With the consent of the happy couple…The explanation of my absence.
Thanks to all who supported and helped with this beautiful event.
And a huge welcome to my new extended family members who I had no idea even knew of this blog, let alone have been following along.
The rays of sunshine continue to shine on our paths as we journey onward.
We’ll be back on the road soon enough…
❦
Hello 2015.
We’re closing in on 300 days on the road. A little Unbelievable, but very True it is.
Holidays came and went. Lots of Fun and Happy times with Family and good Friends. Food, wine, and much beach time was enjoyed.
The Rain that greeted us upon arrival home, turned into chilling Cold weather, which then turned into Summer like temperatures.
In the midst of Happiness, some Grief was endured, more van problems were encountered, and then a hard drive that died a grizzly dark Death threw a loop into our visit.
Long walks along the ocean with Loved ones helped heal the wounds.
Our Friends in Nature encouraged us to Look forward to new Adventures in the coming year. There are lots of Ideas for new Projects here on this blog and elsewhere.
We’re very Exited about all the new Energy generated in the blog world. Everyone seems so full of Enthusiasm.
We’re quietly and Peacefully getting Miss Keevan fixed up pretty and Practical, before traveling onward.
Into the Unknown we Journey.
Hope we all make time in life for Renewal, Abundance and Hope in this coming year.
Journey Onward.
We’ve been in Yuma now going on 6 days. We knew we would be here visiting our relatives for awhile before taking off for the wild blue yonder, so we left a few van issues to take care of while here.
First up were the brakes. We needed new brakes on the van all the way around, so that was the first item we needed to cross off the list. Luckily – our hunch was correct. The price we just paid for 4 new brakes and pads, with the rotors and back drums turned, an emergency brake adjustment, and the entire system bled, was less than half the cost they quoted us to do the job back in Santa Cruz. We just saved almost $500.00 by waiting to get to Yuma to do the brake job! UNBELIEVABLE.
Feeling now pretty happy and with a few pennies leftover, we decided to order the part for the fridge. We needed a new lighter ignition unit (not the technical name I’m sure) to get the propane to light properly. After finding good guy Jerry who is going to put it in for us, we ordered it Friday, and it should be here Tuesday or Wednesday. Jerry also did some rewiring on our electrical to get that all working in top shape. Yeah!! Super excited to have the fridge run great off both electricity and propane once again. Before we left Santa Cruz, we also replaced the old propane tank with a brand new shiny one.
We are really itching to get on the road again, but trying hard to be patient. It is nice to be able to take care of these issues, while having a lovely place to stay, and good company to spend our evenings with! Of course getting all the work done for much cheaper is not too bad either. 😊
We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful spot to wait and work on our patience. I took this little photo tour of the yard and Minneola orchard this morning after sipping my jo, and here is my first wordpress slideshow. Enjoy. ❧
A big push and a few hurdles, but we made it out by our deadline. Heavy rains made for a bit of a challenge during our final days. Getting the house completely cleaned out, the last remaining items and more into storage, the van back into service for an unexpected ordered part, Pia’s last minute grooming, good-byes, thank you’s, and the LWV’s load lessened a bit more made for a crazy few day. Not only was it a gully washing downpour, but an Arctic cold front as well. Brrrr. Thankfully we kept out a few warm jackets, and a good call on my part had me return to storage a few days prior to grab my warm Ugg boots, just because I thought I should.
Being tired and chilled to the bone, we decided to celebrate a bit, get a good night’s sleep and let our bodies recover from the past week on a hard floor, by starting off with one warm cozy night in a motel. Yep we did.
Then our last day in town found us at New Brighton State Beach, near Capitola, one of our favorite local spots to walk, camp and daydream. We spent the night happy and content, though still exhausted, comfortably tucked in atop our feather bed in the little white van, with our propane heater blasting us with blissful warmth while listening to yet another pouring rain. But comfy we were, as all three of us slept an amazing ten hours. Actually I did wake a few times worried about Pia, as she didn’t flinch a muscle all night, and happily slept in. She usually wakes us up early to fuel her stomach.
The morning after the second gully washer, we awoke to a beautiful sunny clear day with the Pacific Ocean in view, fog lifted enough to see across the bay from our camper window.
Wishing we could stay, we pushed on…to finish up our last bits of business, before grocery shopping and embarking on a final camping trip with children and granddaughter.
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There is much written about pain and joy relationships. The pain of hard work, the joy of success. The pain of childbirth, the joy of a baby. The pain of college, the joy of a diploma; and on and on.
Say what? What does this have to do with our traveling adventure?
Well, we’ve known we were leaving for 6 months. Close friends and family all knew we were leaving in 6 months. We’ve talked it over and over and over. We sweated and watched as the furniture disappeared. We got used to not having a washer & dryer. Then got used to not having a refrigerator or rugs on the floor.
Then it happened. We had to say our good-byes.
At first it wasn’t so hard. But the more real it all became, as time came closer to leave, the harder it was. There is just something about close physical proximity that offers security. The same routines, the familiar faces, the joys of coffee together, the comfort of the old.
Yes it’s hard.
Our children, our granddaughter, our relatives, our good pals and buddies, our ex-coworkers, the barista at the coffee shop, and the teller at the bank. All these and more have been such a huge part of our lives over the past years.
And we are SO grateful to have had these nourishing relationships.
So how can we leave it all behind?
Because we know we will see you all again. And when that day comes, the sun will shine brilliantly, the smiles will gleam, and the stories and tales will be told. We will all be richer for the parting, wiser for the absence, and so happy to be together again.
“The pain of parting, is nothing to the joy of meeting again” —Charles Dickens
Amid the chaos of packing comes some calm.
I slipped away for a bit today to find some Spring.
I found it in the woods, and along the river, and high in the sky… peeping out from a long dry winter.
Urging us on, along our path, to follow dreams, to look closely, to see and hear and smell the wonders of all the seasons.
❧
Traveling with pooch
Hey, yeah we’ve been super busy.
Packing, storing, recovering, and organizing for living on the road takes a lot of energy.
I’ve been reading other folks’ blogs to get an idea of the weather and crowds in different parts of the country at different times of the year. Unfortunately it seems like everyone wants to be where the weather is perfect and the crowds are small. Hmm. I wonder why? Wherever you go, there you are…and so are others. Well people, make room for our LWV, cuz we’ll be joining you.
Our main priorities when we leave are to go slow, relax, and keep Pia comfortable. Fred and I can handle the hot weather most of the time, but our “P-girl” has long black hair all over her body, so we will be focusing on keeping her cool, as she is 12 years old. (That’s like 84 in people years)
We recently had all the windows tinted on the van to help keep her and us cool inside and also to add an element of privacy without having to pull all the shades and curtains constantly. We’re really happy with the results. In addition to the tinting, I’ve adapted a pair of light blocking curtains to hang across the middle of the van. I’m still playing with those to make them look a bit more exciting, but they are really nicely lined and insulated. I’m adding another layer to the back, so the stark white lining doesn’t show from either side.
The plan is to mostly camp in places where dogs are welcome. Although I have a personal goal of visiting as many National Parks as possible, they are not always very dog friendly. Why go there, when the pooch can’t hike around with us? Even though she is a great traveling doggie, and always content to go anywhere, we will not be locking her up in the van for the amount of time it takes to go on a nice hike. There are plenty of other campgrounds near lakes and rivers we can play at. So, for the time being, we’ll concentrate on those more pet happy areas, and just do some scenic drives through the National Parks we cross through.
Organizing Strategies
There is none.
I think I’ve re-organized the van on every trip we’ve taken and can conclude that there is no “perfect” way to organize it. That being said, every trip does get easier. And every trip is different, requiring a different game plan. So why not just add and subtract as we go along, which is part of the fun of traveling anyway. I know from experience that we will take things we don’t need, and need things we don’t take, so I’m not expending a ton of energy on this right now.
Still, I did buy two new little plastic organizing drawers. Mostly because they were this beautiful turquoise color, I was unable to resist! I knew they they would fit perfectly in a couple of closets, and that the toilet paper and paper towels would fit majestically on top of and beside one of them fabulously.
There you have it!
We will have food, clothes, a warm place to sleep, reading materials, a cozy little roof over our head, and two turquoise organizing drawer units.
Isn’t life simple?
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Our alpaca that is.
Ashley was one of our very first two alpacas we brought home 22 years ago. She has been with us since she was 17 months old, and she was the last one of the herd to leave the ranch.
So it goes, with this change of lifestyle we are engaging in, Ashley needed to find a new home. A good home. A retirement home, where she could live out the rest of her life in happy leisurely grass eating, cud chewing days.
Her departure was better than we ever dreamed of. So much in fact, that Fred and I both wished for a retirement home as nice for ourselves.
From the moment we loaded into the van, to the mellow non-exciting two hour drive to our destination, to that magical leap onto new turf, she was the Queen of Alpacas, perfectly behaved, with manners and grace to make any mother proud. And this my friends, is her new home.
Yes, that IS a view of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Yes, all the animals in this bit of heaven enjoy that view while munching their morning breakfast.
Oh… to be a leisurely grass eating, cud chewing, oldster retired animal with a view like that.
Many, many Blessings to the wonderful folks at Http://www.wtrhorsesanctuary.org who provided this wonderful haven for Ashley and Peace of Mind for us. Please visit their website, they make a difference in the lives of many many animals.
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Things are progressing in a good direction, and we’re now living among boxes and piles of displaced possessions, waiting to find new homes. As I go through the process of packing and letting go, my mind wanders, thinking many thoughts. Often I find myself wondering about the life of my ancestors – pioneers who came across the country, or oceans even, with what they could carry on their backs. A precious photo, the family bible, or even the spinning wheels and family heirlooms women brought, only to abandon along the trail. I think to myself, “If we bring too many items in the van, I can always leave some off along the way.” But truly, it won’t be the heirlooms, or the precious photos. More likely it would be an uninteresting book, or unnecessary clothing we honestly did not need to bring.
I continue to be amazed with Craig’s list. Since we live pretty far out in the boonies, I’m happy to find that most of the nice folks from the list, looking for a good bargain, are more than willing to drive the long winding road to get here. Thankfully so, as furniture and tools keep disappearing.
We continue to receive mixed and interesting reactions from folks regarding our upcoming departure. Either people are really behind us, with well wishes on our adventure, thinking it all very exiting and awesome, OR they find it incomprehensible that anyone in their right mind would take off without set plans and/or a final destination in place before embarking upon travels.
Onward our life marches forward, moving gently with the flow. It’s a crazy life, it’ll be a crazy journey…Soon we’ll be on the road!
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Hello. Here we are. Two humans and one dog. We are about to embark upon a most interesting journey.
Without boring myself or anyone else, the story is that this day has been anticipated for some years. In 2010 it was a dream. A year later, we bought this white Eurovan pop top camper.
The day after we brought the van home, we left on our first over night slumber party. We had so much fun, the following summer was filled with numerous more vacations. In the years that followed, we’ve continued to vacation, primp, and care for our van while staying strong when tackling repairs or purchasing expensive parts and gear. Yep, we adore van life.
Fast forward, and now here we are, in early 2014, preparing to go long term (as in having no other place of dwelling) in this little white van. For the past few months, we’ve busily de-cluttered, tossed, donated, and burdened our children with more boxes of “stuff” than they really need. The hidden crevices of stash swallowing closets, attics, sheds, and garages are for the most part empty. Much of the furniture is gone, thanks to Craig’s List, our same beguiled children, and the local thrift stores. Our few irreplaceable’s and heirlooms will live in an all American storage shed for the time being.
As seems fitting at this time in life, while our path meanders off in new directions, this blog as well, is starting it’s own uncharted journey. It’s documentation is partly for our friends and relatives, some cheering us on, and others panting with unduly aghast at adventures or misadventures. Mostly though it is for us, as a place to record our excursions…hopefully post some lust worthy photos, maybe add in a few philosophical thoughts, and who knows what type of common (or uncommon) sense we acquire along the way. If you’ve stumbled along here, as happens in internet land, pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the journey.
❧
Keevan Soul 