8th Vanniversary

Eight years. Wow. Time flies when you’re having fun. Becoming a van dwelling nomad has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It works so well for me and has been quite easy. So far. Fingers crossed.

Time also flies when you’re hanging out with a good friend, doing what you can to help him through a rough time. Lou’s condition seems to have stabilized and, with his encouragement, I’m off on another short trip.

As I write this I’m overnighting in Flagstaff, on my way to the Eastern Sierras. Bob Wells is involved in a project there with a British TV show and he invited me to be part of it. I don’t know much about it or what I’ll be doing, but I love that part of the country. And spending a little time with the man who inspired me to take up this new life is a very appropriate way to celebrate another year.

This morning I drove north from Silver City, New Mexico on US-180 to Alpine, Arizona. From there I turned onto US-191 to Springerville. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains, up into the forest. After Springerville you’re on top of the Mogollon Rim in high desert grasslands that stretch north through the Navajo nation. The monsoons had greened up the land, quite a change from when I passed through the same area in the spring. 

At St. Johns, where US-180 splits from US-191 again, the sign pointed to Holbrook and Petrified Forest National Park.Yay, a side trip! 

Naturally, someone like me can’t think “petrified” without thinking, “turned to stone,” which leads to thoughts of Medusa, or this: