Cosmo and I said good-bye to Lark and Barbara on Sunday night. We left early Monday morning and headed to the Sun West Truck and RV repair to get some sensors replaced and have a safety check done before we head off into the wild again. They managed to get the “Check Engine” light reset after tightening the 02 sensor which was replaced (improperly) a couple months ago, and they found the fault in the brake light being stuck in the on position on my dashboard display, indicating my hand brake was on when it was not. They ordered the part and continued the safety check. They found a rear shock absorber leaking fluid and the bracket that should support it torn from its mount. Those rough BLM roads did a number on my shocks. They informed me the parts could all be here the next day, except for the broken bracket. After many calls to different places, they told me that nobody has that part for a 25-year-old vehicle and they may have to fabricate one, which would be quite pricey. One of the mechanics did some searching and found a generic part and said he could bend and weld it to fit properly, saving him from manufacturing it from scratch and saving me from paying a couple hours in labor costs.
I went to Fry’s grocery store and picked up a few things. I headed back to Barbara and Lark’s and asked if I could use their driveway for one more night and they said it was fine. (I’m glad I have Cosmo…I think his sad eyes get me a lot of special perks.) ? I pulled into my spot on the edge of the driveway and settled in for another night. The RV repair place said that realistically, the earliest they could work on my van was either Friday or Monday. I got on my BLM-finding apps and found a place in the Prescott National Forest only about a half hour south of Barbara and Lark. I headed out Tuesday morning and found an absolutely perfect spot up on a hill, nearly at the peak. I settled in and let out a sigh of relief. This is where I thrive.
I so enjoyed my visit with Barbara and Lark. We ate out a few times satisfying my cravings for Mexican food (and a margarita), Thai and Chinese and I even got some freshly rolled sushi at Fry’s Grocery store. I had a good time catching up with them and especially enjoyed Lark driving me places so I could leave my van parked and leveled in her driveway. I got many shelf-stable goodies and new rugs at Big Lots. I got Cosmo’s vaccinations up to date and got him a check up at a clinic at Tractor Supply. I got my gas, propane and water tanks all filled, and having been parked in the sun, my solar batteries were at 100% every night. I got stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables and headed out to the middle of nowhere.
I love visiting my friends in the city, but I don’t think I could ever learn to live in one again. I find bliss in the boonies.
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I began making a conscious effort to eat better and exercise. I’ve made that commitment several times already this year and it was short lived. Since I moved out to the edge of Prescott National Forest, I have chosen to eat more fruits and vegetables, fewer sweets, and unhealthy snacks and to find at least 20 minutes a day to do some sort of muscle-building exercise. The days of believing that I can ever have a 6-pack are long gone, but I still believe that it is possible for me to get rid of my belly and put some muscle tone back in my arms and chest. I was going to be alone in the mountains for a week; I had nowhere I needed to go, and nothing pressing that needed to be done. Surely, I could find 20 minutes in my day to do some push-ups, sit-ups and get out my bands to do some biceps, triceps and shoulder exercises.
The nights were pitch black, except for the crescent moon and a gazillion stars. It was a shocking contrast to my spot in the driveway in Prescott Valley where the neighbors all had security lighting that lit up the inside of my van at night. During the day, I’m overly cautious of rattlesnakes as Cosmo and I walk. The weather is certainly warm enough for them to be out and they tend to await their next meal at the edge of an opening and the surrounding bushes. Cosmo loves to stick his nose in bushes, probably smelling rodents that have their nests under the bushes. I suppose that’s why snakes lay in wait for them to return home. I didn’t see any rattlesnakes, but I did see a very large lizard. I am fairly certain it was a Gila monster, which is also venomous. I did my best all week to stay on dirt roads and wide open spaces.
I’ve been so aware of how beautiful my surroundings are.
I took two outdoor showers and being naked outdoors with the rolling hills and huge rocks nearby and green plateaus and mountains in the background made the experience extraordinary.
Lessons From The Road: Thank you Kitty for introducing me to Slow Living. I’ve been heading in that direction for the past two years without even thinking about it, but what a difference it makes to be consciously and intentionally living slowly. Kitty and I talked about how we are both learning patience. Even when I don’t know what I want, I want it NOW! I started to feel anxiety creeping in when the RV Shop told me they may not be able to get the parts for my van and schedule a repair date for a week. I repeated my new mantra: Everything comes to me in the perfect time, space, and sequence. (That’s actually an old mantra that I’d forgotten about.) The van is still drivable, it will be 100% fixed in a week, and it’s too cold in Flagstaff to move yet, so why not move to a forest, relax and wait for the repair appointment? I stopped the van on top of a hill, got leveled up, got my fridge lit (that still is a miracle to me that a flame is keeping my food cold) and took a huge breath and let out a sigh of relief. Bliss settled in once again.