“Some want to take the easy way:
Poisons and bombs. They think we need ’em.
Don’t you know you can’t kill all the unbelievers?
There’s no shortcut to freedom.
~ Pete Seeger
Soundtrack for a Sunday morning…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7-zE-yFl_M
After a month of adjusting to California’s time zone, I woke up this morning to find that I was back in Arizona’s time zone and I’m reminded how silly it is for me to even look at a clock. I have no appointments. There is nowhere I have to be except right here, right now. According to the sun, I woke up the same time today as I did yesterday, but according to the clock, I’m already an hour behind. The clock is not my friend. I remind myself that out here in Nomadland, I should eat if I’m hungry, sleep if I’m tired and the numbers on the clock should not influence those decisions. After nearly three quarters of a century, it is a hard habit for me to break.
The extreme heat here broke on Monday and the rest of the week was beautiful. I had a major breakthrough and slept in, not getting out of bed until the sun had cleared the horizon in the east. I got coffee and took my time getting up and moving. Monday was a “chore day” and normally that means getting up early and giving up my cherished coffee-in-bed-time. But instead, I had a second cup and eased into my day. I’d taken the sides off my awning and rolled it up (first time doing it alone—Matt has always helped me in the past) on Sunday evening, so I was way ahead of the game. I still had packing up to do before I could move the van and go into town, but I’d already decided that I wanted to check out the Chinese Restaurant for lunch, so there was no rush to get into town. The restaurant didn’t open until 11:00. Cosmo and I walked over to the hot spring and I had a leisurely soak and met up with “San Diego Mike” who I’d met here last year. We had a nice conversation, and he left to go to work in San Diego and I went back and got ready for my adventure in town.
I finished packing up, drove the short distance into the metropolis of Holtville (Also the Carrot Capital of the World!) and got my chores done. I returned to my perfect spot across from the hot springs, got settled in and enjoyed some pretty decent (although quite overpriced) Kung Pao Tofu. The wind picked up and I went back for another soak across the street.
Meanwhile, back in the empire, dear leader has the gall to call another country’s leader a “wretched and vile man.” The pot/kettle thing is apparently lost on him. He announced that the first American soldiers have died and there will likely be more. “That’s just the way it is,” he says in a matter-of-fact voice without any hint of emotion. And the New York Times referred to it as his “campaign” against Iran as if he’s running for student council. I unplug from all news. I guess I’ve been in the wild too long, because I cannot fathom how the American people are allowing this to happen. I can’t believe the once cherished New York Times is so cavalier about the loss of innocent lives at the hands of a convicted felon and likely pedophile. Business as usual.
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On Tuesday morning, the sun was just peeking over the horizon as I got up and made coffee. Cosmo and I stayed in bed, doing word puzzles and listening to podcasts. The wind had died down, and after our morning walk, I set about putting my awning out and attaching the sides. When Matt first showed me “the easiest way” to do this, I thought to myself it would be quite a chore to set up and tear down by myself, and I wondered if I’d actually do it. But it has now turned into a very meditative process. It is not the usual “crank out” awning, but rather, it needs to be unfurled by hand, and various arms and legs pulled out and extended into position. It’s a little daunting to hold everything in place during the setup and to then attach straps to anchor the legs to hooks pounded into the ground to keep it from becoming a huge kite. But it’s also a good lesson in patience for me; one step at a time. And as I latch my tie-dye sheet (Thank you Bob) with bungee cords to the structure, I feel quite satisfied to have a “whole ‘nother room” to sit in and enjoy the cool breeze. I reward myself by sitting in the shade and having leftover Kung Pao Tofu for breakfast.
The rest of the week was uneventful, until Thursday when the wind picked up again. I decided “better safe than sorry” and once again took my awning down. Turned out to be the right decision. The wind howled through Saturday evening with gusts up to 30 mph. But the wind did have an upside: The hot springs are especially nice when the wind is blowing. They are extremely hot and one can only take short soaks without becoming light-headed. When I get overheated, it is nice to sit up on the side of the pool and the wind immediately cools me down, and soon I’m ready to re-enter the hot water. I went several times a day most days.
Lessons From The Road: The cast of characters at the Hot Springs is as varied as it is entertaining. There are always a few friendly people, many who I’ve gotten to know this year or who I remember from years past. We have nice conversations, usually not too heavy, but pleasant. And there is nearly always at least one loud mouth know-it-all, who feels the need to bless the rest of us with his or her vast knowledge. They often barge into a conversation uninvited and attempt to hijack it. I usually let them say whatever it is they want to say, then return to the conversation I was having, pretending the interruption never happened. But often, the person I was talking to engages, and I just move on. Part of me suspects that nomads living alone are desperate to talk to anyone about anything, and perhaps that’s the reason for people needing to barge in and tell their life story. I try to never be rude to them, but I’ve also learned to not encourage them. I’m also reminded not to do that myself. I have only Cosmo to talk to most of the time, so I suspect I too sometimes give a way too long answer when someone asks, “How are you.”
Addendum: On Saturday afternoon, I looked at the long range weather forecast. It will be triple digits here by next weekend! I’d intended to stay another month. Now I will have to figure out a plan to get out of here early in the week. All adjacent areas will be in the 100’s + temperature range in a week. I’m going to have to scramble and get out of here.