Valentine Delight: Signs of Spring in Texas

Valentine greetings to all! Here are some photos from Valentine's Day at Rainbow Hearth, where we are completing a week's stay and work exchange.

Sunflower sprouts in full blossom

A curious deer not far from our rig (close-up thanks to our new camera)

A vulture looking for springtime prey

February flowers in Texas

A Texan bee hard at work

Flowers and cacti

A smiling Mary

Keith and Tina at Medicine Rock

Pondering Least Heat-Moon

Sitting in the sun during a break from chores at Rainbow Hearth, I begin reading William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways, borrowed from the library in the main lodge. Heat-Moon refers to his converted van in which he traveled the back roads of America as his "wheel estate", and I guess it's fitting that we consider adopting that term in reference to our eight-wheeled diesel that both houses and transports us.

In the first chapter of his book, Heat-Moon lists his traveling supplies in Henry David Thoreau-like fashion, and the list is humbling in its simplicity:

1. Sleeping bag and blanket;
2. Coleman cooler (empty but for a can of chopped liver a friend had given me so there would always be something to eat); 
3. Rubbermaid basin and a plastic gallon jug (the sink); 
4. Sears Roebuck portable toilet; 
5. Optimus 8R white gas cookstove (hardly bigger than a can of beans); 
6. Knapsack of utensils, a pot, a skillet; 
7. U.S. Navy seabag of clothes; 
8. Tool kit; 
9. Satchel of notebooks, pens, road atlas, and a microcassette recorder; 
10. Nikon F2 35mm cameras and five lenses; 
11. vade mecums; Whitman's Leaves of Grass and Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks.

What strikes me about this list is how little Heat-Moon needed in order to make his dream of a circular trip around America a reality. He also lists "four gasoline credit cards and twenty-six dollars" as essential items, not to mention the $428 cash hidden under the dashboard.

If I were to list all of the possessions, tools, equipment, books and items stowed aboard our 29-foot rig, the list would be voluminous---and possibly embarrassing! (Don't get any ideas---there are no wads of cash hidden under the dashboard!) We have certainly downsized considerably from our previous incarnation as homeowners, living in a space most people say they couldn't tolerate for more than a brief vacation. Some say we're really brave (but do they mean foolish?)

Sure, we're traveling with a lot of gear, but we also bear in mind that the presence of that gear allows us an independence and freedom which would be otherwise impossible. The fact that we can park on the side of the road and cook dinner, wash dishes, shower, use the toilet, check our email, post to our blog, make phone calls, check the weather, and take a nap is astounding, and perhaps I personally need to connect with a deeper level of gratitude for the comfort and convenience that our 6-ton monstrosity affords us.

Mechanical repairs have been legion on this journey: axles, tires, suspension, shocks, leaks and other problems. The water heater is acting up, some of the walls are coming loose, an electrical circuit is blown, and a few other stray issues definitely need tending. No matter, though. This is our home---our only home, and it has already taken us more than 3,000 miles, and we've been living in it since the end of August when our house sold precipitously fast. And like Heat-Moon's Ghost Dancing, it's also a TV-free space.

For me, it's honestly a love-hate relationship, and perhaps there's something to learn from Heat-Moon's practical vision of his 1975 half-ton Econoline van named "Ghost Dancing". He says of his wheeled conveyance, "It came equipped with power nothing and drove like what it was: a truck." He eschewed the trappings of luxury: "no crushed velvet upholstery, no wine racks, no built-in television." It was "your basic plumber's model" and he was fine with that.

Fifteen weeks into our trip and I am still in the process of making peace with our truck that doubles as our only home. It grinds, it creaks, it leaks and it bounces. The bathroom and kitchen walls shudder ominously, the appliances occasionally give us grief, and the extra batteries don't charge like they're supposed to.

But it's our home, our magic carpet, and our sanctuary. Without it, we'd be homeless, and with it we're more free than I even realize. It's time to make peace, accept what is, and continue down the road.

---Keith

Fifteen Weeks!

Today marks 15 weeks---three-and-a-half months---since we left Western Massachusetts. We write this post by candlelight, with the starry Texas night all around us. After what seems like weeks of clouds and rain, the sun broke through late this afternoon over Lake Buchanan here in Central Texas. We hear that the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where we recently spent a few days, just had seven inches of snow. Our son Rene said on the phone this evening that the New England winter has been chasing us since we left. Perhaps we've finally escaped its grasp.

There is so much nature around us, and maybe the return of the sun---to our delight---brought many of earth's creatures out into the open today. In the course of one day, we were fortunate to see a roadrunner crossing the road, a family of wild pigs running along a river bank, a large red fox (perhaps the largest we have ever seen), vultures, a large snake, and hundreds of robin redbreasts who seem to be wintering here at Lake Buchanan.

Here's a photo of a roadrunner pilfered from Google images ("Beep beep!"):

And here's a photo of the wild pigs shot by an excited Mary just this afternoon:

Keith, who has a real snake phobia, is happy to not mar this blog with a photo of a snake, but the one that he and Tina disturbed by the shore of the lake was about two inches in diameter, dark, and probably three feet long.

We're now back in our rig, parked in a lovely spot on the hill above Rainbow Hearth. This weekend, we'll be doing food prep, dishwashing, and otherwise helping our new friend Mariah care for an inn filled with guests escaping to enjoy a Valentine's weekend in the countryside.

With no electricity hook-up, we're using our solar-powered batteries, candles and battery-operated lanterns here in our cozy little home. Luckily, our fridge runs on propane and keeps our food nice and fresh without the use of electricity.

As we said earlier, the stars are bright tonight in the clear Texan sky. Tina, bless her heart, is exhausted by it all, and sleeps at our feet as we open mail before finishing watching the Wim Wenders film, "Paris, Texas".

Stay tuned for more tales from Mary and Keith's excellent adventure!

Prayer Flags

This is a view of the Tibetan prayer flags at the top of Medicine Rock at Rainbow Hearth. Many people come to the Medicine Rock for healing and prayer. There are specific instructions for walking the medicine wheel, something we hope to do before we take our leave of this special place.

Rainbow Hearth, Continued

Our stay at Rainbow Hearth has been relaxing and healing, and we're very grateful to Mariah Wentworth, the kind proprietor, for allowing us to stay in the beautiful and luxurious  Blue Heron Suite in exchange for a comparatively small amount of work on our part. It's a really nice break from the rig, and a special treat to work alongside Mariah.

One of Mariah's passions is the growing of organic sprouts, and Mary very happily helped sort a variety of sprouts yesterday afternoon: sunflower, buckwheat and alfalfa.

In order to make an extremely healthy and nutritious sprouted bread, Mariah sprouts wheatberries and then grinds them through an ingenious hand-cranked machine invented by a brilliant acquaintance. This grinding actually creates the unleavened dough from the sprouted wheatberries. It's also an incredible upper body workout!

The bread (no photo---darn!) then sits in this custom-made oven for two-and-a-half hours. The oven was originally created to run off of a car battery while driving, a solar panel, or simply through a DC-AC converter. If only we could electronically embed the smell, texture and taste of this incredible bread for y'all to experience.

Here's a photo of the dining room at Rainbow Hearth. The porch on the left side faces the lake, of course.

This afternoon, a very happy Keith was the recipient of outstanding bodywork by Mariah, who uses retrofitted power tools (think sander and jig-saw) and hot rocks to coax the stress out of hurting muscles. Keith has been in pain for more than five years, and this bodywork actually left him pain-free, at least temporarily.

The weather here at Lake Buchanan is cold, rainy and dreary today, with temperatures hovering in the upper 30's. This weekend, temps are expected to rise into the lower 50s and the sun is forecast to make an appearance on Saturday and Sunday! The sun will be welcome, and we'll soak up as much of it as we can. It's been rather cloudy and rainy since we arrived to Texas (with the exception of a few days here and there), and that golden orb will be quite a sight for so many sun-starved Texans!

Tina is pretty content here, tolerating the resident dog and cats fairly well. She sleeps most of the time, and rarely wants to go for a walk. She's a little road weary, as well, and she told us she'd like to simply stay put for a while!

Tomorrow, we move out of the Blue Heron Suite in preparation for a long holiday weekend and many guests here at Rainbow Hearth. We'll move back into our rig which is parked on a concrete slab up the road on a neighbor's land. It's a pleasant twenty minute walk, and the property is on a hill overlooking the lake. There's no electricity or water, but we'll use our solar panels and generator to run the show as we each take shifts serving guests, preparing food, making beds, and otherwise help Rainbow Hearth hum along.

Texas Cacti

Rainbow Hearth Sunset

We're back at Rainbow Hearth Sanctuary and Retreat Center on Lake Buchanan in Central Texas, where we're doing a short-term work exchange and visit.

Here are some photographs of a beautiful sunset over the lake last night just after our arrival. Some of the photos almost feel more like color field paintings than photographs......

Hico, Texas

This morning, we awaken at the friendly and comfortable EZ Duz It RV Park in the quaint Central Texas town of Hico. The town claims to be the home of Billy the Kid, but according to the Hico Wikipedia entry, that claim may or may not be true. Still, the local Billy the Kid statue and museum certainly do attract tourists, and people here seem very proud of this town that has maintained its Texan character.

Hico is actually a dry town, so when we went to Jersey Lilly's for Tex Mex food last night, we actually had to become members in order to have a beer, since it's a private club and therefore can serve alcohol. So, for whatever it's worth, I am now a card-carrying member of Jersey Lilly's After Dark Club, perhaps making me just a little more Texan than I was the day before.

Here's a photo of Jersey Lilly's exterior, as well as a painting of a parrot on an interior wall, cleverly covering up an area of damaged brick. We sure do like a whole lot of things about Central Texas.

---Keith

Turkey Vultures or Peace Eagles?

Here are some photos of Turkey Vultures taken with our new digital camera today. Mary says that Native Americans like to call them "Peace Eagles". Our new 10X optical zoom can actually go up to 40x, but you sure have to hold the camera still at that magnification!

Lazy Ann Ranch

For the last two days, we have been visiting Mary's aunt and uncle at their home on The Lazy Ann Ranch in Oak Point, Texas, just on the edge of Denton, the eleventh largest city within the Dallas/Fort Worth "Metroplex".

Mary's Aunt Leslie and Uncle Tim rescue horses, ponies and miniature horses, rehabilitating and breeding selected favorites for sale and barter. They care deeply for their animals and they have opened their home to two of their adult children, along with two wonderful grandchildren, Zack and Jaion.

Here's a great one of Mary and Zack playing around with Photobooth on our Mac after watching the New Orleans Saints win the Superbowl:

We had a great time hanging out with family and watching a football game---something very uncharacteristic for us!

Mary's Uncle Tim is only seven years older than her, and he is a full seventeen years younger than his brother (Mary's dad). Their ranch and home are lovely and very comfortable, and their hospitality was generous and greatly appreciated!

Keith and Jaion

Zack, Jaion and their mom, Amy (Mary's first cousin)

Mary and her Aunt Leslie (above) and Uncle Tim (below)

Some Images of Texas

Mary as 11th generation Texan

Live music in Georgetown: "I walk the line....."

Boots for sale

Us with Mary's wonderful and generous parents, Bill and Lydia Rives

The Lone Star

Rainbow Hearth

Yesterday, we drove north of Georgetown into what Mary's father calls "real Texas hill country" in order to visit Rainbow Hearth Sanctuary and Retreat Center. While Rainbow Hearth is not exactly an intentional community, we did indeed find it through a listing on the Federation of Intentional Communities website. The wonderful woman who owns and runs Rainbow Hearth views it as a "virtual community", and her intention of creating some form of community certainly attracted us to her door!

Rainbow Hearth is a very special place, perched on a ridge overlooking picturesque Lake Buchanan, where heron, egrets and bald eagles nest and fly throughout the year. We had a wonderful visit, and we're exploring how we might return to Rainbow Hearth for a brief stay next week, further exploring our connection to central Texas and the possibilities for settling in at Rainbow Hearth for a little while. More on that soon.

Here's a lovely video of the flora and fauna around Rainbow Hearth and the meditation circle on the hill above the center, aptly named "Medicine Rock". If you listen, you can hear the sound of the wind, the wind chimes, and the birds.

A Mary and Keith Update From Texas

After almost a week in the shop, we went to pick up our rig at the mechanics today, and drove it down the road towards Mary's parent's place, happy to be reunited with a vehicle that is at once our home, our transportation, and a funnel for our hard-earned money.

Mary detected a very unhealthy sound emanating from the left back axle (which was allegedly just repaired) and we unhappily returned the rig to the shop for yet another round of diagnostics. The mechanics were in denial that anything was wrong, claiming to have driven it ten miles this afternoon, but we're sure that something isn't right, and we hope they can correct the problem and send us happily on our way tomorrow. 

On the audiovisual front, today I dropped our digital camera and it now seems to have given up the ghost, so we will need to buy a new one tomorrow, since traveling without a camera is absolutely unthinkable. "D'oh!"

Meanwhile, Mary's parents are being the kindest possible hosts, and we're relishing this special time with them. From excellent Tex Mex food to our games of Mexican Train, this time has been simply wonderful. We even get to drive a golf cart around the streets of Sun City!



Speaking of Mary's parents, just today Mary's mother Lydia singlehandedly arranged an impromptu Laughter Yoga session here in Sun City, and fourteen enthusiastic retirees participated. (One woman remarked about a phone call she received inviting her to attend the session: "When Lydia calls, you jump!") The Laughter Yoga was absolutely hilarious good fun, and we hope to be able to upload some videos for your viewing pleasure soon. 

This afternoon, Mary attended a relaxing yoga class at the Sun City fitness center, and Keith was able to swim some laps in a lovely indoor saltwater pool, successfully avoiding the plumes of toxic shampoo and soap in the locker room showers that can wreak havoc for those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

We are in the process of contacting intentional communities in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, and hope to be setting up some visits in the very near future. In the next few days, we will pay a visit to Rainbow Hearth Sanctuary and Retreat Center, and today Mary made a nice connection with the Windspirit Community, a certain stop on our Arizona itinerary. With our beloved son and daughter-in-law in Taos, we will no doubt be spending time in that neck of the woods once the ice, snow and frigid temperatures thaw. And when it comes to California, we certainly want to go, but due to the economic situation there, living in California is seeming less and less likely as time goes by. Still, there are plenty of people on the Left Coast who we would love to spend time with.

Our time here in Sun City has been very restful. I remarked to Mary just today that, even though the wanderlust is still there, it sometimes seems so hard to get started again once we've had a good long stop. A rest from life in the rig is good, but getting back in the saddle can be a challenge once we've had a chance to heal our ersatz saddle sores.

Anyway, folks, that's a quick and breezy update from Sun City as we turn in for the night and head to Dreamland. We send you our best, thank you for your comments and support, and will report on our progress over the next few days.

Buenas noches!

Mexican Train!

Well, my brother Ken told me that every day he checks to see if we've posted something new on our blog, so I felt a great desire to satisfy his blog hunger with a post. Thus, this little missive.......

Since the rig is still in the shop and we're stationary here in Georgetown, Texas, this evening we traveled virtually by playing a rousing game of Mexican Train with Mary's parents, Lydia and Bill.

For those unfamiliar with Mexican Train, it's a form of dominoes much preferred by Bill and Lydia and their friends (and many others), and it is truly great fun when one begins to get the hang of the various strategies involved. This particular game is a Rives Family favorite, and this is certainly not the first time that we've spent an evening around the kitchen table, teasing one another and laughing as the dominoes fly.

Traveling takes on many guises
and when the rig is lame
then it's time for Mexican Train!

---Keith

M and K on a Date!

Here's a photo of us on a sweet date at a wine bar in downtown Austin.........

Austin Area Update

We'd like you all to know that we have been safely ensconced with Mary's parents in Georgetown, Texas (30 miles from Austin) for the last three days in Sun City, one of the largest retirement communities in the country. No, we're not settling down for a cushy retirement, just resting our weary bones.

Our rig is currently parked at a local mechanic's garage and is in the midst of receiving much needed mechanical repairs to the suspension, front end, axles and brakes. Although a (somewhat) unexpected expense, thousands of miles of wear and tear do indeed take their toll on such an old vehicle, and we're grateful to have found a reputable mechanic who will do what's necessary for our safety and well-being without unnecessarily fleecing us in the process.

Mary's parents are gracious and generous hosts, and we're happy to stretch out and relax in the expanse of a home that's bigger than our bread-box on wheels.

As for Tina, she is happy as a clam, rolling on the carpet, and even playing a little bit with Mary's parents' little dog (who is technically Tina's aunt, although younger than Tina by more than a decade!) Tina loves being in a house, and she seems pretty content the last few days, although somewhat anxious when we go out, of course.

Last night, we were treated to an evening with The Capitol Steps, a hilarious troupe of political satirists who skewer both the right and left with equal vigor, using songs and skits to poke good-natured fun at politicians and cultural icons of every stripe.

The temperatures here in the Austin area dipped into the 20s last night, and today a biting wind makes the temperature feel colder than the mid-40s, although we know that our friends in New England and Canada would gladly trade places with us in a heartbeat!

We're grateful for the kindness, generosity and comfort of family, and we are making plans to continue our journey once the rig is ready for the road once again.

Much love and appreciation to all of you. We will be posting some more photos and videos soon, so check back again when you can!

Of Bilbo and Chainsaws

On our way to the Austin area to visit Mary's parents, we stopped at a curious second-hand store along a country highway near the town of Bastrop.

Attracted by the sign reading "Bilbo's Texas Landmark", Keith had assumed that perhaps this was where Bilbo Baggins had truly gone in his Tolkienesque afterlife, but alas, Bilbo is actually the family name of the current owner. In our conversation with the friendly proprietor, we learned that his building was used as the location for the shooting of the original version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Apparently, hundreds of fans of this cult horror classic come to pay homage every year, most of them adorned in black clothes, tattoos and other Goth accoutrements.

While we had little interest in the cinematic history of the store, we did indeed pick up a few trinkets, gifts, and useful items while browsing the colorful and cluttered shelves, and if you're looking for an investment property in an interesting locale off the beaten path, look no further!

And here's the sign hanging over the cash register:

Goodbye to Echowood

Today we said a fond "adios" to the kind, hard-working folks at the Echowood Community. As self-professed "pragmatic idealists", the income-sharing members of Echowood grow organic produce, raise goats and chickens, and use their ingenuity to develop cottage industries like selling homemade mail-order string instruments and tofu presses.

Echowood welcomes new members and visitors, frequently harnessing the energy of newcomers to propel previously begun projects forward or to begin new endeavors. We have no doubt that Echowood will continue to thrive and grow, and we look forward to visiting again when we're next in central Texas.

Mary and Maggie the Basenji

Locking horns

The "Chicken God" who guards the chicken coops

Papercrete mixer

Papercrete demonstration project

Our rig surrounded by free-range poultry on the loose!

Texas Narcissus in January

An Echowood sunset