Nomad Life. A retirement age woman happily continues into her 30th+ year living on the road in her wheelestate. Probably not jazzy enough, sad enough, or filled with dramatic hype. Just truth, filled with ups and downs like everybody’s life.
A rare for me sunrise
To be honest I relish long stretches of smooth pavement offering distant views, approachable or not, changing along the way. I often feel a contrasting pull to stop and stay, enjoying and learning a new place verses the drive to get there, somewhere, wherever that is. I watch contrasts in light and shadow for photography. I recognize in my writing the contrast of “but/however” that shows up with much frequency. You’ll be paying more attention to that now, but that’s OK.
Nomadland movie review
Many of you may know my nomad life doesn’t include TV, movies, or even much music. I’m way behind on the arts—which I do admire—other than writing and photography with a heavy lean towards science. However, “Hello, my name is Gaelyn and I am an internet junkie.” I rarely signup pay for online entertainment. There’s so much free. Plus you folks are more interesting and real. Yet I fell for all the hype advertising on FB for the award winning movie Nomadland and signed up for a free 30-day trial of Hulu just so I could watch someone’s interpretation of nomad life.
The timing was right because the camper needed its bi-monthly dump and fill at Shady Lane where I also enjoy electricity and a fast internet signal. It’s a good movie. However, I’m glad I didn’t pay to watch it. (I hadn’t seen a new release since The Hobbit.) It truly is a good story to share, there are folks out here on the road who absolutely have no other choice. However, a lot of nomads live in all different kinds of house-on-wheels by choice. Like me.
Times have been crazy for decades with people in this country who slip through the cracks, for whatever many reasons. Sometimes, society simply overwhelms the psyche and can cause a shut-down of sorts. Major financial changes can strip away all security. Sometimes choice is to stealthily slip into a self made crack in an effort to stay away from the “normal” society. I’ve found myself in all those camps. Aren’t we all dodging potholes along the way?
I wanted to see more varied views of nomad life and community in this movie, like from the real nomads, Swanky, Linda Mae, and Bob Wells. Oh those darn expectations. This was Fern’s story, one-sided, her-sided. Glad to see archival film of Paul the Quartzsite naked bookseller who passed in 2019. I almost didn’t recognize him wearing too many clothes. Of course I love the landscapes, many I know more intimately than others. I had to watch it a second time because I couldn’t remember how it ended. What does that say? OK, Fern drove away from her defunct town. I couldn’t tell if she’d come to grips with it all, and her new life.
I won’t give it away any more than that. I’ve heard the book tells a different story regarding seasonal work. Having not read the book, I can’t speak any more about that either.
IMHO, this movie is about grieving. Many have a version of that story. I feel like movie watchers unfamiliar with nomad life could get a misrepresented version of the lifestyle as truly lost and houseless. And yet, as it’s getting more crowded out here that could be OK too.
Nomad life for the last week
After shopping in Parker I spent not one but two nights at Shady Lane RV Court. Heavy wind was predicted for my second night. Although that didn’t happen I got a lot done staying inside with power. Downloaded the Affinity app 90-day free trial for photo processing. I regularly use Lightroom and like it, except for its power demand and $10.62/month. Haven’t played with Affinity yet.
Experienced a little “speed bump” before leaving the park in the morning. Site 06’s sewer connection is too close to the ground. My hose jumped out, thank goodness gray water. Then the hose connector wouldn’t come off their PVC pipe and I had to ask for help. Someone with more strength than I got it apart and I was on my way. Propane fill went much easier chatting with a young (44) man about life.
Friday I drove back to the MST&T Road a little further along than the previous camp, closer to the New Water Mountains on the northeast.
I’m in the best spot ever with lots of Saguaro, ocotillo, a few cholla, and neighbors who are basically out of sight in the distance and behind vegetation.
Staying the extra night in town threw me off a bit for scoping out where the full moon would actually rise from the new camp. Even planning with PhotoPills, ephemeris, and compass the moon snuck over the horizon before I was ready to shoot. I hurried, and got several shots zoomed in but out of focus, my bad eyes.
Then started to play around, but not too close to, the saguaros. In order to get both the cactus and moon in focus I took two photos and fused them in Photo Gallery, a new trick for me. I did find out from the next night’s shots the images have to be taken almost side-by-side to make it work. Maybe PhotoShop, or Affinity, could layer also.
Saturday morning I saw first light but missed the setting moon. A chill wind kept me in for the day busily labeling photos. I am just over one year behind and am anal about labeling every photo I keep, which is just about every photo I take.
The next night for actual Full Snow moon rise came enough after sunset I had to use a tripod and even set it up ahead of time.
It’s tricky. These shots are heavily cropped. Wanted some foreground but too dark to photograph by the time the brilliant moon breaks over the horizon. I just don’t have that figured out, yet. As I headed inside I heard the soft distant sound of drumming.
Morning Moon set over Chocolate Mts
I’m in a perfect place in the Sonoran Desert where nature rejuvenates my spirit. I share my story, as it’s the only one I can really tell with honesty.
My nomad life includes stretches of smooth pavement, dodging potholes, following the speed limit, looking for wide shoulders, slowing down on gravel, respecting the views along the way, and treating others on their journey with courtesy and kindness. Most important, nomad life puts me in my happy place.
I now have 25 free days to watch Hulu and no idea really what to watch. Feel free to make suggestions. And if you don’t hear from me until the end of the month, I got good signal and am hooked.
Very insightful and moving read for me today Gaelyn. I’m not a movie goer either and appreciate your interpretation. The association with grieving hit home. Maybe I’ll catch the book sometime. Your photos are lovely as always and show that you truly are in your happy place connecting with nature.
Thank you. I too need to read the book, and hope to be less disappointed in the story.
Loved reading this post Faelyn I don’t think I would want to watch the movie you mention because you tell your nomad life so well that I can appreciate you love that life. It seems you come across company just at the right time and appreciate that and make the most of it,then you are happy to continue with renewed enthusiasm. You love your photography and so do we.and through your life style you get to see many animals and other things other people may never ever get the chance to see. Many people would envy your life style but haven’t had the guts to go for it. !!! Stay safe and enjoy your life Gaelyn.
Thanks Rita. It’s true, company and conversation give me a needed mental boost. Then I am ready for uninterrupted nature again. Glad you enjoy my stories.
Thanks for this post, I’ve read at least one of the reviews about the movie and was considering doing the same thing – signing up for their free trial just to watch the movie. If the movie is more about grieving than it is about establishing a new life, then maybe not, I don’t handle such things well. Loved your insight about how one sometimes gets into the nomad life.
Your photos are fun, and yes you can use Photoshop for focus stacking. If there’s multiple frames then I’ve found the auto blending will occasionally choose the wrong frame for a spot (it seemed like the program would sometimes pick random spots that didn’t work, though I haven’t tried it for the past few upgrades). If you only have 2 frames for the set I’ll sometimes use the auto-align feature to align the two frames and then use a layer mask to manually choose the parts I want to include/delete. It works fine for hard edges, not sure how well it would do with the thorns, and it can be tedious.
I’d have to say starting a new life is part of grieving. Now that I’ve got the free trial I am binge watching “Atlantis”, some old BBC series.
I have, but haven’t played with, Photoshop. I barely have time to process on LR which I at least know pretty well. Thanks for the compliment and suggestions.
I agree, one needs to grieve when they move, change jobs, retire or whatever. That’s true of someone who is making a big life change that they want, not that they are forced into. I just don’t deal with grief well, and life has been throwing me curves recently, so I deal better with comedy at the moment. But all the talk of beautiful scenery may change my mind, I very much love the area around Quartzsite, and in some ways hated to leave a couple of days ago.
And yes, there are all sorts of people who choose nomad life, and they do it on all sorts of different levels. Someone can appreciate the whole spectrum from the fancy seasonal resorts of Mesa (well, maybe) with all of their activities to spending the winter dry camping in Quartzsite and taking long walks in the desert, admiring the changing light on the mountains. I don’t think even a documentary can really portray the whole spectrum of RV life. A movie can only show one small part of it.
Tomorrow I’ll have good internet, guess I should watch the movie.
Lots to digest and comment on here, so forgive me if it is out of order. Lightroom….I am still using my installed CD version, but I know that sooner or later I will have to go to the CC version for that monthly or yearly fee. Ugh. I am so attached to it I have no idea how I would manage stuff without it. I have no idea what photoshop costs now, but am not inclined to buy it to do more creative artsy stuff with my photos. Too many people out there doing great stuff, so I will just be happy with what I can do without it. What is this Affinity program? I’ll wait for your review. And Photo Gallery? There are a ton of things called photo gallery I think…
Nomadland: I did the same. Signed up for a quick hulu subscription and then cancelled after watching the movie. I think your description of the movie being about grieving. I heard words that sounded as though they came directly from Tioga George’s blog and that was surprising. I didn’t think the movie showed enough about the true joy that some find with this nomad life. It also showed a lot of low end people all hunkered up together, and in truth, I think I have seen more diversity in the groups that are scattered around Quartzsite. I thought maybe what they showed looked a bit more like the Slabs, and was surprised that they didn’t go there. What was great about the movie was Frances McDormand and the photo angles of the landscape. There are a couple of moments that are truly transcendent. Those of you who live the life and those of us who have been close to those to do will see the movie differently that city folks hanging out at home, or big half million dollar rig folks who play pickleball and have lots of happy hours in the desert. It is such a varied world out there and this movie only focused on a narrow slice. I guess that is what good movies do, rather than documentaries, although many will think of this as more of a documentary than a movie. Anyway. I thought it was a good movie. It didn’t excite me or thrill me, and it made me a bit sad, but I enjoyed it most for the scenery, Frances McDormand, and the really good photography.
The other thing that was pointed for me was the tiny slices of life of people who slip through the cracks. We have so many of those it seems. Are there more than ever or are we just more aware? I just finished reading The Four Winds, and the story of life during the dust bowl and the depression was haunting. Talk about slipping through the cracks!! The Okies who came to California from all over the country were discriminated against in much the same way the immigrants are discriminated against today. That young man in the movie was a tiny slice of that loss. Swankie was the only one they depicted as a true gypsy doing her own thing by choice. Lots more of those out there than the movie showed for sure. And as many people have said, the movie is worlds away from the glitzy videos on apps I don’t use of the current “van life” craze, with people with more money than most deciding to live that life. Ah well.
Take care, Gaelyn. As you said, your life is a good one, but not sad enough for a movie!
Lots to respond to here. I currently pay $10.62/mo for LR, which i dearly love, and that comes with PS and some other Adobe stuff I don’t use. I am NOT on the cloud. Still no time to play with Affinity. Windows Photo Gallery I use mostly for filing and labeling though it has some editing options I used to use before LR.
Although the Slabs offers a community to some I think Bob Wells is more about support systems, which obviously Fern needed. I don’t know movie stars but I too can appreciate good cinematography.
There always has been, and will continue to be people who slip through the cracks not necessarily by choice. The world is changing and some struggle to keep up. Seems there’s always waves of immigrants who are all people struggling to make a way in life. Yet sometimes give others an excuse to discriminate. Sad.
Very insightful Gayelyn. As you say there are a marade of reasons folks go off grid and I enjoy their stories when I get the opportunity. Love of the Southwest is my calling and a bit of a need for solitude. Your life of travels, photography and sharing is important to revealing this lifestyle to others. Thank you for your efforts.
Thanks Doug. I understand the love of SW and need for solitude. I think we all can share stories to help ourselves and others.
KyoteSue motioned Tioga George, who does get several paragraphs in the book, but not in the movie. The book does more to cover the romantic side of boondock living, while the movie targets to practical side of van living. Personally I enjoyed the book more.
I’m just going to have to read the book.
Not sure when we will ever get to see a film again. The cinema has been closed since the start of COVID and we cannot get Netflix with our rubbish WiFi, not that it really worries me I almost never watch the TV anyway though Nigel keeps up to date with what the world has to offer. I love all your moon shots regardless of your opinion. I managed to get a shot of the moon about 6 days before full over the rooftops, but once it was full, it was rising in the dark and all I get then is a plain while spot! I am useless at settings!!!!
Keep safe and stay well, hugs, Diane and Nigel.
For the most part, I don’t think we’re missing anything by not going to or watching movies. Life is more interesting. However, this movie being about my chosen lifestyle intrigued me. And now my curiosity is solved, and I’ll eventually read the book.
Late night moon is a bear to shoot that’s why I like to catch the pre-full moon around sunset for the ambient light. Practice practice. 😉
I haven’t seen the movie. The book is oriented toward those who were forced out of the their communities and took to wheel estate as a cheap alternative and not necessarily as chosen alternative. I hate to sign up for free trials but I might have to see the movie.
Love your moon shots!!
Keep on trucking!!
I think you’re ahead of the game having read the book. Seems more young people are choosing to live in a RV in parks as a cheaper housing option.
All who wander are not lost.
I totally agree!
That made me giggle. Everytime I see Nomadland (I thought it was no man land at first) I think of you. I thought it would be interesting if you saw and reviewed it. I’m glad you did. Now I know.
I Like McDorman. She is a character. I like good storytelling, suspending belief.
Our first date was in 2001, and we saw Hobbit. We haven’t been back since. Too many loud people. JB didn’t like it, either.
Always nice to make people laugh. I am a Tolkien fan.
Well done as always, both the photography and the thoughts. Thanks for sharing today and for your time when we stopped to visit last month. Maybe we will be neighbors next year, as my DW and I have decided to move away from Q in future visits.
I wonder if I have to watch the movie to know how it ends.
Thanks. I’m glad you came by and just wish we’d had more time to visit. Maybe next year, somewhere out in the desert.
Wow Galen this post coupled with your gorgeous photos really brought out the lengthy comments. Not sure there’s much I can add. But I do think 30 years full timing is truly amazing and at this point in time being out west and having a guaranteed spot and meaningful work for a good part of the year and being able to boondock for the rest of it keeps you out of the reservation wars which are getting more and more vicious. Keep on keepin on.
Thanks. Finally we can all read the wonderful comments and join in the conversation. I like that. I feel fortunate to have created a balance in my life with work/play. Seems more young folks are moving into RVs in parks and making reservations even more difficult. Glad I don’t have to do that.
I was hoping you would review Nomadland, Gaelyn. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but I have read reviews and hype. I like your take on choice or circumstance. I know itinerant farming jobs and Amazon warehouse jobs were vilified in the book, but perhaps there is a real need for those jobs so people have some income? I like that you never romanticize your lifestyle, though as a long-time reader, I know it usually suits you well. Your photos and writing would be completely different if you weren’t living that lifestyle. Even when you’re working at a National Park, you’re in the camper, and it is your long-time home. You tell the gritty (when things go wrong) along with the beautiful (here is what I’m experiencing and photographing now). Those moon photos – I love the cactus/moon shots. I always come to visit you when I need a desert fix. Stay well, Gaelyn.
Thanks Barb. My chosen lifestyle wouldn’t suit everybody but sure does me. It’s certainly not always glamorous, but such IS life.