Category: life

Only ten work days left at the North Rim and I feel mixed saying goodbye to Grand Canyon.  Was a great season full of mostly wonderful visitors, numerous Junior Rangers, 164 days of amazing views of the canyon’s moods, an energizing monsoon season, an awesome team of Rangers, ultra-creative group of Artists in Residence, and 1000s of photos.   I’ll be back next summer, baring any unforeseen circumstances.

Yet I’m ready for the season to be over and take some time to re-energize away from the crowds.  Now, if I only knew what the heck I’m going to do this winter.  Well after I return with my wheelestate to Yarnell anyway.

I know, I wrote about a fall western people and places road trip.  I Want to go.  Still haven’t found a cabover camper that suits my needs and pocketbook.  But then the North Rim isn’t the best place to be for shopping.  Soon I’ll be near a huge megapolis and hopefully have more options.  But I want it soon, before full winter hits the Pacific Northwest.  OR, I could blow off the road trip and just fly up to Portland, rent a car and visit with a few folks.

Plus I Want to return to South Africa.  Visit Joan, watch wildlife, be in the warmth of summer.  Nothing wrong with that.

But am I being greedy?  I WANT to travel!

I don’t want to be where it’s cold.  I don’t do cold well and that gets worse as I age.  Part of that poor circulation issue I live with.  Yarnell usually gets some snow and winter cold, to me, temperatures.  Of course with a cabover I could go play further south where it’s warmer.  How far south do I have to go?

Then there’s the budget which always seems to have a gaping hole.  Not much saved this summer.  Hard to bankroll both travel ideas.

My brain is foggy and I feel so undecided.  All my life I’ve had trouble making decisions.  But I usually make good decisions when I finally get around to it.  Guess it’s partly the procrastinator in me.  Do you have that problem?

Yet I also Really like to have a plan.  Well at least for the next six months.  I don’t usually think much beyond that.

I Really like the NOW.  And it’s Always hard to say goodbye to Grand Canyon.

Suggestions?

Call it a rant if you will, but I’m fed up.  I chose to park at this beautiful location this summer at the North Rim because of the canyon view and the fact that I could get internet via the hotspot on my phone.  The later hasn’t been working out so well.  I bought a bigger better antenna for the Wilson booster, no help.  I went for a two year contract on a Verizon Mifi and bought a new battery for the phone.  Verizon is the only possibility here and that’s working off a tower on the South Rim.  Even with the Mifi cradled in the booster it’s useless.  Only gives me 1X which just doesn’t cut it.  In fact the phone is now working better than the Mifi, not even in the booster.  But it’s spotty at best.  I have 8 days to return the useless box and get out of the contract.

I’ll admit to being an internet junkie.  But it’s not so much fun when I can’t keep up with reading blogs and keeping up with Facebook friends.  I’m loosing my desire to write posts when I can’t get them to upload.

Of course it’s still as beautiful as ever at the North Rim.  No bad views of the Grand Canyon.  But for the last several days the wind blew so bad I think erosion increased and now it’s all on top, or in my hair, face or RV.  Spring is usually windy in the Southwest, but this is over the top.  Then again, what’s normal about weather anywhere?

Still busy labeling photos from the South Africa adventure and am missing the travels and Joan also.  I dream of returning this winter but am not sure I can afford to.

After blogging for almost six years I really thought I’d get some sponsors to help defray the costs of travel, but that’s not working either.

And now I’m kind of thinking of a fall American road trip, visiting National Parks that I haven’t seen in over 35 years plus some that I’ve never seen.

But first to get through the summer season.  It’s a good thing I love my job, as I’m really tired of working.

And now to see if this will go out.

Maybe I just need a change in attitude.

I really thought my new RV space at the North Rim was going to give me a good connection, but that’s not the case.  Instead I am frustrated with lousy internet and can barely stay online long enough to check my email.  Could be the connection itself, or my old and dieing cell phone which I use as a hotspot.  I bought a better antenna for the booster but that didn’t help.  I’ll be looking at cell phones in the next couple days in Flagstaff.  In the meantime, I’m not sure I’ll be able to post at all on the blog.  Apologies for not reading your blog posts.