“Well, I looked at the granite markers
Those tributes to finality, to eternity
And then I looked at myself here
Chicken scratching for my immortality.”
~Joni Mitchell
Soundtrack for a Sunday morning:
(23) Joni Mitchell Hejira Jun 15, 1986 – YouTube
As the week began, I stayed at my spot near Wikieup. I was mostly there by myself, with an occasional overnight camper at the opposite end of the clearing. It was quiet and peaceful, and I was relieved since some of the reviews of the spot were less than glowing.
I packed up most everything on Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday morning I drove back into Wikieup to a gas station for water. An hour drive south landed me in Congress, AZ, on Land Trust next to a cemetery.
I was a little disappointed at first when I discovered the beginning of the dirt road was heavily occupied with people who seemed a bit sketchy, but after driving in deeper, past the cemetery, I found an adequate spot, off a smaller dirt road. I’ve certainly had nicer spots, but nobody was close and the weather was sunny and in the mid-70’s, so I really had no complaints. Cosmo and I took a lot of walks during the day, and at night the stars were bright in a very dark sky out away from civilization.
The week was mostly uneventful, and that was fine with me. We were far enough from other campers so we could play fetch in our “driveway” off the dirt road that was unoccupied for half a mile in both directions. I enjoyed the warm sunshine and light breezes.
Yesterday, I picked up anything that could be packed away and prepared to move again this morning.
Lessons From The Road: I’m kind of in stop-gap mode this week. The places I’m staying are easy and pleasant, but only a temporary solution. The weather this spring has certainly wreaked havoc on my already uncertain plans. I left the hot springs weeks before I’d planned due to extreme heat. I took a detour with Matt to check out property and found myself in Kingman. The weather was less than ideal, but it seemed crazy to turn around and drive back south when my next destination was east to Prescott Valley in May. I plotted a course to PV, but it took me through snowy and freezing mountains. So now I find myself taking yet another detour to get to my friends’ house by May. It certainly is a roundabout way to get to where I’m going. And yet, I am discovering new places, new towns and managing to stay out of freezing cold and blistering heat. I’m avoiding difficult roads and unpleasant people. I find fresh water and other necessary supplies along the way, so all in all, it’s been pleasant, even though it didn’t go as planned. I guess that’s the beauty of van life: If you don’t like who is next to you, move. If you don’t like where you are heading, go a different way. Seems a pretty simple truth of life, right?
That’s all I got
Love you like a dog.
See you down the road,