Category: United States

My last long drive got me to Wickenburg in time to vote and then camping and catching up in Congress.  That’s Congress, Arizona, where I also followed the election results as best I could with limited cell signal.  It felt exhilarating to vote, a sense of relief, yet still not at peace.

Almost as important was the stop along the way in Wikieup at Dazzo’s for my favorite Chicago style Italian Beef sandwich this side of the Mississippi River.

Sunset views from Congress camp

After voting I bought a few groceries and found a place to boondock off Ghost Town Road in Congress, where I spent time last spring.  My old site was full but I found a huge Saguaro to camp near.

Then I settled in for a couple lazy warm days, hanging outside, writing, reading, and just taking in the views.

I did move three times trying for a better signal.  Eventually I drove the maybe three miles to town to schedule a Foto Friday Fun post and topped off both propane tanks.

With possible rain predicted along with nights hovering around, and below, 40° I decided North Ranch RV Park, where I stayed last December, would be a good and reasonably priced idea.  Being an Escape (ESKP) member I got a deal and paid for six nights and got one free, ended up being about $20/night.  Not bad.  I’d have power for heat and computer.  Actually quieter there than boondocking near people with generators running. They were very full, yet I had two empty spaces on each side.

Window view of the Weaver Mountains

Didn’t really get much rain but I did get a lot done.  Spent the weekend formatting the calendar and finally put in the order.  Shutterfly said I’d have the calendars by Friday 11-13.  More on that later.

Spent most my time writing and processing photos from the journey south so far.  I’ve felt rather ‘on edge’ since leaving Bryce.  Paying attention to the political news could have something to do with that.  Finally the announcement was made that our next President will be Joe Bidden with Vice President Kamala Harris. The country sighed relief with a record-breaking turnout of 74 million voters. I am glad to see a woman in office, and as she said, maybe the first but certainly not the last.  Now if we can just survive until January 21, 2021 with the current Idiot in Chief 45 who is probably having a “tweetertantrum”.

I don’t really know what I’m doing this winter, not that I usually do, but I don’t have any plan and am feeling lazy and lost.  What to do, where to go?  Interesting how writing about the trip south helped calm me a bit yet it didn’t last.

Sunrise view

Updated my resume as job announcements for next summer are coming out.  And although I currently believe I’ll return to Bryce next summer I will also apply to other parks that appeal.  Sent a couple of my better shots from Bryce this summer for their photo contest.  Made an appointment with Alice in Yarnell for a long overdue haircut.  Feels like I’m on a roll. Is the best part of procrastinating crossing things off the list?

I ran out of time to totally figure out and solve the commenting problem on this blog.  Some of the language is way over my head.  But hey, I got some other stuff done.

So Friday I rolled out of North Ranch and first went into Congress town to check out a couple yard sales.  I don’t need a thing, but I do like to look and haven’t been in longer than I want to remember (before COVID).  I bought a 3-D-cell battery Mag light, one of the heavy duties that aren’t sold any more.  What really caught my eye was the rope wrap with a wrist strap that turns this flashlight into a weapon.  I am certainly not a violent person and have never needed a weapon in over 40 years on the road.  However, this flashlight brought back a memory from my first road trip in 1974.  My boyfriend’s mother was concerned for my safety and gave me two gifts,  a huge Maglight described as a club and a can of hairspray to use like mace, then told me to keep them next to the driver’s seat just in case.  Like I said, never used for defense.  I did throw away the hairspray after it released pressure over the Rocky Mountains.  Sadly, I left the Maglight on a motorhome bumper in an Oregon rest area back in 2000 and never saw it again.

From Congress, I drove the 25 minutes to Wickenburg and my first stop was Goodwill, surprised they were even open.  Bought some books, mostly light reading.  I’ve gotten out of the habit of reading actual paper books.  But alas, signal and power limitations brings me backwards in tech-time.  (Could also be why I’m behind reading other blogs, sorry.)  I perused the shelves pulling books from a variety of genre.  The books are not well organized like a library but I like a variety of topics, styles, and sometimes even recognize an authors’ name.  My current light reading is Duma Key by Stephen King, c 2008.  Used to suck up King’s work as it was published, decades and pre-accident ago.  He’s an amazing storyteller whether you like his style or not.  The other book is not ‘light reading’ and also well written for different reasons, No Future Without Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu, c 1999.  Wish I’d read this before traveling in South Africa.

After buying groceries and fuel I get a message that my Shutterfly delivery arrived.  I am excited, the calendars are here!  They shipped one calendar.  I ordered and paid for one bundle of 50 calendars.  I am upset.  I call.  The person I talk to without waiting on hold very long is difficult to understand, as in English is not his first language.  He says I only ordered one calendar instead of 50 and now would owe over $100 more for shipping on the bundle.  They have free shipping.  He doesn’t get it.  I loose patience, react angrily, and cancel the remaining order for credit back.  My bad.  I could have talked to someone else.

Instead, I head out to the desert, a healing place for me.  Yes, I have neighbors within sight but mostly hundreds of feet apart.  (This one took the flag down.)  Yes, some of them run noisy generators to provide for their power needs.  I’d rather do that quietly, but who knows.

Flicker checking out the bird condo

The only animals not keeping distance is the birds, and I’m just fine with that.  In fact I hadn’t seen many of these birds since here last spring.  The temperatures are marvelous with days in the 70s and nights hoovering just below the low 50s.

I guess catching up in Congress is OK.  Even more than OK when a friend from Prescott came down Saturday to hang out in the desert and motivated me to go for a walk.

So on Monday I’d calmed down enough to try Shutterfly one more time.  I’d already spent so much time formatting the calendar there I didn’t really want to start over.  Just get the order right.  I chatted with one of their people.  Yes, even though I bought “one bundle” I have to order 50 calendars.  They should arrive between 11/20-24.  Then I’ll start shipping them out.  Thanks to all who have ordered and still have some available.  And then, I may be done catching up in Congress and move on to who knows where.  Thinking about the next full moon rise.