Sitting Pretty...More Color in the Man-Cave

My handiwork meets with Sonja's approval

Steve is still dog-sitting in Ajo, and I continue to surprise him with additions of color to his 5th wheel when he comes out to Why to see me. The other day I re-covered the dinette cushions, which had previously been swathed in worn-out cream-colored terry cloth. They're not anymore. I used up some of my vintage fabric cache, which was good. I was tired of hauling so much fabric around with me.

Keyboard and crayons...the necessities of life

I told Steve the next project is curtains. The vertical blinds above the dinette are difficult to adjust, and they poke me in the back. I showed my partner a nice big piece of blue and white Hawaiian floral fabric I'd picked out for the curtains.

"Won't that be too busy?," Steve asked in a worried tone.

"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?," I cackled in reply.

I stay busy selling on eBay, drawing mandalas, occasionally breaking plates for mosaic, playing Words With Friends, meditating, studying metaphysics, reading novels, etc. Now I have begun a new project. I'm writing a book about successful eBay selling strategies for full-time RVers. Writing a book is all-consuming. Last night I was burning the 9:30 oil.

Tipi, the nice one

On Thursdays I go to Ajo for...well, I was gonna say conjugal visits, but that's really tmi, isn't it? Anyhow, there's a meeting for anonymous former winos like me on Thursday nights, and I go in early to have dinner with Steve and then stay overnight at the house where he is caring for Tipi and Jiggs the Devil Dogg. Tipi is a lap dog with a pleasant cat-like personality. Jiggs is a barking, whining, howling, humping disaster of a dog.

Jiggs, in a rare moment of being nearly inert

Dog-sitting wears a guy out

This past Friday, I stayed longer than usual so I could use the 110v electricity to iron scarves for resale on eBay. I stayed too long. My chakras were shot by the time I got back to the quiet of Coyote Howls. Even so, I was able to intuitively sense that I would see a coyote that evening...and I did! While Steve and I were enjoying pizza with some long-time friends of his from the RV park, I saw several coyotes across the fence on the Reservation, one of them a rare white coyote.

I am always glad to get back to Why. There was a full moon a night or two ago, and the coyotes and burros have been very vocal throughout the night. Occasionally I have been woken out of a sound sleep by howling coyotes that couldn't have been more than a few hundred feet away. I never feel alarmed by the coyotes' presence. It's oddly comforting to be so close to nature even in its howling form.

Sonja is scared out of her wits (well, whatever of those she may possess) by the coyotes, and she stands at the doorway hissing at the burros when they walk by. "Take that, burros!"

"The coyotes won't find me in here!"

Living in a House Without Wheels, Day 2

T-Shirt I purchased at my last campground

Serenbe, Palmetto, Georgia

Today I am writing my 51st post and I now have 51 overt followers (plus I understand there are lurkers!). I have arrived, in more senses than one.

I am here in Serenbe, the intentional community where I'll be housesitting for a few weeks. I've been warmly welcomed by Sarah, the homeowner whose pets I'll be caring for while she bikes her way through Italy, and her neighbors. Since arriving less than 48 hours ago, I've been invited to a private AA house meeting, a Buddhist meditation group, a yoga class, a gallery opening, and an interfaith Sunday meeting. Plus I'm making arrangements to meet some other full-time RVers I've met online who are based nearby. Wow! My dance card is pretty full already!

Sarah's two dogs, Buddy and Skipper, are great guys--big labs who go walking about four times a day. Her cats, Cousteau and Lily, are also very pleasant creatures. Nevertheless, my own kitty, Sonja, seems to be better off not becoming fully integrated into the household. She and I are staying in a very nice bedroom/bathroom suite where I can keep the door closed.

I can tell I'm going to get in shape--no, let's make that "even better shape"--during my stay here. I have not lived anywhere with stairs for a long time. Here I am constantly up and down the stairs, because I'm using the bedroom upstairs as well as an office in the basement, plus there are the dog walks. I haven't been able to weigh myself for a long time, but I am pretty sure from the looseness of my clothes that I've lost at least 10 pounds in the past three months. And here in Serenbe, where there is an organic farm, I'll be eating very healthy. No meat molecules have passed my lips since my arrival. I'm also finding more time for meditation, reading and general relaxation than I've had while crossing the country in the Guppy.

Today there is a May Day festival here in Serenbe, which is a fundraiser for the local charter school. Sarah's house is less than a half block from the festivities, so as I sit here on the porch, I can hear the sweet sounds of Southern rock and the happy voices of hundreds of people, plus one kid who seems to be screaming because her pony ride ended too soon. I'm having a relaxing day, airing out my quilt tops on Sarah's porch, talking to folks who stop by. I met with Paige, the manager of Serenbe Farms and the Saturday farmers market, and I am accepted to sell my quilts while I'm here. So this week I'll be getting them assembled and tied. I'll be here long enough to make some more, too, and I hope I can scare up some more vintage fabric while I'm here.

It is very interesting to live in a house after three months of being on the road. This home is really nice, and I could write paragraphs just about the functionalities of the kitchen appliances alone (but I promise I won't!). Being here makes me think of what I've left behind in my life and, while I'd sometimes like some wallspace to hang some quality artwork or the luxury of a bathtub, I am grateful for my life today, exactly as it is. I have the freedom to visit places like this and be a part of them for a while. Idyllic as Serenbe is on this celebratory day, I am sure I will be ready to move on to new adventures when the time comes. I'll leave here enriched in so many ways.