I begin this last day of writing a month in a minivan in a state of art-pray, thinking about snakes. As a young girl, I often caught garter snakes to play with for short times. Other than foul-smelling pee, they were harmless. You could find them under hay bales at harvest time, and every old … Continue reading Day 31: Arriving Alive (the final instalment)
Category: community
Day 25: A Foot.
There are times I’m prepared to pay $52 for the luxury of having 24 hours to take two baths, a hot shower, do three loads of laundry, update my iPad and phone, take a swim, buy water, make important phone calls, clean the inside of the van, wash out my fridge, download music and be … Continue reading Day 25: A Foot.
Day 20: A Balancing Act
Today’s cosmic performance presents the much-anticipated Spring Equinox and an emerging super-moon all in one over-stuffed celestial piñata, featuring a super-sized moon rising in the east exactly as the sun sets in the west. How is that for a sweet harmonic convergence? Splitting the day exactly in half for us, to the very minute. A … Continue reading Day 20: A Balancing Act
Day 19: Today’s Traffic
I don’t ever have to be convinced to sit in a hot spring, but there is something particularly sweet about a natural hot springs pool in the middle of the desert. The water in the two concrete pools circulates continually. It drains each night and refills each morning when sun hits the solar panels, keeping … Continue reading Day 19: Today’s Traffic
Day 18: Notes from the Field
We were visited three times last night by a Great Horned Owl, and once alerted to the presence of a nearby human by the screeching of a car alarm. Although the second sound definitely brings out the worst in me (there is a reason they call it a panic button) I no longer imagine the … Continue reading Day 18: Notes from the Field
Day 16: Simple. Not Simple.
Some things are simple pleasures. For instance, the world let me in on a coffee secret and I’ll never be the same. Apparently a New York City favourite from way back, at 7 coppers a cup it’s the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. Ah, pure simple pleasure. This morning, my friend identified at … Continue reading Day 16: Simple. Not Simple.
Day 11: Leaning In
I feel the rain closing in. Picketpost is doing its best to hold it back, but you can see it climbing that mountain, and just know eventually it’s going to lower itself over the other side. But I’ve decided it doesn’t matter. There is such peace when I stop running away from something. Today I … Continue reading Day 11: Leaning In
Day 10: Weathering Weather
Morning rises over Picket Post, and Pippa and I bask in the growing sunshine entering through the open side door. Direct morning sunshine applied liberally to the face upon waking does a world of good. There is something psychologically powerful about rising with the sun. That’s a lot of energy, rising into the sky! I … Continue reading Day 10: Weathering Weather
Day 9: Superior Superior
After a while on the road, you will begin to recognize a perfect boondocking location pretty quickly. It’s different for everyone, but I want to share why Superior, Arizona has it’s hooks in me. I think the population of Superior is about 4000. Give or take 1000. This is a perfect size town for me. … Continue reading Day 9: Superior Superior
Day 5: When Lost isn’t All Lost
I searched for those keys at the crack of dawn, for as long as I could. It’s hard to intently scan the ground in a blooming desert, without falling under the spell of every wildflower and sparkling rock. You try focusing on the desert floor when every bird for a mile around is singing, and … Continue reading Day 5: When Lost isn’t All Lost