When you have the ability to create a new, temporary home somewhere, why not dive into a book about the area? Learning a little about your location will always reveal surprising, colorful stories, even in the most seemingly boring places. You’ll end up with a stronger connection to your surroundings than a two second Kodak moment.

Required Reading: Utah

Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness, by Edward Abbey

Whoever left this at the Slabs Library had no idea how much it would rock my world. Thank you!

Amazon.com Review: Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, the noted author’s most enduring nonfiction work, is an account of Abbey’s seasons as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah.

Abbey reflects on the nature of the Colorado Plateau desert, on the condition of our remaining wilderness, and on the future of a civilization that cannot reconcile itself to living in the natural world. He also recounts adventures with scorpions and snakes, obstinate tourists and entrenched bureaucrats, and, most powerful of all, with his own mortality. Abbey’s account of getting stranded in a rock pool down a side branch of the Grand Canyon is at once hilarious and terrifying.

Road trippers, wanderers and hobos have much in common with Abbey, one of the America’s first radical environmentalists. Anyone who breaks from convention and searches for a different path in life will find validation in their “odd” life choices when reading his work.

“My God! I’m thinking, what incredible shit we put up with most of our lives — the domestic routine (same old wife every night), the stupid and useless and degrading jobs. . . the foul, diseased and hideious cities and towns we live in, the constant petty tyranny of automatic washers and automobiles and TV machines and telephones –! ah Christ! I’m thinking, at the same time that I’m waving goodby to that hollering idiot on the shore, what intolerable garbage and what utterly useless crap we bury ourselves in day by day, while patiently enduring at the same time the creeping strangulation of the clean white collar and the rich but modest four-in-hand garrote!).

. . . That‘s what the first taste of the wild does to a man, after having been too long penned up in the city. No wonder the Authorities are so anxious to smother the wilderness under asphalt and reservoirs.“

This week Jim and I are in Moab, camped around dozens of off-roader jeepers, bikers and dune buggiers who tear up the landscape while leaving swirling contrails of testosterone behind.

As I watch them whiz by on wheels, I can’t help but think of one of my favorite passages:

“What can I tell them? Sealed in their metallic shells like molluscs on wheels, how can I pry the people free? The auto as tin can, the park ranger as opener. Look here, I want to say, for godsake folks get out of them there machines, take off those fucking sunglasses and unpeel both eyeballs, look around; throw away those goddamned idiotic cameras! For chrissake folks what is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare? eh?

. . . Yes sir, yes madam, I entreat you, get out of those motorized wheelchairs, get off your foam rubber backsides, stand up straight like men! like women! like human beings! and walk — walk — WALK upon our sweet and blessed land!”

Under the Banner of Heaven, a Story of Violent Faith, by Jon Krakauer

Jim and I love Utah’s landscapes, but we’ve always been slightly freaked out by the Mormon culture that dominates every town we’ve been through. Ever since we rode here on our motorcycles a million years ago and a grocery store clerk snidely called long-haired Jim “Ma’am”, we’ve been more than a little critical of the creepy, stepford-like attitudes we’ve encountered among a lot (but not all) people.

Krakauer’s book sheds loads of light on Mormonism’s growth, their dominance of Utah’s politics and people and how many tiny sects have spun off and created even freakier fundamentalist movements.

From Publishers Weekly: Using as a focal point the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation, Krakauer explores what he sees as the nature of radical Mormon sects with Svengali-like leaders.

Using mostly secondary historical texts and some contemporary primary sources, Krakauer compellingly details the history of the Mormon church from its early 19th-century creation by Joseph Smith (whom Krakauer describes as a convicted con man) to its violent journey from upstate New York to the Midwest and finally Utah, where, after the 1890 renunciation of the church’s holy doctrine sanctioning multiple marriages, it transformed itself into one of the world’s fastest-growing religions.

My take is that essentially, there’s no difference between a charismatic religious zealot like Mormon founder Joseph Smith, and other self-proclaimed prophets who mass media portrays as unstable nutbags with criminal tendencies (remember David Koresh?). The only thing separating them was timing. Mormonism grew as fast as it did because there wasn’t much to compete with it back in the 1800s. However, I’m still not sure how that explains the numbers of modern followers it continues to attract.

Perhaps Edward Abbey knows:

“Whatever we cannot easily understand we call God; this saves much wear and tear on the brain tissues.”

-Edward Abbey

I’ve been thinking we would catch up on writing about our adventures over the past couple months for a couple months now.

We were in Los Angeles a while, but had plenty of family and holidays to distract us. Then we were boondocking on the Slabs, and well, that’s Slab City for you. We’ve also been meeting up with lots of cool people. Then there was the whole Nature thing, and off to Big Bend, but plenty of distraction time there. Not to mention the Cowboy Poetry Festival! Next we had the NüRVers get-together for a few too many hangover days. Stay tuned for details, we promise.

But now we’re settled in for our first pre-paid full month in one spot. Hopefully the lure of New Braunfels and the Comal River won’t keep us too preoccupied to tell y’all what we’ve really been up to. With that said, there’s something that’s been bugging me …

I’ll never understand how certain outdoorsy types choose to enjoy our natural resources by destroying them. All across America I’ve always noticed the detritus of litter bugs, and done my best to pick up after them. But when we were dry camping in the Mojave we picked up more of other people’s trash on just two hikes than I would have ever dreamed possible.

I hate to stereotype folks, but the vast majority of visitors to Jawbone Canyon are the OHV type. They tear up the hills and dunes on trail bikes and quads, which sound like it could be quite fun in it’s own right. But why must they leave such a mess behind?

Please give a hoot. Don’t pollute. We’ve only got room for so much trash in our rig.

While we’re on the subject, here’s an ironic thing we noticed while dry camping out in the Mojave near a huge wind farm under construction.

We watched in awe as immense turbine blades passed by in convoys of three … followed by dozens of workers, each in their individual cars.

You’d think renewable energy developers might implement some sort of transit for workers who travel 100 miles to the job site.

Wow. The response to Nature’s Why We Love Cats and Dogs is beyond our wildest dreams. Jerry’s website has been smokin’. We typically average about 900 unique visits a day. Yesterday alone we had more than 6,000 visitors!

We have spent the last day answering the many heartfelt comments people are leaving on our posts about Jerry’s last days.

We can’t thank PBS and WNET enough for sharing Jerry’s story. If you missed it, no worries. You can still watch the full episode online.

We must give a special shout-out to producer Ellen Goosenberg Kent and her crew. Since they first followed us around Santa Fe last March, we’ve wondered what would come of the hours of footage they shot.

Well, Ellen did a simply amazing job telling Jerry’s story! We have now seen it about a dozen times and still cry every time.

We are just astounded to think that our story has touched so many people, in such profound ways. If the response here and on the Nature website is any indication, Ellen is sure to be nominated for another Emmy!

Thank you Ellen. Thank you Nature. Thank you PBS.

Just a quick reminder: Jerry’s big debut will be on PBS tonight, 2/15 in the NATURE series episode called “Why We Love Cats and Dogs.”

Be sure to tune in at 8:00 p.m. (check your local listings to be sure). You’ll also hear from many other pet owners and various animal behavior experts like the awesome Sarah Wilson.

You can comment on the video at YouTube. Read more about Jerry’s stardom here, and don’t forget to submit your favorite pet photo for the PBS Why I Love Cats and Dog photo contest!

We will be in the Tripawds chat room live before and after the show airs in all time zones. Please stop in to say “Hi!”

The show’s been getting great write ups, includingLos Angeles Times, New York Times, the Times Standard, the San Francisco Examiner, and the Tribune News Media Service among others.

We’re getting excited about the February 15th premier of the PBS Nature episode that tells Jerry’s story. PBS is promoting the show through their Nature Blog, YouTube, Twitter, and even a pet photo contest.

For a sneak preview of some of our scenes in the show, check out Jerry’s Tripawds website.

Back when we were in Los Angeles, we were thrilled to be invited by PBS to present the show at the Annual Television Critics Press Tour. This is a twice-yearly event where TV networks showcase their best work of the season. We were on the panel along with with the show’s producer, Ellen Goosenberg Kent, animal behavior expert Sarah Wilson, and PBS executive Bill Grant.

We were clueless about the significance of the TCA event. But then Ellen told us that not every show gets invited to the showcase, and this was the only Nature episode being presented. Later, as we were whisked into the Universal Studios Hilton ballroom with a large stage, gigantic video monitors and about 100 reporters, we got the picture.

Jim’s a natural at public speaking, and was great. As for me, I’ve always dreaded it, and if I didn’t belong toToastmasters once, I would’ve fainted. I did OK though, thanks to our “little Jerry” I held, a three legged stuffed dog that our friends Bob and Marianne Morse gave to him before we left Eureka (that’s Jerry’s collar on it).

The event was over in the blink of an eye, but the results have been encouraging. We’ve so far been interviewed by the TV Guide Channel, a Tribune News Media reporter, and this Tuesday, a San Luis Obispo area talk radio host, Dave Congelton, is interviewing us. Keep an eye out for your local newspapers to review the show.

As we watch this dream unfold, we can’t help but feel blessed for all of the incredible gifts that Jerry bestowed on us. He was such an inspiration, and despite the pain of losing him far too soon, we are comforted in knowing that his story will go on to inspire others all over the world through this show, and of course, his website. Many thanks to producer Ellen and our friend Luke for believing in his story.

Remember, Why We Love Cats and Dogs premieres Sunday, February 15 on PBS (check local listings).

We’ve been trying to get this off our chests for about nine months now, but we weren’t allowed to say anything. It’s finally official … Jerry is gonna be a star!

Thanks to our three-legged soul mate, we’ll be featured in the upcoming premiere of NATURE’s WHY WE LOVE CATS AND DOGS airing nationally on PBS Sunday, February 15th at 8PM (check local listings) NATURE is produced by THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG for PBS.

The crew followed us around for a few days when we took Jerry to Santa Fe for his first visit the oncologist. They later sent a cameraman to the ranch to capture more quality time with the three of us. We have no idea how it all turned out. Only that we and other pet lovers were were asked – along with various animal behavior experts – what makes us love our animals so much?

How exciting and surreal this has been … we owe it all to Luke at 2 Dogs 2000 Miles who told the NATURE producer about us. Puppy up my friend!

Stay tuned for more details. We just returned from the TV Critics Conference, for the program’s premiere. Knowing we live on the road, they offered to fly us to Los Angeles from wherever we were. Too bad we’re already there!