Occupation of Independence

I don't like maudlin descriptions of somebody's dog's last days, because it might discourage would-be dog owners from adopting a dog. Besides, a melodrama about the human is not the point. I put Coffee Girl 'down' this morning, at age 15.5 years. She did not suffer. And her old age did not cost me much money. In a high meadow in New Mexico a few years ago. . What could a newbie dog owner learn from her marvelous career? 1. Don't be afraid of animal shelters. 2. Don't take 'dog breed' books literally. They will tell you that a herding dog needs 10 hours per day of chasing cows or sheep or it will come back into your house and chew the sofa into a million pieces. They will make you think a herding dog can't be a good household pet. 3. Herding dogs can have exemplary behavior off-lease. This adds a lot to the owner's and the dog's pleasure. 4. When adopting a dog, tune yourself out, especially your eyeballs. Choose a dog for their behavior,

I had to laugh at myself a couple days ago when I went through Cortez, CO. It seemed like a personal defeat. Silly, huh? I had implicitly cancelled the state of Colorado, and today it is time to make it explicit. Cancelling an entire state is something that sounds kind of sad or extreme. The first thing a person should probably do upon cancelling a state is to think of small exceptions to the general rule. I have even done that for California, the first state I cancelled. In fact cancellation occurred the first year of being a full-time RVer. But I have debauched myself by sometimes going into California for 5 miles or so.  

It was strange going through the Moab commotion and feeling completely indifferent. All I could think about was leaving town quickly and finding something nearby that seemed meaningful to me. (That means something other than scenery, of course.) So I went to my favorite cliff system. The foothills leading up to the cliffs proper have the look of Mancos shale. Harmless if dry, but barren and ugly. And yet the land had some bright red flowers from hedgehog cacti. Here are the girls checking out the flowers: So there was something meaningful. It won't be long before I have to put Coffee Girl down. She began her career at the foot of these cliffs. Here she is, the first day I got her: It has been a wonderful career. I got her because my first dog, a miniature poodle called Pancho, was frightened by gun-crazed yahoos sighting in their rifles, just before hunting season. He took off, into the cliffs. After a week I accepted the fact that he was dead. So I adopted Coffee Girl. Of course,

  Moab, UT. Believe it or not I gave a bit of thought to actually camping in the Moab area. It was pre-peak-season and also unusually chilly. So perhaps there was some hope. Much to my surprise Moab was quite busy. That makes sense I suppose: most of the tourists are locked into reservations made months ago -- so fluctuations in the weather shouldn't affect them very much. After a ten minute stop at the grocery store, I happily left town. If you have ever made sneering-comments about touristy places, your listeners probably wearied quickly, and you yourself got a bad taste in your mouth. Complaining about tourists is a cliche' that makes you sound like a sour, elitist misanthrope. But you might not be this at all.  Consider another explanation: the human imagination is prone to being sentimental, romantic, and escapist. That is what makes travel interesting in the first place.  When you see thousands of tourists in your area, you can't help but see mass-consumers of bar-cod

  Isn't it something how a long-time full-time RVer can still feel a lump in their throat when they head north in spring or south in winter! It quite amazes me. It is proof that a camper like that is doing something right. This summer will be different for me. I have decided not to campground host in Colorado, because the camping situation in that state has become hectic and congested. In fact I will try to avoid the state altogether except for some fringe areas that aren't popular with the masses. Which is prettier: Idaho or Iowa? Foolish question? Not really. During the fire season you can't really see Idaho -- there is no point in being there. I have decided to avoid the northwestern states during their wildfire season, 15 July -- 30 September. For the first time in many years I am going to the Northwest early in the summer --- like right now! In late July I will head south and hopefully find some monsoonal rain. The southwestern states are already having fires and smok