Archive for the 'RV Living' Category

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Frostbitten Snowbirds Out in the Cold

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Sunshine and cacti tends to conjure up images of sunbathing and margaritas.

Unfortunately, that’s far from the reality we’re experiencing this week.

Cold temperatures and high winds in the Arizona desert mean we’re stuck inside trying to stay warm, hoping our water tank doesn’t freeze.

Come on Mother Nature, quit messing with us! We don’t make the effort to pack up our stuff and fly south for nothing. Bring it on, we want some heat, darnit!

My Chuckwagon Veganista Lifestyle

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To me, eating super healthy and dairy-free is just a little easier when your homestead is in one place.

Something about having room for lots of ingredients and odds and ends spices makes living a semi-vegan lifestyle a lot more enjoyable.

But here in the chuckwagon, where cabinet space is at a premium, and your Dr. Bronner’s competes for space with your underwear, it’s tough getting enthused to make a loaf of bread when the ingredients are scattered in just about every corner except the water closet.

We bought these insta-vegan sauces at an all-vegan grocery store in Portland, Oregon. But honestly, they kinda suck. At least in comparison to what we can make on our own.

When it comes to convenience, few vegan foods are better than what you can make on your own.

I’m trying to live the vegan lifestyle, but as we approach the holidays (oh wait, they’re here…damn), it’s getting more difficult. When I go home for Christmas, it’s gonna be even worse as Mom looks at me with a perplexed look because she just can’t figure out why I would not want to eat her Mexican dinners smothered in cheese and sour cream.

But I’m gonna stand my ground, and do my best. It’s all anyone can do.

Commit to doing the least you can do. Then commit to doing at least that much.

Getting Back on the Horse

I’m on the road again, getting used to this mobile lifestyle. We had our share of rough times the other night, running out of fuel, a dog who’s scared and out of control, and me falling into a wet muddy ditch.

Then two days later, we ran out of propane, and our water system froze during a particularly cold night in Nevada.

Waaaaaaaah!

Man, we are soft as marshmallows compared to the Pioneers who crossed America and considered this historic crapper a luxury.

When times get rough, we have to remind ourselves of all that we DO have, instead of whining about what we don’t.

Life could be a lot, lot worse.

Get Me to a Farmer’s Market

After living in a remote mountain town last summer, I chucked my long-term fantasy of living like Ms. Grizzly Adams out the window.

The one local store in this spectacular town just sucked. They left old zucchini on the shelf for weeks, and tried to sell beets that looked as sprouted as old potatoes. Everything was expensive, and the closest halfway decent grocery store was over an hour away.

Growing our own produce is unlikely at 9500′ elevation. After a month of living in that town, I knew that not only was this lifestyle impractical, but it would throw my vegetarian self into a state of malnutrition and scurvy.

I’m glad we found our happy medium this summer. Live somewhere close to a great town with lots of fresh produce and health food stores in the summertime, then, when the snow covers the ground and all that’s left on the store shelves are heads of wilted romaine lettuce imported from California, I’ll head south to where the weather is warmer and produce is still green and fresh.

Like the nomads we are, moving seasonally seems to be the ideal living situation for us. Everyone should try it!

Living Large on the Grid Again

There’s a lot to be said for off-grid living on the open range. It’s cheap.  You have a smaller carbon footprint. The scenery can be quite nice.

But when I’m sitting in a cow pasture campground, with shifty characters for neighbors, and always worried about how long I can run the water or the lights, it can make life a little frustrating if the scenery isn’t up to par.

Maybe I’m a wimpy cowgirl, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do to make life more comfy.

Thank dog for having some dough in the bank so we can move the campground uptown for a bit. Now we are living large and on the grid.

Unlimited electricity. Woo hoo, what a party!