Past time for a Real Time update – life is moving so fast! If things go as planned, in two months I’ll be on the road in Ohio with a pair of ponies named Franklin and Theodore and my devoted Corgi Thick, living in a wee covered wagon named The Mustard Seed, with my first book published and a YouTube Channel up, starting to post “Hello Neighbor” interviews. Meanwhile, I’m in a cheap hotel with a bare kitchenette in Sierra Vista, AZ – because after 9 days of dry BLM camping in my version of Paradise I was half desperate for a shower and in need of a reliable internet connection. But let’s back up just a minute.

In the comments of the most recent blog post, a woman named Barbara, whom I’ve never met, but who has been following this blog since the very beginning, asked about the book I was supposed to be writing about the previous Long Ride. In all honesty, for a variety of reasons, I hadn’t even looked at that draft in a couple of years – but it was 98% done, sitting there in a folder in my computer, waiting. Barbara very gently reminded me that there was nothing to be lost by putting it out as an ebook – just go ahead and self-publish. Right voice, right time – I suddenly found myself doing a complete 180 and thinking, “Why Not?” I originally moved to Lopez to live with Karen Fisher (who is a brilliant and insightful content editor) specifically to work on the memoir – and I’d worked really, really hard on the memoir through a lot of years of drafts and revisions. I’d also been watching the traditional publishing world disintigrating under my desk as I wrote. Traditional publishing is no longer the only route to getting a book in front of readers, but I’d been so set on finding an agent, a publishing house, a contract, that when that started looking like an impossible game – I just kind of gave up. And suddenly giving up was looking like a wrong answer.

So – I put my blinders on and got to work! At that moment I was living in a (very) tiny house in the back yard sculpture garden of a Tucson artist named Lauren. 5 guests sharing a common bathroom and two outdoor kitchens, it was lovely and peaceful and a wonderful place to work undisturbed. There was a Trader Joe’s 2.5 miles away, but with Tucson traffic it took me 15 minutes just to drive there! It was easier not to go out much. I got 7 chapters edited before it was time to leave – but now I had the bit in my teeth and all I wanted was to keep going with this project. It was great to feel so excited!

Meanwhile, I’m working with Mel at Pequea Carriage Shop on the design of the tiny covered wagon that I’m going to be living in on my upcoming adventure. It’s actually turning out to be a collaboration of several Amish shops working on this project, bent wood hoops from one place, a custom canvas top from another, a suspension system for the seat from yet another – it’s been super fun and I’m hoping to have a few photos of the process sooner than later.

Leaving Lauren’s, I loaded up on food and water, drove past an abandoned Border Patrol station and found a glorious place to free BLM (Bureau of Land Management) camp down in the Las Cienegas Conservation area south of Tucson. I parked the Nun (my van) under the biggest live oak I could find (shade is valuable in the desert) and set up a very basic camp. It was peaceful and quiet and breezy and perfect. Cows wandered past a few times a day, very occasional humans in various vehicles drove by slowly and waved, one afternoon there was an unexpected and stupendous rain and hail and rain and thunder storm and I was suddenly keenly aware that I was camped in an arroyo. I had to batten down the hatches double time and for about 10 minutes it was like being in a car wash, but within half an hour the squall had passed and I had a hot beverage and everything calmed down.

It was an excellent place to focus and get the rest of my edits completed, find an ending for the book and just really enjoy Arizona. It was not such a great place for wifi – even to talk on the phone I had to get out of the van and avoid the dead zones. I managed to get the hot spot on my phone to work just well enough to send chapters out to a small group of readers (most of the time) but in order to take the next step I was going to have to head to town. But first, let me show you my privy and the loo view!

Ok, I understand that this might not be most people’s idea of Paradise, but it works for me. I’m in love with deserts and oceans and this whole place was exactly what I’d been looking for. And it was all mine for free for up to 14 days! Blessings on the BLM!

So – I left that particular paradise in search of WiFi and a hot shower, because it was time. I checked into my cheap hotel with kitchenette, lugged 6 loads of stuff and food (what is my problem? I need to remember how to travel light) up stairs and around corners and into a tidy one bedroom apartment sort of place and – No Water!? Three hours later there was just enough of a trickle to brush my teeth. In the morning the plumber came, replaced some flexible pipes under both sinks, there’s still no hot water in the kitchen (or even a pot to boil water in – good thing I have my camping kit!) but I did manage the hot shower and started watching YouTube videos, which is apparently how anybody learns anything in this day and age. Boy is there a lot I don’t know!

Mel is calling every few days with questions and suggestions and updates about the wagon design. Today I spoke with Kristin at Twilight Farms, the ponies are doing well and will get their hooves trimmed and measured for Cavallo CLB hoof boots on Tuesday. Karen has my completed draft and is giving it a final once over and fixing some formatting problems that were driving me nuts. I’m going to try my best to publish both a Kindle version and a paperback. With pictures! If anyone out there reading this would like to have a go at drawing a map, I’d love to hear from you!

As I was typing this, the WiFi in the hotel cut out (again, same thing happened last night at about this time) but I’m just not letting it get to me! Feels like a good excuse to take a break, read a bit on my Kindle, write in my journal, make notes for tomorrow, breathe! And just a reminder: you never know when something you write in the comments might have a huge effect! Not just here (thank you Barbara!) but anywhere – so be kind, be encouraging, be real – blessings and adventures!