“Whenever you should doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life from beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.”
~Suzy Kassem
I woke up to clear skies and sunshine. It seemed a perfect day for an outdoor shower. Cosmo and I did our morning routine and played fetch for a while in our new spot with a big “back yard.” I turned on my water heater and let my 6-gallon tank get hot. I was parked in such a way that the “shower side” of my van was facing the forest and as long as I stayed close to the van, I could not be seen from the road. I got out my suction cup shower holder and stuck it to the window and adjusted the water so that it was the perfect temperature. I have an on/off switch at the water-saving shower head. It not only uses far less water, but it keeps the water at the exact right temperature once I get it set. I washed and conditioned my hair and beard, washed the rest of my body, and scrubbed my feet with a brush. The sandy soil absorbed the water quickly, leaving no puddles. And this was my view while showering:
When I moved to my new campsite the day before, I changed my whole attitude. I had been parked on the “shoulder” of the road (more or less). From where I sat while inside, my view was of constant traffic, speeding down the dusty road, and construction trucks hauling gravel. Less than a quarter mile down the road I found a spot that the woman with the young boy and German Shepherd had just pulled out of. I had my van packed up within a couple of minutes, moved a few hundred feet down the gravel road, and parked in such a way that the road (now about 30 feet away, with some trees separating me from it) was at my back and the forest and beautiful wildflowers were the view out the window from where I sat.
I was no longer focused on the many obnoxious people I was sharing this part of the forest with. I was focused on the forest itself, and my head cleared, my shoulders relaxed, and I was able to realize that this is one of the most beautiful spots I’ve inhabited in some time.
The weekend was more pleasant due to far fewer construction workers tearing up and down the road, but there were still a few yahoos passing by. On Monday, the gravel trucks and pickup trucks belonging to the road crew were back and I decided I was done with them. I left early Tuesday morning, stopped for groceries, water and propane and headed back to Marshall Lake. My last stay there was not so great, but when I stopped for propane, the guy filling my tank said things had quieted down quite a bit because many schools were already back in session. When I got to Marshall Lake, it was very quiet and I got my same spot that I had early on in the season, where I met Greg and Roadie (living down the hill from me in a tiny skoolie). It was off the road, surrounded by tall pines, with a small opening that lets me see what’s left of the lake and the mountains in the distance.
There was only one van nearby, and I met the guy living in it and made sure I wasn’t crowding him. He said “No way. Make yourself comfortable.” And I did. His name is Max, and we talked several times outside his tiny van. He mostly kept to himself. Cosmo and I walked morning and evening, and I was surprised and quite overjoyed to see so few campers and so many open spaces. With everyone so spread out, the forest was calm and mostly quiet.
Wednesday after sunset, I watched the Blue Super Moon rise behind trees. When it was shining through the pines, it seemed huge. By the time it cleared the tops of the trees, it was not quite as spectacular, but hey, a full moon on a clear night is still quite a sight to experience.
Max left on Thursday. We talked for a bit before he headed south to Phoenix to see family. He was the only one sharing the “upper level” of the spot we were in. There was easily room for 4 or 5 rigs, and I wondered if I’d be able to keep it to myself with the Holiday Weekend coming up. If not, I hoped for kind, considerate neighbors.
With people being fewer and farther in between, the cows got braver. They surrounded my van one evening, chewing on grass and wandering aimlessly. The same night I was awakened by coyotes howling for a long time, and then after that, I heard screaming that I attributed to some sort of bird, though I was uncertain of what it could be. I was in a deep sleep, and only heard it through the fog of my dreams, but it went on for a long time. I asked Max if he had heard it and he said he had (Good. I didn’t imagine it and I wasn’t totally crazy.) He had no idea what could shriek like that either.
By the weekend, the weather turned cool. It was mid-70’s for much of the week – the kind of weather I’d expected all summer. But after the extreme heat we’ve had so often, the cooling temps and the lush forest (they’ve had a lot of rain in Flag and it shows) gave everything a very autumnal feeling. When I looked out the window, I expected to see a tiny log cabin with smoke coming out the window. Marshally Lake can be quite idyllic when it isn’t too crowded; when it is jammed with tourists it can be quite annoying.
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It rained on and off all night long. I always find it comforting to hear the rain pinging on my musical van. It was in the 50’s when I woke up, so I made coffee and slipped back into my sleeping bag. Coffee, rain sounds, and snuggled in with Cosmo is the definition of bliss. I stayed in bed a long time, skimming headlines and playing games from the N.Y. Times (my new favorite is “connections.”) When I got up and moving I knew Cosmo needed to go out. In the forest at Marshall Lake there is lots of dark brown clay. With rain on Friday and Saturday nights, the mud is once again nearly beyond description.
It’s thick and very clay-like. It’s sticky and clings and cakes to the bottom of footwear (and paw pads). Fortunately (I think) it is somewhat less terrible because the rain is light much of the night and then it clears up and becomes sunny in the mornings. I believe if it rained harder or longer, the mud would suck the flip-flops right off my feet. Across the road where the lake used to be, I noticed what I thought were post holes. Lots of them. I couldn’t figure out why, and then I realized they were from cows walking. Their hooves sunk into the muck about 8 or 10 inches. I guess they pulled their legs straight up, leaving a perfectly cylindrical hole with a clear hoof print at the bottom. I always left my muddy flip-flops outside the van. I’d prefer to wear shoes when taking long walks, but flip-flops are easy to kick off before going into the van. Cosmo is another story. mud cakes between his pads and I try as best I can to remove the “Swedish meatballs” from between his pads. When he gets in the van, I try wiping some more, but eventually, a big clump (or two or three) drop off onto the floor. I sweep several times a day, but it seems useless as he’ll need to go out to pee again, and we start the process all over. The good news is that the rain should end on Sunday, and the ground will dry quickly in the sunshine. The rain should once again bring out a new variety of wildflowers.
Lessons From The Road: My Google mini stopped working. I thought it was perhaps a sign that I didn’t need it anymore and that maybe it was time to change-up my morning routine. Each morning for the past 4 years, I wake up, put the coffee on and say “Hey Google. Good morning.” And the Grand Google Machine responds by saying “Good morning, Scott.” He then gives me the weather in my area, tells me if anything is on my calendar, reads the latest news from NPR, and plays “The Daily” podcast. I only halfway listen as I check my e-mail and peruse the NY Times’ headlines. I thought I’d do just fine without it; I was wrong. So when I stopped at Walmart, I checked in the electronics department on the off-chance I could find a replacement, and sure enough, they had a one with my name on it. I was quite impressed at how it pretty much set itself up, guiding me by voice every step of the way. It’s nice to have my morning routine back, to be able to listen to Spotify, and to say “What time is it” if I wake up in the middle of the night and have a reply. If any questions pop into my head throughout the day, Google has the answers.