rubber tramp rendezvous

the first annual Rubber Tramp Rendezvous has been set for this coming january near Quartzsite, Arizona. there have been alot of gatherings of vandwellers of different sizes and in different places around the country, but this will be slightly more structured (as much as you can structure a bunch of nomads) and hopefully a larger gathering than any before.

January 13- 23, 2011
on BLM desert land near Quartzsite Arizona

you can read more about it here, at Bob Well's site:

http://cheaprvliving.com/Renezvous.html

hope to see you there!

songbird

last year i had a chance to meet a friends daughter who is a musician. she played a few songs for me, and i immediately got tears in my eyes, her voice was so sweet and clear. it reminded me of those wonderful nights around the kitchen table when i was growing up, and my parents friends played and sang with us late into the night...remember, annie?

i recently got to download her first album, and wanted to share the link....you can listen to clips in the mp3 download page.....i think we'll be hearing more from this young woman.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O6FJJU/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_mp3a

the truth about truths

the other day i was looking for a cd case. i have two of them....a small blue round one, and a large grey square one. i keep them both in the rondyvan.
well, i wanted something in the small blue round one. i searched and searched and searched the whole van for the small GRAY round one. couldn't find it anywhere. note that i said gray. in my mind i had transposed the colors. once i had identified that i wanted the small gray cd holder, that became my "truth". i could not see anything else. the darn thing was right on the dashboard, and i couldn't see it.
just thought i'd share that experience.

one of my favorite sayings:

 "just because someone speaks the truth, does not mean he knows the truth"

something i have to remind myself of now and then!

vandwelling, heat and dogs

http://thereluctantpaladin.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-heat-danger.html

i just saw this on a blog i read when i actually get around to reading blogs. it is a reminder of the challenges of living in a van with a pet and keeping them safe. the temps inside the vehicle were a sobering reminder of what happens inside a vehicle in the sun, and how quickly it can happen.

one advantage of vandwelling is that i can follow seasons and climate according to our comfort and safety. i absolutely hate the heat, so avoid it if at all possible. if i can't relocate to a cooler region, then gaining elevation is an option, and will be experimenting with that in the future, after i relocate to the southwest.

even here in the northeast in the summer, i do most of my shopping at night, thanks to walmart and other 24 hour businesses. if i do have to go somewhere in the daytime i leave the engine running using my spare key, and leave the air on. i still keep my business short, because i worry about an AC malfunction or the engine stalling (never has, but there's always a first time)  i set a timer on my phone to beep me after 10 minutes, in case i lose track of the time, and i wear a neck lanyard with info and photos about my vehicle and my dog, so if i should become incapacitated, someone will know to get to Mutt. it also contains vet and emergency contacts who are instructed on how to recover Mutt and get him home safely.

this issue has had a lot to do with the types of things i do on the road. i don't go anywhere dogs aren't welcome, which would be most tourist attractions, some national parks or campgrounds, theaters and malls, restaurants...that sort of stuff.  but that's cool, because none of that holds a candle to the pleasure i get from hanging out with Mutt. he is just the best thing that happened to me since my kids, and dogs lives are too freakin' short. i don't want to miss a minute :-)

Ahoy maties!

We are on the PA/Ohio border....almost at the farm, where we will stay a couple months, then out to the sierras for a bit, then down to taos. Am not going to turn on the phone or 'net at the farmhouse, so will have to see how my connection through my cellphone will work.

It has been quite the trip, and the desert is firmly entrenched in my heart....it remains to be seen if I can pass muster as a true desert rat. We'll see!

The first thing you see

I'm on the move again. Fast. Want to be on the east coast for my son's graduation on saturday. Left pahrump at noon on sunday, made alot of stops to play with mutt, so only made 473 miles in 9 or 10 hours (damn time zones). Slept in a motel 6 parking lot and after the initial shock of waking up and not being in camp, fell in love with this view. 

I miss the early morning visits from Tony and Tori. I think Mutt does too.