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Best Laid Plans

In my last camping post, I signed off with the intention of being Alaska bound this summer. That dream did not become reality this year. It is interesting to observe the twists and turns, the changes that life has laid before us as an alternative.

We knew it would be a monumental undertaking to be able to leave our normal routines and lives for a couple of months, and our desire to make that journey still burns. What really slowed us down was the repair work our Volkswagen needed. Hubby got the new engine going last October for his birthday trip to the Gila. When we got home, he decided to tear into the body work. After four months of winter shop hours, it was Spring and time to get out and enjoy the outdoors; yet the bus was only half finished by then. That’s when we realized we should shift our priorities and find another ‘vehicle’ to enjoy the gorgeous Summer the San Juans had in store.

July 2019 Latir Lakes, Costilla Park
July 2019 Latir Creek, Costilla Park

Hubby started researching options and as soon as he settled on a Casita, the best one showed up on craigslist for the right price and only an hour away in Durango. The original owners had bought it in 2012, and at ninety-one he was ready to let it go. We’ve gotten 5 trips in so far this year, with the longest being two weeks for my birthday. There are at least four more tentatively planned for this season.

June 2019 Palisade, Middle Fork
July 2019 N. Beach CG on the Taylor River
July 2019 N. Beach CG on the Taylor River
Columbines outside Crested Butte

Recently, we were asked if we were going to give up our VW camping? No way. There are so many places the truck and trailer can’t go, more primitive camping options and it gets much better gas mileage. In our minds, the Casita has already paid for itself. Not only as a camper that we’ve enjoyed this Summer, but also as another small house when our septic was having problems in the main house or it was too hot to sleep in the loft. It’s always good to have options.

We intend to return to Silver City and hopefully visit our friends again in Bisbee this Fall. It will be with the Casita, while the bus waits patiently for the wheel of the year to turn inward again.

November 2018 Joe Skeen CG
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Earth Ninjas, Throwback Thursday

Here’s another sketch from high school. This one’s of my friends Liz (left), Dayna (center), and myself (right). I’m not sure why I’ve got us holding skateboards. We weren’t skaters, although we did run with the ‘alternative’ crowd, the freaks and geeks who didn’t fit in anywhere else. I don’t remember why we were wearing Earth Ninja t’s either, probably that we felt we could take on and protect the world. Today, when I volunteer with Audubon Rockies at the Four Mile Ranch we talk to the students about being Earth Ninjas, leaving behind little to no trace of our presence on the planet.

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Completion

With the wintery days, there’s been plenty of time to complete a few projects while warding off cabin fever. It’s so good to see the snow, which has drastically changed our drought map. We guesstimate we’ve seen about 5ft in the week since Valentine’s!

All of these projects were mentioned in more detail about the yarns and patterns in my last textile post about creativity. Completion means it’s time to wear or share and enjoy the hard work. But if you’re like me and have learned to love the journey just as much, there’s a little bittersweet to the end of a project. There’s no more doing to be done. No more thinking or solving or working. The good news is by completing, it opens the door to start something new.

Birch Goddess Sweater & Geodesico Hat
Seashore Eclipse Shawl This was a circular shawl that I decided to add an after-thought steek, cut it open and finished the edge with a simple crochet border.
Dragon Scale Mitts

Jewelry

I dabble from time to time in jewelry making. I come by it honestly as my paternal grandmother and her parents were jewelry makers. Dad even taught me how to make chainmail. Here are a few that were finished, recently.

On our last trip to Silver City we visited the gem shop and I found these turquoise chips for a couple of bucks. I’m still a novice when it comes to wire wrap. You can tell it didn’t turn out anything like I had planned (from my sketch). That’s one of the fun things about the creative process.
The tourmaline chain idea was inspired by Jen Volkodav Designs.
African turquoise mandala bracelet – Evolution, So Hum…
I also found this pendant in Silver City at the gem shop. I ordered a slew of assorted silver bead caps from Amazon and used some of the cord I bought for the mandala bracelet to simply string and knot some lapis lazuli and hematite beads. Now those bead caps are inspiring some other ideas…earrings maybe?