“I heard it in the wind last night
It sounded like applause
Chilly now
End of summer
No more shiny hot nights
It was just the arbutus rustling
And the bumping of the logs
And the moon swept down black water
Like an empty spotlight.”
― Joni Mitchell
(This one’s for you Kent)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uRRcAba7aA
Good Morning All,
I spent most of the week in Barbara and Lark’s driveway. I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated, but I managed to get more work done on the van (and on me and Cosmo too) than I have in past stays. I sanded down the spots on my van where the original paint was peeling off and re-sprayed them with plain white Rust-oleum. I thought it would be better than huge grey spots, but I didn’t expect it to turn out as well as it did.
Before:
After:
I got new flooring, and although hesitant to start, I went for it. I had no idea what I’d find when I removed the 27-year-old carpet, but discovered that I had a pretty solid subfloor to work with. It was a tight space with many odd-angle cuts to make, but I did it in just about 5 hours.
Much nicer and MUCH easier to keep clean.
On Thursday, Cosmo and I said our good-byes and headed back to Bloody Basin Road. My favorite spot was occupied, so I turned around and found a spot closer to the highway. It was still pretty secluded and only temporary so we settled in as the sky opened up. We had rain for the next 3 days. That gave me lots of “indoor time” to try to figure out my next move. The spot I’d counted on revisiting seems, from all reports, to be permanently closed due to people trashing it. There used to be several spots off the same road, still on Arizona Land Trust that were doable, but there are mixed reports on whether any of those are still accessible. I decided to leave on Sunday morning, hoping for a spot on AZ Land Trust. If I can’t access any of them, then I will continue on to Tonopah where there is a hot spring. I’d prefer to arrive at the hot spring on a Monday after the weekenders are gone, but if I can’t find a spot between here and there, I’ll make the extra hour or so drive and arrive early.
The dreary/rainy days have zapped my solar batteries and I’ve cut energy consumption down as much as humanly possible. No sunshine predicted until Tuesday, so fingers crossed I can hold out that long on ever-dwindling electricity.
Lessons From The Road: I encountered a new phenomenon this week: a place I have visited each spring and fall is now closed due to people trashing it. It is Arizona Land Trust (I think that’s the state equivalent of National BLM land). I stop there as a halfway point between Prescott Valley and Tonopah (El Dorado Hot Springs). All indications from the camping apps are that a huge section of it is permanently closed due to the number of homeless people tearing up the land and leaving their trash behind.
So I looked beyond the spot where I normally stay, and much of the AZ Land Trust appears to be closed, either for the time being or permanently. It’s such a shame. It was always a nice stay.
So, I’ve spent some time researching where I can stay between Bloody Basin Road and the Hot Springs just east of Quartzsite. I’ve not come to any that seem certain. So my current plan (and that changes hour to hour) is to leave here on Sunday morning, head to where I THINK I can stay for the night and if it doesn’t pan out, then continue on to the hot springs. I don’t like to drive that far, but I may have no choice if there is nothing open between here and there. The dreary, rainy days have meant being mostly indoors, with declining energy supplies. I just have to tough it out for another week and then I’ll be in Quartzsite/Ehrenberg for the rest of the year. The thought of meeting up with old friends there keeps me optimistic.
That’s all I got
Love you like a dog
See you down the road,
Scott