Choose Happy New Beginnings

New beginnings historically

Moving from one numerical year to another at an arbitrary time initially chosen by ancient Roman custom, the feast of the Roman god Janus.  He was the god of “beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings” according to Wiki.  This is also where the name for the month of January comes from, Janus was depicted as having two opposite faces.  One face looked back into the past, and the other peered forward to the future.  Seems like that would make living in the NOW difficult.  Some cultures and religions have different new year dates than January 1st.  New Year’s has also been celebrated at the vernal equinox in March and the autumnal equinox in September, typically warmish temperatures for a midnight celebration would help me choose happy for celebrating new beginnings.

I probably wouldn’t make special new resolutions on any of those specific days either.  But for me to choose happy, I will resolve to stay in the warmest winter Arizona climate I can find.  Keep in mind, even the Sonoran Desert is not HOT in winter but it’s certainly warmer than northern high elevations and no snow.  Sometimes rain which is a blessing.  Frequently hold on to your hat windy.  Arizonans wear down jackets and Minnesotans wear shorts.  It’s easier to choose happy when I’m not shivering.

Or laughing until my stomach hurts when Joann and I share stories.  I bundled up a bit for a fun photo shoot.  What do you think of my many hats.  I need a tea cup for the Mad-Hatter, and several tea cups to have a tea party.  Or perhaps you will bring your own, and wear a fun hat.

Made it through the holiday weekend below 50° day and night that meant running heat that uses propane.  So after a delicious pancake with fruit and bacon breakfast made by Joann we drive the ten minutes to fill propane tanks.  I even tried not to cuss at the tanks.  I’m getting better, honest.  I do believe in new beginnings.

A mostly cloudy day.  We enjoyed an early campfire as it was predicted to rain and be cold the next couple nights.

Ended the day with a sensational sunset as the clouds finally thinned enough.  Then I reheated the last of Christmas dinner leftovers for us.

Date Creek Mts looking east

Awaking to another cold morning had me thinking about a move further south and 10° warmer.

Date Creek Mts looking west

Joann had taken a drive to charge her phone after several days of low solar.  She came back to get me and showed a possible new camp with great signal within sight of the Weaver Mountains to the east and Date Creek Mountains to the west.

Vulture Peak in the far distance south

And so we moved the few miles to #campcongress2 with a big view.

Weaver Mts looking east

Low clouds hung around most of the day but little rain came with the cold wind.

The clouds did make for a nice sunset.

Could see my breath in the camper the next morning.  I laid in my warm bed thinking of moving south to Kofa.  Takes about 30 minutes to warm the camper to a doable 60°.

Joann left in the afternoon headed north for work in the cold and ice and snow.  I worked online and watched the low clouds and a little rain with a brief rainbow at the end of the day.  I also plotted to head south the next day.

I hit the road at 9am in the low 40s and headed to Wickenburg first to shop.  Scored when Bashas had their annual holiday fudge, with no nuts, so I stocked up a little.  Fueled at just under $4/gallon followed by a quick stop at the thrift store.  Then too many groceries including a pizza I cooked for lunch in the parking lot.  Darn pizzas are too big for the freezer.

Always something interesting to see in Quartzsite

Two hours later I rolled through Quartzsite which is looking a little busy but not quite the crazy it will be soon.

By 3pm I was parked in my new place, not far from a previous camp, enjoying the view with only one white van in sight.

Kofa Mts

I watched the clouds dance around the Kofa Mountains.

Chocolate Mts

Of course I took way too many photos.

Felt like coming home where I choose happy.

Though still windy, it was a little warmer.

Even a nice sunset.

Rained gently all night and smelled of desert petrichor in the morning with dew sparkles on every branch.  Reached almost 60° with only a little wind.

Funnel spiderweb

I ended the year with two lovely walks from camp, three miles total.  There’s a huge van gathering up the road on the other side. Looks like they are circled and there was rather loud music. Glad I’m not too near that.

Clouds dancing all day and took hundreds of photos making it more difficult to choose which ones to share even out of the small percentage that are keepers.  No wonder I never catch up labeling photos.

Accidentally stayed up past midnight working on a book idea about my first experience as a Forest Ranger at Mt St Helens.  Went to bed and didn’t even realize I’d made it to a new year where I will choose happy new beginnings.

Yet 2022 still seems an arbitrary number when the Earth itself is 4.543 billion years old hosting humanoids for about six million years and more modern humans a mere 200,000 years (according to recent scientific evidence).  Sorry I got sidetracked doing a little research.

I am happy to be someplace a little bit warmer.  Maybe that’s because the daylight hours last longer every day and it’s Earth’s perihelion, or closest point to the sun, yesterday and today. Whatever, I am more than ready for some new beginnings.  How about you?