Wandering Spirit

Shirlee and Doug’s 5th wheel on the left. WS on the right.

Some of our walking area. You can just see WS…that white spot in the middle.

Doug and Shirlee and the dice game!

Mittry Lake, at least part of it.

The swimmers

Male bonding

Hangin’ out!

Not that kind! 🙂

I really was going to post catch-up pictures today, using the free internet here at Riviera RV Park in Blythe, CA, but it turns out that the internet is less than awesome here, and I’m not wanting to use my own limited data right now, so I’m still waiting on pictures. Wow, that was a carry on sentence, wasn’t it?

Not to bad mouth this RV park! Gosh, they have about the best dog area we’ve experienced so far! They have a little peninsula with a dog beach on an offshoot of the Colorado River on the property! The peninsula is 95% covered with grass, right down and into the water, so Joy and Shiloh can play in the calm water, jump out and roll in the grass to theirs hearts content, run back in the water, come out and roll again, etc. They did that for a solid hour yesterday. Talk about happy campers!

To top it off, even the RV sites are grassy! No muddy dogs, which makes me a happy camper too. :-). Love that California grass!

Quartszite in March is not bad, really. There are probably less than 1/10 of the visitors and traffic congestion than there was in mid January, yet there is still free camping, with few campers, low propane prices, and convenient places to dump and get water. There is even still lots of flea market type shopping, but not the big tents…thankfully.

There was a used bookstore I wanted to go to in January, called Reader’s Oasis Books, but every time I passed by the parking lot it was jammed full, so I never bothered to go in. It’s not so busy now, and I got there just before it opened at 10am. A couple of guys were there looking at the free books outside, and I joined them. Pretty soon the owner rides up on his three wheel bicycle…an old guy, wearing a hat….and…and…nothing else except a string around his waste, holding a sort of, um…puppet type item on his…yeah…you guessed it. (He may have been wearing shoes, but I,ah, didn’t notice).

And then I remembered RVSue posting about him. It must have been him…who else? I guess I’d forgotten she had that experience in Q.

His skin looked like soft brown leather, all over. No tan lines. And that’s how he rides his three wheel bicycle to his store, and how he spends his days, apparently.

Yes, his total butt shows, and he is completely unselfconscious.

I traded in two Tony Hillerman novels and purchased four more. Didn’t hang around. 🙂

From looking at the little newspaper here, he is also a local blues musician and his name is Paul Winer. Yup. But I saw pictures and he wears clothing when he plays music.

He put me in mine of maybe an old Native American man 150-200 years ago…except for the puppet thing.

So, along with getting my propane tank filled, that was my adventure today. 🙂

Life on the road is…life.

Lest anyone think by reading my blog that everything is lollipops and roses, there are some things I want you to know.

Life is life with good and bad and ups and downs. Old or young, retired and free, or working, traveling or rooted, nothing is perfect.

I try to focus on the positive when I write here, because…well really, that’s how I’m feeling…mostly positive, mostly happy, and mostly peaceful. That’s not to say I don’t have my moments. There are worries and down times and moody times. I don’t feel good 24/7 and I make my share of mistakes…just so you know! And just so if you ever decide on this lifestyle you will know not to expect 100% bliss.

There is rarely a ‘perfect’ camping place, but there are quite a few near perfect ones. When it comes to an RV, I think they have yet to build the perfect one, but there are a lot of really nice ones to choose from. You can have a lot of sunshine and warm weather because you have wheels, but you will get some rain sooner or later.
And, you still have the same brain and the same thought processes and the same baggage, unless you actively work on changing those things….JUST SO YOU KNOW.

Just so you know….for me, life is good. I’m 100% glad that I’ve chosen this lifestyle and I hope to keep living it for quite awhile. I enjoy it more than I even thought I would! I love having time to think and write, meditate and pray. I’m grateful that I have the health and finances to experience this. So far I’m spending less living on the road than I was living in my home. That’s good because I’m making less money than I was while I was working.

I love the learning, the exploring, and the challenges! I’m having more fun on a day to day basis than I probably ever have had in my adult life, feeling happier, less stressed, and more peaceful.

Maybe a lot depends on expectations too. I focus on keeping things simple. I’m happy to conserve energy, and live in a semi-minimalist way. Things like the ocean, the mountains, trees, starry nights, sunsets and sunrises, and weeds in bloom are the beauty I seek. Birdsong is great music, as is the wind in the trees and the sound of surf on the shore. I like people but I’m also happy with my own company. The company of Joy and Shiloh is precious to me.

So I’m happy to say, after 7 months on the road, it’s not perfect, but for me it’s darn close, and my thought is to continue on as long as it’s working! Yay!

Just so you know…

March 8, Sunday

Did we ‘spring ahead’ today? Does Arizona spring ahead? I think not, but I’m not sure. If they don’t then when I go back into California in a few days, there won’t be a time change. Actually I kinda LIKE the fact that I’m not sure what time it is. 🙂

I’m in Quartszite again! Reine, if you are reading this, I know I said I wouldn’t be back in Q this season, so I guess that’s a good lesson for me about ‘never say never’.
However, Q is a whole different world since the last time We were here. We are at the same BLM free camping area but it’s nearly empty….seems strange, but nice.

The plan was to stay at Mittry Lake for 10 days, the allowable limit. It was getting warmer, and as the temperature went up, suddenly there were mosquitoes….hoards of them, and they were hungry! There was no possibility of sitting outside in the evening, and by Saturday the heat made the only comfortable option sitting in the shade, with temperatures predicted to go up. Shirlee and Doug needed to leave today anyway, so Saturday evening was our last party time. We had dinner together, played a dice game, chatted, and then spent some time swatting mosquitoes that must have been waiting at the door when the dogs went out for a potty break. There had to be at least 25 of them that zoomed in fast!
Once we settled down again we watched ‘Red Dog’…thank you Marie for sending that movie to me. HIGHLY recommended, but have a box of Kleenex handy.

This morning we take our final walk with Aunt Shirlee and Uncle Doug, and then we all pack up our respective trailers. Joy and Shiloh are subdued and sad as we say our final good byes. We have some tentative plans to meet again in the not too distant future, but Joy and Shiloh live in the present moment…they only know we are saying good bye.

We drive less than 100 miles to Quartszite and set up our little camp beside a Palo Verde tree. We are all subdued actually, missing our friends. Drive safe Shirlee and Doug…hope to see you this summer!

March 6 Friday

Mittry Lake, continued…

Blue sky and sunshine days with starry nights….Shirlee, Doug and I watch the full moon rise last evening from around our campfire.
After we are finished with the fire, we go inside to watch Crocodile Dundee, part 2, having watched part 1 the night before. Two of my all time favorite fun/feel good movies I think.

Mornings are for dog walks and afternoons for dog swims, evenings are for campfires, games, and movies. We dogs and humans are enjoying this Mittry Lake camp!

As I post this Joy, Shiloh and I are on our way to visit our friend Krystina, (who comments here sometimes). We met Krystina in South Dakota when she saw my trailer and asked me if I knew about RVSue. We both follow her blog so the conversation flowed from there.

Shirlee and Doug will be going to a car show in town this afternoon.

One of the things some people are concerned with when they consider full timing, or even part timing, is loneliness. You can meet as many…or as few people as you desire, so loneliness doesn’t need to be an issue.

After one night in Gila Bend at Augies Quail Trail RV Park ( I would recommend them for friendliness and large sites), I make my way to Yuma. We meet up with friends Shirlee and Doug on the road behind McDonalds. Joy and Shiloh LOVE Shirlee and Doug, and the reunion was phenomenal.

We follow them the 12 or so miles to Mittry Lake and together we pick a camping site.

We set up our respective camps and then take the dogs for a walk. We head for the lake but find we can’t access it from this area due to heavy growth of….many green things. Across the dirt road is a canal so Joy and Shiloh, not being picky about their swimming location, jump in. Joy enjoys swimming out to fetch the stick, and Shiloh is just happy to splash in and out of the water. And mud. It’s been a long time since these desert dwellers have had water access.

Happiness is…Goldens meeting up with dear friends, and going swimming too!

But it doesn’t end there! After a short rest and some drying off, we are invited to Shirlee and Doug’s house for a simple dinner. They make nachos and I bring a pasta salad.

We catch up, play games, eat, and love on the dogs till it’s time to go home….home being a couple hundred feet away.

It’s just starting to sprinkle and a soft rain falls on and off all night, aiding sleep. It conveniently stops raining by about 7:30am.
We all go on our morning walk together and no one else is around so the dogs are leash free and exploring. It’s still cloudy but there is blue sky in the west, heading our way.

I have no internet access at all so I’m in town posting this. Shirlee and Doug are babysitting! Nice to get a little break!

Thursday, Feb 26 at Caballo Loco Ranch  (pictures at the end of the post)

We set out at 8am for a long walk.  It is still cool but sunny, and so quiet….so very quiet.

I head to a path we had explored before, thinking we could explore farther today.  There are many, many old mines on this property and I’d like to find one.

It’s an easy trail, climbing up slowly, around the mountain.  I want to get to other side of the mountain.  Typical, no?

Suddenly about 200 feet away, four deer bound away, startled by our presents.  The dogs are on the extend leashes, but it makes no difference to Shiloh at a moment like this…he bounds off after the deer, straight up the mountain and unless I want to be dragged through the brambles and cactus, I have to let go of the leash because I can’t hold him back.  I call and call to no avail, and in a moment he’s lost to my vision.

I keep calling but I hear nothing.  I feel I have no choice but for Joy and I to follow him up.  I keep calling but there is no sound from up there.  My hope is that his leash gets caught in the brambles and he gets stuck somewhere.  Somewhere not too far away….

I call and encourage him to bark as I ‘woof woof’ at him.  Am I heading in the direction that he went? I have no idea because we have to work our way around groups of picky things.  I try not to think of the negative things that could happen.

Finally in the distance I think I hear a woof.  I head us towards it, encouraging more of the same by continuing to bark, myself.  Another woof…I’m sure this time, far to my  left, and up, up, up.  Joy and I are making our way with much difficulty through sharp brambles, beds of Prickly Pear Cactus, and stands of Ocotillo with their sharp thorns.

“Shiloh we are coming! Woof Woof!”  He answers!  We are headed in the right direction, and getting closer.

About a half an hour after he took off, I get my first glimpse of him, above me, standing in the middle of a grouping of Prickly Pear.  The look on his face says “Help Me Mommy!”

We work our way up.  “We’re coming Shiloh.  It’s ok, we’re coming!”

Finally we reach him.  I check him over for injuries, but he seems fine.  His leash is well woven into and among the cactus.  When I find the handle, it’s loaded with cactus pickers.  I have to unwind it all and pull out the stickers before I can grasp it.  I get stuck a number of times in the process.

We go off into a clearing where I can check him over better and find not a single picker in him. (later in the day I found one prickly spine in the top of each of their right paws.)

I realize we are at the very top of the mountain I had planned to go around, but I see no sign of the trail we were on or any trail for that matter.  All I know to do is to slowly pick our way down the side of the mountain, believing that we will come to the trail eventually….and we do….and my desire to get to the other side of the mountain has evaporated.  All I want now is for the three of us to get safely down to the road and back home…and we do.

Oh how I wish I would have thought to take his picture when I saw him standing there looking so pitiful in the Prickly Pears, but I was thinking of safety at the time.  I did think to get a picture of the ranch from our high point after the rescue:

And here is Shiloh resting later.

After the ordeal

Here he is looking contrite.

A

And here is Joy, who remained the proper lady through it all:

It’s not always that easy being a dog’s mommy!

Hay, there are horses here!  (HAY…get it?  🙂

And pretty sunsets.

The desert is just starting to bloom.

Here we are.

Ed was asking about prices.

Full hookups:

Daily $25

Weekly $135

Monthly $350

Boondocking:

With access to bathrooms, showers and laundry, water from various spigots, dump station and trash disposal:

Daily $15

Weekly $70

Monthly $208

There are 2 clubhouses, library, sewing room, tv’s, etc.

From what I’ve been told the nearest grocery store is a Safeway about 23 miles away on Valencia Road, but there are a few groceries at the Ace Hardware in Three Points.  I haven’t checked these out myself.

Theres something about this place….

I love it here.  Despite the fact that my phone doesn’t work at all….and I have to come to the main buildings to get internet….I love it here.

I want to post a lot of pictures and tell you all about it, but it will have to wait for another day.  Maybe tomorrow, or maybe in a week…I’m not sure, but I just wanted you to know that all is well, and this place is just….really, really special!

I only have a week here now, before I move on, but I can see me coming back and spending a month or months here, next winter.

More later!