How it all began...

The idea had been circling in my head for years. But the time was right and I could no longer fight the wanderlust that had built up. I bought a 1977 GMC NuWa motor home, threw a solar panel on top and started getting it ready for the open road. My main goal: to wander around North America, catching up with old friends, visiting new places and experiencing things I haven't before. This is my story...

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Belle Starr's Silverado Ranch, Bisbee, AZ

As I am about to depart from Belle Starr's Silverado Ranch to once again hit the open road, I want to reflect upon my experiences here on the ranch. I arrived at Belle's on February 17th and thought I would only stay for a few days. Well, just over 5 weeks later, I am finally about to move on. I fell in love with the animals and the beauty of the land. Nearly every morning, Stella and I would take a walk around the ranch to say "good morning" to all the animals...around 20 burros, 20 horses, a mule, a few donkeys, chickens, peacocks, and dogs. It was an animal lover's paradise.

Considering that my knowledge of horses and burros was pretty much zero when I arrived, by the end, my comfort level had grown tremendously. I still remember the first day walking around, clueless of where to pet the damned animals! That changed very quickly, of course. Within the week I would find myself wrestling with a burro (score: Brian- 0, Burro- 1). We had been trying to separate out the pregnant burros from the rest and at the last moment, one of those that was preggers made a break for it. I grabbed it around the neck and had stopped it from bolting! Oh the pride that I felt...for at least 2 seconds, at which point the burro made one last effort and suddenly I found myself on my ass in a cloud of dust. So I dusted off my pride and my pants, then gave it another go. Eventually we separated out the ones we thought were "with child", though its rather hard to tell. They all kinda bulge out to some extent. Maybe the ones we took aside were simply well feed. I suppose I'll never know.

During my stay I met some interesting and great people. Belle was the perpetual presence on the ranch and I enjoyed my daily chats with her. She has an amazing story, so if you ever get a chance to visit, you should lend her your ear for a good bit of time. She has so many wonderful ideas and aspirations for the ranch, but unfortunately, no one to help her follow through consistently. But I don't doubt for a second that she will make it happen...somehow.
As the weather begins to sizzle slightly, my journey will take me north to cooler climes. I've heard mention from others on the road that the desert wild flowers are something to behold. I didn't give it too much thought until I started noticing the flowers starting to bloom. It's simply spectacular to see so many delicate colors in an environment that is typically so...well, brown. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner...

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Moments We Wish Away

Yesterday almost felt like I had a big date. I showered, shaved, cut my hair…felt like a new man! Then I was also planning on cooking a steak I bought, but after all that hygiene crap, the day got away from me and I didn’t have time to make a big dinner. Instead I spent way too long making a huge batch of pico de gallo so snacks were my dinner.

Today is Friday. The question begs…why do I still know that? At this point, days of the week are rather insignificant for me. I have been unemployed since early December, yet for some reason I still retain that…skill? Maybe habit is more like it. It seems that in our society, we count things. Even people who say “oh no, I am horrible at math…I just hate it” subconsciously (or consciously) count things all day long in so many places: How many people are in front of me in line? How many minutes do I have until I can go home? How many days until my WEEKEND starts?? I’m sure if I analyzed it further, I could find a dozen things or more.

I already regret that I am about to use such a horrible cliché, but it just fits. I guess what I am trying to get to in this note is (cliché warning!) how much we have become slave to our systems and lives. I call them systems because that is what they really are…ways to get through the day and on to the next. So many times we find ourselves wishing away our lives…I can’t wait until Friday! I can’t wait until I get home! I can’t wait to go out! We want that thing coming up instead of simply enjoying the moment. I know this has been said so many times before, but it really is important to live in the moment, otherwise we may find that one of these days we run out of moments.

The reason I even brought this up, though, is because I still find myself thinking “it’s Friday, I should be doing something!” Yet why does this even matter? I’m unemployed, traveling around in an RV with rarely a schedule in mind. It does not matter what day of the week it is…I still have the same options. That is how hard it is to break the Monday through Friday “habit”, or monotony. So tonight I cooked my dinner over my campfire while I enjoyed a much deserved Tecate cerveza. Now I sit and write and sip my single malt scotch. And I am enjoying this very simple moment. Good Night all!


The Playground that Time Forgot



On the outskirts of the small town of Rodeo, NM, I discovered an old playground surrounded by the desert. I've dubbed it "The Playground that Time Forgot". Stella and I played for a bit...and she learned to push me around on the merry-go-round! Well, sorta. She kept trying to jump on me but each time she would push me away and around. Very confusing for her, but totally fun for me!

I really can't believe it's been a month since last I wrote on this
blog. I'm unemployed, yet can't seem to find the time to write a few paragraphs. I guess I just haven't been in a writing mood of late. This is just a quick post, the next one will be a bit longer...

Oh and I came across these two quotes and I thought they were simply perfect considering my adventures. Hope you enjoy!

"They laughed, because she was different"
"She laughed, because they were all the same"

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than
by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain