in the POD - Big Bend National Park

climbing up to look down

Big Bend National Park, TX

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Our most southern and least visited park, Big Bend is, to put it simply, breathtaking. The scope, scale, and vistas are mind boggling, other-worldly, and yet as simple as mountains, chaparrals, and mesas can be. Photos can not do it justice. You have to stand there, so small surrounded by its vastness, and breath in each spectacular view.

Driving along high desert plains surrounded by row after row of mountain ranges that each reach ever further into the distance is scenery that plays with your sense of distance/space….. Is that one range? Two? Oh no, it’s three or four stacked so neatly that they appear as one. It is only through the course of watching the light traverse across the huge sky and the shadows of the clouds upon the ridges that one can actually discern that there are layers to each vista. 

across the expanse of over 800,000 acres!

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That is the quiet miracle presented to you on the horizontal plane … and yet there is also the same miracle to the vertical. As you drive through this area of SW Texas you feel/think you are close to sea level - flat, even chaparrals that stretch forever on all sides …… but, no. Although there are mountains and mesas towering high above you, as you enter the park and head south there are basins and ravines that drop below the road. My sense of where we were and what to expect just kept changing at every turn. 

Unsettling, yet kind of fantastic!

The Rio Grande 

Big Bend National Park

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The Rio Grande, snaking its way along the edge of the park, separates the US from Mexico. We hiked two different trails that took us both high above the river and then down to its shore. Both sides of the Rio Grande are protected areas and we could see, and say hello, to people, horses and burros along the Mexican side. It was very close. The best trail was the Boquillas Canyon trail, a slot canyon carved over thousands of years! To stand there at the edge of the river with the canyon towering above us ….. miraculous and humbling. We were alone down there - no sound but the moving river. Time. 

Boquillas Canyon - walking in

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Boquillas Canyon - looking out

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Boquillas Canyon - looking in

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The day time temperatures were very warm, averaging @ 70 degrees and full sun. After hiking in the afternoon it was so pleasant to sit outside and read while watching the sun set in the west. However, once that sun set …. the temps dropped quickly and nights were @ 30 degrees. And yet… the nights….. if there was ever a miracle, it is the night sky! I have NEVER seen anything like the night sky here!!! It was as if we were sleeping in a planetarium. The stars were SO big, SO close, and came all the way down to the horizon! And… FYI, Mars is kind of amazing - it is really, really red and really, really distinct! I have never seen so many stars and I probably never will again. I will carry this image with me forever. 

A roadrunner! 

Unfortunately you can't see its amazing colorations!!

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And on a political note - I’m sure glad we got to see it before the wall goes up! 

souvenirs on the path

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the POD waits ... anticipating our next stop

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in the POD - no photos......

its come to this

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We last left our heroes peering out their dark hotel room window watching the snow fall just outside of Baton Rouge, LA. So many things are wrong with that picture!

By early morning, Tim was not feeling much better. The stomach issues had seemed to pass but he felt like that proverbial bus had made its mark. I quickly headed to the nearest drug store to get any and all provisions to help any potential new flair up of anything! I was a Girlscout! I knew how to be prepared!

Opening the hotel door I found: 17 degrees!, 2” of snow on the POD, and ALL the roads covered in a sheet of ice!!! No kidding. The entire town seemed to have shut down. Semi trailer trucks were parked along all the roadways, the streets were empty and even the one highway into and out of town was closed - blocked by police vehicles at every on ramp! 
Zombie apocalypse?
 Proud of my New England heritage and winter driving expertise I forged on, determined to fulfill my plan. I went first to a Walgreens @ 1/2 mi away. Closed. Well, technically they were supposed to be open at 8 am (it was 8:30 am)…. but no. SO I headed to a CVS. Closed. They were scheduled to open @ 7 am. Soooo I headed to another Walgreens @ 2 mi away. CLOSED! By this point I finally realized that the entire town had obviously declared a snow day. As I headed back to the hotel I spied a Walmart ….. open 24 hrs. I figured those workers were already stuck there for their snow day! 

Sorry…but sometimes you just need a Walmart.

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We showered, dressed, Tim ate some crackers and Pedialite for breakfast (oh boy!), and we headed west to Austin TX! We had to do a big drive around to get out of town because all the highways into/out of Baton Rouge were closed. It was slow going, me and all the semis using smaller state roads to wind our way into Texas, but eventually all was fine. 

I decided we would stay in another hotel upon our arrival in Austin just to make sure that Tim was 100% by morning and that I wasn’t the next to get sick. We made dinner in the POD parked outside our hotel room and carried it into the room to dine. Tim was well enough to eat ramen (his choice) and I had tomato soup. We both slept well. 

And yet, Tim woke not feeling 100%. It was a gray 30 degrees. Ugh.

SO - how did you like Austin?

They are currently rebuilding one of the major arteries thru the city so traffic was a nightmare. There are parts that look rather interesting, however, we never really explored the city…….

WELL, what did you do?

I did 2 loads of laundry at a really nice, clean laundromat!  

Tim went off to find/replace our 2 onboard batteries. Yes, this issue has been quietly tapping us on the shoulder for a few months and Tim noticed that they were slowly failing. These are what keep us charged when camping - especially in spots without hook-ups  as in our next planned stop at Big Bend. Since he was still feeling quite punk and it was cold we figured this was a good use of the already lost day. 3 different stops (purchase, installation, getting rid of old batteries) later - we were back in business. 

Then we stopped in a “park” - at least it was called a park, the Onion Creek Greenbelt. It was close to the battery drop off place and we thought it would be pleasant to have a quiet spot to lay out our plans for the next few days and for me to “de-contaminate” the POD. 

It was such a strange place. Paved roads in a grid, street signs, some toppled, lots of fallen trees, and broken utility boxes every block or so. We then noticed that there were cracked driveways at some spots in the curbs and a few stray mailboxes - to nowhere. 
Those thoughts of the zombie apocalypse came rushing back....
We figured that it had been a community - at some point. Thank goodness for the internet! Seems that the neighborhood of Onion Creek was in a flood zone - well now it is officially a flood zone. It flooded in 1998, 2001, 2013, and 2015. Seems that FEMA eventually bought out all the owners and relocated them. 

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Based on these last 2 days….. I sure hope this is not how the rest of this “adventure” plays out.

in the POD - there's always a first

final sunset

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On our last day on St. George Island Tim got the flu…… 

He had been trying to fight it off - we even managed to get in another good long walk on the beach and then our usual bike ride to view the sunset from one of the beach pavilions. All was looking good - but by nightfall the flu just took over. And by morning he had a fever, chills, the whole thing.

This was a first. We had never been sick in the POD before.

calm before the storm

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I arranged for us to stay another night at the campground althou we had to move to a different spot. Which, actually meant, that I had to unplug us, undo the water and empty the holding tanks. I had never done any of that before - not because I couldn’t/wouldn’t but because the division of labors on the POD had been worked out and was working well for us. But I did it. Yes, I am patting myself on the back because: 

1. I did it without doing something incorrectly. 

And, most importantly, 

2. Now I know I can do it - anytime I want!!!

I spent that extra day reading, wandering the park and the beach and basically just trying to leave Tim alone so that he could sleep and get better. I made him honey and lemon toddies, hot compresses, soup for dinner…….. He did not get better. By morning he was feverish again but we figured it best to move on. I unhooked our rig again and as the sun rose above the Gulf I began driving west while Tim slept in the back. Surely the quiet purr of the asphalt against the tires and the gentle rocking of the cab would allow him to rest easy and overtake this cold. 

NOT! 

By Mobile, AL he started to heave……. UGH! We had never thrown up in the POD before!!!!! 19’ of living space is tight under most circumstances and we have found a system to make it work for us while traveling - even for extended periods of time. However…….. being sick had yet been factored into that equation!! I know it was unpleasant for me - up there driving - BUT I’m guessing that it was super unpleasant for Tim vomiting in a pin hole toilet (or eventually a bucket) while barreling down the highway! 

8 hours later -  here we are. 

Just outside of Baton Rouge, LA in an America’s Best Value Inn. (I will refrain from musings on our inn's name.) It is 27 degrees and snowing. Yes, it is snowing. We bit the bullet and decided to forgo the POD for the night. Tim needed extra warmth, a hot tub, and sleep. I needed a beer and a separate bed to sleep in so that I, too, do not end up “hurling” down the highway.

And yet - All is good.

pines between the camp spot and the dunes

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Even with the unseasonal cold temps, some rain, and the illness - It was still a wonderful week here. I never feel like we have to be doing something all the time - its okay just to allow each day to unfold, to see what may await us.

On that last (extra) day - as I walked the beach alone - I did finally see sea sponges scattered most everywhere! I had been bemoaning the fact that I had not seen any the last 2 years. They had not been there the day before - and yet, now here they were.

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in the POD - back on the road

9 miles ...... uninterrupted 

St George Island State Park

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We finally re-started our adventure very late on Monday evening after flying back into Fort Myers from Boston. The POD was waiting in the parking lot and we drove thru driving rain to position ourselves well north of Tampa before bedding down for a bit of sleep. The next day was clear and warm as we hugged Rt 19 up the coast into the panhandle arriving - only one day late - for our extended stay on St. George Island. Ahhhhh.

one of the 6 open pavilions along the beach - perfect for sunsets!

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 perfectly blue, sunny skies

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This is our third visit to the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park and, yes, it still offers new vistas and unexplored trails! 60 campsites sit tucked behind the dunes and among scrub pines. The grounds are well kept, quiet and peaceful. It is a short walk or bike ride out to the gulf coast beach where you can walk, fish and explore and there are numerous trails thru the pines, on boardwalks in the salt marsh and, of course, the 9 miles of undeveloped beach!

through the salt marsh

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fog along the marsh grass looking bay side

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Each year our beach walks here have yielded new discoveries. During our first visit we found the beach littered with sponges of all kinds and since then I have barely seen any along the miles of beach. This year the shores are filled with starfish! And yesterday while visiting the St. Joseph Penninsula we found huge clusters of sea urchins washed ashore. Cold water? Normal cycle?

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stranded

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We normally settle into a rhythm of activities when we stay for an extended time here. However, the weather  over the last 4 days has been varied - from sunny, mid to high 60's (the norm for this time of year) to dense fog, pouring rain and this morning we woke to 38 degrees !! - with expected temps going down to 33 tonight! Not so conducive to a routine ….. but we have been able to do a bit of biking, get in our 5 mile walk all but one of the days, have a day trip to Apalachicola (more on that city in my next post) and checked out the facilities and trails at the nearby St. Joseph Penninsula State Park.  (I’m kind of planning next winter's getaway……….) 

gulf view as the rain approaches

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bay view as the rain cleared

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Tonite will be our first time ever of using the T.V. in the POD! We are planning to watch the playoff game and if all goes well - antenna facing the correct direction, clear skies…… - then all will be well! We shall see. 

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Knowing that both Tim and I LOVE to cook everyone always asks me: "do you cook? do you eat out all the time? how do you manage?" With a small refrigerator and a tiny freezer.... it is challenging. But not impossible. We are definitely NOT cooking over an open fire althou that is something that I would like to try....someday. 

Maybe. 

We try to keep it simple. Breakfast is usually homemade yogurt with granola and dried fruit or (grilled) toast. Tim makes our yogurt in a small Salton yogurt maker using grass-fed whole milk. It's easy to do once you are settled somewhere for a day or two. 

We rarely eat lunch, often we'll just pack some granola bars for our day’s activities or make a tortilla roll-up with whatever is leftover from the eve before. 

Most cocktail hours will find us sitting down to some sort of cheese/dip, crackers and other easily stored “delights” such as olives, cornichons, marinated artichokes, eggplant - pretty much any little jar holding a delicious bite! 

I like to keep 4-5 different jars on board - a new little surprise every few days. 

Dinner is often a salad with canned tuna, boiled eggs and/or other protein on top like fresh local seafood that we happen to stumble upon. Pasta, rice and eggs are all staples and easy to make. They can also be the base - with veggies and protein - when we feel like more than a salad. Hot soup (unfortunately not homemade) and sandwiches are the dinner option 

when we “don’t want to cook - but need comfort”.  

And, depending on where we are, we do indulge ourselves and enjoy the local restaurants. 

sharing a flight at Oyster City Brewing Co.

Apalchchicola, FL

in the POD - NOT!

It's cold, the wind is howling and the snow is falling at a rate of 2" an hour. Tim is pacing, checking pipes and muttering the mantra...... " we are not supposed to be here ...... we are not supposed to be here" ........

Coming back to New England for my aunt's wake and funeral was a choice. Being here for a major snow event was not! But, as luck would have it, we arrived with enough time to solve some Airstream heating and plumbing problems before they could become disasters! And we learned how our tiny living space would fare in a week plus of sub-freezing temps - and learned how to solve it. So, all in all, I can only feel positive about us being here.

And there is one other thing that has made this return to the deep freeze a positive event - 

ROSIE!

She met us with shrieks of delight and lots of hugs and has seemed to grow in the week we've been gone.  Three word sentences, more independence and much more humor. She is the light. She is my beacon going into 2018. Will hate to say goodbye again......

But will look forward to meeting up in Zion National Park come March!

And how would you like your snow?

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in the POD - in the bardo

path at the end of the canal

St. James City, FL

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The cold air has engulfed the full length of eastern coast - there is no escaping it. We donned sweaters and scarves for this morning's walk in a very overcast, windy 55 degrees. As we prepare to fly back to New England for my aunt's funeral I am filled, of course, with thoughts of her but also on the book I chose to begin this journey with. 

"Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders. 

Curious. 

Yes, our reading choices tell a lot about ourselves and yes, we are what we read. But do we know ahead of time what our state of mind will be when we actually begin that chosen book? I don't expect an answer. But I do know that although I would have still loved this book (any other time) - right now, I am understanding it in a more personal way, breathing with it's quiet pace and awed by the love it displays.

"bardo" is a Tibetan term for the time after death but before rebirth when one's conciousness is not connected to a physical body. The book accepts this state of flux and explores the connections between the living, the dead and the bardo - and the journey away from "self" towards an eternal "whole".

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I morn the loss of the individual, the loved one, my aunt.

She was welcoming, loving, and oh so bighearted.

I morn the loss of her entire generation 

that connected me to the generation before.

I morn the fact that I am, now, that much closer to death.

Death is inevitable for all of us. 

All of us are equal in this inevitability.

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So why do we create inequity, create barriers around different approaches to life? 

We are all the same. We are equal beings upon this wondrous planet. 

We own nothing but ourselves. 

We can only leave behind the love we fueled and the lasting memories that love created.

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Arms around my family and my friends! 

Awake each day and love all, spread kindness, and do something worthwhile.

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south end of Pine Island looking east

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in the POD - 2018 ahead

Our favorite "campground" on Pine Island

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Ahhhh.... the sun is just breaking thru the coastal fog and the temp will be heading up to 73 today. 

Welcome to Pine Island! 

The cry of ospreys overhead and the continual jabbering of the ibis rooting for bugs on the ground is currently drowning out the late morning quietude - but I'll take it. I am surrounded by lush, green beauty brimming with life. Exactly what is needed right now.

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We managed to finish packing up early Wednesday morning in 5 degree weather in order to get out of the New England freeze. We had not winterized the POD this year - the weather had been so mild and knowing that we would be heading south right after Xmas - so it was kind of imperative to get it out of harm's way. The cold weather road the eastern seaboard and the layer of ice on our runner boards did not fully melt until well into Georgia!!  But here we are - parked in the yard at Kim and Claudia's home, with our own water and electric hook up (installed for us!) on the edge of the property overlooking the canal. 

Tim has already prepped dinner for the 4 of us - osso bucco is braising away, and smells amazing. He is now busy working on a few POD projects and readying us for the 3 month adventure ahead. Me? I went for a walk, had a leisurely breakfast, and now I sit here.... breathing in.....breathing out.

(I will make the polenta tonight to serve the osso bucco on.)

"Camp" Larson/Rossi

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I am trying to look ahead to 2018 and the new adventures that await us, but there are strong ties that wish its imminent arrival to wait. 

My last aunt will most likely not see this new year. She is right now on her own, final journey and I wish her peace and good speed. Tim and I will fly home a to be with her family and pay our respects to her and that entire generation of family that is no longer with us. 

Luckily, memories are forever.

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