“We were so close, there was no roomWe bled inside each other’s woundsWe all had caught the same diseaseAnd we all sang the songs of peaceSome came to sing, some came to praySome came to keep the dark away.”
~Melanie Safka
1947 – 2024
What a wonderful reunion week. All sorts of friends from the road have come to Skoolie and I got a chance to hang out with many of them. It rained hard Sunday night through Tuesday morning, and a lot of people left, so Tuesday afternoon, I moved down into the center of it all. I drove to the end of the road and found an empty spot, far enough away from the music area so as not to be kept awake all night by the loud tunes. It turned out to be a very good decision. Each morning and each night, we walked through camp, meeting new people, being offered coffee and various food. My friends Neil and Eddie came for a day/night and it was good to catch up with them. Also there were David, Ben, Leo, Greg, and a variety of other friends I’ve met over the last three years on the road.
On Tuesday night, I made some mushroom tea and then headed into the music section. There was some very strange Karaoke, with a wide range of music from Country to Rap, and a wide variety of talent from pretty good to cringe-worthy, but everyone was having fun and everyone got loud applause no matter their talent. Across the road was a drum circle and I stood and was mesmerized by the cacophony of beats, each different and yet each adding to the whole experience. A very good metaphor for Skoolie. It wasn’t long before I felt myself swaying a bit, and my toes tapping and then full-on dancing (well, as much as an old man can dance to a primal beat).
Greg was to catch up with me, but we never found each other, and I enjoyed my night exploring alone. When I consume mushrooms, I do so more for “educational value” rather than for recreational purposes. Each occurrence comes with a unique experience, but almost always the underlying lesson is of solitude—I came into this world alone and I will probably exit it the same way, and yet, within that solitude is the ability to connect with many beautiful souls along the way. Tuesday night was no different. I wandered from campfire to campfire, and each time I stopped, people would introduce themselves and share music and conversation. It was a very good night.
We had warmer temperatures since the weekend rain, but it was still a bit cloudy most days and even with my new solar suitcase—two 100w panels pointing directly at the sun all day, I got down to 47% power. Lots of sun over the next few days should get me caught up.
Sometime early Friday morning, I completed my 71st orbit of the sun. Each time around just seems to get better and better, and this year didn’t disappoint. I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, surrounded by skoolies, and some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met.
Cosmo and I walked around in the early morning light, and already folks were waking up, setting up tables to sell their wares, and all offered a cheery “good morning.” It was a good morning indeed. I packed up and said good-bye to my peeps who were nearby and left skoolie to head into Blythe for multiple errands. On the way out, everyone, I mean EVERYONE waved and smiled. Some shouted “See you down the road” and some said, “Safe travels.” It was quite moving, and my jaws ached from smiling so hard as I waved back. I stopped up the hill to see Bonnie and make plans for meeting her for lunch. She took me out for Mexican food and a margarita. From there, I went to Rite Aid and got my shingles vaccine booster shot, and then to Albertson’s for groceries. I was way ahead of schedule, so I stopped in at the local dispensary behind the grocery store. A young man I remember from last time waited on me and made suggestions about edibles that were good for bedtime. I bought some elderberry gummies which he cautioned were quite strong. (I take only a quarter of any recommended dose because I’m a lightweight). I heard the budtender next to me tell his customer “And you get your birthday discount of 20% today.” I said, “Hey! I want MY birthday discount.” They laughed and the man waiting on me said “Oh, it really IS your birthday!” I got my 20% off and the woman next to me gave me a high five and everyone in the store started shouting “Happy Birthday.” (I’m fairly certain it is against the law in California for anyone working in a cannabis dispensary to not be in a good mood at all times.) When I left the store, I heard another woman in a car shout out “Happy Birthday,” and when I looked the woman who’d been in the store was in the passenger seat. They were two friends, both with the same birthday as mine, going out to celebrate together. They asked if we could take a selfie together and said they’d post it on Instagram. I haven’t seen it yet, but we sure had a good time.
From there, I met Bonnie at the Mexican restaurant. We had a delicious meal and frozen margaritas. I went back to Ehrenberg, at my old spot overlooking the asphalt factory. I know that sounds less than idyllic, but it feels like home and it’s a huge spot all to myself where Cosmo and I can play ball and not worry about bothering anyone or dealing with any passing cars. I think I was on sensory overload from the past 10 days, so a quiet spot to rest and gather my thoughts was just what I needed.
I left Saturday morning and after filling my propane and water tanks, I moved back to my same spot in The Magic Circle. I ached from the Shingles booster shot I got the day before, and decided that I really needed to just rest up after a week of overload.
Lessons From The Road: People love me. Many, many people love me. All during skoolie I’d walk around and nearly always someone would shout out “Hey SCOTT!” And always it was someone I’d met along my journey, either at skoolie in previous years, or in Flagstaff over the summer, or from a past event, or from any one of my many adventures. Strangers would call out “Hey brother, nice hat,” or “Hey man, I love your beard.” Everywhere I went there were high fives, fist bumps and compliments. This is the world I live in now, and I have to believe that I played some small part in creating it. I too have learned how to say kind things to strangers as often as possible. It costs nothing, but the value is unfathomable. I remember several years ago when I met my first friend on the road, in South Dakota. Ben and I talked about energy and the many forms it takes, from money to kind words. My many exchanges of energy this week have been beautifully overwhelming. I love my life and the people in it. I love the positive energy and friends surrounding me, and I feel sustained by the many kindnesses of both friends and strangers.