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Early Spring cleaning to get rid of stuff

Mule deer yard Yarnell ArizonaOK, it’s not quite spring even in Arizona—though 59/39° might feel like it from the polar vortex region—but it feels like time to down-size and get rid of stuff.

5th-wheel shed Yarnell ArizonaFeeling the need to lighten my load.  Could be because I don’t have a clear path, know what I’m doing or where I’m going next.  Almost a year since life got turned upside down when Berta was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  Spring would be my normal time to leave Yarnell for the North Rim, or some ranger job somewhere.  When that didn’t happen last year my 5th-wheel home sat unlived in, now for over a year.  Does that tell me I don’t need it any more?

Truck & 2004 M34-TLB 36’ Keystone Challenger 5th-wheelRV 4 SALE

I listed the 5th-wheel for sale on the blog, Facebook, and Craigslist.  It’s still full of stuff.  I could immediately put stuff in a small shed on the property where it’s parked next door to the house lot I’ve been living in.  I’m not real motivated to do it.  Having lived without for over a year tells me it’s time to get rid of stuff.

Dull women have immaculate homes sign in RVI dislike cleaning and have said for years, the dust is velvet and the cobwebs are silk thread.  It’s my dirt and I live with it.

Heck, I can barely keep one place a semblance of clean and right now my stuff is spread around three places.  The 5th-wheel can’t be lived in due to lack of hookups and zoning laws.  The truck camper is at least operational when needed but lacks running water, and space.  The house came fully furnished so I’ve only added my necessary stuff into the mix.

Sierra cat Yarnell ArizonaThe deep red carpet typically looks like reverse measles because of my beautiful, shedding, long-haired cat.  The truck camper is a furry mess.  Champagne beige carpet in the 5th-wheel would best match Sierra’s color but she’s never gotten to live there.

Jewelry for Sale

jewelry sale in shed Yarnell ArizonaOK, so enough cleaning, or not cleaning.  I have jewelry for sale, no extra charge for the tarnish.  The pre-Christmas jewelry sale is still set up in the shed so maybe before Valentine’s Day I’ll set the signs out for a Saturday Sale.

Photos for Sale

boulders sunset clouds Yarnell ArizonaDatura boulders sunset Yarnell AZ 5.5×7.5 & 9.5×11.5 $25+shipping

Datura boulders sunset Yarnell Arizona 5.5x7.5 & 9.5x11.5 $25

kayaks boulders sunset clouds Watson Lake Prescott ArizonaKayaks sunset Watson Lake Prescott AZ 7.5×9.5 & 13.5×16.5 $40+shipping

Kayaks sunset Watson Lake Prescott Arizona 7.5x9.5 & 13.5x16.5 $40I’ve been buying frames and mattes at thrift stores for photos from the first calendar printing.  Only about every other photo had a printer glitch so the rest are viable.

Sonoran desert mountains low clouds sunset Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaSonoran Desert Sunset ORPI NM AZ 8×10 & 10×12 $25+shipping

Sonoran Desert Sunset Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona 8x10 & 10x12 $25And, just tested Costco print quality liking what I see so far.  If I order online, prints can be picked up at any Costco (with a membership card) and no shipping charge.  If it’s sent to me, or maybe you, there is shipping charged.

trees sunset clouds Yarnell ArizonaFuture Sales

Berta’s daughter and SIL should be here in March to go through stuff.  There’s a lot of stuff.  Berta collected really cool stuff, lots of it.     And her daughter likes it all, or almost all.  But has a house full herself and knows she can’t keep it all.  Don’t think they’ve decided whether to keep the AZ properties or not.  Either way, I know I can’t live here for free forever.  And unless the house could be sealed better against critters I wouldn’t even want to rent it.  (Woke up Monday morning with a two inch scorpion crawling up the wall three feet above my head.

Desertview Watchtower South Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaJob stuff

Thank goodness the government is open again, at least for a while.  I feel sorry for the hiring folks just now getting ready for summer season, especially on top of catching up with so much else.  I applied to several parks for summer.   The gov wheels move so slow.  Still waiting.  I’m also keeping an eye on $/volunteer camp gigs.  And I’m not giving up on public speaking events.

cobwebs Yarnell ArizonaSo speaking of getting rid of stuff, that should include the winter cobwebs in my head.  I’m mostly thinking out loud here.  Thanks for listening.

life , , , , , 17 Comments

Thank you December and thank you all too

trees reverse sunset clouds Yarnell ArizonaI last wrote about happily saying goodbye to a lousy 2018, then I decided to change my attitude, and can now honestly say thank you December, and thank you all too.

brush Weaver Mountains fog Yarnell ArizonaI found an interesting and mixed bag of suggestions and ideas from my last post, and appreciate every one.  Thank you.  It took me a long time to write and put that out in the cyber-world.  I’ve always strived to encourage people to follow their passions, and I lost it.  I need to follow my own advice.  Now if I can just pin down what the current passion is.

Change starts with the story we tell ourselves.

hail on car Yarnell ArizonaHeavy hail storm

sales area in shed Yarnell Arizona

jewelry collageSaturday the 8th I had a jewelry sale, some collected and created over the years.  I’d put up a flyer at the post office community board and signs made from boxes at the appropriate turns and corners.  Nice I can sit in the warm house and see people/vehicles come into the driveway.  Throw on a coat and hat, greet them, and lead them into the shed where I set up the jewelry.  Plus put out the calendar and sold more of them than jewelry.  But that’s OK.  I set a $100 goal and broke it by a bit.  Not terribly busy yet 85% made purchases.  I am happy.  The next Saturday was a little slower yet still made almost $100.  This was as much about networking as anything.  Mostly local people.

trees sunset clouds Yarnell ArizonaI am still applying for paid summer Ranger jobs and I’m considering a few other jobs through Workamper.

Sierra cat in box Yarnell ArizonaFound a centipede under my desk Sunday morning.  If it’s not one thing it’s something else.  I’m told this 3” centipede is tiny.  Holy shit, they can be feet long. YIKES!

Truck & 2004 M34-TLB 36’ Keystone Challenger 5th-wheelOver the weekend, I listed the big RV for sale on Craigslist.  Maybe you know somebody interested.

Inside 5th-wheel RV2004 M34-TLB 36’ Keystone Challenger 5th-wheel with 3 slide-outs. Electric front jacks, central air, furnace, walk around Queen bed, washer and dryer hook ups, day and night shades, household refrigerator, nice size bathroom and shower, laundry chute to basement, tons of storage. $14,000.

neighbors ornaments on tree Yarnell Arizona

xmas decorations on fence Yarnell ArizonaSeveral neighbors decorate outside for Christmas, some more than others.  Since the 2013 Yarnell Fire I don’t have any decorations, nor really space to store them.  Now I’m living in a small and full space with a cat so certainly don’t need a tree inside.  But all things Christmas were 75% off at the local thrift store so I got in the spirit.  I think that’s enough.

trees boulders Weaver Mountains sunset clouds Yarnell ArizonaSold out of calendars.  However, I still have calendars from the first batch with a tiny printer glitch on about every other photo.  I will mail those out for $5 each paid for through PayPal.  I’m framing good photos from some of those to hang on my walls.

phases lunar eclipse arc Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI’m making a plan for the January 20th lunar eclipse which we’ll be able to see all of from beginning to end in North America.  Come join me for a campout along Palm Canyon Road in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s where I shot for the last January lunar eclipse.  I’ll post more, but be thinking about it.

Sierra cat on fort sunrise Yarnell ArizonaDon’t wait for things to get better.  Life will always be complicated.  Learn to be happy right now, otherwise you’ll run out of time.

life , 29 Comments

Plotting a road trip

tree tunnel & view Marble View Kaibab National Forest ArzonaLast week I wrote about getting out of the rut I’ve recently found myself in and the best thing for that is plotting a road trip.  Just thinking about traveling got me excited, and that’s what I need.  Plus I really have to get away from all the uninvited critters in and around the Yarnell house, perhaps a good time to have it critter proofed.  And it’s about time Sierra learned to be a road warrioress.

tarantula Yarnell ArizonaShe is already pretty street-wise, or should I say wildlife wise.  Last week I saw Sierra watching/stalking something and when I went out to scare whatever it was away—no new roommates needed—discovered a 5” female tarantula.  I covered and trapped it with a container then called the local Spider Pharm and they came and caught it.  She will either be used for breeding or milking to produce an anti-venom.  I would have let her go under the shed where she was headed but Sierra goes under the shed too.

gopher snake by door Yarnell ArizonaThe next morning again Sierra alerts me to a critter.  This time a young gopher snake working its way out from between the walls at the front door jam. I keep Sierra back with a broom, take a couple quick pics, and then the snake slips back into the wall.  Hmmm, how to fill this crack which comes into the house. I know it’s a good snake, but I don’t want it as a roommate. Tinfoil! Filled the crack. Know idea where the snake will go.  This house needs a major spray and seal which would require moving a whole lot of stuff both inside and out. I haven’t said anything to Berta’s daughter about any of this because she has enough on her plate right now.

Light in forest & on grasses Mile & a Half Lake FR212 Kaibab National Forest ArizonaSeems one of the big reasons not to travel right now has been the cost of fuel. I could probably still live rent free and always have to eat. Going to need two tires soon and that’s a big expense. But seriously, if I’m not going to work this summer—last two possible jobs fell through—I really don’t want to just sit here either.  I can stay at moderate elevation to escape heat, boondock for undetermined amount of time in any one place, and don’t go very far to the next place.

trees Weaver Mountains clouds Yarnell Arizona

bushes Cottonwood rainbow Yarnell ArizonaI believe monsoon has arrived to the Southwest.  During summer we get really excited about rain on this parched landscape.  Plan activities before 11am for the best chance to stay dry, plus of course the temperatures are cooler.  Sometimes it’s just a show of dark clouds, thunder and lightning.  Precipitation ranges from count the drops on one hand, to deluge causing flash floods.  My favorite is the gentle female rain that soaks the ground slowly.  And then sometimes, a colorful gift follows.

trees valley Marble Canyon rain clouds crepuscular rays Marble View Kaibab National Forest Arizona

last light temples San Fransisco peaks sunset North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaI need inspiration. New views to photograph, write about, and share.  Or even old views revisited.  I love to watch the storms move across Grand Canyon.

Gaelyn Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAnd if clouds don’t block the view, moon rise at Bryce would be nice.  I haven’t been there since filming the documentary over two years ago.  Which, BTW, I can soon share the link with you.

three inch scorpion bathroom sink little house Yarnell ArizonaTraveling means moving back into the truck-camper.  And after finding a 3” scorpion in the bathroom sink Saturday morning I was motivated to move.

Sierra cat on bed camper Yarnell ArizonaWithin a couple of hours Sierra and I were settled into the camper with most of our basic needs: cat pan, food and water bowls, coffee, food, and computer.  And then the refreshing light rain came and cooled the air.

truckcamper website on bumper Yarnell ArizonaPull out Tuesday destination Flagstaff.

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Lijit

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