Made It Home!

THE ENDING OF ONE EPIC JOURNEY

Wow. Sometimes it's still hard to believe I'm back here in Vermont. 

But it also hardly feels like I left. What an odd thing. SO many things happened on my walkabout/extended road trip.

But here it is near the end of June and I haven't posted a thing since returning to Vermont in early April.

It was quite a whirlwind as I arrived. (Literally - it snowed that week and the temps were in the teens) 

But prior to that -

I remember as I was crossing back across the country and I arrived at a state park in northeastern Texas - I became overwhelmed with emotions. When I got out of the RV and walked around, I was on dark soil with green grass, and I wandered by trees just beginning to sprout their green leaves. I stood next to, and heard the sounds of a lake as it lapped against the shoreline. It seemed so long since I'd experienced these things. It told me I was getting closer to home. 

I continued on to my next adventure, which was to meet Mom in Nashville, TN for a few days. On the way there, I stopped in Memphis. I'd slept at a Cracker Barrel nearby the night before. I figured I'd regret it if I didn't at least go into town for a few hours when I was THIS close. It was a Sunday morning, so almost everything was closed, but I walked around, took some pictures, and had a little breakfast at the only open place. I wanted to take a tour of Sun Studios, but the first tour was already full, so I just went in and looked around a little. Oh well. Then back on the road.

Memphis, TN

Sun Studios - Memphis, TN

In Nashville, Mom and I had a great time together as usual. We took a trolley tour through the town, went to the Patsy Cline Museum, ate lunch at Luke Bryan's restaurant, visited the Opryland Hotel, and generally walked around like the tourists we were. 

I dropped Mom off at the airport to catch a flight to Florida, and I began the trek to Cape Cod to stay with my dad for a few days. 

Patsy Cline Museum

At Opryland Hotel

At Opryland Hotel

Me & Mom

Although I'd enjoyed my adventures in Tennessee, my check engine light was on once again, and I was pretty stressed about traveling all the way to the Cape like that. After talking with Dad, I decided to just keep checking the fluids and keep going and have faith that I would make it there without any problems. I think it took me two or three days and it rained almost the whole trip up and over. VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA. Ugh. 

Well I arrived at Dad's with great relief and such gratitude. Seeing my dad was sort of like coming home, and I was SO close to getting to Vermont that it seemed I could almost touch it. We had a really good few days together and he had a mechanic solve the issue with the RV. We said goodbye and I set out for the last leg of my journey home.

There was a storm warning in effect he day I arrived in Vermont. Of course. I stayed with my good friend Lisa and her family and tried to keep the RV water pipes from freezing and the batteries from dying. Some funny and stressful stories there, but in the end, I was able to move into a little apartment owned by my friend Cheryl's parents, sell the RV, and buy a little car during the first two weeks after I arrived. All I can say is: Amazing!

So ...

I've settled back into this community in Lamoille County once again.

So glad to see everyone and enjoy this beautiful Vermont summer!

The Times They Are a Changin'

 

Hi there,

Once in a while I look back at these blog posts 

and I'm like, Ugh😞. So amateur. (Can't get the pictures to do what I want. The format is all chaos. No success with mobile phone compatibility. Info is likely boring to most people, etc.) Right. I'm definitely not a professional

 blogger by any stretch of the imagination. BUT I carry on in the spirit of creating a connection with anyone who reads them. It also acts as a travel journal I can look back on in the future and relive these times in my mind.

When I left behind the places, things, and people I called 'Home' and started on this journey in the fall of 2019, I had no idea what would happen. I might've thought I had a clue, but I didn't.

I returned to Vermont for the summer of 2020 with a different view of life. I stayed in the RV and had many transforming experiences in my growth process there also. I headed out again to travel the country in the fall of 2020.

Throughout my travels 

I've absorbed a considerable amount of facts about climate, cultures, and landscapes of different areas and peoples. I've felt my own reactions to situations and experiences I never knew I'd encounter. At times, I've been paralyzed with fear. Other times, I've found myself overwhelmed by the great depths of love and joy, and the ancestral fortitude of family bonds.  

Using courage and creativity, mostly positive thought processes, and necessary solutions, I've been able to navigate through this chapter in my life. There's been a sharpening of the arrows in my 53 year old quiver. Arrows with names like confidence, bravery, compassion, inspiration, and bad ass.😊 My gratitude for all of it grows every day.

While I share only a small portion of my thoughts and experiences here on these blog posts, I know I've grown immensely through the act of doing it. Exposing my inner thoughts and feelings this way on any public forum is something I never would have done a couple of years ago. No way Jose! That would feel way too vulnerable. Plus I was pretty sure no one cared, so what would be the point? BUT as I've kept at it, writing has become a much bigger part of my life, and it continues to teach me a lot.

My creative life as a vagabond has been quite an adventure!

When I look back to think about the creative parts, I'm reminded that yes, there have been some. That's good, since it was part of the idea... 

Like.......

Writing songs and playing music

Recording imperfect live videos of original songs in the RV (Find them on YouTube) https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCIXvxeo1Sqg5yG3FPXa2nYA/editing/images

Writing and publishing a few articles on the Medium platform (Medium.com - search Stefani Capizzi) 

Co-writing a book (planned to release this year) 

Making Stowe, VT themed drink coasters and shipping them back home to sell in Stowe. (You can still find the winter theme set at Stowe Beverage.)

Making jewelry - which I mostly gave away ha ha.

Looking back, I see so many people, places, adventures, and moments of insight that have contributed to this particular journey I've been on. I am so often stunned by the complexity and simplicity of it all. 

ANYWAY

Last time we were here, I was starting the job at a restaurant in trade for staying at a resort in Mesa, AZ. Well I lasted 18 days before I decided the whole thing wasn't a good use of my time. I terminated it on pretty short notice, which I felt really terrible about. But I have to live with that. Unfortunately getting out of the resort before my window of time was up proved to be a very costly thing. I won't go into it here, but I will also never recommend Cal-am Properties as an employer for work camping to anyone. Ever. Let's just say it was an expensive lesson. 

I left there and moved back to the park in Apache Junction for two weeks. I was glad to be back and hang out with my friends from water aerobics class. Jane, Kris, Pat, and Sue has become kind of like my little family there and I knew I'd miss them when I left. Some of us went out a few times. One day, I went horseback riding with my friend Jane at the OK Corral. Historically it's part of an area that used to be called "Tent City" where men stayed to search for gold there during the gold rush in Arizona. Our ride took us through this desert area located near the Superstitious Mountains in Apache Junction. I'd wanted to do a horseback ride ever since I headed west. I knew I'd be heading back east soon, so I signed up for one. It was pretty fun. 

Apache Junction Family

Jane on our horseback ride

                                                                                                   

My view on the horseback ride 😉

   

I'd made one friend during my short time in Mesa. His name is Maurice (Moe). Moe is a very friendly big man. It kind of started with a bicycle. Well, Moe and I crossed each other's path for a reason. We had some interesting times together for a few weeks - and enjoyed each other's company. Thanks Moe! I'm glad you were a part of my journey...

Me & Moe at Canyon Lake

On my last day there some of us went to a place called Goldfield Ghost Town. Founded in 1893 after the discovery of gold in the surrounding area of Superstitious Mountains, it was abandoned twice after the mine veins faulted. It's a tourist attraction now, but was kind of fun to go in the old brothel and watch a staged shootout and look in the old jail cell. 

Brothel at Goldfield

I'd decided it was time to start heading east and find my way home. 

Waiting for the snow to disappear in Vermont is my main hang up, so I started mapping out where to stay for a few days at a time as I move along. 

I left on March 9 and stayed at the parking lot of Wild Horse Casino in Phoenix the first night, and Las Crusas Scenic Overlook rest area the second. The Las Crusas place was a really nice rest area looking over the town. There was a (statue) of a huge roadrunner made of recycled things like sneaker soles, computer parts, crutches, and tires. I thought it was super cool!

Roadrunner - Las Crusas, New Mexico

 I began to get sick with flu type symptoms just as I left AZ. I took pain relievers, etc around the clock in order to keep symptoms down and keep moving along. I drove to Abilene, TX to get a Covid-19 test and then found a place I could park for a couple of days to just rest. The test was negative, which was good. I felt better for a day and drove to Point, TX where I am now. Unfortunately the symptoms keep returning. BUT I'm sure IT will move on out soon.😏

So here I am for a couple of more days. The plan is to head toward Nashville next, where I'm supposed to meet Mom for a few days.

That's it for now. 

I'll see ya back here next time.

And hopefully, I'll see many of you in person very soon! I can barely wait to see my children and my beautiful grandbabies! Patience, Patience...

Love,

Stefani💓

 

Getting Better

 

Hello there.

A bit of a warning: Today's blog will probably be longer than usual.                Here I sit listening to the cooing of a pair of doves nearby. It just happens to be one of my favorite sounds in the world. That thought reminds me of how very glad I am to feel alive again. Having gone through some difficult times in my head for a while, for a combination of reasons I'm sure, I'm so very grateful to be seeing the light again. 

It's interesting how much we can learn from a dark night of the soul.                                            The gracious powerful growth that creeps in while we aren't looking. While we're wishing to feel something else, focusing on our pain, and spilling to others about our suffering - there's a secret unfolding. We can't see it until we emerge. If we emerge. In my case, the darkness took a couple of months to make its way through and out of me. Somewhere halfway through, I decided to just let it happen. Rather than beating myself up or wishing I could just 'get my shit together' or be searching for that positive, courageous, generally peaceful person that I had been - I decided to let it be. Just be gentle and loving. Even when I couldn't stop crying day after day. Even when I felt overwhelmed and just plain scared. Even when I lost my confidence and felt lost and lonely and fragile. Sound kinda hokey? Maybe so. But it helped. And hurray! it eventually shifted, or finished, or whatever might describe that mysterious phenomenon. 

That doesn't mean challenges don't continue to happen, no sir. But now I can once again see solutions - or know I will find them. I know I can meet anything head on and go from there. I know that the right people and resources and experiences will show up to help me along my path. I've also learned that now I just seem to feel and cry over stuff more than I used to. Sad movie parts, songs, small children, pretty flowers, sunsets, animals, goodbyes, hellos... 

Ha-ha. Well. I guess I can accept that. 

It does not escape me that many people suffer mentally over very long periods of time, and live with pains that I've never experienced. I'm only sharing this particular experience of mine at this specific time in my life. Not really sure why I'm sharing it, but maybe it will help someone reading this.

SO moving along -

 When we last  left off, I was at an RV park in Yuma, AZ for the second time, and I had just sold Rebel.

About halfway through my stay, my friends Don and Alicia from Texas, that I originally met in Florida last year, arrived at the park in their big RV. Parked next to theirs, Aretha looked like a baby RV ha-ha.  I really enjoyed spending time with them. They have two little dogs named Pebbles and Bam Bam. Most days we would meet up and walk down to the outdoor pool/hot tub in the late afternoon. Not many could go in the hot tub of course, so sometimes we had to wait in order to maintain distance. Then Alicia would cook up something wonderful and we'd play some songs on guitar and/or ukulele - and sing, of course. We went out on a field trip to Yuma Territorial Prison Park one day. According to Genealogy Trails, it operated 1875-1901, and was renamed the 'Hell Hole' by earlier inmates. It housed some of the roughest and toughest characters the west has ever known. That night we watched a relevant western called 3:10 to Yuma. Pretty cool day all around. 

Soon it was time to go.

I said good-bye to Don and Alicia and headed to Sedona, about 5.5 hours north for me, to meet Mom. She decided to take a road trip down from Colorado. It was a beautiful day for the drive. I had good music blaring through the speakers, with wind whipping through my hair as I traveled those winding roads - feeling pretty grateful for it all.

 Aretha took a rest in a back parking lot at one of Mom's timeshares while we lived inside a studio unit for a week. It was actually located in Cottonwood, a town next to Sedona. We had a great visit as we usually do. We hiked a couple of different parts of Red Rocks National Forest. My favorite was Doe Mountain Trail. It was well maintained, traversing along several levels of sandstone rocks and minor cliff bands. The view from the top was breathtaking. One day, we took a little trip to the nearby town of Jerome. The road climbs quite high to get to this old area which was once a booming copper mining town. We walked along the streets and went into Old Liberty Theatre and watched a film about the history of Jerome. I enjoyed the skeletons! Even sat next to one in the theatre seats! Of course we dined at a couple of cafes and restaurants. Crema Craft Kitchen + Bar in Cottonwood had scrumptious bakery and bread pudding french toast. Yum! Pisa Lisa in Sedona had amazing gourmet pizzas. Also delish.

Sadly, it was time to say good-by again. Always too soon it seems. Believe it or not, there was a winter storm warning in effect for that weekend. I left a day early to head south and to lower elevations so I wouldn't get caught in snowfall. (I have zero interest in driving Aretha in snow) Mom ended up waiting it out nearby for a few days before making the trek back to Colorado. 

I landed back at Golden Sun RV Resort in Apache Junction to stay for a couple of weeks. It was actually the first Park I stayed in when I came to AZ back in early November. I rejoined aqua aerobics and was also able to get back to writing and other projects I'd put off while I was with Mom. During my stay I met a couple, and the husband played country music 'back in the day'. His wife set up a little jam session event starring Ken -  Stefani - and Keith Williams. Yes, my friend Keith had moved down to Tucson for a bit and decided to take a ride up to Apache Junction to hang out for a day! It was great to see him again. He's heading east  toward Texas in a couple of days. I don't know when we'll lay eyes on each other again, so I was super glad he came up for a visit! So - we had the jam session outside on a warm balmy evening and several neighbors pulled up chairs and listened. What a great time it was! 

Also my friends Don and Alicia (from Texas) had moved on to a park in Mesa, 20 minutes away from me, for a couple of weeks. They came to pick me up one day and we went out to lunch, went to their park for hot tub time in the evening, and then played some guitar. They came over to visit one more time after that. I don't know when I'll ever see them again either, so I was really grateful to hang out one last time. Man, I feel so lucky to have such friends to spend time with way out here!

If you're still with me - 

Here's the last little piece of today's post:

I moved from Apache Junction to Mesa about four days ago. I plan to live here for approximately two months because I've started working at a job at a cafe here. It's called RaVes Cafe, and I'm scheduled to work there from Feb 8-April 8. It's a work camping situation. The idea is to have an equal trade of work time to cover the cost of staying at this great RV Resort adjacent to it. Well I figured it might be an interesting little gig...Meet people, enjoy the place (there are a lot of activities here), maybe have some fun...

Who knows?

Until next time -  Be cool. Love your people.

Over n out.

Stefani

How mug shots used to
 be done at the prison

Don, Alicia and me in Yuma, AZ

My street at Resort in Yuma, AZ

Haunted theatre in Jerome, AZ

A view from
 Doe Mountain Trail, Sedona, AZ

An amazing trike in Jerome, AZ

Music jam in Apache Junction, AZ

Me n Mom hiking in Sedona, AZ

 

What's a Girl To Do?

 

Hi all,

I'm currently still in Arizona. As I mentioned in the last post, I stayed on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land in Quartzite for a week or so in early December, parked near my friend Keith from VT.  Boondocking there had it's good times for sure, but I was having troubles with misjudging what things were draining how much house battery supply, and ran them down more than once. This caused it's own set of problems, and I grew frustrated. Using Keith's generator to recharge them enough to start my onboard generator -  in order to recharge the batteries enough to run other things.(like lights, heat, coffee maker...) was a daily occurrence once it started of course. The batteries need to get plugged into a good source for like 24 hours to get them back to optimum. Unfortunately I was also damaging them with each draining.

 I was already struggling with so many thoughts in my head about everything and needed to get somewhere to plug in (heat, electric, water, sewer) for a while. I headed to Yuma to stay at an RV resort there. I already had a future reservation, but headed down early. That was a relief, and I stayed for about a week before heading back to get Aretha into a shop for tune up and such, and to spend Christmas with Keith back in Quartzsite.  

Christmas day actually went better than I thought, considering I was out in the desert, staying on public lands, and missing my family so much. Keith and I made a luncheon and invited the 'neighbors' to eat with us. Keith cooked the pork loin in his solar oven, which was rather cool. Vegetables, stuffing, sparkling grape juice and key lime pie were on the menu. The food, friendship, and conversation were heartening. We played music with them the day before. Then they invited us to share Christmas dinner with them, which was a delicious Ramen chicken meal. Such kind people.

I stayed there for 10 days or so, hanging out, making trips in to town with Keith, walking the area, and playing music by the campfire with a growing group of people. Quartzite is a kind of funky place, and the town swells to nearly one million people during the winter months. Most in RVs.  There's a downtown section, with stores, restaurants, shops, RV parks, etc. There's also a whole lot of BLM land that people stay on. A lot of gravel, dusty roads, and shrubs. The Dome Rock area in Quartzite has several rock mountain/hills (I obviously still don't know what to call them) to hike around and up. The sunsets and sunrises over the mountain silhouettes are quite stunning.

I started having the same problems with the RV house batteries, even with running the generator a few hours a day to keep them charged. I stayed until New Year's Day, then headed back to the same resort in Yuma. It was a bittersweet parting because I liked the people and the music jams. Bob, Kristina, Chad, Eugene, Keith and others I met there are very talented musicians, and the camaraderie was good for my soul. But it was time to say goodbye for now. 

Since arriving back in Yuma, I've been working on music, coasters, writing, walking, and spending time at the pool each day. The pool is a bit of luxury that I appreciate each time I go. It's outdoors, and a big enough area to be separate. I just like to sit and read and talk to people, and occasionally go in the pool.

I sold little Rebel yesterday. It was sad. But necessary. The cool thing is that the woman who bought her is also person in recovery, and she just finished her motorcycle course. She loved Rebel and was very excited to take her home, so that made me happy.

I reserved a spot back here at this resort because I planned to meet some friends who are also scheduled to stay here this week. I originally met them in Florida last year, and then again in Texas. We've kept in touch ever since. I'm sure looking forward to spending some time with them!

Well good-bye for now, my friends.

Sending love and gratitude and peace to you.

Stefani

Sunrise at Dome Rock, Quartzsite, AZ

Sunset at Dome Rock, Quartzsite, AZ

Daytime music jam-Quartzsite

Evening music jam Quartzsite

Keith hiking Dome Rock

Selling Rebel

Unsettling times

 

Hi All,

I was in Apache Junction, AZ last time I wrote.

I left there on November 17, and headed toward Tucson. First, I stayed at a desert ranch with a very nice woman named Laura and her three dogs and three horses. The area was experiencing a 90 degree heatwave during the three days I stayed. Phew! I kept checking the sun's location because I knew it would cool down considerably once it slipped behind the mountains. 

Then I stayed at someone's place in Saguaro National Park area, in Tucson. It was kind of a strange place, and I was unfortunately feeling quite unwell there. The people were nice enough though. The woman who owns the place had spots on the property for several RVs and her own, which she travels in quite frequently. 

My arrival there was nothing short of exasperating, but kind of funny now I guess. As I was trying to find her place via Google GPS, I was led down this dirt road that grew more and more narrow, and then became so washed out it was impassible. I turned off the RV, and stepped out with my phone in hand to call her. In so doing, I stepped right into some species of low-to-the-ground cactus plant that had grown onto the road. Many spherical sections of it stuck to my foot. I was wearing flip flops. After a few swear words, I attempted to pull one off. I pulled it off, but it stuck to my hand. Now I was down a left foot and a right hand and didn't know where I was. Not a happy camper. I used my left hand to call the woman. I told her the situation (cactus, lost).  She wanted to know where I was. I described my surroundings, and how I think I ended up there. Eventually she drove out and we found each other. My hubcap had also rolled off during this excursion. Thankfully I heard it and pulled over to get it and put it inside the RV.😟

I followed her to her back to her property, She got some pliers and pulled all of the cacti pieces out of my foot. I was close to tears and ever so grateful for her help with that. It's probably a regular occurrence around here, but it was my first.

I ended up staying there for five days. It was two days longer than planned, because the slide out on the RV got stuck in the OUT position so I couldn't drive away. Of course it was the weekend, so I had to wait it out until Monday for someone to come look at it. Someone did, and we got it back in, but a nut inside the front arm needs to be replaced for it to operate properly. I still haven't invested the money for that and have just been living without opening the room up. 

It was a difficult time for me there. I was experiencing a physical health issue, and then depression and anxiety began. The problem with the slide out just added to the pile of things happening with Aretha. I left there and stayed at an RV park in Benson (south east of Tucson) for Thanksgiving week. It was a quiet place with nothing nearby and little going on. The mental troubles were continuing and increasing. A nice family I met in the laundry room invited me to share in their Thanksgiving meal at their picnic table. That was honestly the highlight of my week. 

I got out of there earlier than planned because it felt too depressing for me. I was planning to meet up with my friend Keith Williams in Quartzsite in another week, which I was really looking forward to. I drove north the 5 or 6 hours it took me to get to a park near our meeting place to wait out the time. 

We met in Quartzsite and it was a really emotional moment when I saw my old friend from home. We spent the following week hanging out on public lands there. We went to Lake Havasu and saw the London Bridge that was transported there stone by stone in 1968. That was cool.

I was really glad to spend time with Keith, but I also knew I had to look at what was happening inside of me with this continuing lost, lonely, depressed, and anxious state that had been, and continued to, follow me for weeks.

The vast stark beauty and interesting landscape over here certainly holds a haunting kind of mystery. I am often awestruck by it. The simplicity of the sunrise and the incredible colors in the sunsets over the ancient monolithic rocks (monuments) are stunning and powerful to see.

Although I'm sure I don't know the extent of it yet, I believe I've come over here to learn something much bigger than myself.

I've written another song, and continue to work on designs for the drink coasters. (Note: They are no longer found at Stowe Kitchen, Bath, and Linens, but are now for sale at Stowe Beverage in Stowe, VT) A long term writing project will also be revealed here sometime this year.

I'm going to end this post for today. I'll return again soon.

Sending much love to my people who have loved and supported me through these difficult times. 

Happy holidays everyone! 

Stay safe.

London Bridge, Lake Havasu

Thanksgiving Family

Sierra from horse ranch

Quartzsite sunset with Aretha

Working on coasters and writing project

Set of VT winter coasters

VT winter coasters designs

Getting from Vermont to Arizona

 

HI All,

As usual I'm farther behind than I meant to be in posting in the ol' travel blog.

I left Vermont 42 days ago. 

The trip to Colorado to see my mom first ended up taking two weeks because Aretha had a tire blow out on I-80 W in Indiana. (I guess I can check that off my list for things I was afraid of happening) It was a long day, but a really nice highway patrol man stayed with me through most of it and helped me find a (local) company to work on it, help me get off the highway, and then followed me to the nearby town of Elkhart. It was the rear inside passenger side tire and it caused quite a bit of damage in that area.  SO I ended up staying in Elkhart for 10 days while Aretha got into a shop and had underbody, gas lines, and compartments re-constructed. Yikes.  And tire replaced, of course. At least I had little Rebel with me, so I was able to get around town and do some exploring, etc. Everyone i met was nice and usually very helpful. Oddly enough, Elkhart is known as the RV Capital of the World.  I went to the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum while I was there. It was very cool. 

Blow out on the highway

Screamin' Eagles bus
at the RVmuseum

I got back on the road and things seemed to be going fine. Since I stayed on the interstate, it was just miles and miles of open prairie land through Iowa, Nebraska, and the east side of Colorado. Audiobooks and Pandora radio saved me from the utter monotony. Geez, I'm sure it would've seemed twice as long otherwise!

Just past Denver, CO...

I felt like Aretha wasn't running well. I nervously pulled off the highway in Golden, and parked at an overlook. It was right next to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre entrance 1. I checked the transmission fluid and it seemed ok. By now I was discouraged and thinking, "Oh no. Maybe I need the transmission replaced!" Blah blah. I was feeling discouraged and vulnerable out in this unknown territory. It was almost evening on a Thursday, so I knew I had to find a place I could park and sleep for the night. I'd have to call service stations in the morning. 

Thankfully I was able to stay right there at that big public parking/viewing area. I was parked quite above the highway and it got down to 30 degrees by morning, but I bundled up and put the gas heat on low and tried to get some sleep.

As the sun set at Golden, CO that night

I had an amazing experience the next day. 

I called some places, and was waiting for a call back from 2 of them. I was struck by how beautiful it was there as I reflected upon the mountains surrounding me. I was still feeling very emotional, but believing I was there for a reason. My bones said this place had a spiritual lesson for me.

I had just walked back from a nearby store when I met a man who was parked near me. He had long hair and a baseball cap on his head. He lived in his 1974 camper with his black lab and two cats. I told him how I ended up there. He introduced himself by name, then said, "But everyone calls me Preacher." I told him why I was currently parked here in Golden. He told me he'd been a mechanic his whole life, but became a preacher 10 years ago. He said, "Why don't you pop the hood and I'll take a look." Long story short, he taught me some things about engines and the area and life. He lived in Denver his whole life. He said he'd been preaching to the homeless and drug addicted population on the streets of Denver for most of the past 10 years. 

I was apparently down a bit on transmission fluid (which I've since learned is from a small leak.) I grabbed some from a gas station right there, and he added some and checked a few other things. I learned that high altitudes effect the way auto engines run. An engine loses 3% of it's rated power for every 1,000 feet. I've certainly learned how noticeable that is out here.

This probably sounds crazy to you, but we agreed I would hold his wallet and stay with his animal family at his camper while he took Aretha for a ride to see how she ran. He came back and said he thought she was running strong. In the end, he refused any money from me. He said something like, "I bless you, God blesses me, don't interfere." He prayed over me before I left to continue on my way. 

That experience left me in tears, and in awe over what had transpired. I believe 'Preacher' was there at that time to remind me that I am being taken care of. Even when I question what the heck I'm doing way out here, on the road, by myself - I'm reminded I am not alone. 

 It was a stressful ride

I-70 W between Golden and Grand Junction. Up, up, up - and then down, down, down all of those mountain passes. I went SLOW and prayed a lot. I was hyper-sensitive about every sound or different feeling because of Aretha's health. 😟 I drove 4 and 1/2 hours straight because I was nervous about stopping. Made it to Mom's around 8:30 pm. Boy didn't I just about fall out of the driver's seat! It was an emotional day indeed. There was delicious chicken cordon bleu for dinner. I fell asleep in a soft bed and didn't know a thing until morning!

I had a great two weeks there with Mom and Jeff. Mom and I went hiking somewhere on most days. Amazing climbs and views like I hadn't experienced before. We hiked at the quarry where the 70 foot long Apatosaurus was found and excavated by Elmer Riggs and his crew in 1901. It was cool to see the opening into the hill.

We went away for an overnight in a cool town called Ouray, nicknamed 'Switzerland of America". I don't have pictures from our hike there, but in town we met a young mother who opened her own coffee shop (Mojo's) in her building, a talented piano player at Outlaw Restaurant, and a father and daughter who own and run River's Edge Motel, where we spent the night.

Mojo's in Ouray

 Outlaw restaurant in Ouray

At River's Edge in Ouray

Unfortunately, since my arrival at Mom's had been waylaid, I ran a higher risk for cold weather while I was there. And... Yup. There was a snowstorm and a few days where the temps dropped down to 15 at night. Aretha was parked next to the house. I had a little bit of a panic and had to FIND and then drain all of the water lines in her (first time 🙅) and left gas heat on during the nights. She survived ok.

Yup -got caught in it

Driving somewhere...

Toward the end of my stay, we drove a few hours on I-70 E and met my sister Rachael in Frisco for another overnight. She lives in Denver. If you ever get a chance to drive through Glenwood Canyon on I-70, I highly recommend it. That whole ride is stunning in so many ways, as it travels through Vail and Glenwood Springs. We had a good time together and had a little birthday celebration for Rachael.

Then it was time to say good-bye to Mom and Jeff. 😞

I left there and headed south through Utah and into Arizona. 

191 driving south through UT has some really strange - feeling sections. Giant smooth rock formations for as far as you can see. Many reminded me of huge sleeping dogs. It felt like I was on another planet sometimes, out there on long stretches of road like that. (I didn't take pictures of them while driving) Usually the continuous rock formations out here are more tall, flat, sharp and pointy. And magnificent. 

I boondocked (stay somewhere without any hook-ups) on public lands in Moab and Monticello, UT -  and then a couple of forests in Flagstaff, AZ before landing at an RV Resort in Apache Junction. I didn't much care for the staying out in the woods like that by myself. If I can see other RV's/campers, I'm better, but I'll confess I had a hard time feeling safe at night. Slept with weapons next to me -which I also do when I have to overnight at Cracker Barrels/Walmart's, etc. - but still felt less safe. Oh well. Maybe that will change in the future...

I've been here at Golden Sun RV Resort for a week now and have met some nice people. I went hiking (at Silly Mountain!) with a couple of them, helped to plant the flowers here, and participate in aqua aerobics. Only 2 of us in the pool.😁 I ride Rebel around town a little. It's very dry of course. Warm days, cool nights.

I am putting on a solo Sunday afternoon music show here tomorrow in the ballroom. ♭♭♭

 I'll be in Tucson in a few days, and then on to another RV park in Benson.

Well that's enough outa me. 

Stay safe and healthy - (and please use good habits to help keep others safe)

Good-bye for now!

Stefani