Simple Living and Simple Travel

I’ll let my bumper sticker say it for me. Yee-hah, we’re rollin’! After these past four months, I will finally be getting back to the lifestyle I most enjoy. I really appreciate getting emails from those of you who have come across my blog, as well as those friends who have been following it all along. Thank you. It’s like a virtual social-fix whenever I come back onto the grid for supplies and access the web. Thank you, thank you. give me a low-rider camp chair, a small fire, a well written book, a bottle of Bordeaux, some bread and cheese RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’ FOR INDEX OF POSTINGS GO TO JULY 2006

Remember I stated back in August that Meadow and Onyx have been ready to move on? Instead of their usual roaming, they frequently sit around the site. I thought this shot was cute. It’s as if they are saying, ‘Hey Sebo, this is the road out of here, in case you don’t know. Let’s go. Pack up and pick us up.’ Another climber I met was Pam. A nice lady I enjoyed spending time with. She lent me ‘A Walk in the Woods’ Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. Very informative and entertaining. Two way out-of-shape friends try their hand at hiking the AT. Bryson has some hilarious lines about equipment, their ineptitude, and some of the people they come across on their travels. Thanks Pam. We also went to a local mountain man rendezvous. The next time I go to one of those, I have to plan to see the various events. We also had a fabulous 3-hour dinner at Ruth’s down in Salt Lake with a bottle of Merlot and on another night, some great Thai food and Thai beer. That was S...

I recently read an article by Tanya Laing in RVwest magazine on rock climbing that got me thinking I should say something about two climbers I met here last summer. There is a stellar climbing area in the South Willow at the upper narrows for advanced climbers with about 17 routes, most of them rated at 5.12. There are four 5.12Cs (the most difficult is 5.15). One of the most difficult routes in Utah, a 5.14C called the Big Smile is here. Scott and Jon put in a 5.12C a couple years ago called Old School. So far less than a handful have managed to reach the top. These guys are regulars up here and put in LONG days. They are in phenomenal shape and could easily crush my hand. I wonder if they notice my hesitation whenever they offer to shake hands. Up until recently, I just stopped and talked with them and never watched them climb. Lately I’ve been taking the time to watch and ask questions. Jeez, was I impressed. I now finally understand why one would choose to climb. Scott and Jo...

We are SO ready to head out. Ready to get down to the desert to enjoy sites like this one that we had last spring for a while. I’ve managed to thwart Onyx. Remember how I occasionally grouse about how he opens the screen door and leaves it open? No more. I cut a length of PVC, inserted two #3 rubber corks in the ends, and wedge it into the doorframe. The first time Onyx went to open the door, he actually did a pull-up. He put both paws up on the bar and pulled down on it. He went up. His feet actually left the step and he pulled his chin up to the bar. Tell me that did not have me roaring with laughter. All is not perfect, however. One evening as it was getting dark, I snagged Meadow, put her inside, and went looking for Onyx. I neglected to wedge in the door bar. Onyx must have been under the camper. When I could not find him, I went back to the casita. Yep, the door was open, Meadow had come back out, and they both were off out of sight. Times like this make me glad I do not alw...

Didn’t this happen here last August?! There was a threat of a fire coming over the ridge from Skull Valley to the west and sweeping down the canyon so the forest service evacuated all the campers and myself. It was a much larger fire than the one last summer with 45,000 acres burned. Ordinarily it takes me an hour to break camp when I’m out dry camping. Since I was planning to be here for over 3 months, I had all kinds of things set up and it took me 3 hours to break camp. Granted, people dropped by from time to time asking what’s up—but still. Guano. Shortly after I started out, it got dark. I HATE driving in the dark. Then the highway I had to take over to Salt Lake closed due to another fire. Traffic was creeping along for as far as I could see along the detour so I pulled into an industrial park to try to catch some sleep. How those RVers sleep in parking lots is beyond me. Anyway, it did not work out well. Definitely threw a curve to Meadow and Onyx but they seemed to handle it o...

Realized it was a mistake coming back here within the first few days. Oh well, at least I found my Columbia River pocket knife that I had dropped while breaking camp last fall. Doing something two summers in a row definitely does not fit into my idea of a ‘bucket life’. At least I learned not to do it again. The first few weeks were pretty wet. It’s not often one has snails crawling on one’s car. Occasionally after coming back from giving-thanks and having breakfast, I’ll sit outside with coffee and watch Meadow and Onyx exploring and playing. They are so entertaining. What a treat. The only drawback is getting splattered, from time to time, by the hummingbirds (still going through 25 pounds of sugar a month like last summer). We’ve been going out on some nice half-hour walks in the early evenings. One evening, a wild turkey hen popped up out of the tall grass only 20 feet away. I saw some other movement in some open patches and she had eight little ones with her. By the time I g...