A Swankie Desk

I lived in Prescott, AZ the winter of 2004-2005.  This was my apartment.  I marvel, looking at this now, at all the stuff in this picture that I no longer have (chair, TV, monitor, PC, books, that printer, the file cabinet, and most of the papers… gone).  But the desk, not getting rid of it… it’s a work of art.  Made by an octogenarian (well he was probably younger than that when he made it), he gave it to me in 2004 and I love it.

The desk then lived in a storage unit for some time. Then I went to stay at a friend’s home in Monterey, CA…  to get some surgery and recover.  The desk  moved into my room in her home.  Barely room for a twin bed, a desk and chair and a few other small things. But the recovery time for the surgery, had me going from the bed to the desk, a few steps to the bathroom, and I got used to having everything within arms reach… good training for becoming a vandweller.  Note here, the carving work on the end of the desk.

Finally, in 2008, I got the van I had been dreaming about for years and was at a stage where I could transition from sticks and bricks to mobile living.  The process had begun… the desk now had to move into this space one way or another.

Others had suggested building a cardboard model of the things you need to place in the van, so you can work out how they will fit, so I did that.  Note the rounded thingy cutout.  I don’t know what it is, (probably the gasoline intake) but I know I had to cut a hole in the desk to get it to go against the wall.

Taking the cardboard back into the house, I laid it up against the back of the desk… and just sawed the wood off… holding my breath.

Here the desk is standing on one end… and I have determined that the top of the desk will need to be sawed off, and shortened in order for the desk to fit in the van.  Now, how to do that?  Looking back, I’m not sure how I did it, but it worked.

I then took the top outside where I had a nice picnic table to work on… and cut the legs off about two inches.  Oh, this was scary.  Was I destroying this lovely desk?  Would I ever get it all back together again, inside the van???

I was trying to walk this bottom part out the back door, down off the porch, and across the concrete patio and realizing I bit off more than I could chew, I flagged down a couple guys and asked them it they would carry and lift it into the van, and they were happy to help.  So there it is, in place.  Note the bottom shelf on the left, also had to have a notch cut out of it to get it to fit.  But, it’s in the van.

Notice the very artistic drawer pulls, made of gnarly old desert wood, which are fastened on with copper wire.  Love it.

Here you can see why the top of the desk had to be cut off to fit under that carpeted piece at the top, and come forward to fit the curve of the van wall.  I can’t tell you how hard this was to do, but after adding a few angle brackets to reattach it to the bottom of the desk, all is securely in place and NOTHING has moved in four years. (not saying it would all stay in place if I wrecked and rolled over like another vandweller did, but I have no plans to do so)

The desk top was then secured to the walls of the van with angle bracket and washers.  That is a little frightening too, and you have to know where the ribs or studs are in the wall… wasn’t hard to find as you can see where the screws are for the paneling (covered with tan plastic caps) about 10” directly above the washers.  Also larger L-brackets attached the desk itself to the floor of the van.

Finally, with everything secure, I could begin tweaking it all and finding a place for everything, and putting everything in it’s place.  The scalloped board was found in the trash, and fit nicely there (thinking I could mount a led light behind it something).  I built a box for the solar controller in the corner so I could monitor it while working at my desk.  Oh notice too, this was an old computer desk, and it had a keyboard tray with a power strip.  The power strip has since died and been removed, but the tray is still in place and most handy.  It’s my dinner table, work space, etc.  My laptop usually sits on the desk itself, but as I type this, it is sitting on the keyboard tray.

Still tweaking.  Loose stuff on top of the shelf would not stay in place.  I added a strip of yoga mat material to the top shelf and to all the shelf and desk surfaces.  This is really a great thing, as nothing slides around.  It was glued in place with the sticky glue stick and easily peals off, and some pieces just stapled on with a paper stapler.  Nothing fancy and it works like a charm. 

To the top shelf of the desk, I added quarter-round molding to keep things from sliding off to the front or side.  This is the space that now houses my negative and slide flatbed scanner.

The spacing didn’t suit me, so I raised the shelf, so the slide scanner just fit there, I take it out when I am scanning, and that left just enough space under the shelf for my All-In-One Printer/Scanner.  (Yes, I’m in the scanning stage of my life and didn’t want to waste another year remaining in sticks and bricks and paying rent to scan all the things I need to scan (40 years of genealogy research and hundreds of historic family photos and documents).  I’ve said for years, once I could afford the technology to hit the road and have a mobile computer lab, I would hit the road (this is the prime reason this desk was so important to me… it would house it all).

Boy does it fit well in the van… and I love it.  Notice on the left end of the desk, a space between the desk and the bed… that’s where my sanitation area is now located.

Evolution is a fickle thing.  The PC did not hold up well to all the vibrations of the road, and the hard drive finally died.  So, bye bye PC, speakers, and keyboard.  The large LCD monitor was almost new, so it is well padded and remains in that space, fits right in that curve of the van wall and takes up no extra space.  It was great to have it on hand this past winter when my laptop screen finally died… and I just plugged it in to the monitor and could still work, save files, and function until my sister and her marvelous hubby gifted me with a new laptop.  Warning… electronics are not made to jiggle and bounce around on the back roads of the wilderness.  They will fail.  Ron McDowell (RIP Ron) told me to replace the hard drive in the PC with a laptop hard drive (which would fit in one of the open slots like where the DVD and CD drives are).  He said that Laptop hard drives are made more sturdy and will take more abuse.

I loved the set-up but things just keep evolving.

I added some scrapes of wood to the front of the top shelf, to hold things in place and finally came up with those freezer container which fit perfectly and hold things like sewing supplies.  My address book and misc. other things are always handy. The little top shelf could not be more handy if I had planned it that way… just a happy accident.

I had decided I wanted to have a slide out board in the desk for my stove, but it actually took me about three years to work the design out in my head.  I found these grooved pieces of wood, and knew they would work. As you can see about four photos back, it was just one open shelf so I needed to find a way to put a divider in to attach the right runner to, which was the hardest part.  I bought a finished laminated white shelf board from Home Depot, added a door handle to it, cut the extra length off the back end of the board, and just slid it into place.  Again, a piece of Yoga mat material, keeps the stove from sliding around and a bungee cord goes across the space when the shelf is pushed in, but the shelf is tight and doesn’t jiggle out.  By the way, the vent fan is right above the stove, I couldn’t have planned it that way, it was just another happy accident.

My feet were always cold so I insulated the space under the desk.  Speaking of space, it was really all wasted space, since I had the keyboard tray, I never scooted all the way under the desk. The keyboard tray pulls right out into the isle. This too took me about three years to realize, but why not build shelves under there for food and canned goods.  So this past winter, I took on that little project (thank you for dying PC).

You can’t even begin to know how much food fits on those shelves.  It is amazing.

In conclusion,  you don’t need to have things all planned out perfectly before you hit the road.  Just get the basics done and hit the road.  For me the basics were 1) to be able to afford the technology to have a mobile computer lab, 2) to ensure fresh air by installing the Fantastic Vent fan, 3) to have a comfortable bed and 4) to get the solar and last but not least… to have a desk to work at.  The desk is now my computer lab and my kitchen all wrapped in the same space.  I have almost as much space as I had when staying with my friend in Monterey, but there are wheels under my floor.  It just doesn’t get any better than that, until tomorrow.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, again.

Agave… the Century Plant

I’ve concluded this might be my all – time favorite desert plant.  Being from the midwest, until this past month, I'd never seen such plants before... and to find these all on my own was really special. It's been a truly amazing time for me since I left Phoenix.  (Makes me almost happy my eyes didn’t meet the standards for the job driving a tour bus.)

First one I found: 

Once upon a time, while walking out in the dull brown desert, I saw this plant stalk reaching up to the sky. I'd never seen anything like it. I thought it was a Yucca plant. The closer I got, it seemed the taller it got. I had taken my big tape measure out to measure a little 2' tall yucca plant... so I was able to measure this one... and it was over 18' tall the best I could determine.

But how sad. It was dead, completely dead.

Tape measure in hand, I fed it up the said of the stalk... 18’ plus.

Beside the dead plant there were a couple of small green ones coming up.  I guess they grow for about 25 years, then grow this massive stalk, bloom, and then the whole plant dies as it took so much from the plant, it kills the plant.  Then the giant seed stalk just stands and blows in the wind, like the first one I saw, until decay and 30-50mph winds topple it.

Second plant I found:  Walking down the southeastern slope of our Spring Camp few days later I came across a live plant that looked to be the same thing. I have large hands and both my hands together would not stretch around this stalk near it's base.

A couple of weeks later it was 50% taller and beginning to put out branches, or buds or flowers. Someone said it was an Agave. Looking at Google Images... “The flowering stalk of an agave - Plant of the Century. The plant lives for decades and flowers only once, before it dies.”

Someone said, and I had also read, that the plant only blooms once and then dies. I didn't believe it as this one had a dead stalk laying beside it.

On closer inspection today (5/12/2013) I noticed the decaying remains of an older plant in the shadow of this live one... and it was clear that the old dead stalk on the ground had come from the dead plant. Notice the new plant to the right of the stalk shadow.

Today, (5/12/13) it was even taller and estimating it's height by the size of my four-foot ladder, and my shadow next to the plant, it seems to be about 18' also. The stalk is not as purple as the first day I found it, and the buds are not nearly fully opened yet. I'm sad... I wanted to get photos of the full bloom before I left the area.

Third plant I found:

I walked some more today and found the first tall dead plant that I found a few weeks ago. And leaving it, heading back toward my van, I found a third one blooming Agave plant.

Near it was another dead plant and stalk on the ground. So, maybe it is true what they said... they bloom once and die.  Then I noticed this one nearby... another tall-one-to-be in a few more years (or decades)  Google said they live 25 years. Just beautiful.

The third Agave was not as tall of the one down the southeastern slope of our camp.... still probably going to be just as pretty.

Since I won’t get to see them fully bloomed, I borrowed this photo from http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/centuryplant.html. The flower stalk takes so much energy from the plant and surrounding area, that the plant must die after it blooms... living a seed stalk.

While looking at Google Images to identify those three Agave plants, I saw photos of this plant... one I had found in Phoenix before I left and which was also identified as an Agave.  These had just amazed me.  So very beautiful.

Yes, I do believe, the Agave will be my all-time favorite desert plant.

Finding Freedom and Health, once again!

I HATE this photo of me… yet I keep it handy and look at it often. Taken a year after my husband died, it reminds me of a place I never want to go again.  (2002)

Ah, so much better.

Below is a conversation I have been having with a Facebook friend.  I thought it was important to share and hope that it might help others.

Friend: You are such an inspiration to me. May I ask about what kind of medical problems you have? I notice you have asthma? Do you have to use O2 on occasion? I have really bad arthritis but also a low immune system due to a liver transplant. With all of that I am more determined to fulfill my dream and become a vandweller.

Swankie Wheels: I have suffered from COPD, Asthma, sinus infections, etc. and so forth most of my life until I began living outside. About five years ago I began to feel that if I came down with bronchitis again, I would die.  I would have dreams/nightmares about it.

Today I am off all meds, except an occasional antacid, or headache pill. I used to get several migraines a week, but rarely get any now. I would say my health is better than it has ever been. About 3 years ago I was given sleep study tests and they wanted me to go on Cpap machine due to sleep apnea and take regular breathing treatments. I tried it awhile, but gave it up. It seemed to make me worse. Back then, I never would have believed my current health situation was possible.

Friend:  Good for you! I think that is fantastic. Doctors do not always get it right but I think that’s cause they do worse case scenario for everything and think pills will make you better. I have a occupational therapist who is all doom and gloom and really discourages me but I have told him I can do it and I have been proving that. Working on getting stronger with swimming etc. I think Bob Wells (cheaprvlivingblog.com) was right when he said something about how living in sticks and bricks contributes to our depression and makes us sick. I know I will have a challenge right now if I start out soon as I still have to take several shots and medications that will end in a few weeks which is when I think I will have my vehicle ready to go. But I just know if I feed my spirit the rest will follow. You and Bob Wells just reinforce that feeling I have had for a long time.

Swankie Wheels: I think you are absolutely right. I don't blame doctors. They look at a welfare mom who has a low income, low education level and is just trying to survive... they can't themselves even image a life of freedom for her. I am still scanning old medical records... and am just flabbergasted by the state of my health 15-20 years ago. It was a very slow process for me. I did not head out five years ago with the plan of being drug free and very healthy. My only thought was to FLEE.

But even years before that, I kept telling myself once I could afford the technology to be mobile and stay connected and do my computer related projects, I would hit the road. It was only a very long distant dream. Little did I know, I'd go through so much before it became my reality, i.e.,  falling in love, getting married, becoming a widow, having knee replacement surgeries, totaling my van, having shoulder repair surgeries... and then finally having an insurance settlement that let me get my current van and a final surgery to fully regain the use of my left leg. There was a nerve being impinged and I'd walk down an isle of a store, and my left leg would go totally numb... and someone would have to go get me an electric cart. All that now seems like another lifetime, another person in fact, yet it was me and it all happened within the past 13 years.

I am also a swimmer, something I had to give up due to my bad knees and hands going numb from Carpal Tunnels problems. I'd really like to get back into a swim routine, if I had the stability of a real pool at hand all the time. My personal best was 2 miles in 45 min. Wouldn't that be a hoot to be able to do that again – another item for my Bucket List?.

What I really can't believe is how different I feel now with all those drugs flushed out of my system. That was not even on my list of goals.  I think the few remaining ones I had (which doctors had told me I could never go off of - or I'd have killer heartburn back, and be peeing myself again all the time) were having a very negative effect on my body.

The bladder medicine was keeping the bladder relaxed so I didn't have urge to pee every time I moved... but the relaxed bladder meant it would stretch way beyond normal causing great pain in my belly... that is gone now since I stopped that med. The heartburn med... was the last I stopped... and I have taken it twice, when I began to get heartburn, but I think if I am careful to eat only the RIGHT foods, I won't need to do that anymore. But that is still an unknown. I believe I can remain off of it also.

And I am not sure yet, it’s been only a week since I stopped the last med, but I think I have more energy, am thinking clearer, etc.

Maybe all this info will help others.  I hope so.  HOPE… never give up.

Friend: I think it is important to let people know they have options and can be free. I think the pool therapy is really helping me too. The place where I go is very pleasing, you can choose the music, there is rarely more than two people in the pool unless there is a class and what I do is go back an forth from the hot tub to the pool so I get cool and hot. Gets my circulation going. And Oh yeah, I understand the wanting to flee, I am SO feeling that way myself.

Swankie: Born Free?  Not so much, but LIVE FREE!  Flee and be Free????   Kinda catchy, no?  Bob Wells mentions me on his blog.

Paddling with Alligators in Florida

Read more of Bob Wells thoughts and ideas on his website - http://cheaprvlivingblog.com/2013/02/be-a-blessingliving-a-blessed-life/.

Morning Walk, wonders of the desert

Cold night last night, only 48 in the van this morning.  But the sunrise was welcome as the winds were calm last night and finally, I got some sleep.  Winds have been so rough, they have really been rocking the boat (i.e.. van).

Went for my morning walk to explore a new side of our little hill. Found this little guy.

Another little cluster of cacti.

I walked down along the eastern slope of our camp… and noted lots of larger trees had once grown there but have been sawn down.

Almost stepped on this little one.  Desert plants are amazing.  Just come on up out of a crack and grow.

Cheri showed me some little green flowers she found.  Aren’t they neat?  The bush is covered with them.

We interrupted someone’s breakfast.  Looked like this was a favorite dining spot.  I tasted it too.  Sweet, and slimy.  We were beginning to get cold and someone commented, it feels like ice in the air.

See the big black cloud?  Well, white round balls of snow are falling out of it.  We were right, feels like ice in the air.

When my hands thaw out, I’m going to finish a couple of sketches today.  Burhhhhhh!

But so far my find of this camp is… a coyote skull.