Monday, May 12 (continued)
“No, Spike. We aren’t going to live here. We don’t have our house with us.”
After lunch the crew and I walk the campground loop.
Click to enlarge
We pass the A-liner (shown in previous post) and notice the owners also have a pop-up screen house set up in the shade of a cottonwood tree.
Hmm . . . pretty nice if you like to eat outside or to sit outside when camping in a buggy place. Looks like they’re using it to corral their stuff.
Not something we’ve ever needed . . .
I place the crew’s water dish on the ground. After the drink, I open up the PTV’s side door. “All aboard, passengers.”
We’re off to see the pictograph panel in Buckhorn Draw.
We leave the campground and continue on the same road. The draw (or “wash” as it is also called) is another five miles in a canyon.
I look for dispersed campsites.
It’s a habit. I see four or five areas where people have camped. All are unoccupied except for one with a Class C motor home.
As we travel into the canyon, I try to imagine what it was like to walk here over 2,000 years ago.
As we enter the canyon the walls grow taller and closer.
We arrive at the pictograph panel. I park the Perfect Tow Vehicle next to two cars.
“I’ll be right back,” I promise a disappointed and loudly protesting Bridget. Spike lifts his head, sees the familiar drama, and resumes his after-lunch snooze.
The rock wall is about a third taller than the above photo displays. The flat, 130-foot panel is the perfect “canvas” for pictographs. (Pictographs are painted; petroglyphs are engraved.)
Information plaques report the panel, considered sacred by many indigenous Americans, was badly damaged by a mutant subspecies of humans who carved initials on it and even shot at it (I paraphrase). Efforts to restore the paintings were not completely successful.
A man stands next to me and together we gaze at the panel. “Idiots,” he mutters, referring to the vandals, not the ancient painters. Amen to that, brother.
Another man intently adjusts his camera on a tripod. The lens looks like it could capture pictographs in a neighboring solar system.
I read a sign apologetically pointing out that the paintings don’t show up well in bright sun. . . which is, of course, what we have right now.
Nevertheless I do my best.
Apparently these folks did not struggle with weight gain.
The figures are almost as skinny as the snakes, which were their favorite creature to draw (and a lot easier to paint than birds, for example. Believe me, I KNOW.)
I can feel Bridget’s stare boring into the side of my head.
Okay, okay . . . I return to the PTV and we head for home, retracing our route out of the canyon and across the Swell.
Lower Gray Canyon Campground is empty when we return.
“Well, that was a fun outing,” I say, unlocking the door. Bridget happily hops inside while Spike goes under the Best Little Trailer to see if his collection of bones is still there.
rvsue
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What an awesome place. I will never understand why some people feel it is their destiny to destroy treasures like these. Thanks for the pictures. I knew what a “draw” was from the old Westerns we watched as a kid. LOL
WOW!!!! Looks like I am FIRST this time. Doing a happy dance 🙂
Congratulations! You’ve always been the first, sister. 🙂
lens that could capture pictographs in a neighboring solar system-I want one!
Your descriptions crack me up,I remember laughing out loud( and riling up all the pets each time) when I was reading all of your older posts.Neat, how your blog ends up making the entire household happy.
“We don’t have our house with us”,pretty sweet life when that’s what determines where home is,affirms that a travel trailer was the perfect choice for you,doesn’t it?
Hi, weather,
Yes, a travel trailer works best for us. I love having our home with us and I also like leaving it and returning to it.
I often wonder what Spike and Bridget think about all the moving around we do and the many “yards” they have. Spike likes our present camp a lot. When we were ready to leave to go on this outing, Bridget hops in the PTV. Spike is nowhere to be seen. I haven’t locked up the BLT yet. I look inside and there’s Spike in the doorway. I say, “C’mon, Spike. Time to go. We’re leaving now.” And he backs up! I go inside and he keeps backing up as I try to pick him up. I guess he thought we were moving to a new camp.
Too cute doorway scene.After the outing Spike’s first concern was his bone stash.Maybe he backed up trying to stall for time to get a bone to take with him during the excursion.You,not any particular yard,are the crew’s home,IMHO
Spike has his priorities! No, his bones are not allowed in the house. He knows I’ll take his bone away if he brings it inside.
Remember when we first came here? We were in a campsite on the other end of the campground. Well, when I moved us, I threw two old bones that were gnawed clean into the bushes. Whenever we walk anywhere near that campsite, Spike searches for those two old bones, even though he has several in his present collection.
BTW, I did see your comment at the bottom under the previous post.
🙂
Having had a Class C and a travel trailer, I also know a trailer is for me. Loving my T@B to pieces, but after retirement will need something for being on the road months at a time. I doubt I will convince hubby to go on the road, so I won’t need much space for solo travel.
Did you mean you’re trading in the T@B that you love for when you retire?
I’d love to keep it and also something like a Lance 1575, but don’t know if that’s doable. I am not eligible for retirement until 2020, so my T@B may be in poor shape by then. I keep her pretty busy :). I’ve already had her 5 years and bought used.
I will keep tabbing as long as I can…at least up to retirement, I hope.
I looked up the Lance 1575, since I’m not familiar with them. This is what the site says . . .
“Due to our lightweight engineering technology, we were able to fit the 1575 with our “Super Slide” dinette and kept the weight at just 2575 pounds*. With large windows and skylights in the living and bath areas – this trailer feels much larger than other trailers of similar size.” — http://www.lancecamper.com/travel-trailers/1575/
Thanks for the tour, Sue! Very informative. I know I will never get there, but I can now say that I have seen it!
My theory on the skinny people is that when they were first painted on that tall rock face, they were rolly polly, but over time gravity pulled their bodies downward and lengthened them to skinniness! The opposite of recent humans: gravity has no effect on the ever enlargening wide bodies, such as mine!
Hi to the Adventure Crew!
Great start to my day, Sue!
Hmm . . . Interesting theory, Diann. Maybe the paint was too thin and ran!
I’m happy to get your day off to a good start. The “Adventure Crew”… 🙂
Diann, gravity does too have an effect on current day folks. It seems to pull more and more of my weight to my hips! And I’m getting shorter as time goes by. But I’ll agree that I’m not getting any skinnier.
Just west of Green River off I70 is a place called Black Dragon Wash. There are pictographs in there as well. Not easy to get to though.
That should be Black Dragon Canyon.
Hi, John,
I saw that on a booklet from the tourist info place. It said “high clearance” vehicle needed. There are a lot of “points of interest” in that area near the interstate . . . Dutchman Arch, Ghost Rock, Locomotive Point, Head of Sinbad, Chimney Rock, Swasey’s Cabin . . . Petroglyphs and pictographs are numerous in this area.
I’d go to The Wedge which is an overlook and camping area at the edge of what is called “The Little Grand Canyon”but that is best accessed from Castle Dale.
I know it is terrible that people defaced these landmarks, but at least they did not blow them up like some other countries have had happen to theirs. As my mother always said, “Fools names and fools faces are always seen in public places”. Love the mountains and the desert there. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Jean,
That’s a saying I haven’t heard before. It reminds me of the pleas written in the informational brochure I have:
“It (meaning a petroglyph) can be hard to spot, so look for a series of bullet holes where some fool shot his initials, T.K.G., onto the cliff. Look left of the letters . . . .”
Numerous dinosaur tracks have been found around here. People are ruining them by making casts. The brochure states, “Dinosaur tracks are a vanishing resource of history and they are not making any more of them, certainly. Don’t let selfish desires lessen a future generation’s vacation.”
People also cover the dinosaur tracks with rocks thinking they are slowing erosion and protecting them from vandalism when what they really are doing is sanding away the edges of the track.
Oh, my… What a sorry lot we are.
If we really value these historical relics, we need to assign rangers or other personnel to stand guard and protect them.
Not practical. In a 60-mile radius around this panel there are numerous other panels of pictographs and petroglyphs, as well as dinosaur tracks. I’d guess twenty, maybe a lot more than that. Someone would have to be stationed at each one and watch them every minute.
I think education has helped and the vandalism has decreased, much like littering. It still happens but nothing like in the past.
Something, somewhere is getting better! Nice to hear! Having problems in CA Redwoods — poachers with chainsaws hacking burls off the ancient trees. Geographically different here, so rangers are stationed all around. Is helping.
T.K.G.
Totally Klueless Goon
Sorry this was supposed to be in response to your response to Jean
No problem… 🙂
Soooo….what’s it like chauffeuring two nut cakes around the country?? 😀
Changing the subject, eh? Nicely done, Ladybug. 🙂
Actually, it came to mind with your comment ‘All aboard, passengers!’ Lol I just pictured someone being asked what they were going to do in retirement at their retirement party, and responding ‘Chauffeur my dogs around the country!’.
My mind works oddly at times…….
I think that’s funny. You described my retirement in a NUTshell! Haha!
We chauffer two nutcases also! And love every minute !!!! Love the comment about the camera lens!
🙂
I’ve been reading a well written book about the Anasazi, House of Rain, by Craig Childs. 2006. The fact that what we see excavated is only the surface, there are many layers of previous civilizations underneath. The Buckhorn Wash was a road traveled by many, some more artistic than others. I walked over a small hill near the turnoff on I70 and found 4 cow skulls half buried– I guessed they were getting antiqued by the sun for touristic profit. Wonder what the archeologist will decide in the future if they are still there.
Interesting reflection, Rand. Maybe cows will outlast archaeologists. 🙂
An interesting side trip. I always like finding the native art galleries. Looks like country I’d enjoy.
Hi, Pleinguy . . . You would find much to paint.
Interesting pictures. Is the pictograph in an area not accessible for dogs? The screen room was something I have wondered about, would it be handy to have or a waste of space?
Hi, CheryLyn,
The pictograph is next to the parking lot. I didn’t see any sign that said “no dogs allowed.” The crew had a picnic and walk-about five miles out of the canyon before we arrived at the panel. I figured they could wait in the PTV.
When I first took to the vagabond life and before that even, I contemplated the value of having a screen room. They appeal to one’s nesting instincts, but I found they have limited use in my kind of travel and living.
The crew and I have encountered very few annoying flying insects, much to my surprise. Maybe that’s because we go inside when darkness falls.
While camped in a campground in Montana in 2012, I saw a very nice screen room ripped apart and the supports broken on a calm day. An unexpected gust of wind came along and that’s all she wrote.
We have the same or similar screen house that we bought from REI. We keep it under the bed in the Casita, but we usually only use it in places with mosquitoes or flies. We’ve never had to use it out West or when we went to the Northeast. I guess we mostly use it in Michigan and the U.P. (Upper Peninsula). But we’re glad we have it. It comes with stakes, so wind hasn’t been a problem, even on the windy Lake Superior shore.
Hi, Marsha,
Of all the screen rooms I’ve seen, that style strikes me as the most stable. The one I saw broken did not take advantage of the strength inherent in an arch. The walls went straight up and the wind managed to destroy the room without pulling up the stakes.
That’s interesting … that you’ve never used yours in the West or Northeast (lots of bugs in the latter).
Good information, I’ll be traveling to places I haven’t seen here in the west. Mosquitos sometimes a problem here now and then.
Going to look at a trailer this weekend!!!
What fun!
If you want to see lots of petroglyphs and pictographs, you might try Nine Mile Canyon. It is outside of Wellington, the next town south of Price. Last time we were there was quite a while ago, and again there was lots of vandalism. So sad that people can’t respect the ancient artifacts.
Hi, Ray… Have I welcomed you to my blog? Welcome!
Reader John K. suggested Nine Mile Canyon also. I went online to check it out and saw that it’s a beautiful drive. I decided against it… It’s a very long canyon and it’s almost an hour to get to the turn-off from here (I don’t drive 75 mph even if it’s allowed). It might have said something about 4-wheel drive necessary… can’t remember exactly, but it didn’t look like something I wanted to attempt, at least not from where we are presently camped.
I hope the ubiquitous cell phone will cut back the vandalism. I imagine the fine would be hefty, and rightly so. It would make my day to place that phone call.
I just finished reading your entire blog and thoroughly enjoyed it. I stumbled on it googling van and camping, the information about you buying the PTV popped up. I grew up tent camping and backpacking from the age of 6 and absolutely love spending time in the outdoors. I’ve enjoyed seeing how much you do, too, even though you were new to camping when you started RVing. We have always used a van to haul our camping gear around and I agree that it is perfect. After our kids were grown we threw an old futon mattress in the back and quit pitching a tent if we were in a campground – easier on the back. And last summer (we’ll be 60 this fall) we used an old bed frame to get us off the floor and sleep on a queen size airbed on top – easier on the knees. It also leaves room for storage underneath. So, I was l0oking for more nifty van ideas when I found your blog. I doubt we’ll full-time because we LOVE winter and snow, but when we retire we plan to take more camping trips for longer periods of time than we have up until now. We have only boondocked once, not by choice, when a bear tore into the tent at the next campsite at dusk and we didn’t feel like it was safe to stay there – even in a van. I’m learning more about free camping by reading your blog. If you do go to the Canadian Rockies, there is an overflow campground on the main highway between Banff and Jasper that is basically a gravel parking lot with a pit toilet – but the view is to die for and it is free. I don’t know if you can stay there unless all the campsites in the park are taken or not. I’d like to find out though. Anyway, I’ve learned a lot about trailer camping, boondocking and various western areas while reading your blog – and you are a good writer. Thanks for the time and effort you put into it. PS – we have carried bear spray for the last decade – it is also effective against coyotes and cougars. It fits right in the front of my fanny pack in the water bottle holder. It would be good protection for Spike, Bridget and yourself.
Hi, PJ . . . Welcome to my blog! You use the pronoun “we,” so I welcome you both.
Thank you very much for reading my blog from the beginning and for giving me positive feedback. I’m always appreciative when people are interested enough to go back to the beginning of my blog.
Your comment is very interesting. I enjoyed reading the evolution of your van camping as your needs and wants changed over the years. I, personally, would not spend one night in a tent in bear country. No sirreee.
I should spring for a can of bear spray. It’s so dang expensive! So far the crew and I stay in the campground when we’re in bear country, with a few exceptions (I say that so no reader jumps on that statement!).
Thanks also for the compliment on my writing. I hope you discovered that the real gems, the great information, the laughs and fun are found in the comment section.
I’m glad you joined us and shared your thoughts and suggestions. Someday I’d like to visit the Banff area and see the Canadian Rockies.
Hope to hear from you again sometime… Regards to your “other half.” (I say that because PJ is gender-neutral!). 🙂
Yes, I am the female (Paula Jo – obviously circa the 1950’s) half of a couple. And I appreciate you pointing me toward the comments – I had not read even one of them! So I started going backwards by date reading them. And many of them are very informative – so thanks for the heads up! We spent this weekend camping and backpacking at Prairie State Park in Missouri – had a great time just enjoying the outdoors. I’ve been learning about woodland and Rocky Mountain wildflowers for quite a number of years, and now I’m learning prairie flowers. I gather seeds and grow them in my yard. I have really enjoyed seeing the desert wildflowers photos you include in your blog. Talk to you later!
Yes, the comments are full of information… full of a lot of silly stuff, too.
Learning wildflowers and seed collection is a great hobby, and you are rewarded with a prettier yard. Hope to hear from you again, PJ. 🙂
I’m adding this place to my list. I enjoyed all details you wrote and your pictures.
If you’re still in Green River here is another fantastic place to visit and not too far from GR. Exit 187 Thompson. Take Thompson Canyon Road (rt. 94) north through Thompson. It changes name to Sego Canyon Rd. Drive on this paved road for about 4 miles. There are three panels of Ute and Fremont Indian petroglyphs and pictographs visible from the road. Each set of panels has a kiosk. Dogs are allowed and to visit these three panels requires about 1/2 mile of walking. Across the canyon and along the road there are more panels. Sego Canyon petroglyphs and pictographs are really amazing and easily accessible along the paved road.
I looked in my Benchmark atlas and I see exactly what you are directing me to.
I really should leave this campground, and thus, Green River. During the week the campground stays empty. Once in a while someone car camps overnight. I love having my own (I can pretend) private, waterfront property!
The day trip you suggest is very tempting. I may blame YOU if a ranger comes ’round to move me out of here. 🙂 Thanks, R.
OK! Go ahead and blame me but a ranger is not going to show up before Friday afternoon.
You’re probably right… if a ranger shows up at all. I haven’t seen one yet.
I second the motion re Sego canyon. You go up through the “Book Cliffs”; beautiful!
Unfortunately I heard about Sego Canyon too late to go there. I’d like to return to this area… and to this river camp … in the fall when the cottonwoods are yellow-gold. Maybe we’ll go to Sego then!
Hi, Sue…..Did your brochure mention what was used to create the pictographs? Ground pigment of some sort? It is amazing that the pictures still exist…not being completely eroded by wind or rain (or some idiot human being). I think your pictures turned out well despite the bright sunshine.
Last week I received a drool worthy packet from the Utah Dept of Tourism. I leafed through the brochures dreaming of future trips. I passed through Zion NP on the way to the North Rim Grand Canyon NP several years ago. I have been itching to go back, even before I left. It was cool to look at the detailed Utah map to “see” where you and the Crew have been. 🙂
Thank you for sharing so much information with us – your travels, trailer info and life in general. You are an awesome teacher, Sue! Have a good evening!
Hi, Denise,
This booklet the museum gave me is great! This is what it says about the rock art paint:
“The red pigment was created using powdered hematite, and possibly mixed with animal fat, eggs, or some other fluid. For a brush they may have used fingers or brushes made from animal fur or slender grasses. When painted on freshly exposed sandstone, the stone absorbs the pigments, thus preserving them for thousands of years.”
I can imagine you dreaming over your Utah brochure. I hope you do come back.
Thanks for the compliment. You have a wonderful evening, too.
Amazing!
The list of things your readers buy from Amazon, the list that appears at the end of each of your blog entries, the list made me do this, not you Sue, you are great, but the list:
I’m thinking of how complicated life must be for the person consulting the words and music of Mark Twain to help write the subtitles for the old movie in conversion to digital format while constantly interrupted by the neighbor’s pooping dogs just when the pressure smoker explodes, setting the long sleeve shirt on fire just after it was hung over the stove to dry, all before the newly purchased smart phone is fully programmed and can’t dial 911 yet.
The list, it made me do it Sue. It’s not you. It’s the list.
Too funny, Bob! Ha! Your imagination gone wild!
It is quite a mixture on that list. You should see my Amazon orders report. The variety of products Amazon sells is mind-boggling.
Photos are wonderful! I’m itchin’ to get there. My house is about 1/3 cleared out but much more to do! Getting there though, so that’s good.
I LOVED the description of the vandals. People like that are definitely mutants. In thinking about it, mutant subspecies abound: those that don’t signal before turning, that tailgate, that are rude to others, talking loudly on the cell in public, etc.
Hi, Donna,
Congratulations! I think the first third is the toughest because it includes getting started. Keep up the momentum and soon that big task will be behind you.
The mutants you described and the mutants I described are probably the same ones. There’s evidence that a few of them came through here. I found soda cans and an empty Frito’s bag on the sand of this pristine beach.
Donna..I envy you..1/3 cleared out, I can only hope!! Sue, nice photos..love your daily updates…and still reading my way from your beginning saga!! (just to Jan.2012 now) Thanks for such a great story!
You’re welcome, Susan!
2012…. Our first, full calendar year on the road and what a year it was . . .
We had an awesome drive down Interstate 70 today. We stopped at a few of the vista points along the way. We plan to drive through here again in June when we return to California so we will stop some more. I want to see what is to the north side of the road! We waved as we drove by Green River just in case you were watching! So many interesting places to see!
Hi, Colleen,
The crew and I crossed I-70 Thursday. I should’ve waved, too. 🙂
The viewpoints give you an idea of what’s “out there.” I tend to think of Green River as being in “the middle of nowhere” but that “nowhere” is fascinating!
I didn’t realize the difference between pictographs and petroglyphs . Mutant subspecies of humans are everywhere….they just arrested a poacher for chopping huge chunks of knots (burl wood) from the trees at Redwood Nat Park. He was selling them to tourist!
The picture of the tree is sickening. Nowadays if you witness such activity and object to their art form people are most likely to get nasty.
I can almost feel Bridget’s stare! She’s such a character. So Bridget likes her food a little browned on the outside! Heh heh!
85 degrees here in SF which is rare for Ocean Beach. Headed to Lincoln CA to see a dear friend….it was 100 degrees.
Enjoy your evening and quiet campsite.
Hi, Cinandjules,
That is sickening about the redwood. It’s bad enough that someone would hack away at a redwood, and it’s equally bad that anyone would buy his “wares,” thus encouraging him to continue. I wonder what the penalty is.
I’m pretty sure I would risk a nasty backlash. I’d photograph the SOB and his license plate and email the photos to the authorities. Some things are worth standing up for.
I did that on the mutants who were driving quads at Delmoe Lake, tearing up the beach and smashing picnic tables. I didn’t get the license plates but the photos were enough to get them cited. The Forest Service personnel were appreciative of my help and it brought the media out to address the growing problem at Delmoe Lake.
100 degrees in mid-May? Is that normal? Of course, what is normal anywhere these days . . .
We are enjoying this campsite and I hate to leave it, but we must. Any idea when you will return to NY?
Cinandjules…I didn’t realize you are in SF! I live Ocean Beach…used to live near 44th Ave and Balboa and could hear the foghorns at night. That’s the most wonderful city inthe world…wish I could still afford to live there.
Speaking of mutant sub species…did you see the story today about the 26 year old man in Georgia who put on a bulletproof vest and ask a friend to shoot him? The friend, a teenage girl, did it and somehow missed the vest..the bullet want in the armhole and into his heart. He died. She’s in jail and angry about it. I think these people are probably related to the idiots who would damage redwood trees.
The next step is to sue the company that made the vest.
Hahaha, I’m sure you are right.
As I was helping out picking up trash off our county road with a group of people from our community, I said to one lady that, eventually, you would think these kinds of people (litterbugs) would just die out. But, then, it doesn’t appear so. I think of when my parents were visiting Petrified Forest back in the fifties and their story of how they saw a couple stealing the wood. (They told a ranger so hopefully they were caught). I don’t think those kind of people will ever die out. Even boy scout leaders do it now…
I guess all we can do is just persevere and enjoy it while it lasts!
Hi, Terri,
It’s like everything else. You hope that the good outweighs the bad. Helping keep a roadside clean, as you do, is what it takes. We all need to pick up after the mutants.
We moved to a new camp today. (More about that in a future post). I had a lot to do before leaving Green River and then a long (for me) drive. Before pulling out, the crew and I walk through the campground on our way to the trash bin. Lo and behold, someone car-camped overnight and left a Bud Lite carton, 12 empties, an empty plastic orange juice bottle, and two of those will-not-die red party cups. This stuff was scattered all over the campsite on the ground.
I dumped my trash and then went back and picked up their trash. While doing so, I discovered the fire ring had live embers in it with one end of a branch in the embers and the other end of the branch outside the fire ring (the better for fire to travel, I guess). Walked back to my campsite, got a bucket and some river water, and dumped it in the fire ring.
It’s the price I paid for living in a gorgeous riverside camp. Not a bad deal!
Sue and Terri some people are just ignorant and will never learn. I also have come across similiar things while camping. Thank you Sue for taking the time to set things right! I carry an extra plastic bag when I hike and pick up trash that other people have left behind. At night after a campfire I douse it with water until it is flooded. Knowing the wind in the area is certainly cause for concern if those embers start blowing all over.
Have a great day!
Excellent habit, Deb, carrying a bag to collect trash.
As for campfires… I’m amazed at how many times I have come into a campsite and found hot ashes and or embers. One cannot judge that a fire has been put out by looking at it. One needs to check for heat. Like you wrote, a little wind and there go the sparks…
God bless firefighters.
Yes, god bless firefighters. I’ve been thinking all day about all the hotshots risking their lives in San Diego area. If people don’t care about the environment, you would think they would consider the people that risk their lives.
You know,leaving trash all over a campsite is foul behavior,live embers and branch though-that’s infuriating.It would be nice to hear of them being fined a huge sum- paid to the grieving family of a firefighter lost as a result of such behavior.
Your generous act of putting it all right may spare someone of more than an eyesore.
Glad to hear that you were at a new camp by afternoon,hope you rest a bit extra this evening and that you three enjoy the new spot together.
Hi, weather,
I hate the thought of someone going to the campground with their family in order to enjoy the beach over the weekend and they start it by having to pick up after a slob. I clean up for the next campers.
We are at a lovely, peaceful camp! I don’t know if I have the energy to post tonight. I’ll probably wait until morning when I can do a better job of it.
Have a good evening!
Sue,
A while back you where talking about getting a kayak or a folding boat . where here is a folding Kayak.
http://www.orukayak.com/oru-kayak
Whoa! A very elegant kayak… a bit out of my league. 🙂 Thanks for the link, Jason.
I love your blog, because its like traveling along with you! As a newcomer to the RV life, How do you deal with missing kids/grandkids? Of course our bestest friends like Spike and Bridget make every day special How do you deal with the missing those humans?
Maura
Hi, Maura,
I have learned not to miss people. This was a hard lesson to learn that took many years. The first lesson occurred forty years ago when I was separated from my firstborn. She was three at the time.
My second daughter and my three grandchildren lived not more than ten minutes away from me for over eight years. During that time I received two phone calls (from a granddaughter) and nothing else. No calls, texts, emails, cards… no visits at all. How did I deal with that? I cried for eight years until I couldn’t cry any more. The heart scabs over.
I rarely look back. My past isn’t something I like to talk about. If you miss your loved ones when you aren’t around them, that’s the cost of having a loving relationship.
I consider myself blessed to have found happiness after many years of sadness.
With all the technology available today (not to mention wheels!), you can keep in touch with your loved ones and visit them. 🙂
Heart aching about you so hurt,I celebrate all the more the triumph of your receiving such happiness now.Please know that your capacity to love,endure and overcome is not just something I admire,it’s part of what makes me cherish the privilege of communicating with you,Sue
I like that word … triumph! 🙂 You say the nicest things, weather. Have a good night . . .
Hi Sue,
Reading about your daughters and grandcildren made my heart hurt for you. I am so glad that you have made it through to the other side and have found happiness.
It is so sad that sometimes family can mortally wound us…and it is not just kids doing the hurting. After Dad passed away, Mom (a very toxic, narsasistic, unhappy, manipulative person) informed us that her mothering days were over…if we needed anything, we (me & my sisters) would have to be there for each other. What?! She did not bother to call one of her daughters who went through a cancer scare, has told 2 of her grandchildren that she wished that they were never born, told 2 daughters that she wished they had never married their husbands (the same guys who would drive 2 hrs 1-way to help her whenever she needed anything), disowned one daughter by a poison pen letter, told a daughter who had miscarried her first child that she wished the baby had never been conceived. Sounds like a bad soap opera, eh? Despite of all this crap (and these are just a few examples) we still TRIED to care for our Mom. Last year, she made some very serious, baseless, false accusations against us. Have you ever had to consult an attorney to protect yourself from your own Mother?! We have had to cut ties with her. Her actions have broke us to the core – sad thing is that she does not care.
Love and cherish only those who love and cherish you. We deserve it! 🙂
I’m sorry for the turbulence in your family, Denise. I know it’s been very painful.
I believe the commandment “Honor they father and thy mother” should be followed. However, there are toxic relationships where it’s best to keep one’s distance and honor from afar. I pray for each member of your family.
Thank you, Sue.
Yes, you are blessed despite that heartache!
Yes, I am, Maura. The blessings of today outweigh anything in the past.
Dear Sue,
I’m so sorry you have had to endure that pain. I’m grateful that you are now surrounded by your loving and loyal companions. You also have a family of virtual friends who would drop what they are doing in an instant to help you. You have created a wonderful life and you have inspired so many to do the same.
Thanks, Marilu. I do appreciate every one of my blogorinos.
Just can’t get enough of the scenery…..its just so beautiful!
Hope Spikeys bones were all intact!
Have a great day!
Thanks, Deb. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sue
Reading about your daughter was heartbreaking. My mom went through a similar heartbreak with my older brother. I was 10 and watched her cry for many days every day for a long time. I know she couldn’t help it but it affected me I know. I never wanted kids and never did. Kids can be so cruel to their parents-I never wanted to risk it. I am happy with just my hubby and my animals. 🙂
This post may have errors-sorry!
Hi, Terri,
I’m sorry your family went through that. I’m glad you chose a life path that makes you happy!
MESSAGE TO DAWN AND SHARON:
You both received a reply to your comments under this post:
http://rvsueandcrew.net/wind-cold-rain-hail-and-happy-tears/
Hey Sue, I know how you don’t like crowded campgrounds and people on quads buzzing around I have the solution. looking at your rig and the solar panels and the Wilson antenna, tinted windows, all you would have to do to get space, is add a couple things, I white lab jacket, a play microscope and a few test tubes and have them on the pick nick table and maybe some test tubes in a rack filled with red wine or salad dressing and maybe some white lab slippers and a clip board and I bet you wouldn’t have neighbors by nightfall, oh and don’t forget the white particle mask, that would cinch it. Bet the little disrespectful idiots that don’t respect speed limits and campground rules and others rights to peace would get about half a mile out jam on the brakes and slide to a stop and look at one another scratching their heads and say “hey dude, did you see that back there????….What up?…..I dunno man, but remember that movie contagion? Yep! maybe we ought to look for another place to ride dude. And then watch them ride by your camp at NO dust level and their tee shirts pulled up over their noses, load up and high tail it.
This idea reminds me of something Betty White would pull on that show she had where seniors mess with young folks. lmao………..
Please don’t post this cause I or you really don’t need a visit from from men in dark suits with sunglasses, and then you would have to pour out your test tube on your salad and start munching.
I hope you got a chuckle to go along with the simple life and informed your good neighbors of your experiment with idiots.
Great IDEA there, Robert. Ok if we use it??????
What are your general plans for the summer? NM and Arizona are looking hot and maybe fire-prone. I’m thinking either Montana or Lake Superior. Here’s a look ahead you may find interesting: http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf
Thanks, bobg. Thoughtful of you to post that link.
Howdy Sue! I missed those pictographs! I dragged Chuck and the MotherShip to all the ones I could find though! Thanks for sharing! I love the thought of you being referred to as the chauffer for two nutcakes! LOL! Chuck and I feel the same way sometimes!
We are having a cool day today! Not even 80 degrees yet at 2:30pm! The last gasp of Spring I guess, before summer sets in full blast!
I am sorry about the situation with your daughter. We have a similar situation in Chuck’s family. Only with us, Chuck’s daughter has pretty much been abandoned by her mother. No calls, no visits, nothing. It hurts no matter that she is in her 40’s. So we try to make up for that empty space! There will always be questions with no answers!
Hi, Geri. . . I thought of you on our way to the pictographs. I know you love that sort of thing. Thanks for the kind words.
Not only do I chauffeur two nut cakes… I cook their meals to perfection, lift them up into bed, keep them covered at night . . . You get the idea.