After a bit
of shifting around to get the motorhome “road ready” we’ve returned to
Congress, AZ for a stint of 9 – 10 days before heading to the wide open spaces
of Quartzsite, AZ and enjoying the solitude of what RVer’s call
boondocking. For those of us
self-contained folks, this means filling up the fresh water tank, emptying the
grey & black water tanks, topping off the propane and fuel tanks for
generator and kitchen stove use and just finding any ol’ place to suit us,
likely on BLM land.
Since all the
hoop-la in Quartzsite is over and done with (for those of you non Southwestern or
RV’n folks Quartzsite becomes a HUGE flea market and RVer’s marketplace from
the end of Jan til about the 3rd week in Febr) there is LOTS and
LOTS of open space to park on right now before the wave of summer heat hits and
turns this winter weather paradise into a hell hole! Dave took his motorcycle out a few days ago
to scout it out and found a spot only a few miles north of town that’s flat,
wide open, waitin’ for us and best of all FREE!
I must say
that I’m ready for some solitude and even though my morning shower will be cut
short because of water conservation and the washer and dryer are going to be
off limits, being able to put some space between us and the typical RV
campground neighbor will be a welcome change.
Today we
treated ourselves to a nice 100 mile or so bike ride out to Salome & back for
lunch at a REALLY good local restaurant.
Wide open desert landscapes, dressed in its rare green early spring
colors. Just a bit of a cool tinge in
the air so long sleeves felt good, but a jacket would have been too warm.
Thoughts of
cousin Clay wafted in and out of my mind (as thoughts do on quiet rides through
open stretches of desert) and I hope his too short life was filled with many
such peaceful moments as mine was today.
We sat at many a family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables
together, celebrated each other’s birthdays & shared 4th of July
firecrackers, watched View Master slide shows on Grandma’s oven door while
stuffing our faces with popcorn popped the old-fashioned way, without a microwave
& we could have all the soda we wanted at grandpa and grandma’s house so we’d
drink like drunkards and have belching contests out in the yard.
And then….For a few fleeting seconds, the
memories took a back seat. There was just
me, an empty highway for as far as my eyes could see, the roar of my Harley, the
virgin Arizona desert, endless blue skies, brilliant sunshine and the awareness
of the absolute perfection of it all, including his passing.
It was a good
day…..
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