'Tis Many Tramps Among Us

Hello 2015!

We have had quite a good start to the new year, and we are hoping you have too!

I can't believe that January is almost over, although it seems to have lasted quite a while. Sometimes I can't believe how many memories just one month brings...and to think we get 12 of them, how cool is that!

Over the past two weeks, we have met some really great people, as well as getting to see some old friends whom we've made new memories with. This time of year always brings a sense of "home" as we gather in the desert, around camp fires, telling stories, having coffee & brekkie together, building things materially as well as emotionally, and all the while, hearing music & laughter echo through the washes. It's an amazing time for us dwellers and those that are just starting out or just have the itch.

For our little corner, most of the afternoons of the first week were spent working on our dirt bike, well...more like working on getting the motor OUT of the dirt bike! The bike stopped running and with a ton of research and forum talk, it was decided that we needed to have work done on the piston and head. So our "RTR Army of Men" got the motor out and shipping boxes built for send off. Everyone was so helpful and I think the boys even had a little bit of fun doing it! Boys and their toys!!

Throughout the gathering, there were morning "classes" on various things such as; solar, tune-ups for your vehicle, boondocking, stealth camping, Vision & Dental services in Mexico, gadgets, cooking & work-camping. The afternoons & evenings included everything from jam sessions, hula-hooping, wire wrapping, "family" dinners, walks, drinks and firepits. For some, there was much more and for others, much less but all in all we are quite the festive bunch!!

I have to agree with Bob that this was the best RTR yet. We networked much more this year, and like I said at the beginning, met an array of amazing people. At this time, we are all starting to move on in different directions; some going home, some going to work-camp, some going to Mexico, many to their Winter destinations. We may all be going to different places but we all hold the memory of good food, awesome company, a great gathering and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for being part of it for us and we hope to see you next year, down the road or anywhere else in between.

PEACE

Catch me if you can

I'm not going to lie...it's really easy to find other things to do than sit down and write a post for this blog. I guess I only have myself to blame, along with my new computer (and my other lame excuses)...which has taken up a good majority of my time with the screen jumping back and forth, back and forth...I swear you breathe on the mouse and the screen jumps to another screen. I had made the excuse (to myself) that I can't write a post without all of my pictures, so I finally got all of my pictures on the computer. Then, I made the excuse that I don't have anything to write about (an excuse I've been making for about 7 months now...oops). Then, I was making the excuse that no one is interested in this blog anyway....then I went to the RTR and people kept telling me they WERE reading the blog up until about 3 months ago when they realized I wasn't updating anymore. So I was excited to start writing again but now that it's been so long, I feel like I've lost my verve for tha' word.

[caption id="attachment_5207" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Feeling Flat[/caption]

So bear with me peeps, while I try to get my groove back. I may ramble and I will try not to vent too much, for there are things that have happened within the last couple of months that have really irked me and I'm trying to keep the negatives out...negative thoughts AND negative people.

There is a ton of awesome in the here and now though and on the horizon for us. For example, we have found a great spot to camp for a couple of months (hopefully), with solitude and amazing views and pretty good weather. Chili Moon is doing amazingly well in this lifestyle, she never ventures away from the van and loves to smell the air in the wind and feeling the sunshine on her skin (she has very little fur). She has been an amazing little addition to our tribe, I love her so much! And yes, Savannah is still a brat!

[caption id="attachment_5206" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Fun in the Sun[/caption]

I will be selling my Claramae soon...that's my guitar for those of you that are just joining us. I found out, from two people that I trust (and know what they're talking about) that there is too much wrong with it to be a good learning instrument or a good instrument period. I knew there had to be something else going on there, I just knew it couldn't be that hard!! So, while Claramae was my first, she's not worth the save, and the money will go back into other funds. I am a little sad to sell her, but it's for the greater good of my tribe (& their ears) & my poor little fingers. You will be missed Claramae..you're so purty!

[caption id="attachment_5208" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Ya ole stinker[/caption]

On the other hand, I was able to play a friends' Ukulele at the RTR and fell instantaneously in love with it.... so I am awaiting the arrival of my Anuenue Akua (pronounced AA-Nuw-eh-Nuw-eh-aa-KUW-aa)...I am very very excited!

I'm afraid that's all you'll be getting out of me this time, but I figured if I didn't just sit down and put some words on my "paper screen", I never would.

I hope all of you that are dealing with horrible weather are keeping safe and warm and those of you in the better weather...Wear your sunscreen, wear your hats and have fun keeping the sunshine out of your face and the sand out of your van!

Until next time my peeps

Much Love & Peace

 

 

Sew Long!

Some people are leaving today, off to new adventures or back to work. Not us...not me. I have a few things I have not checked off my list, that have been lingering in the background ever since we got to the R.T.R. There were things I needed to cross off of my list at camp before we could move on. I needed pics of our friends,

[caption id="attachment_3563" align="alignleft" width="150"] Bernie & Birdie[/caption]

I needed to fix our comforter, yep it's totally massacred again, and I needed a nice day to be able to cut Trisha's hair. I think today might be the day...so I thought! This morning was absolutely beautiful, a good morning for a little walk over to Jenn's camper. Last night at Happy Hour, she told me to come over in the a.m., to borrow her sewing machine.

We chattied as she got ready for work, then I walked back to Joon where I set up my Sewing Studio for the day, along with Savannah's help of course!

I think today must have been thee longest day of my life...okay, that's what it seemed like. I'm happy the sun was shining and it wasn't windy and I'm almost done with the comforter. Yep, all day and it's not done...like I said, it was a hella long day! I guess the haircut is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Just as I was getting relaxed and comfortable, J' said, "The antennae came in...let's go get it!" I was like...Now!? I wanted to cry...okay I think I may have. I was just so freakin' tired and with Joon Van, we have to pack and repack the van when we move...that was the part that threw me into burnt out mode and tears. We drove to get the antennae and whoa babay, if we don't pull any stations in with this thing, then it's just not possible. (At the moment I'm trying to enjoy the thought of veggin' out to some tele and not the fact that this will have to travel inside the van...haha)

[gallery ids="3567,3568,3569"]

I'll let you know how it goes with this Clear Stream 4 antennae.

to be continued...

PEACE

Cookies! Cookies! Bulldog?? Cookies!

I'm not really a political kinda gal...plus we haven't been around T.V. or radio for the past week, so waking up (turning the tube on) and seeing the 2nd Inauguration of Barack Obama was a little unexpected.

[caption id="attachment_3520" align="alignleft" width="150"] Where are the bathrooms?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3521" align="alignright" width="150"] Another Four Years...[/caption]

We laid in bed and watched for about an hour, then decided we'd be here all day if we kept on with this business and finally turned the tele off and got out of the fort. Today we would be driving back over to Quartzsite. The final outcome of the games yesterday decided that the San Francisco 49'ers and the Baltimore Ravens (Beth~ J's moms' team) will be going to the Superbowl. May the best team win!

As we were driving back in, we definitely saw a huge difference from the landscape of last week to this moment. I think this was the time to say...Welcome to Quartzsite! This was the sight that was in our minds that we had not seen yet: Hundreds if not thousands of RV's off in the distance, like a sea of white...the brown specks being the buildings, polka-dotted in between. Just for fun, we drove around town like we were just arriving for the very first time.

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[caption id="attachment_3534" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Quartzsite[/caption]

 The energy was high in town, we threw the idea around of going to the big tent today but after sitting in traffic for 35 minutes only to drive a couple of miles, we decided to just drive back to the R.T.R. camp.

[caption id="attachment_3536" align="alignleft" width="150"] A week ago[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3535" align="alignright" width="150"] B.L.M. Today[/caption]

Even on B.L.M. there was a definite difference in the amount of people that were here. Before we started living this way, we had no idea that living/camping/parking (whatever you want to call it) like this, even existed. It's a lifestyle that is good to know about (and how to do it) and it's been super easy and seems to just keep getting easier, for us anyway! And just to reiterate how easy it is...we got back just in time for Happy Hour! Although, most of our hours are happy!

When it started getting dark, we walked to Joon to get some warmer clothes on (I was still wearing my cool new pants, oh pics at the end, with my flops and a pull-over)...my tootsies were freezing! We got in the van, Savannah followed and then Rain (Jenn & Johnny's pup) jumped in the van, (I thought, "Sweet, "slumber party", although we were just layering)...then this Bulldog, whom I had never met before jumped in after Rain. Oh My Gosh!! I was laughing soooooo hard. He was snorting and climbing on me, trying to give me kisses...he blended right into the mix. It was the funniest frickin' thing I had seen all day...I couldn't stop laughing. It was just so random! Later, I would find out this 10 month old Bulldog's name is Bruce! Ohhhh, Bruce.

[caption id="attachment_3542" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Who are you?[/caption]

We layered up and walked over to a dinner invite from Lees & Bernie. Bernie was a good man and 'spoiled my dinner' with Oreo's before the main course! He's a true friend, haha. We had a scrumptious dinner together, ending with Lesa turning me onto a totally different type of cookie. It was like a caramel cookie crisp, we came to the conclusion that they were a crispy, flaky, flattened waffle cone! Yummers! After dinner, we walked over to  the campfire. We met a couple of new faces, laughed about the U.F.O.'s (Japanese Lanterns) flying through the sky and ate about 6 different types of cookies. The next thing I know Joey brings out some chocolate chip cookies and some chocolate wafer things.

[caption id="attachment_3543" align="alignleft" width="150"] Elephant
Lion
Seal[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3550" align="alignright" width="150"] I'm spoiled[/caption]

It must have been National Cookie Day...well it was where we were! I can't pass up a cookie, haha!

I think tonight was really great. The R.T.R. 'ends' tomorrow, some people will be staying and some people will be leaving. It has been so great getting to know the people we have been able to meet and creating new friendships. This time will always be remembered, for us, as well as many others that joined this group, for however long they were able to. We have learned from others as we have been told others even learned from us! It's fun to meet up with like-minded individuals, see how they do things, get great ideas and even find a travel partner or two along the way. What a great event this R.T.R. is. A special thank you to Bob for pulling everyone together whether it was for teaching, learning, creating masterpieces, living spaces or friendships, comfort, exercise or just to do something you've never done before. I know we have our 'things' that we are taking away from it and I know everyone else does too. I can't say how it is in other group settings (with campers/dwellers) but it has been a pleasure camping amongst this group. I think we have a pretty sweet gang and am happy to be able to call you friends...never thought I'd find so many friends in the desert!

I wish every one of you safe travels.

Here's to our paths crossing again

hoping it's sooner (rather) than later

my traveling friend.

...and here are the pics of my new pants!!

[caption id="attachment_3524" align="alignleft" width="150"] New nails & pants[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3522" align="alignright" width="150"] Nuevo Pantalones[/caption]

Aren't they rockin'!?

PEACE

Playing Hide~n~Seek

What a night last night, eh!?

We were up with the rest of the group to sit in the 10 a.m. circle. This morning would be about Boondocking, BLM, City Stealth, etc. This could definitely serve helpful in the nearby travels! I made cafe and met J' over at the circle.

It was bound to be a lengthy discussion due to everyone's experiences and/or opinions, but Bob did a great job on keeping it on track. The information was some new and some we had heard before or experienced ourselves, but always good to learn at least one new thing! I walked over to the "Free Pile" (yes, it's exactly as it sounds). It's a pile full of stuff that people in the group are getting rid of: can't find a place for it, can't find a use for it or simply don't want it...and it's all 100% FREE! You just never know what you're going to find...and like they say, "Another man's 'trash' is another man's treasure." I'm going to call it "The R.T.R. Recycle/Freecycle Program." This would be my first actual look at the free pile since getting here...there is a ton of stuff here! There are books, dishes, seat cushions, clothes of all sorts, shoes, glassware, cookware, perfumes, hangers, even a coffee maker and a printer (our printer)! I ended up grabbing a few different items of clothing, I was surprised to find they were in super good shape and really nice brands like Columbia...good for lengthy wear! I tried them on to make sure they fit, and after a washing, I'll have myself a few nice cardigans, tank tops

and a pair of Cherokee hiking sandals. (I scrubbed those suckers down, they're like brand new!) I even found a 2013 Calendar with super cute animals on it...I have been looking for a 2013 Calendar. I also picked up a book named: I can't believe I'm crocheting! haha How cool is that, it's totally 70's style too, love!

[caption id="attachment_3489" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Pile of Wonder[/caption]

After our nice finds and new digs, we 'piddled' around the van, talked to a few peeps and headed down the road to our Football Destination Point...Ehrenberg. First, we had to get some water and twice the ice, then we would be on our way.

Even though we were going to Ehrenberg to watch the foosball (last two games) we had other business to take care of as well. Remember the backpack that J' was carrying out of the Flying J', last week when we took showers? Well, that backpack came up missing the night we got back to Quartzsite, when I was trying to organize the van into sitting-still mode. I pack the front seat a very certain way, so I noticed his backpack was not in the van...after a good in-depth discussion about the whereabouts and the recovery of it, we decided to just check the desert when we went back. Today would be the day we would find out if we were right on its whereabouts... dun dun duuuuunnnnn! haha

[caption id="attachment_3493" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Are[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3492" align="aligncenter" width="300"] You[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3491" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Serious?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3494" align="aligncenter" width="300"] haha[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3495" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Good Karma![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3497" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Oy vey[/caption]

 The funniest thing was that it didn't really matter if we found it or not. J' had decided the stuff that was in the backpack wasn't really worth worrying over...if anything he would miss the backpack more than anything inside of it! Anything that was of any importance, was not in the backpack and anything else could be a $20 trip to Wal-mart to replace under-roo's and socks. But here we are laughing about it, with it, back in the van!

Hakuna Matata...

it means No Worries!

PEACE

Well, Aren't We A Talented Bunch!?!?

I noticed this morning as I was (trying) to walk Savannah, that she didn't want to go on a walk today... hmmmm. Something must be wrong! This little animal spirit of mine loves her walks. She was hobbling a little and after only walking about 15 feet from the van, doing her #1 potty she then limped back over to the van and stood outside waiting for me to open the door...weird. I thought I had done a pretty good job looking over her paw last night, after the evening walk, but maybe I hadn't. I picked her up and put her on her back in the chair, got my head-lamp out and checked her over again, even daddy did a second check. One of the gals here, Sara, is an E.M.T. and saw me checking her out and offered to wrap her foot up with some padding so she could at least try to walk on it without pain. What a nice gesture! She wrapped it up in this blue gauzey sticky tape stuff and gave me a little extra for later, in case it fell off...or she takes it off! When I put Savannah back on the ground, I'm sorry but I couldn't stop laughing.  She kept picking her foot up so far off the ground, it was almost like she was waving to everyone...poor baby! 

[caption id="attachment_3455" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Gimpy[/caption]

I think the blue tape stuff stayed on for about an hour before I was re-wrapping it...she does not like anything touching her feet...what a chore! I wrapped it back up and we went over to spend time with the ladies in another wire wrapping class. Daddy went with Bernard and Sara to town, so Savannah would be with mommy today...Girls' Day!!! I love Miss Cherry's wrapping classes, they are always entertaining and fun and you actually learn stuff! We did, what I'm going to call an Intermediate class...not basics! haha I think the other women can vouch for that! Luckily, for me, I've done quite a lot of wrapping lately so any class is just another step in the learning process. We learned some new twists and turns and loops and some other stuff that was not on the schedule, haha. Today was a much better day for wrapping then the first class, the sun was shining bright and I was definitely getting my dose of Vitamin D this afternoon! Savannah was such a good girl too, she sat the entire class in a chair next to me, looking off into the distance, waiting for daddy to come back. Even though the class was about three hours long this time around, it was great! Us ladies learned tons of new stuff, caught up on our lady time (& chocolate) and Savannah was able to rest her gimpy foot! Once J' was back with the tribe you would have never known she had an injury...I guess the downtime was needed.

To feel part of the experience, here are some pics of our wire wrapping journey...

[gallery columns="4" ids="3440,3441,3442,3443,3444,3445,3446,3458,3447,3459,3448,3460,3449,3450,3451,3452"]

 Pretty awesome, huh!?

After the class, everyone retreated to different areas to do different things...I came back to Joon Van to rest my eyes & brain for a bit. Staring at wire for three hours and learning new things as well is quite exhausting! J' and I visited and talked about our day, first time we've been apart for that long in a very long time! It was nice to get a little R'n'R,  for tonight was Talent Night! Yep, this R.T.R. has everything!

Talent Night consisted of a major variety of talent, it was very entertaining! The night started off with quite a few jokes...most of them J' had to repeat to me later because I couldn't hear, so I was missing out, haha. Lori sang a few of her songs and played the guitar getting everyone involved in the Chorus! Randy recited a few of his expressive and humorous poems. Laura sang us some Patriotic melodies getting everyone involved singing along...she even rocked an American flag! Lucy did an acting piece from RENT...she rocked that scene!!

[gallery ids="3472,3471,3475,3470,3473,3474"]

A talented bunch we are

at this here, R.T.R.

A fantastical night 

The Moon shining bright

Everyone here is a Star.

PEACE & LOVE EVERYONE

Send us thoughts of warmth and sunshine!

Today marks Day 4 of the Winter R.T.R. in Quartzsite...and about the second day of the wind picking up and the cold getting colder. We have been getting up (and out of the van) to go to the 10 a.m. circle in the morning but always come back to the van to warm up and then have a hard time getting back out to do...anything! 

[caption id="attachment_3281" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 10 a.m. circle[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3280" align="aligncenter" width="300"] View from the van[/caption]

We hung out in the van for a little bit drinking coffee and chatting each others ears off. Around lunch time we set up the table and grill to make lunch. It warmed up just a bit, but really only long enough to make our food and get back in the van...and Bob said this has been the warmest R.T.R. so far! My goodness...good thing we have our lil fort! I love our fort!

After we chowed down on sammies, we broke away from each other and the van: 

[caption id="attachment_3283" align="alignleft" width="150"] Prezzies!!![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3285" align="alignright" width="150"] Sari girl[/caption]

I went to hang with Miss Cherry as well as wrap some prezzies for my nieces! J' went to hang out with a new friend of his, Brad & his pup Sari...sweetest dog ever!

Hopefully the weather will get a little nicer so we can meet everyone and spend more time out of our vehicles. I think if the wind would die down during the day it would make for much nicer conversations. One person wouldn't be out in the cold and one person in the van...it's rushed right now. I know the weather will get better...it has to, right! haha We are very appreciative for our heater... for all the room it takes up in the Summer time it's not even an issue anymore now that I know what Wintertime can really feel like!

I wish you a warm and fuzzy evening.

PEACE