Thursday, February 19
It’s another balmy day at the Salton Sea. Cotton balls of clouds are strewn across a blue sky.
Lean back in the lounger and look up.
Excellent conditions for dreaming!
Okay, that’s enough of that.
I am proud to announce that Bridget and I finally made it to a laundromat! It demands some serious recollecting to figure out when we last did laundry. I know it was in 2014. When we camped at Roosevelt Lake. I vaguely remember a laundromat in Globe . . . .
Almost every stitch of clothing needs to be washed.
And by “every” I mean everything I own for winter, spring, summer, and fall, plus towels, a passel of quilts and shams and pillowcases and a comforter and . . . .
For over a week I’ve been hand-washing what I’ll wear the following day. That’s homey and cute for a day. After that, not so much.
Bridget and I climb into the Perfect Tow Vehicle and head north.
Laundry sits in the passenger seat like a very large, immobile person who’s not talking to me. More laundry is jammed into the space on the floor in front of the seat and between the seats. Bridget is confused.
“You can climb on it, sweetie. It’s okay.”
It’s a 22-mile drive from our campsite to the laundromat in Indio.
I take a wrong turn in Indio and become lost. Well, not really. How lost can you be if you find yourself in a Wal-Mart parking lot? (Don’t answer that.) One of Wally’s employees gives me very thorough directions to the laundromat, complete with spontaneously drawn map.
Returning to the PTV, I spot a familiar building.
Oh my! There’s my bank! I happen to have everything with me that I’ve been wanting to take care of at my bank, the bank that high-tailed it outta’ Yuma.
I come out of the bank with a smug feeling of accomplishment, plus my purse is loaded with $100 in quarters.
That should take care of laundry for a while… well, if I don’t use up all the quarters today, that is.
Soon Bridget and I pull into the mother of all laundries.
I kid you not. This place is more than a laundromat. It is a dadburn shrine. A shrine to everything that is clean or going to be clean.
We step into a new world, the world of Don Gordo’s Launderland!!!!
It’s now around 11 a.m. and hotter than the dickens outside.
“C’mon, Bridgie. You’re coming inside with me. I don’t care if you’re allowed or not. Be good and maybe it’ll be okay.”
I do believe that little girl understands me.
She’s the best little laundry helper! You know those metal carts with the poles sticking up? I push one of them back and forth across this huge laundromat (and I do mean HUGE), from washers to dryers to folding table, rinsing and repeating several times.
Bridget walks alongside the metal cart ahead of me like a highly trained seeing-eye dog. Like she’s done the laundry thing several times before and it’s no big deal.
“You are such a good dog!”
I’m the only Anglo. Everybody has black or grey hair. I hear a mix of English and Spanish. A male singer belts out in Spanish one passionate love song after another across the hum of machines and the clank of their doors. I fold and I fold and I fold . . .
Anyway. . .
I pack the PTV with clean laundry and Bridget and I travel another 22 miles home.
Later I take a cold shower (no hot water at Corvina Beach Campground) and boy, does it feel great!
I find a good book on Amazon.
It’s described as follows:
“August is on his way to Yellowstone to go camping, but his RV has broken down, leaving him and his small part–Jack Russell terrier, Woody, stranded in a one-horse desert town.”
Golly gee.
Could a book suit me any better? Let’s see… a national park, an RV, camping with a terrier, and the desert. It’s described as “heartwarming” which raises a red flag with me. Story lines and dialogue that drip with sap make me cringe.
I take the big risk of spending $1.99 (kindle edition price as I write this) and order the book.
Well, I finish Take Me With You
The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, also wrote the book that was made into a movie of the same title called Pay It Forward.
A campfire at sunset.
At dusk while walking Bridget on-leash through Corvina Beach Campground, we encounter a fellow camper we met recently. We both share our amazement at the vividly pink sunset of yesterday.
“I’m about to start a campfire on the beach,” he says. “Wanna’ join me to watch the sunset?”
It turns out that the conversation is more engaging than the sunset. Those cotton ball clouds joined together into a thick mass and blocked the light of sunset. That’s okay. I haven’t sat next to a campfire with someone in a long time.
Bridget impresses our new friend with her manners.
“She isn’t the yappy kind, is she,” he remarks, stroking her under the chin.
The fire burns down to embers and we exchange “good nights.” Bridget and I return to the Best Little Trailer — and clean bedding! — by the dim light of the waxing moon.
rvsue
THANKS FOR SHOPPING AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
NOTE: If you like to keep up with comments, several new ones came in under the previous post shortly before I published this post.
First again? Wow this cold weather has me in
And I am ready for spring!
Gosh, Judy L…. You are a fast one! And I mean that in the best way. 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful day, Sue. Very warming to me here in the northeast deep freeze!!
That’s good to know, Toni. We aim to thaw!
Nice, and so glad you got your Laudry done…something that most of us hate…I plan on putting my clothes in a big bucket full of soapy water, and driving down a bumpy road, to see something or other…then get home and rinse and hang…whoopee..just kidding, I am spoiled and hope to have a washer/dryer in my RV, but that is plan B.
Ugh…. I don’t want a washer or a dryer. Too much to lug around, something to be repaired, and, worst of all, no reason to go to the laundromat! 😉
What, no laundromat? No, that wouldn’t work at all!
You’re right, Ilse. You never know whom you might bump into there!
Cotton ball clouds…yes and since I quilt, I always called them batting clouds. I agree with Judy, I am so very tired of winter all ready. We are expecting an ice storm this weekend so old man winter is not done with us yet…..sadly. With that in mind sun set pictures on a sandy beach are always welcome.
Batting clouds… Yes, that works! I don’t know where you are, Bee. Somewhere in the path of another ice storm…. 🙂
Clean stuff always feels so nice. Just got the book you recommended. Sounds
Like a good read . Great pics as always. Enjoy !
I hope you enjoy that book, Deb D. It starts very slowly. I almost gave up on it when wham! It suddenly became very interesting and stayed that way.
Oh my goodness!!! Bridge I am so impressed! You help with laundry? Wow. Wagging my tail even more at the thought!!!
Awe Bridge… I envy you. The open road, clear sailing and fire on the beach too? I am so danged bored with being a town pup.
You got it made there Miss!
Wags from Hoquiam
Racy C George
(woof)
Hi, Racy, darlin’….
We pups can do anything we set our minds to, even if our owners don’t think we can. All it takes is a can-do attitude!
It’s my pleasure to show you the full-time vagabond lifestyle,
Bridget
Every scrap of laundry clean (and after avoiding one for months – yeah!) and a nice evening by the fire before sliding in between clean sheets at home. Perfect!
I almost never make my own campfire (not sure why, but… just don’t), but I do enjoy sitting around one conversing of an evening.
Back on the subject of laundry: I love how it’s possible go SOOOOO long between trips when you are straddling a change of seasons and can thus rotate through all your clothes (although I try for some record-length times even in one season). I’ve been thinking they should make special disposable paper suits to wear on laundromat day, so so that every last scrap of cloth could be laundered 😀
Hi, Pen,
That paper suit idea is a good one! Ha! You should see the get-ups I wear on laundry day. Oh dear, maybe it’s better that you don’t see…
I don’t bother with campfires either. It’s better to wait for an invitation.
Beautiful…as usual! You always make me smile, Miss Sue, thank you. Loved the laundry story, who knew doing laundry vicariously could be so much fun.
Just for fun, keep track of how many order the book, I did…you just might become the newest Oprah Book Club guru!
Hi, Lee J.,
About 15 people ordered Dove Season and almost that many ordered Big Maria… and that was with a bad language warning. I haven’t heard from anyone who has read either of them. I’m curious about the reaction.
This book is entirely different than those!
It’s fun to read that I made you smile.
I read about 1/3 thru Dove Season when it just disappeared from my kindle. I gotta go to The Cloud now and bring it back! It was pretty danged good and aggravating when it just disappeared like that!
Hmm… I wonder why that happened. I don’t store my books on the Cloud so I don’t know anything about it.
Thanks for ordering it here. I wondered which readers bought the book.
Kindle automatically stores your books on Cloud. If you go to Manage My Books ( or something like that) you will find every book you ever ordered!
I’ve seen that page. I thought I saw somewhere that you can choose to have your books stored on the Cloud only, rather than on your kindle. Doesn’t matter… whatever works.
Hi Sue, great view of your day – as usual. One of the things I am not looking forward to when we go full time is laundry. I must admit to having been spoiled by the washer and dryer sitting in their own little room at my house. The dryer went caput about a month ago (cost to much to fix) and we decided to not get a new one for the short time we have left in the house. We’ve been to the Laundromat twice and need to go again. And of course Bridget behaved, she is a young lady after all.
Hi, Lisa W.,
Before I sold my house with its big Maytag washer-dryer laundry room, I thought I would hate going to the laundromat. Not so! Here’s an advantage I hadn’t considered….
When I had a washer and dryer in my home, the laundry was never done. I always had it “in process”…. usually waiting to be folded….
Doing laundry at the ‘mat is a little excursion. We git ‘er done and go home. I have to put everything away properly. The only time going to the laundromat becomes a chore is when I’ve let the situation get out of hand and have way too much laundry to do.
Bridget was amazing.
Doing laundry at the laundromat is efficient. It’s all washed and dried at once. In the house, it took days. You’re right – it’s an outing.
Hmmm, never thought of it that way. But that does sound like an upside. Also, something I hadn’t thought about – I do the laundry alone at home, at the Laundromat we both go and do it.
Sue, your blog reminds me of the heartwarming book you recommended–great characters, realistic dialogue, but w/ the added bonus of beautiful phot0s!
Great post!
Thank you, Tara! That’s a very nice compliment.
Sounds great. We have ice and sleet and bad driving conditions all week here in the Memphis area. We are not used to this and not equipped for this. It has been a hoot tring to get to work all week. It hasn’t even been above 32 degrees in over a week. I am having trouble imagining a cold shower feeling good right now. Also, laundromats have come a long way in recent years haven’t they? Our washer was broken lately and I understand the Disneyland of laundromats, price to match too.
Hi, Jean,
That is a long stretch of freezing temps for Mississippi. And having to drive to work every day….
Don Gordo’s Laundromat is unique in that the prices are very low. The guy I met here at the campground has been going there for years and he knows Don. Don hasn’t raised his prices in years because he wants to “take care of” the Hispanic community. Being able to dry a washer load of laundry for 25 cents is quite remarkable these days.
Well, okay then! At those prices Don Gordo’s just might be better than good dark chocolate!!!
Good dark chocolate is always better. Than anything. In this world.
And because this place caters to the Hispanic market, no one was going to complain about Bridget. In Mexico dogs are pretty much welcome everywhere… as long as they behave. 🙂
Of course! Why didn’t I think of that!
Love a good campfire. Even if the sunset isn’t marvelous.
Hi, Dawn,
There’s something about sitting around a campfire that makes the conversation better!
Hi Sue. Goodness, those skies are Beautiful; and what I wouldn’t GIVE for a day as ” Hot As The Dickens!” How about a high temp of 30 degrees? Heartbreaking isn’t It? I love those Sunsets and you can never go wrong with a campfire and Good Company. Ahh, Paradise! Bridget is just an Angel. Enjoy and Take Care.
Hi, GypsyPurl,
No complaints here about the hot day…. I know many of my readers are dealing with the last throes of winter cold. A high of 30? I purposefully drive so that our low doesn’t go down to 30 degrees.
I wish I could give you a day as hot as the dickens. All I can do is write about one.
Hi Sue and Bridget! What beautiful pictures today. Not that they aren’t pretty everyday, but there is something about that sky that reels me in! There is just something about clean bedding and a clean body that just meshes perfectly. That’s the only thing I do like about laundry! I’m very impressed with Bridget, she is such a good girl! As always, I love this and all your posts.
Stay safe~
Chaunte, Shea, and the Chihuahuas
Hi, Chaunte, Shea and the Chihuahuas,
You appreciate that sky…. I thought it was gorgeous. Such white puff balls all across the blue… That’s something Easterners who are unfamiliar with the West might not be aware of…. I wasn’t… How the “low” horizons make for such enormous sky! You can’t ignore or overlook the sky here . . . .
I was impressed with Bridget, too. When I was folding, she lay quietly under the table. When time to get another load out of the dryer, she was on her feet, marching alongside the cart, then sat quietly while I emptied the dryer… and so on. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a child that well-behaved in public.
Keep lovin’ my posts! 🙂
I like all of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, but “Take Me With You” is my favorite! Good choice. Boy you’re really making me want to go to the Salton Sea, and that’s NOT in my travel plans! Congrats on getting all that laundry done.
Hi, JanisP in Ecuador,
I’m happy to see you here again!
I may read some more of Hyde’s books. I can’t imagine her doing a better job than what she did with “Take Me With You.”
Just a day of errands such as laundry and banking … listening to a male sing love songs in Spanish, oh-so-smart Bridget at your side, a cold shower when nothing else could feel better,sitting beside a fire until the moon comes out and you go in -to the home you love even more than usual as clean sheets surround you.Gee,Sue,you make life,by noticing it,appreciating it a dream,without needing clouds to inspire it or sleep to bring it to you.
Your synopsis of our day points out how good it was… more than I realized! Even becoming lost in a strange town (Indio) turned to our favor. That banking chore was hanging over me and now it’s done, neatly folded and put away in my mind. 🙂
This life is a dream, weather. It’s more than I ever hoped for. And the diamond sparkles on the water across the beach are making me tear up so I’ll leave it at that!
Speechless myself for you…big hearts to you.
🙂
Understood,shared and felt -I have the same kind of tears often as you know by now,and yes, life is a dream when lived with eyes and heart open,Rest well when you do this precious evening .
Lots of clouds today… different than the ones in this post… hoping for another exciting sunset… I’m insatiable! 🙂
You rest well, too.
Ha!you have a case of “just one more …” s 🙂 thanks,troupes settling down,me,too,no need to reply
If it is overcast and cloudy, do you still get energy from your solar panels, and if not, do you run your generator, or just move to a location that has more sun? It has been overcast here the last couple of days and I was wondering if you had to use your generator. You never talk about having to use it. Just asking.
At the main Refuge, just about 5 miles North of you, there is a little store, and in the parking lot, they have full hook-ups…just like you don’t like…one next to another, not very pretty..but it will do in a pinch..
I don’t know what you mean by “in a pinch.” Why would I want full hook-ups?
Hi, Shirlene,
The overcast doesn’t interfere with the solar energy. Those little power munchkins fly through the clouds all the way to the solar panel and into the batteries!
I don’t own a generator and never want to own one.
The only time I move for more sun is when I’m someplace like a dense forest in the Pacific Northwest. When there, I move the PTV into a sunny spot, either plugged in or not.
Good Girl, Bridget! She is almost perfect, huh!
Thanks for the beautiful photos. Are those what they call Buttermilk Skies. Only means that some moisture is due.
Well, we in MT are now gearing up for the February edition of winter. Some snow in the high country and a little down on the plains. It has been an unusually mild winter here in the Mountain West with temps in the high 40’s, 50’s and some 60’s for the most of this month. We will probably “get ours” starting right now and then into mid-April.
Am reading Dove Season. About half-way through. What an intriguing story. (I understand now why you broke out in a few words of Spanish a couple of posts ago.) LOL
They just found the body in the well. The chapter about Pop’s death had me rolling in laughing pains, like the characters were doing, and then found myself sitting aghast at the unexpected ending of that chapter. Johnny Shaw is a great author. Can’t wait to get to Big Maria.
I will read any of your “highly recommended” of the future.
Glad you got that dad-burned wash done. YAY!
Just wanted to let you know that I take your recommendations seriously.
Hi, Diann in MT,
“Buttermilk skies”…. 🙂
I’m tickled that you are in laughing ’til it hurts while reading Dove Season.
BTW, if you like both those books, there’s a third one by Johnny Shaw called “Plaster City.” Again, raw language but that’s overshadowed by the fully drawn characters, the perfectly real dialogue, and the hilarious scenes in a plot that keeps you turning pages. (Plaster City is an actual place in southern California, near the border.)
You, Sweetie! Thanks for the sensitive edit!
Best wishes.
You’re welcome. Same to you.
Bought it! The book, that is….
You had me at “It’s not sappy at all.”
So glad you admitted to the “cringing” concerning books….now I’ll take your recommendations more seriously 🙂
Those cloud shots…….man oh man. I can just lose myself in them.
Oh…and considering the title of this post…maybe a few shots of the laundry mat….?
I know…it’s too late now 🙂
Hi, Cindy the pet sitter in Mesa AZ,
Oh goody! You ordered the book. I think you’ll find it a very satisfying read. Give the book time to take off. At first the prose seems a little too simple. Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded! Thanks for ordering it here. 🙂
Yeah, I meant to take a photo of the mother of all laundromats, both inside and out. It was so hot, I forgot about photos until we were riding back to camp.
🙂 SMILE 🙂
I might start it tonight. Currently I’m reading Alexandra Horowitz, “Inside of a Dog.”
She’s a great writer, but it’s a scientific book…and she might lose me at some point….I hope not though, as that’s important info in there.
However, I have been known to read more than one book at a time 🙂
Campfire on the beach!!!!! I have always wanted to do that!! The pictures of the sky are so pretty. Forgot to mention at the last post, that Bridget looked so pretty having her picture taken…such a sweetie. I bet she impresses everyone with how well behave she is.
Like Jean in Southaven MS we are getting some more sleet and ice. Not as bad as the beginning of the week though.
Guess I don’t have to tell you to stay warm
Love you
Hi, Pauline in Mississippi, dear sister of my mine!
What? Never had a campfire on the beach? Sounds like a bucket list item…
No, no need to tell me to stay warm. Ha! You be careful on the roads…
Love you…
Love the cotton ball clouds!
Wow that is a lot of laundry! We use a pseudo duvet cover on our down comforter…duvet meaning I sewed two flat sheets together to make it. Duvets are 60 bucks…two flat sheets next to nothing. When the dog hair, ( yes dog hair or a perfectly placed hairball) appears….I rip it off and wash it. A lot easier than trying to wash the WHITE down comforter in the washing machine. (Ever wonder why they make white anything?). Want me to sew a duvet cover for you?
I can just picture Bridget helping you out with the laundry chores! Such a good girl!
A cold shower??. Yikes! Glad you found your bank!
Enjoy your evening!
Hi, Cinandjules,
The comforter is washed and packed away in a bin in the PTV. We’re in lightweight quilt weather, with the windows open, that is. 🙂
The comforter I have is a cheapo from Wal-Mart that I didn’t even want to buy but couldn’t find anything better at the time so I brought it home. It has turned out to be the best thing! I can take it outside and give it a shake and what little Bridget sheds (she doesn’t shed much at all) flies off. I drape it over the lounger to freshen it up between laundromat visits. It washes nicely, too.
Hmm… sounds like AO won the battle over who gets to sleep in the big bed.
You’re sweet to offer to sew a duvet cover for me. No need. Thanks anyway.
Stay warm and cozy….
Do you get condensation inside the BLT during the night? Or do you always keep a window cracked?
Okay, about the duvet cover!
AO is allowed to snuggle on the bed while I take off my contacts and brush my teeth. Once that is done…she knows it’s time to get off! She’s also given up on trying to sneak up in the morning.
No condensation during the night. This is dry air, remember
A compromise has been reached… AO is a good girl.
I’d like to order one duvet and two matching euro shams,please! White, because my sock money is very tidy.
I have brand new sewing machine — so how do you close the 4th side of the duvet? Buttonholes? Ties? Pottery Barn, eat your heart out!
Oh!!I almost fell out of my chair reading the title to your blog post today..LOL!!! I will always enter a laudromat with a smile from now on !!
Hi, Betty Shea,
No laundromat can measure up to Don Gordo’s Launderland!
Sounds like it was worth the 22 miles one way !!! Nothing better than a good laundry! Oh well, good dark chocolate might be better! Grin !!!
I saw this recently and thought of it because of your post. Check out this little laundry bad boy! https://www.lehmans.com/p-1470-pressure-handwasher.aspx
BTW, this company has non-electric items you might like on the road. 🙂
Hi, Dyann,
That’s thoughtful of you to post a link for the pressure handwasher. It’s not something I want, but there may be readers who would like to have it.
My Dad likes doing the laundry and I like going there too, I get to see other dogs and meet the people from up north who are visiting the southwest till it gets warm where they are from and I get to go for walks and eat at the deli next to the laundry place. but I’m not allowed to go inside like Miss Bridget,,,,, Timber ,,,,ps nice camp fire.
This was a special, one-time deal for Bridget, Timber. She doesn’t always get to go inside. That’s neat that you have a snack at the deli on laundry day. Bridget didn’t get to do that!
I love it when you write about the ordinary, everyday things I would call “chores”. It’s such a realistic look into your world. What I can’t figure out is why you have so much more fun than I doing the same thing. Could it be that you do your laundry at Disneyland? Think I’m gonna try that approach next time and see if I have more fun with my dirty laundry. It is, after all, the happiest place on earth!
Question for you—do you own/use a GPS? Pros or cons? You have written about how you research for a boondock site but I don’t recall you mentioning a GPS. I’m a mapster (one who enjoys studying maps) but can understand the merit to having modern technology such as a GPS. I just can’t reconcile the cost of said technology when I can get along without it. I think I’m going to continue in my tried and true old fashioned ways but wondered what your thoughts are.
BTW, in the previous post, your words of wisdom related to being vs having were quite profound, IMO. That’s what makes some folks content with less, but rich in life. You said it beautifully. It really is one of the core principles of your blog!(referring to comment of 2/20/15 @8:59am)
Give HRH a love pat from me and the both of you be well and stay safe.
Audrey
Hi, Audrey,
About the GPS. I get the impression that everyone who owns a GPS absolutely loves it and can’t imagine living without one. Not so for me. It’s one of the few purchases I made in preparation for living in a travel trailer that I regret. I haven’t used mine at all the past few years. It became something more to keep charged and updated and it had this way of tricking me onto the wrong roads…
I much prefer using a paper map (Benchmark atlas, of course), and choosing roads based on my research, not what a dang GPS tells me. Like I said, I believe I’m not the norm when it comes to GPS.
Thank you for noting my comment on contentment. I like that phrase “core principles of your blog.”
Aways enjoy hearing from you, Audrey. Be well and happy.
I own GPS and never use it. just don’t like it. Nothing better than maps and my own brain. My husband said we never got lost just took a detour a few times.
You don’t like GPS either. Well, there are two of us!
Three of us! Our GPS has had us on more wrong roads than I would have picked from a map blind folded! We still carry it around.
But be darned if I know why!
Make it 4 of us. There is one in my new car, can’t even figure out how to use it. I am all for the good old paper map, atlas, etc. I would hate to be a young person today, they can’t even read a map. When my niece was young she asked my husband what he was looking at on his arm. It was his analog watch, but she couldn’t tell him the time as she only knew a digital watch. Sad, but funny.
I used to try to teach fractions by using the wall clock in the classroom. I soon realized that my 12-year-old students couldn’t read an analog clock.
Imagine growing up, not understanding the face of Big Ben or what the old grandfather clock is doing, other than swinging a pendulum and making periodic sounds.
Here is a story of using GPS. A guy arrived on the ferry in Whittier, AK. GPS instructed him to make right turn. He did and dropped straight to the bay. It was an extensive rescue operation and the sad part is he had a cat with him. Really, why would anyone need GPS in Alaska especially getting off the ferry?
Is there such a thing as GPS addiction? Like people walking into poles because they have their eyes on the “device” in their hands, rather than looking where they are going.
Don’t own a GPS and probably will not buy one. I did well with a paper map and 3×5 cards for many years and have progressed to Google Maps and 3×5 card. That is most likely what I will use as long as I continue to travel.
I don’t know why I thought I needed to improve on a map and a brain. I hate to admit I was sucked into a gadget I didn’t need.
We do have one…and it has saved our hide a time or two…BUT it has also taken us to parts of town in unknown places, that we would never go on our own (bars on windows and doors, lounging non-workers hanging out, giving drivers the evil eye, etc). Here we need it as it lets us know when the traffic is really bad ahead and often we can reroute. But it is true, they are not totally trustworthy either!!
I sure enjoy reading about your day to day life. It is almost like being a peeping Tom, but not in a creepy way!
You’ve probably been asked this before, but do you feel safe out there alone? I guess I am a scardycat. I would have been nervous sitting at a fire with a guy. lol
I wanted to ask you more questions and see that you don’t show your email information anywhere. At least not that I could find. I don’t blame you for protecting your privacy.
I am a newly hatched 60 year old woman myself. I must say, I really REALLY love reading your postings and seeing your photos and imagining it was me out there with my little ratties!
Thank you for letting us get a glimpse of your vagabond life!
You’re welcome, Sherri D. Good to see you here again…
To answer your question… I have felt safe every day and every night. Well, the bear rocking the BLT was a little scary. 🙂 I don’t think about bad things that might happen because they aren’t likely and the act of thinking about bad things is what is scary!
The reality is this… Living on the road, camping in rural areas — on public land in the desert, the mountains, or in campgrounds — is much safer than living in a sticks-and-bricks home. Mostly because I move whereas a resident in a regular home stays put, has more possessions to tempt a criminal, and establishes patterns for criminals to take advantage of.
I meet and interact with a variety of people, mostly other campers, and they’re not looking for trouble. They’re easy-going, good-hearted folks… sure, an occasional, nutty recluse. 🙂
I don’t know about these sardine can RV parks and such. I imagine they’re just as safe as when boondocking.
I don’t post my email address because I would soon be overwhelmed with two places to respond… on the blog and from my inbox. It’s not because I don’t want questions. Please don’t hesitate to ask your questions here. Chances are that others will benefit.
Yes, imagine yourself here with your little ratties…. safe and happy!
“…an occasional, nutty recluse. 🙂
I don’t know about these sardine can RV parks and such.”
I resemble that remark and have never had a problem since living on the road in RV Parks. I had a murder happen about 100′ from my front door while living in a sticks-n-bricks. Nothing approaching that kind of violence in any Park that I have been in.
Oh dear me, you’re hurting me, Ed! I’m laughing so hard. Really and truly, I did not have you in mind when I wrote that. Haha!
The “occasional, nutty recluse” is ME!
Wow!! No sooner do I suggest a laundromat post when up it comes! Although it’s handy to have your own washer and dryer, there is nothing like a laundromat to really get the feel for living somewhere. The fire on the beach, and good company to share it with…
it just doesn’t get much better…Enjoy!
Ha! I did write this post before I saw your suggestion. You’re right about laundromats giving you the feeling of living in the area. I enjoy people-watching while the laundry spins.
Hi Sue, Love the post. It’s the simple things in life and you have such a way with words. We are out looking for another travel trailer after being without for a year. The last one was way too big for us at 34 feet. Couldn’t get into lots of parks we wanted to try. This time we are looking for an easy tow and no bigger than 24 feet. Love the Casita but difficult to find used ones. Do you ever feel the 17 footer is too small? We enjoy being outside, but also like to be comfy indoors on rainy days. I’m sure it’s very different sitting in one in the dealers show room and living in it 24/7. We are not full timers but will spend lots of time in it. Keep up your great work and enjoy the simple things in life.
Hi, Sandy,
I appreciate you mentioning that your 34 footer was too big for some of the places you wanted to go. Bigger is not always better. Good luck finding the perfect rig… As Goldilocks says, “Not too big, not too small, just right!”
I haven’t felt the 17 feet of the BLT is too small for us. Partly because I don’t think that way. I think in terms of “What do I need to do to solve this or that storage dilemma?” I love the way I can make a U-turn on a road, no problem. The way the BLT nestles into tight campsites. The amount of time it takes to wash the floor!
You use the pronoun “we” and I assume you mean you and your partner who is not a dog. Just guessing here… 24 feet sounds good for two people. I don’t recommend 17 feet for two people, although there are couples who live full-time in this little space (See Casita Escapes blog, for example).
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this post.
I have a 34 footer and it is too big for me but the little woman likes the space.Guess who wins that argument.If I had my way 24 feet would be good.Just big enough for a full size shower.
We are snowbirders so I guess I can handle it 3 months of the year.
At least you both want to hit the road for those 3 months. It’s sad when one wants to go and the other doesn’t.
Amen, to that comment!
We have a 24 footer & it’s perfect for the two of us & the dog. I think we could even full-time in this trailer. The shower is a dream, we have 480 watts of solar power, LED bulbs & a walk-around short queen bed. The only thing I’d change would be to somehow get rid of the dinette & put in a desk.
Over the years the one feature of a rig that I’ve heard most often being removed (or wished wasn’t there) is the dinette. When one has a picnic table outside one’s door or a handy, folding table, the dinette is redundant and takes up valuable space. It’s cuteness designed to make a sale. Of course, some people love their dinette.
A desk seems much more practical and a good use of space. Manufacturers are slow to catch on. With the proliferation of computers and gadgets, a tech station makes more sense than a dinette in an RV.
I would love to get rid of the standard pullout sofa on the bigger rigs like mine.It is heavy and takes up space that could give us more freedom for Juice and Eddis.
I can see where the floor space would be better put to use. I know about Juice. Who is Eddis? I hope that’s not your wife! 🙂
Eddie is Juices younger brother..2 years old.Part rat terrier.
Juice is a husky mix and is 12.
🙂
We had two humans, one dog and three cats in our 24 C.
I like the option of making the dinette into a bed.
Nice pics again. I loved the little beach fire your friend shared. It made me remember a beach fire I made once in Santo Thomas in Baja. I didn’t think it was a problem taking the large rocks and making a fire ring on the beach. I did so and built a nice hot fire (of driftwood) to cook dinner on. I always had a little rack I could put over a fire and cook meat. All went well until some of the rocks got hot. Then the explosion started. I didn’t know that these rocks fresh from the ocean had trapped seawater in them and when heated the rocks could explode. Not a huge explosion but enough to back me away far enough to burn the steaks I was cooking. I conducted a forensic investigation later and ruled out the driftwood as the culprit as I did find a exploded rock. Well, that’s my story and I’m stickin to it.
I love your blog and depend on it Missy….
This is one of the things I love about my blog. I get to read little mini-blog posts like your comment, Jim. What an interesting experience…. I’m glad my photo brought it back to you.
Who would think about water expanding in the rocks? I know I wouldn’t have. Gosh, I’m not a steak-eater, but the picture you painted in words sounds heavenly… Grilling steaks on the beach in Baja….
Thanks for entertaining me, Jim, and for loving Missy’s blog. 🙂
Great story AZ Jim. I need to remember that. Hmm! What chemical reaction took place?
Water trapped inside rock…once heated…and created steam.
They say if you use rocks in a fire ring or heated inside your sleeping bag…not to use river rocks.
Yes, but what chemical reaction took place?
Water in the rock turns to steam, which expands and cracks the rock…
What chemicals compounds react?
Okay, R…. Go ahead and tell us. 🙂
I would need my chemist husband here to confirm what I think I know. I don’t want to make axxx of myself.
Sounded like a nice bbq…
Yeah! Like frying bacon nekkid!
Could the last campfire you enjoyed have been on the shores of Flaming Gorge with the Garcias?
YES!!! And I thought about that when I wrote this post!
“She isn’t the yappy kind, is she,”
Oh my!!! That was my biggest laugh of the day.
But it sounds like she was an absolute perfect princess today. You both seem so happy, and that of course makes me happy.
If she keeps this up you will need another entry on the side bar. “What is the PBT?” That would be Bridgett the Perfectly Behaved Terrier!
You caught that hidden joke about Bridget not being the yappy kind. Haha! He hasn’t heard her when I leave her in the PTV to do the grocery shopping. She can peel the hair right off your head with that scream!
But we’re not going to focus on that today. Yes, Bridget was a perfect princess. I couldn’t have asked for better behavior. It’s like she knew the alternative was the PTV in the heat.
The PBT. Pffftt! Let’s not go crazy, Rick.
LOVIN’ that campfire shot and the pano below its superb! Very nice of your fellow beach comber to invite you to the circle…I would have enjoyed that warmth last evening…I have one of those backyard fire kettles and its fun to sometimes sit around that and have a beverage and a nice chat.. by the edge of water is much better tho….Havent done that since I was a teen and traveled to FL with a friend we had a campfire on the beach I was about 15 yrs old…thanks for helping me pull up that old memory!!
Clean Clothes are one of the good things!!
Hi, Sondra-SC,
I bet it is nice to sit around the fire kettle with friends or family. Something about fire, instant relaxation, conviviality, atmosphere…
I was planning to do a panoramic shot of the sunset. That was before the invitation to the campfire. The one I posted was a practice shot. Not much to see in it.
The trains that go by here have over 100 cars. I want to do a pano shot of a train which is tricky because the train is moving, of course. Photography is so much fun!
Glad to bring forth your memory of being a teenager on a Florida beach, complete with campfire and friend.
The train shot idea is an awesome one–trains always thrill mr I think it awakens that hobo spirit in us all..
Campfire has a special feeling, doesn’t it? I’m not very social person but it is interesting how many campers in CA asked me to join them and never asked me to tell them my life story. Laundry sounds great and clean too. Would you like to share where is this Laundromat? I hope one day to find Laundromat with several machines. I did my laundry yesterday but there were only two washers and two dryers. $2.00 each.
Hi, R.,
Hope you’re enjoying Anza Borrego…
Don Gordo’s Launderland is at 45-680 Salton Street in Indio, which is a street off of Jackson Street, not far from Route 111.
You can see a cartoon of Don and other details at the link, plus a map.
Dang! That was an expensive laundromat.
Great! Thank you so much. My next visit to Walmart will include laundry at Don’s
And it’s not far from the Wal-Mart “Neighborhood Market” in Indio. . .
Oh man! There’s just so much to love about this post! Don Gordo’s Launderland–reminds me of Don Pardo. there’s a lot to be said for taking 3-4 washer-loads of laundry into a laundromat with you & coming out 2 hours +/- with everything washed. Campfires seem to nurture conversation–not sure why but it’s cool. In a previous life, Bridget must’ve been a wise & intelligent women who mastered the stink eye & loved doing laundry. One of the coolest retirement gifts I was given was “The Cloud Collector’s Handbook”. You’re supposed to write the date & location you saw each of the cloud formations…sorry, I don’t write in books. But it’s been fun to have it here in the land where you can distinguish one cloud from another. So I’m able to tell you that your clouds were altocumulus. There are 4 possible species & 7 varieties of altocumulus. The book doesn’t specify which species/variety your clouds are–the caption in the book for a similar sky: “who knocked over the jar of cotton balls?” Indeed.
Ear skritches to Miss Bridget & dang! Don’t clean clothes smell good?!?
Hi, Dawn,
Ha! “3-4 washer loads?” I used three double-load washers and one single-load washer. (Let’s see…. doin’ the math here….) That’s 7 loads!
I have never heard of a cloud collector book. I don’t write in books either. Could never do it! I think that came from a teacher I had in grade school.
Yep, altocumulus for sure… 🙂
7 loads?!? I think you could win the Launderland Laundry Queen of the Year Award, Sue! I like folks who want to give back to the community. We tried double washers but thought they took fewer items than the top load–we’ll give them another try next time ’round.
The thing with double-load washers…. You can fill them up all the way to the top because, remember, they are “on their side.” The depth is from front to back. As long as you don’t have the laundry pressing tightly against the door, you haven’t overloaded the machine.
What fun, only Sue and Bridge can turn a mundane, if not downright painful task, of going to a public laundry into an interesting day. I like your description of the Disneyland of laundromats, only in California ;-).
While we traveled in southern AZ a few weeks ago, the weather at home was setting new high temp records. Now that we are home, it has snowed twice and we are expecting a foot or more tomorrow. That’s nothing for new englanders, but we are wishing we had been able to stay longer.
Cheers!
PS: I have read a couple hundred books on my kindle this past year. If you are interested in how I can afford that, email.
Hi, K & B in CO,
Gee, you have that weather situation backwards! Free books… from the library system to your kindle, online free book sites, borrowing from other kindle owners, Amazon freebies… any others? You’re welcome to share here!
Yes, many public libraries have a selection of books which can be downloaded. Most formats are supported. Wait times to borrow new releases can be long. I have been reading older novels.
What a wonderful day at the Laundromat! I remember doing the very same thing while on the road!
I would take my Lady (GSD) with me EVERYWHERE, just like you take Bridget!
Even the Laundromat!!! Sometimes the folks would seem to be nervous around the German Shepherd, at first — but as soon as I introduced them to Lady –she was putty in their hands!!!
What a little show-off she was!!!
Yes – PILES & PILES & PILES & PILES of clothes, sheets, towels, rugs, other odds & ends!!!
But, I’d take a book & snack for me. Water & treats for Lady.
We would chat with the other folks there — it was usually a lovely social event!
Thank for the memories!!
Hi, Lynn,
Not much socializing to be done when you don’t understand the language. Bridget comes inside with me (Spike used to, also) when dogs aren’t prohibited. I usually ask permission first.
In the case of this laundry trip, I felt it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Bridget was coming inside with me or we were taking the dirty laundry home.
Cotton Ball Skies and fresh laundry, wow and one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever seen! Enjoy on Sue. Take Care Sue and Crew.
Thanks, Diane,
There are two state park campgrounds a short distance north of us. Even if the fee was the same, I’d still want to camp here. I prefer campgrounds that aren’t paved and manicured, and where campers can put a lot of space between themselves and their neighbor.
While we are enjoying the story of the super Laundromat, I wonder how many are hearing about the white lady and her cute little dog that helped with the laundry? I love that the dirty laundry wasn’t talking to you 🙂 and I’m not asking if it did once it was clean. Like rain after washing your car – of course you sat by a campfire after doing laundry!! The whole day sounds wonderful – as all days should, even when chores are part of them.
Hi, Jodee,
That’s the reason for cleaning one’s clothes…. so you can get them dirty again doing what you want to do, right? It was a good day.
Bridget was so well-behaved, discreetly padding along beside me, that I don’t think many of my fellow launderers noticed she was there. 🙂
I loved the story “Take me with you” and got hooked on the author. I’ve also read Don’t Let Me Go
, which was equally moving.
Love the cotton ball clouds.
When we were at Yellowstone last summer we drove to Bozeman for an oil change, groceries and to do laundry. The Laundromat was unbelievable. Comfy leather couches and a huge flat screen TV. Very clean, too.
Hi, Marsha,
No “comfy leather couches” at Don Gordo’s Launderland. It’s all business there. Lots of commercial washing going on….
I like Bozeman. I don’t know exactly why. Some places are like that.
I wish that book was available on kindle. As I type this, it isn’t. Maybe that will change soon.
My husband I always stopped in Bozeman while driving to somewhere or from somewhere. We loved Bozeman. Why I don’t know. Maybe because all those hiking trails.
I usually get my books from the library’s ebook selection, so that may be why I was able to read it on my Kindle.
Watching each pine bough let go of it’s armload of snow I saw the tree take it’s upward reaching shape back.The weight that had bent it for a while did no damage because it’s resilient- pliable.Looking as beautiful in the sunlight,snow and wind of winter as does in every other season it adapts and just continues to grow.The ones in nearby woods don’t fare as well because they’re crowded so become stunted and misshapen through the years.
Read something a friend e-mailed me a while ago-one sentence took me aback.She was mentioning where she sat as she typed ,that a small heater was by her feet for warmth and wrote”Such are the joys of being here this winter.”Within the context of her letter it was obvious that was said sarcastically,wasn’t a statement of gratitude.She really wasn’t feeling joyful,she was complaining-something she wouldn’t have done years ago,at least not while talking to me.
There’d come a time when the option to choose between a home in the country or city presented itself.She’d chosen the city for convenience and ease.The results are reflected in what I mentioned above and have touched many parts of her life in similar ways.I don’t mention this to criticize her or any choices that she’s made,she believed she had good reasons for every one.A person with communication skills that soar – impart grace and gentle love-she’s wonderful,in that way and as a friend.
The mention is for another reason-to note the differences being near nature instead of people,choosing to cling to hope instead of prevailing negative warnings offered every day.”Stay near the hospitals ,in case you need one!” One will get what one sees,so of course she’s had to enter them from time to time.”Don’t be alone or walk in isolated places,for safety’s sake join a gym,stroll the cement sidewalks or malls.” The gruesome atmospheres and what she encountered doing that became so unappealing that she did none of it eventually.Bouts of illness common within heavily populated areas,constantly diminishing breadth of dreams,check!
So we’ll meet to visit,she’ll get excited,decide to reach again-she always does.I’ll breath in her sheer brilliance of taking one small phrase to bring half of heaven’s love to topic’s others merely plod through .Before I get ready to meet anyone or go anywhere,though,I wanted ,Sue,to tell you how much I respect the choices you made-how glad I am for you.
Hi, weather,
Your description today of your friend who chose the city for convenience perfectly illustrates what I’ve often tried to communicate on this blog to people who are afraid to live alone in the country or to travel away from populated areas.
Every word of your message resonates with truth and wisdom. How ironic and sad that the fear of becoming ill without a hospital up the street leads people to choose an environment where sickness can spread rapidly.
You often include images in your comments that have personal meaning for me or that recall moments of epiphany. I remember watching seniors walk around the mall in Athens — which was opened for them before the stores, specifically for walking exercise — and, as a woman in her early 50s, I recoiled at the thought, “Is that what lies ahead for me?”
Memories of childhood explorations in the fields, woods, creeks, and hills in upstate New York will always be fresh for me. I looked at those gray-faced people in their walking sneakers, determined to stay healthy by exercising, pacing around the mall in mind-deadening loops from one end to the other, breathing in the processed air, and I knew . . . I have to escape to the fields again!
Thank heavens your friend has you to help her hold on to what is real and wholesome and life-giving, and not to lose the brilliance of mind she has been blessed with.
Your writing is superb. I so enjoy reading your messages, weather.
What a pleasure reading your reply was 🙂 and thank you for the compliments,too.
“I have to escape to the fields again!”… never far from our hearts,now we can-are all the time …miraculous days ,it’s an honor to have them and share them with you.
Weather! Please keep writing!
Kay from KC!
Thanks for the thumbs up,Kay,it’s good of you to leave me an enthusiastic note.
🙂 you both are brilliant. .it is an honor to be here.
ditto.
Good morning, Sue!
Love the cottony sky photos! What a wonderful way to start your day! Bridget was the happy little helper….and not yappy (lol!). Hard to yap when concentrating on guiding her mom and that buggy thingy between machines!! Climbing into a freshly laundered bed is so comforting. What a bonus to find your bank, too – yay!
Gray skies here today, still bitter cold…expecting sleet/snow/freezing rain. Overnight, it should all turn to rain. Tonight, I am joining a group of 14-17 friends for our annual Chinese New Year celebration at our favorite Chinese restaurant – hope the weather folks are wrong about our forecast! I am working on laundry and other chores this morning…no Spanish love songs here! 🙂
Hope you and Miss Bridge have a wonderful day! Hugs to you both from me and Gracie pup! By the way, for future reference, I have added a bookmark for Don Gordo’s, along with so many of the other businesses that you have shared with us….Wade’s Vans, etc. If only they knew just how valuable a good recommendation from you can be! Hmmm….RVSue’s Yellow Pages!! 😉
Love your newsy good-morning message, Denise!
“A group of 14-17 friends”… Wow… I don’t think I’ve had that many friends in my entire life. I can’t imagine seeing them all at once! 🙂 Have a wonderful time at the Chinese restaurant… and Happy New Year!
RVSue’s Yellow Pages… Now that you mention it, I have come across a selection of honest businesses along the way these past few years. I wonder if the internet has anything to do with that. It used to be (at least I hope it’s only in the past) that business people would look at your license plate in order to decide what to charge you. Now we can check online for the going price of a product or service, and businesses know that rip-offs will be reported for anyone to see on business review sites, on blogs, in forums, etc.
I hope the roads are clear and you and your friends are merry tonight!
🙂
Just got ‘take me with you’ for free. If I’m not mistaken, this book has been made into a movie. Not sure of movie title. I’m a big help!
I tried to find the movie you mention because Take Me With You could make a great film… All I see is the Pay It Forward movie.
Maybe I made it up. I do that sometimes.
Pretty much your most surrealistic of post titles yet!
Whatever it takes to get you here! 🙂
I loved your story about the laundromat. I live across the parking lot from my apartment’s laundromat and I can assure you I have at least 7 loads lying on my bedroom floor. Like you, it’s a mixture of work clothes, jeans, towels and various comforters. Just about every item of clothing I own is on that floor, but this week has helped me to see priorities.
We’ve had snow and ice all week here and I have been inside all week. I’ve had plenty of food, supplies, and electricity and haven’t really wanted for anything. Laundry wasn’t done because I’ve chosen not to walk across the ice skating rink that is the parking lot and instead, just “be.” I have my internet and I have read four books on my Kindle. I’ve only moved when I have to and done exactly as I please. One friend called to check up on me, but besides that I really haven’t had any other contact with anyone. Even though it’s not quite the living that you do, I have learned this week that I can be quite happy and content being alone. These days have provided me with an opportunity to really evaluate and have that brief period of being alone, but not once have I felt lonely. This reflection has been so good for me and has nourished my soul and my self-esteem. In fact, I am almost resentful to go back to work, but I know that I have to so that I may have the income to purchase my own TT and tow vehicle. I have surprised myself with my self-discovery and priorities, and it has most definitely helped to show that living in my little travel trailer in the middle of nowhere is exactly what I want and need.
Sorry to go on and on, but I have always been a little cautious about the feeling of cutting myself off. I know it was for just a week, but we sometimes discover things about ourselves in a moment. Again, thank you for your blog, thank you for your honesty, and especially thank you for reinforcing my dream. I still have six years, but I know without a doubt that I am going after the best life for me.
Beautiful, DeAnne! I understand what you’re saying here. It’s difficult to know who we are and what we want when on the treadmill of making a living, keeping our life held together from one day to the next, meeting the demands of a job, working hard, keeping on schedule…. We need “free” time alone to gather our thoughts and reflect on what is important to us.
The storm was a blessing for you! No need to apologize… I’m honored that you choose to share here.. . and I’m glad you let the laundry wait. “I am going after the best life for me.”…. Yes! You can get there!
Thanks for writing, DeAnne. Take care.
Clean sheets AND a campfire? Woman, you are living the life!!!
hugs,
Lacy
I know. Pretty nice, isn’t it.
Excuse me……who keeps shaking the snow globe?
Too funny! 🙂
Crazy isn’t it. And there are 2 more out here getting ready to move east.
I read the weather forecast for the northeast. Gosh. People live there?
It is warmer around Anchorage, AK. The annual Iditarod race had to be moved from Anchorage to Fairbanks because of not enough snow. too bad they didn’t move it to Boston.
I love it!
Laundry, Spanish passion songs and Date-Nite by campfire in the desert… 🙂 and grin…
Now that’s how to DO a day in my book!
Well, it wasn’t what one would call a “date nite”… 🙂
Oh I was just teasin’ with you. Besides, it was a very casual date-nite among new friends. That’s the very best kind to really enjoy. Next time, bring along some s’mores with bannanas…dark chocolate of course 😉 🙂
Gee, smores with bananas would’ve been nice. Trouble with me… I buy the ingredients and then eat’em all up…. none left to share with anybody. Oh gosh, did I just write that? Haha!
Yes! You DID write that! 🙂 And I’m with ya on that one, I do that too! The trick is to always buy a double batch 😉 uh…make that a triple.
reminds me of my friend back in the day who went to the Shick Clinic for addiction treatment. Told to bring the substance that was her challenge, she bought a 5 pound box of See’s Candy. But by the time she arrived at the clinic, she had eaten the entire box of chocolates on the bus!
The whole 5lbs of it?! WOW! That, alone, would send me to the ER with sugar-overload. She was not kidding about it being a true addition for her!
My addiction is Potatoes… yep. Any and all forms of the spuds and I’m on the hook in mass quantities. During childhood I had two major life threatening illnesses. Both times I turned down huge bowls of ice cream and opted for potatoes instead. If I’m ever in a coma, just deny me my rights to potatoes and I would surely awake fighting mad, lol. See, they can even be a medical cure 😉
Potatoes are my Number One Comfort Food. Like you, any way they’re cooked is fine with me! My only problem has been whenever I’ve needed the comfort, I had to cook them myself. My ex-husbands never made mashed potatoes for me. That alone is grounds for divorce! 😉
I have to admit, Sue and Pamela, potatoes are my most favorite of foods too. However, I eat them only now and again…sadly they are not a great choice for diabetics!! Sigh…
I am so irritated I feel like I’m going to explode. I’m sitting outside in the lounger by the spare tire at the back of the BLT in order to be in the shade. Starting this morning pelicans have been gathering along the shore, including an influx of brown pelicans. I counted approximately 54 brown pelicans (some move so I can’t be precise). The browns joined the white pelicans who number almost twice as many.
Along come two kayaks, one person in one and two people in the other. They’re close to the shoreline, approaching from the south (my left) and heading north (my right). One man yells to the other, “Hey, look at that trailer! That’s one of those little… blah-blah-blah… I’m really working up a sweat! Are you working up a sweat!…. yakkety -yak…” Yelling non-stop.
The pelicans within my view in front of our camp lift up squawking. They take off to the south. The man doesn’t shut up! I watch in total astonishment as the three people paddle their way along the beach and as they pass the pelicans that have congregated all along the shoreline this week, the pelicans leave.
After a few minutes the kayaks disappear around a point about a half a mile to the north. The shoreline is swept clear of pelicans. I get out of my lounger to see where the pelicans have gone to the south. I expect to see them settled again at the other end of the campground.
They’re gone! I don’t know how far I can see in either direction… 2 miles maybe? Hundreds of pelicans and other shore birds disturbed by three idiots. The gulls went skyward and most of them came back. Not so with the pelicans. The shoreline where pelicans sat peacefully preening shoulder-to-shoulder, swimming, and fishing, in front of our camp, presently has a few gulls and one pelican. And those three airheads haven’t a clue.
Why do people have to talk all the time? I am so irritated right now I had to write this. Damn!
Mouth breathers,Sue,brutish clods of flesh ,oblivious to anything that’s sensitive or fine.Makes ya wanna slap heads ,yet getting their attention is even worse .Sorry they showed up,the pelicans are too smart to right away.Hopefully they do when they discern that the coast is clear.
Thanks for responding, weather. I know it’s not the end of the world. People are dealing with huge problems and here I am griping. It was such a delight to see hundreds of pelicans living peacefully, courting each other… more and more arriving all the time. And in less than 10 minutes all those creatures are scared away. And the birds were squawking and flying all around those jerks, yet they don’t change their behavior to let the birds be.
It reminds me when I camped on the rim of a canyon in Arizona. Jackrabbits were scampering all over the floor of that canyon. Three quads come roaring through. I was there for several days and the rabbits didn’t come out of hiding that entire time.
Sometimes I find it really hard to like people. 🙁
It was the end of a chance those poor beautiful creatures had to enjoy living and feeding without fear.Storms here make it temporarily difficult or tragic for people,it’s a fraction of their lives that are usually lived in safety.Uncaring humans take what little animals have of that safety in their short lives -it’s mean and wrong!To “gripe” about it just shows that you care.As to liking people,that’s just not always possible,from a distance of location or time,that we manage to love them or at least wish them well is a miracle.
As always, you understand perfectly. I’m beginning to calm down. Thanks, weather, for “listening.” You have a good night.
You have a good night,too,pet the little girl you have kept so lovingly an extra time for me,my troupe’s sleeping around me now…
Okay, will do. Little ones we love, in slumber nearby, such a comfort.
…sigh…this feels better
🙂 no reply needed,honest (tee hee)this time I’m settled enough to tuck in,n’ nite
I HATE that! Do you run into that a lot, Sue?
People that do that drive me batty.
Mouth-Breathers is right Weather!
Pelicans I think are more discriminating; probably when the 3-Idiots actually leave the camp altogether…maybe tomorrow? I think the pelicans will come back afterward.
Let us know if/when they do…K?
Hi, Cindy,
I can’t say I run into this “a lot.” I can say that the percentage of people who act like idiots with no regard for their impact is very high. You don’t want to get me going on that topic! I’m talking about people who have no regard for the natural world and other living things.
Awww…I was hoping you’d say differently. Damn!
No, you’re right…I DON”T want to get you on that topic….especially with me. Geez…both of us would have strokes from the stress…I’m telling you!
But I will say this; if I became a full-timer, and saw that kind of thing very much….it would really, really ruin it for me.
That’s one of the reasons I try to camp where there are no people. And if I have to camp where there are people, I position the BLT so when I sit outside I can’t see (and hopefully can’t hear) what the people are doing.
Yes, it happens a lot…. That jeep on the beach? The ruts run right past where we had our campfire the other night. My friend who comes here every winter said that one winter he spent 50 hours (he kept track of his time) raking away the ruts of a vehicle some neanderthal put on the beach. He said he will rake this recent mess, too.
Wow….un-effing-believable! Your friend is really dedicated.
Yeah, I’d have to do what you do, too; I’d turn the RV around, I’d be wearing ear plugs…I’d be trying to calm myself listening to music…..man, it would be hard for me.
My trouble is that I don’t back down from something….like if I saw someone trying to intentionally hurt an animal? I’d say something, and probably get myself killed in the process. Of course, I’d be unable to stay at any of those boondock where hunters gather…yeah, that’ll never happen.
My friend walks up the beach about a mile every day. I assume he took his rake each day that winter, doing a portion at a time, until the ruts were gone.
I don’t boondock often during hunting season. I move into campgrounds for our safety and to get away from the sound of gunshots, which isn’t always possible.
That’s a great idea…I guess that means you have to be paying attention to when hunting season actually is…ugh. I try to pretend it doesn’t exist….I know; pathetic.
Well….it’s tough being the tree-hugging loud-mouth in the group. Me, I mean…not you. LOL!
But, I have managed to get some people to rethink the situation, once in awhile 🙂
I guess my sincerity wins me out. Nobody really sees me as a harsh, unapproachable person….just a true animal/nature lover, who only means well.
I guess there’s worse things, to be!
I am having my floors redone and the workers have Spanish love songs blaring, its really cute and makes me wonder if these latino men are all Romeo’s????
I don’t know about all…. The latino men I’ve seen (and a few I became acquainted with) love music and are very romantic. My friend Felix (the man from El Salvador who bought my house) used to write love poems (and probably still does). He had a journal full of them.
Might as well have thoughts of love while working on a floor!
One more beautiful sunset….one more beautiful day in the books…sleep well Sue and Bridget…I wish for a kayak free day tomorrow. .we are waiting for rain..
Thanks, Shirlene. You sleep well, too…
I have always respected the love and passion that many Latino men seem to embrace in their lives. They do seem to have ~a poet’s soul~. Seeing the beauty around them in everything that is nature, the arts, the music, the foods, the wines, and the beauty of women. They just seem to see and embrace beauty on most every level and seek to incorporate that beauty in to their daily lives. It really is a beautiful thing and a huge part of their culture and thinking. We could do well to have more of that thinking in our everday world.
I’m no expert on Latino men. I’ll generalize anyway. 🙂 They do seem to live life with great verve and energy and are willing to express emotion in front of others, whether excitement, love, sorrow. . . . . Not inhibited in that way… They have an openness that can seem childish, but is really very honest.
In Mexico, men still serenade women outside their windows. They greet each other with cheek kisses. I find Latino men much more passionate and romantic.
I have always loved recieving cheek kisses. They are such a wonderful gesture of genuine affection and endearment when given and recieved.
Speaking of laundry. My first memories were of Mom and my Grandma washing clothes in a big galvanized tub with a washboard. Of course by the time I was just a little older they had both graduated to washing machines, with wringers. They would hang clothes on the line and let the sun do it’s thing. Clothes always smelled so good when they came off the line. That was when my folks had just gotten to Los Angeles from Texas/Oklahoma. You had to kinda keep an eye on the clothes though because we lived near the railroad lines and it was in the “dirty 30’s” so there were many hobos moving through the area and they refreshed their wardrobes with things on clothes lines. When we moved to San Diego in 1945 we didn’t need a clothes line but those who did complained that the illegal aliens would also steal clean clothes off lines. And so ends my little tale of the observations of the important elements of life by a growing boy. Cheers Missy and Bridge….
Hi, Jim,
You should put your memories in a collection of essays. You’ve already written a few… add some more details, expand on them, and there you go! I can see it self-published on Amazon!
The 30s were the days of back-door guests… Folks needing a meal who would show up on the back porch. And folks — at least country folks — would make sure the bellies of the “guests” were full when they went on their way.
I enjoy every one of your stories. Keep ’em coming!
According to the stories my grandpa told of that period (he drove a truck delivering cows, etc for his dad)…he had a hard time getting those wanderers to help him. He did not mind feeding them and giving them a ride, but he also wanted their help too…
Another great story, AZ Jim. Thanks for sharing
I have never seen such a bunch of happy guys, working all day on hands and knees but take the time out to sing along to the songs and be happy, I think they have it figured out a lot better than I do.
Gosh, wouldn’t it be great if everyone could (and would) sing out loud while working!
Well, on second thought, maybe not a good idea.
That reminds me of my grandfather’s life. He spent a few years in labor camp in Siberia and prisoners had to sing while laboring.
A shadow covered our trailer. I looked up and saw a huge bird fly over. Just before the bird landed I was able to see a white head and fanned tail. Bill and I sat in the trailer and viewed this magnificent eagle. I was tempted to take a photo but did not as I did not want to disturb the eagle in 10 degree weather as he began a new day.
Our trailer is 24 feet long. The box is 20 feet. We live in our trailer seven months out of the year. It is perfect for us and the two dogs. What we could not live without are the dual paned windows and arctic package. They have proven their worth these past two weeks of frigid temperatures. Our water only froze one day! Pretty good.
Wow… That’s a once in a lifetime experience, seeing that eagle up close while in flight. You are doing well in the cold. I’ve thought of you several times, wondering how you were doing on the Outer Banks. Your trailer has been put to the test and has passed!
It’s not often that I’m glad the atmosphere is doing nothing-no wind,not a thing moving or decorating the air.This morning that tickles me pink.With all the recent tumult conditions have been bringing,no changes overnight or with dawn feels like a gift.Even the temperature is still,holding at a steady 22 degrees,enough to let the salt work on the roads I need to drive with a clear dry windshield!Somewhere in the day I plan to get a few errands done,not until I’ve simply enjoyed myself,however.
Good morning,Sue,hope you intend to do the same.I guess you’ll try to get a post put together at some point.Yesterday’s being so full between things that went on and attending to this blog might call for just meandering and doing nothing in particular-one of my all time favorite pass times 🙂 Whatever you choose to do,hope you slept well and can enjoy it.My next big move is to get a cup of tasty strong coffee I made,Ha!
Good morning, weather,
“No news is good news” on the winter conditions. Bless those folks who get up and go out in the frigid weather to keep the roads clear. They’ve had a lot of work to do lately.
Today was going to be a break-camp-and-move day. I’m feeling like postponing that for another day. I think that feeling comes from not having a firm decision where we are going next. I need to review the many choices and let ideas percolate.
Speaking of percolating, my coffee is very good this morning, too. I hope your road conditions make your errands smooth and easy!
Is hunting for a new site once you have an idea of where you’d like that to be as much fun for you as you make it sound?I ask because to date I’m still set on a 19’class c with my jeep as a toad so the troupe have doable places to be as we ride.They get antsy at times as we approach our destination.Probably because they feel my own intensity increasing.You have Bridget spinning around every time ,multiply that and I can see myself laughing or too distracted to drive.You think a move of a few miles is long,mine might have to be shorter or done in stints for breaks to get them out/back in/ settled down/rinse/repeat.Guess what I’m asking is do you get and show excitement every time?
Interesting questions for me to think about . . . Hunting for a new site is usually fun. It depends upon the region we are in. During the summer months when we can go to higher elevations, it’s fun searching for boondocks in the national forests and in the mountains. Desert boondocks are more difficult to anticipate simply by looking at the atlas and online. A large area may be public land (BLM) with accessibility of roads and terrain when viewed online or in an atlas. When seen in reality, the area may be totally wrong.
Some regions are easier than others to travel across, hopscotching in short jumps from camp to camp. Where we are now is one of the more difficult areas because steep mountain ranges (too cold in February) combine with heavily populated areas ( and high camp fees)and with desolate areas of desert where there is no access or cover. Throw in wanting to be near animal shelters and it takes very careful planning. One also has to look further “down the road.” In California I’m presented with the possibility of being on the “wrong” side of a mountain range and being funneled into traffic and sardine-can camping…
Nevertheless, the excitement of a new camp is always there! For me and for Bridget. I’ve learned to park and let Bridget out to run around shortly before arriving at a new camp. Sometimes I “kill two birds with one stone” (hate that cliche!) by scouting out the condition of a road on foot with Bridget prancing along with me.
With your troupe, as much as I don’t like barriers, you might need to contain your pals somehow, behind a mesh of some sort so they don’t jump on you while driving. Maybe a walk-about before arrival at a new camp and then for the last mile or so, everyone is contained or restrained somehow. Your troupe will probably learn, as has Bridget, the motions of the vehicle, the brake, the drop in speed, etc. that signal the end of a drive to a new camp.
Yes, “I get and show excitement every time.” A bit of nervous anticipation, too, when taking an unfamiliar and rough road to a secluded boondock. . .
They don’t jump on me anywhere or crowd me when I sit ,that includes while I drive.They’ve learned to extend consideration to each other and me,have more gentle ways of distracting me or getting my attention.The only exception to that was my female pup’s adamant fearful squeezing next to me during rainstorms.The thundershirt from your amazon link took care of that so it’s no longer an issue.I meant they’re voices,skipping in place,looking at me then the door as a hint over and over again captures my attention,makes me laugh and distracts me.So perhaps as they aren’t the ones that need to be restrained,I do!Sounds like a stretch for me to be so grown up that I respond with a calm straight face and go about my business just like an adult.Maybe the walk about you suggest would work for me-to drain some of my energy /excitement so I’d focus.I’ve done something like that before entering places where a serious demeanor is in order.Thanks,I’ll try that soon with them prancing with me and see if it works.
Your situation does present a challenging puzzle to be solved.I know you’ll figure it out and suggestions at times like that are annoying.I’ll enjoy seeing what you come up with for answers and how you did that when you do.Glad the excitement is always there for you 🙂
Weather… I’ll read your comment more carefully when I return from the animal shelter…. 🙂 Hope this is the one!
You and your troupe will do fine, weather. If I can manage with the way Bridget goes nuts whenever we approach a new camp . . . . Ha!
🙂 🙂
Oops,hadn’t read the latest before seeing your reply,guess we’re both anticipating things sooner than we need to,and,you’re right, will manage great with whoever rides along.Hope you feel only peace that let’s you smile,trusting that what will bring you the most joy is the reason for the wait.I do-for both of us.May you have what you need and want to be well and happy until you start replying again and always,love and blessings ,weather
Sue, do you know about BookBub and eReaderIQ? (Just add .com to the end of each.)
BookBub will send you an email each day with a selection of free or low-priced Kindle books — books on special for a day or two. Quite a few are, imo, garbage. But there are loads of really good ones, too.
eReaderIQ has a free tracking service, so if there’s a kindle book you’d like to read but the price is too high, you can set it up to notify you when the price drops to whatever price you want. You can also track authors to see when their books drop in price. And there are some other trackers and services free there as well.
I’ve got a couple thousand kindle books in my amazon account, and got a lot of them for free, for 99 cents, or 1.99 or 2.99. Gotta love it! 😀
Hi, Rebecca,
How thoughtful of you to mention these resources. Yes, I get daily emails from both sites. Thanks.