Tuesday, May 31, 2016

We are well off the beaten path. East Canyon State Park in Utah to be exact. Nine miles from a tiny town where all the houses seem to have a long rectangular pasture in the back…. It is like all of Utah so far, stunning. We are on a lake surrounded by huge sixth-grader mountains of green but hardly any trees. The campground said full but there are only about six or seven campers here. I guess that was left over from some other time.

It’s a shame that when most people think of Utah, they think Mormons. This may be the most spectacularly beautiful and diverse state I have ever visited. Such gorgeous places and so many changes in so few miles. This is what Utah should be known for. It could easily contend for most beautiful places of the world. Today’s journey was easily as diverse and beautiful as the one from Colorado to Green River, but just completely different.

We have been eating a lot of carbs as we have been getting most of our meals at grocery stores, adding to our cheese, breads and pastry some token fruit and peppers. The most memorable cashier was the ever smiling one in Colorado. He was so friendly and happy about our purchases. (Both times. I had to go back for something.) Way nicer that the patronizing lady in Moab who secretly (right) showed me that I had insufficient funds. I fortunately had the cash to pay her after she apologized so profusely to the people behind me. After it happened again, with a nicer clerk, I figured out that I had not informed my bank that I would be traveling. It just got left off the list. However, I think cannabis should be required for all grocery store attendants.

The dogs are settling in a little more. We made them stay in the camper with us outside tonight. Kapu barked a good bit at first but finally settled down and even ate and drank.Luna was depressed and laying on our comforter when we came in. Now they are both asleep beside me.

Oh yeah, this place is covered with prairie dogs. It reminds me of a place we stayed in Potrero California. Only we heard their screams as they were being killed and eaten at night, probably by some type of cat. I hope that doesn’t happen here. Kapu and Luna have yet to see them, but they definitely heard them underground and I had to stop Kapu from digging at one in its hole.

I guess that’s all for now. Another beautiful day in the rest of our lives.

Memorial Day, May 30, 2016

Sitting in a camp chair by Kerry and listening to that bird that sounds like an owl, but isn’t. Tried to convince the dogs to eat and drink but to no avail. Kapu is too busy protecting us from stuff, and Luna is too busy worrying about him and her sofas and this daily change of scenery. We had a good day. Landed last night in Green River at a Passport America campground, A/ok RV park. Nothing fancy but a pull thru site which is always a plus. The air is breezy enough to make it cool and the bugs don’t like this dry climate much.

Today we drove down to Moab, Utah and visited the Canyonlands National Park at Needles. That would have been worth the trip… and if you are ever near road 191 in Utah, you should drive on it… well below the speed limit. We also visited Arches National Park, which was way more crowded with tourists (like us) but Kerry managed to find a few spots for pictures and we can’t walk any of the trails with the dogs anyway. (They are not yet ready to stay alone in our tiny house of sofas. We are weaning them of our presence by going together to the bathhouse, etc. They were fine in the bigger one, but I think they feel less insulated in this one… which they are. Kapu can hear way too much of what is going on.) Even without walking the trails, it was a great trip. It feels like visiting ancient ruins in the middle of a Star Wars movie. You just know some of those structures are going to get up and start moving. It is so alien to the landscape of the East.

We also found a dog-friendly patio to have lunch while we waited on an email, a very important email. The one containing the contract on our house. Hopefully, this one will make it to the end. It was a much straight-forward contract and they are prequalified for way more than our house. So… not going to publish my song yet, but our hopes are high.

We left gypsum and traveled through some of the most amazing landscape I’ve ever seen from an interstate. How have we missed Interstate 70 in all our trips out West? I want to go back again and again because once is not enough to appreciate it. I really can’t describe it in adjectives. Even my “history” phone photos are beautiful, and Kerry’s are fantastic, but a photograph just does not do it justice.

I have been thinking about the newness of these mountains. It’s like the West is a nursery and the East is a retirement center. There are the really newbies, smooth red with erosive loss of dirt and rock making them look like a set of ancient ruins. And then there are the toddlers, who have been shedding rock and soil to provide for the green fuzz of growth that holds the earth in place. Then you have the children mountains, with tufts of bush and plants and sometimes even flowers that are showing some of the signs of the green wealth that will someday be of Appalachian strength.

That all of this could happen in 10 to 12 thousand years is more than I can believe. It’s hard for me to understand how others can. But that certainly doesn’t mean that I think all of this is not the work of the Creator. If man is made in God’s image then we should be able to tell something about God from what we know about man. Whether it is a song, or sculptor, or canvas, I have never seen the creative process as a zap. It may come in spurts for some or take years for others. But zaps, I have not known.

Matt’s mother and I were talking about creative energy, and she obviously gets hers from others as she feels Matt does. I think both Kerry and I get ours from solitude. Shosha has always seemed a mixture. But most creativity comes with time, either way. I can’t help but think something as wondrous as our world took time, especially when you can see what a wonderful process is still going on. The resilience of wysteria is a testament to that, possibly the most beautiful weed I know.

But I regress. Mostly I’m just overwhelmed by the beauty and diversity we have been living and also just overwhelmed by this opportunity to experience it. Every day is a joy.

How to survive in a Tiny house on the road

Organize, Organize, Organize....

• Something I learned at the family lakehouse - keys are returned to a very strong magnet on the refrigerator. A bonus for us in our Eureka, roughly 7 x 10 – the largest one they make, is that the refrigerator is located right next to the door. (I think this is true in many small campers.)
• Everything has a place, and this place does not change.
• There needs to be a system for doing everything. Our system for changing the bed into sofas is that I do it every time while Kerry walks the dogs. The reason is that it takes a lot of crawling over the bed which is easier for me than him. Pillows, night clothes, etc. are always placed in the cabinets above the bed and air conditioner.
• As Kerry is 6 feet 4 in., we had the sofas raised 18 inches instead of the more regular 12. This was good in so many ways, but not for me sitting and doing things on the bed as I am only 5' 8”. Therefore, I roll up our comforter every day and tie it with an old shoe string. This is the perfect size to put behind my back, put my feet on the opposite sofa and read or write or whatever. (So far, we use the comforter over the cushions and under us. If we were without a heater in the cold, we might change that.)
• If we didn't have a really tall person, I would suggest 15” for the sofas/bed so that the underneath the bed space can be used for storage. Almost all of our stuff is in storage under the bed/sofas. As we have 18”, we can carry so much! Also, it is good to put food and kitchen stuff closet to the sink. Everything needs to be in a container, preferably clear.
• In the Eureka camper, the sofas convert to a bed using three almost square boards. One direction fits between the sofas and one direction fits nicely under the sofas. I immediately marked them as they are almost square and hard to distinguish. Also, we always leave the last one under the air conditioner for a table. This is really nice as we move things from the space beside the sink back and forth, again in a container – this time an old Coca-Cola open tray. This leaves that space beside the sink empty for cooking items. (One of which I recommend is an electric kettle – hot water in a matter of minutes is really convenient!) This also leaves another storage space under the “table”.
• A narrow rug between the sofas is really good, especially if you have dogs as we do. However, you should sweep every day, and vacuum at least every other day. If you don't have a hand vacuum, you need to immediately invest in one. And keep it plugged in all the time.
• I keep twin sheets on top of the sofa cushions when the bed is not made. They are easy to tuck in and easy to wash.
• Some people put a shower across from the galley but as most places we go provide showers (and a sink bath is doable short term) we made this more storage. We have about a 12” top shelf and on the bottom we have a storage box for more stuff (mostly kitchen) and beside it our porta-potty. They never meet, but you might want to put something different in the box. Under the top shelf we put a shower rod so that we can hang things and this is where I keep the broom and the vacuum plugged in.
• Also, I use a travel bidet instead of toilet paper which solves two problems. First, you never have anything solid in it. (Most places have flush toilets and those that don't are good enough for poop.) Second, it acts as a natural flush. It is available on Amazon and I'm sure other places.
• Hangers, preferably the padded kind your grandmother used to make, is also essential. You are going to have wet clothing. That is a given. Your choice of where to hang them is individual. If you have room for the old fashioned fold out, that is probably best. We use the rack on the Eureka that is for the privacy curtain. Eyelets inside make great places to hang clothes hangers when it's raining.
• Always be charging one of your devices. We have two smart phones, two tablets and two computers. Some battery is low all the time.
• Invest in a kindle or other e-reader. Get over needing the feel and smell of a book. You can carry a whole library in your hand. Yes, some campgrounds have a lending library, but do you really want to depend on that. Public libraries lend e-books for free, and you can really supplement your library on book-bub with cheap or free books of quality. Just make sure to have a good selection on your device and not depend on the cloud for those times you don't have access to internet.
• Propane devices for dry camping should be stored in the corners as they are usually used less. Things that you use the most should be the most accessible.
• A milk crate or other box outside the door means less sand/dirt inside and more space inside. The rule is take your shoes off before getting in the camper. Or if it's really wet, put it beside the door and take your shoes off as soon as you get in.
• Save your plastic grocery bags for inside trash (and poop picker-uppers if you have dogs.) I put them in a cardboard box that I get crackers or cereal or something else in.
• Disinfectant wipes are a must. At home I use cloth (and cloth grocery bags) but you need disposable cleaning as you don't have a washer/dryer convenient and your laundry bag small.
• Take easy to dry clothing and wool clothing. Thin wool clothes can be worn for weeks without stinking. Yes, I said weeks. And they are as cool as cotton. Also, instead of bulky jackets, layer. Several thin layers of clothes will keep you as warm as a thick jacket, and those other layers can be worn for other days/times. But splurge and take a rain-proof jacket or poncho. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
• Put things back in their place immediately. You don't have the space to leave things lying around to be put away later. And remember the golden rule, everything has a place and it doesn't change.
• Know how to unplug. If you don't read, bring cards, board games, a harmonica, whatever. Not everywhere has internet, and electricity can go out.. So flashlights and plenty of batteries, and/or hand-wound devices. Or better yet, talk to the person or people you are with.
• Travel with a roll of quarters and replenish them whenever you run low. Laundry, carwash, and air pumps all require quarters. And if you have kids that want to play arcade games....
• Always buy local fruit, whatever is in season by the road. Same for vegetables.
• Invest in Yeti-type cups. Beats reheating coffee, or using all your ice, or drinking warm beer. Just be sure to rinse them as soon as you're finished. Or, like us, label one for coffee and/or get one per person and put their initials on it. You don't want your ice water smelling like coffee or stale beer.
• Always carry extra water
• Liquids need to be stored upright. Those little plastic baskets that are like two for a dollar can help with this.
• A minimal tool kit and first aid kit is necessary
• Pack a fishing pole. The good places sell daily or weekly licenses.
• If you are 62, there are many perks. National parks sell you a pass for ten bucks that let you and up to three others in free. Also, half price camping at many locations. State parks, and even some private parks will also give you discounts. Some of these are Sunday through Thursday because that's when non-working people can come that others can't. Plan your trip accordingly.
• Gas up when you aren't hooked to your camper. I don't care how good you think you are. It's just easier without that load behind.
• Decide beforehand HOW (and if) you are going to communicate with the person parking the camper
• Also, make turns like you are hauling something bigger, the small tongue makes turns more difficult.
• Stop at every Welcome Center. Walk at least five minutes, get a map (GPS doesn't work without service) and check out the inside. Free coffee, juice, entertainment is often inside along with information about the state.
• More to come