The Traveling Alchemist

Moving to Another Location

2009-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my blog here. Today I moved it to another location here. All my posts from here have been exported to the new site, so you won't miss anything! Just keep coming back.

In Honor of Feet

2009-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

The other day I looked at a book that had some thought-provoking exercises in it about honoring one's body. One of them was to spend some time thanking your feet for the job they've done over the years. So today I am grateful for where my feet have taken me.

First of all, down the sidewalk and across the street, bare-footed, with bright red polish, from the beauty school to the hotel lobby in Rapid City, SD. Then...

The ropes course in Virginia.
Through many aisles of groceries in many stores in many places.
Through the streets of London for three months.
To the school bus stops and back home when I was a child.
Playing with my children in the grass, with our shoes off.
Walking to class everyday for four years across the Virginia Tech campus.
Through a snow storm in Denver, and mountains of snow after a blizzard.
To the downtown mall in Denver and other points of interest.
To the city bus stops to catch the buses to work and back.
Into the woods to play "Fort" with my childhood friends.
Hiking in the Blue Ridge mountains.
Up and down the stairs to care for my children.
Helping me balance when stooping to garden.
Through many airport terminals.
Dancing to the music...
Meandering along the creek.
A river walk in Grimbergen, Belgium.
Along the Seine River and the Atlantic shore of Ostende.
Standing in lines for movie or theater tickets, or hot-dogs at a fair.
Walking past the Beta Bridge everyday for two years.
Jumping waves at the ocean.
Digging my toes into the sand, and into a muddy lake.
Healing from playing kickball barefooted on the tarmac.
Putting up with shoes for the fashions, not for the foot.
And more...

Being the foundation of movement in my life.

Thank you, Feet!

Halloween Retro

2009-11-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Just had to follow up last week's Roadrunner LoW campout with this...

I had a great time at the costume party - no one knew who I was. I just can't imagine THAT!

While there I had my fortune read by Madame Zoloft. She told me that if I wanted to be conscious I had to stop drinking! Now, what's that about, huh?

I managed to collect a few 'prizes' of goodies from the cake walk and Duck Pond. So on my way home I played Trick or Treat and delivered them to unsuspecting friends. What fun to knock at my friends' doors and see their surprised faces!!! And they thought they were going to miss it all. Ha ha, the joke was on them!

I love this song - somehow I feel it could be about me...could it be the ruby lips?

Belated Happy Halloween!!!

What I Love...

2009-10-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

What I love about being an RVer is that I meet so many interesting folks. Through LoWs I've made some great friends who are always ready to offer their ideas and assistance for day-to-day mundane issues. For instance, one day my friend asked me if I do art - he knew I'd drawn an egg shape on a piece of metal for another friend who is building his computer and wanted to see inside the case, through an egg shape. He was covering a window in his bedroom, and thought he'd like to have something more interesting to look at outside than a blank window. As we talked I mentioned that the cover for the front window of my trailer had been broken for several years, since a micro-burst storm in Tucson. He said he could fix it and maybe we could work a trade for a painting. He also said he would help me reseal the topper on my truck, as it has been leaking.

"Walter" (not his real name, but some would say his real personality!) wanted a painting of a hobo - my own creation would be fine - whatever I wanted. I made a sketch and we agreed on a few details. Then I set to work. What fun I had! With a couple of onlookers the painting was installed. It looks pretty neat.

I love the song, "The Happy Wanderer" and that could be the title for the painting.

While I was making the Rapid City trip I put the truck in the shop for some repairs; I had a specific concern that I wanted them to check out. When I returned and picked up the truck I learned that the garage had put 40 miles on the truck, used up most of the gas in the tank, and they didn't 'see' or 'feel' the symptoms I'd described. Returning the truck to them, after two more days, they told me that I would need a transmission at a cost of about $2700 - $3300 for a new transmission, installed. Well, I'd also learned that my friend had just had his truck transmission rebuilt in a local transmission shop for $1200. He gave me the number and I called.

Last Friday, after about four days in the shop, I too now have a rebuilt transmission, for $1500 (I have 4-wheel drive). And the issue I was concerned about is now resolved. It isn't that I didn't need a new transmission - it was the cost - and the first shop's inability to 'find' what was wrong the first time (actually, they'd checked it out last spring when I was getting ready to leave Deming for the summer and didn't pay much attention) In the future I will give my business to the transmission shop (they do other things, too).

This is Diana Decker's recording of "The Happy Wanderer", from 1954.

Welcome "Followers"!!!

2009-10-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to see the new blog gadget on my dashboard, and so surprised to find that someone is 'following' me! Welcome! I have wondered recently if anyone is reading what I'm putting out there, aside from the few friends I know who do follow me. I do love sharing my adventures, especially for those who are interested in life on the road in an RV. I know there are other blogs about RV traveling, so I'm encouraged to know that someone is reading my posts.

The intent of this blog is to relate stories about my travels and daily life, as well as some philosophical aspects about what I think is important in life. I hope to communicate something about traveling not only physically on the road, but also about traveling into the mind, the psyche, and spirit. Changing lead into gold on many levels is my personal goal, and if I give anyone ideas about how they can do the same for themselves, I am glad.

I've added the "Follow" gadget to the site, so if you'd like to keep coming back, please join me!

"The people on the bus...

2009-10-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

...go up and down" (and in and out, and back and forth)...

The route west from Rapid City to Gillette, Buffalo, and Cheyenne, Wyoming was difficult - snow several inches on the road, and the edges not well defined. Our driver, a female by the the way, did an excellent job getting us safely to Cheyenne; however, we were running very late for our connections to Denver. We arrived in Cheyenne around 5:30 a.m. with around six to eight inches of snow on the road. And we learned that Interstate 25 was closed between Cheyenne and Denver. There was nothing to do but wait out the re-opening of the road.

The bus station is the lobby of the Rodeway Inn in Cheyenne. Imagine the surprise of the woman at the counter when she saw about 30 people get off the bus and take residence there! We were offered coffee; however, the bagels, muffins, and cereal she was quick to point out were for the hotel guests. That didn't stop a few of the passengers, though, and as the morning dragged into the afternoon, much of the food had been eaten. What were we to do? There was an oriental restaurant attached to the motel, but it didn't open until 11:30 a.m.

To pass the time there was a TV on that some folks watched, while others grouped into conversations, still others slept. Glad I had the sudoku puzzles! I wish I had audio "scratch and sniff" so you could hear the snoring!!!

About the people, though...I don't know names, so I give them 'character' names...

Sailor Boy: He had served his time in the Navy, and had many stories to tell, keeping the folks in good humor. He was tall, with a shaved head except for the blond hair right down the middle of his head, front to back, that he said would stand up in a long spike if he wanted it that way. He was in his 30s and in my estimation had developed a certain kind of wisdom through his life lessons. I was impressed when he said he was going to help himself to a bagel (like the other two guys who rushed forward after getting off the bus), but didn't because it would be selfish to do so, especially since he wasn't hungry.

Momma Care-y: She was a middle-aged woman traveling with her son who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties. She was accompanying him to a Denver Broncos football game. I think the son had some medical or mental issues and that is why mom was with him. Well, grandma lives with Momma Care-y and football son and was by herself while they traveled to Denver. She called on the cell phone because she couldn't get the TV to work. After about 20 minutes of Momma Care-y VERY patiently repeating the steps to get the TV to work, some of us broke out in laughter. It reminded me of a stand-up comedy routine. "Press Input, scroll down. No, don't push the button on the left. Start over. You need to push the button quickly". Etcetera.

Recovering Grandma-to-be: She was almost 40 and going to visit her 19-year old daughter in Arkansas who was having a baby. She didn't look much older than 19 herself! She said she had been addicted to alcohol and drugs in the past, and she had turned her life over to God. She had been completely sober for two years. She was accompanied by her mother (so there would be four generations of the family at that birth). Mother was still married to an alcoholic, who was 'improving', and who didn't want her to travel to Arkansas with her daughter. She said she was going anyway. I'm glad for her.

Princess Ponytail: She was almost 10 years old I learned through lots of miles of traveling, seated behind her. She had the two adjacent seats to herself, but she was a wiggly little girl, in constant motion and 'conversation' with her mother. Only trouble was that her mother was engaged in some kind of lovey-dovey thing with a male companion, and she paid no attention to her daughter. My assessment of the situation was something I've seen many times through my work as a social worker - abandonment of child by mother for relationship with male. 'Ponytail' seemed to be a typical nine-year old who just needed some maternal attention. When I asked her if she was going to rest at all, she said no, she didn't feel like it. After a short break a little down the road, her mother sat with her instead of 'macho-boy' and she went right to sleep. She has developed some skills of independence, by default, and she spent her time flitting from one maternal passenger to another at the Rodeway Inn, where she got the attention she so craved from her mother.

One of the other passengers told me that until I got on the bus this child was almost out of control and her mother did nothing to correct her. That changed when I got on - and I know that that's because I engaged her with some attention. I really didn't want to - somehow I always end up next to the kids who are traveling 'alone', and I could have used the rest. But it was either to struggle through the 'wiggles' and the up-and-down in the seat, or get her to settle a little by talking to her.

Dinosaur Man": He traveled on a bus earlier in the trip; but I want to mention him because he had impact on the way to Rapid City. He was black, with a 'diamond' post in each ear, traveling with his small son, and presumably his girl friend, although she didn't 'appear' until later. At one quick stop the bus driver announced that no one was to leave the bus as it was only stopping to let people off. Dinosaur Man got off with his son. He, not the son, was wearing what I call an adult 'onesie'. It was a fleece one-piece jumpsuit, gray with green dinosaurs printed on it. I think it had feet in it because it continued into the man's sport shoes.

When he got back on the bus, the bus driver chastised him for getting off. The man offered that he had to get milk for his kid.

Many miles later the bus driver addressed the person who had just come out of the restroom, and asked him to step to the front of the bus. The driver pulled the bus to the shoulder of the interstate highway and he and the man got out. Apparently the man had been smoking in the restroom, which is banned on the buses.

When we came to the next stop, the driver put the man, his child, and the girlfriend off the bus - they were nowhere near their destination. The driver apologized to the passengers, explaining that the man had been drinking and he had been warned before about drinking and smoking on the bus.

Such a cross-section of America!

To continue the day's trip - after a couple of false starts, that included a dead battery on the bus that brought us to Cheyenne, transferring passengers from another bus to the dead bus, a very cranky bus driver, cranky passengers who were never informed about what was going on, and getting a wrecker to jump-start the bus' battery, we got on the road to Denver around 4:00 p.m. And you know that Philly cheese half-sandwich I saved? I ate it for lunch!

We arrived in Denver after another three or four hours - it doesn't take three to four hours to get to Denver, but the driver took us through Greeley, Longmont, and a couple more stops before we finally arrived around 8:00 p.m. I inquired at the ticket counter about the bus to Albuquerque because I'd missed my connection (at 12:30 p.m.). She said the next bus was leaving at 8:30. So I quickly obtained a sandwich and water and got into the Albuquerque line. Another woman passenger who had ridden to Cheyenne and then Denver with me needed to get on this bus that was eventually going to Phoenix. There were several people in line with very large bags, and it soon became clear that not all of us were going to get on this bus. The other woman's bags were supposed to be transferred to this bus and she couldn't get a straight answer if that had happened. She suggested that we go to the front of the line. And when I went up there, the driver checked my ticket - Denver to Las Cruces - and I was asked where my bags were. As I only had a carry-on, the bus driver took my bag, got on the bus with it, put it in the overhead compartment for me, and offered me the last available seat...

I'd like to say that that was the last glitch in the trip; however, when we got to Colorado Springs, only an hour south of Denver, the driver announced that we'd hit a car and that the roads were very icey; and later he announced that we had a mechanical issue that needed to be resolved before we could continue. So two hours later, we finally left Colorado Springs. I had been wondering if my luck of getting that last seat was going to turn sour!

I called my friend from Denver to let him know I'd be arriving in the morning instead of the evening as originally scheduled - so he had to change his plans - and I felt badly about that. And as it turned out I called him again just before he was leaving to pick me up in Las Cruces to say that it would be another three hours from Albuquerque to Las Cruces. He was very gracious about the changes, and I am so appreciative!

I arrived in Las Cruces at 10:00 a.m. and my friend was already in the city doing some shopping. We connected quickly and he drove to Deming while I filled him in only a little about this adventure.

This trip was brought to you for the five minutes at Pennington County, SD licensing department necessary to get a $20 five-year driver's license as required by my change of address.

Rapid City - "Home Sweet Home" - Last Part

2009-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm concluding this part of the story with the second day I was in Rapid City. I woke up to another cold, windy day, with snow showers. While making coffee I watched the news and was so surprised to hear about President Obama's selection for the Nobel Peace award. I'm a great fan of this President, and while he definitely has his detractors, I believe he does deserve to be recognized for the actions he's taken toward world peace. And that's all I'll say about it here.

I waited until after the President's speech to go to breakfast. I walked across the street to a little restaurant named Tally's. I had a small one-egg breakfast and then headed back to the beauty school for my pedicure. I had told the hotel clerk that I had an appointment that would take me past the 11:00 checkout time, and he said I could have until noon before I'd be charged for another day.

For the next hour and a half my feet were pampered and I had a lovely conversation with Elisha. She painted my toenails a wonderful shade of bright coral; however, two coats were taking quite a lot of time to dry, and noon was approaching fast. I didn't want to put on my shoes because I'd mess up the polish, so I gave my payment to Elisha to take care of, put on my coat, and carried my shoes out the door...I walked barefoot, on the cold pavement - it was a short walk to the hotel, and as weird as it sounds, my feet didn't seem to mind the temperature! It was also fun to do something I'd never done before, that most females do when they are silly teenagers!

I got back to the hotel just in time to collect my bag out of my room and check out - 12:04 p.m. As the bus was not leaving until 5:30 I spent the rest of the day speaking with the hotel clerk about the current downtown affairs regarding the historic district - politics as usual - and taking photos of some of the details of the lobby. For more information about the Alex Johnson Hotel you can go to this link: http://www.alexjohnson.com/info/history.html

I also spent some time visiting again with the women in the hotel gift shop, and working some sudoku puzzles. About 3:00 I left with my bag and headed for a late lunch at the Firehouse Brewery. I bought a Philly cheese sandwich, ate half and took the rest with me for another meal later, after I boarded the bus. I then walked down to the bus station around 4:30. The skies were gray and the wind was harsh. When I got to the station I inquired about the bus and was told that a decision to run the route would be made later; the bus might not be going because of bad weather (snow) west of Rapid City...Eventually it was decided that the bus would be going as scheduled. At 5:30 the passengers boarded, and we were off to another adventure!

Rapid City - "Home Sweet Home" - Part Two

2009-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

(Note: I've change to the updated editor for this blog so the visual result may be different from previous posts.)

Prairie Edge is an exquisite place to find and appreciate Native American art. I spoke briefly with the manager of this store about what I feel is sacred about some of the offerings. He basically said that it is art, mostly for display in private homes and other places. And the artists are glad to provide their creations to the public. It is art, and it is for sale...

One of the things that was not for sale, however, was the unique chandelier that hung over the counter. The bottom of the chandelier is made of leather, with paintings of horses, I suspect depicting the Four Directions.

It was hard to get a good angle to photograph it, but I think I did okay. I asked ahead if it was all right to photograph the art that is available for purchase, and was given permission to do so.

So here is a collection of photos of some of the handsome 'regalia'. In another section of the store there was a display of Pendleton blankets, and also a display of start quilts. These quilts are a traditional gift of honor. I happened to be in the store the week before a big powwow, so craft items were on sale. I went into the bead section and ended up buying quite a few seed bead hanks at 20% off. Nice!!!

After making my purchase of beads I went down the street to find a place to get a late lunch. I had stopped in the Celtic shop earlier and spoken with the owner who recommended the "Highlander Grog" at Alternative Fuel, a coffee shop nearby. It was a short walk, and as I entered and began to peruse the goodies available, someone recommended the chicken pot pie, but they had run out...Oh, no! A new batch had just come out of the oven! Yay! It was tasty, and so was that Highlander Grog. So glad I went!

Having been filled with tummy-warming food, I continued my walk around the block, and was surprised to find a Tandy leather store tucked into the storefronts. I had been wanting to find some scrap suede leather for my beadwork, and I was delighted that they had a small selection, enough for my current needs.

Before I left Deming I had wanted to cut my hair, but the day I planned to do it it was raining, so I said 'never mind.' As I continued my walk, I discovered a beauty school. I went inside and a little while later had a hair cut at a reasonable price, and an appointment for a 'mean pedicure'!

I was heading into the home stretch, getting closer to the hotel when I spied a pet store named Paws, with paw prints across the front door. In the storefront were three parrots and a cockatiel (I think). As I approached to take a photo of the two parrots together, the one that was facing out turned around so I only saw both of their backs. Eventually, though I manage to get a better picture of all four birds. Then I went inside.

The owner of the shop is named Barbara. We had quite a chat about her dogs that kept her company in the store. One was a large retriever-type dog named Bella that had been neglected by being locked in a cage for many hours at a time by her disabled owner. She was very shy, but she did allow me to pet her. The other was a small shaggy affair name Lola. She was very gregarious and appeared to be the welcoming committee. The shop carries specially-made goodies for pets, and they were freely displayed at the main counter.

After a brief chat I left (no, I didn't buy any goodies there!) and headed back to the hotel. I decided to forego a regular dinner as I'd eaten lunch late. I still had some tuna and crackers I'd carried on the bus, and that was plenty for the evening.

Rapid City - "Home Sweet Home" - Part One

2009-10-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

I was originally given a room on the sixth floor; however, from the time I entered the room I heard the yappy bark of a small dog from next door. So after dinner I asked to have another room. I was given a room on the seventh floor - not quite as nice, but a lot quieter. Turns out the dog was a teacup poodle that had arrived with its owner the same day as I.

After a fairly good sleep that first night, I awoke to snow showers and white rooftops. I took a few photos through the window, and made some coffee, then called the number for the taxi that was recommended by the hotel, to go to the county driver licensing department. The cab driver came right away and after arriving at the licensing building, only about five minutes later I had a new South Dakota driver's license, good for five years. I was the only person in line!

I then asked the driver to take me to the mail service address to pick up my waiting mail. When we arrived it was just 9:00 a.m., the time that the mail service office opened, but no one was there. As I had asked the driver to wait for me, the meter was still running. The cost of the office opening late to me was an additional $5 to my tab. I was not impressed!!!

I returned to the hotel around 9:30 and decided to spend the rest of the day playing. For a while I visited with the two women in the hotel's gift shop. One of them is from the Ogalala tribe and has been a leader in her tribe. The other one, quite a bit younger, is the daughter of the woman who runs the Celtic store around the corner (I found this out later in my journey...) We had a nice chat and then I headed out to discover what was in the neighborhood.

Across the street from the hotel is an antique shop, known as The Bag Lady. I think her name is Blanche, and this is a photo of her...

Overlaid on the historic district is the Presidents Park where 35 bronze sculptures are placed on the corners of the streets. In addition, there are other sculptures placed throughout the area. Here are some photos of some of these...

The name of this sculpture is "Mitakuye Oyasin" and the plaque states, "This sculpture represents hope for reconciliation, dignity,
and respect for all the human race. The earth itself is in the shape of a hoop or circle of life. The crossed pipes represent
world peace..."

Thomas Jefferson
James Monroe
Jimmy Carter

Ronald Reagan

This street contains the firehouse Brewery and Prairie Edge, a fantastic gift/art store.

I call these "belly laugh pots."

Where to Begin?

2009-10-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

As Lewis Carroll said, "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

As directed by the agent with Jefferson Lines, I left Deming about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5. When the bus came, a little late, the bus driver gave me flack for having a ticket for six hours later; however, he did let me board the bus, which was going to El Paso. I could get my ticket amended there.

El Paso: I had about an hour layover in El Paso, so I stepped into the ticket line as soon as I got off the bus. It took about 45 minutes to get to the agent. At the counter I was told that to change my ticket would cost another $15, which I wasn't willing to pay, as the change was made by the bus line. I then placed a call to Jefferson Lines and after waiting 10 minutes on hold finally spoke with one of their agents. When I told her about my problem, she checked my ticket, and said that my original schedule had not been changed, and I wouldn't have to pay any fee to change my ticket, as it was the line's change. As we were talking, the call to board for Dallas came, so I told her I would call again after I got settled on the bus. So, as I had a ticket for Dallas, I got on the next bus that went there, even if the time was early.

En-route to Dallas: I called Jefferson Lines again, waiting another 10 minutes on hold to speak with the agent, who had gone on break. The agent I spoke with again verified that there was no problem with the original route or schedule, and apologized for the error. I wasn't going to Minneapolis afterall!!! But now I would have a 10-hour layover in Dallas instead of a six-hour layover.

Dallas: Arrived in Dallas at 3:00 a.m. Watched TV and waited until about 5:30 a.m. to get some breakfast - a very good breakfast burrito - yum! Had a couple of large cups of coffee and did some sudoku puzzles, and just watched the activity in the station. Around noon I boarded the next bus, heading to Oklahoma City.

The rest of the trip to South Dakota took me through several cities I've not been in before, such as Oklahoma City (I took some photos, but must have erased them), Tulsa, Oklahoma, and many smaller places along the way (Denton, TX; Norman, OK; Omaha, NE; Sioux City, IA). It was night time for most of these places. The route also went through Kansas City, MO, where I've been through a few times in previous travels - no major stops at any of these places, however.

All the buses were pretty full, although I did manage to mostly have a 'row' to myself. I had forgotten how little leg space there is between rows, and did my best to stretch out. Amazingly, my back wasn't too distressed.

I transferred buses in Dallas, Kansas City, and Sioux Falls, SD. From Sioux Falls to Rapid City was the entire day of Oct. 7 - I arrived in Rapid City around 5:30 p.m. and walked the two blocks to my hotel, the Alex Johnson, a historic landmark in the downtown Rapid City historic district.

After checking into my room, even very weary, I decided I needed to shower and take myself to a nice dinner. I arrived at the Firehouse Brewery, around the corner from the hotel, and ordered a wheat beer and a buffalo burger...

To be continued...

"Leave the Driving to Us"

2009-10-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thought you'd enjoy some 'stories' about bus travel. I leave tomorrow morning - major transfers will be in Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and somewhere else, a total of four. Since I don't have my new ticket yet, I'm not sure of all the changes.

Will write again when I get back, as I'm not taking my laptop with me.

The Alchemy of Traveling

2009-10-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Or, "How to Make Gold from Lead (lemonade from lemons, perhaps) - Using Public Transportation".

About two months ago, after changing my vehicle registration and mail service to South Dakota, I decided that the easiest and least expensive way to complete the transfer, by getting a driver's license, was to take the bus. To drive, either with or without the rig, would be very time consuming, and more expensive than 'leave the driving to us.' So I went online at Greyhound.com to see what a route might look like, and how much it might cost. A round trip at that time was $154 - a great price; however, as I wasn't quite sure about the details I waited to buy a ticket.

A couple of weeks later, I again went online to purchase the ticket, and learned that I couldn't get a ticket online because the route had been changed and I would not be able to get from New Mexico to South Dakota, using Greyhound. After doing some research, I learned that Jefferson Bus Lines could route me to South Dakota, but I'd have to go through Dallas instead of Albuquerque. Again I hesitated, and this time the round trip with Jefferson was $188. As I had planned to buy the 21-day advance ticket to get the best fare, it was necessary to plan out the funds and schedule for traveling so I'd be in position to leave from the bus station in Deming.

Being interested in astrology, I realized that Mercury would be retrograde for most of September, so I bought my ticket just before it went retro, with my departure date of October 5, after the retro. Again, there was a glitch in the routing, so I needed to purchase not a round-trip ticket, but two one-way tickets. Final price $182.50. I was advised to contact the bus line a few days before departure to verify the schedule.

Today I called Jefferson Bus Lines to learn that yes, once again, I would be re-routed to get to South Dakota. This time, through Minneapolis (although I will still be going through Dallas), and leaving six hours earlier than before, arrival time in South Dakota remaining the same. Now I have a ticket that is not valid, and that will have to be replaced at an 'official' bus station, not at the Chevron station where I'm to begin my trip.

I report this calmly; however, I was beginning to get a little agitated when I was referred to the El Paso station to inquire about the replacement ticket and the woman there had no idea what I was talking about. She told me to call Jefferson Bus Lines and later gave me the 800 number for Greyhound. After a misunderstanding with the first contact at that number I got a regular agent who was able to advise me about how to get the replacement ticket.

I'm writing this so any of you who might ever consider using the bus networks, will know what you can expect. Hopefully, you won't have any particular deadline to keep, so you can be flexible enough to travel at the whims of the bus companies! I am trying to keep calm and make this trip a bit of a 'fun' trip. I've never been to Minneapolis, or Rapid City, which is my primary destination. I might meet some interesting characters and be able to write about them; take some photos, and learn something new. And after I get there I can pick up my mail in person and be taken to lunch!

I'm fortunate to have a friend who is also pretty flexible about taking me to the pick-up point in Deming (even with the changed time of departure), and who is willing to pick me up in Las Cruces, 60 miles away, where I would have an 11-hour layover otherwise.

And while I'm gone the truck will be with the mechanic getting some new parts and an oil change. Then we'll both be ready to travel together once again, after I've rested!

Note: The photo is a hanging I made out of old CDs, found fish line, gifted paint and brushes - all recycled materials. On the backs are the words "Peace", "Joy", "Love", and "Laughter", respectively. These are the things I try to put into my life everyday.

Summer Closure

2009-09-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today is the autumn Equinox and I can hardly believe the summer is over! Looking back over the weeks I was parked in the New Mexico state parks, I had a very diverse and interesting experience. Today I was rereading my journal and really became aware of the activity I was involved in, even though I thought I was just hanging out, relaxing, and being lazy!
I arrived back in Deming last Friday after spending a few days dry camping and spending one night in the El Paso Camping World compound. In a way it feels good to be here, where I can stay put (at a very reasonable rate) and be with folks I know. I can resume those trips to the Pink Store in Mexico and participate in the weekly potluck dinners.

When I left Bluewater Lake last week, I spent the first night in Pie Town. It's just a small spot on the highway known for its pie festival, which I'd just missed, and the local park where one can camp for free for as long as one wants. There are several full-time residents there. Many RVers stop there as they travel.

On the way to Elephant Butte State Park I visited the Bosque del Apache, just a few miles south of Socorro, NM. It is a bird sanctuary where many come each year to see the birds as they migrate. The day was very warm, and I didn't realize that the driving tour loops were dirt and gravel surface. So my rig was very dirty by the time I completed the tour. I must say I was disappointed that I didn't see much bird life while I was there. I heard that early December will be a good time to see the cranes, so maybe I'll toodle up there then.

The next two nights I spent at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, a very large lake near Truth or Consequences, NM. I was allowed to park without hooking up in a reservation area for both nights, although the park rules allow for only one night. Fortunatley no one reserved the spot for the next night. And as the wind had picked up and the weather forecast called for heavy storms, I was very glad to be able to stay put. I heard on the radio that El Paso had a huge storm with hail and flash flooding. And that was my next stop! While it was quite warm there, I like the beach atmosphere with the sand dunes, breeze (wind) and sun. It was quite pleasant. To me, the only drawback was the proximity of the neighbors - much like a regular RV park.

I'd made a reservation at Camping World to get some work done - have some systems checked out to make sure they were operating correctly. They gave me a Friday appointment, and told me to come ahead on Thursday and stay in their compound so I would already be there for them to start the work. I arrived late Thursday morning, and they told me someone had cancelled out, so they could take me then. I spent a windy, rockin' and rollin' night that Thursday night. In the morning when I was preparing to leave, I noticed that my electrical cord had come apart and the insulation was exposed. They put a new plug on for me before I left. Whew!!!

Since returning to Deming I have been able to get an 'emergency' eye appointment with a doctor in Las Cruces. There isn't anyone to help in either Silver City or Deming, so today I made the 60-mile trek into Las Cruces. A couple of months ago I noticed 'flashing' in my eyes, and a big 'floater' developed in my left eye. Because these can be symptoms of serious eye conditions, I wanted to have it checked out. I am glad to say that there is no retinal detachment or any other serious problem with my eyes. I'm just going to have to live with that big floater...

Last night the Deming weather turned cool and windy, just like Fall, so I guess just in the right time for the Equinox. A new season of harvest after a season of growth. I am grateful.

Heading Out Again

2009-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a quiet four weeks at Bluewater Lake...

Well, except for the heavy earth moving equipment with their backup beeps at 7:30 a.m. too many mornings...including Sundays. They've been preparing a site for the camp hosts - I guess for next year, because rumor has it that the park is closing to new campers on Tuesday.

The weather here has been perfect. Warm in the daytime and cool at night, requiring a sweater or light jacket. And it has rained or threatened rain almost every day. Not at all bothersome. In terms of relaxability, my favorite park so far.

The birds have been a joy to watch - bluebirds, nut hatches, sparrows, hummers, Brewer's blackbirds, ravens, woodpeckers, and titmouses. My reward for picking the trash out of the fire ring when I first got here was a bluebird feather. And when I moved to another site after dumping, and picked up that trash from that site, I found a blackbird feather.

I don't know why I'm always amazed at how trashy humans can be, and are! They leave all kinds of debris in the sites. If they brought it, why can't they dispose of it in the trash? Anyway, I try to leave my site better than when I found it, and with others' habits, that's always easy to do.

There has been a camp dog in the area - a stray - that, if I wanted a pet, I would adopt. She has four beautiful puppies, and she is very well-mannered. I haven't heard her bark once. She has been trained by someone in the past as she understands commands, and she lets you pet her. Very polite dog. I have tried not to feed her, but I did give her something twice...others feed her too. That's how she survives. The park staff are aware of her, and may know where she lives. I've never heard.

In the last week I've had the pleasure of the company of a couple of men who are also LoWs. We've had some adventures together - with one who needed to repair his rig, and another who needed a ride to town for some errands. Good conversation, good food too. They will be here another few days. They helped to break up the times of solitude, which I needed, but which also became too much some days.

I'm moving on tomorrow, heading to a little intersection known as Pie Town, about 100 miles from here. Their claim to fame is their pies. There is a free parking area for RVs, with no hookups. So I'll be on the battery for the evening. Then I'll head down I-25 and make a couple of stops along the way, finally parking in Deming for the Fall and holiday season later in the week.

It's hard to believe that I've been gone for four months, and that the summer is almost over. Don't know yet what I'll do next summer, but I've loved the weather in the New Mexico mountains!

Mind Traveling

2009-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

So you think it's exciting, romantic, and adventuresome to travel around in an RV - be free to go where you want and do what you want? Well, today I'm going to tell you some of the down side to all that. First of all you can only go as far as your money will go. And you must do at least a little planning for where you want to go.

This summer I've been staying in the New Mexico State Parks. An annual park pass is $225 for an out-of-state 'resident', and that allows me to park either free, without an electricity hookup or for $4 a night with electricity. Not too bad. Depending on which park you're in, you either have water at your site where you can connect your hose, or you come to the park with water in your fresh water tank. Only the first time you arrive you don't know whether there is a hookup or you need to come full. So in a few places I've filled plastic jugs from the water spigots that are located variously within the parks. And there are usually electric sites that are first-come, first-served; or you can to make a reservation, for a fee of $11 per reservation.

The parks have beautiful locations; however, many of them are old and not in good shape. The infrastructure is minimally cared for. For instance, at Santa Rosa it was hot, and almost everyone who had an electric site had their air conditioning on, myself included. I don't have a voltmeter to test my voltage, but I'm going to get one - the low voltage at this park damaged my air conditioner, I don't know to what extent. I haven't had it on since July 4 weekend. At another park there was a brown-out for the entire area, and I heard that this happens frequently. This all has driven my decision to have solar panels installed on my rig this winter. So the summers will necessarily be spent in a higher elevation, either in New Mexico, or another beautiful state where I won't need AC.

Then there's the consideration of gasoline - when towing I get about 9.5 miles per gallon. Now, I know I have some issues with my truck, so there will be some expense to address those, and maybe I'll get 11 miles per gallon afterward. One reason I chose to stay in the parks is so I wouldn't have to travel many miles to experience different locales. New Mexico is beautiful. What I didn't realize is that all the parks are about 10 to 25 miles from the nearest town - so I don't do a lot of sightseeing. Repairing my 10-year old truck is still cheaper than buying a new one, so I'm babying it - not making it go very far at a given time.

Since Don passed away, and his financial support of our lifestyle fell away, I have reordered my finances. I receive 'early' social security and a small pension. Setting aside my necessary insurances and credit card payments (I'm still paying for last year's trip to Oregon for repairs to the truck and trailer), I live on less than $800 a month. So that money has to cover my 'rent', gasoline, food, telephone and air card, Medicare Part D (that I enrolled in to avoid a penalty for late enrollment) and incidentals (like non-food items, water filters, batteries, etc.) Now that I have Medicare, I finally have insurance after five years of retirement, without any insurance, and it's lowered my net income by $125 per month.

Another way I shifted expenses was to change my 'legal domicile' to South Dakota and pay less for vehicle registration and insurance. That change is saving me about $500 a year, beginning next year(I have to go to South Dakota to get a new driver's license, and I'm not taking the rig to do it - so I'll take the bus next month.)

I'm not complaining - this is just the way it is. I'm grateful that I can stay at the New Mexico parks for a small amount, relatively speaking. The parks are much more beautiful than the higher-priced RV parks with all the amenities, where one is parked 10 feet away from one's neighbor on a concrete pad, with no shade. And now that I have my LoW lifetime membership I can stay at the ranch for half of what I paid last year, which was very reasonable.

What I AM saying is that living full-time in a travel trailer, as my home, my house, my shelter, and retreat, is not the same as going for a weekend, or a couple of weeks, or even a couple of months on an adventure, and then returning to a house or apartment. Living simply is an ideal some people have, but don't necessarily practice. Living simply sometimes requires really living without things that others take for granted. I'm still getting used to doing it by myself. The world is generally ordered into pairs...when you're not paired, you learn to be creative about things you would never have come across otherwise.

And finally, I am learning a lot about myself, and my requirements for my life. I understand myself to need a lot of solitude - getting used to that is a bit of a challenge. I can go for days without speaking to anyone, and then having conversations as I walk about. I'm liking my own company, and yet I sometimes would love to have an intimate conversation with a friend, over dinner perhaps, at a decent restaurant...A hug would be nice, too.

Most of the time I'm quite satisfied with things. Today I just want to say some truth about what I've been experiencing. I've been moving about New Mexico since early May. It's now four months later, and I think I'm feeling the need to get back to the ranch and some folks I know, and those Monday potlucks! And I think I'm going to try traveling with one or two others this winter to either Texas or Mexico.

Didn't Get the Laundry Done

2009-08-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I drove into Grants today to run errands - post office, laundromat, bank, groceries, phone calls - and thought I'd have time to do some exploring down New Mexico Route 53 that goes to the Ice Caves and Bandera Volcano, and El Morro ("The Headland"). So I bought gas, picked up my mail, went to the bank, bought the groceries, made the phone calls (spent a lot of money!!!), and stopped at McDonald's around 1:00 p.m. for a burger and restroom visit. By the time I finished my lunch it occurred to me that I only had so much daylight to explore, and the laundromat stayed open into the evening.

I decided that the laundry could wait, and headed down the highway, looking for adventure...About 25 miles later I pulled into a dirt road, following the signs to "Ice Caves". The caves and the volcano are privately owned and one takes a 'self-guided' tour to the sites, after paying the $10 entry fee.

The day was quite warm, and the nearby sign on the highway said the Continental Divide was at 7882 feet elevation. I must admit I struggled to make it to the volcano, uphill for two-thirds of the way, about a half mile total, one way. I did pace myself and rested at almost every place there was a bench - unfortunately, few of them were in the shade.

I stopped occasionally to take photos as well, some of which I've posted here. I love how the landscape was formed by all the lava spewing out of the earth. It is quite rugged, and beautiful. Bandera Volcano is one of about 29 volcanoes in the area. It was a little hazy to see many of them for photographing, so I didn't take any photos of the horizon; you can see the 'dots' of the other volcanoes from the trail. (I've posted an album of photos from this trip on my facebook page.) I was told it would take about an hour to see both sites; however, I think it took me an hour or more to complete the round trip to the volcano.

After a rest in the shade at the Trading Post, I walked in the other direction to the Ice Caves. Actually, there is one main ice cave that stays at a constant 31 degrees. As one walks down the steps to the mouth of the cave, even on a warm day like today, the temperature drops dramatically. The ice at the floor level is approximately 20 feet thick. It is green, from an Arctic algae. The moss on the rocks approaching the cave are rare Alpine mosses; the green and orange colors are lichen.

After climbing back up the multitude of wood steps, I walked back to the Trading Post that was built in the 1930s during railroad activity for logging. I got a nice cool drink and headed for El Morro, and a campground I heard was nice, that I wanted to check out. About another 25 miles later I came to El Morro, a very large sandstone formation that was visited by the Zuni Indians, the Spanish, and later Anglos. There is a pool at the bottom, and 'graffiti' from these visitors has been carved into the wall - petroglyphs, and the names of Spanish explorers, U. S. Cavalry officers, and others. The inscriptions were recorded by Lt. James H. Simpson and artist Richard Kern; Simpson gave the place the name "Inscription Rock". I may have to make another trip to see the inscriptions, but I'd had enough hiking for one day.

The campground at El Morro is small and doesn't have water at the sites, or electricity. I think sites can be reserved, so as an alternative to staying in the New Mexico State Parks, it's probably not as amenable to spontaneous decisions. The price is right, though - $5 a night. And what a pleasant view of El Morro!

I turned around from there and headed the 50 or so miles back to Grants, and then another 25 to Bluewater Lake CG. I got home around 6:00 p.m., exhausted. The laundry will have to wait until I make errands next week. (I hope I have enough underwear to last til then!)

Tonight the laundry sits where I put it this morning - in the passenger side of the truck...

More Leftovers

2009-08-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the photo I took of the Shiprock formation, for which Shiprock, NM is named. It is a striking landmark that can be seen before one arrives in the town, coming from the east. I was advised that if I hadn't seen it before, I should go there. The town isn't much to look at, so I wouldn't take that route toward Gallup again, but seeing the formation was worth it.

I'm now at Bluewater Lake at a very nice camp site. I was helped to a non-reservation, 'first-come/first-serve site with electricity by the park staff. I can stay here for three weeks - that puts me through the Labor Day weekend. While I'm here, I'll be exploring the area around the closest town, Grants, NM. I plan to go into town tomorrow to do some shopping and make some inquiries. I'm pleased that while there is no cellular phone service out here, my air card works great!!!

Yesterday was a resting day - when I hitch up and unhitch twice in the same day I'm pretty exhausted. I found myself taking not one, but two naps! In the morning, though, I picked up the site - debris left by previous campers. It's amazing what people will just leave on the ground, when it's just as easy to put it in a bag and throw it away...In the process, though, I was blessed with a bluebird feather - I found it in the fire ring. Good thing I looked in there! There is a pair of Western Bluebirds that frequent the trees around me. What a joy!

Another joy has been making acquaintance of a couple from Florida, who was camping next door to me in Gallup. We visited several times, and the night before I left Gallup they'd invited me for dinner with them. They 'followed' me to Bluewater Lake and so we've been visiting here too. I had dinner with them again last night. Nice folks. They are continuing their journey today, heading for Roswell, NM. It's fun to meet folks, however briefly - it makes for a nice highlight to the day.

About that coat. Here it is...It's made from a "Three Corn Maidens" blanket.

Stay tuned...

Missed the Events

2009-08-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

When I made reservations to come here to Red Rock Park for the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, I thought I was going to get to partake of some very special powwow activities. As it turns out, I managed to miss just about everything, for one reason or another. Yet, I don't feel too upset about it.

The powwows I've attended in the past haven't had the 'entertainment' flavor that this one has. It is a BIG deal here. As a stranger and a visitor, I had no idea what to expect - the information I was looking for appeared to me today, after the fact, through printed media placed in stores in the downtown area. When I arrived, I bypassed downtown by going on the interstate, and then the frontage road to the park. There weren't stacks of printed programs, etc. around the compound where the event was taking place.

Yesterday I walked over to the exhibition hall to see all the art work, pottery, rugs, jewelry, etc. and the Outdoor Indian Market. I was there all day looking at some very beautiful creations. One that especially moved me was a ceremonial warrior's cap made of fur, with feathers attached, and a sketch of the item with it, explaining the significance of the elements of the design. Very lovely. Photos were forbidden; otherwise I would post it.

There was a big thunderstorm that came through midday, that sort of stopped everything for a while. I was getting very hungry, so as soon as I could get to the food tent, I went. I had a 'Navajo Burger' - two thin hamburger patties, with lettuce, tomato, and onion folded into a very large frybread - $8.00. The drink was another buck. Sales were good though, and many folks had the same idea I did, eating under the cover of a small shelter...

I spent quite a bit of time talking to a woman who was selling coats made from Pendleton blankets - her sister made them. She and I had quite a chat, telling stories from our lives, just like we'd known each other for a long time. She'd suffered much. One of the coats really did draw my attention, and before we were through, I'd bought it! I guess it's better to spend the dough on something practical than to make the annual contribution to the Indian casino!!! It's a beautiful coat, and I will post a photo later.

After about six hours at the exhibition hall/market I walked back home. By then I was pretty exhausted, and even though I rested for about an hour before I might walk back for the evening events, I felt my body wouldn't take me over there and back again. So, the 'free' event of dancers and the main powwow was missed. It was still a beautiful day...

So today, I woke up to a very windy and blowing sand day - the first one like it since I left Deming three months ago. After visiting with my next door neighbors a while I decided to head into town to get some groceries. The last visit to the store was two weeks ago. I don't know what it is, but nothing I have to eat is what I want to eat. I don't want to cook anything. Even as I went through the store today selecting items, my stomach wasn't liking anything I selected.

When I first got to town I drove around a little, and found a place to park in front of this gallery. I went inside to ask a few questions, since I didn't know the town, and I was looking for a place to get a decent lunch (not fast food). Turns out the gallery is a small artist co-op where different artists display their work, like my daughter does in her town. We had quite a visit, and I took some photos of art created from 'found' things, recycled things. I've put a couple photos here.

Then I went to lunch just one block away and had a great sandwich and some raspberry tea, my favorite! I had noticed some old buildings in the area, and some murals painted on the exterior facades of some of them. I'm quite sure the preservationists had something to do with that!!! All of these within one block. I've put photos of some of them here, too.

One place I'd like to find is a good beading supply place; however, there are lines of Indian trade stores, jewelry stores, etc., so it's hard to discern which would be the best one to visit. I might get a chance to check it out tomorrow - although I don't know if they are open on Sundays.

On the way back from town I spotted the low-priced gas my neighbor had told me about, so I stopped there to fill up. Then I headed for the Walgreen's pharmacy to get some ibuprofen - have been out for a while, substituting aspirin, and it's not cutting it...I got there just in time to be told that the store had had a power surge and the computers were all down - their customer support was coming from Albuquerque and wouldn't be there for another couple of hours - could I come back? Well I stood there long enough, that the long line of customers who had waited for an hour to pay for their goods, diminished enough that the manager let me in. So I was in and out in about five minutes. The down side was that I had to use the rest of my available cash to pay for the bottle of pain reliever because they couldn't take a credit/debit card...

Some days are just like that...

Leftovers

2009-08-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of things from several weeks ago that I hadn't been able to mention because I didn't have access to do it in a timely manner.

First is this wonderful double rainbow that showed up the last night I was at Santa Rosa State Park. It was so exciting to view this natural wonder. This is my first attempt to make a panorama using software I've never used before!!! And photos just don't capture the real thing very well!

This green vehicle is a "URAL" ('YPAN' in Russian letters), a Russian-made side car cycle (it doesn't come apart - made to be only a side car vehicle) that was parked in the Chama Visitor Center parking lot one day when I was there to go online. John, the owner, and his wife Susan were on their way to their summer place in Pagosa Springs, CO. He insisted that I have my photo taken on it!

Also, I had the pleasure of seeing an old friend from when I lived in Denver. It had been six years since we last saw each other, but I had written her that I'd be close to Colorado this summer, and maybe we could get together. She had moved to Alamosa, CO, so she came for a visit to Santa Rosa over the July 4 weekend.

And she also came for an overnight during the Roadrunner campout at Heron Lake. It's an interesting feeling having a 'groupie' friend!!!

Chewing Gum, Duct Tape, Super Glue, and Paper Clips

2009-08-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

(Note: I wrote this the day before I left for Navajo Lake Cottonwood CG on the San Juan River , where there was NO cellular phone service or air card access, so I'm just now posting...The photo here is sundown on the San Juan River at Cottonwood CG. Today, 8/13/09, I'm posting from Red Rock Park outside Gallup, NM where I'll be for the Intertribal Council until Monday. And YES, I have a phone and Internet service here!!!)

Even with all the fun things I've been doing, and places I've been going, there are also those mundane items that require attention from time to time. And sometimes, they come as surprises.

As a recent example, I was calmly eating a cracker (or something) when the tooth I'd been 'babying' because it didn't feel right sometimes, finally decided to split. It didn't come out at the time, but I could tell that it was fractured. And here I was, at night, in a strange, very rural place, not knowing where I could get help. As I don't have TV I have been trying to find local radio stations where I stay so I can find out something about what's happening in the world. The Chama, NM station is located about 20 miles from the Blanco campground at Heron Lake, and they had been advertising a local clinic where one could get all kinds of care - medical, dental, mental, and emergency, etc., and they would see walk-ins.

The next morning, as the camp host walked by, I inquired about where I could get some help. He offered that the clinic I'd been hearing about was just a few miles down the road. So shortly after 8:00 a.m. I drove to just outside Tierra Amarilla to La Clinica del Pueblo de Rio Arriba (Whew! - say that three times fast!) I signed in and was directed to the dental clinic area. After a fairly short wait, I was seen and the dentist advised that yes, the tooth was fractured, and the broken part came out easily. Luckily, there was no nerve involvement, so he could just put a patch on it, and eventually I would need a crown. Two numbing shots to the mouth and some compound set over the surface, I was ready to go. I commented to the dentist that the repair was a little like super gluing a cover onto the tooth - he agreed.

Well, since I'd just become eligible for Medicare, and they offer a free exam upon first eligibility, I inquired about getting an appointment for that. They said they do do those exams and I was given a 1:00 p.m. appointment for the next day. I was so pleased with myself!!!

Until that night. I ate my dinner without any problem chewing with my repaired tooth, and I brushed my teeth with no problem. It was the dental floss snagging the repair that jerked it half off, leaving a bit of a 'hole' I could feel with my tongue. I was very upset and began to cry like a child!!! What a disappointment.

So the next morning I arrived bright and early to let the dental staff know I was ba-a-a-ck! So that I wouldn't have to wait several hours, they suggested that I come back after my Medicare exam, and they gave me an appointment for 2:00 p.m. At that point I went into Chama to go online for a while.

After lunch I returned for my exam - the BP is a little concerning, but may settle down after I'm not upset, or at such a high elevation (7,800 ft.), and I need to see a dermatologist, but mostly I'm fine in the medical department. So on to the dentist - a different one this time. Once again he had to give me numbing shots, and this time they really hurt, to the point that I began to weep in the office. Both the dentist and his assistant asked me if I was okay - I said it hurt, dammit!!! But this time the dentist built a new cusp for the one that broke off, and I'm sure I will need a crown in the near future. BUT, I can floss without worrying that it will come of!

So next, the chewing gum piece - well, it wasn't chewing gum, it was pine pitch. I sat on it, on a log by the lake, and didn't notice. I was very annoyed when I stuck to the log when I tried to get up!!! A couple of days ago I bought a very expensive spray can of something that will remove almost everything sticky, oily, greasy, etc. I sprayed it onto my shorts and put them in the wash. It seems sometimes that something always goes 'wrong' - this time, both loads of laundry had hidden Kleenexes tht disintegrated in the wash. And the load with the sprayed shorts came out smelling like solvent. I had run out of money for drying, so I hauled the wet laundry home and hung it all over the trailer! BUT, the pitch came out, and the air-drying got rid of the smell. AND the Kleenex pieces were left at the laundromat!

I've been in this trailer full-time for almost five years, and for about four and a half of those years the latch on the door to the compartment for the electric cord has been broken. The original 'fix' was tape - clear duct tape. It held the door fine, but over time, it became soiled, and new strips of tape replaced the old ones, over the dirt. A former RVing friend of mine in Tucson gave me an idea for how I could make a different fix, but I didn't do anything about it until a few days ago. I found a plastic tent peg with a broken 'hook', so a rope couldn't be attached to it, one of those bungee cords that's a loop with a big ball attached, a bent aluminum tent peg, and a cork from a wine bottle, and created my own version of my friend's idea. Then I used that expensive spray that removes all that sticky stuff, and got rid of the residue from the clear duct tape. It took off some of the paint as well, so I'll deal with that 'mundane' item later...

Also for the last almost five years I've had that aluminum insulation you can buy in rolls, cut to fit and installed in most of my windows. Well, I decided it was time to be able to see out of the windows for a while and to actually clean them. So now I can see out, and the light can get in - also the heat or the cold - oh, well. I have Venetian blinds at the windows, and for some reason they've decided it is time to let go of their bottom rails. Well, I fixed THEM!!! I used paper clips to wrap around the main cord just above the bead that's supposed to go through the rail at the bottom. I cut the turns of the paper clips off, and poked the remaining wire through the hole in the rail and twisted it. So THERE! It ain't pretty, but it works, and unless you look closely, you won't notice when you come to visit!!

So Much to Write Home About!!!

2009-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been at Heron Lake almost three weeks, and have so much to report, so I think I'll do it in installments. Hopefully, the next camping site will offer more phone and air card access.

The NM LoW group, the Roadrunners, had a campout here over last weekend, so I had some time to socialize and do things with others for a few days. We took in Chama and some of the shops and restaurants in the area. On Monday, some of the group rode the Cumbres & Toltec RR and had lunch on the trip. I didn't go with them.

Instead, as I had some business to mail off, I went to the Tierra Amarilla P.O., just a little south of the junction at Highway 64 and the road to the lake. I had heard on the radio that a new coffee house had opened in Tierra Amarilla, so I took a short drive into the little town, that is also the county seat of Rio Arriba county. Next to the court house is a renovated, updated historic building, now known at the Three Ravens Coffee House.

The owner, Paul Namkung, opened the coffee house on Monday, and was offering free coffee until Wednesday. He is a former social worker, and a drum maker. He also plays a washtub base on occasion. He has lived in the building for 10 years, and has gradually been able to complete the rehabilitation through sales from his drums. The coffee is pretty good too!

Unfortunately I didn't take my camera on my visit to the coffee house; but the next day, one of the LoWs wanted to find out about it, so she invited me to ride with her. I took my camera this time, so I have shared some of the visual delights here.

As most of you who know me know, I love architecture, historic preservation, especially adaptive use, and art. It felt so good to be in this environment, and it's in such an 'unpredictable' place.

Another place that felt good is the Tierra Wool building in Los Ojos, where weavers make lovely rugs and other woven goods using wool from the special "churro" sheep - sheep that have four horns. They were almost extinct from being run out by other herds in the past. Now the local people are trying to bring back the weaving economy that used to be here. Some of the wool is spun and hand-dyed using organic plants on site.

Another thing that I've been working on, a few days at a time, is a painting on the tire cover on the back of the trailer. Yesterday I finally finished it - I think. I was going to put a medicine wheel there, but in another inspiration, decided on a swan - duh!!! The medicine wheel seemed too complicated.

I've also been working on some beads. Two weeks ago I went to the Jicarilla Apache powwow and spent the day. I made a necklace to match some beaded earrings I wanted to wear there. As a powwow, it was pretty normal, and I enjoyed it very much.

I leave on Monday for Navajo Lake, northwest of here. It's been raining a lot, every day, so I hear that the mosquitoes might be bad there, next to the river. I'll report on that later, along with some more from Heron Lake.

Santa Rosa Highlights

2009-06-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Monday was my birthday - I'm now eligible for Medicare!!! It was a great day. I went into town to run some errands and go to Park Lake to cool off. A friend of mine from the group who is traveling through the New Mexico state parks also was already there. We hung out on her air mattresses and had a very relaxing time. Well, except for when I fell into the water, stepping in for the first time. I misjudged the depth of the water from the stone edge of the lake, and when my foot didn't hit the mud bottom, I just fell over. No harm done...

I had planned to find a place to have a nice dinner, and maybe treat myself to a "blizzard" at the local DQ. It turned out that the group was planning to go dancing at a place called "Joseph's" (aka The Fat Man), and my friend wanted to eat there. So we agreed to meet there for dinner after she went back to her place to clean up and do her hair. While she was gone and I was waiting for dinnertime, I went to McDonald's and had a refreshing caramel iced coffee while sitting in a nice cool place. The coffee was very good.

I was pleasantly surprised that when my friend came to the restaurant she brought another traveler from the group with her, and another couple also joined us. So I had some very pleasant company for dinner. Both of my children called me to wish me a Happy Birthday while I was there, so I got to have dinner with them, too! After dinner two others joined us for dancing. We danced until around 9:30 p.m. and had a great time. It was a wonderful impromptu celebration for me.

Today the group went to lunch at a place called the Comet II, another of the historic restaurants along the old Route 66. I had a hamburger with special locally grown chilies, known as PDL chillies, from Puerto de Luna, about 10 miles south of Santa Rosa. Very yummy.

After lunch we went to the famous Blue Hole, a natural 'lake' that is 60 feet across at the surface and 130 feet across under the ledges. It is where people from all over the country and around the world come to learn how to SCUBA dive. While we were there today a group of divers arrived so we could see the Hole in action!

Following our visit to the Blue Hole we went to Park Lake to swim and cool off. This lake is a city lake with a water slide, paddle boats, and, it appears, one white duck. The lake has a mud bottom, and it is fed by water from the Blue Hole, but it is definitely not as cold! I imagine I will visit there a few more times before I leave the area, as it has been very hot recently.

Note: Art by Leslie Allyn - a commissioned painting of my rig

Santa Rosa Meanderings

2009-06-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Santa Rosa Lake was created by damming the Pecos River. The dam, built by the Corps of Engineers, is an earth dam, and on June 23 the dam will be opened to let water through for irrigation in the area. The lake is known for good fishing. This weekend is a children's fishing tournament. Unfortunately, it began raining last night and today (Saturday) the rain continues. I'm very grateful for the rain as it washes the dust off the trailer, and brings cooler temperatures. But I imagine that the kids and their parents aren't too happy about the washout.

This week brought some other full-time single RVers to the park. I knew that a group was 'touring' the state parks this summer, just as I had planned. I know some of the folks in the group and had a copy of their itinerary. It has been nice to connect with others for a little socializing. So far I've been out to dinner twice and I visited the Route 66 Car Museum. Santa Rosa is on the original route of "The Mother Road".

The Car Museum houses about 30 classic cars and trucks. Some are for sale, and they are spectacular. Anyone who was a teen in the 50s and 60s will love the nostalgia. For a fun overview of the Historic Route 66 go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjUpnodx5fw

Monster RV - Part II

2009-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

And just look who's driving it!!! (You might have to click on the photo to get a better look...)

Monster RV

2009-06-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

I left Valley of Fires around 7:00 a.m. yesterday to make sure I would miss any wind getting ready to blow, and I arrived at Santa Rosa Lake State Park around 10:30 a.m. I took a breakfast break in Corona, a little drive-through town. The restaurant, El Corral, isn't normally open on Mondays. Lucky me!!!

After getting more or less settled in a site at my new place I walked to the pay station to deposit my check in the afternoon. On the way back I spotted a strange-looking vehicle in a space near me. Being a little curious, I walked over to check it out.

The owner, who lives in Switzerland, and who is a former teacher, had his rig custom made in Switzerland and Germany. It was shipped to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he and his wife began their tour of Canada and the U.S. They expect to finish their tour sometime in September and ship the rig back to Europe.

I didn't get to see the interior, which has 1 1/2 levels. You can see from the exterior that it is a 'pop-top' style rig. Isn't European design awesome?!!!

(By the way, the owner gave me permission to photograph his rig.)

If You Go Down in the Woods Today...

2009-06-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Grapevine, Part II - Bob the Builder

The title of this post is from the first line of The Teddy Bears' Picnic - a song I loved when I was a child. It came to mind while I was at the campground - the next line is "You're sure of a big surprise." And I was surprised, at least on some level.

The second week of my campout started out 'normal' - but that Monday afternoon I heard what I thought was a tractor trailer coming down the dirt road from the highway. And it was. And it stopped right in front of my camp site. Shortly afterward, Bob the Builder (not his real name!) and some of his friends arrived, with their trucks and trailers to transport the 19-pallet load of adobe bricks that were being delivered from a place seven hours away, north of Espanola, NM. Offloading and loading continued for the next several hours.

One of Bob's neighbors who came to help saw that I was photographing and came over to chat. It was a conversation "meant" to happen...I stated my dismay at my experience over the weekend, and he was in agreement with me about the need for some kind of monitoring at the campgrounds. Now, these are FREE campgrounds, so of course they will attract some unsavory characters for sure. He said that his property is on the other side of the river from another campground, and he experiences human and animal waste scattered not only on the campground side of the river, but also on his property.

The campgrounds are also remote, so in case of any emergency there is no phone contact, except at the pay phone at the store a few miles away. Mr. Neighbor (not his real name!) said he felt it would take some crisis, a death or serious injury before the Forest Service would take any measure to put monitors (like camp hosts) in the campgrounds. He said he had a name for me, and a phone number, if I wanted to make my concerns known, and I took down the information. I told him I was planning to write about my experience and I would definitely contact the name he gave me.

The bricks were hand loaded because the smaller trailers couldn't handle the full-size pallets. It took three trailers, three loads each, to get all the bricks to the other side of the river. The next day a truck loaded with lumber cruised by toward the dead end of the campground. I headed him off before he got off track, and he said he had to make not one, but three crossings of the river to get the lumber to its destination at the building site.

Again, while I was speaking with Mr. Neighbor, I registered my dismay also with the fact that these 'wilderness' places are somewhat invaded by landowners asserting their rights, and creating damage from construction vehicles. In my study of land use and planning issues, it became very clear that the public was not as important as the property owner and his/her rights to development and 'improve' their property.

These last photos are a 'photo essay' of the process involved during this activity. After the semi driver delivered and offloaded pallets onto the smaller trailers, he then offloaded them across the street from my camp site. Then Bob brought his own back hoe/fork lift to do the rest of the heavy lifting. While the men were working, another neighbor 'happened' by to chat, apparently oblivious that there was someone camping there. All the trucks, trailers, and heavy equipment went back across the river, and I wondered about those polliwogs...

Camping in the Gila Wilderness

2009-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Before I left Deming, I had heard about some campgrounds in the area that might be nice to visit; but I didn't want to take the trailer. So I planned a two-week tent/truck camping trip to the Gila Wilderness about 1 1/2 hours north of Deming, at a campground known as "Grapevine". This place had been recommended by another LoW member who frequently stayed there. I put the trailer in temporary storage and packed up the truck for an old-fashioned campout.

The first six days were quiet, full of cottonwood 'snow' that blew into everything, and entertaining in terms of the various species of birds that came to visit and 'decorate' my truck. The site I chose happened to be where the wind blew all the 'cotton', but it was protected by a stone wall and gave me a view of the road, especially where it diverted toward the Gila River. There was a crossing there, and many vehicles made their way to the other side by fording the river.

I spent time reading, writing, coloring in my 'adult' coloring book with colored pencils, and just sitting. Sometimes I would drum to the morning or to the evening, sometimes at the river. There was a rock near the crossing that was perfect for short stretches of sitting and watching the birds and the polliwogs, feeling the breeze. On the warmest days I wore shorts, a narrow scarf-like sarong tied around my chest, my cowboy hat, and a chambray shirt that I soaked in the river to wear to keep me cool. And flip-flops. I was not a fashion icon!!!

In the mornings it was cool, sometimes cold, so I wore jeans, a T-shirt, sweat shirt, and slippers, and curled up in a blanket while waiting for the coffee to perk on the Coleman stove. (I LOVE the little four-cup aluminum pot I picked up in an antique store in John Day!) Because of the tree canopy it took an extra hour for the sun to hit my site and warm things up.

This campground is a primitive campground, so I brought my own water, and used the pit toilet at the other end of the area, driving there every morning for the daily 'constitutional'. I pitched my small tent to house my goods, and slept in the truck. I also put up a new shower enclosure and my solar shower, which I used only twice. I enjoyed the enclosure for allowing me a place where I could stand up to change my clothes, and bathe.

After those first six days came the weekend and a Monday from 'the real world'. And it is from these experiences that I would not recommend that anyone stay there for more than five or so days, and NEVER on the weekend. Especially between Easter and Labor Day. During this time this campground, as well as others, probably across the country, become 'free for all' parties, something like fraternity parties, where people behave irresponsibly toward everyone else. They are there for their pleasure only.

Most of the folks who do behave this way are young - twenty and thirty-somethings, looking for a time-out from the work world, but bringing their lifestyles with them. They play their music, and I use that term loosely, loud, like all the cars with their stereos blasting for everyone to hear, whether they want to or not. And they aren't interested in whether you (I) think it's too loud. And they drink themselves into stupors.

My weekend 'neighbors' on the 7th and 8th days were like that. I even got up the nerve to request that they turn their 'music' down, with the response that the 'law said' they could play their music as loud as they wanted until 10 p.m. I was only asking for some moderation of the level, without even making any statement about what they were playing, which is what I call "Rap Crap". These folks had three small children with them, the oldest I'm guessing at seven years old. The words of the rapping were f___, mf___, sounds of sexual activity, and other inappropriate phrases. Those of you who know me well, know that I was a social worker in child protection for many years. This behavior was unbearable; yet, I was not going to leave - it was the principle of the thing! Right? What I learned was that after making my request and seeing that my 'rights' for a quiet time in the forest were not going to be respected, I felt very vulnerable - vulnerable to the point that I slept with my shoes on, put something near me in bed that could be used as a weapon. When people are drinking they behave in unstable ways, and I was very aware that there could be retaliation. Luckily, nothing like that happened, and they left late in the afternoon the next day.

Another family in an adjacent site, also young, with small children, offered a different experience. Out of the blue the mother would shout at her children. They cried frequently, and I could only feel sad for them that they were not having a positive experience of camping with their family. The mother was correcting them often, shouting (in Spanish) for them to not be doing what they were doing. She picked at everything. Ironically, on Mother's Day (which I had totally forgotten about) I was sitting at the store up the road, where I got a homemade icecream treat, when the family stopped by, and as they left, the husband wished me a happy Mother's Day!

Yes, my answer to all the noise was to leave my site and go somewhere. So I drove up to the Gila Cliff Dwelling Visitor Center about five miles up the road. They have a fine presentation about the cliff dwellings and the people who lived there in the past. Also a very nice, small gift shop. Then I drove to the Cliff Dwelling trail, and decided not to take the mile hike and climb to see the actual place. On the return I stopped at the store for my treat, and I asked the attendant if it would be alright for me to sit at a picnic table outside on the porch and do some beading. He said I could, so I did. Afterward, I browsed the merchandise inside and found a very nice shirt to give myself. It has a petroglyph motif, with some spiral designs, that I used to create some new beadwork. So ends the first week.

From Bottomless Lakes to Valley of Fires

2009-06-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Every time I traveled from Roswell to Bottomless Lakes I was awed by the cloud formations as I came east to the camp ground. Each day there were 'lines' of puffy cumulus clouds that caught my eyes as I drove up a steep grade to the road that goes to the park. So I've added a photo here of a sample.

The marker for the park explains how the lakes got their name: "When 19th century cowboys attempted to measure these lakes by tying lariats together, they found no bottoms and declared the lakes "bottomless". Today we know these sink holes, formed by collapsed salt and gypsum deposits, are 17 to 90 feet in depth. The park was established in 1933 as New Mexico's first state park." The work and the buildings were done by crews of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

This photo is of the end 'wall' of the lake - it is the area where a dome collapsed, most recently in 1975. If you look closely you can see the white leaching of the gypsum out of the sandstone. In the distance is the campground, and the road that curves around to the actual entry to the park. This shot was made from the overlook above the lake.

I left this park on Thursday and arrived at the Valley of Fires BLM recreation area in the early afternoon, after a fairly pleasant drive from Roswell to just west of Carrazozo, a small but very historic town. The town is the county seat of Lincoln County, NM. This county is known for its legendary characters of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, and Smokey the Bear. Smokey was found after a forest fire in the Lincoln National Forest, and he became the icon for prevention of forest fires. When he died he was buried near where he was found.

The Valley of Fires is a lava flow from 1,500 - 5,000 years ago. It is 44 miles long, 2-5 miles wide and 165 feet deep. This is the view from my camp site, on the ridge above the valley floor. I walked along the trail that is visible in this photo, and was amazed at my inability to take it all in...I stopped to rest and appreciate a 400- year old juniper tree. As junipers are very slow growing, the size of the trunk of this tree is extraordinary.

To travel to this place is a bit of a 're-trace' of my steps from when I first went to Bottomless Lakes. My intention was to just follow a natural route to the next, more northern state park from Bottomless Lakes. But when I read about this place, I felt I 'had' to go see it. My plan was to leave tomorrow (Sunday); however, the wind is holding me hostage for at least one more day. I hope to travel on Monday toward Santa Rosa State Park.

In making these more frequent moves I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the hitching and unhitching process. Getting the trailer hitch over the ball of the truck, or getting the ball under the hitch without another's eyes is becoming a little easier. I've done it twice now. And I'm learning patience!

Are the Aliens from the Bottomless Lakes?

2009-05-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the library in Roswell, New Mexico! Although the cell phone does seem to work at the Bottomless Lakes State Park, the Internet doesn't! I'm using the library wi-fi for as long as I can today to catch up...

I arrived at the park last Wednesday for the LoW campout. While the 'leader' left on Sunday the rest of us (three) have stayed on. One is leaving today, and one is leaving tomorrow. I'm signing up for another week before deciding where to go next.

I went to the Roswell UFO Museum last week and enjoyed a great movie presentation about the flying saucer, with aliens aboard, that crashed about an hour from here. Apparently there was a lot of confusion and government cover-ups related to the crash. Roswell has capitalized on this event from 1947. Everything has UFOs and alien creatures drawn, painted, sculpted on it; even the local McDonald's building design is suggestive of a flying saucer, and when it is lit up at night it is reminiscent of the photos we've all seen of UFOs. And the Roswell Walmart has also joined in with UFO/alien graphics on its facade. Some of the street lights along Main St. have alien 'eyes' painted on them!

A friend of mine in Virginia told me he once saw space ships 'fly' into the side of a mountain on his parents' farm. So that makes me think about maybe the Roswell aliens hide out in the Bottomless Lakes! Just kidding...The lakes are interesting because they have been formed from gypsum and rock; the largest lake was formed when a cavern dome collapsed, and became a sink hole. (I may not have the exact scientific explanation, but it's close...) These formations are like some others that are found in Italy and Mexico.

Another one of the LoW bunch who was already in the park when the rest of us arrived had an accident on her scooter - she ran a red light (not intentionally) and in order to prevent a collision with the auto in the intersection at the time, laid the bike down - on her knee and leg. She was in the hospital the day before we arrived, and is still there, expecting a very long rehabilitation. Her motor home is still in the park, awaiting her instructions...I will be visiting her later today.

The other day I went out on the large lake in a paddle boat - my first experience. Lots of fun. There are very interesting flat and dome-shaped turtles who come to the rocks at the water's edge to sun themselves. There's also a nice, sandy beach. Lots of birds here, too. It rained all of the holiday weekend, with the sun coming out the most on Monday. Since then, it's been sunny with storm-like winds in the afternoon - lots of virga, but no rain. It's been warm enough to run the AC, too.

I'm considering going for a few days to a place not far from here - a BLM campground called the Valley of Fires - they have hook-ups there, and as long as it's hot, I plan to use the electric for the AC. Then I'll head to another one of the state parks. I'm planning my stays at the different parks to get into whatever park with enough lead time to already have a space for July 4th and Labor Day weekends, as there is a 21-day limit. I've been getting a lot of helpful information from the LoWs I've been with - all women, I might add, and older than I am, too.

I guess that just about sums up the last couple of weeks. Don't know when I'll make the next installment. I still need to write about my camping trip in the Gila Wilderness - LOTs to say about that!!!

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris...

2009-05-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that I have been in Deming, NM for almost seven months! I'm sure I do not want to spend another winter, or spring here again! The winters get below freezing, and I've learned to put water in my fresh water tank and use the water pump instead of disconnecting the water hose every night it's going to freeze. In addition, the winds here are like living in a dusty hurricane - no rain, just dust - that fine dust that is like talcum powder and that you can't get out of your carpet or bedding, or anything. Today the winds blew just like they do in Virginia when a tropical storm is coming. This seems to be a rather common, often occurrence.

I spent from the middle of December to April 30th working part-time in the Ranch office, in exchange for my site, electricity, and laundry. That pay-off worked well for me most of the time. However, I got very tired toward the middle of April, and with management issues becoming uncomfortable for me, I've considered not returning next fall as I said I would. They want me to be available in the office October through December. I thought I would do that and then leave for warmer climes in January. Now I don't know...

Tomorrow I am putting my trailer into storage for two weeks, while I take some time to venture into the area north of here and Silver City to 'camp out'. I've packed my truck with all the things I can think of that I need, including a newly purchased shower enclosure for solar-heated showers, and a portable potty. I will sleep in the back of my truck which has a topper, so I can feel protected somewhat from the elements.

I'm also becoming quite handy in making small repairs to my trailer. Aluminum tape is GREAT stuff! I repaired a gouge in my gravel guard with it, and today I taped up an errant slide-out seal extension that hung over the tire. It had been stapled in place at the factory, but the staples had come out, and it had pulled away from the screw that held it further back. So I used the aluminum tape as a sort-of 'strap' to hold it in place under the edge of the slide-out. I'm grateful to one of the LoWs who was here last fall for telling me about this product!

I'm excited to be heading into a natural area, where few others will be. I have packed my sketch pad and colored pencils, my cameras, a few books, crossword puzzle books, and beading supplies. And I feel it is likely that some of those won't get used at all! There's something great about just sitting in the sunshine - I've thought about Roger Miller's song, "Walkin' in the sunshine, sing a little sunshine song..." I also hope to get some walking in to strengthen my back.

Since January I've been going to a local chiropractor for treatment; he says that I either had a very bad injury, or I have a very bad case of overuse...He has recommended a couple of exercises and WALKING as the best way to create better health for my back. I will see him on Monday morning, just before I head out, and again after I return.

The idea of health brings me to the fact that next month I will be on Medicare. After five years of no health insurance, at least I will have that in case anything major shows up. I think that when you don't have insurance you take better care of yourself! The down side to the Medicare is that it will mean reduced funds available for my expenses on a fixed income...I just keep adjusting! And I'm glad to have that monthly income, as so many are really struggling these days.

When I return from this 'pilgrimage' to the mountains, I will hitch up my trailer and head to Bottomless Lake State Park (NM) for a campout with the New Mexico club of the Loners on Wheels, the Roadrunners. I will purchase an annual park pass and stay there for the allowed three weeks, and then move on, to who knows where?

Oh, I almost forgot to mention...I'm using a new name these days. Some of you already are aware of this through other communications; however, for you who aren't, the new name (last name) is Swanne. Su/san Swanne. It came about over several years of pondering (hmm, a pun here?)and one day a couple of weeks ago, it became clear that I would make the change. Just so you know.

I will journal my camping, and hopefully be able to share here some of my experiences and thoughts about camping alone. I look forward to seeing some magnificent birds and other wildlife, too!

I'm hoping that you who receive this blog in your email are enjoying spring. I think of you all often, and send my love to you.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

At our 'social hour' yesterday one of our elder members who I think is about 86 was excitedly mentioning that it was 2009 already, and who would have thought they'd live to see it! Yes, when I was younger I thought, 'wow, I'll be 56 in 2000', very old. And now it is nine years later - and I'm not old at all!!! Interesting how age becomes relative...

So, for the new year, which I actually celebrate on the Winter Solstice, what might be in store for me? And for those I love? And for those I will meet as I journey? This past year has meant a change in location for me and a change in perception about myself, and a change in my thinking about others. Lots of growth. I can only know that each day I am here, I am grateful. Last year I declared 2008 a year of joy for myself, and I wasn't disappointed. For 2009 I declare a year of peace, abundance, and safe travels, in whatever form they appear.

While I have felt that the community of RVing singles does feel like home, I have also noticed that while they travel in groups, and connect up, I'm not a 'follower' in that regard. I don't generally follow the pack. I go where I feel I am 'drawn' - to whatever attracts me. If it's away from where everyone else is, so be it. And that might mean being separated from a new friend for awhile. The RVing life is very different...one must be flexible.

So, to my loved ones, my friends, and those I am to meet this year I offer the following blessing.

"Holy Ones, Messengers of Love,
I am parted from my loved ones and friends;
Take my love and blessing to them wherever they are at this moment.
May they feel the warmth of my presence as I bring
Them into the circle of my heart at this time.
May you walk in the presence of the Holy Ones in every place,
May the Friend of Souls be ever at your side,
And my you be blessed and protected wherever you go!"

(From Celtic Devotional Daily Prayers and Blessings, Caitlin Matthews)

The photo that accompanies this entry is by Leslie Allyn (used with permission) and depicts the feeling of a new year for me at this time...

Happy New Year!

The Latest News

2008-12-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I returned to Deming from a week-long visit to Tucson to enjoy some holiday activities with my friends. I had a wonderful time! The women who have become my friends are treasures of my heart. They are warm, nurturing, funny, and oh, so loving. I was cared for, looked after, hugged, and gifted.

And I ate - and ate - and ate...to the effect of a tummy ache that still hasn't quite gone away. I don't usually eat as often or the kinds of foods that I experienced during this visit. Every day there was something good, and plenty of it. Not a lot of sweets, except for the M&Ms I love, and the very rich chocolate dessert at the Crones luncheon. And then there was the Tucson LoWs (PuebLoWs) holiday potluck at their campout on Saturday! So now I'm trying to get back to normal.

The timing of my visit couldn't have been better as several events lined up, including a free dance on Monday night at Rincon Country RV Resort, my former 'home'. We had snacks instead of dinner, and margaritas...yum! And I danced, even. I got to say hello to folks I knew there, and wish them happy holidays. Fun.

In a medium such as this blog it is difficult for me to write about my deep feelings about the week's meaningful chapter in my life book. I am continuing to savor the very special moments with these friends - friends I probably would not have made if Doc were still with me. But I can't know that for certain because I was feeling the need to connect with other women before he became ill. Anyway, the sharing with my friends was deep, and added a richness to my life. I am grateful.

Additionally, I am grateful for the ability to observe. Have you ever called one of those numbers on the back of a semi that asks "How's my driving?"? Well, yesterday I did. As I came onto I-10 in Tucson I was 'allowed' to enter from the ramp, as a semi truck moved over. However, he pulled up beside me, and then, with his signal on, proceeded to pull over, before he was fully in front of me. I slowed down to keep from getting clipped. Just a few miles down the road, with a string of cars in the left lane, passing this same truck, he pulled right over, into the cars' lane, forcing them to 'make room' so he could pass the slower vehicle in front of him. I don't know if he was just a new driver, making some mistakes, or if he was intentionally trying to intimidate other drivers. He was traveling with another truck from the same company, so I'm thinking maybe he was new. But, when I stopped for a bite to eat, I placed a call and left my information.

Later, down the road, there was another truck that passed me, and later, as I began to pass him, he sped up. As he did so, I noticed the 'humming' of a tire that didn't sound right. Since he wasn't going to let me by him, I backed off, and pulled into the right lane. Then I looked at the back of his truck and I noticed that the inner left tire was wobbling, and also losing tread. So I backed off further in case that thing blew rubber all over the road. Within several minutes that tire disintegrated and blew, just as another truck approached in the passing lane. I was ever so grateful that I had seen the difficulty and took action to avoid trouble. There was debris all over the road that was challenging to negotiate; the truck finally pulled over several miles down the road.

On another note, today I began working in the Low-Hi RV Ranch office in exchange for my site. I learned that they can only have one person in the office during slow months, so at the end of January I'm back to paying rent...until maybe March when they start gearing up for the spring rally in April. Today I also spoke with the Chief Park Ranger at Chaco Canyon, where I put an application, and it looks promising that I will be camp host and site monitor there for several months, beginning in the spring. I think it will be awesome to be in Chaco for the Summer Solstice and my birthday which are usually very close together!!! I will find out more in January.

Day Break

2008-12-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

I used to think that my life would always be the same, as day after day I did the same things, kept to the same routine. Then something happened, and one day I began to wake up and grow up. Now I enjoy the beauty of the changes from one day to another.

Since coming to Deming, I have enjoyed the company of men and women who 'roam' - they come and go, make connections and then move on. Yesterday several rigs left, heading to Tucson and points further west. The park began to feel empty, and my heart began to feel the space where some of these folks had been allowed to enter while they were here.

Yet, as I move about within the flow of the community, I'm beginning to recognize folks out in other areas of the town. For example, yesterday I went with an RVer friend for breakfast. As we were leaving the restaurant, a couple I recognized from the Friday night dances at the VFW entered. I said hello and said I recognized them. We made introductions and then went about our business. Later in the afternoon my friend and I went to the weekly 'jam session' at the art center. And would you believe, the same couple was there, and we then recognized each other again! Of course, some of the LoW group was also present, so I entered conversations with a couple of them with whom I'd not really chatted before.

One of my 'new' acquaintances is involved in a nationwide "grandmothers" group - as in the native tradition of grandmothers. We had quite a conversation. The next meeting is going to be at her house in January, and I will be included in the group because I'm interested in that sort of thing. As it happened I was wearing a T-shirt that had the logo of a Colorado powwow on it. When I went to the counter to get a bottle of water the lady noticed my shirt, and our conversation began. She is of native heritage, from Iowa, and there is going to be a gathering (powwow) of the Iowa group of natives who have settled here in February. I asked if this was going to be a closed gathering, and let her know I would be honored to be invited - I do have Iowa ancestors buried there...I gave her my card with my phone number. Perhaps someone will call.

Today I was asked to accompany a very older - very cute - man to Silver City tomorrow to go to the VA. We danced together on Friday night, and our companions thought it was 'so cute'. Anyway, he's a person who lives at the park permanently and we'd only had a passing 'hello' until just recently.

The weather today was rough - it blew at about 35 mph all day, and we had thunderstorms and downpours all day. It was colder than it has been, so most folks were hunkered down in their RVs. I went outside to check on some areas of the trailer where I heard rattles from the wind blowing, to make sure everything was still secure. To my surprise there was this wonderful, full arc of a rainbow. I couldn't get it all into my camera, but I just had to try to get a good shot. So beautiful.

So I've been meeting surprises everyday, and I've been enjoying them. I used to hate surprises - they seemed to always be of the negative sort. I think I'm getting over that idea.

Gratitude

2008-11-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it's our national day of thanksgiving, and it seems appropriate to enumerate all the things one is grateful for. In today's economy I think it is difficult for some people to see the places in their lives for which they can be grateful. Also all of those who are ill and have not come to terms with their situations may be struggling to be grateful.

I feel moved to remember the many blessings I have received during the last year. And while I put them down on THE day - T-day, there are many other times I have said 'thank you' silently, privately, in my heart. The photo is of the Organ Pipe cactus in southwestern Arizona. It symbolizes to me the many ways I feel grateful to the Creator.

I thank the angels every time I'm been blessed with safety on the road, especially when I could have been in danger. I thank all the people who, without knowing it, made my summer journey pleasant. The folks in John Day were generous, honest, caring people. And all the folks I encountered along the way, making life enjoyable.

On Veteran's Day I made a point to personally thank those I knew of who had given military service to the U.S. Of course I was reminded of Doc's service in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the fact that his passing was connected to his service disability that began in the early 1960s. I met a highly decorated veteran here in the park who refused to receive all his decorations, and still, for his personal reasons, refuses to file with the Veterans Administration for disability. He still struggles with flashbacks from the Vietnam war. And there is Doc's brother, Doug, who also suffered aftershocks from that war. It just became important to say thank you, even though I was removed from it all.

I thank my ancestors from whom I received many good and not-so-good traits!!! That DNA is strong stuff and through it I have survived, just as they did. They were pioneers, and I cannot imagine the hardships they went through. Yet, I carry the same pioneering spirit within me - and it shows up in my leaving the 'comfortable life' and traveling like a gypsy, not only in a physical way, but also in a spiritual way.

Years ago I used to go for walks after dinner, and I found myself 'praying' a part of the Lutheran liturgy - a psalm. "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your" free spirit." Not long afterward my life changed. Perhaps it was already changing and I wasn't so aware of it. But I did wonder why I was saying this prayer as I walked. I am grateful for the changes, although they brought pain to my family. I am grateful to them and hope they have forgiven me.

I am grateful for all the blessings from my family - my children, grandchildren, sisters and 'extended family', those who feel like family but who are not blood kin. You have been and will remain my teachers about love.

I am grateful for my intellect and common sense - those things that help me continue to live in a simple, yet comfortable way. I'm grateful that I have a good brain, that I can perceive and discern.

I'm grateful for the folks who are around me, supporting me, although they are not close friends - more just acquaintances - people who come into my life today and leave tomorrow. I've thought I've been looking for my tribe, where I 'belong'. I realize that for now, where I am is where I belong!!! I'm grateful for being able to know reality more often than I used to.

Today all the folks in the park, and some LoW members who live in town, will come here with their potluck dish to add to the turkey that the park is providing. We will gather and stuff ourselves with the bounty that exists when we share. I am grateful for all the hands who were involved in bringing me this sustenance.

The Lakota people have a word that I especially like that expresses gratitude - Pilamaya - thank you.

To the Creator of All Things - Pilamaya.

Coasting...!

2008-11-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

My last post mentioned that Liz and I also had fun - you know, the "F" word.

One of our favorite times was in the mountains - any of them. Even with the trailer, and I WAS conservative, I coasted down the grades, picking up a little speed, and enjoying the feeling of 'freedom'! I know that in some places Liz felt a little nervous, but we always made it safely to the bottom.

Another of our fun times was when we were faced with some kind of small failure, or things weren't quite working out the way we would have liked. A favorite expression was 'dammit', always repeated by the other one. It became just one of those understandings between us.

Entertainment in John Day was limited - old movies two to three times a month in the restored upstairs in the old Masonic lodge hall, and concerts in the park on Saturdays when something special was in town, like the rodeo or the solar fair. Most of the time we listened to the radio - two stations - John Day which played all country and the PBS station out of Portland - all the while putting together as best we could our 1,000 piece and 1,500 piece puzzles. The 1,500 piece one never did get together and we resolved to donate it to the RV park when we got back to Tucson! Dammit.

That all seems so long ago, it now being almost the middle of November.

I still feel like I'm coasting - this time coasting in life. I drove the rig to Deming, NM on October 17 where the Loners on Wheels have their own park. The rent is about half of what I was paying in Tucson, so I'm feeling better about the finances (except for paying off the credit card bills from the trip!) Anyway, now I'm here and the majority of the folks here are also LoWs who are planning to winter in warmer climes such as Yuma, Quartzite and The Slabs in California. So I don't know who will be left here for the winter to do things with.

I've pretty much decided to hibernate and rest here in Deming for the winter, until after the spring LoW rally. That could change if the New Mexico State Park system decides they need me at one of their parks. I am sending in an application for volunteering in some capacity, with 'compensation' being my RV site and hookups. I think it would be fun to take a few short trips to different New Mexico parks and not travel such a long way as the trip to Oregon. Will keep everyone posted on the success of my application.

Deming is an interesting town - another small town with limited shopping, but with a lot of activity. You can always find entertainment and a good place to eat. And there's always dancing at the local VFW on Friday nights. The LoWs have made good friends in the community and they are known for also being a good friend to the community. If you want to go shopping, though, you have to travel to Las Cruces, about 60 miles east.

There are a lot of roadrunners here in the park. They don't really fly much - kind of like chickens. But they can 'leap' up onto things. I have had my roadrunner friend roosting every night on the top of the stepladder at the back of my trailer. It's kinda nice - haven't found any waste material there. S/he gets up there around 4:00 to 4:30 every afternoon, and leaves around 7:00 in the morning.

Until the folks move on I'm chumming around with a couple of folks, seeing things and going out. There is a social hour every day at 4:00 p.m. where we are updated with new LoWs in the park and what's happening in the area. All in all it's a good place to be for now.

Homeward Bound

2008-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

The photos were taken at the John Day Fossil Beds.

We left Lakeview yesterday because we couldn't stay any longer - the park was being filled by a group for the weekend. Not that I wanted to stay, but it meant I had to face some hazards I didn't want to face...mainly, possible wind conditions. I checked the weather conditions online to see what the weather was going to be. The wind was supposed to die down for Thursday travel.

As we were getting ready to leave yesterday morning, doing our regular safety check, I didn't have any brake lights or right turn signal. After another camper offered assistance, we determined that as the bulb wasn't burned out, perhaps it was another problem. We left the park and headed into Lakeview to the gas station to get some help. On the way out of the park I forgot my coffee cup and the wheel chock, so had to make a turn-around before we could drive the mile up the gravel road to the highway.

At the 76 station we asked for help about our lights, and we were directed to the Shell station about a mile up the road from the intersection. After a major traffic jam at the station, with me tying up space, and folks getting gas, we finally made it across the intersection to the road we were to take for help.

Behind the Shell station there was a small tire center and repair garage. The fellow there checked out all the circuits and fuses for the truck lights, and the connection to the trailer, and located the problem - one of the plugs in the "pigtail" power cord between the truck and the trailer was too far apart. With a minor adjustment, we had lights, and we were on our way - no charge for the trouble.

As we drove south along Rt. 395 I noticed that the wind seemed to be blowing stronger than the 10-15 mph the weather service advised online. For the next several hours we were buffeted by the wind, and finally, as it was getting stronger, I pulled into Susanville, CA for a spot to park for the night. The space was pricey (it was California, after all), and the park personality was nothing great - nice enough though.

This morning we pulled out of the park around 9:15 and went in search of a gas station as I had only 1/4 tank. After a drive through a Shell station with a telephone pole placed in such a way that I couldn't get into the station with the trailer (I tried, though!) and seeing the next station was full of vehicles, I wondered where I'd find gas. I headed out of town thinking that I'd find something in that direction, but when the signs said 36 miles of possible windy road, I turned back into town and headed to the other end in hopes of finding a gas station that would accommodate the trailer. Why is it that the gas stations are always on the opposite side of the street that you need it to be on?! Anyway, success, at last, and we were on our way.

The last time I was in Reno, NV the roads were still under construction, with narrow lanes blocked off by orange cones and concrete barricades - hardly enough room for two vehicles to pass each other. I was a little apprehensive about what I would find this time; however, the construction had been completed and getting through Reno and onto Interstate 80 was a piece of cake.

We had stopped briefly a little outside of Reno for a 'deserved break'(i.e., McDonald's). Getting into the parking lot was easy, although I had to back up a little to pull into the alley that served as the road to the gas station next door. After waiting for some young males, full of themselves, to gas up - and by the way, they pulled up to the gas pump and left their vehicle there while they went to the other restaurant next door to order pizza and get an order from Subway - THEN they pumped their gas! I also filled my tank and headed out of Dodge!!!

From there we had a very pleasant ride to Hawthorne, NV, taking the scenic route (Rt. 95A) out of Fernley, NV. We saw the autumn changes of color of the desert plants and grasses, the mountains and rock formations, and the reflections of the mountains in the waters of beautiful Lake Walker. We arrived in Hawthorne around 3:30, as Liz says 'grumpy time', although today it was her day to be grumpy - leg in a brace, pain, and sitting on the sunny side of the truck (finally it's HER turn!)

We're staying in a nice affordable park named Whiskey Flats RV park, with a pull through, so no backing in. We got here early enough to enjoy some of the wonderful warm weather and sunshine before the sun went behind the mountain. We sat outside and visited with our neighbor, getting valuable information about RVing, and we watched the little birds and the medium birds take turns drinking and bathing out of a puddle left from the morning's lawn irrigation. Tomorrow we'll get to Pahrump, where we will stay through Monday night.

Next, stand by for a report of the actual fun we've had on this trip!!! We'll try to think of something!

Yee Haw!!!

2008-09-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to southeastern Oregon today after a few glitches...Liz needed to refill several meds, so she called them into the Walgreen's in Medford so we could pick them up on our way. After thinking that the brake controller issue was finished, I called Caveman RV to see if they'd called the manufacturer about the questions we had about it. Tim called them and called me back - he'd adjusted it too tight, so I had to drive back to Grant's Pass to get it readjusted. I can finally say, I think everything is working as it should!

So around 12:30 we finally got on our way, and drove over Route 140 to within 10 miles of Lakeview. At about 5:00 p.m. all of a sudden we saw a sign! It said "turn here". Actually it said Junipers RV Resort. We just thought we'd check it out, and out, and out, because it was down a mile-long curvy gravel road. And then we saw it...home at last. Junipers is a very nice rural, and affordable, full service RV park that is 23 years old. It is part of a lease agreement that comes with the ranch lease, where the folks have 1,000 head of cattle. They summer in this area, and winter near Hawthorne, NV.

Right away we decided to take a nice, warm shower - the showers were roomy, well-lighted, and they had nice, soft white bath rugs and a chair to assist with dressing, and fresh, real flowers at the sinks. The park manager, Mary, said that the owners wanted to create an RV park, but had never RVed before. So they rented an RV and took notes about the different parks they visited, and then designed the park to reflect all the things they liked, and improved on the things they didn't like. The views are wonderful, and when the sun goes down, it's actually DARK!

We were going to drive into California tomorrow, and then down to Reno; however, it looks like the winds will be up between 15-25 mph. So we're going to stay another day and try to leave on Wednesday. Liz is still hurting from her fall, and her leg is very painful. So we'll just hang out tomorrow. We may have to stop again for her to go to the doctor.

I've attached a couple of pictures of the round barn we visited not too far from here, before we left for Seattle. It was built by Peter French who was hired by Mr. Glenn to build a cattle 'empire'. He married Mr. Glenn's daughter. The town of French-Glenn, OR was named after them. Architecturally, the barn is AWESOME!!!

Turning the Page

2008-09-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we left Brookings, OR where we spent one night after traveling down the coast. The costline out of Coos Bay offers some great scenery and sights and smells of the ocean. Finally, we could be near the water! We stopped at a beach just south of Port Orford and walked in the sand, felt the sea breeze. It was a nice break.

Continuing to travel south, and after being stopped at the state line for produce possession, we drove through Crescent City, CA and into the Redwood National Forest, on the nice freeway that ends around Orick. Orick is a one gas station town with one pump just as you're leaving town. The 76 Station had been gone a long time, although its sign was still in place. On this day there was an extended line of vehicles waiting as each person pumped their own gas - not a fast pump, either! If you pay by credit card, there is a $1 service charge. I think we got spoiled in Oregon, where the gas is pumped for you, and most of the time you get your windshield cleaned.

We decided to drive through the forest going south, and then turn around to head back north to pick up the route to Grant's Pass, OR just north of Crescent City. On the turn-around we drove through Prairie Creek National Forest to experience the giant trees. The speed limit is 35 mph through the forest. We stopped only once to visit the "Big Tree", a huge old tree. The store/gas attendant in Orick told us there was also a group of trees that had grown 'corkscrewed' around each other that was pretty awesome; however, we didn't see it as it was on a trail, and we weren't in shape to walk that far.

As we were leaving the forest road and getting back onto the freeway, my trailer brakes were not working again. This was the second time since having the truck brakes fixed and the trailer brakes checked out. The day before, I stopped at an ocean view and had a hard time stopping, the truck brakes getting very hot, and with the telltale odor. Today (September 22) it happened again coming into Grant's Pass from where we spent two nights at Selmac Lake, about twenty miles from Grant's Pass.

We drove into a Wal Mart for food and I borrowed a phone book to call an RV dealer about doing some trouble shooting. I found a repair place, that also sells Lance campers, who gave me a 1:30 appointment. Finally the problem was found. The brake controller (the new one, and probably the old one, too) was wired incorrectly. The technician, Tim, at Caveman RV, did a complete check of all the systems, and also a road test. It was during the road test that the problem was discovered - the brake wire was also wired to the turn signals, causing there to be no brakes, especially when I was turning! Now we're hoping that the mis-wiring didn't damage the controller. Tim will contact the company tomorrow and if I need some warranty work, he can do it.

Tonight we are staying at Valley of the Rogue State Park near Rogue River, OR and not far from Grant's Pass on I-5. It's a beautiful park, one that Doc and I stayed at two years ago on our way to Canada.

Backing up, to a couple of days ago, we came back through Crescent City and stopped at McDonalds' for a very early 'dinner' - around three. We'd been on the road three hours. After our meal we headed back to Oregon. The drive toward Grant's pass on Rt. 199 was beautiful, and curvy, and narrow, and I'm developing some good trailer driving skills!!!

Around 5:00 p.m., about 20 miles outside of Grant's Pass, I saw a sign for an RV park and decided it was time to stop for the night. We drove about three miles off the road and ended up at Lake Selmac RV Resort. The parking spaces are pull-through's, under big pines - a lovely setting, with the lake across the street. It's a fisherman's place, but now that we're 'out of season' no one else was there and it was very quiet. We stayed there the past two nights.

We have developed quite a liking for saltwater taffy, and so far we've manage to put away about five pounds between us. It's great for snacks, and Liz thinks I need something sweet when it gets to be about 4:00 in the afternoon, and I get the grumpies! Well, now we've eaten all but the taffy she bought for her grandchildren...hope it makes it to Tucson!!!

Our plan is to drive to Lakeview, OR and then head south into northeastern California and down into Nevada. I want to be headed into Arizona by Oct. 1. Stopping somewhere different every night is hard with regard to hooking up and unhooking, so as we travel south we will probably stop for a couple of nights at a time, and try to have sites that are pullthroughs so we don't have to unhook.

Heading Back Toward "Home"

2008-09-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

It's night in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the weather is cloudy and chilly - enough that we are planning to move away from the coast as soon as possible. We've been here four nights counting tonight, and we've enjoyed a nice seafood dinner at a local restaurant, two trips to the Super WalMart for supplies, lots of saltwater taffy, and shopping in the tourist gift shops. Tomorrow we head for the National Redwood Forest in Northern California, and begin our trek back to Tucson, going through Oregon, northeastern California, and Nevada.

We have both sustained crippling injuries that the weather seems to affect negatively. The real highlight of the last several days was driving an electric cart in WalMart because I'm having difficulty walking. They really are nice to ride on!!! I found people wanting to help me reach things so I didn't have to get out of the cart. Whatever I did to my back, I have some numbness and tingling now in my right thigh, and I'm finding it more difficult to walk because of pain down the back of my legs as well. As long as I'm sitting or lying down I am comfortable.

When I was in Seattle my brother-in-law Keith, who is a chiropractor, took X-rays. I learned a lot about my structure that I'd never known before. No one had ever taken an X-ray of my spine. I found out that I have scoliosis, and that my hips are rotated as well. No wonder I move the way I do! I also have some degeneration especially in the area of the scoliosis, which is between the middle of my back and my lower back - technically, T-9 to L2-3. As I don't have insurance, and as I am traveling right now, I will seek medical attention once I get to New Mexico in mid-October. The chiropractor in John Day gave me a referral for a chiropractor there.

I have attached a couple of photos now that I've learned how. One of them is Strawberry Peak in Grant County, Oregon (where John Day is). Another is from the Malheur Headwaters archaeological dig area on the first day, when the smoke from the California fires was drifting over Logan Valley in the Malheur National Forest. The flowers are Indian Paintbrush.

Oh, another thing about managing the trailer. When we arrived in Coos Bay we had a full tank of waste, and the plan was to dump it at our site that has a full hookup, with sewer. Well, it wouldn't come out of the tank. I ended up calling Rotor Rooter who came out to pump the tank out. Even though I left water and chemical in the tank while it was stored, apparently it evaporated, allowing the waste to dry out somewhat. Luckily my situation was easy to fix, and not terribly expensive this time - only $51.50.

So tomorrow we are heading for the redwoods and then some sunshine and warmer temperatures so we can wear our shorts again! The park we've been staying in is very nice - Midway RV Park on Arago Bay Highway. With my Passport America and Good Sam discounts we've spent $22 a night for full hookup and free wifi. It's a very nice park, and I would recommend it to anyone who is RVing in this area.

The Rest of the Story

2008-09-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

I think that maybe we listened a little too much to the radio and Paul Harvey for this title! Not having posted for about six weeks, there's a lot to say, but that will have to be in some kind of retrospective...

Here, to catch up again is a summary of our adventures since completing our work in John Day.

Liz had to fly back to Tucson for some business the end of July, and was gone for a week. While she was gone I worked on the landscape plan for the house we were living in. The day before her return I was spraying weed killer on the weeds in the driveway, and did something to my back – I don’t know what. I just know that I could barely walk and after four visits to the John Day chiropractor with temporary relief, I have a major issue to overcome. Not having insurance is keeping me from aggressively pursuing treatment, and I don’t want to shorten this trip, so I’m trying to baby myself as much as possible. As long as I’m sitting or lying down, I’m not in pain – and that is a good thing!

We completed our volunteer “contract” with the Forest Service on August 29, and stayed over the Labor Day weekend, the last night staying in the trailer. I had received permission to leave the trailer in the Forest Service lot another week while we traveled to Seattle to see family – Liz’s uncle and cousins, and Doc’s sister and her husband, and his niece. I had been having some trouble with the truck’s brakes, and didn’t want to take the trailer to Seattle. Since I’d had brake work done by Midas before and had a warranty, I made arrangements to stop at the Midas in Kennewick, WA (the closest one to John Day) to have them looked at. It was another expensive repair, but the brakes work great now!!! Thank goodness for credit cards! We overnighted on Monday night at the Best Western there as my appointment was for Tuesday morning.

We had a great trip to Seattle. Liz’s uncle Wayne, approaching 90 years old, was a wonderful host, preparing his basement apartment for us, with food and necessities. We spent time visiting Liz’ cousins Suzanne and Barbara. Suzanne is an artist, working with watercolor, dance, yoga, and horses. Barbara is an artist working with beads, kids, grandkids, home repair, and dogs. Both very different and fun.

Liz and I had a chance to go down to the Pike Fish Market briefly – we took the bus from near Wayne’s house and we spent some time shopping at Nordstrom’s Rack store. After two days at Wayne’s I traveled south to Seatac to visit with Aley and Keith and Katie, leaving Liz to continue her visit with her family.

Keith and Aley are undergoing more changes now that they’ve been advised they will have to move out of their apartment. Keith’s chiropractic practice is growing slowly so there are more financial challenges there as well. Katie had been staying with them since moving from Chicago after they moved from Massachusetts. She’s gotten a job as a counselor, and finally found an apartment of her own. She moved in on Saturday, a move that created some relief on everyone’s part!

It was great to see all three of them. We had fun shopping in the bookstores, drinking pumpkin spice iced coffee from Starbuck’s, and I bought some new beads to work with (they were on sale) at a local bead store near the bookstore.

After the weekend, I drove back up to Seattle to get Liz so we could continue our trip down the Oregon coast. We drove back to John Day and stayed in the trailer. The next day we headed for the coast, spending the first night in Prineville, OR at the city park. It was an old park and I had some trouble ‘fitting in’ there. First I made a curve too short and found myself literally between a rock and a hard place. Luckily I stopped in time to not scrape the side of the trailer – only the sidewalls of the tires. Then, with the help of a couple of men (actually, too many) I managed to back into a long space for the trailer and the truck, outfoxing a rock and steep corner in order to maneuver the trailer into place. And through it all, I was a crank! Four o’clock in the afternoon is not the time to be pulling into a place for the night!!! I was rude to the men, and to Liz, shouting to her to “get out of the truck!” (to help me remove myself from the rock and hard place) – I’m learning a lot about myself that I wasn’t aware of before. And why is it always HOT on my side of the truck that time of day?!

We made it to the coast the next day, pulling into Newport and finding a spot for one night at the popular South Beach State Park. Still having problems communicating when parking, we did manage to back into the space we were assigned. We decided that we needed to rest somewhere for longer than a day at a time, so I called a couple of RV parks about staying three or four nights.

While I was in Seatac with Aley and Keith, Liz hurt herself when she walked out of a pair of newly purchased ‘wedgie’ shoes from a second-hand store (the shoes were a size too big, but they were ‘cute’), and fell onto her knee. She didn’t seek medical attention at the time. So as we were planning to ‘recuperate’ for the next few days, we spent a few hours in the Newport Hospital ER getting her knee x-rayed and treated before heading further south. It was a major bruise around the kneecap, but no breaks, thank goodness! So we’re just two crips trying to make the best of things.

Our most recent stop, from which we will leave tomorrow, September 15, is Darling’s RV Resort, about six miles south of Florence, OR. It is on a beautiful lake near the Dunes, a large geographic recreation area on the coast, where many like to drive their ATVs. This weekend there is the first old car show in Florence. (like ‘show and shines’ in Reno and other cities). We went there yesterday to look around in the Old Town area of Florence, where all the touristy things are. We also drove south to see if we could connect with the ocean; however, it’s all dunes and lakes for many miles. Perhaps when we get to our next place we’ll be able to walk on the beach.

Some Background History

2008-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd provide a little history about John Day, so I've copied the following from the Chamber of Commerce web site.

Tomorrow I pick up Liz from Boise and we'll begin planting those flower beds we've been planning. Have a great weekend. And...here's to new beginnings with the New Moon and Solar Eclipse today.

Who Was John Day?
Visitors often ask "Was there really a John Day?" Little is known about the man for whom a river, a dam and two towns (John Day and Dayville) were named. The following story is based on historical fact - some of it may be true.

John Day was a hunter from the backwoods of Virginia. He had been employed by Ramsay Crooks for several years when he arrived in Oregon, at about 40 years of age. He was described as six feet two inches tall, a handsome man with a manly countenance, straight as an Indian with an elastic step 'as if he trod on springs'. It was his boast that in his younger days nothing could hurt or daunt him, but he had lived too fast and injured his constitution by excesses. Still, he was strong of hand, bold of heart, a prime woodsman, and an almost unerring shot.

John Day was engaged by the Wilson Price Hunt or 'Overland Party' of the Pacific Fur Company (Astorians) as a hunter in the fall of 1810. They were to cross the Plains and Rocky Mountains during 1811, and arrive in Astoria during the winter or early spring of 1812. John Day's early excesses evidently incapacitated him for the extreme hardships of this journey. During December, 1811 he became ill, and his life was saved only because Ramsay Crooks remained behind with him at an Indian camp near Weiser, Idaho. The following spring, Crooks and Day made their way across the Blue Mountains to the Columbia River. They were attacked by Indians, robbed, and left naked near the mouth of the Mau Mau River, thirty miles east of The Dalles. After the attack the two men started back to the friendly Walla Walla country when they met Robert Stuart's party going to Astoria. The two men joined this party and reached Astoria in early May, 1812. The people started calling the Mau Mau River 'John Day River' because he was attacked there. Within a very few years, the maps changed the name to John Day, and then a valley, two cities, the fossil beds and a dam took on the name of the river. It is likely that John Day never actually visited the area which now uses his name so frequently.

On June 20, 1812, John Day was assigned to accompany Robert Stuart back across the plains to St, Louis with dispatches from Astoria to John Jacob Astor. During the night of July 2, 1812, while encamped near Wapato Island, John Day became 'deranged' and attempted suicide. He then ran away from the party and wandered through the woods until he died. (This is the first recorded death) Washington Irving, on pages 111-112 of Volume 2 of Astoria stated that at this point Day was sent back to Astoria, but 'his constitution' was completely broken by the hardship he had undergone and he died within a year. (This was his second recorded death)

After this reference by Irving, John Day receives no further mention in the writings of the Pacific Fur Company or the Northwest Company during their careers on the Columbia River. There is no proof of statements that he retired from his associates and died in a small hunter's cabin on the banks of a large creek that empties into the Columbia a few miles above Tongue Point. (This is his third recorded death)

John Day's name was not mentioned again until 1814 when a 'bridge' of ten canoes containing nearly eighty men left Astoria bound for Athaska Pass. The names of the entire party were listed by Alex Henry in his journal, including 'Passenger Joshua Day'. Since there was no such person among the Eighth Company in Astoria it was concluded that Joshua Day and John Day were one and the same. The next record of John Day is contained in the journal of Alex Ross, Hudson Bay Company Snake River country, 1823-24. It reads 'Went up the Headwaters of the river. This is the defile where in 1819 died John Day. ' Day's defile is a mountain valley which heads in the Salmon River Mountains in Central Idaho. (This is death number four and is considered by most to be the last and correct one)

He left a lawful Will and Testament which was brought back by Donald McKenzie. The will left all of John Day's ready cash to Miss Rachel MacKenzie, and all of his property to Donald McKenzie. The will was given to him by the King of Spain for services rendered. Even though history does not record it, John Day must have been an outstanding man. Wherever he went, a creek, valley or river was named after him. Now a large dam on the Columbia River bears his name, and the 'John Day country' includes the four branches of the John Day River, with the main branch running through the City of John Day.

The Dust is Settling, I Think

2008-07-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I made arrangements with the local body shop to have the repairs made to the truck - new driver's side mirror, tow mirror, and repair of the 'ding' made by the mirror flying off. Mr. Jolly Rancher came through for me, and authorized the body shop to send him the bill. I am very grateful for his honesty and willingness to 'do the right thing'. The paint job looks great! And the body shop was so helpful - they even agreed to repair and paint another 'ding' located near the one they were already repairing, and not charge extra for it! More gratitude!

On Friday I called the trailer repair folks and they towed the trailer to Mt. Vernon, about eight miles west of John Day to check it out. Today I picked it up and towed it back and parked it - all by myself - in the Forest Service parking lot. They packed the wheel bearings and did a full check - and found nothing wrong with it! I dunno - it looked kinda bad, with those tires tucked ever-so-slightly under - I'd call that an under-tow!!! Anyway, if it happens again I think I know what to do now. I was told that the wheel bearings were okay, but getting ready for service anyway. So, another $432 for that service - and everything is fine. I hope I'm at the end of breakdowns, flat tires, etc!

On my way to Mt. Vernon I stopped at the Clyde Holliday State Park to see what it is like. I'd thought about parking the rig there while I was here when I first signed up for the PIT program. I spoke with the park hosts who were very friendly and who gave me a lot of information about getting on as a state park volunteer and getting my parking space free. We also exchanged some war stories about our respective trips up here - theirs was much more expensive...

While I was picking up the trailer Liz called from Tucson to say that the judge would notify her in four months about the outcome of today's hearing. Boo - ooo. When I spoke with her last night she mentioned that a previous blog from before we left Tucson had upset some of her family. I try not to be too personal here as any issues that might arise between us as we travel we try to take care of and there is no reason to discuss them here. I do want to say, however, that over time there may be other things that might upset any of my readers. If it is something that you feel I should be aware of, please email me separately, but not as a comment on the blog. I'll be happy to speak with you about it. Also, this is my blog, for my expression of what is happening in my life, whether it includes others or not. And I will definitely have feelings and opinions about things that I may want to communicate here. As you can see already, I try to keep things anonymous, but those who 'know' who they are might feel a little uncomfortable reading about something that everyone else is reading - well, they DON'T know who YOU are! And finally, sometimes the truth just plain hurts, and that is an invitation to look at reality.

Catching Up

2008-07-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Tuesday, July 22, and I'm posting for the last few days. Although nothing much happens in John Day, Oregon, a lot of things are going on!

July 20
Just Another Day at the Office - er, Pit

When Liz learned that another PIT project was taking place simultaneously with ours, and it involved an archaeological dig, she just HAD to participate. Our boss and another Forest Service staff member working on his master’s degree in anthropology were heading up the dig project. The group was meeting at Big Creek Camp in the Malheur Forest at Logan Valley, about 35 miles from John Day.

When Liz told our boss of her desire to go, but that she had some physical issues and had never camped before, he tried to talk her out of it. But she countered every argument he gave against going with her determination to prove she could do it, and it was decided that she would go. He would lend her his tent and sleeping pad.

While I thought that seeing a dig, and maybe participating might be interesting, I wasn’t desiring to sleep on the ground, be cold and dirty, and work in the heat for a week. I loaned Liz the camping supplies I had, helped her plan what to take for clothing, bedding and food, and agreed to drive her up to the site and back. Those two days – Monday and Friday – I would participate for the day only.

By the end of the week Liz was a veteran camper and archaeological assistant, proficient in using the screens for filtering the dirt, looking for flakes of obsidian (used for tools and projectile points) and charcoal (evidence of human use of fire with stone hopper mortars). She found a tool point the very first day in the first layer taken from the pit.

Over the week other Forest Service staff came to the area to see how things were going. Our boss – the forest archaeologist – has been heading up these digs for over a decade, with many of the same folks who were in attendance this time. The Forest Superintendent showed up one day too, and teased Liz that cougars like small women – she was now ‘cougar bait’!

The digging and screening was intense, in the wide-open spaces of Logan Valley (designated as a National Historic Place), with the Strawberry Mountains within view. The valley has been the site of other digs to gain knowledge and understanding of the people who lived there thousands of years ago. Liz came home with every muscle aching - she said not one place on her body didn't hurt. and she described her experience as "volunteering to go to jail and work on the chain gang!"

Pie for Breakfast

One thing about being a grown-up…we can eat dessert for breakfast if we want to! And this morning a blueberry pie, fresh-baked by Liz last night on the grill, because the oven in our “new” old stove doesn’t work. The stove is a replacement for the one that was here when we arrived – it was dying by the day – only two burners worked – then one – then none.

Last Tuesday before 7:30 a.m., and before I’d awakened, the “maintenance” guy showed up with our replacement stove. An hour later he checked the burners and supposedly, the oven, announcing that all the elements had heat.

We had bought some beautiful blueberries in the local grocery and were looking forward to a fresh pie. When Liz put it in the oven to bake – no heat – now what? Improvise! So outside it went, into the covered propane grill, with juices running over as it “baked”.

Well, it was yummy! And we had pie for breakfast this morning, with cream.

We’re still grumbling about the stove, however. The two-burner to one-burner to no-burner was supposed to be replaced by a brand new stove that currently resides in the Forest Superintendent’s house, for his use while he builds a new house. At this point, because we now have a “working” four-burner it’s looking doubtful that we’ll ever see that new stove.

So Liz has added a new skill to her resume – “Pie Chef a la Grille”!

John Day, John Night

Liz and I seem to have started something new – revitalizing the tradition, and pleasure, of sitting on the front porch and saying “hi” to the neighbors. The only thing is, no one else is sitting on their porch, or even noticing that we are sitting on ours.

We’re on one of the two main streets that intersect in John Day, and we’re only one long city block to the light at that intersection. All day long the street is full of pickup trucks with dogs in the back, logging trucks hauling logs from the forest to the mill in Prairie City, bicycles, motorcycles for singles and duos, trailers with horses, RVs, ATVs, boats, and heavy construction equipment. The Les Schwab Tire piggyback truck rolls through town about twice a week. Oh, and many pickups are loaded with cut logs – we wonder if they’re expecting a really cold winter!

Nary – or almost nary – anyone sees that we are here watching. They are all focused on “getting there.” Some are even on cell phones, as the only reception is in town.

So as we watch we also see the John Day police go up and down the street – and until this past Friday night we’d conjectured that there were only two police on the force – one for the day and one for the night – the day cop I named John Day, and the night cop I named John Night. However, Friday night as we were eating dinner, we met John Weekend. He came to the door friendly-like, and wanted to know if we knew who owned the green pickup across the street. It seems that a local rancher had taken off the pickup’s driver-side mirror as he passed through town. I confessed ownership.

Omigosh! “Malheur” is a French word that means “bad times”…when is it going to end? The tow mirror was lying 15’ down the street from the truck, with broken mirror glass scattered all over. It seems that Mr. Jolly Rancher had called the police to “turn himself in”, so they came over to let me know.

John Weekend indicated that Mr. Jolly Rancher was a good guy who was on his way down to the small “town” of Seneca to cut hay. Apparently he had a wide load vehicle for that. He felt that the rancher would do the right thing to get the mirror repaired. John Weekend took my information and later called to ask if he could give my number to Mr. Jolly Rancher. I said yes, but for him to call the next day, as we were tired. It was the end of the week for the dig and we’d worked in the heat and dust, broken camp, and were finishing up, and just plain dog tired. He gave me his card and told me to call him if things didn’t work out with Mr. Jolly Rancher.

Sure enough, Mr. Jolly Rancher called at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday morning to offer to pay for the repairs. So, with the auto repair shop being closed for the weekend, I set aside the task until Monday. BUT – I did take the truck off the street and managed to squeeze it into the very narrow driveway behind the house.

Still no news about the trailer repairs…

Making Things Fit

Not having a TV available – and there’s probably not much from here (probably from Portland) we are being creative about our “spare” time. We bought a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle and over the span of about a week we managed to complete it – well…almost. I mean, it’s now complete, but on the back of one piece are the words “lost piece”.

You see, the pieces I was working on would stick to my arms (from leaning on the table) and then they’d fall on the floor. I thought I’d kept up with them all. But when we’d put all the pieces into the puzzle there was a little space left – hardly noticeable because it was the color of the table surface - the piece was missing. In jest, I traced the outline of the piece, to make a ‘filler’.

Liz was feeling upset and incomplete having that space and just kept doggin’ me about it. So… on Saturday I thought to look down the heat register under the dining room window with my flashlight. There it was! The run-away piece. With a straightened coat hanger and a dab of Super Glue I nabbed it and pulled it up. Mission and puzzle complete. And Liz is now off my back about it!

Now, we’ve moved on to puzzle #2. Not willing to do something a little simpler, we bought another challenging puzzle. This one is only 1,500 pieces – and about 1/3 of them are some shade of purple. What were we thinkin’? These puzzles are crazy-makers! Sometimes we just want to ‘get a bigger hammer’ and make them go in the spot they’re ‘supposed’ to go in!!

By the way, this time I taped a paper bag over the register.

The Latest
We’re sitting at Subway having a breakfast sub and coffee. Yesterday morning the coffee maker decided it couldn't pump any more. We told the boss about the oven and the coffee maker. Mr. Fixit came to help with the oven - if only we'd pushed the button that said 'manual' for the oven, the grill wouldn't be such a mess with baked-on blueberry pie filling! He also looked at the faucet handles in the bathtub - if you turn the cold one 'just right' you can get cold water. Turns out that the handles that are on don't fit the stems in the wall - duh! He's going to try to fix that for us too.

Yesterday morning I took the truck to the body shop to get an estimate on the repairs - a new driver side mirror, tow mirror (they come in pairs, possibly), repair of the 'ding' where the tow mirror hit the truck fender as it flew off down the street. Total cost $630 and change. I called Mr. Jolly Rancher and left a message on his cell phone. I told him that he could look at the estimate at the shop, and I need to go to Boise on Saturday (to take Liz to the airport) and would like to have the repairs done by then. I haven't heard from him yet.

Short story

2008-07-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

The independent insurance agent came out from Boise this morning to look at the trailer. Short story, he doesn't think the insurance will pay for the repairs, and I should have the trailer repair guys who showed up for the second flat tire take a look at it. He's not sure what the problem is, but offered a few suggestions to check out.

Creve! Again!

2008-07-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Liz and I finally got settled into the house; Dee left on Friday morning, so I moved my things from the upstairs room to the other bedroom on the first floor. We spent the day quietly, taking a ride into Mt. Vernon, a little town about nine miles west of John Day. We went looking for a farmer's market we saw a flyer for, but all we saw was a small flea market. Being the adventurous women we are we decided to take a ride on the road leading south through town. It took us to the forest and a much higher elevation. When we ran out of road we headed back on the road we'd passed and coasted down the mountain, to the main highway, somewhere between Mt. Vernon and John Day. Later in the afternoon we grilled bison burgers and watched the sun go down. No big crowds or fireworks this holiday.

On Saturday and Sunday we planned and implemented some of our ideas about the landscape and interior changes for the house. Liz pulled the Heatolator out of the fireplace - all by herself. It's now sitting in the living room waiting for someone to help her get it out of the house. On Sunday we both put our hands to pruning the shrubs and making a landscape plan for the house. I took photos and drew a site plan noting proposed changes.

Today we offered our written report and the photos to our boss, Don. It being a Monday after a holiday, he was preoccupied by other activities and didn't get a chance to look at our progress report before we left the office to take care of some personal things.

Most immediate to me was ANOTHER flat tire on the truck, this time the right rear. I called the road service who sent someone out to put the spare on. Then I took the truck down to Les Schwab again for repairs. Another stem valve that failed. I got it! Replace all the others, too!!! So that's what I did - another $50 for three (including labor for removing the tires, and putting them back.)

It turns out that the people who came on the service call to repair the tire thought they were repairing a tire on the trailer. I contacted the road service to advise them to correct their records to show it was the truck. BUT - it turns out that the people they sent do 95% of the RV repairs in this area. They'd been to the trailer and offered that the tire didn't look so good...DUH!! But they suggested that I might need new wheel bearings. I told them that I would get back to them after I heard from the insurance agent, and I'm still waiting to hear from him/her.

Liz is making plans for a flight back to Tucson for a Social Security hearing on her application for disability. She's been hoping that the government would make a settlement, but no such luck. It looks like I'll be driving her to either Boise, ID or Portland, OR to catch her flight at the end of the month.

Two Days Later

2008-07-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday. We've been in John Day less than 48 hours. Lots has continued to happen.

On the night of our arrival, after unhitching the trailer, initially we emptied the trailer refrigerator and packed our large cooler with the frozen things; plastic bags for the other things. We took those to the house that is being provided by the Forest Service. Another volunteer, Dee, who will be leaving on Friday, greeted us. She said she had planned to take us to dinner, but it was too late for that now. We looked around to decide on our rooms. Liz took the second downstairs room because of her arthritis and inability to climb the stairs to the second level. I took the room upstairs that had the most windows. Then we went to dinner.

After a nice dinner of pizza and beer we went back to the trailer to get some of the clothes and other things we would need in the house. When we came back with our things we found that the bed-making angel had made our beds! We were so grateful to Dee. We finally put ourselves in bed, to begin learning about our projects the next morning, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, July 1, we met our boss Don Hann at the Forest Service office. He got us started on the paper work for badges, and then we learned about the projects available to us. We decided to concentrate on making a plan for the historic landmark house we are staying in. It is in need of some TLC and upgrades, and we will make an assessment and write a plan for this. In addition we will be participating in an archaeological dig in a couple of weeks. We will also be making monitoring stops at selected sites throughout the forest. I will report more details later.

We finished our first day at about 4:30 p.m. I had managed to contact my auto/trailer insurance company to make a claim on the trailer. We were invited to dinner by Don and his wife Ann, and along with Dee we had a marvelous steak dinner at the Snafflebit Restaurant - hello to Su and Liz, and farewell to Dee.

This morning we prepared to go to work on our house project, but I wasn't sure we were to show up to the office. I placed a call to Don and left a message. I went out to truck to clean it up a bit and get some paper work. That's when I noticed that I had a flat tire on the truck - the front passenger side. So I called my road service to request assistance. They sent a fellow from Les Schwab Tires on the west side of town. I needed a new stem valve. Off with the tire, on with the spare, after some hassle getting it from underneath the truck. I followed the service man to the garage and after waiting a few minutes I could leave, only paying the $7 for the stem. I am grateful for the road service - at $110 a year it's a bargain. Today's service call would have been $42.50 in addition to the stem.

Now I'm waiting for the insurance agent to contact me for assessing the trailer on site. I'm also grateful that they decided to look at the damage before denying the claim as a mechanical failure that is not covered by the insurance.

I thought Mercury retrograde had passed, but I understand that it's shadow will continue until July 6. I can't wait!!!

This afternoon here we sit at a Subway wi-fi hotspot where we had some lunch and tried to do some online work. Luckily we aren't tied to a set schedule and we can work from the house and do some of our own field work. This will be a fun project!

The Good News...

2008-07-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

But first the bad news…

The day started out well with a good breakfast made from leftover pilaf and scrambled eggs, put together like fried rice. We began getting things unhooked and stowed. First though, I needed to put together the fittings to a new 10’ sewer hose. The hose was just barely long enough to reach the sewer pipe and I asked Liz to hold the hose down so it didn’t pop out of the hole. I attached it to the black tank outlet and opened the tank. Oo-o-o-ze. That’s all. No flow, just slow-moving waste. I decided that it was so slow moving because the tank wasn’t full, so it had no pressure to push it out. So I asked Liz to put water into the tank using the valve on the toilet. To make it easy on herself, she sat down on the toilet and pulled the lever. Soon, water began to flow onto the floor, and I thought – oh, no! Did something happen to the valve? No – it was operator error. She hadn’t pulled it enough for the water to go into the tank. Instead it was going just into the toilet and it had reached the top of the bowl and overflowed. So together we watched the water fill the tank. When it was full, I went out to open the valve to empty the tank.

Yes, there was enough water pressure, but it was still slow moving. Before leaving Tucson I had emptied the tank and put a strong chemical in the toilet to clean out some of the residue that had accumulated over the last four years. With only a little water initially to start the process, it had apparently done its job well, so there was a lot of sludge to move out. The water drained slowly so I rocked the trailer a little to see if anything would dislodge – no. Liz thought that if we shake the hose a little the stuff might move on down to the sewer dump. That action caused the hose and clamp at the tank end to come off, and waste began to flow onto the ground. Quickly I held the hose to the connection and then closed the valve. I put the hose back together and tried again. Eventually the tank stopped flowing – I don’t know what’s in there still, but I put more chemical and a couple of gallons of water in there to keep the process going.

Then it was unhooking the hoses after rinsing all the mess from emptying the tanks – the galley and gray water tanks, too. The water pressure at the pipe was so strong that within a second there was water spewing out and difficult to control. We made a big mess, and had to put away dirty hoses from them lying on the wet ground. Not to mention that we were also dirty and hot and I was getting very cranky!

Finally we got everything put away and rolled out of the “site from hell.”

The man in the office had shown me on the map how to get onto I-84 from the park. Following the directions I found myself not anywhere near where he said I’d be. I drove through a residential area and finally came to a main drag, where I stopped at a gas station to get some directions. After reviewing the map further I saw that I had made a left turn out of the park, when I should have made a right turn…The directions at the gas station were great, and we were actually in a good place to get onto the highway.

At this point we were leaving Boise, heading to Ontario, OR where we would make our connection to RT 26 into John Day. The sign on the highway said “to Ontario” – take a left where the road split. At the same time another sign said “this way to Ontario”. I was headed toward the first sign, when Liz said I should take the other, which I did – it was not the right way, so I had to find a ramp where I could turn around and go in the opposite direction. That solved, we were on our way to Ontario.

Liz was the ‘navigator’ so she advised that we needed to find the route out of Ontario that went to Vail. I was looking for a gas station, and the route was secondary to my interest at the time. I passed all the exits to Ontario thinking that there would be more than one exit with a gas station – NOT!! So I backtracked to the Ontario exit where I saw the gas signs. Liz said that there were gas stations on the exit she wanted me to take, but I didn’t see any. I pulled into a Shell station and was venting about all the hassles of the morning, when I saw a woman at my window. Now that I was in Oregon, she was there to fill my tank and wash my windshield. What a surprise!

After filling up, I parked the trailer and we walked to the nearby Denny’s for some lunch, before heading toward RT 26 and John Day. Instead of going back onto the Interstate and exiting at the ramp, we followed – mostly – the directions given by the station attendant. I missed a left turn because I thought it would have been marked with the route number, but it wasn’t. We meandered briefly, and came out on the correct highway out of town to John Day.

Pretty quickly we were on a very rural, agricultural highway – speed limit 55 – very reasonable for the trailer. We just kept following the route and signs, and enjoying the views. I had phoned our contact with the Forest Service to let him know we were leaving Boise. He said it would take us probably four hours. We finally got out of Boise around 11:00 a.m., so we would be expected about 3:00 p.m.

Again, as we were in the mountains the climbs were sometimes long and steep. I’d been advised that there were no gas stations between Ontario and John Day, so I filled up in Ontario and hoped for the best. Part of the highway into John Day is marked as a Scenic Highway, and it truly is. The trip was very pleasant, but it took longer than expected. After coming through most of the mountains, on the western side the wind was very strong. I became concerned about the trailer in that much wind. I found a pullout by a pond. Both Liz and I also needed a bathroom stop, so this was an opportune moment. There were also thunderclouds and we could hear the thunder from a recent passing threat of rain.

I’m so glad we stopped at this spot to wait. There, before us was a ‘medicine garden’. The plants were wild, not planted there. But there was mullein, great plant for the lungs; sweet sage, the kind the Indians prefer for their cleansing ceremonies. There was willow, chokecherry, and other plants. I said some prayers to the plants and asked if I could have some for myself, taking only a little from each.

After about 20 – 30 minutes I decided to continue, but going a little more slowly. Auspiciously, the posted speeds were the ones I planned to do. A little more climbing, passing through quaint Prairie City, and being inspired by Strawberry Peak, and we came into John Day. It was about 6:00 p.m. and the sky felt dark because of the recent storm. We followed the directions given us, and pulled into the parking area.

I had been told to park the trailer on the eastern parking lot and Liz was getting me into position when it happened. I put the truck in reverse, and eased back…CRUNCH! I put the truck into drive and eased forward…CRUNCH! The wheels on the left side of the trailer were locked and I was pulling the trailer, but the wheels weren’t going around. One of the tires was actually at a slight angle. I stopped, called our ‘boss’, Don, and luckily he was in the office. He came to us and saw we had a problem. I unhitched the trailer and stabilized it.

Then we went to dinner…We had arrived, and safely! And that is very good news!!!

On to Boise

2008-07-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

Day Four, from Ogden, UT to Boise, ID was pretty uneventful. We drove all day on the Interstate, stopping as needed for breaks, food, and gas. We arrived in Boise around 3:30 p.m. We were looking for the Flying-J that was purported to be down a certain ramp, about ¾ mile. It wasn’t there. After driving through part of downtown Boise we found a Chevron station and pulled in for a fill-up. Again, asking the cashier about any nearby RV parks, she told us of one near the fairgrounds.

We found the park, and its setting was very nice, along the Boise River greenway. It had grass and fairly large trees. There was no one in the office, and as it was a weekend I thought it was possible that the office wasn’t staffed. There were flyers about the park and how to find a spot, and envelopes at the front door. So we went ahead and pulled into a spot – another pull-through with a small tree.

A little later we noticed that someone was in the office, so I went over to confirm the site selection and pay. The man behind the counter seemed abrasive to me – perhaps it was me, as I was hot and tired, and didn’t want any hassle about getting the rig situated well. He said if I turned the rig to face the other way the distance to the services would be the same – or I could unhitch the trailer. I said I wasn’t going to unhitch for one night’s stay! At any rate, the way the site was situated none of my ‘leads’ would be quite long enough to the electric or the water. Luckily Doc had bought a 30-amp extension cord that I now got to use for the first or second time in its history. I also had to put two hoses together to reach the water, as the main one was about three feet short of reaching the water.

When I paid for the site I said I wanted water and electricity – didn’t need the sewer hookup. He said, oh, that’s a full hook-up site - $30 please, and you can have a 10% discount for cash – we don’t discount for club memberships (Escapees, Good Sam, etc.). With the discount it was $29 and change, after he added tax and other fees. I paid it because I didn’t want to have to move – but I wasn’t happy.

The door to the trailer was facing the western sun, and it was expanding to the point that it wouldn’t close properly – Doc and I had had a similar situation in Pahrump where the door would expand while closed so that you couldn’t get it open without a lot of tugging. It would be about four more hours of sunlight before the sun would be low enough to end the heat.

Liz and I had decided that we would grill the steaks we’d brought, and use our new grill. She was in charge of getting it lit and doing the cooking. After a couple of false starts we had it going. She cooked some rice pilaf as well, and we had some sliced fresh tomatoes. Yum!!! After the sun set and we sat outside a while, we watched another movie we’d purchased at a Flying-J stop – “A Soldiers’ Story.” I began to relax more, and began to sleep a little through some of the movie. So when Liz wanted to pause for a smoke, I went back to what I’d missed.

After movie, bedtime, and a good night’s sleep.

Into Utah

2008-07-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

The beginning of Day Three arrived very early in the morning with Liz shivering from the drop in temperature through the night. We’d forgotten about the cool nights – she was trying to keep warm with a little fleece blanket and her lightweight robe. I found a big, warm blanket for her and then went back to bed for a little while. Later, after warming up a bit we got dressed and went for breakfast – a nice buffet. We especially liked the sausage gravy over biscuits. Liz had a hypoglycemic attack as she hadn’t eaten anything for dinner the night before, so she wasn’t feeling well at first. After getting something in her stomach she recovered and felt much better.

After breakfast we disconnected the water and electric and headed out for our trip up I-15. But before we could get there we had to take a little trip west on a secondary road, which turned out to be rugged and slow climbing, and beautiful. Finally on the Interstate we began traveling a little faster.

While the Interstate is faster, it is also a little boring regarding the scenery. I found myself sort of zoning out every once in awhile. Liz took a mini-nap. We had an agreement that I would stop about every two hours so she could smoke a cigarette. As the two hours coincided with the need for a fill-up, that worked well.

Through Utah there are many Flying-J truck stops, and as I had a Flying-J card I stopped there to make my gas purchases. This day we also ate a nice lunch at one of their bigger centers – a lunch buffet this time (two buffets in one day – oh, my!!!).

As the miles passed by and the day wore on, we began to look for a place to stay for the night. There was some construction near where we needed to transition from I-15 to I-84, in Ogden, UT. Following the signs we thought would take us to I-84 we took an exit that actually put us on RT 89, which parallels the Interstate. Again, it was time for another fill-up and when I stopped I asked the cashier how to get onto I-84, and whether he knew if there was an RV park nearby. He said we could pick up the Interstate about four miles down the road, and he thought there was an RV park in the next little town.

We managed to get onto the Interstate, and shortly afterward we saw a big RV Park sign looming next to the road. We took the next exit ramp and made our way to the park, which was just down the street. It actually backed up to the Interstate. It was a beautiful park with big old trees, grass, and flowers. They said they had space available – a pull-through – and that was fine for us. In the evening we watched the DVD of the movie “Chocolat!” on the computer. I love that movie! And it brought me some much-needed relaxation.

When Things Get Tough, The Tough Go Shopping

2008-07-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Our journey toward Flagstaff and Page became a challenge as the day progressed. As we approached Flagstaff, making the transition to Route 89 N I noticed that the truck brakes seemed to be doing the work to stop the trailer, and the brake controller was not showing the right light configuration. Something was definitely wrong.

I pulled into a pullout space seemingly made just for me to get off the road to assess the situation and decide the next step. As I looked around I saw that within only a short distance there was an RV service center! So I made my way there. It was located at the end of a shopping mall area, with very little maneuvering space. I pulled in and went inside.

The man at the desk said that it would probably be two hours before they could look at the trailer. I called the mobile RV service I’d been using to get my repairs done, and asked their opinion of what the problem might be – the trailer brakes or the brake controller. The consensus was that it was the brake controller. The technician had checked over the brakes in March when repairs were made, and he reported that they were fine. The trailer hadn’t been out but once for the driving course I took.

I told the man at the desk to make a ticket to check things out and do what was necessary. He said he would call me. It was almost 10:00 a.m. by the time we completed the paperwork. Liz and I headed over to the mall on foot to bide our time.

We found ourselves in Penney’s and noticed that there was quite a nice sale in progress. So for a while we perused the wares and eventually I found some dresses that appealed to me. Did I need a dress? No. But could I use a dress? Definitely! I found a ‘designer’ dress that I just couldn’t live without and it was over 50% off, for a sale price of just $30 – couldn’t pass it up. And it looked great on! I also found some jeans on sale – and I did need some new ones.

Liz found a couple of shirts and a pair of pants. So we headed to the cash register.

After making our purchases we decided it was almost lunchtime. So we went to the food court and ordered a Subway ‘foot-long’ sub to share. As we were sitting down to eat, I got the call that the trailer was ready. They had put a new brake controller in – cost $210. So after eating our food we headed back over to the service center.

I paid the bill with my charge card, and I asked the technician there to show me how to adjust the controller. He showed me how he had set it to the recommended settings. He said that the same company that made my old controller also made the new one, but the old one had had many problems (the driving course instructor had told me the same thing). He said that he’d had the new controller on his truck/trailer for over a year and a half and had only had to reset it three times. I thanked him for his help, and we drove away.

We were finally on our way again, to Page. This was a very arduous journey through steep climbs and a really BAD road. The road was ‘wavy’ so it felt like riding in a boat on a choppy sea. We were bounced and bounced. Because of all the climbing I didn’t run my air conditioner. So in addition to the bouncing, we had the ‘blowing’ of the wind through the windows. And it was HOT!!!

I was concerned that the last fill-up at the gas station would not get us to Page, and I made a comment about coasting into Page on fumes. Because of the climbing, the truck used a lot of gas, and I couldn’t count on the 100 miles per half tank that I’d been getting. So I became very concerned when the indicator dropped below ¾ and we had many more miles to go. As it turned out, the last few miles into Page are mostly down hill, so I did use coasting to help me get there. Luckily, I had about 1/8 tank when I arrived at the gas station. I filled it up and we headed into Utah.

We figured that we could make it to Zion National Park in time to settle for the night. We approached the park as the sun was dropping. Again, gas was a concern, but I felt we would be fine. When we got to the park entrance the ranger told us that all the camping sites were full, but if we wanted to drive through the park it would be $25, plus another $15 for taking the RV through the tunnel. He said there was an RV park at the junction where we had turned on the road to the park – I guess I didn’t see it – but he couldn’t tell me whether there were any spaces, as it wasn’t the park’s responsibility to keep up with that information. He was blunt and humorless.

I turned the rig around and headed back the 11 miles we’d come. We found the RV park near the corner of the intersection. There was a gas station there where I decided to fill up and inquire about the RV park. It turned out that the young man and woman who were running the station also ran the park. We could stay there for $16 – pull-throughs, water, electric. We had our pick of sites as there was no one else there.

As Liz needed a smoke break she walked over to the park that was old, and could be easily missed as an RV park – it looked like a vacant lot. She walked around to select the right site for us – one that had a working electrical box and water pump. I’d never been to a park where the water was turned on by pumping it first.

After filling up I drove over to the site Liz had selected and pulled in, hooked up, and set up for the night. It had been a long, hard day – still hot. I was glad to be able to turn on the AC in the trailer for a while before we went to bed. Then I opened the windows and turned on the fan. We noticed that there was a restaurant across the road that served breakfast, and we decided that we would eat there in the morning.

The First Post - From Northern Utah

2008-06-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

This evening is the first opportunity I've had to make a post. We made it to Ogden, UT this afternoon, and found ourselves 'in heaven' - a pull-through space, showers, wi-fi, beautiful trees, cool breezes, and cold beer after a very full day of driving from southern Utah, near Zion National Park.

We got away from the park in Tucson about 10:30 a.m., a little later than I had planned. But we got everything done that needed doing before we could pull out. We took a route out of Tucson through the city streets that wove from the eastern side to Interstate 10 on the western side; it took about an hour. Heading north we drove through Phoenix and into the cooler part of Arizona, toward Flagstaff.

We stopped at the Cliff House Indian Casino to park for the night, not wishing to spend $35 for the RV park across the highway. The RV park is part of the Indian Casino. Visitors to the casino can park on the lower level parking lot and spend the night 'boondocking'. We decided to do that, and we inquired about getting a shuttle ride to the casino to get some refreshment, and make sure that we could overnight in their parking lot. No problem.

After about two beers and $100 each we later returned to the trailer, wondering why we didn't opt to spend that $35 afterall!!! We spent the rest of the evening sitting in the shade of the trailer and a nearby tree, on the tarmac, eating ham salad sandwiches and resting. Bedtime came about 10:00 p.m. The first night was a little restless for me, but Liz slept fine. It was still quite hot, and without any ventilation except for the open windows, it took quite a time for the trailer to cool down.

The next morning, we ate hard-boiled eggs and bananas and watched the sun rise over the area. Then we packed up. We had noticed while eating our breakfast that there was a cop parked across the road from the parking lot. He left when we left; he must have been watching us - and watching out for us. We said grateful prayers, and headed north toward Flagstaff and Page, AZ.

A Day Off

2008-06-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Funny title for a post - since I'm retired.

Today, however, it was my birthday. Except for helping Liz with some computer tasks and putting her belongings into the rig, I did nothing toward getting ready for our departure.

Liz took me to breakfast at a great little spot - "Eat at Joe's" - where on a weekday one can get a simple, good breakfast for $1.95. Once we moved her things from her house to my house, I sat down to watch a DVD of The Jungle Book I purchased last December. I just love the song, The Bare Necessities. And the philosophy of that song is one I relate to.

It wasn't too long into the movie that I found myself dozing, sitting at the table, computer screen in front of me. So I got up and laid down on the bed. And three hours later, I felt ever so refreshed.

My son called today - I missed his call initially, so called him back. We chatted about the day, relaxing, taking my time, and not stressing about getting things done today. Sometimes he feels like a father to me, and I admit, sometimes I like it! He is a wise person, and has a lot to teach me. I'm delighted that he feels excited for me about this trip. We don't see each other often, or talk on the phone often, so sometimes I'm not sure about how he perceives his mom. The important thing, though, is that he lets me know that whatever is happening in my life, he loves me. He and Mel sent me a prepaid card for my use while I'm on the road. I told him that I would use it only for fun stuff. The denomination of the card won't fill my gas tank, but it will buy a lot of beer!!! I'm looking forward to finding the local watering hole in John Day.

My daughter sent me two Hallmark eCards - one with my most favorite character, Maxine. I shared the card with Liz and we laughed and laughed. You have to understand 'old' people - and if you're not old, you will be one day...given the alternatives as our lives get shorter, laughter is very important. The smallest thing can be funny, if you look at it a certain way. She also sent me some gel slippers to help me get rid of my crusty heels. When you live in southern Arizona you begin to look and feel like the desert!! I haven't tried the slippers yet because I need to clean the floors in the trailer, so what is green doesn't turn black on day one. Keeping up with the dust is impossible...

Last month I created a commitment ceremony to myself as the most important person in my life. I created a CD mix of songs that felt pertinent. "Will you still feed, will you still need me, when I'm 64?" becomes more meaningful today as I find myself at that chronological age. It's so interesting that inside of me I am still a young person. As I have been re-creating myself since Doc's passing, I have acquired a new, more feminine wardrobe, and I've restyled my hair. Three weeks ago I had the first professional haircut I'd had in three years, as I had been cutting my own hair. Doing it myself was okay - I liked it: however, I found that I couldn't taper the sides short enough, or trim the rest long enough for a spike with my clippers. I really like how I feel with my new cut.

Tonight as I write, I can hear the coyotes howling - maybe they are singing me "Happy Birthday!"

And tomorrow, bright and early, I'll be busy again, doing things that have had to wait until the last minute before we leave.

The Other Shoe

2008-06-17T09:18:00.001-07:00

...was about to drop when a little good news came last week. Liz' daughter had been anticipating surgery for over six weeks, and the doctor wanted her to have her surgery on June 12. "Daughter's" insurance folks said 'no', you have to wait to June 18, and Liz felt that would mean she would not be able to leave with me; perhaps she could meet up with me later. Well, the surgery 'magically' got moved to yesterday, the 16th. With some regrouping, Liz and I agreed to leave on June 26, which will put us into John Day a day later than planned.

The surgery was successful, and "Daughter" is expected to leave the hospital tomorrow if all goes well. Liz will assist her for the next few days, and make her own preparations to move her things into the trailer.

In the meantime I am busy trying to move some things along that have been in storage for the last few years since I sold my condo. I have postings on Craigslist, and have made arrangements for some folks in the park to take a few things to a local charity. I've also contacted my family about 'family heirlooms' that I just can't keep 'just in case' I later move into another apartment, condo, house, whatever. So today I'm wrapping fragile things in bubble wrap to send out.

I also had the RV technician out to service my air conditioner (since I'm still in the southern Arizona heat -108 yesterday), install two new batteries, a support arm for my awning, and change out some lighting to fluorescents to save power. I haven't quite committed to a solar panel...yet. Yesterday I decided to run the AC in the truck - I haven't been running it when toodling through town, so it had been a long time since it had been on. I took it to the garage where they 'just happened' to have a free AC check. I didn't get away free, but I did get some freon and a new part that keeps it from leaking out - for less than $100 - AMAZING!!!

Maybe the extra days before we leave is giving me more space to complete some things I need to do...

My wi-fi service will end when I leave, so I hope to get another post done before we hitch up.

Making Decisions

2008-06-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how something 'comes' to you and all of a sudden your plans change...

That happened to me on Friday, May 30. My rent - the fee for saving my spot for the year at this RV park, so I can return here as frugally as possible in October, after my trek to the Northwest - was due on June 1. Here it is - June 1 - and my plans have changed.

When I get back to Tucson I'll be here just long enough to collect my things out of my storage shed, sell the shed, and head down the road to Deming, NM. Being very concerned about my financial picture, it pained me to have to part with nearly $4,000 to save my spot so I could live here six months out of the twelve I was paying for. I am a member of Loners on Wheels, and they have an RV park in Deming, where I can stay on a monthly basis for half the monthly cost of my current park. And I can have a storage space for one-fourth the cost of what a 'public' storage space would cost. Yes, concern for resources.

So, after making a call to the Loners park to get information, I went to the office to pay my rent for June only. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my rent was less than the published amount because it is 'summer'. And I was further pleased that I am allowed to leave my storage shed on my site, with my stuff in it for a monthly fee comparable to what I would pay at an outside storage facility. For the cost of a standard winter monthly rate I will have my June rent and four months of storage paid for!

Another aspect of this decision is that this park, which is very nice, is mostly made up of residents who are paired - married, living together, etc. - and who are still into living in a regular home, even if it is a park model. Being a 55+ park many of the residents are quite a bit older. The newer folks coming into the park, who are younger, like me, come from the colder states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc. And they are still living the culturally acceptable lifestyle they were brought up with. The thought of living here another six months after my trip was suddenly unbearable! I saw that I needed to be with other RVers, who are also single, and enjoying the friendship of others who have the wanderlust.

Now, the thoughts about New Mexico, Deming, and Silver City and checking things out there weren't new thoughts; however, I'd not made any movement toward that. It seemed that all the pieces finally came together in my brain, and I decided. It was quite an 'aha' moment for me! And after I put things in motion I felt so much better.

In the summer, the folks who live here year-round get together for a potluck dinner every Saturday. Last night, when I was talking about my new plan, I was asked if it wasn't true that everything 'fell into place' because I'd spent time working on it. While I'd had the thoughts before, I hadn't been working on anything in particular. So I feel that things fell into place because that is the door I'm to walk through.

I wrote my most favorite Desert Crone and my friend and beading teacher about my decision. She understands that there may be another 'call' for me in New Mexico. So we will have to spend as much time together as we can so I can learn everything she knows! Just in the last month or so I have become a 'beading fool'! And I've sold two pieces before they were even finished. It's amazing to me how, after almost 64 years of my life, I've discovered beading!

The Desert Crones of Tucson have been my family, and my inspiration. I just recently learned that a member who moved here from New York had the same elders teaching her Native American ways as I did. I came to Tucson via Denver, via Virginia, where I was instructed in Native ways. Our teachers were the same people!!! Awesome...The Crones is where I received my nurture, where I could really be myself and speak of things that most people find irreverent, heretical, and unbelievable. Not these ladies - they are warm and unconditionally loving. I will miss them most of all. Without knowing it they helped me through some of the most difficult times of losing Doc. I will carry their love with me as I begin my new life.

Heating Up!

2008-05-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

If I wasn't waiting for Liz to finish her business over Memorial Day, we would have been out of here weeks ago. I turned on the AC for the first time on Monday when the temperature was forecast for 97 degrees and it went to over 100. Today again it's forecast for 97, better than yesterday's 104. Until Monday I managed to get by with just the 'fantastic fan' and two oscillating fans. Now the electric meter is spinning, spinning, spinning!

Recently Liz became ill with a gastrointestinal problem that she is having tests for today. She babysat her two small grandchildren over the weekend and had a difficult time with them, as they are both 'special needs' children. My feeling is that her physical upset was brought on by the stress of caring for these boys, and her feelings associated with it, namely anger and resentment that her daughter was off having a 'family outing' with her daughter and a friend, spending money that they owe Liz. She just couldn't 'stomach' any more.

Liz is scheduled to fly to Indiana with her teen granddaughter next week, and spend a week there. When she returns her daughter is supposed to have surgery for a hysterectomy that hasn't been scheduled yet. She wants to be available for her daughter's initial recovery, but she is concerned that that will interfere with her plans to travel with me to Oregon. So it's still possible that she will opt out at the last minute.

It will definitely be a financial hardship for me to travel alone this summer; however, I will manage...When I get back in October I will put all the rest of my 'stuff' on eBay or Craig's List to add to the coffers, and sell my storage shed. Then I will definitely be ready to 'travel light'. And I will look for part-time or short-term employment to supplement my income and hopefully save for a solar display on the rig.

Next month, which is coming up fast, I will need to purchase new house batteries and have the technician back to finish 'the list' we started in March. This year the maintenance for the rig and the truck are taking a financial toll. I had to replace the starter in the truck earlier this month. Oh, boy!

Getting Ready to Roll

2008-03-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Many folks advise not making any major decisions the first year after losing a loved one...

Doc and I pulled into Rincon Country East RV Resort in Tucson, AZ in January 2007 after spending the few months before at its sister park, Rincon Country West. Early in March Doc unexpectedly was hospitalized with a condition that was to keep him from returning home - he passed into Spirit two months later.

So I remained, and day by day said goodbye to a dream, and hello to a new beginning. Not wishing to remain in the Arizona desert for another summer, it became imperative that I assess my ability and desire to continue living in a travel trailer. And if I chose to keep it as my home, then I should certainly travel in it.

In a conversation with a friend in the park about getting relief from the summer heat, I was guided to to the U.S. Forest Service program, Passport in Time. I went online, and discovered that volunteers were needed for a heritage preservation project in the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. On Christmas Eve I shared my interest in participating in this program with another friend who also lost her husband two months after Doc passed away. She indicated that she was very interested. I told her I was going to apply online, and we began a dialogue about making the journey to Oregon together.

I knew that before I could travel anywhere I would need to have repairs done on the trailer. We'd lost a tire moving from the West park, and some damage had been done to the underneath side of one of the slide-outs. In addition, there were maintenance items that I had not kept up with. So I hired a local remote RV repair business to come to my site and make the necessary repairs. Four new tires, and almost $1100 later I felt the rig was almost ready. At least I could take it out for the driving lesson I'd signed up for the following week.

As my driving experience with the trailer was minimal - about 100 miles on the straight-away and a turn into a gas station while on its maiden voyage almost four years ago - I felt I should take the RV driving lessons that were available before and after the Life on Wheels conference, an annual RV school that takes place in several locations nationwide. To learn more about caring for the trailer I also registered for the conference and made my way into downtown Tucson, where I attended 10 90-minute classes on such topics as fire safety, tires, batteries, boondocking (aka dry camping), working while on the road, awning care, and how to create a travel blog.

Those days were also filled with getting my 'stuff' packed up in the trailer, stowed safely to make the trip across town for my driving lesson. Doc and I always checked each other to make certain that we'd covered everything - disconnect the propane, electricity, water, and sewer hose; turn off the water heater, fold up the steps and the hand rail, etc., etc., etc., and hitch up the truck. My neighbor, Liz, became my teammate. Not only did she sign up for the trip to Oregon, she helped me pay for the classes. She's not done any RVing, and so she is learning a lot. She helped me unhook the trailer from its 'mooring' and accompanied me on the trip across town to the driving lesson. We had plenty of 'neighborly' help from the men nearby - some things just require more muscle power than women have. They were all very encouraging and helpful.

It felt good to pull that trailer out of its space and maneuver it around the corners of the park, and onto the road. My biggest anxiety was how I was going to put the trailer back into the space. Not to worry! After three and a half hours of instruction, including backing the trailer straight and around a corner, I made my way home again. With Liz's directions I put that vehicle right into the spot, perfectly, the very first try!!! With the truck still partly in the road it didn't sink in that the trailer was in place. I was so excited, and the neighbors all came out from their carports where they'd been watching, to congratulate me!

So, now I wait until we leave on our journey in June. I have plenty of work to do to get ready. I learned more about how to pack my cabinets, as some things were jostled around a bit. I remembered that I need to keep things simple - it takes a long time to put away the things that had been sitting out for the last year. It's time to consolidate tools, organize compartments and label them so that Liz and I both can find what we need while we are gone. Doc had his own way of organizing things. The year has required changes, and now I'm looking forward with confidence, to go on the road on my own. It isn't what I had planned, and yet it's beginning to have a more comfortable feel to it.