2012

To all of you, may this be the year we have been waiting for, one of truly new beginnings.  May it be a year full of surprises, love and bliss.

This year I am in Mesa, AZ.  Last year I was in Truth or Consequences, NM and the year before in Navarre, FL.

How exciting to not know where I will be this time next year.

Slumber Party

 Day Two of the Slumber Party

Ralph the French Bulldog

Ben, Marisa and Ralph (the dog) came to visit.  To spend time with these beautiful young adults was like walking in sunshine. 

They are kind, thoughtful, playful, genuine and loving.  Ben is everything a mother could want in a son and Marisa is the perfect complement.  I have wondered and worried how my life choices have impacted my son's life, all those decisions I began making with his first breath into this world.  I am spellbound by this person who is such a joy to be around and seems to have suffered no ill effects from my novice parenting.  I can now lay all my doubts to rest.

Gave Up My Bed to the Kids and Dog

Me and Ben

Ben and Marisa

The best Christmas ever.

Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice!

Welcome to the darkest day of the year.  

12-20-2011

December 20th is my actual birth date.  I was very busy and missed too many phone calls.   But I want to thank everyone for their phone calls, emails, comments, singing voice mails and thoughts that were sent my way.

It was one of my best birthdays.

Happy 60th Birthday

So. This is 60.

I have used these years enjoying food, drink, friends and laughter.

I have traveled far and wide and met thousands upon my journeys.

I have danced in Greek tavernas, upon bar tops and to the beat of African drums.

I have married two men, and been a lover to many more.

I have born a son and known the joys of motherhood.

I have walked upon the earth in my bare feet and stood within ancient stone circles.

I have heard songs and music of such beauty it has caused me to weep.

I have seen much and long to see more.

My life has been one of remembering my Being and the wisdom that I hold.

I have lived a large and full life, filled with adventure and experience.

On the inside I feel 20 years old, and ancient with what I now know.

I don't miss my youth and embrace being an Elder.

But still wonder who that old woman could possibly be:).

Celtic Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

Goldendoodles

Maria says she got me one for my birthday:).

Line Dancin'

As my one social event I have been going to line dancing on Monday nights.  It is the beginner's class.  This is what I have learned:

Electric Slide - got it
Tennessee Waltz - got it....FINALLY!
Various other dances that I have forgotten the names to, but the latest one was danced to Hey Good Lookin'

I am now feeling so confident and perky that I think I will go to the advanced class tomorrow night.

Tombstone Territories

If you ever see this cover, be sure and honk!

After Bisbee I went to visit my friends Harold and Sue in Tombstone Territories RV Park (http://www.tombstoneterritories.com/site/Home.html).  The minute I drove in I knew I wanted to stay there for at least a month.

These are the reasons I love the park:
1.  Out in the middle of nowhere with wide open sky and large sites.
2.  Even though it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, you are within easy driving distance of Tombstone, Bisbee, Benson, St. David's, and Sierra Vista, AZ.

Although there is no outdoor swimming pool (they have an indoor pool as well as a hot tub), the stunning scenery makes up for it, plus the extra large sites (40' x 80') are a bonus.  Booked a site for the month of February.

I am glad I was able to revisit Tombstone without the slew of tourists and could see it though Harold's eyes.  Harold is a history buff as well as a ghost hunter and after a stagecoach tour I understand its appeal.  Sometimes you just need to pass to that layer that is beneath the tourist level.  I told Harold that if he wants to contact ghosts, go to the hanging gallows at 3:00 AM and skip those guided ghost tours.  Oh, gawd, I think he wants me to actually go with him!

My draw was to the building where China Mary resided.  Not surprisingly, it is now the home of a metaphysical store, the only such store in the town.  The Land remembers:).

I found it fascinating that there are those that continue to recreate this time period.  A man dressed like Doc Holiday was drinking out of the same style cup that was portrayed in the movie Tombstone.  Of course I did not get the significance until Sue and Harold sent me home with the Tombstone movie to watch.

And now I am wondering, what the heck does "I'll be your huckleberry mean"?????

Bisbee, AZ

I needed a getaway so I am now in Bisbee for the night. 

I have been hearing about Bisbee for awhile and wanted to check it out as a possible home for the month of February.  I like the town, lots of artisans, but not sure if I want to stay in this particular park for a month (http://queenminervpark.parks.officelive.com/default.aspx).  Not much of a park, the best thing going for it is that it is within walking distance of the town.  Bisbee is also situated at over 5,000 feet so it is colder here, snow still on the mountains, which is another consideration.

Whether I want to stay here for a month has yet to be determined.

Bear Time

Lately it has been difficult to write.  Each year the dwindling light pulls me deep into the depths of my psyche, into the Bear cycle, this time of hibernation.

As the world careens into a frenzy of consumerism I retreat further into my inner world and the dark waters of solitude.  I love this time of inner exploration and mysticism.  So much information pours through me that there is not much time or space for external output.

It is Bear Time.

GPS

I have been traveling with my garmin GPS since first purchasing Minnie.  The Lady Garmin has been my constant companion and she has gotten me to places far and wide.  Sometimes when traveling in the middle of nowhere with no radio stations I have used her to count down the miles as my sole source of amusement.

She started behaving strangely and eventually could no longer keep a charge.  I had to find my way back to Mesa twice without the benefit of my beloved GPS.  Thankfully I now know the Phoenix route fairly well so with only a minor detour when I found myself on the way to Tucson, I have been able to navigate my way back home.  But I knew it was time to purchase a new garmin and I now have a new one.

Will this new garmin be as good as my old one?  Will the voice be the same?  Will we be able to bond the same as the last one?  Can I trust this new garmin? 

Only time and a road trip will have the answer.  I am thinking about a trip next month to Tombstone to check out a park and see how this new garmin performs. 

Things may never be the same without my lovely Lady.

11-11-11

My travels have now taken me back to Mesa.

My last few days in Sedona found me once again in Jerome, in a saloon drinking whiskey and shooting pool, followed by a full moon drumming circle on Cathedral Rock.

Scout left early on Friday morning, along with neighbor Chris.  They had made a connection and had plans to rendezvous at Joshua Tree.  Haven't heard from Scout, but my guess is they spent a pleasant evening amidst spectacular scenery.  'Nuff said about that:).

On 11-11-11 I also made a connection in the form of a woman named Crystal.  I found myself the only person in the store (http://www.angelsofenlightenment.com/) and within a few minutes we had connected, knew one another and I found myself channeling a message to her.  Within another few minutes it was over, people entered the store and Crystal and I hugged, knowing it was a precious moment in time where hearts connect.

It was a day of connections and isn't that what 11-11-11 was all about?

Scout

Everyday I send Many Faces out into the world as my scout.  She is up early and reports back on the weather conditions, the energy of the day and the general vibe.  I never get out of bed until she gives me the report of the day.

She is also the scout on our hikes as she goes ahead of me and warns me of any conditions on the path that may need extra attention.

She is fearless, knows no stranger and is a great gatherer of information.  She is my Scout.

Magic

'Nother Day, 'Nother Face

 Yesterday was a relatively quite day for me.  I think I was just on energy overload and needed a day to integrate.  Many Faces road her bike to and from yoga, went for a hike and then went for a bike ride with our neighbor Chris.  I went for the hike, and that was enough, other than a shower.

For dinner we all congregated in Minnie for pizza and conversation but even then I just stayed at home and allowed the pizza to be brought to me.  Odd day, even odder evening.

Today I went for the one of the most magical hikes of my life, and I have been on some magical hikes.  We started toward Steamboat Rock but got side tracked to Grasshopper Point in the Coconino National Forest.  In a world where it is hard to find a parking place, we arrived and found we were the only car.  The hike was mystical, magical and many dimensional.  We passed through Boulder Land, Fairy Land, Sunny Vale and Pinon Forest, all names we made up as we passed from one dimension to another.  We ended up at a creek with Three Sisters, three majestic trees that had grown around a boulder and was the perfect place to sit and meditate.  If, or when, I live here, it is the place I would return to time and time again. 

I would happily live in these woods for the rest of my life.

Boars Gone Wild

Another Day, Another Face, Same Clothes

The day started cold with a wintry mix.  We started the day with massages and eventually made our way to the Sedona Meditation Center (http://www.sedonameditationcenter.org/).  We stayed to enjoy the public meditation room with a huge quartz crystal in the center of the room.  Absolute bliss.

When we could finally pull ourselves away from our meditations we drove to Jerome but because of the lateness of the day we didn't stay and explore as long as we would have liked.  It's that whole thing about not being able to drive at night and we made it back to the rv site just as it was turning very dark.

After dinner we heard a loud ruckus outside and when we turned on the light, there they were, a family of boars looting the cooler.  They made off with coffee, bread and an ice pack and nothing we did could scare them off.  Not shouting, not the outdoor light, not the light of the camera's flash.

Strangest experience I have ever had at an rv park.

Sedona, AZ

Just One of Many Faces

 I am now in Sedona for the week sharing Minnie with my gypsy soul sister, who has now been renamed Woman of a Thousand Faces.  I have never met anyone whose face so constantly changes!  She recently left Crested Butte, CO and has been living in her car until her next "home" shows up.  I have invited her to sleep inside Minnie since the nights have been so cold in Sedona.  We have hiked, shopped and eaten and are struck by how similar we are to one another.  Unfortunately that means neither of us has a sense of direction, neither of us drive well at night, neither of us cooks and our Venus in Scorpio makes for some very interesting male encounters.

The Crystal Skulls (http://crystalskulls.com/13-crystal-skulls.html) ceremony is tomorrow but it is not as public as I originally thought and only a limited amount of the "public" are allowed to attend with a price of $150.  I will not be in attendance.  I could rant, but I will just let it pass.

What will be public are many 11-11-11 ceremonies.  This has been another added bonus to this trip to Sedona.

I love Sedona.  I want to move to Sedona.  I have not felt so at home since Glastonbury.

Gifts

I still don't have my laptop back so no pictures until I do. I plan to pick up the new and improved version next week on my way to Sedona.

The Mayan Elders are traveling the US with the sacred Crystal Skulls and one of the planned stops is Sedona. Two years ago I was in Sedona for the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, now I will be there for the Thirteen Crystal Skulls. It has been an interesting two years since I was last in the presence of the Skulls and I am pleased and surprised that this is my next "mission". I am meeting up with the gypsy soul sister I met while in Truth or Consequences and looking forward to the magic the two of us create.

The new iPad was on my birthday wish list so I gave myself an early present and that is what I have been using until the return of my laptop. I love it, but it does not replace my laptop. The main problem is I can't get Espn3 so I missed all football games today (go Big Red!), I can't get Adobe Flash, copy and paste functions seem to be a real hassle and I can't download pictures from my camera. What I love is that I can read a book, watch a movie, browse the Internet and listen to Pandora with such a small, portable devise and when there is no wi-fi available I can connect through Verizon on a month to month basis.

Happy early birthday to me:).

Transition

For 10 years I was a childbirth educator and for a few years I was a labor and delivery doula. During that time I was present for many women during their labors and the birth of their babies. It was during those years that I became intimate with the phase in childbirth known as transition.

It is during this phase that labor becomes the most challenging, women ask for drugs and feel they can no longer endure. Contractions become very intense, very close together. This is usually what is shown on tv when women become she-devils, lashing out at anyone in their path. Sometimes it is the only way they know to get them through their pain.

That has been my experience lately as we humans are transiting to the next level. From earthquakes, floods, droughts and Occupy Wall Street, we are all undergoing a birthing process and are in the transition phase and it can feel daunting.

I have been in the birthing phase for 10 years, the same amount of time I taught Lamaze, and I will be glad when I can finally push this baby into a new world.

Should Be

Just back from my sister's wedding in North Carolina.

Computer should be back from its repairs this week.

Should be back in Mesa soon.

Should be blogging soon.....

99 Degrees

I know it is not in the triple digits, but 99 can still feel a lot like 100.  After the cooler climates of the higher elevations I am not prepared for these hot days.

I get to the pool everyday, but an hour is about all I can stand before I retreat back into my air conditioned motor home.  Thankfully the sun sets around 6:00 PM and around 9 or 10 PM I can turn off the air and open the windows.  I don't do the heat very well and this morning I turned the air on before 10:00 AM.  That is how hot it is.

It is no wonder I have no concept of the seasons.   The calendar says mid-October, my inner sense believes it is August.  July in Oregon felt like October.

By November it should feel like June.  If this all makes you dizzy, imagine how I feel!

What I Wouldn't Do

My sister is in love.  She has reconnected with a high school sweetheart and they are so in love that they have decided to celebrate this love through marriage.  What started as a small event has now grown to include all the family members as well as first cousins.  And with that, I needed to find clothes to get me through four days of festivities.

My recent shopping sprees gave me a good start but now I needed to put everything together.  I went through my entire wardrobe mixing and matching, throwing things on the bed, trying on multiple outfits with multiple accessories.  With limited space and no full length mirror, this was not as easy as it used to be, took several hours and left Minnie in a state of total disorder.

But the decisions have been made, the packing has begun and I am looking forward to this most blessed of events. 

What I wouldn't do for my sister.....

Back in Arizona

I am back in Mesa, Arizona at Val Vista Village.  They had a special offer of 3+ months for a total of $695 which was too good to pass up since I need to be in the area.  Next week I am catching a flight to North Carolina for my sister's wedding and I can also be here for the family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas.   Nothing compares to City of Rocks, but it meets my needs at the moment.

Last year I was here during the peak season and it feels quite empty in comparison.  Yesterday I was the only one in the swimming pool.  The only other people were a man and a woman sitting at a shaded table.  Soon after I entered the pool the woman joined me and started up some conversation.  Very quickly she asked me if I wanted to go to Rocky Point, Mexico the next day with her and her male friend.  They would only be spending the one night.  I thought this invitation a bit odd and it got even stranger when she continued to tell me stories of women sharing men.  Ok, enough of that, thanks but no thanks. 

I do believe I was propositioned in the swimming pool.

Rally

Steve's Dog Bridget

It was my first rally.  There were four humans and four dogs.  Minnie managed to accommodate four humans and two dogs for our first evening meal together and I loved every moment I spent with this wonderful group of kindred souls.

Brian

Dina, Brian's Traveling Companion

Brian (http://manywheelsbrian.blogspot.com/) traveled in from Truth or Consequences and reaffirmed why I love that town so much.  We had some wonderful conversations while surrounded by the towering Standing Stones at City of Rocks.  He only stayed two nights but I hope to meet him again somewhere in our travels.

My Favorite Camp Site

Another Camp Site

 It was a challenge to choose a favorite site since they were all spectacular and had names such as Perseus, Andromeda, Cetus, Cepheus and Cassiopeia.  In the end the clear winner was Cassiopeia which had a massive oracle stone within the circle and I spent some time just sitting within this group of rocks.

On Saturday Steve drove Robi (http://tumbleweedsandlemonade.blogspot.com/) and I to Pinos Altos which is a funky Old West town.  I liked it much more than Tombstone, AZ which had too many tourists, too many stores and basically, just too much.  What Pinos Altos also had was a saloon with some of the best food your money can buy.  We were all surprised by the quality chef that works here and Robi thought he should go up against Bobby Flay while I thought he should go on Chopped.  What we were most impressed with was what he managed to do with the green chilis from Hatch, NM but I am sure all of his food is exceptional.  If ever in the area, check out Buckhorn Saloon (http://www.pinosaltos.org/great_businesses_and_destinations_in_Pinos_Altos.php?r=11,re5gy)
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Steve or Robi, too busy enjoying their company to make it a kodak moment.  But I am sure we will gather again and I will try to get photos next time around.

Sunset at City of Rocks

I was in City of Rocks for four days.  It was too short but long enough to let me know I will be back.

 

City of Rocks State Park, NM

Inside the Stonehenge Circle

 Lately I have been thinking a lot about standing stone circles.  I have visited the famous circles of Stonehenge, Avebury and Stanton Drew and numerous unnamed circles in Scotland.  But nothing quite compares to the HUGE stones I have found at City of Rocks.  They are everywhere and I have only begun to explore and experience the energy and history they hold.

And I find it quite fitting that the name of the site which will be my home until I decide to leave is Xena.

Hopefully I will get some pictures taken tomorrow but until then, thank you Steve (http://haven106.blogspot.com/) for this most delicious of invitations.

Roller Coaster

 My life has been a roller coaster after that evening of perfection.

I spent several days in Elephant Butte and when my pain body started sending stabs of pain through my body, it was back to Riverbend for another night of soaking.  Amazing how those healing waters can soothe away all my aches and pains.

While there I met a woman who claimed herself a Medicine Woman.  I appreciated her honesty but it was another example of what I fear, an assumption that somehow that knowledge makes one superior to others.  It is that fear I continue to struggle with and keeps me riding in the back of the bus.  Maybe some day I will get the balance just right.

My ex-husband continues to slide further into a bottomless pit of alcoholism and I wonder daily if today will be the day I will be called back to Eugene to help my son through that process.  I have no familiarity with death and hope I will have the strength needed to see us to the other side.

I wish life were always those moments of perfection, but life is an adventure to be experienced and I bought my ticket for the roller coaster, with all its ups and downs.

Perfection

Every now and then I feel my life with such perfection that it takes my breath away.  Tonight was one of those times.

The sky was huge, wide and dark, with an endless array of stars and other worldly ships that I do not believe were satellites.  They glided through the sky with silence and splendor and I watched them until they blinked out of sight.

I sat in hot mineral springs that soothed my body and looked out upon the Rio Grande as I watched a man paddle by standing upon his surf board.

I listened to achingly beautiful music as a father and son shared their love of music with the small crowd gathered outdoors and reveled in the perfect evening.

It was a night of perfection.  It was a night where I felt like I was 20 years old again and the world offered endless possibilities.

It was a night where I remembered my love of this land called New Mexico.

T or C Revisited

After a week of swimming in the perfect outdoor pool in Albuquerque I am now back in Truth or Consequences.  Specifically, I am parked in an RV site across from Riverbend Hot Springs (http://www.riverbendhotsprings.com/) and somehow I am shocked at the heat of these hot springs.  After the cool waters of Albuquerque my body was quite confused when I stepped into these outdoor waters and found them too hot to handle.  I don't remember them being so hot, or maybe it's because the last time I sat in these springs it was January and barely 20 degrees outside and today it is close to 90.   What a difference. 

It feels good to be back and see the latest changes that have been made and reconnect with friends.  Another big bonus is that there is an outdoor concert on the deck this evening so while I soak and gaze into the stars I can also listen to live music.  Bo-Nus!   The RV sites have been de-weeded and new gravel have made them more level so I am even more pleased to be back for a short visit.

It is also new moon time so the skies should be glorious for night viewing.  Wishing and hoping to catch a falling star.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

No, I am not in Florida, but it is the last time I can remember that I had a swimming pool right outside my front door.  So, yes, I have decided to stay a week.

The weather has been perfect, highs in the low 80s and night time temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s.  I don't need to run my air conditioner or my heater.  My windows remain open at all times as I enjoy the cool breeze and the song of the birds and what I think are cicadas.  I am a bit close to the highway so I get the freeway noises but with a certain adjustment to my hearing I can imagine it is the sound of ocean waves.

I settled in a bit more today by putting up my curtains, cleaning windows, emptying tanks and cleaning sinks and counters.

Now off to read a good book....

Albuquerque, New Mexico

I love this park.  I stayed here for three days last year and like it even more this year.  These are the reasons why I love this park:

1.  The friendliest people work here.
2.  They escort you to your site and helped me back-in, total bonus.
3.  They have a free continental breakfast each morning.
4.  They have the best gift shop ever.  I spent lots of money last year and looks like I will be spending more  this time around.
5.  The outdoor swimming pool, ahhhh, the outdoor swimming pool!  The temperature is perfect (I like it cool enough to be refreshing), it is never too crowded and if there are people in the pool they are likely to also be the friendliest people.
6.  I have a shaded spot right across from the swimming pool and sparkling shower facilities.
7.  Good wifi and 48 cable channels.
8.  It feels like I am staying at a resort.

I am thinking about staying a week.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Nice Site

With a Nice Side Yard

Santa Fe is a bit of a let down.  Maybe it is because after shopping in Manitou Springs, Colorado and Taos I have no desire to do more shopping and Santa Fe is just a much bigger city.

I am in a 55+ community park (http://www.trailerranch.com/) because the benefit was that it is on the city bus line.  I was able to take the bus into downtown Santa Fe and explore to my heart's content, which didn't take long.  I found it very expensive and without the charm of Taos.  But, I did eat some fabulous Mexican food so was glad I made the trip into town.

It has been an odd sort of day.  Future plans seem to have no alignment and I am still not certain of my next direction.

I take it one day at a time but that is as far as I can see.

Taos, New Mexico

Taos Valley RV Park

My plans changed once again and with a strong pull to New Mexico, I found myself in Taos instead of Crested Butte, Colorado.

Yesterday I replenished supplies and walked to a Mexican restaurant and today I spent time visiting all the art galleries Taos has to offer.  The very first gallery I was drawn into had spell binding canvases of an artist's interpretation of the Divine Feminine.  They were stunning and I have now replaced my previous art work with the works of Kimberly Webber (http://www.kimberlywebber.com/gallery.html).   This is the poster I purchased:

Welcome, Isis, to my travels with Minnie.

Peyton, Colorado

I have been staying at Maria's house for a few days.  The land is stunning and between the four dogs, two cats, two birds and one horse, it is a full house.  She took this picture of a double rainbow that appeared just as I was preparing to do a clearing for a friend of hers.  I couldn't figure out how to make the picture larger so it will just have to suffice.  Trust me, it was amazing.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Made it across Wyoming today, most of it beautiful and glorious, until I saw those dark clouds coming in.  After that it was wind, rain and fog.  Seems I drove right into a cold front.

It may have been a mistake to drive past Laramie and on into Cheyenne as the weather continued to worsen but I am at the KOA in Cheyenne and settled in for the night.  The pool is drained and closed and the weather at 4:00 PM is 48 degrees.  Looks to be 37 degrees tonight. I have my heater on so I am warm and dry as I look outside at the blowing wind and fog that keeps getting thicker.  Just a few days ago I was sweltering in 90 degree weather. 

Should be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

(As an aside, no more pictures until my computer gets fixed).

Still In Evanston

I decided to stay another night.  It's not much of a park, but it is peaceful and I have grass and trees and no hurry to get anywhere anytime soon.  Just having fun watching all the RVs pull in for the night.

Back on the road tomorrow.

Evanston, Wyoming

I drove over 400 miles today and am now in Evanston, WY.   It was one of those days that just feels really good to be out on the open road and the scenery was spectacular.  I had forgotten how beautiful Utah is and am looking forward to driving across Wyoming.  Not sure if I will stay at this park one or two nights.  It has yet to be decided.

My tanks were getting a bit full so yesterday I wanted to dump the grey and the black.  I had put it off when I first arrived figuring I could do it later in the day when the temperature cooled down.  While I was waiting a neighbor pulled up in the site next to me which meant my dumping valve was now in his front yard and the sites were relatively close.  I sat in Minnie and listened to him on his cell phone, hoping he would soon go into his RV and I could come out and dump.  No such luck.  He drank a beer, smoked his cigar and chatted with the man with the monkey who was parked across the street.

I noticed this man with the monkey when I pulled in as he was doing one of those "check you out" looks.  Subtle, but noticeable.  Ugh, for sure I am not going out to dump while this guy is still around.  Eventually man with the monkey left, it was getting late and it was now or never so out I went.

From my experience, there is always a bit of an odor when you attach your sewage hose and dump.  I try to keep my hose as clean as possible but when you open up the RV and ground pipes, there is just gonna be some odor.  I apologized to my neighbor if there was some odor but he has been RVing for 25 years and was very understanding.  We kept chatting as I was trying to get my gloves on, hook up the hose and open the valves.  With all this chatting it was taking some time and next thing I knew monkey man is back for more conversation.  Ugh again, but here he is, man with a monkey on his back.

Man With The Monkey

You never know what sights you will see from your RV site.

Caldwell, Idaho

Minnie looks a little tilted, kinda the same way her driver has been.  But I am back on the road and stopped for the night just outside of Boise, ID.

My two hour massage while in Eugene turned into a three hour massage and moved massive chunks of energy.  The River of Life that flows through our bodies had numerous log jams and my masseuse, Lilly Crowheart, helped me breathe new life into all those stuck areas.  I walked out calm, peaceful and shifted.  Nothing felt the same and all my previous plans no longer seemed to fit.  I am still not sure what the "plan" is, but I am moving and hopefully things will fall into place.

I spent the last two nights in Bend, OR and put in a six hour drive today crossing the eastern section of Oregon and then into Idaho.  Wide open spaces, good tunes and beautiful scenery, just the way I like it.
Outdoor swimming pools the past two days have been an added bonus in this hot weather.

It feels good to be back on the wide open road.

After the Hood

Minnie has been power cleaned and a small chip in the windshield has been repaired thanks to Safelite.

Aaron, my slave boy of the day, cleaned my windshield and even vacuumed the entryway.  It is not often you get that kind of service, with a smile:).

Now it is my turn as I have an appointment for a two hour massage this afternoon.

It is all good after the Hood.

Fire

Dollar Lake Fire

Saturday morning I was sitting outside enjoying my coffee and the sunshine when suddenly the day light took on a golden hue.  At first I thought it was the sun reflecting off a nearby vehicle but I soon realized it was a huge cloud of smoke that was billowing in off the mountain.  The air became thick with smoke and the mountain ridges that surround the Hood became increasing harder to view.  As the day and evening wore on my eyes started to burn and there was a thick smell of smoke.

During the day campers started to show up that had been evacuated further up the mountain and I was starting to get a bit concerned with every new piece of information.  My main concern was the thought of evacuating 300 RV sites with only one road leading down the mountain.  A fellow workamper came to give me a heads-up to be prepared as the fire was spreading.  Add to this the non-stop phone calls and inquiries from the campers in the park as to updates on the fire and you have a fairly hectic day.  Matters got even worse as the heat and fire added fuel to an already exhausted staff and one woman's anger came blasting out at me.  It was the first time in my two summers at the Hood that I felt so unsafe that I locked my door before going to sleep.

The heat continued on into Sunday but the smoke was starting to lessen.  By now I was weary of the angry woman's drama and wanted to leave what now felt like an inferno of fire, heat and emotions.  As she stomped and shrilled and pouted, my last and only words to her were a joyful "Yee-haw!".  No sense in adding any more fuel to her fire.

I finished work at 2:00 PM, packed everything up and said some tearful good-byes.  By 3:30 PM I was on the road and back in Eugene by 6:30 PM, back at the Deerwood RV Park and back enjoying Maria's company who is parked across from me.

It feels so good to be back.

High

I woke up this morning with an energetic high.  It feels like I have been waiting for this energy for a long time.  It is this high that gets me excited, motivated and buzzing.

I have made reservations for the first two nights after I leave the Hood and reservations for the few months I will be in Mesa, AZ.  I have hired someone to wash Minnie, cooked food and cleaned the grill.  Three more work days and I will be released from my commitment, confinement.

Getting excited, excited, excited.  I am ready for the next adventure.