"LIVING IN A TREE, YEAH THAT'S WHERE I'D LIKE TO BE..."

Rewind to Prescott. It was great to spend time with old friends even with poor weather. The Jerome excursion did not happen but we will save it for the next time. I got a lot of research done and made requests not only to Couchsurfing hosts but to HELPX "in need of helpers" hosts. I have confirmed one exchange but more on that in a bit.

Cool. I decided to take the southern border route to San Diego from Prescott because... I don't recall ever crossing down that way before. (I used to live in San Diego in the late 70's when I was just a young blonde bumpkin.) Yuma, AZ seemed like a good stop along my way. If I took the interstates I would be sure to have smoother driving if the recent bad weather had left the two lane scenic mountain ways a bit messy. It added some time onto my drive but I wanted easy. And I got it. The only hitch I found was getting gas leaving Prescott.The first two stations I hit on my side of the road, a STANDARD and a TEXACO, both had inoperable pumps. One clerk told me there were several stations with problems along the way so I just got in my car and kept driving. In Prescott Valley I stopped at a MAVERICK station and the pumps were working but I soon discovered that the pumps were not honest ones. DO NOT BUY GAS AT MAVERICK.

28.36 miles per gallon vs 39.6

I do math. I have been known to spreadsheet. (Ok I spreadsheet A LOT.) I can add, subtract and multiply and divide. I also know "about" how many miles I get to the gallon. As I was pumping my gas I was thinking "WTF? I only drove 160 miles. I shouldn't need this much gas!" Something wasn't right but I screwed the gas cap back on and got on my way, grumbling and doing "math in my head". Not right - not right.

I got to my CS host's place in Yuma. He had been doing artwork and repairs on the house. The floors had just been redone so he gave me the option of sleeping in the little tree house that night. After hearing about the rattlesnakes that had visited the house a few months earlier and the scorpions too I decided on sleeping in the treehouse. Actually I really wanted to sleep in the treehouse because I had never done that before. I had climbed trees and helped build treehouses but I never did an "overnight" up in the trees. The weather in Yuma was perfect for it and there were no mosquitos.I didn't need a net. How cool.

Before the sun went down David asked if I wanted to go into the desert and sungaze. The desert was a block away from the house. I said "sure" and we walked and talked and he told me about sun-gazing. I suggest that you look it up on GOOGLE.

I let him have his space to reflect and gaze at the sunset while I walked the dried up creek and took photos while avoiding the many holes in the ground that probably had rattlesnakes just waiting for me to walk by. I do have a fear but not of "regular" snakes. What is a "regular snake anyway? Well it's a Massachusetts snake, a snake that doesn't rattle and bite and kill or maim you.

And some photos of my sleepspace in the treehouse.

The following day I awoke early thankful that I could hold my pee until dawn when I could see the ladder rungs. I did have an emergency vessel to use. Let's leave it at that. I didn't use it.

I could fill in more but I am not going to. It was some repeat of the day before plus me driving all around Yuma checking it out and then doing a treatment for shoulder pain on my host then early to "tree". I took off for San Diego the next day (today). I arrived in the afternoon to my friend's daughter greeting me at the house. My friends are away for a few days and will arrive back in town tomorrow. (insert smiley face here).

So... the next bit of NEWS...

While in Prescott I sent a few inquiries out to HELPX dot NET "in need of help" hosts and I had heard back yesterday from one in Fort Bragg, CA. Fort Bragg is on the Mendocino coast about 3 hours north of San Francisco. The position is at a beautiful 1800's inn that has a ballroom where they host MILONGAS. Yes! ARGENTINE TANGO. The deal is four hours of work each day in exchange for accommodation and meals.

When in Yuma I had received an email that they were interested in my inquiry and that they had an availability for November 1st. Both of us had some questions. Today when I got to San Diego I opened my mail and found that we had an agreement. After a few days here visiting with my friends and driving through old haunts while getting lost I am driving up to northern California. It will take a few days. The innkeeper and I have agreed to a one month commitment. Where it goes to from there we both will see. For me right now this is perfect. It gives me a roof over my head while I exchange my time and talents and leaves me space and free time to check the area out and see if I might want to settle there. It sure beats renting a place and getting a job to pay rent only to find that the area wasn't a good match place at all.

San Diego is my present adventure, at least for the next few days. Then it will be the road to the north, and then the assignment. All of it is an adventure as is everyday above ground. Each of us has a new day each morning and although we can predict we can never really know what will happen. let's make it good.