Grateful for Help Received (3/24/2018)

March 1, I found myself pretty far away from everyone I knew.  I had budgeted just enough money for gas to reach the next location where I hoped to stay put and work on the van.  Suddenly, I realized… I was BROKE.  How can one not know that is about to happen???  Well, for me, it was stupidity.  I had failed to make note of the re-occurring Amazon Prime annual fee of about $100…. and had not cancelled it.  Now, taking into consideration the automatic Electronic Fund Transfers already set up for the rest of the month, I was left with only $40… and had no way of getting to the next destination.

Also, my shoulder pain was increasing to the point it was causing my Blood Pressure to be elevated and I needed to buy a blood pressure monitor to keep an eye on it.  In addition, I had infections in both ears which began from allergies… and I had co-pays for meds to cure that problem, I did not feel I had the money for all that, so decided to sit in that drug store parking lot and try to figure it out.  The itching was about to drive me mad.

I felt stuck, desperate.  Was I going to have to sit in this parking lot and wait three weeks for my March 21 payday???  I felt like a trapped wild animal.  I decided to ask for help, not an easy thing for me to do, as stubbornly independent as I am.  So, I sent out a plea, asking only for $5 or $10, to the contacts in my Google email, trying carefully to eliminate people I didn’t know, or who I knew were not in a position to help, or businesses, etc.  I didn’t do a perfect job of that I guess.  LOL

The response was immediate and gratifying.  Also a bit scary.  Two people whose email addresses sounded familiar, came back at me with a lot of hate, calling me names and telling me to grow up.  One said, it was the second time in seven years I had begged him for money.  I forgot what the other said, but he was also hateful.  All the others renewed my faith in humanity and gave me hope.  One wrote me yesterday, saying she finally managed to get the service dog I helped her with financially.  Friends help friends.  That’s what we do.

First my regular budget update for the month.

Budget Update

Month / Pay Period	Fast Food	Meals Out	Gasoline	Groceries
Sep 20- Oct 17	51.87	34.92	432.27	164.72
Oct 18 Nov 14	76.04	53.89	144.70	175.81
Nov 15 – Dec 19	48.25	47.04	325.47	351.26
Dec 20 – Jan 17	28.02	36.35	182.40	262.24
Jan 18 - Feb 20	35.51	36.32	260.00	153.37
Feb 21 – Mar 20	48.89	14.23	233.10	131.06

These are not by any means my only budget items. My monthly Electronic Fund Transfers for bills come to: $295.00 monthly.  I can’t change much of those right now.  I tried to cancel my gym membership, but Planet Fitness said I could not, unless I paid for the remainder of the contract.  This is not what they told me when I joined and I am planning to try and fight this as there are no gyms near where I boondock.

So, here is an accounting of my expenses since 3/1 when my plea went out.

Supplies - $100.00
Groceries/meals out – $105.00
Solar supplies – $13.75
Gasoline – $141.21
P.O. Box/postage – $43.00
Kayak Chute Supplies – $100.00

None of that would have been possible without the help I received. Thank you again.

Major changes to my rig:

Kayak Chute:  For nine years I have loaded my kayak on top of my van.  It was difficult at best.  With pending shoulder surgery and a very long recovery, I had to find a better way to manage the 53-pound bulky boat.  Building a box on the floor of my trailer in order to slide the kayak into the trailer without any overhead lifting is the only solution I could come up with.  Lifting the kayak overhead may not be possible after the surgery, so I want to prepare for that possibility so I can continue to be independent and keep kayaking.  This week I accomplished that due to financial assistance I received.

Once it was all helter-skelter in there, and whatever I needed was always under something else.  Now things are compartmentalized, and the kayak slides easily in and out with only a couple inches of lifting, which I can do with one arm.

No more of this:

Still to do – Peeling van paint:  Finish fixing peeling paint on the van.  Hard to do with shoulder situation so I bought an oscillating sander to assist.  My last major adaptation.  I like to keep the van looking neat and clean.  These Chevy vans were really bad about paint peeling off.  I keep postponing this as it hurts a lot to do it.

New thought: I now carry 3 six gallon jugs of water… when I make camp.  That is 48 pounds per jug.  Most the places I buy water sell five gallons for $1.00, so I began just getting the five gallons instead of six. But even the 40 pounds is getting too hard to lift.  I need to find a way to have a water supply on hand that does not involve me lifting those jugs.  I just might not be able to do it after surgery.  I am looking for affordable solutions now.  A friend is going to share plans for her system.

Van work needed:  I still need to replace the power steering fluid pump on the van and have the name of a trusted mechanic I will check with this week.  I have the pump donated by a supporter.  Big O tires also said I need a lot of front end work to keep my van from eating my front tires.  I had to buy two cheap new ones a couple months ago to feel safe and get by.  The estimate from Big O tires was over $2,000, for things like Pitman arm, etc. Same Big O gave a friend of mine the same estimate on his van… he said his van was not even worth that.  I am going to see what this local mechanic thinks, as I think my van is worth that to me… it is my home, the only one I really ever want to have.  If you wish to help with van work, you can use the donation button on the right.

I have thoughts of setting up a Patreon account to raise funds for the van work needed.  In the nine years I have had the van (and 100,000 + miles), I have only replaced the water pump, and tires.  I have driven places and gotten into situations I should probably not have gotten into… but I need to keep this machine working… and make it last me the rest of my life???  I would be selling notecards, reprints of my art work, maybe some original art and possibly some vandwelling mentoring sessions… where newbies could come camp with me for a week.  Any thoughts?

Another new thought?  Most likely the first few months after shoulder surgery, I will have to sleep in a recliner.  I really don’t want to spend that time inside a nursing home or someone’s sticks and bricks house any longer than necessary, so I have begun thinking about getting a recliner inside my van.  My bed is easily removed… and if a recliner will fit (it will have to be a power recliner or one with a left handed leaver)… I will find/get one… some way.

I CAN and I WILL do this.  (And I have not given up my Arizona Trail hike dream… but all the rest of this has kind of put it on the back burner.)

Thanks go out to all the generous supporters and I pray the trolls get a life and find some happiness out there.  (Don’t worry, Trolls, you have been removed from my Google Contacts.)  I am humbled by the support I have received and will pay it forward.

Maybe I should buy land here… southeast Arizona????
(and call it home)
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The Awakening of Swankie (being all I can be… to me)

If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself.  If you want to eliminate the suffering of the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself.  Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation. Lao-tzu

Left Monterey, CA yesterday morning arriving in Paso Robles, CA where I may stay a few days.  Away from anyone I know, away from doctors, just away. Last night I parked in a large parking lot not far from Walmart.  Used to be a Kohl’s store there but it is closed now.  One other camper in lot.  It was quiet and I rested and caught up on stuff.  Got the ladder out and cleaned off my solar panel, and took the plastic off the roof vent, as I doubt I will get any rain here and I need the air flow. I will fix the leak soon, when I get out to open spaces.

So, I woke this morning thinking, I’m nobody to no one – no one’s mother, daughter, sister, wife, lover, friend.  No one.  OK, then so I need to be all that to and for myself. 

The people I have loved the most, have hurt me the deepest.  In some cases so deep that I can not to bear to think of them or be with them anymore.  I could not be to them what I wanted to be to them or what they wanted me to be.  I CAN be all that to me and if I work hard and fast I will be able to leave the second-best legacy behind for them – the genealogy I have spent 1/2 a century working to collect.  Statistics say I have 15 years left, well, probably more as I’m a lot healthier than most living 73-year olds.

Feels good, fresh, starting over at will.  No obligations to others, just me!  Take the best care of me that I can.  Be the best I can be.  That felt hopeless before, but with the recent involuntary weight loss (caused by the removal of a hormone-secreting benign tumor in my right airway, blocking air flow to my right lung) I have hope that I can be all that – to me, for me.  Yes, it is time to be selfish and it is o.k. to be selfish.

So, I better get busy.  Today, I am working on genealogy notes laying around on my desk.  Be gone, notes, be gone.

On the road again... heading to southern Califonia (Sept. 25, 2017)

 

Have visited with family and friends in Washington State, Oregon and northern California. (Me with Lois Middleton)

 My granddaughter and a Gypsy Vanner.

Now heading south to take care of health issues (follow-up with lung doctor and another bronchoscopy) for myself and get back to my plans for hiking the Arizona Trail.

More blog posts will follow soon.  I hope you have not been too lonely in my absence.

Valley Repair, Inc.–Meeker, Colorado

Worst of Times & Best of Times.

If you are ever in the Meeker, Colorado area and need help, I can not say enough good things about Valley Repair, Inc.  24 hr. towing and mechanic service.  431 East Market St., PO Box 292, Meeker, CO 81641.  Phone (970) 878-3316, email: vrepairmeeker@yahoo.com.

August 2016 found me working as a Camp Host at Nortfork Campground 35 miles east of Meeker CO.  I spent most of that month coughing uncontrollable, each day off I was back to doctor, E.R. or Urgent Care.  None of my normal cures for COPD were working.  Later I learned it was most likely an allergy to blooming sagebrush, but that is beside the subject of this post. I knew my job would be coming to an end early in September and I was concerned about the way my van was running. It seemed to have no power and I seldom was able drive over 40 mph.  I got to Meeker pulling a heavy cargo trailer and going mostly uphill (or I should say up-mountain), generally unable to go over 25 mph and having to stop often to let the engine cool down.  I knew I could not hit to road again, pulling that same load without fixing my van.  But what was wrong and what would it cost? (I was working to save money for my AZ Trail hike… but would it take my last penny just to fix the van???)

In the Spring 2016, before leaving my desert winter home, I took it to a Chevy dealer to have “Check Engine” light diagnosed.  They found Bank 2  O2 Sensor 1 had failed causing van to run very rich on right side. This was creating a rough running and engine and mis-firing.  Recommended replacing Bank 2, 02 sensor to correct.  They noted Truck Operates Normally.  This knowledge cost me $300.54.  And that was only for diagnostics and replacing the 02 sensor, not the catalytic converter.

At that time I decided to go ahead with a tune up in hopes that would help improve how the van was running.  Spark plugs, spark plug wires so they checked compression, replaced spark plugs, and adjusted ignition timing and idle speed. That cost another $650.00 (get this $118.72 for spark plugs, $121.48 for plug wires and $307 for labor, plus other shop supplies and hazardous materials fees.)  Geez, this van is getting expensive.

I left Quartzsite and headed out to begin inspecting sections of the Arizona trail, but the van was still running rough.  Visiting with friends in the Tucson area, I got a recommendation to go to Exhaust Works.  They confirmed that the front Catalytic Converter on Bank 2 was bad and so it was replaced with an after market converter.  Cost $290.80 (parts and labor).  He said ALL he does anymore is exhaust systems, no other mechanical work… he just specialized in exhaust systems.  I felt good about him and his work, until a little later.  That was April 2016.

I drove on to Meeker Colorado the next month…. as stated above, having a very rough time gaining that altitude, but I didn’t have the funds to get any more work done on the van.  During the summer, I used it only when I had to and saved my money.  Check engine light kept coming on, sometimes flashing, sometimes staying on solid, sometimes staying off all together.  Finally, Aug. 29, I took it in to Northwest Auto in Meeker, a GMC dealer for diagnosis… they found Bank 2 rear catalytic converter was plugged and charged me $46.77 for that knowledge.  Throwing codes of P0101, P0300, and P0171.  I asked for an estimate.  Lee told me it would be $628.44… to replace the Bank 2 rear catalytic converter.  He insisted that my van had 3 cat converters, when the man in Tucson had taken me under the van while it was on the rack and showed my the four converters on my van.  Lee insisted that ONLY federal vehicles had four converters, and he even sketched out the 3 he insisted I had on the back of the estimate.  See below sketch by Lee at GMC, Meeker, CO.

Wow… $628.44… is a big chunk of what I had been saving all summer to buy my AZ Trail hiking gear.  I felt crushed.  I even asked Lee how accurate his estimate was and he assured me of how careful he is in pricing things out and he would be surprised it is was more than $40 off.  Well, I had to think about that and crunch some numbers.

Two days later Lee called me back saying they sent him the wrong part (which he had said would take him five days to get as it had to come from Virginia, but he had it in two days????) and that the price was actually $1,080.00.  My boss actually took this message and turned out there was a misunderstanding in the way he said things and what he meant was it was an additional $1,080.00 on top of the $628.44.  I did not learn this until I stopped by GMC to pick up a copy of the estimate… and the grand Total was $1,780.64.  WHAT????  Well, Lee, that is a bit off on his $40 guess.  Things came to a screeching haul for me.  I had coughed the entire month of August and was exhausted.  Then I fell and cracked 3 ribs that week and was in a great deal of pain.  This was just too much. I was devastated and ready to give up.  I thought I might be stranded in a wintery cold snowy Meeker.  Now GMC was insisted that my van has four catalytic converters (like I told them in the beginning), but the estimate is for more than just the rear cat converter, it is the front and rear converters and the entire manifold pipe on the passenger side.  The front converter was only five months old????

I questioned them why I needed to replace the front catalytic converter when I had just done that in April… and they gave me some line about the van being registered in CA and CA emissions requires that factory parts be used.  I explained it was no longer registered in CA but in SD which had no such requirements.  They argued with me that it didn’t matter, I still had to met CA requirements and use factory parts, not after market parts.  I said it already had an after market converter on it… so what did it matter?  They held their ground.  They were also now arguing with me that they never said it had 3 converters (who made the sketch?).  I was really sickened by all the lies and the fact the were trying to take advantage of a woman.  I walked away and didn’t even cancel the work they had schedule.  I left them hanging and I didn’t feel bad about it either.

I was in too much pain to want to deal with it all, but my job would be ending the next week, and I would have to leave the campground soon after that… and snow was in the air.  Someone had given me the business card for Valley Repair, Inc. and at the insistence of a friend, I called them for a second estimate.  I gave them none of the history, other than that the front converter had been replaced in April.  I asked them to check the check engine lite.  They charged $20 for that, which my friend paid.  They understood that my funds were limited but that I urgently needed my HOME fixed so I could leave soon. 

They thought that a tune up could fix the problem… at that time I had forgotten that I got a tune-up in the spring … so they did that Sep. 15… ($206.31… compared to the $650 I paid for the same job in AZ six months earlier).  They charged me $32 for spark plugs, and $42 for wires, compared to  $118.72 for spark plugs, $121.48 for wires charged by Bradley Chevy in Parker AZ.  Wow.  I could have skipped this work had I remembered the spring tune-up. I just didn’t remember that tune-up until later… thinking I had never had a tune-up in the seven years I had the van,  and I thought it still had original spark plugs.  I think it was the pain meds affecting my brain!  LOL  But anyway, I had a comfort level with these guys at Valley Repair in Meeker… and trusted them.

But, the tune up did not help… and on the way back to camp, the check engine light came right back on.  Sept. 19, I took it back in… and they begin checking everything over and found exhaust leaks all round the front catalytic converter that Tucson put on in April.  The gasket was leaking too.  The previous converter was not welded without leaks and it did not look like Tucson had replaced the gasket.  I actually was allowed under the van and helped the mechanic by holding a flashlight.  I felt the leaks all around the old weld.  Felt like a very hot very strong hair dryer blowing on my hand.  They plugged up the tailpipe and ran the engine, and you would feel all the air coming out all around the Tucson welds. 

So they welded all that (left photo), replaced a gasket ($6.50) went in the joint (right photo). One of the nuts got cross-threaded and had to be cut off and the bolt re-threaded.  I helped with all that. Total came to $176.92.   And off I went down the road…  15 whole miles.  I was loosing pressure and power mile after mile.  By mile 17, I was stopped on the shoulder with zero power and the van would not move.  I called them to tow me back to the shop ($150.00 for the tow, 100% refundable by my auto insurance).

By this time, my motley crew at Valley Repair had adopted me and were invested in getting me back on the road at the least additional cost possible.  I slept in the van all night in their lot – my ribs killing me.  Next morning they came out and got the van, with me still in bed, and drove it into the garage and up on the lift we went… me still in bed.  They were still puzzled, but thought they would have to cut the rear catalytic converter off and replace it.  They already had the new one ($129 for after market… when GMC wanted to charge me $1,450 for parts).  I was in a great deal of pain from the ribs… so even turning over hurt.  I could not think.  The guys were right under my bed talking about what might be wrong when I suddenly I hear the buzz of a saw cutting through the pipe.  I thought, “guess we are cutting the old one out.”   I hurt too bad to move.  A few minutes later they call me to driver window and hold up the old one… full of gung that that blow out of the front converter that Tucson replaced… and had slowly been clogging up the rear converter and once the welds were fixed, it blew the rest of the gunk in the pipe into the rear converter, TOTALLY clogging it.

Within 1/2 hour, they had the new part in place and I was on my way back to camp.  Cost $222.39.  So all total, for all the work they did, I spent $605.62 at Valley Repair in Meeker, CO.  I drove from there to camp, got my trailer and hauled it back to Valley Repair dropped the trailer (where they stored it for free for 10 days), drove to Dakotas and back… picked up trailer, drove around Colorado some more, up and down mountains, and then on to Arizona.  Check engine light has not come back on once, not once… and van is running better than it has in a couple years.  I can’t be more pleased with Luke Pelloni, owner, and his mechanic Joe.  Great guys, great new family… I love these guys.  I trust them.  If you are ever in the Meeker, Colorado area and need help, I can not say enough good things about Valley Repair, Inc.  24 hr. towing and mechanic service.  431 East Market St., PO Box 292, Meeker, CO 81641.  Phone (970) 878-3316, email: vrepairmeeker@yahoo.com.

Owner Luke Pelloni on right, Joe in middle, and young Justin on left.  My new family.

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Coming soon:  Have you ever been stalked?  Do you know what to do about it? 

Escape Into The Wild

No fitness plan summary, no weekly blog update, no goals… just nothing.

Something is wrong.  Something is off.  I have lost my mo-jo.  Woke up a few days ago and realized this… and decided it needed to be fixed.  ... I didn't know how depressed I was until I got home... in the WILD.  Most of this year I have felt like my cup was empty, but the past couple of days, I have begun to find my mo-jo to put back into it. Stay true to your heart and soul.

It was the first time in a very long time where I had my trailer (and all my worldly possessions) in travel mode… and my feet got very itchy.  All the goals I had lined up for this season, seems to be vanishing before my eyes. The values I had, seemed not to exist anymore.  OK, this can not be.  Time to get lost (or is it found?).

With no pre-determined idea of where I was going, I just headed out away from Quartzsite and what had been my dream/plans for this winter season.  It is amazing how your frame of mind changes, once you have all your possessions in tow and no reason to "go back" anyplace. I just can't sit still in a camp any longer. I need to be on the go. Spend way too much time in Quartzsite, just sitting around waiting for others, waiting for classes, waiting for payday, and eating, and sitting and eating. While I was traveling and kayaking all the time... I looked and felt much better. So, I'm off in search of my mojo again. Thinking most likely I will postpone my AZ Trail hike one more year as I need to replace my house batteries (about $600 expense). I could be in areas without signals... so don't expect as much activity here or on Facebook.

I need to get out and just enjoy nature again.  People so confuse me.  The downside of living in the desert is going to bed when it gets dark, and getting all the rest you need by 1am or so. Then not being able to go back to sleep. Sure beats the depression I was feeling in urban camping though... where I just wanted to sleep all the time.  Here, I can’t wait to get up, get out, look at stuff, see wildlife, take photos, think, breath clean air (Quartzsite air is amazingly polluted especially in Jan.).

I’m not a thrill seeker.  I don’t look for “danger” for fun, but somehow this sign make me feel good.  The environment was no longer bland like Quartzsite.  I love the desert but Quartzsite has been so depleted of anything geologically interesting, and there are so many politics when you are in civilization, whether it is politicians or just citizens… someone is always being greedy or trying to get the best of someone else.

After spending the day exploring, hiking, driving, I got off into the wilderness, maybe a little too far, as I am not sure I can get back out again without help. (Help is on the way!)

But, in the meantime, I introduced myself to me.  Where have you been, I asked?  I don’t know!!! was my reply.  Guess I am loosing my mind.  I’m talking to myself, but we are very good company for each other, me, myself and I.

So, I took another hike and talked to the Joshua Tree instead.

Another hike and another tree conversation with the Palo Verde.

Took another two hour hike in the desert looking for petrified palm wood... and all I found was lots and lots of chalcedony. Suppose to be jasper and agates around here too but I think I am 12 miles off where I should be. Not going to try to make it the rest of the way in 2 wheel drive. I went until the wash dropped off 20ft vertically. What a sight.

Oh, look, there is Swankie, all the way down the 20’ drop off in the wash.  I climbed down to have a chat with her.  Went a little farther and another bigger drop off… no burro tracks to follow, so I turned back.

A couple nights in this wonderful place, and I don’t want to leave.  However, I must leave while I have some help getting out.  There was a pretty fast drop in elevation on a very sandy road.  My trailer is way to heavy for me to pull it back up that elevation with a 2 wheel drive van.  I guess I may have to settle for life on the edge of the wilderness… I’ll have to stick to harder surfaces so long as I am pulling a trailer full of rocks and genealogy.  (in my  next life, I’ll have a 4-wheel drive vehicle and will travel without a ton of genealogy in tow)

So some serious soul searching is going on.  I still want to hike the AZ trail, even more so after a couple days of wandering aimlessly in the desert. So much to see out here.  But what happened to my goals?  What happened to the Rock Club time I planned on this winter???  One: My house batteries are six years old and on their last legs.  Cost of replacing them conflicts with funds needed for the Arizona Trail Hike.  I can’t do both.  It was depressing me.  Two:  People were depressing me.  I never have mal-contempt toward others, yet people are reacting to things I say and do as if I do.  I guess they don’t get that such things can be very hurtful…. to a person with a good heart.  It’s happened too many times in the last couple of years…. and so I need to escape, re-access, etc. and so forth.

Here are my new neighbors. Free, free at last, back into the wild.

All is well. I have officially escaped into the wild. I have reactivated my SPOT device... so I can find myself. I know the way out again, but don't want to go. All I can hear at night is a couple crickets and a few high airplanes, and there are burro hoof prints on the ground outside. I didn't know how "un-free" I was feeling until I got back in the wild.  All night long, I heard burros braying and nothing else.

I saw this on Facebook this morning and think I need to play with it a bit and tweak it to fit my lifestyle:

Why did you dance today? · Denpasar, Indonesia ·

Today I celebrate 500 days of dancing everyday...

Am on the 500th day of my running, dancing, yoga, meditation, singing, drawing, drumming, and writing streak.

Today I ran wild and free for an hour in the rice fields and mountains of Bali to enjoy the feeling of aliveness I get when I run, and danced to get inspiration and ideas for choreographing the musicals I am directing in Bali.

I have found it very inspirational to keep track of the days. The longer I keep the streak going the more I benefit and more passionately I want to make sure to write, dance, run, meditate, draw, sing, drum, and practice yoga today.

I write, dance, run, meditate, draw, sing, drum, and practice yoga everyday, and I try to complete this in the morning, before I allow myself to check email or Facebook, but if I cannot complete everything I explore what I need to complete before I go to sleep.

I love to run for an hour, but if I do not have time, or my body says I should take it easy I always run at least a mile, and write, dance, meditate, draw, sing, drum, and practice yoga at least 2-10 minutes each.

Why did you dance today, and what did you do that was good for your body, mind, and spirit today?

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I have to adopt/adapt this philosophy/lifestyle to my own. I think living in the wild has to be one of my daily things. Out of the next 365 days, see how many of them I can spend with no other humans in view.  Should begin on Nov. 20... the day I escaped back into the Wild and began finding my mojo again. Two nights now. 363 to go.

Sometimes you just have to say, Whoa Back!  This was a surprise to me.  I thought I had a plan, but then once the trailer was hooked up… and I realized I did NOT have to go back if I didn’t want to… it all kind of fell apart, or fell together, or something.  I don’t know, but I can take all the time I want to sort it all out to decide what I need to do daily for the good of my body, mind and spirit.  I believe both Quartzsite and the Arizona Trail will still there when I am ready.  Today, I am smiling.

Quartzsite, AZ 2015

I approached Quartzsite, AZ from the East this time, on Interstate 10.

There are two exits only, Exit 19 on East side of town, and Exit 17 on west side of town.  There are about 2 miles apart.

You come off I-10 onto Riggles Rd, turning right, then get in left lane to turn left onto Main Street.

Last year the Beall's store closed and remains empty.  If you turn right there, you will be on Plymouth St. which goes to the Police Station, Library and P.O. Annex.

The General Store is still open.

The Roadrunner Market just opened up again.

Main intersection of town, Main Street and Highway 95 (goes south to Yuma or north to Parker).

On the west end of town is where many of the little stores are, and the new Chamber of Commerce will also be located there.

Pulled into the Main Event place to see if Beth was around but didn’t see her car so I left.  She was there, darn it.

Coming out of the Main Event you can see the other fast food place, and I’m having a senior moment and can’t think of the name.

Heading back East again you can see McDonalds, and the Flying J and some other business all clustered in there.

Directly across the street from McDonalds and Flying J is Hardies Beads and Jewelry store and the brown/tan store front will be the new Chamber of Commerce location (parking in the back of Hardies).

Near them on the north side of street is this store.

Coming back to the main intersection and turning south the first street past the stop light you go back behind the LA Mesa RV lot to find the large QIA building, where the Pow Wow is held as well as exercise classes and dances and all kinds of other events.  It’s really the “community center” of the town, in season.

Block west of QIA is the Gem and Mineral Club where I usually LIVE during the winter, but I feel my life going in a different direction.

Back out on Main Street and turning East/right again, is the Main Street Eatery and Laundromat and showers.  Another community center of sorts.  Also have free wifi.

Posted in Facebook Quartzsite Chatter this morning (11/3/15): 
The bakery has new owners.
The Eatery got a facelift, still great place to eat.
The Cruise In held 2nd and 4th Saturdays has relocated to the VFW. Which they moved in to this spring. Formerly Palo Verde Cafe.
The LaCasa Restaurant purchased, new rock shop.
The Yacht Club Restaurant purchased, new rock shop.
New vendors, Asian menus, seafood menus
Main Event is rising out of the ashes to resume activity that has been absent from their location far too long.
And Great news, Quartzsite Chamber and Tourism office just opened located across from McDonalds. All levels of membership, everyone needs to visit and support this endeavor to keep Quartzsite Rocking!!!

There is a lot more to the town, but this is my quick 5Cent tour, having just arrived back here after being gone six months.
Oh the Yacht Club is closed.  Has been sold and will become another rock shop.  Like Q needed another rock dealer.  This will be interesting to watch.
Other links:
Quartzsite, AZ
Rock and Gem Show Events
Swapmeets

WEEKS 15 and 16–Back Home Again in Quartzsite, AZ (Oct. 18-30, 2015)

Somehow, Quartzsite, AZ just doesn’t feel like home to me this year, but I am settling in.  I may be looking for new adventures after this winter.  Dealing will dusty old rocks may not be in my best interest health-wise. Time will tell.

Pulled into a free two-week camping area and got a permit.  Most of my time this winter, and it will be a short season for me, will be spent on private lands.  I will have no pubic camp this year and will have to visit with people in their camps or meet them in town.

But for right now, I found a tree to call home…

… and went walking in just my flip-flops and shower wrap-a-round, cause there ain’t nobody out here.

Just wide open spaces and the ol’ SwankieWheels rig.

Just got busy enjoying the sunsets, sunrises, the ol’ tree and desert plants.

Off-loaded the kayak and got it covered up with a tarp.  Set up a place for water jugs, and that’s about it for me.  Not setting up my canopy or tents this year.

OK, back to the sunrises and sunsets.  Busy busy person.

Learned Freedom America (Amanda) was at the library so went by to welcome her.

How will I loose any weight… dug out the solar oven to make sure it still works.

Set about trying to learn how to replace a headlamp in the van… Chevy in Payson, AZ wanted to charge me $75.  I’m sorry, but I actually laughed in the man’s face.  Drove across the road, bought a $10 bulb and it took me about 15 minutes to put it in… and I had never done that before on a Chevy van.  Had to reward myself for saving $65.  Ha ha.

Like I said, keeping it simple this winter… my shower, out the rear door of van.

Friends are beginning to arrive, Lou Brochetti arrived with his expanded Vardo… had to add on to the back, back 1/3 is all new, so he had room for his new freezer, and the rest of the room back there is for his musical instruments and equipment.  Had to put a whole new frame under the vardo to support the additional weight and more solar on top to support the big freezer.  (Oh I wasn’t suppose to tell about the freezer, as too many people might want to put Ice Cream in it.)

And more sunsets, here with some rain falling through.

I finally got some of my notecard sets put together to ship out and they look fine.

Quartzsite hasn’t changed… for more click here.

Next week exercise classes, dances, and other activities start up.  I plan to exercise daily and go climb Q-Mountain.  After a week or so acclimating, I will add my backpack to the climb up and down Q-Mountain.  I will resume giving fitness reports then.