Monthly Blog Posts (May 1, 2012)

Next to the Forest Service Office in Rifle, CO.

I am announcing that beginning in May 2012, I will only have ONE post per month.  It will run a little like a letter to home… and I will be printing and mailing it out to a few people who don’t do internet or email (very well if at all).  It is very likely that I WILL NOT have internet or cell service at the remote campground I am hosting this summer.  I won’t know that for sure until I get there, which could be two more weeks as the road is impassible at this time.  Hurry up and wait… that’s what it was like getting here.
Also, I will not be posting the location of the remote camp on my blog but if you feel you want to come to visit, contact me via email: charlene.swankie@gmail.com . Camping is not free and it costs $17 per night unless you have an Access Pass and then it is only $8.50 per night.  I don’t know if I will be able to give anyone free camping.  And I don’t know how long a guest of mine could stay either.  There could be limits.
I do have a personal satellite tracking device (SPOT) which will notify ten key people/contacts that I am O.K.  I will be sending out that notice on a weekly basic.  It also has a 911 button and will dispatch the first responders to my location in the event that I (or anyone else I’m with) is injured.  That will work without internet/cell service.
Email, I don’t get a great deal of email anymore and so should be able to reply to any I do receive while I am in town monthly to resupply.
USPS mail:  My mail will go to my SD address and be forwarded here on a regular weekly or monthly schedule.  If anyone chooses to mail something (money, photos, photo retouching work, etc.) to me in Colorado… that would be to:
Charlene Swankie
32201 County Road 8
Meeker, CO 81641
Mail will be brought up to me by co-workers.

My Colorado Welcoming Committee.

That’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it… maybe! 
Have a great summer everyone.
Charlene

Thank you for helping me get to Colorado job.

My new pet (or dinner?).  Do you know what it is?  Landed on the hood of my van as if to welcome me to Colorado.  NeatO.

The view outside my van doors:

Thanks to the folks who helped me get to Colorado, now I am here and the road is not opened and I can’t get to the campground where I will be working.  I could have up to two weeks wait time (that means two weeks without pay).  So I’m looking for more work in the meantime.  Here are the two sketches I just finished today.

An 8 x 10 pencil portrait of ONE face, or ONE pet for about $40. Send scanned (high resolution) photo to me for advanced approval and qoute. Once I accept the photo I'll doctor it in Photoshop to crop out  unwanted things and send you a photo mock-up of how I envision the sketch. When you approve of the mock-up, you can deposit funds to my PayPal account... using charlene.swankie@gmail.com. My PayPal account.  See samples of my work on last post.

I have still not been able to replace those two bad tires but at least they did not blow on the road.  However, I’m not so sure what will happen when I head up that mountain road to my job site.

Bad planning on my part. I am endeavoring now to set money aside each month into an emergency fund... and will be able to contribute almost all my income to that fund from May-October.

Also, I do excellent photo restoration work.  If you have an old photos you want restored, send me a high resolution scanned image for a free QUOTE.  SAMPLES.

Thank you in advance.

Charlene (aka SwankieWheels)

Payday… two days away.

I’ve been camping around Elko NV at various store parking lots… just waiting out the two weeks before payday… and day after tomorrow is it.  Yahooooooo!  I think I gotta go over those mountains to get to Salt Lake City, UT.  It’s been so cold here.  Uggghhh!

A couple of days ago, I splurged and bought Frosted Flakes (see photos below). Last night I splurged and got dinner from a Chinese place… rice, sesame chicken, and seafood combo, and two egg rolls.  Oh boy, did that hit the spot.  And I got a couple fortune cookies:

1) You’ll accomplish more later if you have a little fun this weekend.

OK that fits.  I had fun this weekend, sleeping in each day, doing two sketches for pay (total $100.00), listening to music, watching some t.v. shows, and going to bed early.

I’m ready for MORE accomplishments.

2) Next full moon brings an enchanting evening. 

Gotta go look that up, just so I don’t miss it.  Hum, May 5 will be the next full moon.  That is the day I am suppose to arrive at my summer job/home.. at the campground.  Ya think I’m a’gonna meet a fella????  Maybe not.  Maybe I’m just going to feel really enchanted when I reach my summer home.

Today I will finish the two sketches I’m working on and then do an inventory of all the food on board.  My plan for Colorado is to only come down off the mountain about once a month.  That takes a bit of careful planning.  Anyone interested in seeing the food inventory and the one-month plan for food purchases???

Today is my eldest son’s birthday… he is 46.  WHAT?  How can that be?  Happy Birthday, Chris.

Chris in 1966, Teheran, Iran.

Chris’ daughter, Zoey in 2008, Wenatchee, WA.

Chris in Tehran Iran, 1966.  So that made me hungry for Frosted Flakes… something I haven’t had for years.

Chris and his girlfriend, Jenelle, hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail together… this at Crater Lake.

When I got my Master’s Degree, Chris drove back to Indiana from Maryland with me for my commencement.  Thanks, Chris, that meant the world to me.  Wish your brother and Tori had come too.

Chris and Jenelle hiked the whole Pacific Crest Trail in five months.  Guess they figured they were compatible after all that and so they got married by Elvis in Vegas.

Once a backpacker, always a backpacker. 
This is their first child, Zoey.  Too cute.

Zoey and mom on left,
Mom and Dad with son Will and daughter Zoey on right.

Beautiful Zoey at Christmas.  Reading and books are their favorite activities.  They get two stories read to them each night before bedtime.  They’ve asked me to only send books as gifts.

This is the first time I ever saw Will… and isn’t that the greatest smile.

Will and I had matching haircuts.

Zoey really loves her baby brother and is so gentle with him.

Grandma really loves Zoey’s little brother too, but wasn’t so gentle with him… first time I picked him up out of his car seat, I caught his finger in the buckle and made him cry.  Made him cry???  I made myself cry!  Thank goodness he won’t remember it.

It doesn’t get any better than this.  Not even tomorrow.  Chris and Jenelle, you are beautiful and are great parents.  Thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given me… Will and Zoey.

Ely, NV to Elko, NV

What a beautiful drive.  My friend told me to be careful on Highway 93 as there was nothing out there.  He was right… nothing but snow-capped purple mountains majesty, blue skies, open rangeland that stretches on forever.  Best thing I saw though… and could not capture on film was an eagle on the ground with some prey in his claws… having at it.  Gosh I wish I could have caught that image.  Safe in Elko tonight, enjoying the lower altitude and warmer temps.

I did a video clip of the mountains but have trouble loading video to my blog.  I will work on it.