Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year to everyone.   In the Caribbean islands, New Year's Eve is called Old Year's Night, which seems appropriate.  I have always liked their little phrases and sayings that are a bit different from ours.

 

The sign above is posted right as you come into the park I'm staying at, usually parks allow us to drive 10 MPH.  But, during the past year, I have learned to drive much slower so I don't mind.  In late March of 2014 I set off in my truck towing my 5th wheel trailer.  This was the first thing I have ever towed and I had towed it very little before the day I left.  I find that even now just driving my truck, I tend to move along at whatever speed feels comfortable, which is usually under the speed limit.  I usually want to look at the scenery instead of whizzing along.

 

I am going to end up staying in this park for a month, a record for me, but it's very reasonable and the people are friendly.  I can go wandering around in the desert any time I feel like it, seeing all sorts of things, like the burro family in the photo below.  Besides, it's about as south as I'm going to get in Arizona.  I'll move further west in January sometime.

 

 

Thinking back over the year, I have seen some very interesting places, have been on lots of hikes and have taken thousands of photos.  I have enjoyed myself, except for a few technical problems with my rig.  I have come to find out that I want to avoid big cities because I don't want to deal with the traffic and the crowds.  I'm missing some of the museums and other sights, but have decided it's not worth it for me.  There are museums I have seen in small town that are gems. 

 

Right now, I have a woodpecker that is perched on the hummingbird feeder and since he's so heavy compared to the little hummingbirds, he's rocking back and forth on the feeder, curled around to get his beak in the plastic flower.  This was taken through my back window since it's cold and rainy out there, and I'd scare him away if I opened the door to go out.  This was probably dessert for him.

 

 

There are inconveniences, such as the lack of good wifi, but that was the same in the Caribbean.  I have been without phone signal in some unpopulated areas, sometimes for days - but I got used to that too.  I didn't have a TV for about 15 years until I moved into my 5th wheel, but did watch some shows in the computer while I lived in Florida for the past few years.  Since I moved in, I have watched more TV, since it replaced wifi.  There are areas where there hasn't been TV either, but I always have my books.

 

I am happy to have this opportunity to travel leisurely and see all sorts of wonderful things, even though I do miss some things (and people) in Florida.  And I still miss sailing in the Caribbean, that will always be in my blood.  The gypsy spirit lives on!

 

The New Year will bring more places to see, more hikes and more people to meet.  I'm looking forward to all the places I've researched while I've had internet these past couple weeks.   I have vaguely planned my trip for this year, starting when it gets warmer.  I'll be ready!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 

 



 

Alarming

This picture is of a beautiful sunrise this week, which has absolutely nothing to do with this article, but it's pretty.....

When I moved into my 5th wheel trailer, I made sure all my alarms were working.  I had to replace the LP monitor and the CO2 monitor.  The smoke alarm just needed a new battery.  The monitors are all within a few feet of each other, my trailer isn't very big.

The CO2 monitor came with a smoke alarm also and it talks - when it senses fire, it says in a calm voice,  "fire, fire" to accompany the annoying screeching beep.  No, I did not find this out when I had a fire.  I found out when I was cooking pancakes one morning - what a way to wake up completely and quickly!  This alarm is so sensitive, no matter what I cook, it claims that it's on fire.  Forget the fact that when I have multiple candles burning, which are actually small fires - it doesn't seem concerned about them.  It just does not like my cooking - I have come to the conclusion that it reacts to a different smell in the camper.

I have been trying to remember to turn on the stove vent and close the sliding door between the kitchen/living area and the bedroom/bath area where the alarm resides.  Most of the time I forget and when it starts telling me about my poor cooking habits, I just snatch it off the ceiling, lay it on the bed and cover it.  I just hope the neighbors can't hear it , I don't want them wondering how I can eat my own cooking.