Changes in latitude Changes in attitude

The life of luxury ends today.  No more starting the day with a soak in the hot tub.  No more all you can eat wifi.  No more electricity dripping our the outlets.  No more soaking hot showers.  It is back to the Earth Module.  Our gracious friends let us store the Earth Module in their yard, so today we have to restock it with clean cloths, food, and recharged everything.  At this point we have no hard plan for where we will go. The Commander wants to head back to the Roosevelt Lake area.  Last night we sat by the fire pit and went over plans with Ruth and Rodger, thinking about trips we could make this winter.  According to The Commander Organ Pipe National Park has been upgraded and we could head that way to stay warm.  We could go down to the Dragoons near Tombstone.  New Mexico has been off our radar too long, and Ruth and Rodger said they came through some nice places in Texas.

Help, I have fallen and I cannot get up.

Kadizzle and The Commander hike in some pretty out of the way places where phone service is non existent.  Should we have a disaster, which we have managed to avoid up to this point and after thirty or forty years of hiking, we now have a new super duper satellite communicator.  Kadizzle has been studying how the Delorme Explorer works.  In a dire emergency you can flip a switch and just push a button. The device will send a signal to a satellite rescue system.  Hopefully help will be dispatched. The device automatically sends your GPS location.  In addition to the basic service  you can also text people, or have the device constantly update people as to where you are. Hopefully we will never have to use it in an emergency, but since Kadizzle is now taking some long lonely motorcycle rides it might do the trick when  you break down or run out of fuel.  Also it will be a nice deal on the boat.  Often we have no phone signal on the boat.  It would be nice after sinking to have someone come get you.

Rat infestation

Sister Patty showed up at the luxury estate.  One problem, she brought three Chihuahuas.  Kadizzle likes dogs, but three yaping rats is too many.  Grandpa is always referring the dogs as rats.  Sylvie is in love with the dogs and does not like Grandpa calling them rats.  Sylvie informed Grandpa that she needed to talk to him privately. Grandpa was marched to Sylvie's room/office and told to sit on the floor. Once on the floor Grandpa was given a stern lecture on being nice to dogs, and not calling them rats.

Falling into the lap of luxury.

The Kadizzles have gone from one extreme to another.  In Gold Canyon we rented a house for a week to spend Thanksgiving with Erin, Fran, and Sylvie.  The home has a nice hot tub and pool with a waterfall, WiFi, TV, wine cooler, nice tile work, a fire pit, and lots of other amenities you don't find in the Earth Module.  To top it off there is a separate mother-in-law suite with its own kitchen, shower, and sleeping accommodations that will work great if sister Patty comes.

To top it off the house in in an area where some of our North Dakota friends have homes.  We bought the biggest turkey that every walked.  The Commander says Kadizzle is the biggest Turkey that ever walked. The Commander said she wanted left overs.  Nothing beats some good turkey meat slathered with mayonnaise and soaked with Worcestershire sauce.

Shortly we go pick up the gang and the Holiday begins.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

Tomorrow the Earth Module will pull out of Dodge.  Today we have loaded the cycle, and done a lot of task to get ready to go.  Tomorrow we have to dump the sewage, and head out.  For a week the Kadizzles will rent a nice house in Gold Canyon and meet up with Erin, Fran, and Sylvie.  A week by the pool and hot tub sounds good.  The laundry will get caught up and there will surely be some good eating. So far the weather looks good.  The bums back at camp will be on their own, but they seem to be doing well.  The camp host moved down by the lake for a drunken Thanksgiving. The host left Duane the NRA nut in charge. Duane's first move was to lock the women's rest room. That should save some cleaning.  The whole campground is sparsely populated.  Ryan drug up and headed to the casino in Tuscon.  Mary still has Cissie's prized cooking pot, and she better get it back or a range war may break out.  Seems very strange the campground is so lightly populated.  Perhaps the economy has caught up with people. Either they have enough money to stay home, or they don't have enough to leave.  None of the big bucks gang with the diesel pushers are around.  Most of the people are the just gettin by gang. 

Saving and endangered species, BUMS.

Gary is one of my favorite bums. Yesterday at the bum campfire Kadizzle looked at the water in the dog bowl. It was green with algae.  The poor dog was drinking some pretty bad water.  On inquiry Gary disclosed that his water jug was contaminated with algae.  Kadizzle explained to Gary you could not let water sit in the hot sun for days and not expect something to go wrong.  However, even that should not happen with campground water.  After some questioning Gary explained that to save water he took the melted water out of his ice chest and put it in the jug.  Now you have the perfect set up for growing everything including algae.

To solve this problem Kadizzle explained to Gary how he needed to clean the jug with Chlorox.  So this morning Kadizzle went over and cleaned the jug for Gary.  Once again seeing the dashboard of Gary's truck Kadizzle had to take a picture.

Now in the old days people used to have a "Plastic Jesus" on the dashboard.  So here is a song you need to know

Well, I don't care if it rains or freezes,
Long as I have my plastic Jesus
Riding on the dashboard of my car
Through all trials and tribulations,
We will travel every nation,
With my plastic Jesus I'll go far.

{Refrain}
Plastic Jesus, plastic Jesus
Riding on the dashboard of my car
Through all trials and tribulations,
We will travel every nation,
With my plastic Jesus I'll go far.

I don't care if it rains or freezes
As long as I've got my Plastic Jesus
Glued to the dashboard of my car,
You can buy Him phosphorescent
Glows in the dark, He's Pink and Pleasant,
Take Him with you when you're travelling far

{Refrain}

I don't care if it's dark or scary
Long as I have magnetic Mary
Ridin' on the dashboard of my car
I feel I'm protected amply
I've got the whole damn Holy Family
Riding on the dashboard of my car

{Refrain}

You can buy a Sweet Madonna
Dressed in rhinestones sitting on a
Pedestal of abalone shell
Goin' ninety, I'm not wary
'Cause I've got my Virgin Mary
Guaranteeing I won't go to Hell

The Sun gives us clean, warm, free enery, but we prefer soot filled carbon.

 

That same sun that warmed us while we hiked heated the solar showers that will be ready for us when we get back. The Commander says she is going to do a three or four pusher. What is a four pusher? For each push of the button you get about a three minute nice warm sun water shower. Kadizzle got by on a two pusher. Traveling in the winter is deluxe because you have giant facilites all to yourself, and the facilities are clean and well maintained since they are under little public pressure.

Also you get to be handicapped in the winter. Since no one is using the handicapped facilities in the winter the park people don't care if you use the handicapped campsite with a paved play pen, nor do they care if you use the handicapped shower with two nozzles. Now, back to that sun , that sun that is warming the shower, is also charging the Earth Module batteries. Solar power in the Southwest is real, and works. The sun rains clean energy down on us every day, but so many people insist that their power comes from dirty old coal, or some other poisonous substance that will fry the planet.

Since old Kadizzle worked his entire life in the energy industry he can assure you 75% of the energy produced in this country does no useful work. At a giant power plant most of the coal burned goes up the chimney and out to the cooling towers as waste heat. In the process we are cooking the planet. Solar on the other hand either charges your batteries, your shower, or just harmlessly warms up the ground. Conservation is a dirty word in our country where we have a six thousand pound truck with one person in it driving down the road at 75mph. It is our right. We heat a huge home where most of the rooms sit empty. Kadizzle is guilty as hell. Our house is sitting empty at 55 degrees burning propane and a little electricity. In Europe the people live well on about a third less energy than we do. They have mass transit, and many simple solutions to energy use.

When we visit New York to see our daughter it is so noticeable how they do without cars. People walk, and unbelievably there are not as many lump asses as we have in North Dakota. Energy efficient people are generally thin, and the tattor tot gang usually is burning up fuel just heating the tator tots.

The Trifecta Pickup truck, motorcycle, hike

Another day another hike.  Today we drove the Tundra up the road as far as we could, then we unloaded the Yamaha, and drove it as far as we could, then we got off and walked as far as we could.  All this took us up above the Tonto National Monument.  Kadizzle figured for sure this close to such a renowned site there would be something to find. However, we found not a trace of occupation.  The view was spectacular, we could see miles in every direction from the Four Peaks to Pinto Creek, and all of Lake Roosevelt.

Kadizzle and The Commander on a Yamaha 250 can be a little scary at times.  It takes a lot of concentration to ride a dirt bike with two people on the worst trails imaginable. Then add The Commander giving advice in your ear while you try to avoid a crash.  At any rate we made it up and back.

Would you, could you, be my neighbor, if I gave you a beer?

It was a slow day at camp.  First we had to patch The Commanders tire.  The Commander has an idea we should work for the Forest Service so she spent a good part of the day dealing with applications. It may provide us with a free pickup truck, and electricity.  The job would be checking hiking trails.  The idea is to get some benefits for what we already do.  Most people think the government is inefficient, but when you see it in action you know the tax payer gets a pretty good deal. Volunteers do most of the work for little or nothing. The real employees drive around and act busy.  For every real employee there are at least two volunteers.  The volunteers are old geasers trying to live cheap.

As the day progressed it was mostly social duties.  A bullshit session with Gary.  Gary told one old story and one new one about his love life.  Gary used to have a girlfriend only on weekends.  Apparently it worked well for four years.  Talked some stock trading strategy with Ryan. Contrary to all the warnings Kadizzle is thinking about trying to play the market timing game.  Next a sunshine bottle of beer with Ryan when the NRA dinger showed up.  Old NRA hates Obama and is about as right wing as you can get.  Kadizzle's devil was urging him to bring up politics with old NRA Dwane, but Kadizzle managed to resist.  When NRA Dwane showed up Ryan and Kadizzle were already drinking one of The Commander's beers.  It was apparent NRA Dwane wanted a beer he showed up holding a beer can insulator with no beer.  The Commander would go berserk if Kadizzle gave NRA a beer.  Soon Ryan wandered off with NRA and offered him a beer at Ryan's camp.

The Commander made some great vegetables and pork roast.  Kadizzle has invented a new game called "Stinger".   Each time one of the crew says something out of line they are dealt a card.  After five cards you get no more.  The person with the best hand wins.  Kadizzle has been taking a sting card when The Commander does a good deed just to be fair.  So far The Commander has won about three out of five hands.  If your hand wins before you get all five cards you are the winner.

Since today was a rest day, The Commander is considering some adventures for tomorrow.  One possibility would be to do some motorcycle adventure on the upper end of Cherry Creek.  At any rate it may be a hike and ride day.

Super connected.

 

We live in a super connected world. Sitting on the throne 1500 miles away from home this morning Kadizzle viewed the inside of his home live via the internet. Kadizzle can actually move the camera and see the temp displayed at home. The Commander and Kadizzle have come to realize the importance of radio communication. Hiking we always carry small two way radios because often there is no phone service. Additionally we each carry a GPS. The old radios are not working well so we just ordered some new ones. To top off the electronic list will be the new Delorme satellite emergency system when we get it. Getting confused and lost is easier than one thinks. Even in open country where it looks easy to move about and know where you are, often you are surprised. Yesterday for example what appeared to be the easiest way back to the truck from the mountain top turned out to be more of a chore than imagined. The creek we walked down wandered around more than Kadizzle thought. It is amazing that we can stand on top of a mountain in the middle of no where and instantly send pictures to our daughters.

At the camp site all is quiet. On our loop it is just the Kadizzles and Ryan. Mary stopped by to borrow a pan last night. It was pretty cold last night so we fired up the furnace this morning. Today Kadizzle needs to rest his bones a little after yesterdays assault on the mountain, so maybe a visit with Gary to shoot the breeze. Surely The Commander will get antsy and need a mission. The sun is up and things are warming up quickly. Hopefully it was so cold last night the snakes decided to quit for the season.

Living on the Edge

People living on the edge are more interesting than those living mundane lives of security. A favorite saying of Kadizzle is "Most men live lives of quiet desperation".  On the road we meet a lot of people living lives of pleasant desperation.  Traveling the Kadizzles meet a constant stream of interesting characters.  Warm climates attract people of limited means, and often these people are living out of a tent, a car, a van, or a pickup truck.  Our current crop includes Gary, Ryan, and Mary.  The other day I suggested to Gary who is living down the way trading penny stocks, that he might meet Gary.  Gary is living out of his pickup and a tent across the way.  Gary and Ryan became friends and made a grocery run together yesterday. Every chance to save gas is important.  After they returned it was time for everyone to have a hand rolled cigarette.  It was pipe tobacco.  The Commander is a good roller from the old days and did the honors.  Of course Gary is an expert.  Nicotine is killing Gary at a quick pace, but he is sure the vitamins he ordered for $200 will bring him back to life.

Now we got Mary an ex teacher living out of her SUV in a tent.  Women are not as common in the band of bums on the road.  The Kadizzles invited Mary in for a glass of wine and the cackling was strong.  Mary came to the south west on some sort of elder tour and has now joined the bum community at Windy Hill.  The Forest Service is under pressure to reduce the bum population so in the future fees may go up and a reservation system will be put in place.  Mary commented on another itinerant named Dwane.  Kadizzle has not met Dwane, but according to Mary, Dwane is up to his neck in right wing politics.  In Dwane’s world if there is an oil spot on the road Obama caused it.

One thing you learn as you meet the people living on the bum is that they are not ignorant.  Most of these people read a lot and are well informed in a variety of ways.  

Yesterday Gary told a good story about how he has never paid income tax.  At some point Federal Marshalls gathered Gary up and took him to the IRS.  The IRS agent threatened Gary in every way possible.  First they said they would garner his wages. Gary said he would quit an take another job across the street.  Next, they told Gary they would throw him in jail.  Gary responded that he had already been in federal prison and it was no big deal.  He told them if he went back it would give him time to write a book.  Perplexed the IRS agent said nothing for a few minutes so Gary got up to walk out of the room.  The federal marshalls blocked the door. The IRS agent gave up and said let him go.  Amazing that the government would try to squeeze a bum while billionaires rip off the government for millions.

New way to track our location.

What do you do when the big one comes?  Out hiking in the middle of nowhere and you get hurt, your heart explodes, or you just plain get hopelessly lost or stuck.  To solve this problem Kadizzle ordered a satellite communication device.  Many times out in outback there is no phone service.  The device will let you send text messages via satellite, and call 911 if needed.  The one we bought is made by DeLorme and has some nice features including the fact that it can be used as a GPS while hiking.  It will cost about $11 a month for the service, but perhaps our lives or health are worth it.  The Kadizzlites have become pretty good with map, compass, and GPS, but all that does you no good if your leg is broken.  Yesterday each of of took a fall. It is no big deal, but as you get older it becomes more of an issue.  The Kadizzles have hiked easily over a couple thousand miles in some of the most rugged terrain imaginable.  Amazing there have been no serious incidences.  Looking back Rodger once dislodged a boulder that flew past Kadizzle,  once The Commander took an interesting slide on some slick rocks on a steep slope and got scraped pretty good, but all things considered our hikes have been safe.  However, you cannot control everything.  In the jungle last August snakes were a big deal.  Seeing the little rattlesnake yesterday reminds you they are around.  A snake bite in the middle of nowhere could be a big problem.

A bonus to the whole thing is that you can set up the tracking device so anyone can follow your adventure.  If we get killed before we can push the emergency button maybe someone will notice we are stuck in a canyon for a week.  The devices has not been delivered yet so we will update when it comes.

Looking for a nest, and a little hike.

Yesterday the Kadizzles headed to Payson to look for a new home.  On the way we picked up a young couple from Alaska hiking the Arizona trail.  Their map said there was no water on the next segment so they decided to skip ahead and needed a ride.  Checking out homes in Payson it was not long before we ran into Kieth and Patty in front of their almost finished home.  Last year we met them and they helped get us interested in buying a lot in their neighborhood.  They have built a home with an incredible view and many of the custom features they put in the home turned out very well.  Before we had dinner with them we looked at some homes near the airport.  The Payson airport is set up so people living there can taxi their plane home and park it in their own hanger. Each home has a huge hanger door so you can park your plane.  Signs on the streets warn planes will not stop for cars.

Today we headed up to Oak Flats for a hike. Up the stream we went and then took off into the wilderness. The Commander wanted to keep going up the mountain, but Kadizzle thought he spotted a good site where a ruin might be.  As we approached the ruin pottery shards started to appear. The Commander spotted a small snake and was taken aback a bit. It was hard to tell if it was a small rattlesnake.  A little later she got a quick glimpse at another one.  Usually the snakes are bedded for the winter by the time we hike, but seems they are still out.  The Commander became very cautious where she stepped.  The site seemed very large and some large pieces of pottery were all around.  We found one strange all white piece with no markings on either side.

This morning Kadizzle met one of the neighbors in the campsite.  We meet all kinds of people and one thing you learn is never preguess who you are talking to.  The young guy down the way has been living in his van for five years making a living trading penny stocks.  During the conversation with him on the way to the John, Kadizzles asked "What do these companies make".  Ryan said " Nothing, they just hype bullshit".   They make up a story and when it is good the stock goes up, as the story fizzles out the stock goes down.  Ryan manages to use the internet from his van to play the bullshit market.  On our trips we have met several retired airline pilots, an escapee from a federal prison, a nuclear physicist,  doctors,  and all kinds of strange people living on the road.  A lot of these people live on practically nothing and enjoy the solitude.  As they say "Everyone has a story".  It turns out to be so true when you wander around and meet all the strange people living on the road.

Let a little sunshine into your life

 

Sunshine falls out of the sky everyday and usually gets scattered all over the place. The trees figured out hundreds of millions of years ago how to capture that sunlight and use the energy. Now the Kadizzles have caught up with the trees. The Commander just could not wait to harvest sunshine today. Before Kadizzle finished his coffee The Commander rushed out and set up the solar panels.

By the end of the day all the little devices will be charged, and there will be enough power until tomorrow. The guy up the way is doing it the old fashion way with a generator. The peace and quiet of the sun doing the generating is worth the price.

There is an old saying, “Nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of being hanged”. Nothing focuses the mind on how much energy humans consume like living off the grid. There is no question we could live just fine with half the pollution if we made even the smallest attempt. Humans are frying the planet by burning fossil fuels it took millions of years to deposit. It is total insanity to think you can put as much carbon into the atmosphere in one hundred years as it took to remove in 200 million years. Science and math are not popular, but harvesting energy is like gardening it can be a hobby.

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Can Jewish Girls find Jesus?

The wagon rumbled into Lake Roosevelt about five yesterday.  By the time we got set up the sun was down, but The Commander had to take a bike ride.  When Kadizzle opened the door to go out there stood The Commander in a state of excitement. “Guess who I found?”,  Since The Commander is of Jewish heritage,  Kadizzle could figure it was not Jesus, but the guy did have some resemblance.

The Commander had found Gary, our old itinerant scholarly friend from last year.  Gary was living in his tent not more than six hundred yards from where we nested.  The next morning it was great to see old Gary coming down the road with his dog Sammy.   Our speculation had been that Gary would be camping in that heavenly campground where the campers have wings.  Last year when we left Gary was hacking and coughing from his chronic smoking and it seemed for sure he would be called home soon.  However, Gary actually looked pretty good and said he managed to cut back on the nicotine devil some.

So this morning we caught up on Gary’s travels, and what he has been reading.   Hopefully more of our old camping buddies will show up so Kadizzle has some duffers to ride the back roads with.  The solar panel is up and cooking and things are warm and comfortable.  Kadizzle would still like to catch the generator sneaker who stole our generator last year.  The generator is now bolted to a piece of plywood and that trailer sits on the plywood.  The sneaker will have to move the camper to get the generator.  Who knows that sneaker is pretty clever, but there is also an alarm.

Fire has some benifits

The Commander insisted we spend another day in the Cochiti Lake area.  A big debate took place about how to explore.  Take the cycle, take the truck, take both, take one part way and the other the rest of the way.  In the end we just got in the truck and drove into the mountains.

The road was very steep and had some classic cliff hanging parts.  The area we hiked into had all been burned in a huge fire last year.  Now you could see many features that had been covered by brush.  Our goal was to hike about three miles across two canyons to find some archaeological sites.  On the way we came across a very high waterfall. Unfortunately there was very little water.

Since we got off to a late start we were running out of daylight and had to return.  On the way back Kadizzle heard voices and noticed three older women hiking off a Plateau.  After we asked them about ruins in the area they pointed us toward some field house ruins.  We should have noticed them on the way out, but thought we would be looking for cliff like ruins in a canyon.  The field house ruins had some good pottery shards.  After inspecting them we headed down the mountain.

Cochiti Canyon Flood - Dixon Apple Orchard

Kadizzle and the Commander hiked up this canyon yesterday.  We found a lot of Indian sites and more pottery shards of higher quality than we have ever found.  The internet here at Cochiti Lake is driving Kadizzle crazy.  If Kadizzle can get the right connection more will be added to this story.
With high winds we got stuck at Lake Cochiti.  To burn up time the Kadizzles decided to do some hiking.  As luck would have it we stumbled upon a creek that led up into the Dixon Apple orchard.  First we ran into an old dog lady.  A dog lady is similar to a cat lady.  The dog lady was on the road we werer exploring.  The dog lady had three dogs she rescued and was walking them.  Dog lady suggeste the Kadizzles might walk up the next stream they encountered.  Taking dog ladies advice the Kadizzles set off up the stream.  Not far up the stream the Kadizzles came into the Dixon Apple Farm, which had a very interesting history.  The farm had recently been hit by two disasters.  First a fire, then a flood.   Walking up the stream the Kadizzles could see there had been the mother of all floods.

As we walked up the stream the damage that had been done by the flood was amazing. When we got to the Dixon Apple Orchard it was sad to see how these people had been wiped out. Some of the trees however were still producing and we ate some very good apples.

Exploring the area we found an astounding number of excellent pottery shards. The shards were often large and had white, red, and black paint. Kadizzle found one very unusual one and my be able to post a picture later. Walking down the canyon there was a place where a stream had eaten through an old site. Many artifacts were scattered around.

After the hike we took the truck up a very rugged mountain road with a great view. Today the plan is to unload they Yamaha and ride it back up that road and explore the top of the mountain.

Sleeping with Krisna

One of the best things about life are the strange twist it takes.  Way back in the sixties Kadizzle can remember the Krisna cult.  The Krisna people as you will remember used to dance around and chant. Begging in airports was one of their specialties.  What really made the Krisnas special was that they settled in the hills near my hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia.  Kadizzle could write a page about the marble edifice they built and the strange stories that go with it.  One quick instance always comes to mind when Kadizzle thinks of them.  Years ago when Erin was only about six or seven she went for a walk in Moundsvill, West Virginia with her cousin while we were vistiong my brother Tom.  

Cindy and Erin walked by the State Prison witch was a very scary and intimidating place.  Inside the prison was one of the Krisna’s imprisioned for murder.  In front of the prison the Krisna followers were protesting with an elephant.  The elephant marched back and forth with a large sign that read “Free Swami”.  Ironically, my bother in his construction business had done work for Swami, and sold him some equipment.

Now, back to the present.  Kadizzle likes to bed down at night with some peaceful music in his headphones.  With the Spotify service you can select a genre.  After choosing meditatiion it was not long before Krisna music came up.  Strangely Kadizzle has come to like the Krisna chants.  There is something about the chants that create a tranquil state.  Forty years later Kadizzle can see how these people were sort of self hypotised into a state of bliss.  So the next time you see someone in an orange sheet dancing in the airport look closely, it could Swami Kadizzle chanting.

World Travelers

My daughter Megan landed in Hong Cong last night on a business trip.  It made me think how my children have been able to see the world when poor Old Kadizzle rarely gets out of the country.  Megan has been to London, Paris, Italy, and will go on to Taiwan.  We traveled to Ireland with Megan and Erin Years ago.  Erin has traveled to Portugal, London, Paris, New Z eland, and most recently to Costa Rica with us.  Erin's husband Fran goes around the world about three times per year and his list is too long to put down.

Erin and Fran travel in the United States so much that they have visited just about every major city.  Both of them are weary from traveling so much.  It is a lot of time away from home.  Erin represents publica entities like Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Port of Long Beach.  Fran does contract research often traveling for Microsoft, and various other large companies.  Megan is in Macy's fashion design department and has to check out the fashions in other countries, and check with suppliers.  The big bonus is they get treated as royalty by the airlines.  Erin and Fran are able to take a free trip to Hawaii every year with frequent flyer benefits.  Kadizzle does not care much for sitting on airplanes for hours, but it would be nice to have someone else pick up the tab for a trip.

Lake Cochite

Very nice sunrise at Cochiti Lake.  Too windy to drive today.  Looks like a day of exploring the area and enjoying the warmth.  The Corp of Engineers campground here is very nice, and it is a great place to stop on the way to AZ.   Tent Rocks is a very neat placed nearby and we have hiked it in the past.  If you wanted to explore Albuquerque, or Santa Fe this would be the perfect spot.

Cochiti Lake

Today we sit at Cochite Lake.  Was a warm day, but not too long a drive.  A nice view from the camper surrounded by mountains in every direction.  Every year a big battle ensues with Verizon, their service is hopeless when you travel. Here we sit withing a thousand feet of their tower, and the internet is slower than molasses running uphill.  We may be stuck here an extra day because tomorrow will be too windy to travel. However, for ten bucks a night this place is hard to beat.  So tomorrow may be a cycle ride or just some local exploring.

The people camping next to us came over and asked for advice on how to be warm and have electricity, in a nice place all at low cost.  First we told them to get to a lower elevation, then Kadizzle tried to explain that unless you have a generator and can get off the grid low cost is not an option. There are plenty of really nice places to camp  if you do not have to be plugged in.  Most of the really nice spots are free, or three dollars per night, but you need a Honda generator, or a good solar set up.  We do have amazing TV here.  We are get free digital TV over the air and have about thirty channels to chose from.  The internet finally seems to be working a little faster so we will have a couple of entertainment options tonight.  The Commander said we are having grilled lamb tonight, so it is time to grill.

Landed in Denver

The Kadizzlites landed in Denver to see our little bug Sylvie.  In Denver we resupply groceries, and buy some of that $2.85 gasoline.  The Commander plans to stock the camper with meat, liquor, and other items.  Kadizzle is having a serious debate with himself about buying a location device from Delorme.  The device would enable the Kadizzles to send an emergency message from any place via satellite.  The question is are our lives worth $300 up front and $11 a month?  Often we are miles from nowhere in some steep canyon or on some desolate cycle trail.  If things go to hell and something breaks, or someone gets hurt help is hard to come by.  The device is pretty nifty.  You can send text messages and let people know where you are.  Might be convincing myself.

Today we will head down to Chociti Lake. It is a Corp of Engineers campground and pretty nice.  Already we are enjoying the warm weather.  The drive down along the Eastern side of the Rockies is not bad. Since it is Saturday we may luck out and not have much traffic.  The truck has been getting absolutely terrible gas mileage.  With new tires at 80 psi one would think things would improve, but we are only getting between 7 and 8mpg.  The good news is gas prices are low.

Sounds like Sylvie is up and time for Grandpa to go see the bug.

Light the Fire

The house has been dusted and scrubbed immaculately.  The list has been checked, and checked, and checked once more, but one hundred miles from home we will realize we only have one shoe or something.  Tomorrow the engine will start and may we have a tailwind heading to warmth and old friends.

More than likely the Earth Module will land in Wheatland, Wyoming.   A half day drive will then end in Denver to see my little Sylvie.  From Denver to Chochiti Lake in New Mexico.  From there not sure. Packing has been a week long process. Trying to shave every once of weight out of the rig has been a careful exercise in restraint.  Hopefully the new tires at 80 PSI should get us a tinch better mileage.  The free trial Sirrus radio should be a nice addition for the long drive. We will miss the long hot showers, good internet, simple minded television, and lots of space.  Cold hopefully will be a thing of the past. Waking to sunshine, a T shirt, and mountain views will not be hard.

Load the wagon

It looks like it is time to load up and get going.  $1,200 worth of new ten ply tires are on the truck.  Yesterday The Commander and Lord Kadizzle hoisted the fifth wheel hitch into the Toyota and bolted it down.  The name of the game is to keep the weight down, so today Kadizzle may rig up a small plywood tailgate to replace the real one.  Every once counts.  Even though we use computerized list things are still forgotten.  A lot of items create a problem.  Should we carry a hydraulic jack?  Should we take an extra deep cycle battery?  So many times you realize you have been lugging stuff around for years you never use, but then you think what if?  The what if's are endless.

After the rotten scoundrel stole our generator last year we have instigated new security measures.  Buying a game camera was one thing strongly considered and still may happen.  It would be nice to capture the sneak thief on the camera.  If God is willing and the creeks don't rise the intrepid travels will head south on Thursday.