July 16th 2010

Morning: (I still have to transcribe this mornings writings from paper, since my computer's batteries were dead, pretty funny dreams and stuff, well worth coming back to.)

Afternoon:

July 16th, 2010: Not much interesting really, did get a shower at the Sports Academy, did laundry

at Logan's best, cleanest, and most expensive Laundromat, costing 8 dollars to wash and dry two loads of clothes. But they should last two weeks. At the laundry I got to check my e-mail and charge my phone and computer batteries as well. My size 44 shorts now are falling down if I put my keys in my pocket for weight. I got to walk around all day pulling up my pants, or holding my belt loop in one hand while I walk. I am very happy about this! So I lost about 2 inches of waste matter, but my weight is the same. Swimming does build lots of heavy muscle so I hope that is the case here.

I then hung out and drank coffee at my son and room-mate's house, they really are a nice group of young men. They party a lot, but the kids are alright. Then I get a call from my bike mechanic, who tells me I can get my CB 900 custom's front brake pads installed today, so I went to the school (my bikes are all in my classroom this summer), fired up the old girl and drove to Mikes house, who installed the pads in about 30 minutes. Riding the 28 year old bike, which is much smoother and better put together than the much newer Concours. I plan to sell the newer bike as soon as I return from Dallas. Those old Hondas are well made bikes. I also want to add a sidecar to the bike so I can drive her during the winter time, since three wheeled bikes don't fall over. Got the bike fixed, put her back in my classroom, drove back to Logan's house to get my charged up computer, grabbed some groceries, and headed back to the campsite. Keeping busy during the "Shit Time" keeps one sane, when spending the past three days in the mountains. Now I'm typing this while listening to the optimistic "Sean Hannity", tell us how great the country is going. I do find him entertaining, and a bit less hateful than Rush (I get busted for drugs alot) Limbaugh. The sky is falling message does get old after a while. I am having hotdogs tonite, so I better start cookin.

Wound up playing the guitar and singing by the campfire, about 10:30 a carload of young women showed up yelling "Is this the party of so and so", I pointed the flashlight at my scary face and yelled "No party here! I'm just an old man! hahaha!" The girl shouted an apology, and I just laughed and shook my head. I guess they missed out on my one man party!

Fell asleep in the chair by the campfire. Woke up at 6 in the morning, all the fires and lanterns were out by then, it was morning. Since I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, my core temperature was quite low at this point so I put on a coat. Can't believe I can sleep soundly in a chair all night long, in the pitch dark, in lion country! Funny, I didn't drink much last night, I was just tired from the hotdogs I guess. My god I am cold inside, I drank a hot cup of coffee and boiled two more dogs, in order to raise my core temp. Then I went to the camper and slept another 5 hours. At 11 AM, I was doing fine and drove down to the valley below, and have been drinking coffee and writing my blog at Borders book store. Great place to wait out the "Shit Time", today should be nearly 100 degrees here, might have to go for a swim to celebrate.

I will resume todays writing with my next blog (July 17th) and be sure to recheck when I add

July 16th's morning blog. It should be quite funny, but it rambles a bit.

The picture was one I took of Soda Springs Geyser, that I took about 9 days ago.

July 15th, 2010 (another day in paradise)

July 15th, 2010:

I woke up last night to turn down the lamps, while walking around outside I noticed that it was slightly lighter than it usually is. I could actually see in the dark to

some extent. Although there was no moon out, the trees gave off slight shadows. I thought "Thats odd for 2 or 3 AM", I checked my watch it was 5 AM. Up in

these northern climes it starts getting light at 5 AM and Darkness sets in at 10 AM. During the solstice, add another 20 minutes to both ends. The down side is

Christmas time, when its still dark at 7AM and Dark again at 5:30 PM. I noticed the changes when I first moved here, other people who came up here with me

didnt notice a thing.

I stayed up till 2 AM the previous night drinking whiskey and giving the canyon a concert with my voice and guitar. Even heard clapping from a campsite 1/2 mile

away. So I hit the sack for 6 more hours and made a huge cup of coffee around 11AM. I noticed while camping w/o a schedule makes me slow down a lot. At

I might spend 15 minutes drinking coffee, Out here I took an hour an a half. I might spend 10 minutes thinking about where the stove is, another 5 to get up and

get it, another 10 minutes to pour the water and turn the stove on, ect. Since I absolutely have no place to go or anything to do today, I find it a luxury to waste

so much time. This morning before leaving the camper, I looked out the window and saw a 4 foot long coachwhip snake (fast bastards), sprinting across my

parking lot totally losing the pissed off ground squirrel that was chasing it. I didnt notice that he had a baby squirrel in his mouth. The mama groundsquirrel,

only chased it half way across the area before running back to its nest to check on the remaining young. 5 seconds later I see a baby mouse sized ground

squirrel, retracing the snakes route, and running home to mom. The snake was so afraid of mama, that he must have dropped it. Hell, the snake was big

enough to eat the mother as well, but she put up quite a bluff. This is the most amazing thing i've ever witnessed on a camping trip.

After a breakfast of Ravioli from a can, I realized that I had about 4 hours of what I call "shit time", the hottest part of the day, where there is little shade. I spent

todays "shit time" reading, scanning the cliffs for lions and goats with binoculars, reading from of "How to Write" book, and began re-reading the book

"Comanche Moon" which I last read about 6 months ago. I also listened to a mix of music I made two years ago on my little "SanDisk" music player, which I must

admit is the best mix I've ever created, although the songs range from Rock, Jazz, Rap, Punk, alternative, and country, all the songs fit together seamlessly

and some were favorite songs I didn't know I still had, or existed,. Finding songs like that are like visits from old friends. "Shit time" is a good time for reading,

listening to music, or sleeping. The Spanish tradition of "Siesta" involves putting "shit time" to good use. Us Northern European decent folks find the time ideal

for working ones arses off. I'm sure has to do with the Northern Climate, their "shit time" is often the warmest part of the year,during the winters. In Utah, there are

only 2 months that have "Shit time", but being a Texan, I am naturally prone to observe shit time in the early afternoons. I can't wait till I move to Southern

China some day. They observe the "Siesta".

2 hours from the end of "Shit Time" I drifted off to sleep, and had several bizarre, yet fun dreams. I would wake, whenever an insect bit or stung me, then return

to sleep after rubbing the bug bite. Mainly biting flys and tiny stinging wasps, but I only got bit or stung every 15 minutes, so I had 8 different dreams, but one

actually recontinued after waking up. The bugs here are nothing compared to South Texas, but I might try some repellent tomorrow, since the wasps kindof hurt!

Around 4 PM "Shit time is coming to an end, the shadows are much longer, and I begin to set this evenings festivities in motion. Since I don't drink heavy two

nights in a row anymore, I wont need to get ice today. I do have some tonic water, v8 juice and a bottle of cheap gin, only the bottles are in 60 degree water

I used most of the ice last night with my whisky and cokes. At least I quit drinking all that beer. Beer is just too expensive and gives me gout. I had a bloody

and felt good enough to get dinner ready to start cooking, then I started writing this but my poor apple battery is down to 34 percent, which means Im going to be

shut off in about ten minutes. Tonites dinner is refried beans on tortillas, cooked in a frying pan, that covered in sour cream, and pace picante sauce. Simple

fare like this tastes like a gourmet meal when cooked outdoors. I will close now, but hopefully write somemore later tonite.

Please pardon the lines, the color Blue, and all the other issues of this blog. Seems that I can't figure

out how to use Apples word processor, nor am I good at using Blogger. I need a secretary.

July 14th, 2010 (treatise on truck camping and Henry Theroux.)).

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010: Had to leave the Super 8 after a week of living the easy life, met up with my friend Roger, who kindly let my truck/camper/trailer rig, deface his house for the past two weeks. Nice to get back in the wilderness, you youngsters can have your tents,

the truck camper is the way I like to do it. Everything needed is there, little unpacking, still trying to find a space for each thing but I'm learning, keep in mind, my idea of a truck camper is a small camper on a huge truck. Yes, I got to make a bed out of the benches each night, with no sleeper above the cab. I can shut my tailgate with the camper on as well. Small camper, but lots of interesting places to store things. I live in Bear country so cooking in the camper is really a bad idea. I use a portable butane camping stove which seems to use one small canister of butane every...... well I really don't know. Mine has lasted 20 camping trips and still has butane in it! The stove folds and fits in my front pocket (minus butane can, which is the size of a can of beans. I have one 24 oz stainless cooking pot for everything. I do keep a real glass for whiskey, and a metal coffee cup, and plastic spork, and thats the cooking kit. I have 5 or 6 pocket knives, which i eat with, including a large tactical fighting knife for protection, but i mainly dig holes in the dirt for human waste, before I started bringing the shovel. Actually, I have it timed, to where I can dirt bike it to the public "Loo", in a matter of 10 minutes, but still... For entertainment, I find my Sangean radio all I really need. I do get limited internet from the "celly", but the phone sucks unless you are in the mouth of the canyon where I don't camp. I also have books, and my "Baby Taylor", small sized (big sound) travel guitar. I love the tone and action so much, I never play my two other guitars much anymore. Food options are much better with a truck camper, as opposed to motorcycle or backpack camping. I have carry cans of stuff! I can carry an ice chest! I can carry two weeks worth of clothing and the correct clothing for any situation. I do love camping in a truck. As long as I bring a small trailer to carry luxuries like an old Honda 600 dirt bike, a shovel, a bicycle, a weeks worth of garbage. My computer was really tough to bring when motorcycle camping, because it weighs 5 pounds. I now need a 12 volt converter so the battery doesn't wear down so fast.

I also bring my two twin kerosene tin lanterns while truck camping. With camping on the bike, I can maybe bring a small flashlight and a candle, so I can lay on the forest floor, with thin walls of a tiny tent, and hope that the native bears, wolves, and lions, decide not to investigate the little bag I am sleeping in. The truck camper sits up safely high off the ground,

And wild animals are not an issue from 5 feet up past the strong metal of the truck bed walls. If anything should try to get in, I have a short, 12 gauge, riot gun, that can and would cut any intruder in half.... not to mention 7 of their friends. While camping in the tiny thin tent, all I carry is a knife and a small but loud air horn. I have camped in 0 degree weather in this camper, and had no problem staying warm all night. My small portable catalyst heater, which uses propane will keep the insides fairly warm, but one must be sure to crack your windows, so the stove doesn't use your oxygen. I plan to buy a low oxygen alarm for next winter, I don't mess around with dangers like this. I like the old 19th century chinese kerosene lanterns quite a bit. They will run off a small amount of lighter fluid, kerosene, citronella oil (keeps mosquitos away), or lamp oil. I have used these for years, before replacing them, five dollars is the cost at Walmart, apparently the rural Chinese folks make and use these modern wonders as well. I simply find them to be much easier and cheaper than modern camp lighting systems, many of which produce entirely too much light. These produce enough light to read, or see your path if walking, are wind proof, rain proof, don't need batteries ect.

So its back to camping for the next 6 nights, I really don't mind, still can get to the city and go swimming during the day, what more can one want?

The sense of personal self sufficiency is gained in putting everything you need to survive, in a small space, then spend night after night enjoying your freedom. Think of what destroys our freedom.... Bills, need of lots of cash, deadlines, forcibly having to donate all your time and wake at an insane hour, just to do something your tired of, is NOT LIVING. Before ya know it your fun days are past, your suffering from a string of stress related maladies, and you probably only have a few more years before the big heart attack hits, and your children are fighting over the ridiculously small nest-egg that you were going to try to retire on. I want to get out now, while I'm still alive. Maybe teach and save for a couple years, then buy a small piece of land somewhere. Get expenses low enough ($500), to work on the things that I want to do. But a 50 thousand dollar per year addiction is tough to break. But every time I manage to spend 5 days out in the woods, I get a little closer to breaking away. Read Henry David Theroux's "Walden" if you want to know where I get this philosophy from. The difference is that Theroux, was a young man and tryed to live the simple life. Young people need to "Take on that World", "Join the Army", "Get married and raise those kids", "Make milions of dollars before age 40", and other great things. Tired old guys like me, who already raised their kids, worked for 27 years straight, with nothing to show for it. Need to relax and do the "Walden" thing. Of course a truck camper is a freer existence than living in a cabin on a friends land near walden pond. I can change neighborhoods as often as I wish.