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Tag: nomad life

17 December 2023

Waiting for shipments while watching the desert world in Quartzsite Arizona

sunrise burst Kofa Mts BLM camp Palm Canyon Rd AZ

Over the last three months, since the fire, I seem to do a lot of waiting. Waiting for the insurance company while waiting to get a replacement vehicle. Waiting to replace stuff lost in the fire. Waiting to see who bought what off my Amazon wish list. Thank you everyone.  Waiting to return to the middle of nowhere Arizona.

cheap drill
Remote and distant from shopping, that I don’t like to do anyway. I’ve bought more stuff/junk from Amazon in the last month than in my entire life. And it seems I’m always waiting for some order, and frequently disappointed with the products.  Description and reality are often not in agreement.

bus BLM N of Yuma AZ
Even drove 1 1/2 hours to Yuma to finally buy a laptop. After too much time agonizing over which one to buy, my choice was not in stock. So I waited over a week for it to be shipped to an address in Quartzsite, only ten minutes from camp.  Best Buy strung me along for two weeks with four different lies before admitting the model was out of stock, everywhere but China where ASUS comes from.  Cancelled that order.  After a super long day in town I spent the night just north of Yuma.

stuff to go away La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

Give away

old art La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

Throw away old high school art work

In the meantime, I worked on reducing the amount of stuff in the 5th-wheel, still making piles and packing boxes under the bed in my new wheeleastate.

sunset clouds Kofa Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

05b DSC_0049lewr sunset clouds Chocolate Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

05c DSC_0056lewr sunset clouds New Water Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

Plus enjoyed several magical desert sunsets.

06 DSC_0065lecwr moon New Water Mts La Posa LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

Waiting for the moon.

07 IMG_20231118_151910364lewr Fall Festival concert city park Quartzsite AZ g-2

Attended a concert in the Quartzsite City Park and listened to awesome rock-n-roll music from our past, 1960s, 70s and 80s.  Fun to imagine people in the crowd attending concerts in their past.

08 DSC_0062lecwr sunset clouds Chocolate Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ g
I waited two weeks for a refrigerator/freezer that will hold 7.5 cubic feet including space for ice cream. A big step up from 3.2 cubic feet and barely room for an ice cube tray.  Sadly, it was never shipped as it was out of stock but Amazon strung me along.  Cancelled that order.  And enjoyed more sunsets.

09 IMG_20231123_160350677_HDRlecwr people Thanksgiving Lit Cactus La Posa South LTVA BLM Quartzsite AZ-2

Lots of awesome and friendly people clustered together in the desert. Friday nights there’s always happenings at the Lit Cactus located next door.  Over 200 people gathered for a magnificent potluck Thanksgiving.  No problem staying busy and lots of socializing.  Almost like living a perpetual block party.

10a IMG_20231122_123137337_HDRlewr bus Kofa BLM Palm Canyon Rd AZ-2

10b IMG_20231121_174227944_HDRlewr bus Kofa Mts Earth Shadow moon BLM AZ-2

When it got too peoplee, I went away a few days further into the desert to recharge near the Kofa mountains.

11 DSC_0098lewr desert moon Kofa Mts Palm Canyon Rd BLM camp AZ

Tried to shoot the moon with the new camera.

12a DSC_0082alewr sunset sundog clouds Chocolate Mts Palm Canyon Rd BLM camp AZ-Pano

Seem to have better luck with sunsets.

13 DSC_0094lewr sunset Kofa Mts Palm Canyon Rd BLM camp AZ

How I love it out there in the middle of nowhere.

14a IMG_20231204_130327498_HDRlewr Tim new fuel pump bus La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ-2

Returned to the La Posa South camp and my rig died. Better there next to Tim the mechanic than the middle of nowhere.  Only waited a couple days for a fuel pump replaced and rolling again.

15 DSC_0118lecwr camp fire La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

While waiting, I enjoyed campfire with friends.

16 DSC_0141lewr sunset Chocolate Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ

And more sunsets.

17 IMG_20231212_144441598_HDRlewr new laptop-2

Decided to omit the middleman and ordered a HP.com laptop. Even paid extra for priority two-day shipping.  They got the address wrong and shipped it to someone in PA.  More waiting.  In fact, they wanted me to wait until the misdelivered order was returned before reshipping and I screamed NO.  This time I only waited two business days for my 17” HP Envy laptop.  Of course, I am still waiting to totally figure out Windows 11.  (OMG, there’s an app for that!)  This post was successfully completed on the laptop including photos processed in Lightroom.

18 IMG_20231116_173414362_HDRlewr sunset clouds New Water Mts La Posa South LTVA BLM camp Quartzsite AZ g-2

Though I stay busy all day, I don’t mind waiting for more amazing desert sunsets.

 

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Arizona, Places I've been, Quartzsite, RV life, United States boondocking, nomad life, RV living, waiting 25 Comments
02 March 2021

Nomad Life by choice or circumstances

Saguaro cactus desert New Water Mts full moon rise MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaNomad 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.

desert New Water Mts sunrise clouds MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaA 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

Saguaro cactus desert Chocolate Mts sunset sun burst MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaMany 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

wind blow trees & flag Shady Lane RV Crt Quartzsite ArizonaAfter 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.

truckcamper MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaFriday 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.

Saguaro cactus desert New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI’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.

New Water Mts full moon rise MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

New Water Mts full moon rise MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaStaying 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.

Saguaro frame full moon MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaThen 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.

desert New Water Mts first light MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaSaturday 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.

New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaThe 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.

full moon rise New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizonafull moon rise New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizonafull moon rise New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

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.

Sonoran desert Chocolate Mts full moon set MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaMorning 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.

Saguaro frame full moon MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaSaguaro cactus full moon MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona

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.

full moon rise New Water Mts MST&T Rd BLM Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI 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.

Push my buttons!

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RV life movie review, nomad life 28 Comments

Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

Let’s share our stories.  Here’s more of mine…

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