2. Paradise in the High Desert

As Duke was pondering the possibilities for a destination, he flashed back to an amazing time in a small cabin in Joshua Tree, California.

Duke had been evicted from his home a couple of weeks earlier. His apartment had been filled with the makings of hundreds of projects that were designated for completion at some vague future time. Somehow that time spilled forward into the vague future.

With the crash of the high tech economy, Duke’s finances crashed also. There always seemed to be one product sale just around the corner. And that sale would change everything. But that sale never came to pass.

Everything Duke had, well almost everything, was lost in the eviction process. How much can you fit into a Camry anyway?

It was quite amazing – but Duke felt a tremendous sense of relief after he walked out of that apartment for the last time.

He headed for a place that a friend offered to him in a time of need.

The tiny, rustic cabin was an oasis in the high desert of California. It was a gift from God. Or at least it was a loan from God. Duke’s friend, Rodney, was going to be out of town for a month or so. So Rodney let Duke stay in the $70 per month cabin in exchange for watering the yard.

Feeling blessed by his new found salvation from the cold streets of night time San Diego, Duke jumped at the chance for a roof over his head.

During the first few days Rodney was still there. So this was a break-in period. It was a chance for Duke to learn the ropes of cabin living.

The shower was outside. It was a hose with a shower head fitted on the end.

“Turn on the propane and wait about 20 minutes for the water to get warm,” instructed Rodney.

“Be careful where you walk in the cabin. The creaking areas of the floor are weak. You don’t want to wind up stepping through the floor and making a hole. The whistling winds can get quite uncomfortable, but you can keep warm by burning a log in the pot belly stove.”

During the first few days while Rodney was still there, Duke slept in a reclining chair. The sleeping bag came in really handy. Very handy indeed.

During his stay at the cabin, Duke felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. God was providing for him. This was a great chance to meditate and reflect. There was a roof, a floor, and four walls. There was electricity to power Duke’s laptop. There was a telephone to accommodate dialing into the Internet. What more could anyone want?

Duke’s attention returned to the spiraling currents that had lifted his glider several thousand feet above the ground.

Now was the time for a choice. Where to?