My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Riversdad.....nothing like a good dog.....thanks.....

Chet6.7.....the fact that those spines could pass through my leather boots makes me think that they would not be a benefit with the cactus. Snakes might be a different story.....

ITTOG.....nearly time to go north I think.....

ralphhawley.....I'll check it out.....thanks.....

PNWY.....stay safe.....I'm guessing you're somehow involved with treating coronavirus patients.....



And so it was that we finally had to head into the big city.....Tucson, Arizona.....and time for me to face my fears. I literally had worked myself up into quite a mess.....I think one of the downsides of living alone. While waiting for Tanners vet appointment we headed over to Pima Prickly Park to practice on our social distancing.....



It struck me odd that Tucson actually had a park dedicated to prickly plants.....heck, it seems to me like the entire place is covered with prickly plants.....





Now I got this idea that I'd take pictures of all the plants with the signs indicating their names.....I failed miserably.....





And honestly, I'm not so sure that I even care to know the names of all these plants.....actually, I don't.....





The vet appointment was stressful as they no longer allowed pet owners to accompany their pets into the exam room.....all the staff were wearing protective gear.....this ******** was real. I couldn't help but to think back when it was just a month prior I had brought Yukon here for her last breath. And I thought too how this now was actually the time period that the veterinarian had predicted that Yukon would live. I realized that had I brought Yukon at this time that she would have passed alone. And lastly, I thought back to that day that Yukon cried for the entire drive to Tucson, something that she had never done before, and I subsequently let her go that day.....do dogs have premonitions that we humans just don't understand or know.....

A little artwork on the camper stove top.....



While in Tucson we were able to empty the grey & black tanks, fill the propane tanks, and get some necessary supplies. Here I identified yet another weak link in my lifestyle.....being a vegetarian most of my foods are fresh vegetables and fruit along with fresh breads. Add this challenge to my ability to get fresh water could limit my ability to live off the grid.....



We spent a night in Tucson and then it was back to the desert to do what we do.....



Day 11 of my life living off the grid.....flatten the curve.....

 

[Arjan]

"...dogs have premonitions that we humans just don't understand or know..."

We dog owners know they do - they are just not always that easy to understand for us humans.

Be Safe !

 

[ITTOG]

I had forgotten you are a vegetarian. You get a lot of activity for no protein. I tried that once and ended up in the ER.

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[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Jerry,

You are doing the best thing, and that's the safest place to be.

Covod 19, is spread via droplets. From coughing, sneezes, etc. Those have to get into your, mouth, eyes,nose, ears. Directly, or indirectly from touching an infected surface and than your face.

Wash your fruit, and veggies well if you can. I know you usually refrain from it, may not be a bad idea to fill that 40 gallon fresh tank.....if you are able, and just drink from the portable containers.


I actually have a cordless pump, and filter and I'll pull water from streams, etc. And use mysteripen for drinking water when needed.


Washing, if can't wash sanitizer as often as you can. Refrain fro, touching your face, etc. AMD avoiding people still the best option.

Masks and gloves, the N95 mask, only prevents particles. .03 microns and larger. Virus and bacteria are of course thousands smaller than that.

The masks are primarily splash shields, for those who have to work closely with possible, or folks whom tested +. That's why medics, docs, etc wear a mask, sealed glasses and a face shield, along with gloves and disposable gown.

Gloves in general, are a double edged sword. If not changed, and worn everywhere. They spread things just as much as your hands, and cross contamination occurs. Some experts say more, cause now people arent washing their hands at all. And those not used to wearing masks, touch their face more when doing so.

You are correct, I have been away from home for over a month with this. Sadly due to time, I had to fly and was unable to bring the truck,dog or camper. Been to Seattle, Salt lake City, and now South Carolina.

With a company, who is helping set up clinics, and consulting for public health. I am helping larger companies continue to operate a work force, and stay open. Navigating employee screening programs, and safety policies.



Also, dogs, critters that always know. And I believe understand the world and universe, in ways humans arent tuned into.



Hopefully sent from somewhere pretty and remote. With my entertainment and navigation multitool. Contract AEMT, Firefighter, MCPIC, and Safety Manager.

 

[Mr. Merk]

I had forgotten you are a vegetarian. You get a lot of activity for no protein. I tried that once and ended up in the ER.

Common misconception about protein and vegetarians. While you're stuck at home, watch Game Changers on Netflix.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Arjan.....thank you....and you stay safe as well.....

ITTOG.....I have to wonder if it was actually the diet that caused that. I don't recall exactly when I started to eat like this but I've never had any ill effects from this diet. Fitbit tells me that about 15 % of my diet (on average) is protein.....

PNWY.....I'm not inclined to use the RV water system. I sure hope it doesn't come that. I'm fortunate that my current campsite straddles a county line here in Arizona where one county has one confirmed case of coronavirus and the other has two confirmed cases of coronavirus. That gives me hope. My plan is to hang out here for as long as is reasonable / possible.....

Mr. Merk.....oh how I wish I had Netflix right now. I like to brag about not watching television but the truth is that I do miss it. It's like sugar.....I love it but I know it ain't good for me.....




Now we had to leave Tucson cause my anxiety level was way off the charts. The question was where do we go next ? I reviewed my options and really there was only one option that made good sense and so it was that once again we backtracked, drove east, then north and 151 miles later, late that afternoon, we arrived back at the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area.....



The deciding factor was not the amazing views, it was not the wild and untamed Gila River nor the crystal clear water of Bonita Creek, it was not the amazing canyons nor the wide open desert that brought me to this decision.....it was simply the availability of fresh water that we had found here before.....



Here I use water like a drunken sailor.....typically we use on average two gallons of water per day but here we may use as much five gallons per day depending on what we choose to do.....



Tanner gets baths here which is actually something that is very important to him. You see unfortunately Tanner has skin allergies so at times he can become quite a mess.....scratch, scratch, scratch.....all day and night long.....



It's actually hard to believe that this massive waterline with a spigot is available right along the roadway.....



Now we have a lot of free time on our hands these days so I decided what the heck and took my hiking socks to the "laundry" facility.....



All things considered, I think that it worked fairly well.....



The netting on the Jeep became the perfect clothesline.....



And everytime we go to fill our water jugs it's a 1.25 mile roundtrip walk.....typically we do this walk at least two times per day.....as you may recall, we use water like a drunken sailor.....so it's great for health benefits as well.....



Yep.....this is a great place to wait out the storm.....



Day 12 of my life living off the grid.....united we must stand.....flatten the curve.....

 

[ITTOG]

Well, that isn't the entire story. The short story is it was because I quit eating protein. But some important details are at that time I was big into body building and eating a ton of protein every day for muscle building and recovery. Then for some reason I decided no more. I quit cold turkey but keep lifting weights. I didn't make it a week. Went back to eating protein and all was good.

I do believe if I was smart about it I would have been fine though.


PS Mr. Merk, I do know that vegetarians eat protein. I just wanted to be short with it and not get too detailed.

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[thedavidzoo]

Jerry, just a quick note on the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society in Tucson, sponsors of the Pima Prickly Park you visited. TCSS is a neat volunteer organization here that does lots of educational outreach and rescues cacti. Yes, they go out to constructions sites, street projects, new developments going in (boo, hiss), etc. and dig up saguaros (within limits as these guys can get unmanageable in size and weight, they are a protected species), ocotillos, hedgehog cactus, mammillaria cactus, and barrel cactus, etc. Everything is tagged with a certain state agricultural regulatory label. Once they collect enough specimens, they hold a sale for members and the public. We have been to several of these first-come, first-served sales and snagged many unbelievable cacti for amazing prices. We have ripped out previous owners' grass sod in our backyard and a huge swath of an ugly circular asphalt driveway in front and restored it all to native cacti, succulents, and desert plants. Seeing the incredible variety of critters our yard now attracts, from herds of javelinas to hummingbirds, makes us smile every day. Anyway, just wanted to praise the work they do.

We very recently stayed 3 nights at Gila Box Riparian, although in the very nice $5 campground a little further in against a canyon cliff backdrop. This was when the coronavirus stuff was just beginning to take hold. We were joking that it would be a great place to hang out in an apocalypse, no one could find you in there and you always had water and a pit toilet to dump. At certain spots you can even get 4G. It truly is an amazing place with its canyons, cottonwoods, cacti, volcanic rocks, and the wild flowers were gorgeous.

Stay healthy!

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....I understand and yea I do include protein in my diet. There are plenty of options out there for the vegetarian lifestyle.....

thedavidzoo.....sounds like a pretty cool volunteer group. I'm curious if they've been able to get plants that are being destroyed during the reconstruction of the border walls ? I've read that quite a few of the protected saguaro cactus have been destroyed. Regarding Gila Box I absolutely love hanging out here. Tomorrow I will have to leave as my 14 day stay expires. I had hoped under these circumstances that law enforcement might lax that rule but twice this week I've been visited by law enforcement and asked to leave. I'll have an upcoming post on that situation soon. Hoping you stay safe as well. Thank you.....




Now it's not often (actually almost never) that I'll edit a photograph that I've taken but recently I did it with a picture of Yukon that I posted. I'm not sure what it was that made me do what I did.....but it just seemed appropriate at that time.....



It was thirteen days ago that I arrived here at the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area and as I was entering I noticed this rig parked at the information sign / picnic area. And I just thought that this rig was one of the coolest rigs that I've seen in a very long time.....as I stared at my photographs afterwards it hit me that this rig took me back to a time when life was so much simpler.....



Maybe it's just because the days that we live in now are so filled with stress and sadness.....maybe there's a longing to escape the reality of our current world.....



Anyhow, these photos, turned to black & white, bring a certain calmness to my stresses and my fears. I hope someone else can get a bit of joy from them and it too will take you back to those days as it did for me.....



And here's another book from the Goodwill Store that I just finished reading. It's a beautiful story although a very difficult read. The book jacket says "Mathews describes his solitary life among the creatures of the ridge with rare perception and style.....To read Talking to the Moon is to be reminded that this world once existed for all of us.".....



I've got lots of pictures and stories to share from Gila Box such as footprints along the river bottom.....



Flowers of all types and colors.....



Wild animal encounters.....



The birds of a feather that flock together.....



And mans impact on my desire to live off the grid.....



Day 13 of my life living off the grid.....even out here in the desert one doesn't escape the realities of life.....the pain of peoples suffering is a near constant thought.....flatten the curve...

 

[Ace Brown]

I’ve not been seeing any posts for week or more. Some setting I changed in error. Anyway, really nice to catch up with Jerry’s current events. I notice your concern for finding water. You may have discovered this already but I have found that many visitor centers have potable water and even dump stations. But maybe they are all shut down with the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope not.


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[thedavidzoo]

I am not sure if any of the cactus slated to be destroyed by that idiotic border wall have been rescued. If they really are smashing those majestic saguaros to pieces...it is very sad. Just like clear cutting majestic several hundred year old oak trees for a few more houses, or for a better view of the river from your multi-million dollar mansion. No respect for an organism that has endured and thrived for so long and is vital to the world around it. Old age itself should be enough reason to be left alone. Like catching a giant grouper, or massive old lobster, or whatever critter/plant that might be older than any human. It just isn't right.

Back to you.

 

[ghostdancer]

What critter is that skull? Javelina?

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Ace.....finding fresh water is not an issue. It's available in most any town. But what is difficult to find is a source of fresh water in the midfle of the desert within easy walking distance of my dispersed campsite. I spoke with the chief BLM ranger on Tuesday (more on that in this post) and he said that he knows of no other place like this.....

thedavidzoo.....I have been told from what I consider to be reliable sources that they are being demolished. I do know that the federal government disputes these claims. Recently when I was near the border where the wall was being reconstructed access to the area was restricted due to safety concerns. I wonder how it is that I can drive on a freeway in the middle of construction at 55 mph yet I can't safely walk in the vicinity of the wall reconstruction.....

ghostdancer.....yes, I do believe that you are correct. I'll be posting about this relatively soon.....



So today marks my 14th day at Gila Box and I can honestly say that I am sad to leave. I really can't think of a better place to wait out the storm, but I have been visited twice this week by law enforcement and have been told that I need to leave today. And here is my story.....


On Monday there was a knock on my camper door.....



And when I looked outside I saw a BLM ranger parked behind my rig. When I opened my door I saw him standing about 30 feet away and I immediately noticed that he was wearing disposable rubber gloves. He asked when I had arrived and I said it was eleven days ago. He then said that the maximum stay was 14 days so he expected me to be gone by Friday. I replied OK that's not a problem. I said I came here for the fresh water but also that I was trying to avoid catching the coronavirus. He said yea, me too as he was getting back into his truck. Before he left, these were his last words.....

"Don't let me catch you camped within 25 miles of this site within the next 14 days."

The he held up his hand as if he had his cell phone in it and then he said.....

"Are you aware that the governor of Arizona just declared a stay in place order across the entire state ?"

As he drove off I couldn't help but wonder what to do.....the federal government said to leave yet the state government said to stay.....



The following day the chief ranger stopped by for a chat but the chat was actually really more.....he also asked me how long I had been here and also told me to leave by Friday. He said that they were enforcing the 14 day limit and there were no exceptions. He said that if I stayed any longer that I would damage the environment. I pointed out that I was camped in a borrow pit where bulldozers come to get gravel and that the maintenance crews dumped old branches here. Then he said that if he made an exception for me that everyone else would want it too. I then pointed out that I was the only one dispersed camped here. He then mentioned a place over one hundred miles from here that was overcrowded and said he was trying to avoid it here.....where I, am the only one here.....



There's a mostly empty campground nearby and I know of one guy that's been there for well over 14 days.....





It was difficult for me to believe that in these trying and very dangerous times that our BLM rangers would be out counting the number of nights that people are dispersed camped, but that is what my experience has been here at Gila Box.....





I subsequently made a call to a BLM office in New Mexico and was told that they are not enforcing the 14 day limit. I was told that their rangers had much more serious things to deal with at the moment. And lastly they suggested that I come to New Mexico.....they said they understood the seriousness of this situation.....I was welcomed there.....



And I'll end this story by saying that both officers were extremely polite and respectful.....they are simply doing what they are being told to do. And I too was extremely polite and respectful.....but today we leave here questioning our federal government.....



Sunnier days will come again.....



Day 14 of my life living off the grid.....we sure will miss our source of fresh water.....flatten the curve.....

 

[longhorn1]

I'm sure you will find your way back there in the future. New Mexico is on our list so if you go, would love to get some Intel. Be safe. jd

 

[Ace Brown]

Crazy delima: feds say go, state says stay. I’d make fast tracks to NM. Guess you’re there by now.

I misunderstood about the water.


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