wuss, soaring, stickers, under the sun and moon,
and Susan’s photos with captions



I was wondering if I was going to be able to stay here until the end of November. These roads get slick when wet. There was a dusting of snow on November 3rd and I was thinkin’, uh-oh. The inside temp on the morning of the 4th was 38. Then the cold spell hit in the middle of the month. The first morning’s inside temp was 34. It’s too early in the cold season to deal with outside temps going down into the teens at night—so I wimped out. A few nights, I kept the Wave 6 on, set to its lowest setting (I think it is 1500 BTUs, no much but it worked quite well). I felt like such a wuss. Other than the two back-to-back nights a few years ago with minus 6 and 8 temps, I think this the only other time I’ve had heat on through the night while dry camping.
One thing I looked for when deciding on a trailer was having a window at the head of the bed. It’s cracked open even on the coldest nights.


One day it was pretty much overcast and I spent a good deal of time working at the table with all the blinds up. Oh yes, and it was windy, a key factor. I don’t see ravens soaring all that often since their wings aren’t designed for it but when it’s windy they sure seem to take advantage of it. Anyway, from time to time throughout the day a raven or two would soar past the Nash taking advantage of the updraft from the bluff. WAY COOL. You can’t tell me that they are not having a blast. Simple pleasures.


My hikes are out over bedrock, through the juniper, spruce and sage, down along the draws, and just plain out-and-about. On nearly half my hikes, I come across 3 or 4 deer. At the end of a late hike a couple weeks ago, I came out to the edge of acres of sage and saw three groups of dear all within a couple hundred yards of each other, close to twenty, a real fluke. This was the first time I saw so many deer at one time, in this area. Shouldn’t have been surprised since there is water and plenty to eat. All through hunting season, I heard maybe four shots total, and all of them a couple miles away. Sounds like I see way more deer than these ‘hunters’ on their ATVs.


Some days are too cold and windy to get the water in the solar bag warm enough. If it is sunny, laying the bag out under indoor sunlight works well enough.


I’m not sure if I uploaded a similar photo on a past page. Don’t think so. Anyway, always hang a solar bag so it is partially supported, draped over something, and only fill with as much water as will be needed. Remember, it takes less than a gallon for a shampoo and washcloth wipe-down. Otherwise the bag will have a short life. Using your tow vehicle works well. You can position the bag so you will be in the sun or out of the wind. A front door can be opened for an additional wind block.


The BioLite Campstove is a different kind of camp stove. It consists of two units. One is a can with legs, into which you place small sticks from around your campsite for fuel. The other unit attaches along the side of the first. It houses a thermoelectric generator, which powers a fan for improved combustion and a USB port for charging devices. I can’t see me getting one (& it’s about $125) but it would make an interesting conversation piece around camp.



Back on the January 2008 page—‘let others know—lettering for the outside of your rig,’ I mentioned the I Like Vinyl website. I personalized the Casita a bit with vinyl lettering and finally got around to starting on the Nash. Only these two so far; at some point, I’ll add three or four more.


Red rock > red dirt. One day there was quite a bit of wind ALL day long and most of the night. I had to keep the leeward windows partially open to keep the trailer from getting too hot. It was way to windy to keep the roof vents open. Yep, red dirt EVERYWHERE. Run your hands over the counters and tabletop and you could make nice little piles of dirt. Guano. The next day I shook out the horse blankets covering the cushions and the spreads covering the bed, beat the cushions and throw pillows, wiped down the ceiling, walls, and all surfaces, and washed the floor. This is certainly not the first time the inside of my trailer got covered in dirt, but by far, the worst. One can’t spend time down in the open desert in southern NM and AZ and not have this happen. What a mess. Maybe there is a better lifestyle.
I’m thinkin’ of moving into a closely-packed RV park. The large rigs would block a good deal of the wind and flying dirt. Should greatly decrease the amount of time house cleaning.

From clientsfromhell.net. If you are a freelance graphic designer, the only thing worse than no clients might be this client. “You think it’s right to charge us for things just because we don’t have the ability to do them ourselves?”
I would have a response to that. I would have a better response if I had already been paid.


Back to southern Utah, and as always, smoldering chips of dung, flaming cow sh*t! Other than the small paper/cardboard fires in my steel pan when off-the-grid (trash) and one in Salida, I recently had my first sit-down campfire since the spring. I do like the scent of cow-pie fires. I wonder if the smoke of dried, processed grass from free-range cows is less toxic than smoke from wood fires. Maybe Siscily will do another comparison.

I qualify for Medicare in January. I’m going with Plan A & B ($104) and probably Plan D through Humana ($15) for prescription drugs. I’m not on any meds now but I’m thinkin’ ahead (the old Boy Scout thing). And it seems if someone has had cancer, they are prone to get it again. For Medigap, I think I’ll get it through Medico ($137). I’ve been doing some research on the web, talking with people, reading over a thread on a full-timers forum, and feel this is the way to go to cover future needs and also allow me to travel about. Anyone have thoughts/suggestions? I sure would appreciate an email if you do. I don’t want to screw this up. Thanks.

I am SO far behind the geese this year. Looks like I will be rolling out of here tomorrow, heading towards Heron Lake, where I’ll probably stay until the end of the week. Then down towards Bottomless and Brantley, each for a couple weeks (Bottomless twice). I hope to be over at Oliver Lee by the middle of January for two weeks of hiking. Won’t be staying at City of Rocks as long as I have been. It just doesn’t feel as good, anymore. Then up into the Burros or back to Oliver Lee for more hiking. I’d like to spend a week in Bisbee near the end of March and then that’s it for planning. No idea where I’ll spend spring and summer. Don’t want to drive much but I’ll need elevation for the summer. Any suggestions?

I thought this first line was pretty cool; it’s from a Bruce McDonald First Nation drama, ‘Dance Me Outside.’
One character was asked, ‘Where do you live?’ He responded with:
‘I live where the land meets the sky, where the eagle and the raven fly free. I live under the sun and the moon.’
That did not go over well with the police officer. The guy’s buddy was then asked, And where do you live?
He smiled and said, ‘I’m his neighbor.’

Hello to readers of Simple Living and Simple Travel,
I am Susan. I live in Colorado, I hike, fish, ski, write, and teach. I love to take photographs and write captions for them, and Sebastian has agreed to let me post photos with captions each month on his website.


This section will be called, “Susan’s Photos with Captions”
I hope you enjoy them.
Susan


An event that happens only some years and only happens to some trees, causes excitement among the forest birds and squirrels: brown piñon nuts develop in the cones. The cones bust open, but don’t drop all their nuts. The ones they don’t drop have to be shaken or pried from their sticky niches in the cone. You get pitch on your fingers. Mmmmm. There is nothing else like these rare warm nuts, fresh from the tree.


A juniper tree dropped this bouquet of berries onto the trail. I picked it up, then noticed that everything else looked like a bouquet, too, or a garden. It wasn’t only visual. I heard sounds of river and forest bird and raven’s flight, sensed scents of juniper, golden leaves, and warm earth. And I walked amongst it all.


Back in February, a cold day at City of Rocks, a new friend appeared from inside a gray Nash camping trailer. Here was someone who had been through a perilous journey and who had wisdom and was kind. So, though I felt irresponsible compared to him, and this affected my confidence, which was already shot, I still wanted to be around him. Later he and I hiked to the top of Mount Huron, 14,003 feet. He says he will never do it again. But who is the most glad we did—me, or him?

October sixty minutes sixty years—1860 minutes
October Triple 18—pecs/delts: 2475; core: 2115; legs: 2710

I never fell in love with exercise, but you have to do it for the rest of your life. I did it to become champ, and now I do it to stay alive. It is a death sentence without it.
George Foreman


RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’
FOR INDEX OF POSTINGS GO TO JULY 2006

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi, I've enjoyed reading your very informative blog for several months now. I'm looking at the Nash as a fulltime home and had a question for you. Do you use your water tanks? If so do you ever have problems with freezing? I would spend about 2 months where the fall temps fall below freezing but would head south in January. Thanks
Hi Kathy
If you will have electric hookups, tank freezing will not be a problem. The tanks are enclosed and the heating is in the floor. If you use the furnace it'll be fine. Northwood rigs are rated 4-season.
Kastewart said…
Been following your blog. My husband and I are interested in the Nash 17K. Wondering if you have thermal pane Windows and what your thoughts are on them?
One sees insulated windows in houses that have developed leaks and the windows pretty much stay fogged. Not good. I felt that, chances are, similar RV windows would not hold up to miles of rough dirt roads. If you will be staying up north in the winter and pretty much sticking to graded roads and asphalt, they might be worth looking into. If you will be heading south and having electric hookups, I don’t feel they are needed. On cold nights, one can have a setup for hanging insulated drapes behind the blinds or fit cut-foam panels to the windows. I do not regret not ordering insulated windows.
Kastewart said…
Thank you. We appreciate your insights.

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