New years tend to bring change, and 2018 has been no exception for me. We’re one month in, but things have been happening while posts I scheduled in late December continued to pop up while I’m busy with life.
I helped run the RTArt Camp within the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous from January 10th through the 19th (updates on both the RTR and the art camp are coming up soon), but decided not to stay in Scaddan Wash for the women’s RTR. I was tired of the wind and the dust and the crowds and sitting in the sun for hours a day. Maybe I would have enjoyed meeting new women in a more intimate setting, but honestly, I was worn out from talking to strangers.
I left Quartzsite to move towards one of the biggest changes my life has seen in the last five years. After more than half a decade on the road, I now have a home base in the desert.
At the end of November I was offered a great deal on a 40+ year old fifth wheel. It’s in good shape for its age, and the price was right. Solar panels provide enough electricity to run a radio and lights and to charge my laptop and phone. A hose connects my little home to a water spigot, so I have running water, and a nearby bath house provides flush toilets and hot showers.
Because I’m way out in the desert, staying in the fifth wheel year round is impractical. That’s not a problem though, because my job on the mountain takes me away during the five hottest months of the year. I have the best of both worlds because I can winter in the desert and summer in the mountains.
I wasn’t seeking this kind of change, but I’m grateful the opportunity fell in my lap. Being a full-time van dweller was fine, and I had a good life, but I’m looking forward to having a home base. Simply being able to store things and not having to travel with every possession I own is going to vastly improve my life (not to mention my gas mileage).
This new year is bringing changes to this blog too. I’ve decided to go to a three-day-a-week publishing schedule. Publishing every day or even every other day makes it really difficult for me to find time to create collages and do other art projects. I’m also hoping that publishing thrice a week will open up time for me to get to work on the next book I’m going to write. The new schedule will have posts appearing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with the possibility of extra posts on special occasions or when I have a particular lot to say.
Wednesday’s posts, while I hope of interest to everyone, will be geared specifically to nomads, boondockers, rubber tramps, work campers, and van dwellers. On Wednesdays I’ll share my tips for getting work, finding places to camp, having fun, staying safe, and generally holding it all together.
I hope long-time readers will continue to join me as my adventures unfold. I hope folks who enjoy this blog will invite their friends to share in the fun. I hope more readers will leave comments here and on the Rubber Tramp Artist Facebook page. (You can also follow me on my Blaize Sun author’s page on Facebook.)
Thanks for reading and being a part of my world. Here’s hoping 2018 treats all of us well.