Tag: zion national park

Seeking answers

Terri
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I felt like this photo was my reward for being at Zion today. I felt honored they let me get so close. 

 

I’m sorry it has been a while since I posted. I’ve been trying to sort through some things – figuring out my place in this world, etc. I’m feeling like this town is too small for me to stay in permanently, having lived the last 20 or so years of my life in big cities. And I’m getting the urge to possibly pursue seasonal work as Becky does from Interstellar Orchard. But I don’t want to give up on helping animals either.  So, blog readers, I’m totally open to any and all suggestions you might have on that front! (And yes, I have signed up again with Workamper News so I can peruse the possibilities there in addition to Coolworks.com)

But seriously. I’ve been feeling down in the dumps lately. Not sure why. It might be the weather, the ever-shortening days, the smallness and consequently isolated-feeling I get from being in this town. Maybe it’s because with the trees having lost all of their leaves, I can see just what a dump the property is behind where my RV is parked. Literally. It looks like the owner of the house just let a whole bunch of cars or other types of machines park themselves out back, to just rust away. It’s depressing and an eye sore. I’m told the guy is like 90 years old, though, so I just kind of ignore it and try to not look at it or dwell upon it. But it is an eyesore, to be quite blunt.

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I was amazed at how close this family of mule deer let me get to them. 

I’m just having a hard time of it right now and it’s frustrating to not be able to snap out of it. I used to be able to rely on my workouts to keep my mood up, but lately, I just don’t even have that motivation to work out like I used to. It’s been several weeks since I went on a real run. I don’t count the one or two nights on the treadmill where I did walk/run/walk/run, etc. I’ve also been sleeping a lot more than I used to. I get bored to death at the gym with the same routines over and over. Last week, I went to the gym once. Once. That’s unheard of from me. And, most nights, it’s all I can do to stay awake past 8, which might be one of the reasons you’ve not seen many blog posts from me lately.

I went to one of my favorite (and cheap) places to go, today. Zion National Park. (It’s cheap because I have an annual pass so it doesn’t cost me anything more than the gas required to get there.) I made sure to go early enough that the sun would be out and feel warm for quite a while. I found a good spot on a bench outside of the Zion Lodge and read a book while occasionally looking at the massiveness of this tree, pictured below, and tried to figure out just how old it is. Any guesses?

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I decided at one point to drive and park at the visitor’s center. Once there, I decided instead of doing the Pa’Rus Trail again, I  would do some walking toward the town of Springdale. Springdale is a small, artsy town that borders the park, and while it’s small, as you can see in the photo below, at least it has a large screen movie theatre. (That’s more than I can say for the town I’m in right now. But I digress.)

The town is definitely in its off-season mode. It seemed like almost every business I passed was closed. A coffee shop was open, as were some of the outdoor gear type places, but most of the restaurants were shuttered. I soon gave up on the idea of eventually people-watching, and started walking back toward my car and that’s when I saw this family of mule deer, up close and personal. I took so many photos – the ones sprinkled throughout this post are just a sampling.

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Mama and baby. I was so lucky to get this shot with the baby’s big ears turned toward me. 

Another guy came over and started taking pictures too and we got to talking. Earlier today, he had hiked Angels Landing, and he said at the top he saw a California Condor, which he told me was made extinct in the wild in the late 1990s. He said they’ve only recently begun to be released into the wild in Zion and the Grand Canyon, so we agreed that it was pretty amazing that he saw one today. Together, we just marveled at how close the deer let us walk toward them. They clearly know they are safe there, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Seeing these deer lifted my spirits in a way it is hard to describe. I’ve always felt this connection to animals, like they just know I mean them no harm. I also enjoyed connecting with another human being over how it felt to be so close to them and to feel such wonderment together. It got me to thinking of ways I can help animals other than or in addition to what I do now for work. I’m still sorting it out in my mind, that and a lot of other things. I just know spring can’t come fast enough, for so many reasons.

Have you ever been down and just can’t snap out of it, even after a few weeks? What did you do to get out of it?

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Zion National Park’s Pa’Rus Trail

Terri
My lunchtime view - close to the Visitor Center at Zion. I *think* that rock formation is called The Watchman because it overlooks the Watchman Campground.
My lunchtime view – close to the Visitor Center at Zion. I *think* that rock formation is called The Watchman because it overlooks the Watchman Campground.

I asked my friend Dan the other night, “does it make me pathetic that I go to Zion almost every week these days?” And he said “no!” I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t feel comfortable sitting at home on my days off. Maybe because I know that during the week, there pretty much is no other option after work, since it gets dark at 5:30ish.  Living in a small town is one thing in the summertime when the sun only sets around 9 p.m. (we’re so far west in the mountain time zone, that’s why) and you can go hiking after work. But now, it gets very cold here after the sun sets. The difference in temps between daytime and nighttime can be about 30 degrees. I’m sure those ranges will get even larger as we get more into winter. And no, I’m not looking forward to it, not one bit. I think the only thing that will save me this winter from sinking into an abyss (yes, I’m being a bit dramatic) is the fact that we get more sun here than we did back east. I remember sitting and looking out the small window of my office last January. The sky always seemed to be a foreboding gray and on a really gloomy day it could be almost dark by 3:30 p.m. Read more →

Observations and Thoughts While Hiking Zion National Park’s Observation Point Trail

Terri
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This pic was taken toward the beginning of the hike, when I stopped to eat my pb&j sandwich. You find the trailhead for the Observation Point Trail at the Weeping Rock shuttle stop.

One of the good things about where I live is that one of the most amazing national parks is pretty much in my backyard. Just a quick forty minute drive or so to the Visitor Center where on weekends through the end of November, they are running a shuttle service through the scenic road of the park. Yesterday, I felt like challenging myself so I set out to do the Observation Point Trail, which is described by Zionnational-park.com as “[t]he path is steep and gains elevation quickly, making it one of the most strenuous of the classic hikes in the park. If you have poor fitting shoes it can be quite painful on your toes on the return hike.” (I found the description to be accurate, btw.) Read more →

Updates: Amazon Affiliate Link, NaNoWriMo, Book Reviews and Changes to the Website, and THANK YOU!

Terri

12191988_10153486362779930_4135425328327321119_nSo, this has been an insanely busy week every night after I’ve gotten home from work, so I’ve not been able to update the blog much other than responding to comments (which I love by the way, so please keep them coming!), but I wanted to give everyone an update of what is going on in this little circle of my world.

First, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has responded to and read through my post on my financial picture. I agree, cutting expenses even more will be difficult (but that doesn’t mean I can’t do it), so I need to add to my income  if I’m going to have much hope on paying off the RV and car early. So my plan so far is this (and  not necessarily in this order):

  • bust my butt to get a second job (have started making calls to local businesses and will be grabbing applications after work this evening and coming week)
  • send in my invoice to my author for work I did before I moved out here
  • become an Amazon affliliate (this has already been done, please see the link in my sidebar)
  • write an ebook (or two or three, as much as I can inspire myself to get down on paper!)
  • start learning more web-based and other marketable skills through Lynda.com (my employer has obtained access to this for all employees, so it will cost me nothing!)

Second, yesterday, a co-worker mentioned NaNoWriMo, which I have heard about before but never taken part in. No good time like the present to join in the fun, right? The goal is to write a novel in a month, and it is a huge community of writers who attempt to do the same thing. The goal is ostensibly to write 50,000 words in a month and there are forums you can join, prompts you can use, etc., to get that creativity flowing. I plan on using this to keep me motivated.

Third, in case you’re unfamiliar with the Amazon Affiliate Program, the way it works is that if you shop Amazon through my affiliate link, it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but a small percentage (I’m not sure of the exact amount) will be then returned to me in consideration of my having the link on my website.

Finally, you may notice I have a page on my blog called Helpful Books.  It has languished a bit for a while but no more! I plan on adding resources to this as well as book reviews. If you have a suggestion of a book to read or a resource that has helped you, whether it’s on budgeting, RVing, living frugally, inspiration to live your dreams or life your way, etc., please let me know! (There’s an easy way to do it by just filling out the form on that page too.) I’ve already received a suggestion or two on books to add to that page, so stay tuned, those will be added shortly.)  🙂  I am also hoping that I can learn some new skills through Lynda.com, as mentioned above, to update and customize this website as well. It might involve paying for a blog theme, instead of the free one that I currently use, but let’s see what I can learn and do on my own first!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and as always, thanks for reading!

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Why I Like Living Small

Terri
the view from Scout's Lookout on the Angel's Landing Trail at Zion
the view from Scout’s Lookout on the Angel’s Landing Trail at Zion

I was going to write a post about living in an RV, but then I thought I would write about why I like living small instead because I think a lot of these ideas or reasons can easily be applied to both. I’ll write a separate post about living in an RV later.

  1. Contained.  This is the sense I get – everything I have is easily contained. This doesn’t mean that necessarily everything is in its proper place at all times, but it does mean that everything can be contained within a small structure (small in the sense of relative to the average size house in this world. My RV is 30.5 feet long.) When I start to feel the urge to buy things to make it feel more like “home” I am reminded of the space allotment I have, and that’s usually enough to have my brain switch to “no thanks.”
  2. Neatness. It is really forcing me to be neater than I have ever been before in my life. Maybe it’s also because I do a lot of cleaning up after animals at my job as well, but there is nothing worse than coming into a small space and seeing crap strewn all over the place. Even if it’s the crap you really love and value. When my place is neat, I feel like I can breathe much easier.
  3. Makes me feel financially safer.  I’m now paying about 25% of what my old rent used to be, back in Boston. I was paying for room that I didn’t need.  Because of this, I get excited thinking about how fast I can pay off the RV I currently have, so that I can work on saving money so that I can pay for something smaller, with cash. And how I can fit all of my pets and myself in something much smaller, comfortably. Yes, it would make sense to do something like a Class B, but those can be very expensive unless it’s a lot on the older side, and in that case, I would worry about it breaking down a lot. Guess I should set myself up for an auto mechanic’s course….
  4. Makes me prioritize what I really love and do not love.  I’ve been looking at my closet and thinking that even though I downsized it to get to here, it needs to be downsized even more. I have heard of folks who live in  RVs who get rid of anything that they have not used in one month, and if I follow that rule, there are definitely things that I can say good bye to, however, with the change in seasons, I am not as sure.
  5. Makes me want to go even smaller. The funny thing about downsizing is that now I want to go even smaller. I see lots of Casitas and small travel trailers now, as well as teardrops, in this part of the country, and I look at them wistfully, and think what if I could get all of my possessions into something that small? Wouldn’t that be great??
  6. Less motivation to buy stuff. Because it’s small(er) than my old apartment, the motivation to buy stuff just isn’t there. If I do buy anything,  I then have to bring it home and find a place for it, and that can get kind of tiring. Better to not have to worry about it in the first place.
  7. Makes me want to get out and experience the outdoors. Or maybe that’s just the location. Either way, I prefer to not sit inside all the time! (The above picture is proof.)

Have any of you downsized recently or want to downsize your living quarters, and how has it gone, or why do you want to downsize? Please drop me a line below! (And as always, if you’ve liked the post, please hit like or subscribe or share it, and thanks for reading!)

Have You Ever?

Terri
Zion National Park, river after the storm.
Zion National Park, river after the storm.

Have you ever….

  1. Had one of those days where you can’t stop smiling?

    Zion National Park, before the storm.
    Zion National Park, before the storm.
  2. Been so happy you find yourself hugging your knees to your chest, and thinking, now THIS….this is what life is all about?
  3. Been so excited to accomplish so many things and dreams and goals that you don’t know where to even start, or which to focus on first?
  4. Found yourself looking at such gorgeous scenery around you and wondering how it is you are so lucky to be able to experience it?
  5. Had so many ideas flowing from your brain you wonder how to go about writing them all down without missing one?
  6. Wanted to share every beautiful image you’ve come across in one day with another or others, but been afraid to overwhelm them?
  7. Been so thankful to be alive?
View of the incoming storm from the Lower Pool, of the Emerald Pools Trail at Zion National Park.
View of the incoming storm from the Lower Pool, of the Emerald Pools Trail at Zion National Park.

Please drop me a comment below and let me and other readers know! Thank you for reading, as always!  Hope you enjoy the pictures, all taken with my phone at Zion National Park!

Massachusetts Humane Lobby Day, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and decisions on dreams

Terri
I feel blessed when I see something like this.
I feel blessed when I see something like this.

Tomorrow is Massachusetts’ Humane Lobby Day. The day that a lot of animal lovers and activists descend onto the Massachusetts State House, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston is one of the organizations that will be represented. I was there last year and remember that there were some awesome speakers who totally galvanized the crowd. I remember looking around and feeling like “this is my tribe. These are a lot of people who are like me. People who love animals.”  Last year, I had taken the day off from work to go. It was really heartening to see so many others had done the same. And of course, the adoptable pets that were brought that day were super adorable. There will be more again tomorrow. If you’ve never heard of Humane Lobby Days, and might be interested in taking part in one, check out this link, because they are held all over the country.

I am planning on going tomorrow since I’ve taken it easy the past few days after my mistake of walking so many miles on Saturday. My body let me know on Sunday that it would prefer I take it a bit easier still so soon after my surgery. I should be ok to sit, stand and walk around the statehouse and talk to people. After all, walking is the best thing you can do after you have abdominal surgery like I did.

I saw my surgeon last week for a two week follow up and he said I’m doing really well. He actually thought i was healing faster than he expected so I guess that means my incision site looks good. He said that I could doing more than just walking within another ten days to two weeks, so needless to say, I’m chomping the bit to get out there and join the ranks of the runners around the reservoir! (And to my defense, he did say that he thought I could ramp up my walking a bit after I saw him. I guess I took him too much at his word.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)

In other news I have decided to take a vacation trip to the southwest. I am going to volunteer with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary while I am out there and visit Bryce National Park while I am out there.  (I have already been to Zion.) So far I have signed up for three days of volunteering with them, in various parts of the sanctuary so I get a good taste of it. I’ve found a place to stay and am just waiting for confirmation on the dates I’ve asked about, and am hoping to take little Baby O with me on the trip. The good thing about a town whose largest employer is an animal sanctuary? It’s super animal and pet friendly! If Osito doesn’t go with me, I will likely volunteer to take a shelter dog home with me for a night (the place I want to stay allows that.) Oh, and another thing? Best Friends has an on-site cafe that serves vegetarian food!!

I’ve also decided to not pursue the tiny house in North Carolina anymore. I was starting to get very stressed about how much it was going to cost between the down payment and closing costs, and wondered if I would have enough of a cash cushion to pursue my dreams there. And a small part of me felt like moving someplace south, but still on the east coast, was somehow “safe” in that it was still somewhat similar to where I am now. Yes, NC is a bit different culture wise, but it still kind of looks the same as this part of the East Coast.  And while I had met some very nice people down there, including the builder and the project manager who I have been thinking of as a friend, I was worried I might not find a lot of people who would be willing to understand my vegan lifestyle, etc.

So now it’s part of why I want to go to Best Friends. I’ve been thinking more and more that what I want to do, what my heart truly wants to do, is work at an animal sanctuary. I’m good with animals and I’m good with people, and both are really important abilities or skills to have. They have several job openings, some of which I think I’m qualified for, and they also offer internships that you can apply for (unpaid, if for five weeks.) So I’m seriously considering that route too. So wish me luck – I’m going to apply.  It’s also completely different – geography wise and more – from what I have grown up with, but it’s a topography that always makes me feel like I can just “breathe.”  I’m totally jumping outside of my comfort zone and I couldn’t be more excited! This is how you grow, right?!

I think you know something is your calling when thinking about something brings tears to your eyes but they are tears of joy. That’s how I felt tonight when I walked around the reservoir thinking about all of this, and it’s when I snapped the photo you see above. (The reservoir never fails to provide good photo opportunities.) I’ve saved my butt off for the past year and before that, paid off a lot of bills, so now I can take this leap with a bit of a cushion underneath me.

As always, thanks for reading and for your support. If you’ve liked this post, please drop me a line in the comments section, or hit like or subscribe, or share it with someone you think would like to read my drivel and musings. 🙂