Hi all.... <BR>I used to blog.... Not sure why I'm procrastinating on that whole thing right now, could be the change in lifestyle and all...and occasional lack of cellphone signal.<BR>I figured a few of you might like a little check in - so here goes, I'll work the kinks out of my blogging life some other day.<BR><BR>Sooooooooooo<BR>I got out of Arkansas in early December and drove out to meet up with Bob and the Pre-RTR group. I was there in 3 days and my van (gosh I love her now!<IMG class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif">) didn't have not even one issue. I was so excited and thrilled to meet the group and Bob...we took morning and afternoon walks with Homer <IMG class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif">, made pots of Cowboy Coffee and cooked on the firepit, and talked and talked and talked. Joey arrived the very next morning, and in a similar fashion was excited and thrilled. We made lots of camp-buddies pretty quickly. The group kind of ebbed and flowed as people came and went before the actual RTR event. We convoyed over to Ehrenberg (sp?) for a while which changed the dynamics of the group as we went off in different directions and dealt with the cold windy and sometimes wet weather. I was soooooooo cold - the desert sure isn't Costa Rica! I eventually left that sight, tagging along with a new-found friend, just before Christmas with my van conversion in mind. We enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner cooked on the campfire and eaten around my palmtreewithsolarlights xmas tree. It was great fun constructing my bed and a storage bin as a combined effort of the friend and myself. Measuring twice or five times lol and cutting once. Drawing ideas out and then taking a break to think them through. We moved over to the RTR event site and created a KleanAirKamp in order to accomidate RTR attendees with health issues. Early in Janurary, I invited anyone to join us there for my traditional first sunday of the month breakfast. We had a lot of people, maybe overwhelming to some, and I made Huevos Rancheros, which was gone quickly - it was so much fun for me too. I realized that I am so much more social a person than I had thought before that time. I also realized that I needed to protect my friends - well, from me! me and my socialness (is that a word?) So I moved over a bit closer to the center of the RTR camp...and was I social! The people who came were wonderful and amazing and interesting and helpful --- I had incredible volunteers just take up the hammer and finish up my van construction, giving me a wonderfully comfortable mini-camper of sorts. And then I got tired and more people came to RTR and stuff happens in the social world and....then RTR was over. Kinda just done. I'd had a couple asthma attacks and had to stop cooking so much on the big fires...the cold was difficult but I did it - reached yet another goal of attending RTR! woohoo!<BR>I was feeling a bit lost as people began to leave RTR for home..."home"....hmmm, I don't have one ---err, yeah I do and she's been a trusted vanfriend for a few months now - my van. And the next adventure began.<BR>A few nights alone. A trip to Yuma and Algadones, Mexico to get eye glasses...another meeting with Bob and the Post-RTR crew at Sidewinder, California. and changes... more changes....<BR>I'm starting to get this. I am more comfortable and relaxed. There are still things to do - details of life to clean up - phone calls to make, friendships to work with.<BR>A group of us moved off together to Mittry Lake, AZ which was a lovely change of both scenery and weather as it began to warm up. We had more wildlife to see, and water to kayak in...we even had a beaver for a neighbor. and then it was time to leave and find a new camp - Fortuna Pond --- a lovely little fisherman's paradise tucked between fields of romaine lettuce, cabbage, broccolli, onions and ... It was a nice change - I even found a little palm tree to park beside. it reminded me of my Costa Rican adventures and brought a little bit of a smile - I told everyone I was on vacation while I was beside that palm tree. <IMG class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"> Only a hammock could have made it better!<BR>Recently another camp-buddy headed north to 'home' and we said our fairwellstillnexttime!<BR>And another day - another adventure begins....<BR><BR>
