I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in
~Joni Mitchell
Click here for a Sunday Morning Soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvSvTRhAJxg
Good Morning All,
Monday was a day of pure bliss. I slept in until almost 7:00 a.m. and Cosmo and I went outside for a walk around our extensive “yard.” We were only out about 5 minutes, but the air was cool and the sun felt so warm and nourishing on my skin. We came in and I made coffee (I’m still fasting from the previous night until as long after my workout as I can manage) and got back in bed to listen to a podcast and reply to e-mails. I was running low on some food items and so had decided that Monday would be my day to go down the road and top off water and get whatever fresh fruit and vegetables I could scrounge up. I first did my morning workout and came back inside for a second cup of coffee. I was in no rush. I felt I had all the time in the world. It was nearly 10:00 by the time I started down the hill. First stop was Pilot Truck Stop where I got potable water. The water pressure left much to be desired, so I sat patiently and waited for my tank to fill. I was surprised at not only how patient I could be, but how I could watch people coming and going from the store or filling their gas tanks and feel some sort of pleasure in just observing. Part of me felt connected to them as fellow human beings; another part of me wondered where they were headed in the rat race of life today and feeling a bit smug that my “rat race” would last just over a half hour and then I’d retreat to my huge spot in the middle of nowhere.
After water, I went to Family Dollar and Dollar General. I made the mistake last week of going to the “grocery store” first and paying exorbitant prices for items I later found at the dollar store for much cheaper. I had a list and a plan. I found cottage cheese, eggs and a bag of potatoes at one of the dollar stores, and some protein drinks, milk, and a bag of avocados at the other one. I got some frozen stir-fry veggies and some poppin’ fresh biscuits (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my little easy bake oven?) When I got to the “grocery store” I had already covered most of my list, so I just got a couple of bananas, an apple and some mushrooms. All this in less than half an hour and I was on my way back to Bloody Basin.
I settled in, put out my cactus plants in the direct sun, and made myself some eggs and fresh hash browns. My new little frying pan I ordered and had sent to Barbara and Lark’s is not only the ideal size for my van stove, but the non-stick surface makes it a delight to cook with. I ate as the hot water heater got my tiny hot water tank steaming hot and after brunch, I went outside and took a shower. I washed and conditioned my hair and beard and scrubbed my feet. I used a handcrafted bar of soap I’d picked up somewhere along the way and the scent of patchouli and ylang-ylang and orange filled the air and lingered on my skin and hair as I patted dry.
Inside, I sat with all the doors and windows open, and the breeze blew through the van as I brushed the tangles out of my hair. I looked out the back door, across the valley and up the nearby hill. Over the weekend there had been traffic up on the ridge. I suppose people were coming camping for the weekend, or just out on their day off, tearing up the road with their 4 wheelers. But it was Monday and the weekenders had left and I was miles from other humans. I just sat and let that sink in for a bit and then Cosmo and I went out to play ball.
The weather during the early part of the week was in the mid to upper 80’s. By Wednesday, the blistering heat was back and it was mid-90’s. I briefly considered driving north again, but it seemed counter intuitive to go north when my next destination was to the south. 95⁰ was quite uncomfortable, but not life threatening, so I decided to ride it out. I still hoped to head south the following Monday as the temperatures were supposed to drop dramatically. I turned the van around to get my back window (that I sit by most of the day) out of the direct sun, and to point my front end south to take better advantage of my solar panel arrangement. I opened all the doors and although there wasn’t much of a breeze, there was at least a little air movement.
The week was quiet and comfortable. I managed to workout every morning and in spite of my occasional “poppin’ fresh rolls,” I did manage to eat mostly healthy foods. I like the way I’m doing my workout/eating plan this time around. I’m quite aware that I won’t be auditioning for the lead part in a super-hero movie and I’ve given up my fantasy of having a six pack. Instead, I am a bit more flexible in my strenuous workout, feeling grateful that I’ve kept up the workout every morning, even if some mornings I don’t go overboard on weight or reps. The same applies to eating; I make sure to have some protein and a fruit or veggie at each meal. If I want a snack, I get one. I use my willpower at the grocery store so I don’t have to exercise it 3 or 4 times a day. If I don’t have little Do-nettes, I can’t eat them.
Cosmo and I get more and more connected every day. When he’s bored, he brings one of his many tennis balls over and sits in front of me trying to look neglected. I always oblige him and we go outside and play fetch. He’s getting very good off-leash and some afternoons I sit out in the shade of the van and he lies next to me and we listen to an audio book or a podcast.
Lessons From The Road: I decided this week that my life has a good balance of routine and spontaneity. I’ve been wanting to head south to Tonopah, Quartzsite and Ehrenberg for a month now. Those places are all blazing hot, over 100⁰ most days. It looks like the heatwave will break on Monday and I’ll move to just north of Phoenix for a couple of days, then over to Tonopah for a night before moving “home” to the Quartzsite/Ehrenberg/Joshua Tree corridor along I-10 for most f the winter months. I’ve learned that I have no choice but to be flexible depending on heat, frost, and fires. I cannot always go where I want to go when I want to go there. But no matter where I wake up, I seem to have comforting routines that don’t change much. Morning coffee in bed, playing ball with Cosmo before breakfast, and making time to just sit and BE. I also make time every night to go out, let my eyes adapt to the dark and enjoy my special place in the Milky Way. Looking up and taking in its magnificence never gets old to me.
The nomadic life suits me. I’m never quite sure where I’m going to be or when I’m going to get there, but I have a vague idea of what direction I’m heading and have grown comfortable knowing I’ll get there when the time is right, and until then, I’m safe wherever I am.