” Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.”
~Dali Lama
“Or Both”
~Me
I had a very low-key and enjoyable week. I started the week with plenty of water, propane, and groceries, which meant there were no errands that would need to be done for at least a week, maybe 10 days. I was all settled in in one of my two favorite spots near Marshall Lake, and the weather forecast was for perfect weather for the foreseeable future. Cosmo spent lots of time outside going for walks or sitting in the sun just taking in the view from the van.
With full cupboards and fridge, I made many of my favorite dishes and discovered some new ones. A friend taught me how to make a simple Greek salad when we met up at Skooliepalooza. I made a big bowl of chopped cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, red bell pepper, purple onion and cherry tomatoes. I put the leftover salad in the fridge and the next day wrapped it in a tortilla and discovered my new favorite meal—a Greek burrito. I had several of them throughout the week. I also bought cherry tomatoes, and I’m growing basil (Yup, I’m a van farmer now) and have discovered many delicious recipes using tomatoes and basil.
On Tuesday, a man walked by with a big dog (I later found out that Gadget was a Standard Poodle, with a non-standard (no) haircut). His owner, Jamie asked if he and Cosmo could play, and then came up to the van. Cosmo and Gadget hit it off nearly as well as Jamie and I did. We talked and talked until the dogs tired themselves out. Jamie was leaving the next morning to go pick up an old VW bus he’d bought and was then heading to California to do some mechanical work for a family member. After he left, I was sad that we’d not exchanged numbers. But on Wednesday, in the early afternoon, I saw a truck go by with an old VW bus being towed behind on a rented U-Haul trailer. A minute later I saw him coming back down the road and I hopped out of the van, and sure enough, Jamie was waving with a huge smile. He pulled into a spot very close by and I ran down to congratulate him on his new purchase. We hung out much of the evening and I invited him for coffee in the morning before he left for California. He said he had rented the trailer for 48 hours, and decided to stay one more night. We hung out much of the day and since he hadn’t prepared to be camping for two extra days, I invited him to come for dinner. I opened a can of vegetarian chili and made some corn bread to go with it. We ate and then went back to his spot since he had a big clearing adjacent to his truck and VW bus. We spread out a blanket and lay there for a long time, just taking in the beautiful view of the stars and swapping life stories.
Meeting kindred spirits on the road is one of my favorite things. Jamie and Gadget left after joining us for coffee on Friday morning, but not before swapping information. I had such a fun time with him and can’t wait to run into him again. He is in transition. He will probably find a home base and come out camping for long weekends or maybe weeks until he gets settled and decides the next steps in life. I’ll wager that our paths will cross again.
The weather has been weird. The extended forecast was for highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the high 40’s, but by Thursday it was 92 and the extended forecast had changed to hot weather for the foreseeable future. I was a bit disappointed to have to deal with heat so early in the season, but I’m guessing I’m lucky compared to surrounding areas which are in the triple digits. Phoenix is already 105⁰. That doesn’t bode well for July and August. I’m wondering how long it would take me to drive to Vancouver?
I am once again in a designated dark sky area, and with the new moon this week, the sky was as dark and full of stars as ever. It’s “early in the season” for spotting the Milky Way, but at about 3:00 a.m. it is directly above. I woke up to pee in the middle of the night, and with one eye open, took my camera outside and captured this:
It just never gets old for me. 😊
Lessons From The Road: People often say “It’s just like riding a bicycle,” meaning that once you learn something, you always retain that ability. You’d think riding an E-bike would be even more like riding a bicycle. It’s not. I’ve taken a couple rides on my new bike and am finding there is a bigger learning curve than I expected. For one, the bike is small, and so are the tires. The electric motor kicks in when you pedal. There are three different levels of assistance, and so far I have kept it on the lowest level. When I pedal, the motor gives me a boost so I can easily make it up a hill. But for a newbie, even the lowest setting gives me a little too much boost. I find myself often having to stop pedaling and sometimes even applying the brakes to keep me at a speed where I feel comfortable. The roads around Marshall Lake are gravel and dirt. They are mostly higher in the middle and lower at either side so that the water will run off into ditches along the edges of the road. Unfortunately, my small wheels slip and skid on the gravel and they too would like to run off downhill into the ditches. I drive slowly, often putting down a foot to stabilize myself. Being low to the ground and with a short wheelbase, steering often seems a bit jerky to me. I’m getting better, but it’s going to take some practice before I feel confident going more than a mile or so up and down the road. I suspect the fact that I’ve not ridden a bike for 30-some years may also play a factor.
I love being back at Marshall Lake. I spent many weeks here in years past, and it feels like home. I love waking up and seeing the tall pines, the cows and antelope drinking at the rim of the overgrown lake, and the sound of geese and ducks as I drift off to sleep at night. I am also reminded that every time I’ve stayed here, I’ve met nice people. This time is no different and although Jamie is heading to the coast, I’ll bet I’ll see him again down the road, and I’m nearly certain to meet some other people as I walk (or pedal) up and down the road here.
On a final note, William Anders, who flew on the first manned space mission to orbit the moon and took the famous “Earthrise” photograph in 1968, died at 90 in a plane crash. His photo became an icon of the environmental movement and one of my all-time favorite photographs. I love photographing the Milky Way, looking outward from my tiny spot on this earth. I so appreciate the photograph from the other perspective. I think it’s a good reminder that we all live here, and would do well to work together as earthlings to make a more sustainable life for all.
