strike out south again towards Oregon, stopping at a few places in Washington on the way before returning to camping on the Oregon coast. During this tour, I stop in Salem Oregon for the District convention before returning back to Whidbey Island.