By the way.........

Just so everyone knows, I chose to put a block on leaving comments, due to a couple weird people who have taken offense at a recent post....some people just can't handle the truth ya know? But if you are a registered follower you SHOULD be able to post comments!

The cowards who are trying to belittle me won't register if they are smart, because I can then send their posts to my bud in San Diego who can track their ISP and I will know who these bozos are in real life...name calling and belittling has no effect on me whatsoever, and I could just delete their silly comments, but I would rather piss them off a bit more and block them out...couple of goobers anyway....

Eatin good in the desert!!

Last night, my fellow desert camper/new friend Gary and neighbor camper Phil and myself all sat down to heaping plates of spaghetti and sauce with generous helpings of italian sausage and ground beef and garlic bread with bowls of fresh cobb salad, and watched the sun slowly sink behind the mountains as we sat there in short sleeved shirts, and wondered how could it get any better!!

Gary is parked in his 30' class C and Phil is parked close by in his Ford Conversion Van....Gary did the cooking, all on a 2 burner Coleman camp stove, Phil created the salad, and I supplied the garlic bread.....it was a feast!! We all went to bed with full stomachs, and slept like babies!! Even Garys dog Silkie got some, and after licking the plates clean and chowing down on the leftover sausage/beef mixture, just kind of stretched out and began to snooze!!

I was up bright and early, and caught the sunrise in the Pilot parking lot with a steaming cup of fresh coffee! Here is ol sol breaking thru over the mountains for the last time this year!! Hope you enjoy......

Last nights sunset!!

These pix speak for themselves!!

What do you guys think?? Pretty nice huh??

Visit from fellow blogger!!

Well, I think the tourist season has officially arrived here in Quartzsite!! Traffic has REALLY picked up in town, and the BLM lands are getting more traffic as well....yesterday was moving day again for me, and I went 2 miles south to Hi Jolly BLM which is where I started out when I first hit town!! But I parked farther back from the road this time, and slept like a baby all night last night.....and the overnight low only went down to 40, so only ran the heater about 15 minutes just to warm the tootsies some!!

Rolled into Pilot this morning early for fresh coffee, and check the blogs, and discovered that fellow blogger Don from A View From the Road, was camped out at Hi Jolly, but was planning on heading out for Yuma around noon....so I waited till daylight and rolled back out and found the View and there was poor Don out walking his travel mate Tigger!!

We hooked up and chatted awhile, and he rode his scooter over and I gave him the grand tour of my work in progress rolling home. His pal Herman and his lovely mom Sandy were still snoozing...obviously not the early riser types! Hey when you're on vacation there are no rules right?!!?

Anyway, a bit later the View rolled into my area and they all climbed out and after introductions were disposed of all around, I got the grand tour of the View!! WOW!! I was really impressed!! That thing is AWESOME!! Winnebago really got the design on the interior done right!! I mean, I've seen smaller bathrooms on Class A motorhomes!! And the space to store things was great!! I may have to look hard someday down the road at buying a used View, I just loved Don and Hermans!! Thanks guys for letting me see it! It is one SWEET rolling home!!

Shortly later, true to his word, they all headed out to the open road, Yuma bound......have a safe trip guys, catch you on the flip side somewhere down the road..........now if I can just get Glenn from tosimplify.net to get out here!!!

The arrogance of some people!!

OK, well Christmas has come and went once more!! Whew, thank God!! Did everybody get what they wanted?? I know I did!! Christmas in a new place, never been to before, gorgeous sunshine filled day!! I mean lets face it, I've never been to Quartzsite before, and who knows if I will ever be here again? And it was just a nice day in general!! Nobody messed with me...nobody looked down their noses at me...nobody expressed disappointment over my gifts to them...I mean, I sat in the Pilot lot and watched at least 25 morons pull up to the drive thru at McDs next door and honk their horns and yell into the speaker before they finally realized the place was CLOSED!! DOH!!

The sunset last night was non spectacular, but check out this shot

The little crescent moon.....I thought it was pretty! And the stars last night were just beautiful!! You've never really seen the night sky and its splendor until you park in the desert away from man made lights and lay down on a blanket and just gaze heavenward......no one can tell me there is no God!!

Back to the title----ARROGANCE of some people!! Last night, I was just laying in bed, not a speck of noise other than the coyotes in the distance, was about 9pm, when I heard a generator start up right next to my trailer, and that damn thing was loud!! It was literally vibrating my trailers walls!! I get up and go outside, and this yahoo in a 40' motorhome had slid in right next to me, put his slides out, and fired up his genset so he could run his furnace all nite to keep his piss ant hairless dog warm!! Are you KIDDING me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Theres literally acres and acres of open land in this section of BLM and this goober has to park right NEXT to me?? I went back in and put earplugs in and pulled the covers over my head.....but I left at 5am to get away from the racket but not without pulling my truck up by his bedroom slideout and laying on the horn for a good 30 seconds, plus blasting him with a marine air horn for good measure!! When I went back at 11am he was gone...

And then today, I get an email from this woman who is supposedly a friend, telling me I can't set in my truck all day and expect the world to come to me...that I need to get out and explore more of the town and the area, and live life more!!

This by the way from a woman who I graciously loaned money to earlier in the month so she would have gas to get around....which yes, she did pay me back. But, who the hell does she think SHE is telling ME what to do and how to do it?? Maybe I actually ENJOY my days just as they are!!!!!!! And maybe, just maybe, I don't feel like spending my money on gas at $3.19 a gallon in a truck that gets 10 mpg to cruise around and check out the area!! I have somehow managed to live 57 and 1/2 years without her unsolicited input on how to spend my time, and I'm pretty damn sure I can live the rest of my life without her input!! Two words come to mind for her-----BUZZ OFF!! I mean, I don't tell her that she needs to get out of that rock club and go spend her time more wisely volunteering at a local church fixing food to feed the homeless...so, what the hell!!!

Arrogance.....a very ugly personality trait in some people!!

Merry Christmas!

Ah yes, Christmas! You know what?? BAH HUMBUG! I never was much on Christmas even growing up....and I'm still not. If you are, thats cool! I realize there are people who have families and kids and grandkids....and brothers and sisters that they want to be with, and thats OK for those folks.....just not me. Not my style. I have done a pret-ty good job of alienating myself from my brothers and sisters and all their kids and grandkids, some of it INTENTIONALLY, so the heck with them. Saw a movie short time ago, Four Christmases, where Robert Duvall said "you can't spell families without lies"......so true.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see my mom, but hasn't happened the last 3 Christmases, and not this year either....shes in Illinois, I'm in Arizona--just 15 miles from the California line.....that would be a long haul back to there!! But, she understands why I am where I am, and more importantly she understands why I am the way I am.....and because I know my brother in South Carolina won't ever see this message, keep smoking that pot you jackass, one day maybe soon you'll have a massive coronary and drop over dead!

Wow, cold huh? I guarantee you, I could drop dead tonight, and that jerk would NOT come to Illinois for the funeral! Typical big brother/little brother relationship growing up with that yutz!! He is 3 years to the day older than me, but he is a real piece of work.....

Anyway, enough of that. You guys don't want to hear about that! Sorry, got off on a tangient there.....hope you all are where you want to be tonight, with who you want to be with, and that the jolly fat man brings you everything you want for Christmas!

Myself, don't worry about me gang, I am so darn happy its ridiculous!! Merry Christmas good readers!

Thank You to???????????

I got an email this afternoon from someone, I don't know who, but it had a one line message-----"For you, on this day, hope you enjoy" and then it had a link to a YouTube video.......I want to share it with you guys, and if you go to the RIGHT video, the girl singing, Chloe Agnew from Celtic Woman, will be sitting on a rock in a lake.....thats how you'll know you have the right one!!

Just go to: www.youtube.com and in the search bar at the top type in:CHLOE AGNEW, TO WHERE YOU ARE.....then after you listen to it, if you have ever lost someone near and dear to you let me know if you liked it!

I don't know WHO sent it to me, but if it was one of my followers, I just want to say Thank You!

Yaaaay!!!!!!!!!! Another week to hang out!!

Looks like I'm good to go financially speaking for at least another week here in Quartzsite!! Managed to sell something on Ebay and a friend here paid back a loan so my Paypal account is fat again!!

Not a whole lot going on here, but there has been a COLD wind blowing thru here all day, and I haven't moved out of the comfort of my truck cab nearly all day!! So thankful I brought this little guy with me

It has been a real blessing to have these past few weeks. Fire it up and it takes the chill out of the trailer in no time! And its great for holding my tootsies up close before crawling under the covers!! I don't let it run all night, in fact it gets shut off before I ever go to sleep! And it never runs without my being in the trailer. The little 1 pound cylinder of LP will run right at 7 hours, and thats pretty good!

Also, met this character when I first hit town 3 weeks ago today, and let me tell you, he IS a real character!! Folks, meet Karl

He is quick to point out thats Karl with a K!!Karl drives that 30 plus year old Olds wagon he is leaning on, and of course he has all of his worldly goods in it, because after all, its also his HOME!! Now before any of you go feeling sorry for Karl with a K, let me assure you this man wants for nothing! He has plenty to eat, and a roof over his head, and he appears very content with his lot in life! He always waves when he sees me, comes over and talks very clearly, and he sounds educated.....reads a lot, and writes a lot of short stories and sends them to magazines all over the country. UNKNOWN TO ME WHETHER HE GETS THEM PUBLISHED OR NOT. But he seems genuinely happy, sleeping in his car at the McDs lot.....to each his own right?

Well, thats all for today!! Hope everyone is well and has a good night!

Eye candy---Desert style!

OK, I admit that I'm not a great shutterbug, but I caught the sunset last night and had to share!! I've seen some breath taking sunsets down in Cedar Key, FL at my friends Pat and Cindy Bonish Low Key Hideaway, from their dock on the Gulf of Mexico, and was left wanting more!

But the sunset last night here in Quartzsite over the Plomosa mountains left me feeling the same way......hope you enjoy!!

Ah yes.....winter begins!

According to the calendar, winter is upon us. Even in Quartzsite, winter is here!! All the SNOWBIRDS are arriving in what seems like an endless parade of RVs getting off I-10 from both directions.....heres a happy family that has set up their picnic table right in the McDonalds parking lot, just outside their "camper"

And, they stayed there the whole day and night! Kids were riding bikes and little scooters around....obviously not the smartest parents in the world, letting their kids play in a roadway shared with a Pilot truck stop!! Uhhh--HELLO?? TRACTOR TRAILERS??

I so love to travel, especially into Florida!! Love seeing those monster palm trees as you cross the state line on I-75, welcoming me back to the sunshine state!! You would think that Arizona would have palm trees, but the desert presents us with this sample

Poor thing, in the middle of the desert all alone, no other cacti to talk to...but I know there has to be a palm tree around here SOMEWHERE!! I mean, they don't plant cacti in front of their businesses for landscaping....even just one palm tree?? Ah--HA!!

What a fine specimen!! And right behind McDonalds!! How have I missed seeing this for nearly 3 weeks?? Not very observant huh? Oh well, I found it, also like the poor desert cactus all alone with no other to talk to and share the day......that sounds a lot like my life right now!! DOH!!

Sights in Quartzsite.....

OK, been here in Quartzsite just over 2 1/2 weeks, and have seen some pret--ty wild things!! People living in their 35 year old cars loaded down with so much crap you have to wonder how they still manage to roll down the road more than 5mph!! Chevy conversion vans with gensets on the back...vans with solar panels on the roof...Chevy Suburbans with solar panels that are set outside in the daytime and folded up and placed underneath the vehicle at night!! This past Saturday, I even saw a flatbed 1 ton Ford from the 60s and the guy had literally pitched a tent on the bed, and had a exercycle hooked up to a whirligig that generated power to a deep cycle battery!!! The more he pedalled, the faster the whirligig turned, and the more power he was putting in the battery, which he had a dinky little 450 watt inverter hooked up to with 1 plug!!!!! Naturally I didn't have my camera, but the guy was nice enough to let me pedal for 15 minutes or so!!

But, alas!! Today I had to send a fax out, and after talking with a local learned that the Desert Oasis Bookstore had a fax, just $1.00 a page, sent or received....so I cruised on over. Went in and theres books everywhere!! Old ones, new ones, cheap ones (.25) and expensive and VERY RARE ones ($22,000.!!!!).....Couple of nice friendly girls behind the counter, and I told this one that I needed to send a fax.....she called out---Paul.....and a couple minutes later, I KID YOU NOT, this stood in front of ME

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Paul Winer, owner of Quartzsites only real bookstore, and undoubtedly the desert towns most famous resident. This was not a gag, nor a practical joke, I didn't pay him to strip for the camera!! This is how he is, every day, all day long!! Don't believe me?? Just do a Google on PAUL WINER, NAKED BOOKSELLER and see for yourselves! He has an interesting past, and the guy is VERY intelligent, and very nice to talk to as well!

Also, it is starting to get crowded here in Quartzsite. This picture was just an empty field when I got here...

and this is just one area!! I had noticed traffic had picked up some around Pilot and McDonalds, but the locals say this ain't nuthin yet!! You know theres more people in town when you go to the post office at 10am and have to wait in line 2 HOURS just to get to the window!!

SPAM and other nonsense

There was a time I used to actually enjoy getting SPAM!! It used to be about the only email I got, then I started following others blogs and started my own blog, and developed a list of favorites where I could go in and check the local papers back home to see who had died overnight...or a local tv station where I could see what the weather was back home in winter while I was basking in the sun somewhere!

And then along came Facebook, and FarmVille, which gave me a new avenue to play in...still play it nearly everyday, level 109 in case any of you good readers play and want another neighbor!!

But, lately SPAM has started to really irritate me!! I get the usual stuff from ALL the payday loan guys---$1500. in your account---TODAY!! Hey GREAT!!! Do you care though that I don't have a job?? So, no way to repay?? Is that OK??

Or this one---Someone may have run a background check on YOU!! Good for them!! I'll bet that made for some boring reading!!!

How about this one---your Chase Bank account statement is now online! AWESOME---ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER I HAVE NEVER DONE BUSINESS WITH CHASE BANK IN MY LIFE!!

Then, theres the ones from the poor bereaved widow living in Africa, who NEEDS my help to get her late husbands bank account closed in the U.S. and she will split the $27.5 MILLION with me!! Damn, I could buy a REALLY BIG RV with almost $14 million dollars!! But, I don't have the $5000.good faith money to send Western Union to uhhhhh, NIGERIA was it?? Tell you what, if you can float me the $5000. until the money is released, you can just take it out of the nearly $14 million that will be my share...would that be OK? I mean, whats $5000. between friends?? After all, you addressed your email to me as Dear Beloved One.....

And of course, I get all the online Canadian pharmacies wanting to SAVE BIG on Viagra!! And SAVE EVEN MORE on Cialis!! Well, OK....but only if you send me a nurse or pharmacist lady like the one pictured in your email...does she come with the order? Otherwise, I just don't have the need!!

Then theres one I been getting nearly every single day lately...FROM ROBERT MUELLER-FBI-WASHINGTON, D.C.......THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!! CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY!! Hmmm....oh DEAR!! Those fake $20s I printed must have gotten traced back to me!!

Me thinks its time to go buy a cup of Pilot coffee......think I have a $20 here somewhere!!

Warrens, Wisconsin, here I come!!

Looks like I am headed for Americas LARGEST Jellystone park in 2012 to workamp!! Check it out at: www.jellystonewarrens.com Owned by a big RV resort company, Legacy Resorts, with properties all over the country! They tell me if a person does a good job, they can usually arrange a transfer to another of their properties in the winter.....and they have some in Florida!! Yes, always thinking ahead, its in my blood!

They called me this afternoon, offerred me a position, we talked money, I talked more/they caved, and the contract is on its way---sign it/fax back/report April 1.....contract runs thru end of October....stay all season, pick up bonus of $1 for EVERY hour worked thru those 7 months!! Thats gas money out of Wisconsin to warmer temps! How sweet is that!!

Now all I have to do is find something to do until about mid March so I don't go nuts!!

I have moved!!

Yes, I was going to test the patience of the BLM Ranger in these parts, but decided to follow the rules and move to a new section of BLM land this afternoon.....its only a few miles up the road from where I was, and its much bigger! Not even 1/25th full!!! I literally had my choice of where to park, and picked a nice spot up close to the entrance right off the main road......not worried about the noise, I have earplugs!!

Have also decided to go after a gig at the Grand Canyon for next year!! The north rim is the least visited area, and only about 10% of all visitors make it there! It is about 215 miles from the south rim......and the elevation is right at 8500 feet. A concessioner called Xanterra Parks and Resorts operates the Grand Canyon Lodge there, and from what I know they begin hiring in December, and will provide me with a full hook up site. They have an employee dining room, where you are fed 3 times a day if you choose, and they take it right out of your check! My application went in this morning!! Now we will just have to wait for an email back or the phone to ring!!!!!

Will cut it short today, just not a whole lot going on!

Almost time to move.....

My 14 days on my current BLM site are up tomorrow, so need to get out and search for another not to terribly crowded patch of BLM land!! Don't need much space, just room to pull in-unhitch-and set up camp!! Theres another big area a couple miles north of where I am, but you're supposed to move 25 miles each time!!

My fellow full time RV traveler Glenn at tosimplify.net turned me on to a site about 40 miles away, right beside the Colorado river....might have to just run up there and check it out today, minus the trailer. If it looks good, may just re-locate there for a while! Probably get some great pics there!

My friend Charlene is after me to join the local rock club, $15, and it WOULD have advantages.....they have pancake breakfasts, and this Saturday they are having a members only swap meet/flea market/vendor sale in the parking lot. That would be ok if I could get rid of more stuff and generate some extra cash! And then for $5 more, I can join the QIA (Quartzsite Improvement Assn.) and get a free Christmas dinner!! Not real sure what/how the QIA improves anything in Quartzsite, but what the hell...

Had a nice little rain here yesterday, and afterwards I just happened to look up from the computer screen in time to catch this!!

Who knew that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow ended up being at a Pilot in Quartzsite, AZ??!!?? I hustled my butt inside, but someone must have beat me to it!!!!!

Ah well.....such is life.....

Have noticed I'm picking up a few more followers to the blog---GREAT!! WELCOME!! I wish I had the hundreds and hundreds that Glenn has on his, but alas, no one is doing interviews with me!! Even though I have a REALISTIC working budget of $500 a month!! Yahoo, call me!!

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PS: I never heard back from the owners of the campground in Illinois that I had applied to workamp in 2012......guess they were not open minded enough to realize that a person CAN camp in a converted cargo trailer!! Likely did not meet their high standards...oh well, Deb and Ted @ Pine Lakes Resort, trust me--it was your loss!

A look back......

Well, Christmas is right around the corner, which means 2011 is winding down. Seems like it has been a long year, at least to me! I got to thinking last night about the past year, and it seems like I did a LOT of travelling, or at least a LOT of driving! Lets take a tour shall we?

January found me leaving New Jersey, all the way across Pennsylvania, across the northern tip of West Virginia, across Ohio, across Indiana, finally back home in Illinois.

Just kind of hung out in Illinois in my home town while my new trailer was being built in Georgia. Put up with the cold and the snow and the ice waiting for the call from X-tra Tuff Trailers in Eastman, GA telling me the trailer was done.....waiting...waiting....then the phone rang in late March, my baby was ready for pick-up, and the owner himself told me "shes a beauty!"

I wasted no time!! I think I was packed and in my truck in 30 minutes! Down thru southern Illinois, across Kentucky, down thru Tennessee, down to Georgia, with a few obligatory stops at Waffle Houses in each state for coffee and daily dose of artery clogging hash browns w/gravy! HAVE to stop at Waffle House!! Made it into Eastman, Georgia and my trusty TomTom GPS led me right to the trailer plant!

The owner showed up at 7am, saw my Illinois truck plates, and knew who I was and waved me on in. They had pulled my trailer in to the plant overnight, had it hooked up to 30amp power so I could see that everything worked. It was beautiful! They had built it EXACTLY to my specs! I was thrilled! We went to the office, and sat down to fresh coffee and biscuits and gravy! Love that Southern hospitality! I handed over $3469. in cash and they handed me an envelope with a mess of papers and the title and keys, went outside and hooked me up, and away we went!!

She pulled like a dream, extremely light, 1200 lbs. empty....sometimes I wouldn't even know it was back there! I couldn't just turn around and head back home to the cold, so jumped on I-75 and headed south. Destination--Cedar Key, FL to my friends Pat and Cindy Bonish at the Low Key Hideaway Motel-RV-Tiki Bar!

I knew they wouldn't laugh at my plans, so I pulled in and spent 4 sunshine filled days with them...if you have never been to Cedar Key, you get off at Gainesville onto SR 24 and head west. This is a nice drive, runs into 2 lane after a few miles, then its miles and miles of tall Cypress trees on both sides, and then---water....and then more water....then you hit Cedar Key....a delightful, charming little fishing village....on the Gulf of Mexico. And I mean, right on the gulf!!

But be forewarned, there are no Walmarts...no strip malls...hell, there isn't even a McDonalds!! No traffic lights either!! But there are some incredible sunrises!! And if you go, you have GOT to stop at the Low Key Hideaway, and about 5pm, amble back to the Tiki Bar and grab a barstool, order up a cold Coors Lite from Pat or whoever is behind the bar (you may get lucky and the president of the local bank is tending bar!) and prepare yourself for a breathtaking sunset!! Tell Pat I sent you down, he will know who I am!!But before you go, check out one of their websites---www.everymilesamemory.com and go to their galleries, and check out the pics of their journey! They are both professional photographers, and it shows!

And while you're in Cedar Key, take a stroll towards town and on the left side, look for a little place called Kona Joes Island Cafe! Owned by 2 of the sweetest people, Joe and Edie, they will take good care of you and let you chow down on some really good food!

While hanging out in Cedar Key, I got a call from a guy in Silver Springs, FL just outside Ocala, wanting to know if I would be interested in workamping at his mobile home park/campground? I told him I was in Florida, only about 90 miles away, and he said come on over! So I did, checked the place out, he let me stay a week free, but it wasn't for me....I thanked him but told him no thanks, and I headed out.

Back north thru Florida, but when I got to I-10, jumped on it and headed west. Across the panhandle, spent a few days in Pensacola, then over to Louisiana and I-55 north......up thru Mississippi to Memphis....stayed at a huge Pilot outside Memphis for a few days, then followed I-55 up thru eastern Arkansas, and on up in eastern Missori where I spent a few nights in Cape Girardeau, then on up to St. Louis where I picked up I-70 and headed east back home to Illinois.

Stayed put on a free site at a friends in my hometown who has a 32' fifth wheel, and has a 30amp plug in right next to his house on a flat strip of asphalt. The summer rolled on by, and in late July I got a workamping call in New Mexico.....loaded things up, and back on the road, across Illinois, across Missouri, across and down thru Oklahoma, across the northern tip of Texas, and into New Mexico! The Land of Enchantment held me captive 4 months, long enough to stash away some cash, but it lost its grip on me and I jumped on I-10 and headed west to Quartzsite, AZ where I am now, camped out for free on BLM land.

And now you are all caught up with me! I'm settled in here for the winter I hope, looking for a workamping gig for next year! Would love to stay out here in the west, just so much to see out here! In the meantime, will just enjoy sunsets like this...

Was setting outside my trailer last night, enjoying a salad from Burger King and a steaming hot cup of joe from Pilot, thinking it just doesn't get any better than this.....until tomorrow!

I'm getting bored..........

Yes, just setting here in the desert doing absolutely nothing is starting to bore me! No one making demands on my time is not something I'm used to!! I go into town every morning, stop at Pilot and grab a fresh 24oz. cup of coffee, then just play on the internet, read blogs, sell some excess stuff on Ebay, and just watch the RVs roll in and out.....now and then, I engage some interesting looking people with a story to tell and try to sort the truth from the nonsense!!

Last night, was just setting in the truck outside my trailer, waiting for the full moon to appear one more time, and in the east sky behind the Plomosa Mountains, old reliable Mr. Moon started peeking out...there is a little travel trailer parked about 100 yards east of me and I grabbed the camera and got this shot

I know it may look like the sun, but trust me, its the moon!! A rather nice shot of a couple camping in the desert with the moon rising behind them.....doubtful they even saw it, as they were inside the trailer probably watching tv while their generator spewed out its noxious fumes!

Just a ramble.........

Don't really have a good title for this post, so lets just go with it...The sunset last night was just gorgeous

as they so often are out here in the west! Add in a brilliant white full moon and temps in the 50s, throw in free camping on BLM land with the coyotes howling in the distance, makes for some really good sleeping!

I am trying to line up a workamping gig for next season, and thanks to my E-plus subscription to Workamper News, get interesting job openings every day right to my inbox! One came in earlier this week from a place in west central Illinois (my home state) called Pine Lakes Resort. I checked the place out on their website, and shot off an email to the owners. About 2 hours later, cell phone rings, and its the wife of the owner...we talk for a bit, and she wants me to shoot her a pic of me and my rig.....so, I get my friend Charlene to shoot this

and I attach it to a nice email and thank them for any consideration they may give me, and sent it on its way. Hoping they call and tell me to come on over, as its only about a 2 hour drive to my moms from there, and I could run over every couple weeks and see her, as well as some old friends! Keep your fingers crossed, and wish me luck!

Then again, there is just SO many possibilities out here in the west for workamping jobs!! I mean, between Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and Custer State Park and Crazy Horse Monument and Grand Teton Lodges, literally a few thousand job openings!! Throw in the National Park Service and the Forest Service, and a guy could workamp year round and get paid for it!!

Ahhhhh, the possibilities........

Keepin the faith!!!

Well, its Wednesday here in the cold northwest Arizona desert! I have to say I am getting really tired of this cold weather! Sleeping is good, just pull up the quilt/comforter/electric blankie over my head and snooze away! Its the other 15 hours of the day that suck!

So here I am at Pilot this morning enjoying fresh coffee, and watching all the folks climbing out of their campers, i.e. conversion vans/station wagons etc...when this little cutie walks briskly by on her way into the station...sorry, no picture...(never grab the camera in time!)....a few minutes later she returns on her way to a parking lot behind me, and alas, I look over my left shoulder and she disappears into this

Kind of looks like something from the 70s huh? Can you see whats hand painted on it? "CROSS COUNTRY ON FAITH AND DONATIONS"....."NO CASH---FOOD AND FUEL ONLY"....."SIGN THE BUS"......the old PEACE symbols spray painted here and there....2 junkyard dogs stretched out soaking up the sun...

Vermont license plates, must be California bound. I wasn't feeling adventurous enough this morning to go over and engage them in conversation, plus I don't have a lot of free cash to hand out willy nilly, but caught the lot of them standing outside and snapped this picture. One of them must have spotted me hanging my head and camera out the door of my truck, cause he called out to me "peace brother" and gave me the V sign with both hands!!

Right on brother!!!!!!!!

Strange character

This morning while setting at Pilot enjoying a cup of joe and reading some of the blogs I follow, in rolls this

I guess the owner of this rig is all set up for when TSHTF, as he has 100 watts of solar on the roof as you can see. Don't really understand the camo design, but getting used to seeing just about anything here in Q-zite!

But then, the owner steps out, and he is dressed totally in Army fatigues/camos right down to his boots! I approached him, curious about his solar power setup, but he saw me coming and obviously saw the camera in my hand, as he proclaimed loudly "there will be NO pictures taken pal" as he pointed a gnarled finger in my direction!

I just did a 180 and scooted back to the safety of my normal looking Ford, deciding this guy just wasn't worthy of my time, nor my good readers time either!

Sunrise, sunset..........

OK, I actually remembered to make sure the batts were in the camera yesterday afternoon....yaaaaaay!!!!!!!! Heres the sunset from last night....

And then this morning, I caught ol' sol just as he was peeking over the Plomosa Mountains.....

Shortly afterwards, I headed to the local Pilot to get fresh coffee and set and check email and catch up on the blogs I follow, and I see this RV? roll into a space in front of me....this goes back to my post yesterday about "It takes all kinds"......

Hard to imagine, but a guy actually sleeps in this set up!! No harder I guess than believing I actually sleep in mine though!

It takes all kinds.......

So, I have been in Q-zite 3 days, and in that period of time I think I have seen every type of RV you could imagine! Everything from those fold out truck campers that have nothing but 2 padded benches, to the biggest, most luxurious Prevost coaches with auto tracking solar panels and 6 slides!! By the way, the owner of the Prevost actually gave me a tour---in the galley area, he pushed a button on a remote control and the floor (marble tile!) actually opened up and a center island rose from below that held a microwave/convection oven, 9 drawers, and a double door cabinet!! The counter top was a beveled rounded edge design that looked like it was granite. In the master suite, he pushed another button and a 60" flat screen digital tv flipped down from the ceiling and rotated 180 degrees on a ceiling track around the king size bed!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! Price tag?? He showed me the invoice---are you ready?? Try $3.7 MILLION!!!!!For a friggin motorhome?? And this guy was only 38 years old, but inherited several million from his parents, and is travelling the country enjoying every single dollar!! The coach was custom built, custom painted, has 2 simply magnificent heat producing electric fireplaces, in floor safe, even a wine cooler!! So sorry good readers, he would NOT let me take pictures, insisted I leave my camera/cell phone outside, and even made me remove my boots before stepping inside! On the roof, he has 900 watts of solar power, with an auto tracker to follow the sun....UNBELIEVABLE!!

But, I digress....there are some rather unique characters that have rolled into town over the past day or 2. I am parked at the local Pilot, using their Wandering Wifi network, ($19.99 mo. UNLIMITED)and have seen the same 5 or 6 30+ year old Chevy conversion vans here just parked, owners inside doing who knows what.....truck campers/Chinooks/even just people in their cars loaded down with their possessions. Pilot doesn't care obviously, as they know that these people may all come inside and buy coffee or a sandwich or smokes or whatever...and really, its not hard to park in plain sight in a truckstop lot. If they get tired of setting here, there is a McDonalds next door...or a Loves travel center 1 mile down the road.....

But, what do all these people DO for money? Are they disabled, drawing a check every month?? I know they aren't all retired, I see guys here in their 30s!! Are they living off savings? Unemployment? Food stamps? Most all have a beard, shoddy clothing, look rough......yeah, I know they are sleeping in their vehicle, but where are they getting money to eat??

It truly does take all kinds.........

Say what?? 34 degrees???

Looks like we are having a little cold spell in Quartzsite!! Woke up this morning to a chilly, but tolerable 34 degrees!! Yes, good readers--34 degrees!! Lucky for me that I had the good sense 2 years ago to buy a Coleman catalytic heater with electronic ignition, and even more good sense to stock up on the 1 lb. propane cylinders!!

So, after waking up with cold toes at 3am, I broke out the heater and 1 cylinder and fired that puppy up!! I also cracked open the roof vent a couple inches, otherwise I may not be sitting here in the Pilot parking lot typing this, and enjoying a cup of Joe!

The heater worked flawlessly, and I was snug as a bug in a rug in no time!The 1 lb. cylinder will last about 6 hours or maybe 7, and the heater has a fan powered by 2 D cell batteries to circulate the heat, but I'm out of batteries, so radiant heat was all I had, but that was enough!

Woke up again about 7:15 just in time for the sunrise over the Plumosa Mountains, so grabbed my new camera with the 30x zoom, threw on my Carharrt jacket, and headed out to catch a good shot.....waiting patiently, it was just cresting the mountains.....and now!! Click..looking at the shot I had just taken, NOTHING there?? DOH!!!!! The batteries were inside charging thru my inverter!!!

Oh well, theres always tomorrow.......

Arizona sunshine!!

Well good readers, I made it to Quartzsite yesterday afternoon, and after hooking up with my friend Charlene, am now securely camped on BLM land about 5 miles out of town. Happy to say the truck and rig performed flawlessly on this trip! NO OVERHEATING ISSUES!! WHEW!

Going to just sit in the sunshine a few days and take it easy...then will see about finding gainful employment here in the land of rocks!! The Family Dollar here needs help, maybe I can qualify to put cans of soup on the shelves!!

Stay tuned, more to come!!

On the road!!! Again!!

So, after my last post, and a day to think about things and reaching out to a friend in Quartzsite, I hooked up the trailer and jumped on I-10 and headed west!! Have stopped for the night just off exit 322 at an obviously old tourist trap called THE THING? It costs a buck to see THE THING? but not being interested in that stuff I grabbed a cup of coffee, got permission to overnight in their lot, and am posting this from the cab of my truck with a full wi-fi signal!! Sweet!!

And amazingly, I feel GREAT!! No anxiety since I left this afternoon!! There was just to much drama in that place I was workamping, he said/she said crap...I don't need that in my life at this point!!

Got enough cash to last 3 or 4 months, provided I camp on BLM lands. And my contact in Q-zite says she can point me in the direction for added income while there!!

So good readers, yours truly is on the road again! Don't know if I will have signal tomorrow or not, but will post when I do.

Time to roam............

This past week I have had more issues with anxiety than in the last year!! I think my mental system is telling me its time to hit the open road, and head west!! I was planning on going to Quartzsite to the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous in January anyway, but there really is no reason not to go ahead and go now. This will be the perfect opportunity to put that $500 a month budget to the test!!

The chances of finding work next spring/summer is great during the Big Tent RV Show in Q-zite in January, so why not just hook up and head that way?? Maybe my mental system has had enough of just setting still.....been here since mid August, and the internal drama is pushing me over the edge!! I know when I get there my friend Charlene will have room for me and my rig next to hers, and she will help me find my way around the town, so why not just go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my budget I posted here last week, I allowed $150 for gas, and if lets say its $3.75 a gallon that would be 40 gallons a month. My truck loves gas, only getting maybe 12 miles to the gallon, and that translates out to 480 miles a month....so obviously I won't be doing a lot of needless driving when I get there!! Go to town once a week for supplies, and the rest of the time just sit and enjoy the solitude, which by the way is something I REALLY enjoy.....a guy can get a lot of thinking done setting in the desert!!! Maybe I will just hook up in the morning and head west.......stay tuned good readers.

Lingering anxiety issues

I have not posted this before, because I guess I just wanted to appear relatively normal to my good readers! But about 4 1/2 years ago, a doctor thought I was depressed and put me on Xanax---.50mg 3 times a day....but the Xanax backfired, and all I could do many days was set and cry.....the more I cried, the more Xanax I took!!! I slept good at night, but in the daytime when I was alone, all I did was cry!!! And take more Xanax...and cry some more....I drove my few friends nuts and my poor mother nuts worrying, because my father, who I never knew, committed suicide when I was just a baby. I think mom thought I was headed down that road as well.......then one day, I developed a shake in my hands...couldn't even drink coffee without spilling it down my shirt!! This went on for like 6 months. Then, I knew I had to do SOMETHING!!! Went to a good friend who told me of a shrink he trusted. Went to see him, and after telling him my story, and after he got my records from the M.D. he told me I was not depressed, but rather I was suffering ANXIETY attacks!!

He immediately put me on a drug called Vistaril, and gave me Trazadone to MAKE me sleep.....and in just 5 days, THE CRYING STOPPED!! But, he also told me I may have to take it the rest of my life, but a point would come where I would only need the pills when I FELT like I was going to start crying.....he also told me a few months later, that there was an over the counter pill that was almost identical to the prescription pill, and he wanted me to try it---guess what it is???? BENADRYL!!! I have Benadryl with me now all the time! And they work for the anxiety just as well as the Vistaril!

I hardly ever feel the need to take them anymore, but sometimes something will happen, (drama!) and I reach for the bottle of pills.....30 minutes later, I'm like brand new!

Thats how it was this evening.....I got off at 7:30pm, came to the camper and was watching TV and just taking it easy, and like a bolt out of the blue--BAM!! I started getting weepy just watching Family Guy!! Popped a pill and chased it with ice cold Dr. Pepper, and the weeping went away, but now its almost 1am and I can't sleep.......maybe I will go for a little walk and clear my head......

The other side of the mountain.....Part 2

So, if you go back to my post of 11/23, you'll see the monster solar panels I found on the other side of the mountain. After talking with some locals out here, which by the way there are not that many of, one of them told me I needed to walk another half mile on the other side of the hill and see what else was there......

Knowing it was a 5 1/2 mile walk, I tried to get the guy to tell me what else was there, but no luck, however he did offer me the use of his 4WD atv to go check it out!! So, I grabbed my camera and hopped on and took off. I passed the solar farm, and sure enough after about half a mile going upthe hill I crested and there it was-----

Wind turbines!!! Dozens and dozens of them!! Monsters turning in the winds between the mountains!! The way they were laid out it was hard to count them all, but I got to 112 before I lost track!! Obviously, alternative energy production technology is alive and well in New Mexico!!

Turkey frying!!!!!!!

Here where I am workamping, the company gave us all turkeys for Thanksgiving! A fellow workamper parked next to me in a 42' Mountain Aire motorhome has one of those oil fryers that is fired by propane. He and I were up at 6am drinking coffee together and getting the setup ready, and at 7am we started in with the first bird!

At a temp of 350 degrees, and an average weight of 14 pounds, we left each bird in for right at 4 minutes per pound=cooking time of 56 minutes, then gave each bird 4 minutes extra for good measure! Heres te 1st one after cooking being pulled out!

Doesn't that look good??????? It was great!! We injected each one with herb/butter seasoning on Tuesday morning after they had thawed out, and they were DEEEEEEEEEEEEE---LICIOUS!!

Am I thankful?? You know it!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....Thanksgiving Day! A day to reflect, and see what we have in our lives to be thankful for. And I have SO MUCH!! A list would take to long to put on here, so I will just rattle some off here....hmmmmm, lets see, where to start?? Living parents, 90 plus years old.....my health, pretty good for 57 despite the fact I've smoked for 40 years! Old friends--few and scattered...new friends--all around the country, some I've never met, some I may NEVER meet, but friends just the same!! A roof over my head, when many are homeless....food to eat, when many go to sleep hungry! A bed to sleep in, while others are sleeping on park benches--some of them military veterans that fought for my freedom AND yours! Money to spend, clothes to wear, a vehicle to take me wherever I want to go.....a job, which thousands upon thousands are unable to find today! Freedom to go where I choose, and the means to do absolutely nothing if I choose, or get a job and save my money only to take off again and travel somewhere else if the urge hits me! WOW huh? Yeah, life is good!!

Sooooo.....good readers....what are YOU thankful for today???

The other side of the mountain.....

Ever since I got here outside of Deming, NM have been seeing tractor trailers go by down a dirt road from El Paso Power and BP Solar...then one day they just stopped.......so did some exploring in front of where the dirt road ends, at the base of a mountain...

Had to do some exploring to see where the trucks were going from there, and after 5 hours of walking I found where they were going and what they were doing!! This is the view from the other side of the mountain.....glad I had my camera with me!!

HUGE solar panels, 194 in all, each one on trackers to follow the sun across the sky!! These things are enormous!!! At least 90' by 120' each! These things ave to be producing a lot of electricity, in the middle the desert, exposed to full sun all day long!! Going to have to do some research.....

Pics of the new wind turbine....

OK, think I have my photo upload problem solved! So, here are pics of the new 550 watt Air-X Wind Turbine......

The mast is in down position to get a better scope.....

But, when its up in the air 15', this bird is really rockin!! And charging right around 14.4 volts!!

Looking for some wind!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas came early for me!! My new 550 watt Air-X 12 volt wind turbine arrived yesterday afternoon, and its a real beauty!!! Very lightweight poly carb body with graphite wings, shiny white and all hooked up to my custom built air actuated telescoping mast that puts it up 15' in the air. Tied in direct to a new AGM Lifeline battery with 225 amp hours of storage.....only problem is---theres no wind today at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, why would nature cooperate with me!!

Oh well, its ready when the winds return, and it looks great up on the mast!! Got pics, but as usual can't get tem from my desktop to the blog, very poor signal, and they drag and drag until the program just gives up!! Such is life.....

Living on $500 a month!!

So there was recently an article on Yahoo about a guy living the RV life full time on $11k a year. His name is Glenn, he travels full time in a Chinook motorhome, and has a blog--:tosimplify.net where he now has a loyal following of others interested in doing the same thing!

If Yahoo was to see this post, and how I propose living on $500 a month, I suspect I would have an influx of new followers as well, plus many naysayers stating I'm full of crap!!

Oh yeah? Well, check out this site:www.cheaprvliving.com where a budget of $500. or $1000. a month is outlined. Is it possible? To live in an RV for $500. a month?? I say it absolutely IS!!

Lets break it down.....$150. for FOOD....No, you are NOT going to eat out much, but you can eat well! I'm not talking about water and oatmeal cookies all the time either! That translates to $5 a day.....then because you are mobile, we throw in $150 for gas. You are staying on BLM lands, so no rent. Every 2 weeks, you move 25 miles to a new location, and set there 2 weeks---RENT FREE. Want to travel some? OK, no sweat!! Hook up and hit the road and stay in the local Walmart/Target/Lowes/Home Depot/Kmart lot.....just make sure its not posted NO RV PARKING! Or pull into a rest area...I have spent many nights in interstate rest ares and have yet to be told I have to move on!! Pilot and Flying J truck stops are great to spend a night as well. Nothing like getting in between two reefers and being lulled to sleep!! Fresh coffee and a shower in the morning, for a price of course.

Throw in $50 for vehicle insurance. Add another $50 for cell/internet. And since problems are inevitable, throw in $50 for savings for repairs, just save it away for when you need it.....gotta change the oil and rotate the tires sooner or later!! And $25 for miscellaneous, i.e. laundry...and the last $25. for entertainment, maybe a movie and a Big Mac!

Sooooo, add it all up and you get?? Yup!! $500 bucks!! And, if you are doing it right in your RV, it is equipped with solar power and a wind turbine, so you are generating free power from Mother Nature! As mine is!

Still don't believe I can get by on $500 a month? Actually, I can pare these figures down, to $380 a month!! My cell is only $30 a month, and I can get email on it to boot!! A cell with email for $30 a month?? This guy is nuts?? Go to :www.straighttalk.com and see the proof good readers! Yeah, it works, just like your cell phone works!! Have had mine for 18 months and wouldn't go back to any of those big carriers! And guess what else---my phone runs thru Verizon towers, and I have yet to not get a signal!

I charge my cell/laptop thru the inverter in my truck every few days. I have a solar oven that lets me fix many fine and tasty meals. I can watch DVDs thru my inverter in my trailer. I even shave thru my inverter!! I have a small washing machine which requires no electricity!! I recharge my cameras batteries thru a solar charger that sets on my truck dash. And my backyard--anything from wide open desert of Arizona to the presidents on Mt. Rushmore to the expanse of the Grand Canyon.....its all out there to enjoy!! Have spent many hours in local libraries reading the paper or browsing magazines, in air conditioned or heated comfort, and have never been asked to leave.....if you look presentable, you can go in anywhere!

Oh Yahoo, I have a great story for you!!

A new follower!!

So, this past week, on another blog I follow regularly, tosimplify.net there was a reply to a post from a gal that I ended up emailing and she is now following my blog, and I am following hers as well, plus emailing each other.She has a goal to get her own RV and hit the open road while having a mobile income doing writing and photography and speaking engagements.

The great thing is that she is doing her research and planning the steps and isn't likely to risk everything by jumping into the lifestyle unprepared! I applaud her for that, and I know someday she WILL be out here with the rest of us who are making this lifestyle work for us, despite the fact that most people just don't understand why we do what we choose to do, and the way we choose to do it! Sad thing is, those people will never get it!

Stalled ---AGAIN!!

Sorry I haven't taken the time to update lately, have not had a good signal last week or so. Am presently northwest of Quartzite, on BLM land, just hanging out for a couple weeks, but will be back to work outside Deming in a few more days. Then in mid January, heading back to Quartzite to go to the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous and just hang for a few months in the desert close to SwankieWheels. Its so nice out here, wish I could just stay indefinitely....

Time just flies by!!!!!!!!!

Wow!! These last 2 weeks have just flown by it seems! My new friend I mentioned in my last post arrived and stayed overnight back in the attached campground and headed out the next morning for Quartzite, AZ where she will be for the winter. Charlene showed me her Chevy Express van where she sleeps and eats and works on her laptop...it was ideal for her, though she admitted that it could be a little wider and have more interior height, but its home to her. Personally, I don't think I could do it the way she does. But she does have stealth with the van, and the way her roof is set up the van looks like just another contractor pulling a cargo trailer! I hope to meet up with her again come January at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous....more on that later.

Meanwhile, back at my place, the new bed is working out GREAT!!! I sleep so good now! And I hardly even hear the trains anymore! The nights are getting cooler, and I still need to get the trailer insulated.....about a $300 job.

Not much going on here, still getting 40 hours a week, but business has dropped off substantially!! Am considering job opportunities for spring up in SD at Crazy Horse Memorial...as well as Mount Rushmore and Bryce Canyon. Nothing definite, just considering possibilities to see more of the country!

The new camera takes great pics, but I am still having trouble getting them to upload to the laptop!!! Will get it figured out one of these days......everyone take care!

New camera!! New bed!! New friend!!

Been busy the past few days, taking time to post the news!! I got my new tulip poplar bed frame all assembled and in the trailer..looks good, but lost some floor space....but it will be worth it! Also, my new 8" thick king koil mattress arrived Friday morning, all compressed and rolled up into what looked like a big duffel bag, and after letting it de-compress over the weekend, I placed it on the new wood frame, and it looks great!! Feels great too! Laying on it now as I type this, and its extremely comfortable! Think I will be sleeping very well starting tonight!

My new camera arrived this morning as well!! A Kodak EasyShare Max Z990 with a 30X zoom!! Can't wait to get some pics posted, but I need help with that.....for some reason, I just can't get them to upload....but, I have a new friend due in here this week who is a real whiz at computers, and in exchange for my supplying her a full hook-up site, heres hoping she will educate me on how to properly upload pics to my blog!

Her name is Charlene Swankie, and she is travelling the country living in her Chevy Express cargo van. She is on a quest to kayak all 50 states! Here is the link to her blog----swankiewheels.blogspot.com and her adventures are outlined there.....hopefully, she will be gracious enough to help educate me on posting pics to my blog!!

Stalled...........

I'm still alive and kicking, just sort of stalled at posting!! Lots going on....new camera is on its way which will hopefully allow me to take some great pics, and with the 30x zoom it definitely should! New bed frame has arrived, (yet to be assembled!) plus a new 8" memory foam mattress!! After sleeping the past year on a 2" thick pad on a chaise lounge narrower than a twin bed, this new set-up should throw me into sleep heaven!!

Cooling off here in southern New Mexico, and last night I brought out my new electric blankie from Amazon.com......ahhhhhhh, slept SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!! And when you throw in the ear plugs I got from a guy on Ebay, the steady blasts of train whistles from Union Pacific did not even faze me!!

When the new camera arrives, will post some pics of before and after of my sleep chamber!! Some of you will likely say---how on earth did he sleep on THAT!!!!!!!! Hey, when you're tired, you can sleep on most anything!

Stand by, more coming real soon.............

Camera troubles...........

So, all settled in here at my new location, at exit 62 off I-10, about 20 miles west of Deming, NM. Its fairly deserted out here, we are the only thing on this exit. Have been out driving around the area, but there just isn't that much to see! Few mountains but not really big mountains.....took a drive this afternoon to an area about 7 miles south and found an old ghost town with a few buildings scattered about, plus an old GOLD MINE!! Yeah, a REAL GOLD MINE!! Abandoned for many years, and the entrance blocked off by braided steel cables about a foot thick......took many pics and intended to post them, but my Easy Share by Kodak is not cooperating at all, as usual......I hate this damn thing!! As soon as I get the money together, plan to buy a nice Canon as recommended by my buddy Pat Bonish at http://www.everymilesamemory.com/ who knows cameras!

Meanwhile, the Stealth Camper is working out great!! Before I left Illinois my buddy Dwayne Reel installed my shower base, and we rigged up the shower curtain holder from 1" pvc pipe, and it works really well! The solar panels continue to get a good workout here in New Mexico and I will soon be hooking up the wind turbine. I plan to keep this trailer for a long time, and continue to work on the interior. Next thing to do is get a new, more comfortable bed! Have been sleeping on a chaise lounge I picked up at a yard sale last year, but the cushion is getting thin.....going with a mates twin bed from Walmart with a 6" mattress. The bed itself has 3 drawers at the base for storing things, which will come in handy!

Next project:Insulating the walls and ceiling! Winter is coming, and I need to be ready!!

Back online with wi-fi!!

WOW!! So much has happened since my last post! The company transferred me that next day to a store 20 mi. west of Deming, NM which is right at 300 mi. southwest of where I was. I headed out of Bluewater and got about 50 mi. south of Albequerque and blew my water pump!! Got towed back to Albequerque ($345.!!) to a Firestone store, where the manager was the brother of a mechanic friend I knew from Bluewater.....cost to get back on the road, including towing, was right at $1,000!! They let me set in the parking lot 6 days and nights, sleeping in my stealth trailer, they let me use their bathroom, they made me coffee every morning.....just a nice bunch of guys who knew they had me over the barrell!! Couldn't leave in the night, as they pulled the truck in every night.....so, I just hung out!

Got back on the road and made it here, barely.....had to stop every 20-25 miles and let the truck cool down, still had bad radiator hoses, but no money to replace......being poor sucks sometimes!! But, I made it in, got trailer on site with a full hookup, and went to work the next day. Been 2 full weeks, and its going pretty good......there was no wi-fi onsite until today. The company sent a couple of I.T. guys down and they got it all installed, and I'm in the trailer typing this showing a full signal. Got my DISH TV hooked up this past Sunday, so I'm happy again!!

Will get some area pics posted soon.......

Solar power in New Mexico

My solar panels are getting a good workout here in New Mexico!! Parked in full sun, the batteries actually registered 13.5 volts yesterday, use to back in Illinois I was in partial shade and the batts never went over 12.4 volts.....despite the fact that I am hooked up to a 50 amp power source, with a dogbone to my 30 amp line, I am still utilizing my solar......have a multi outlet strip plugged into the inverter, and the tv/sat. dish/cell/laptop/table fan/stereo are all plugged in......also plug in and shave every morning via the solar! Next step will be to hook up the wind turbine just to experiment!! May buy a separate Lifeline AGM battery for the turbine setup. Basically the only reason stay connected to shore power is for the AC unit.....

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, but will be getting on more often and posting more pics! Need to buy me a better camera with more zoom, to capture close ups of the scenery out here....my pal Pat Bonish at http://www.everymilesamemory.com/ suggested I invest in a new Canon, and I'm looking at them.....Pat KNOWS cameras, and would not steer me wrong!

New Mexico pics

Finally have a decent signal, here are some pics of the area where I am here in New Mexico......plan to get up to Bluewater State Park in the next day or so, get some pics of the lake!

Internet troubles............

Haven't posted for a week since I got out to New Mexico.......signal is just so poor, and I just haven't had the time to go find a stronger signal, but I will. Job is going well, and the trailer is working out nicely, just as I knew it would! Stay tuned for some awesome pics of the area I am in, having trouble even downloading them!!

My trailer

I researched various manufacturers before I ordered my trailer, finally going with X-tra Tuff Trailers in Eastman, GA. They offerred a 5 year full warranty plus built it to my specs! I drove down and picked it up and paid for it in cash, which the owner Kim Sheffield really seemed to like! One nice thing I really liked was the fact that they put on a real RV style flush lock on the side entry door, with deadbolt capability on the inside. The trailer has Dexter axle, and LED lighting, and it is BRIGHT!!

My solar power comes from roof mounted 80 watt panels that I bought from AM Solar. These people are super nice and very knowledgeable! I store my power in (2) AGM Lifeline batteries, 220 amp hours each. I use a Cobra model 1500 watt inverter that I bought from Amazon.com and it has a low voltage alarm, which lets me know when my batteries are getting low.

Because the batteries are sealed, they do not require venting. Which means I can have them in the trailer and not have to worry about getting poisoned from the gas! The solar panel cord runs into the trailer right to the batteries, and the inverter is tied direct to them as well. Naturally, the batteries are tied together, so they both charge equally at the same time.

My wind turbine is a 400 watt low wind (4mph) that I bought from Mikes Windmill Shop in Show Low, AZ. Mike and his wife are another couple who are very nice and extremely knowledgeable! Again, the power cord from the turbine runs down the front of the trailer directly to the batteries. I have a water heating coil that serves as my dump load to dump excess power from the turbine when the batteries are full. You need this, because these batteries are $265. each, and you don't want to risk burning them up!

The mast for the turbine is custom built by Dave Hoskins at Aluminess Products in California. There are only 2 of these in the world, and my friend Pat Bonish in Cedar Key, FL has the other one! This mast is made of ALUMINUM, and it telescopes up into the air and locks in place with a pin......hook an air hose onto the nipple at the base and raise it up into the wind! When you are ready to bring it down, you add a shot of air to take it up a little, pull the pin, then pull the air release valve at the base and it slides down. REALLY, REALLY SWEET!! Trust me, there is no one making a mast like this for RVs, much less custom mounts for cargo trailers, NOWHERE in the USA!

I could go on and on about my solar/wind power system, but will just say it is doing EXACTLY what I need/want it to do for me! One reason I have both is because I have learned that when the sun isn't shining and charging the solar panels, then the winds are usually blowing like crazy! So, I can pull off the road and KNOW I have power available to run a cooling fan or watch my satellite tv or make coffee or sleep under my electric blanket, or charge up my cell phone or my laptop, or watch a DVD! All with FREE power supplied by Mother Nature!

The finishing out of the interior of the trailer is a work in progress, and will be documented here as it happens. Meanwhile, check out these links for solar, wind, cargo trailers!

http://www.xtratuff.com/
http://www.amsolar.com/
http://www.mikeswindmillshop.com/
http://www.aluminess.com/


And heres a GREAT site of my friends Pat and Cindy Bonish.....

http://www.everymilesamemory.com/

I will be heading out tonight for Bluewater, New Mexico. May not make it online for a few days, but will update when a connection is available to me.

The Stealth trailer

Having my shower base put in today so will actually be able to use it! Bought the pan base at Lowes, and the pvc piping to rig up the drain, as well as the pvc pipe to rig up the shower curtain holder. If you check out this site:www.stealthcamp.net you will find pics and plans from a guy that I modelled my trailer conversion after, with a few layout changes.

His trailer does not have solar and wind power like mine, but his is comfy, and mine is as well. I sleep just as good in my cargo trailer camper as these guys with half a million dollar motorhomes!! And on the title to my trailer, it even says CAMPER, so I'm just waiting for someone to tell me its not a camper!

I get ridiculed from people telling me I can't possibly be comfortable in this trailer.....I think comfort is a state of mind....I have concluded some time ago that all a person really needs is a roof over his head, a place to sleep, food to eat and clothes to wear, and money to spend....I have all that and am grateful! Anything else is just "stuff", and we all know what George Carlin said about stuff!

Well, enough of that for now.......getting ready to roll west Thursday evening just before the sun goes down....I-70 west to St. Louis to I-44 west......can't wait to see what lies ahead in Oklahoma and the northern tip of Texas. Going right through Amarillo, then into New Mexico.......new places and new faces...who knows, maybe the love of my life is waiting for me in Bluewater, NM.......

Preparing to wander

I have accepted employment in an area of the country I have never been to before---the American Southwest!! New Mexico-----Bluewater to be exact! Going to workamp at a Bowlins Travel Center just off I-40, between Gallup and Albuquerque. This will give me the opportunity to finish out the interior of my stealth camper, and the resources to do it. This blogging is all new to me, but will get the hang of it! This will be a 1300 mile trip, need to be there August 2, so will be leaving central Illinois on Thursday, taking my time, driving on cruise at 55 to 60.....

More on all of this later...........