It’s that time of year again!

Since 2010, when I moved full time to my little rustic cabin in the woods, this time of year has brought both excitement and anxiety.

The biggest cause for anxiousness, as you can imagine, is in the packing up and driving of a 1990 van cross country. I tend toward procrastination, and each year during the summer, I tell myself to start clearing things up, in the cabin as well as the van, during September, when the temperatures are still pleasant. Each year I push the date out, always with some reason it’s too difficult to start the work, until finally there’s no choice, if I want to get on the road by my planned date, and I find myself working in the cold, mentally flogging myself for “doing it again,” and then when it’s over, being surprised that the clean out wasn’t so bad after all.

Transporting all my clothing, books(both for winter reading and those already finished that now need to be rehomed), kitchen gear and food stocks from cabin to the van never gets easy though. It’s just work that has to be done. The main reason it’s painful is that I don’t have a driveway to back the van up to the cabin for loading. I have a footpath; an (estimated) 100 yard long trail filled with rocks and roots to snare the wheels on the moving dolly I use for transit. If I’m not careful in the loading and rolling of that dolly, I can yardsale entire bins of canned goods, kitchen utensils or bedding – multiple times – during the move.

To make the transition efficiently, the placement of items within the van is key, but everything must first come out, and the flooring vacuumed. Then comes the packing. Over the years I actually HAVE pared down what needs be included, so that nowadays I actually do have room for everything.

Well….at least it was like that last year. This year I have added a larger inventory of shipping supplies. You’d be surprised at how much space 3×3 inch gift boxes and bubble envelopes require. I’ve also begun selling copper chain, so that’s another crate that needs an easily accessed storage spot. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it truly sucks to get an order for a pair of earrings or three feet of chain, and have to excavate the depths of my van to get at them, especially if it’s a rainy, snowy, cold and/or windy day, since anything in the way has to be pulled completely out of the van and placed somewhere that is hopefully not going to have the thing getting wet.

Best is when I can get to anything via the inside of the van, and second best is if it can be reached through the back doors without too much trouble. It does happen. Occasionally.

One thing that has really helped is the addition on an attic in the van. There I store my clothing. This year I think I will see if I can also include a small box with mailers and boxes, which I can restock as needed. After all, I won’t likely need 50 boxes in a day or even a week. So, I can keep a dozen or so boxes and envelopes in the attic for easy access. For a person with a house, the attic is often a place of last resort, where seldom used things like grandpa’s photo albums are stored, but in a van, this space above the sleeping area is about the easiest spot to get at.

This year I will also be bringing with me a massive stock of glass beads that I was gifted. I do use them in my crafts, but the amount is so large that even as I give portions away to others, I still have many, many pounds of beads. Easily 250 pounds….. And so, I’ve decided to cart them with me in the hopes of selling then at the monthly Quartzsite Gem and Mineral Club Tailgate Parties, where members can buy, sell and swap their rock craft-related goods. I’m hoping I can then use the proceeds to buy material to cut cabochons from. I sure hope I wasn’t imagining things last year when I saw a healthy market for beads at a good price in the many members and member’s spouses of the club. I do NOT want to be hauling the lot of it back east next spring! However, as to packing for the trip, these bins will go into the deep, center area beneath the bed platform, since I won’t need to get at them until I reach Quartzsite.

Though I get excited t begin my winter traveling, I love my cabin here in the Shawangunks. It’s been such a gift. When I moved here, I saw it as an extension of my every-weekend camping trips to Camp Slime at the Mohonk Preserve. Yes, it was a big change, going from a quite nice apartment in the Chelsea area of Manhattan to a place without electricity and plumbing. My biggest concern, though, was that I would not be able to tolerate life without my nightly hot soak in a deep, old-style, tub and morning wake-up shower. Turns out that, though I missed it – a lot – I survived, and my skin and hair are much healthier for it.

But over the years, and especially as our concerns for our environment and planet as a whole are becoming more prevalent, it pleases me to know that my footprint is minuscule in comparison to that of the average person in this country. My simplistic cabin lifestyle has had an unintended benefit.

For heating, I use a portable propane heater only on cold nights and mornings, just to take the bite out of the air before getting into and out of bed. A 20-pound cylinder would last me several years, if that was it’s sole purpose, but I also use the tank to power my grill. I use less than 2 cylinders for an entire year this way. I also use propane for my cook stove, and that goes through much more. I would estimate 3+ 20 pound cylinder refills a year. However, that is near daily use from morning coffee to meal preparation to dish water heating.

The batteries to power my radio are a point of contention for me. The one I have used six C size ones, and they last only about a month, though I won’t use it when away from the cabin this winter. The expense is absurd, and the waste factor once the batteries are spend has me thinking I need to look for rechargeable ones next spring.

And that is about it, though obviously it isn’t, since I use electricity at my workspace, libraries and coffee shops. And about it, except for the van…. As a local daily driver it’s a gas hog, and compared to new model vans it’s a pig on the highway too. I put about 8K miles a year on the vehicle, with my cross-country migration and running about. I wonder, though, how many others who are putting 10K and more miles a year worry about their impact. Still, I know we shouldn’t make false comparisons. What others do is not my business. But I’m not sure how to resolve this issue of waste without making a permanent move to the western part of the country. That’s in my long-term plans, but five or more years down the road(haha – punny).

Back to my transition from New York to Arizona…..

One thing about Quartzsite, where I will spend most of December through March, is that it really is no metropolis. There are a few issues which cause friction in my existence. One is the difficulty of obtaining cash in a town which relies heavily on cash transactions. There’s just one bank, and it’s not an affiliate of any of the majors. ATM fees start at $2.25 and are often limited in withdrawal amounts. There is a Dollar General and Family Dollar that has a lower fee, but can be used only with a purchase, and is limited to $40. That is – IF the register has cash available; they don’t keep a stock in anticipation. My go-to is the post office, which is free of fee, but again, they have to have enough to give out, limit the amount, and can only be used along with a postal transaction. That’s fine, since I go to the post office regularly(let’s hope, since my business relies on shipping orders to people), but sometimes the wait in line is 30 minutes or more. If you get there when they first open in the morning, there’s no cash in the till. They close for lunch and there is always a line that starts forming in earnest about 15 minutes before after lunch opening. So, there’s not much of a workaround other than to “bring cash” upon arrival, which is my plan this year. Hopefully I can stash a good chunk safely in hiding and then be thrifty about using it. For me, cash in my pocket is soon in someone else’s…..

Another issue there is poor internet service. As of yet I have found the Pilot Travel Center is the only reliable option, but the ambiance is….gross. There’s a great locally owned coffee shop that opened last year and, if their Instagram is any indication, would be a comfortable, enjoyable, place to use, but unless things have changed, they haven’t added wifi to their menu. The local library is very hit or miss; I’ll just leave it at that. Seating space is limited, and if the spotty service is down for the day, don’t expect it up. Just let it go. Asking the librarian to reboot the router will get you a look like a MAGA’er who knows you voted Blue.

The third issue is food.

There are two small local groceries, and I try to use them over the Dollar General/Family Dollar. However, you cannot get cash back from either of the grocers and I’m sorry but I’ll buy my eggs at Family Dollar if it means they’ll allow me $40 for a $2 fee. If they have eggs that day, that is. You have to know the delivery days and…sigh…so does everybody else. The check out line on those days will have you wondering if you’re not at the post office.

Most people drive 35 miles to Parker, where there’s a Walmart. I would – never – do that. No offense to Walmartians, but I’m not from your galaxy. Last year I did, only once, make the 20 mile drive to Blythe, California, where there’s a bigger grocery store and even a Starbucks to do a comfortable internet session. But the reason I had gone was because I thought there was a branch of my bank, so I could clean out my accounts for ready cash. Google even confirmed it! But when I got there it was not so. The free-standing ATM “branch” had been closed.

So – food…..

The prices are high in Quartzsite. I don’t mind supporting local business, but when they only sell Russet potatoes and I don’t bake, and the meat freshness is…a gamble…, it’s not an enjoyable experience.

I’m coming prepared this year. Though it looks like I’m on track for saving a better nest egg than in past years, I can’t rely on expecting to get to Phoenix(last stop for “metro style” supplies before Quartzsite) and being able to stock up. I can’t imagine looking at my funds and being willing to eat up a substantial portion for – hahaha, another pun….

So, I’ve been buying a few cans of soups and dried grain entrees throughout the last months. And, I just ordered 4 cartons of these canned entrees from St. Dalfour, which I sincerely hope won’t be “changed” due to getting frozen while I go through the midwest to visit family. I guess I’ll find out.

I “discovered” these last spring in Moab and was like “Where have you BEEN all my camping life, baby?” These canned meals are – good. The quality of the food is high, the flavoring is nice, and could be enhanced easily if desired. And best of all – since I tend to push myself past normal mealtimes and find myself hungry and in need of food immediately, they are a great alternative to what I might otherwise go to, which would be chips or sweets, or something from a fast food place. And in Quartzsite, fast food is….undesirable; let’s leave it there. Well – except for the Little Johns Barbecue(I think that’s the name), but one can only eat a GINORMOUS pulled pork hoagie with a massive serving of home-made potato salad AND cole slaw for lunch and dinner so many times in a season before it just feels wrong.

I’m putting off a purchase of dehydrated refried beans until I get closer to the southwest. They aren’t even available around here, with the exception – possibly – of Walmart, and that’s a low-quality brand. I’ve found some nice choices in health food stores once I get to New Mexico and further though. But I won’t make the mistake I did last year, of buying just one box. I’ll get three, and that will last me the duration. I can probably get 6-8 portions from a box, and one of my favorite easy meals is sauteed tortilla pieces, topped with the beans, cheese, onions, tomato and avocado.

So…..that’s the plan. Now I just need to get my gears shifted and start cleaning the cabin and van. My “on route” date is November 7^th – less than a month away!