Simple Living and Simple Travel

An unused, southern Utah photo from my ‘off grid hard wall camping’ days. One of our ‘out for a walk’ shots. Take a look at, “Cruising Belgium On A Canal Boat (full tour)” on YouTube. It’s a bit different since the coupe rented a Magnifique C555, not the standard canal boat. They set up the reservation through leboat.com and it advertises no experience necessary. At Westhoek Marina in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, they took care of the paperwork, learned how the boat and locks worked and cast off. In 2015, David Johns quit my job, sold his house and went to live in a narrowboat on the historic canals of Britain. I came across his videos on YouTube and checked out his “Cruising the Cut” YouTube channel. His website is https://www.CruisingTheCut.co.uk David started with videos of his travels and now documents various aspects of canal life. Nicely done. Was finishing healing of the left foot when a screw started to back out of the big toe. No problem, what’s one more setback! Woke me up ...

Rail biking is pedaling along railroad tracks in open-air cars with semi-recumbant seating. Cars are for either two or four people. The companies run their excursions on tracks that have been decommissioned for train use or scheduled between trains coming through. No need to play chicken. Excursions can run 1-4 hours. There is a rest halfway through while the guides turn the cars around. Sounds pretty cool. Joseph Branch Railriders in Oregon, Rail Explorers operates in six states and Revolution Rail Co. in four states. Might be other rail companies. Guides accompany riders and administer safety checks and provide instructions. Remember party lines? No, not the current meaning; I’m talking phone lines. I remember ours from when I was a kid in Clifton, NJ. What a pain in the butt. Remember sniffing the ditto paper before starting on the quiz? Guess we have made some progress. Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ Decembe...

A RV park. Guano. Both surgeries are done. Had my last surgery on November 6. And yes, once again I remembered to thank every one in the operating room for their help, before I was put under. A simple thing, but how often do you think it occurs? Left foot still in splints. The surgeon had trouble with my big toe. It had moved outward over the months so it was laying under the #2 and 3 toes. Didn’t want to come back to its original position. So not only is there a titanium plate with 5 screws but also a 2” screw through the top of the toe. Wonder what all that is going to feel like when walking. Probably be out of splints in another 2 weeks or so and into a boot for another couple weeks. Is this what is referred to as, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? I will then get back to daily walks. Boot equates with short ones. But the ball will be in my court and I’m gonna pick it up. Don’t think I will be running with it. Finally had a new set of steps put in. Definitely saf...

I had a slew of tool and supplies from years of silversmithing. Including all tools and materials for teaching a class of twelve, so students did not have to purchase anything, other than the sterling silver. This a a photo of the last of my stuff sitting in the back of my pickup. Sold it through craigslist Las Crusus. Now I am down to one Large toolbox with enough tools to make whatever I would wish to make. I’m good. I decided to not have my MacBook Pro repaired. Purchased a MacBook Air. I never needed all the power and features of a Pro, but it is such an awesome laptop, that I just wanted one. Anyway, for what I use a computer for, the Air is plenty. So much for purchasing a Chromebook. I enjoyed learning how to use it, along with Google Drive, Docs and whatnot. Might use it when staying in a spot with wi-fi. No regrets. There were some procedures I needed help with so I called a friend in Moab. Yep, the one who initially told me about ChromeBook years ago. She set up a Goog...

Back at Timberon (on the 20th). Why am I having so much trouble taking off for a couple months looking for property elsewhere? One can see the winter chain stretched between a ponderosa and a pinion pine. When I looked for the key, it was not there. Tried the alternative spot, and no key. Luckily the spare was in my spare-keys spot. This is how the Nash is positioned in the spring with the large back window facing east. The rig heats up quick, with the inside temps down in the upper 30s-low 40s when I get up. Don’t recall ever getting back here this late. I was keeping track of Timberon temps and the nights were still cold, mid-30s to mid40s. While driving along rt. 6563, the scenic highway from Cloudcroft to Timeron, there was still snow in places. Bummer. Little one still has some of his winter coat on. My 20° rated sleeping bag wasn’t warm enough, even with socks and shirt. Purchased a 10° rated bag which works for these temps. Granted, these are not quality bags lik...

A view out the back window from another site I stayed in this winter. The light rock wall is the retaining wall for the dam holding back the Pecos River. Bill is not here. One more state park, then back to Timberon. A guy pulled into the site next to mine at a park. He lives in Montana and has a mobile RV repair and service business. Traveling with three magnetic signs on his truck, picking up some business as he travels. He also buys older RVs, makes repairs, then sells them. I forgot his name, but he was traveling in one, making repairs as he travles. Efficient. I learned some things, which is always good. When in a laundromat, I went up to a man who was wearing a Vietnam cap. I wanted to hear about his experience. It was a good conversation. Back then it was the time of the draft. I was driving a beer truck out of Paterson, NJ, making deliveries in Jersey City, Union City and Hoboken, and taking college courses at night. On the day the draft came out, as soon as I got back ...