How do you write a tribute for someone whose spirit simply cannot be characterized with words alone?

Bob did a good job at describing how Chris Crawford was awesome in his Talking Tech blog. And the Eureka Times Standard published a rather eloquent obituary for Chris, who would have easily discerned they didn’t write it.

To the paper’s credit, they did run a rather nice cover story by Donna Tam about how the community is mourning his death. They also ran a piece from two business leaders about how friends will always remember Chris Crawford. So true, how could we ever forget?

To know Chris Crawford was to love him. Personally, I feel that after high school and college, one rarely gets the opportunity to make a new lifelong friend. Chris made it simple. He and Elaine welcomed us into their home, and their hearts.

After knowing Chris just a short time, we became very close friends. After the various parties he hosted, or times he and Elaine would treat us to dinner or cocktails, I would thank him sincerely. His reply was always the same: “We’ll have the rest of our lives to make up for it Jim.” My only regret is that I won’t be able to keep my end of that bargain.

Chris was always our biggest advocate. He believed in us when others thought we were crazy. In dealing with the City when attempting to convert an abandoned property into live/work space, he solicited letters on our behalf.

At a public debate when running for Supervisor where his opponent answered my question about what might be done to assist local small internet-based businesses with “government can’t help you…” he easily illustrated aspects of his seven point plan that could.

And, when we decided to follow our dream by selling our home and traveling the country with Jerry, he was there at our sendoff and frequently commented on our travels…

“…we fully appreciate your wanderlust. As you note, it’s always heart warming to know there are people who love you, know you for who you are, and pray for your safety while you pursue this adventure.” — Chris Crawford’s comment on this post.

So much has been said about Chris already. So we will sum this up in stereotypical Crawford fashion…

Look, it’s like this. He led a good life. He was a very fortunate man to have found such a wonderful soul mate in Elaine. He was successful in business, and passionate about what he believed was best for the community. Cancer may have broken his body, but his spirit shall live on forever.

Gregg and Jay are right. “Was” is indeed the hardest word. God speed my friend. Thank you for being you.

Our time in Arizona has come to an end, just in time for the heat to set in.

We arrived in Elfrida in mid-February, already knowing that the caretaking job we had agreed to do at one property had morphed into a caretaking job at another property just down the road. Long story.

Unsure of what to expect when we agreed to that job, we went with the flow and gave it a shot.

“At it’s core, adventure is a willingness to commit to an uncertain outcome with an open heart and an open mind.”

Our situation ended up being much different than we originally envisioned, but it was still a positive adventure. We connected with some great folks who we plan on staying in touch with for future winter caretaking opportunities.

Just as we were getting ready to go, a very dear friend of ours from Eureka passed away. He was young and vibrant and should never have left this earth so soon. The unfairness of it all is upsetting beyond words.

We’re not ready to share his story just yet, since a life like his deserves so much more mental bandwidth than I can dig up right now.

When word came of his passing, we knew we had to be there for his memorial service in Eureka. So instead of pointing east to Texas, we turned and went the other way.

After a too-brief visit with family in L.A., we’re now driving north and will be in our old stomping grounds, Humboldt County, for a short stay. Time to dig up the winter clothes that I had just put away.  Brrrr….

Good, bad, boring, adventurous, whatever; there’s never any telling what will happen in life. All we can do is live as best we can and try to make a positive, lasting impact on others in this world, just as our friend did.

Snowbirds like us head to Arizona for its warm winters, but for some reason, Mother Nature thinks that this entire continent should experience a real winter this week.

I know we should be thankful we’re not in the Midwest tonight. But that’s why we do what we do, to get away from awful winter weather!

Since we’re boondocking with solar and our Honda genny isn’t really ideal for running the heater, we’re really, really cold, and testing the limits of our heartiness.

Our Wyatt Ray doesn’t seem to mind.

NuRVers Gather

We arrived here after a week at the Slabs, just in time to catch the last week of the NuRVers meet-up.

Since the end of December, various members of NuRVers have taken over a small patch of dirt here at La Posa South.

The cool kids told us we missed out on a lot of the fun, like the fireside sword swallowing show, but the crew wasn’t too spent to save some for us.

Along with nightly potlucks and good eats, there were copious amounts of cocktails consumed while sharing crazy stories about life on the road.

And in-between the raucous evenings in front of the campfire, we worked hard at our creative endeavors to fund this ideal lifestyle.

From accountants to graphic designers, we all embrace the technologies that allow us to live without boundaries. With Internet access on the road, anything’s possible.

Are you Nu?

NuRVers is a group specifically for RVers who break the mold.

Forget the stereotype of a crotchety, decrepit old couple cruising across America in their golden years.

We are singles, couples and families who choose to break from convention and live our lives on the road, enjoying all that this great big world has to offer.

You don’t have to own a certain type of RV to belong, and nobody will judge you based what you drive or how you look, whether your straight or gay, twentysomething or beyond.

Nobody will tell you how you “should” tow your toad or dump your load, and there’s no know-it-alls who are allowed to run the show.

The only criteria for joining is having a free spirit attitude that welcomes diversity, fun and spontaneity.

Some folks, like Trippin’ with Stanley, have just embarked on their road trip lifestyle. While others are veteran road tripping warriors who’ve been doing it for years. There’s no end to the different ways we all reached the conclusion that life on the road is just more fun!

As Jim and I head into our fourth year of this slightly unconventional lifestyle, it feels great to be connected with such a great group of people who we have so much in common with.

The Nu party is over now, and everyone’s gone their separate ways. But we’ll stay in touch in the Forums, and probably meet up again this spring, somewhere in the Texas Hill Country.

Tonight, as the mercury drops to the lowest temperatures this state has ever seen, I’ll dream of the day when the weather becomes more civilized, and the umbrella drinks will start flowing once more under big starry skies with the NuRvers crew.

How is one supposed to cram 10 years worth of friendships into a week?

We’ve been traveling down the Pacific Coast for three weeks now, but no matter how long we visit with good friends from our previous life, it’s never enough time to feel like we’ve completely caught up.

Drizzly rain has followed us down the coast from Washington to Northern California. We’re cold and we want to go somewhere warm, darnit.

But during our week-long visit to Humboldt County California, we both sensed a feeling that almost made us want to stay longer, maybe even permanently return, to our old stomping grounds where the land is beautiful and the people are real.

People are so real in Humboldt, that during dinner conversations or over beers, whenever we got together with our friends, not a single one ever pulled out an iPhone or other electronic gadget.

You tell me, when was the last time you sat at a table with people who actually talked, and listened?  Who made eye contact with you instead of staring into a screen?

Humboldt County is a special place like no other. We spent 10 years in this small community and although it wasn’t all good times, it was the last time we ever felt a real sense of community.

Despite the sucky weather, the poor economy and the great distance to any real city, just being there again makes us ask:

What else could you possibly need, when you’re surrounded by such good people and great beauty?

The fulltime lifestyle is always a good time until something goes wrong. From spent brakes to getting stuck in the mud, if you’re going to make it on the road you need to be comfortable being self-reliant and making decisions on your own.

RVing lifestyle challenges can bring couples closer together if they learn how to navigate these challenges . . . or they will end up killing each other and calling the road trip done.

We have faced our share of road trip calamities. We’ve always survived, but oftentimes at the cost of out of control emotions, expensive repairs and a sad sense of feeling like we were all alone in the world.

At times like that, even this tough chick will admit it’s lonely being out there without friends or family to call and bail you out.

Up here in the mountains, we have neighbors, but they’re not close enough to see from our property. We get the impression that people live up here for a reason . . . they don’t want to have neighbors. They’re hermits. I guess that might make us hermits too, but really, we aren’t. We just like the scenery.

Stranded on the  Mountain

Last week our trusty Dodge died (which Jim will eventually write about). My worst nightmare came true; we were stuck on our mountain without a vehicle (other than Jim’s motorcycle). Although Jim made a valiant effort to fix the problem the previous week, it returned last weekend, leaving us stranded again.

We had two options; either fork out serious cash for the 80 mile tow to the great diesel mechanic we found in town, or call our newly relocated friends, Lisa and Sean Purcell, who just planted roots here in Fort Collins after fulltiming with their kids for nearly two years. Suspecting that we had an electrical drain on our batteries, we knew that their Ford F350 could jump our Dodge 2500.

After a quick text to Lisa, she and Sean and their kids were on their way without hesitation. Instead of enjoying their new life in town on a beautiful sunny day, they drove the 80 miles to get us started and escorted us back to town to make sure we got there safely.

The Purcells saved us the towing fee, but their help was worth so much more than that. They gave us the emotional therapy we needed to get through a stressful situation. They made us laugh, got our truck started, then saved our day from crumbling into catastrophe. The two of them, their great kids and their dog Sophie turned a lousy morning around into a really nice afternoon with friends.

Thanks guys!

Life on the road is fantastic, and we’ll still keep snowbirding, but this proves there really is a lot to be said about a place you can call home.

It’s time for the annual NuRVers Gathering of Friends!

NuRVers is a group of young, non-retired RVers living the dream life now, instead of waiting for a someday that may never happen. We come from a variety of backgrounds but all share one thing in common; the desire to live an adventurous life on the open road.

Come join us in Gonzales, Texas in April for good times and great people! Last year’s inaugural  gathering was a blast, we know this year’s will be even better.

Space is limited. Sign up today!

Our San Francisco days have been on our minds. Yesterday would have been our friend Spoonie’s 49th birthday.

Back in the day, his birthday celebration might have consisted of us sitting on the floor in his room eating a calzone. Then we would’ve persuaded him to get a drink at the Gold Cane. Once there, Spoonie would drink just long enough for Jim and I to get loud and talky with others. As soon as we turned away, he would pull his disappearing act and walk home down Haight Street, alone. Drinking in public just wasn’t his style.

Those days are long past, and our old city friends like Kris (Spoonie) all fled for other pastures. Which sucks, because we just learned that two very cool friends of ours, Rhodester and Coffeesister, are in dire need of a place to live in San Francisco.

They have to be out of their current place at the end of this week, and they have nowhere to go.

Rhodester and Coffeesister Want a Place to Live, Now!

Jim and I keep wracking our brains, trying to figure out if we know anyone who might have a room open in their house or know somebody who does, but we’re drawing a blank. So we’re asking you all to spread the word.

Rhodester (Dave) was laid off over a year ago, and  is collecting unemployment while job-seeking in SF. He’s a writer in real life but is looking for anything in hospitality or security to pay the bills. He’s also damn funny, and has previously been a professional mime, performer and radio personality. Coffeesister (Dorian) is a kind-hearted woman with a sharp pen who is also battling auto-immune issues without any health insurance coverage.

They’re looking for a room to rent, and they don’t need anything fancy. Wifi would be nice, as Dave works online. For now they’ll take what we can get as long as it’s in the City, and is accepting of their two very clean and awesome cats.

If Spoonie were here, I know he would open his gigantic heart and offer them a place to stay, even if was just on his couch. Like drinking at the bar, saying “no” to someone in need wasn’t his thing.

Do you happen to know anyone in San Francisco who’s as kind, and has a place for this awesome couple to rent? Humor and good company is included with their deposit.

Since childhood I have always had a taste for the finer things in life. I remember being about 11 years old when my parents would take us out for dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant, I would order the prawn scampi. Fresh lobster is another all time favorite. I will never forget my mother telling me, on many more than one occasion, that I have Champagne tastes on a beer budget.

Believe me, I still yearn for the taste of those finer things. But my budget is more suited for sparkling water now, and I do not mean Perrier either. After stretching our one-year roadtrip budget to last nearly three years, and making frequent reality checks on the savings we are still spending, I have become quite good at letting those tastes linger on my palate praetendere.

In years past we have enjoyed Moët & Chandon on New Year’s eve, though Cristal was my favorite. But in past years, we used to actually make money too! This year, it was Trader Joe’s finest. And that’s OK. Long ago, I came to terms with getting what you pay for, and paying for what you get. Yes, those finer things in life taste good, but they never last long enough. There was even a time when spending over $100 on a bottle of bubbly made me feel good, but that was when we could afford such things. Now I know what matters most is the memories.

Friendship, good health and good times. Happiness, well being, comfort and prosperity.

These are the things we toasted to ring in the new year with our good friends Martha and Ralph and the Oaktown pack. And these things are what we wish upon all our friends and family. Keeping in mind, that is, to prosper need not necessarily require being wealthy.

I for one, will take my debt-free lifestyle with a sip of California sparkling wine over an upside down mortgage and French Champagne any day. Cheers!

Back when Lilla and Neal visited us at Jerry’s Acres, Neal suggested that we were in for a winter of heavy snow. His reasoning was based on a news story he had seen about the local Skunk Cactus — or at least he thinks that’s what the newscaster called this weed, and I think that’s what he called it.

Neal mentioned how the height at which the seed pods begin is an indication of that season’s snowfall depth. Based on a recent weather report from home, sent to us by Codie Rae’s people, I’m starting to believe him…

Red Feather Lakes: Snow and areas of blowing snow before midnight, then snow likely and areas of blowing snow after midnight. Low around 14. Wind chill values as low as -5. North northwest wind between 14 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

Needless to say, I believe we left just in time. Based on the reports we’re getting from back home, we would have likely been stuck there quite a while – if not all winter – had we not pulled away when we did. That, or we would have been digging out the trailer to hit the road.

But we haven’t exactly headed to warmer climes, yet. Our second night here in Fernley, our hose froze. We had forgotten to leave a faucet dripping overnight. Keeping the water moving through the hose will help it from freezing solid and ensure you have running water in the morning. Insulating the hose with foam pipe-wrap available in the plumbing section of any home supply store also helps. As does having water in your fresh water tank as a backup.

How quickly we forget these things after staying put for a few months. I remember first seeing an RVer fuss with a frozen hose at a riverside park in Ashville, NC two years ago and laughing. The other morning it was my turn. After struggling to thaw things out enough to get our water flowing, we have now practiced these precautionary measures I preach. Good thing René hadn’t yet begun her early morning shifts at the Amazon warehouse!

We proved to ourselves that RVing hasn’t turned us into outdoorsy wussies.

Our California friends Kim and Ari Shapiro, and their son Caz, paid us a visit recently, during their six week road trip sabbatical. Jim and Ari have been friends since college, and the five of us always had lots of great times backpacking and car camping.

We haven’t tent camped for almost a year, so when Kim and Ari wanted to check out the nearby Rahwah Wilderness, we went along for a few days, and took the backpacking gear instead of the rig.

We hauled our gear a whole 20 feet, from the truck to the tent pad at a great campsite along a river. The river lulled us to sleep both nights, making it a little easier to snooze on the rock hard ground.

Getting back to our roots and sleeping in our tiny tent wasn’t too bad, and we’ll definitely do it again sometime. But I’ve gotta say, RVing with refrigeration and a mattress is a lot kinder to your body.