“In a highway service station
Over the month of June
Was a photograph of the earth
Taken coming back from the moon
And you couldn’t see a city
On that marbled bowling ball
Or a forest or a highway
Or me here, least of all
You couldn’t see these cold water restrooms
Or this baggage overload
Westbound and rolling, taking refuge in the roads”
~Joni Mitchell
Sunday morning, it occurred to me that I lead a very strange life. I packed up and left my deserted spot and headed toward Williams, AZ. On the way I stopped at a tiny “grocery store” in Seligman. It had a 4-star review and the most recent one said “Only groceries within 30 miles.” So I guess they were grading on a curve. An older man was smoking a cigarette outside when I pulled up and parked on the street. (No parking lot). As I walked in, he threw the cigarette to the curb and followed me in. He apparently was the only one working there and I was the only one shopping there early on a Sunday morning. The store was quite small and had limited, but imaginative choices. Everything was expensive, but I decided that I needed food and wasn’t willing to use two gallons of gas to go buy slightly cheaper food. I ended up buying Guinea eggs (no, that’s not a slur, the eggs were apparently from Guinea Hens.) And although they were quite small, they were also quite colorful.
According to the label, they came from a local rancher. I also bought some homemade tapioca with a homemade label. (Living life on the edge here.) I bought a pouch of spinach dal which cost twice as much as the pouch I had bought at Albertson’s a few weeks ago. I passed over outrageously expensive veggies. Next stop was Dollar Tree where I stocked up on brown rice, tomato sauce, pasta and beans. I also got an unhealthy amount of snack food. It just has to get me through until I hit the Flagstaff Walmart where I can stock up on real groceries and not break the bank.
I drove another half hour and went to a spot in Williams where I’d stayed before. Last year, I pulled in and got one of the first spots, in the middle of a stand of shade trees. It was nice because I could park my van (and solar panels) in the sun and set up my table and chair in the shade. This year, those spots with trees were already taken, so I drove around until I got a spot in the middle of a field. I could see half a dozen rigs from my van, but the closest was a football field away. It was quiet enough and would do until I decided to head to my summer destination in Flag.
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I moved to Flagstaff on Friday morning. I had planned on staying until Sunday, but I could tell by the sound of my water pump that I was getting low on water (my gauge is broken, but over the years, I’ve learned to tell when I’m running low by the sound of the water pump when it is running). I had enough food to last through Sunday and plenty of propane, but I didn’t want to turn on the water on Saturday only to find that I was empty. I woke up with the dawn at 5:15. I was antsy to get on the road, so I drank my coffee and skimmed e-mail and headlines. I was packed up and ready to go by 9:00.
My first stop was Planet Fitness where I enjoyed a long, hot shower. It was very close to Walmart, so that was my next stop. I shopped at this store many times last summer. I know the layout, know where to look for my favorite items, and am always pleased at the number of groceries I get for such a small amount of money. I took advantage of the many trash cans in the parking lot to dump 2 weeks’ worth of trash bags (5 all together), and then headed to the RV park right outside of Marshall Lake. The people working there are always so kind and friendly. I topped off my propane and put in 22 gallons of fresh water. (Probably could have made it through until Sunday if I was frugal). I drove three more miles down Lake Mary Road and turned into Marshall Lake Road. There were many open spots near the beginning, and I was tempted, but wanted to drive farther to see if the lake had water in it. It was nearly empty. Last year it was full and quite beautiful. This year at the same time it is just a big field of tall grasses.
I looked to my right and my favorite spot was open. I stayed in that spot several times before and took my favorite photo of all time when I was there last year.
I pulled in and got set up. The new moon is on June 6, Marshall Lake is a designated Dark Sky spot, and June is prime time to see the Milky Way. I’m really excited to take some more photos while I’m here this summer.
I made some eggs and hash browns and brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Life is good.
Lessons From The Road: I’m happy to say that I didn’t have to learn any tough lessons this week, and especially glad I didn’t have to learn any lesson for the third or fourth time. I continue to be rather than do. That’s definitely a lesson worth remembering. In Williams, Cosmo and I walked every morning and afternoon. I worked out each morning. Otherwise, we were both just content to sit, either inside or out, listening to an audio book, or falling down YouTube rabbit holes. Often, I just sat and looked out over the vast meadow we were parked in. In Flagstaff, we can look out to Lake Mary. Even without water it is a beautiful view.