on the subject of birds. this photo is from near Shilshole Marina in Seattle. Just a pocket sized sandy beach with this set of pilings by it. At very low tides the pilings can be walked out to. If you look closely you will see a cormorant but something even a bit more interesting. A Birding group has put up various types of birdhouses and also gourds. This is one of the very few colonies of Purple Martins in the Pacific NW. No martins around yet as it is still winter time, not nesting time as you can see by the snow capped peaks of the Olympic Mountians. The lower land mass in front of the mountains is Bainbridge Island, WA. Nice city owned park called Faye Bainbridge located on Bainbrige Island, it has a big sandy beach waterfront which has RV, Van and tent camping. No rules about age of vehicle. They do have a camp host and sometimes positions are available on the City of Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation department.
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nature lover
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Well that’s that. I just got a very kind “rejection letter“ from HOWA. It is not me. It’s very disappointing, of course, but not as disappointing as it could be because I know these HOWA people are straight and honest and they made a decision based upon peoples needs.
So now I have to try to make do with what I got. I might just get a room somewhere in PA for the winter and try to save some money to fix my van up come spring.??? They did invite me to apply for the next Bring your own van build. But it’s a little hard to get to Pahrump from the East Coast for such a thing. better off to spend the money it would cost to travel there on the vehicle itself. I still say we east coasters need to organize ourselves a little better. I am certain I’m not the only one who could use that type of help here on the East Coast. I hope that I’m able to contribute more to such efforts in the future.
i’m adding another beautiful bird this time the brown pelican. Picture Taken in Florida in May.
God bless the nomads especially the one who got that beautiful rig May they have lots of success with it.
So now I have to try to make do with what I got. I might just get a room somewhere in PA for the winter and try to save some money to fix my van up come spring.??? They did invite me to apply for the next Bring your own van build. But it’s a little hard to get to Pahrump from the East Coast for such a thing. better off to spend the money it would cost to travel there on the vehicle itself. I still say we east coasters need to organize ourselves a little better. I am certain I’m not the only one who could use that type of help here on the East Coast. I hope that I’m able to contribute more to such efforts in the future.
i’m adding another beautiful bird this time the brown pelican. Picture Taken in Florida in May.
God bless the nomads especially the one who got that beautiful rig May they have lots of success with it.
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nature lover
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Dear nomad friends. I just want to stress something to you all. While I am very disappointed that I am not the recipient of the van from HOWA, I want to make it clear that that disappointment does not come from any doubt that the organization is honest and fair. I would not want the job of sifting through all the applicants, finding who’s the most deserving etc. I’m very appreciative of those who did that job. As far as I’m concerned cheap rvliving.com and homes on wheels alliance are organizations of integrity. Just wanna make that firmly clear to anybody who hears of my disappointment. If I was a person who was able to give money to such organizations I wouldn’t hesitate.
I'm not sure how all of that is decided but I'm assuming they look over all of the applications fairly and equally.
Maybe next time? Well we sure appreciate having you on our forum. Hang in there!
Maybe next time? Well we sure appreciate having you on our forum. Hang in there!
As I recall on a video on Bob’s YouTube channel or on the HOWA Channel there was a discussion about factors in the decision making. Of course that could likely be extrapolated from the questions on the application.
HOWA BYOV. …how is that for an alphabet soup start to a posting?
Anyway they put out a call for more help for their fall build event in Pahrump. Specifically experienced Solar installers, someone to build a wood bed frame and also leads as they are short on people for that. I can certainly build a bed but I am sure they have plenty of new responses to that. But what I do have is a number of years of lead experience in manufacturing including smoothing out workflow, helping the crew understand the project, things like measured drawings, instructions that come with products, showing them how to use various tools, what fastener is needed, solving the various engineering issues that crop up, etc.
Anyway they put out a call for more help for their fall build event in Pahrump. Specifically experienced Solar installers, someone to build a wood bed frame and also leads as they are short on people for that. I can certainly build a bed but I am sure they have plenty of new responses to that. But what I do have is a number of years of lead experience in manufacturing including smoothing out workflow, helping the crew understand the project, things like measured drawings, instructions that come with products, showing them how to use various tools, what fastener is needed, solving the various engineering issues that crop up, etc.
Heard back from HOWA about the Van build. I will be putting flooring into a cargo trailer. Not by any means the first time I have installed flooring, I have done quite a few over the years.
It turns out the person I am installing the flooring for is someone I met at the first HOWA caravan and was camped with in the group of friends I was with for much of this summer. I had also written for a letter of recommendation that HOWA required from all the applicants who wanted work done at the BYOV event.
So in a week it will be time to head towards Pahrump but I will be camping with the group of volunteers instead of on BLM land. I facilitated getting the woman friend I have been camping with to also be accepted as a volunteer. She will be on the team making Reflextic window coverings. Others of my friends will be there volunteering as well.
It has certainly turned into a very social year, not what I had planned for or even expected would happen. All I was planning for was avoiding the heat and working on my build. I do not mind camping alone but do not feel compelled to be alone. Right smack in the middle of the extremes of introvert and ambivert.
Found out this evening just how many cayotes are around this area when either an ambulance or fire truck turned on the siren in the nearby town. They were joining in from near and from miles away. Lots of fun to hear that! Simple things bring joy to a day when out camping.
It turns out the person I am installing the flooring for is someone I met at the first HOWA caravan and was camped with in the group of friends I was with for much of this summer. I had also written for a letter of recommendation that HOWA required from all the applicants who wanted work done at the BYOV event.
So in a week it will be time to head towards Pahrump but I will be camping with the group of volunteers instead of on BLM land. I facilitated getting the woman friend I have been camping with to also be accepted as a volunteer. She will be on the team making Reflextic window coverings. Others of my friends will be there volunteering as well.
It has certainly turned into a very social year, not what I had planned for or even expected would happen. All I was planning for was avoiding the heat and working on my build. I do not mind camping alone but do not feel compelled to be alone. Right smack in the middle of the extremes of introvert and ambivert.
Found out this evening just how many cayotes are around this area when either an ambulance or fire truck turned on the siren in the nearby town. They were joining in from near and from miles away. Lots of fun to hear that! Simple things bring joy to a day when out camping.
nature lover
Well-known member
Hello fellow nomads, I’ve been in this rehab center for over 40 days and will see the osteopath again on the 29th and I’m hoping they’ll give me clearance to put full weight on my formerly broken shoulder and I’ll soon be out of here. mobility and strength are improving but I have a ways to go. .
today’s pictures are ferns and fiddleheads. It is amazing how a fern or any plant unfolds. One of the neatest is the fern and you’ll see the fiddlehead and how as it grows up and as the stem gets longer the leaves are released to grow out. That might not be the best explanation but that’s how I understand it. When they are in the young fiddlehead stage they are good to eat. I’m not sure if that’s true for every type of fern so be careful. But the kind I see in our area which is a New York fern is a Good one. Very tasty and very high in vitamin C, can be eaten raw and even better when fried in butter. Everything‘s better fried in butter. So I have one picture of the mature ferns and then I have the fiddleheads including a close-up that shows you how the frons are tucked into the “crook” Of the growing stem. And of course then you can see actually why they call it a fidle head.
God bless all of the nomads and get this one in particular to Florida this winter.
today’s pictures are ferns and fiddleheads. It is amazing how a fern or any plant unfolds. One of the neatest is the fern and you’ll see the fiddlehead and how as it grows up and as the stem gets longer the leaves are released to grow out. That might not be the best explanation but that’s how I understand it. When they are in the young fiddlehead stage they are good to eat. I’m not sure if that’s true for every type of fern so be careful. But the kind I see in our area which is a New York fern is a Good one. Very tasty and very high in vitamin C, can be eaten raw and even better when fried in butter. Everything‘s better fried in butter. So I have one picture of the mature ferns and then I have the fiddleheads including a close-up that shows you how the frons are tucked into the “crook” Of the growing stem. And of course then you can see actually why they call it a fidle head.
God bless all of the nomads and get this one in particular to Florida this winter.
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nature lover
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Hello fellow nomads, I am set to remove myself from this rehab place on Friday the 30th. That will be almost 2 months spent here, I cannot wait to get back to the van. I’ll be living in the van in one spot for a while and when it gets colder here I’m not sure what I’m gonna do I may have to do sticks and bricks again although I hate thinking about it.
pictures today I don’t have the right lighting but I found the nest of Osprey on fort De Soto islands near St. Petersburg Florida. One picture is of Papa osprey is soaking wet after diving into the water of the Gulf of Mexico and grabbing a fish. The other picture is of mama Osprey feeding the babies. The lighting is poor and I’m not real proud of the images but osprey are neat no matter what. I hope the fort De Soto does all right because hurricane Ian is about To run right over it.
God bless the nomads even those of us who may become just nomads at heart again with no wheels under our behinds.
pictures today I don’t have the right lighting but I found the nest of Osprey on fort De Soto islands near St. Petersburg Florida. One picture is of Papa osprey is soaking wet after diving into the water of the Gulf of Mexico and grabbing a fish. The other picture is of mama Osprey feeding the babies. The lighting is poor and I’m not real proud of the images but osprey are neat no matter what. I hope the fort De Soto does all right because hurricane Ian is about To run right over it.
God bless the nomads even those of us who may become just nomads at heart again with no wheels under our behinds.
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That’s the day I see my surgeon. He’ll remove this itchy old cast and make a plan for surgery. Getting down in the twenties. My thermometer said thirty six earlier, but I brought in my cassette toilet from the back of my truck and it already had frost on it. I refuse to move back in the cabin, so I’m running electric heater along with my propane which isn’t running much yet. I’ll be praying you can get back in your van and stay in it. Good to hear your progressing!
nature lover
Well-known member
Hello nomad friends, well here I am at the rehab nursing home with my bags all packed well actually boxes not bags. Ready to go back to the van after 55 days. I’m not sure what I’ll see when I get to the van because I told my friends to just put everything in it when they went up to the cabin to pick up my stuff so it’ll be an hour or two of sorting around stuff so I can get in it. maybe more than an hour or two (much more). The rain from the storm is going to hit Pennsylvania sometime tomorrow. No severe weather planned but it’ll get wet. You guys know how that is when you’re living in a van. So they’ll be no stacking my stuff outside the van unless I want it to get all soaked. Even though it’s not ready for me I’m ready for it.I’m looking forward to going back. As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz” there’s no place like van. There’s no place like van.”
what my plans are for the winter? I think Southwest Florida is going to be a little hard to live in. It ain’t gonna be fixed up by the time I get there in December. Damages have to be in the trillions, most of the houses down there were millions, and a lot of the boats that were washed up are worth hundreds of thousands. God bless those people as they sort through it. Sanibel Island got hit hard the causeway is down. Fort Myers beach is gone. I wonder what the devastation was the wildlife. I think I might still go to Florida but I won’t go much further South than Pine craft I haven’t heard any damage reports from there. I have a friend about 40 miles inland from Sarasota on a little farm he’s got dozens and dozens of trees down. He said the ground was already saturated when this rain came and he got over 12 inches. God bless them.
God bless the nomads wherever they are and I hope they’re all praying for me that my van runs good enough to go somewhere. One of the best things about living in a van is it got wheels under it and you can go away, it ain’t near as fun when the wheels don’t turn. Stop complaining Don.
what my plans are for the winter? I think Southwest Florida is going to be a little hard to live in. It ain’t gonna be fixed up by the time I get there in December. Damages have to be in the trillions, most of the houses down there were millions, and a lot of the boats that were washed up are worth hundreds of thousands. God bless those people as they sort through it. Sanibel Island got hit hard the causeway is down. Fort Myers beach is gone. I wonder what the devastation was the wildlife. I think I might still go to Florida but I won’t go much further South than Pine craft I haven’t heard any damage reports from there. I have a friend about 40 miles inland from Sarasota on a little farm he’s got dozens and dozens of trees down. He said the ground was already saturated when this rain came and he got over 12 inches. God bless them.
God bless the nomads wherever they are and I hope they’re all praying for me that my van runs good enough to go somewhere. One of the best things about living in a van is it got wheels under it and you can go away, it ain’t near as fun when the wheels don’t turn. Stop complaining Don.
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Nature Lover if you end up heading west and the van is able to do that, and you end up taking the southern route thru West Texas, you are welcome to 'circle the wagon' here for a few days, a week, whatever is needed. Just for full disclosure, winters here can get really cold and windy by mid November, and we typically start getting snow by mid December thru about mid March.
But who knows...with all the wacky weather we get now, it might be 80 degrees on Thanksgiving! (I doubt it but you never know!)
But who knows...with all the wacky weather we get now, it might be 80 degrees on Thanksgiving! (I doubt it but you never know!)
nature lover
Well-known member
Cold and snow what is that? I’ve been in Florida the last several winters. I do have a son in Austin how far out-of-the-way is that? I really don’t think the van would make a trip like that but we do dream occasionally, don’t we? I think that’s part of being a nomad being a dreamer. They go together.
Bird picture you NatureLover along with best wishes for a happy escape from the asylum.
A friendly Arizona Raven. Always nice making friends with the locals. But he was definitely into following the recommended 6’ social distancing from others for your personal safety suggestions.
A friendly Arizona Raven. Always nice making friends with the locals. But he was definitely into following the recommended 6’ social distancing from others for your personal safety suggestions.
The birds think the morning’s accumulation of condensation on my solar panel is suitable for use as a bird bath and drinking fountain. This being high desert area I suppose it is the only water feature in the area other than maybe the water trough at the riding stable up the road or roofs on other RVs.
Very sad , when I went to fold up my outside table I found a blue feathered bird. He must have flown into the window on my travel trailer this morning. The insulated window covering is sky blue color on the side that faces out. Not sure what species he is. This is Northern Arizona, by the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I will have to look it up later this week.
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nature lover
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Maki2; l hate to see dead birds. That one is the western or mountain bluebird. Our eastern bluebird has a red breast and white belly with blue on the head and back and wings. I think it depends on where you’re from which blue bird you like best. I saw your western species once here in Pennsylvania, was one of those freak things that happens. I only got a good look at him in a scope not close enough even with my 500 mm lens to get a decent picture. I took one but if you blow it up big enough to see the bird it’s pretty blurry. This visitor from the west was nesting with one of our Eastern’s. The nest was in a nature preserve in hundreds of yards from the road so I couldn’t follow what was happening whether they really had a successful nesting or not.
I thought of you today when I had two large crows visit my van. I’m parked under a pecan tree and because it doesn’t have a mate nearby it doesn’t fruit very much. But every three years or so there is a small amount of nuts on it. This is one of those years the crows and the squirrels were having a good time. Thank God they left this nut alone. I’ll put up a picture of Eastern bluebirds when I can get my auxiliary hard drives up With my laptop. I don’t have one stored here on the iPad. God bless the nomads.
I thought of you today when I had two large crows visit my van. I’m parked under a pecan tree and because it doesn’t have a mate nearby it doesn’t fruit very much. But every three years or so there is a small amount of nuts on it. This is one of those years the crows and the squirrels were having a good time. Thank God they left this nut alone. I’ll put up a picture of Eastern bluebirds when I can get my auxiliary hard drives up With my laptop. I don’t have one stored here on the iPad. God bless the nomads.
I looked it up and Northern Arizona by the Grand Canyon also has Eastern Blue Birds as well as Western and Mountain.
There was also an article saying that the Grand Canyon National Park has more Bird Species than any other National Park. So maybe a bit of a bird watchers paradise. Of course that does not necessarily mean any truly rare birds. I did not get that far into the research.
There was also an article saying that the Grand Canyon National Park has more Bird Species than any other National Park. So maybe a bit of a bird watchers paradise. Of course that does not necessarily mean any truly rare birds. I did not get that far into the research.
