Explanations

Time to back up and explain why I've made the lifestyle change from townhouse with private patio to a 30+ year old Airstream. I was at the proverbial fork in the road of my life -

1. I could keep going living paycheck to paycheck, and stay in my job and make changes as management and the healthcare field changes, and keep repairing my car and buying older model used cars (can't afford a large car payment + full coverage insurance when you live paycheck-to-paycheck) - OR
2. I could go back to college and make my own future ... my parents had the Airstream and by borrowing it and living in it here in Florida, I found I could cut my monthly living expenses (rent, electric, phone and water) down to a third of what it was previously. This would allow me to pay for college and save towards a new car.

With the support of my family and most of my friends I have made this move successful, there are some regrets but for the most part everything has been positive.

In parting my thoughts go out to the residents of Texas during this time of devastation and struggle due to Hurricane Ike.

Rain, Rain, Go Away ...

I'm starting on day 4 of Tropical Storm Fay; as a tropical storm she has made history - she's been unpredictable and just as dangerous as the hurricane she could have been.

I spent two days at home, yesterday was better BUT also worse. I had no power loss [major kudos to JEA and the St. Johns county, Duval county and the City of Jacksonville personnel] so I was able to keep a watch on the conditions. The rain and wind was just as bad, if not worse. At one point the rain was a steady downfall for 4 hours and since we were in what was considered the tail of the storm the conditions spawned tornadoes on land and water spouts over the ocean. To me this is scarier

In my previous post, I indicated that I spent a lot of time on the NOAA/GOES website; I've included in this post their image of the day for yesterday so you can see how big this tropical system is - at one point I listened to a report that stated that Fay was over 600 miles in diameter and reached from Miami to Atlanta. WOW! How funny is it that the outer bands of this storm stretch all the way to my family in Georgia?

Because I currently reside in the Airstream, many of my friends and family have called me throughout the past 4 days, I am grateful for their love and concern and their outpouring of kindness in offering me shelter.

I am not fooled, I know that we are not through with Fay, we are still receiving occasional showers and gusts of wind but I can't help but smile at the ray of sunshine bravely pushing through a rift in the clouds brightening the inside of the Airstream. Illuminating the skylights through which I had previously watched the wind whip the trees into a tempest.

I wish you all wonderful weather and if not, that you find a ray of sunshine when the storm has passed.

Pippin this isn't Kansas and that's no tornado ...

Growing up, I've lived in mobile homes which meant you kept a watch on the weather. Living in Florida, hurricanes are a given, I've even enjoyed many a hurricane party in my twenties.

Now that I'm living in the Airstream, I try to keep a closer watch on the weather - with the awning out terms like "wind speed" and "gusts" take on a whole new meaning. Because I do not have a vehicle that can move this house on wheels, I have become a watcher of the skies, a listener of weather forecasts, and a constant visitor to the GOES-NOAA website. This allows me time to coordinate with my Dad (keeper of the vehicle big enough to pull my home to safety) a plan for moving the Airstream should a hurricane decide to carve a path towards my current path in life.

The Keys are currently being evacuated due to Fay who is currently a tropical storm but due to hit the warm waters of the Gulf and expected to become a hurricane. Should I need to flee, I will keep you updated.

Goodnight, I will sleep well as the gentle rains lull me to sleep.

Learning To Let Go

I spent this past weekend photographing a wedding at Fort Clinch; a state park on Amelia Island in NE Florida. The winding drive to the beach brought back so many memories of happy summers in that very park discovering the sea and all it's natural treasures with my son when he was young.

I miss you JT and hope that some day you will be able to visit that same park with your children.

Living in the Airstream you learn to let go of other things as well - space, a sense of privacy, freezer capacity and a few others that don't come to mind just now.

There are a few other things in my professional life that I am learning to let go of as well. To maintain sanity and to provide myself with the ability to move forward with completing my degree I am learning how not to take everything asked of me as my responsibility. And I'm learning to do this with the help of my boss.

But one thing I'm not letting go of is my artistic side - a side of me nurtured and encouraged by my mother. I've recently purchased a new Canon Rebel XTi, a digital SLR camera - I am having SO much fun discovering the digital world. The photo above is Fort Clinch at sunset on August 1st after a storm.

Learn to let go of something ...
Learn to embrace the things you are given ...
Rediscover something your creative side ...

Water, water everywhere ...

When a drip-drop becomes a splish-splash you have to make sure it doesn't become water, water everywhere with nary a drop to drink.

I had my first lesson in plumbing today (sans the butt-crack thang). The Airstream developed a pinpoint leak under the kitchen sink, which I didn't notice until the carpet in front of the sink became wet (I almost blamed the dog). I quickly shut off the water from the outside, and did what all girls tend to do that have no sense about maintenance - called Dad. Guess I have to do this myself [looking around, nope no man around] - [with the water off this means no hand or face washing, no showers, and no going to the bathroom] - yep, I've got to do this myself.

To the hardware store with a list of stuff to buy (courtesy of Dad [there's a really cool tool for cutting pvc pipe, I now own one]) and back home again.

The whole job took me about an hour - less than 5 minutes to cut away the elbow that was cracked, where the leak was, - 15 minutes to put all together and glue in place -40 minutes trying to open the cans of pvc pipe cleaner and pvc pipe glue.

But it's done, and I did it. I will make this work. I can make this work.

Tomorrow I tackle that damn awning!

Listen to the sound of silence ...

I wouldn't say that I'm an old fart - I listen to alternative, punk, heavy metal, classic rock and I like to listen to it LOUD! Here's the thing ... you don't hear it unless my car windows are down. I guess I don't see the sense in putting in extreme speakers when I'm only in my car maybe 3 hours in a day. I don't believe in forcing my choice in music on others, because I also listen to classical music, opera, reggae and country.

That and I'd like to know when emergency vehicles are near so I can respectfully get out of their way as soon as possible, so as not to endanger myself, the patient they're caring for or the paramedics.


I loved living in my townhouse, the one thing that drove me crazy was listening to stereo's thumping so loud that you couldn't hear the television, your own music or yourself think. This went on 24 hours a day. I don't miss it!

Here in the Airstream, I hear the traffic on SR 13, but the neighbors don't have thumping stereo's - this is my get away, and I smile as I listen to the pop and boom of fireworks on the eve of July 4th. I know that this is an expression of a celebration of our freedom.

I wish you all a very safe and happy Fourth of July!
(from the not-so-old-fart)

Critters they abound

Since moving I have seen a lot of wildlife, it reminds me of when our family first moved to Middleburg, Florida in the 70's.

My drive home from work winds along the St. Johns river ... on those drives with the large oak trees overhanging the road I have spotted an otter, a deer, and wild turkeys. Around the park Pippin and I have encountered 2 snakes, baby woodpeckers, and owls.

Tonight was interesting, as I previously stated Pip and I always end our walks down on the docks near the boat ramp. There's usually a breeze, and Pip stands with her snout to the wind, me, I watch to see if the fish are biting. This evening as I was looking out over the water, I saw a ripple on the water, it was overcast and sprinkling lightly so I couldn't see very well. But I've lived in Florida so long there was no mistaking the eyes raised above the water and the ripple of the water moving past its body. It slowed down and drifted by, I kept my eye on it, and it kept it's on eye on us ( or I should say Pip). As we left the dock, I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure that he didn't turn toward the boat ramp with the intention of having Pip for dinner.

I don't need to tell you that when I take Pip out for her last potty run of the evening before going to bed, we won't be going near the boat ramp in the dark.

Goodnight from the Florida swamp.

Things I have learned ...

Wow, I've made it beyond my first 30 days living in the Airstream, working full time and attending college.

I have learned that I love housekeeping - it takes me all of 15 minutes, that's vaccuming all 32 feet, scrubbing down the entire bathroom and kitchen and dusting! Wooo hoooo! This leaves more time for homework and projects at work.

I have learned ...

... to wake up long enough to turn on the water heater in the morning (it takes half an hour to heat up)so I can shower before work.

... that I have more storage than I previously believed and I need to get more clothes out of storage.

... that my drive to work is no longer than it was when I lived in Orange Park BUT I DON'T HAVE TO CROSS A BRIDGE!

... that this is a community of very friendly helpful people of all ages, and all walks of life. I enjoy my walks with Pippin we always end our walks at the end of the dock looking out over the water. It brings peace to the begining and end of each day.