theboondork's RV blog

Settling down for the night

8/29/2021

Click the pics to get a good view of my favorite boondocking spot.

Colorado sunset 11 mile reservoir Picture

Colorado mountain sunsets frequently start with a blast of color and then slowly fades into blackness lit only by a universe of stars.

I drove up to my property by early afternoon, found a semi-level spot to park, raised the roof on the little Bronco, and settled in for some boondocking at its finest.

There's something about the air at 9000 feet, which is about the altitude of my property. that makes it just perfect. It's dry and crisp and cool, which makes it just right for breathing.

Down at sea level, where the air feels oppressive, and the humidity saps your strength, there's plenty of oxygen, in fact so much so that I find I only have to take a breath three or four times a day.

Ten thousand feet and higher, it takes more effort to breathe, there's not much oxygen available, so I have to breathe a lot just to get the oxygen I need.

But 9000 feet is just perfect. I wish all the air in Colorado was like 9000 feet air. But if it was, even more people would be coming to Colorado just to breathe the perfect air.

I had a good time at my property, but since I didn't know I would end up there, I didn't bring along anything to do. Like, for instance, a few guns to shoot. I had one gun, of course, but it's full of somewhat expensive ammunition that was made for one purpose only, and I didn't want to waste it shooting at a tin can.

And of course, as always, I had no Internet or phone service, which removes a lot of my entertainment, so mostly I took a few pictures and relaxed. And there are few things as relaxing as sitting in the peace and quiet of your favorite place and breathing that perfect air.

Theboondork

A small herd of 10 or 12 Antelope walked by the little Bronco just before sunset. They stopped and stared at me, as if to say, what are you doing here? This is our home..... and of course their right. This is their home, always has been, always will be. I'm just borrowing it for a brief moment in time.

I'm always happy to be at my property. There's something about being here that gives me a feeling of contentment and serenity. And to me that's the biggest advantage of full-timing in a home with wheels.

if I have wheels, why on earth would I stay someplace I'm not happy? And by boondocking, I have the freedom to always be someplace that makes me happy.

This is the Pike National Forest that borders my property on the north side.

And this is the Pike National Forest that borders my property on the east side, giving me plenty of room to roam along with the Deer, the Elk, the Bear, and the Mountain lion. Which just so happens to be some of my favorite neighbors.

There was a beautiful sunset this afternoon, at least it was beautiful to me. I have found that the beauty of a sunset is directly related to how happy you are where you're at. I guess that explains why all sunsets are beautiful to me.

Enjoying the last rays of the setting sun before I get in the little Bronco and make myself comfortable for the night.

Driving that washboard road made for a tough day today and tired me out. So I'm hoping I can get those danged paper towels rolled back up before I fall asleep.

8 Comments

Malisa

8/30/2021 04:00:25 pm

Wow that’s a pretty sunset picture!

Tom

8/30/2021 04:55:58 pm

Well thank you Malisa, that means a lot to me.

Tom

OFM

8/30/2021 04:26:31 pm

Air at 9000 feet. I would need an oxygen supply tank just to lay down and breathe. About 7500 is normally my limit for more than a half hour. I guess living most of my life at or near sea level has its benefits, like knowing how to survive 140 mph hurricane winds.

8/30/2021 05:04:05 pm

Living part of my life in Miami Florida, and part of my life in the Colorado mountains, I was lucky enough to develop both of those skills.

But now I would find it easier get in my truck and skedaddle at the mere mention of an approaching hurricane. No hurricane parties for me anymore. Now days the closest I want to get to a hurricane is the weather Channel.

Tom

Judith

8/30/2021 08:24:30 pm

Oh. Such photos. And your abode looks lovely in that setting. And good air. I would never want to leave. How can you stay away from it so much? Nothing to do????
Take some books with you. You know...books. They are pieces of paper bound together with words printed on them. And they tell all kinds of stories.

8/30/2021 09:09:25 pm

Yes my exceedingly humble abode looks good under that sky, pretty much everything looks good under that sky.

My guess is "you would never want to leave"... Until the Winter. sometimes the snow is deep, and I've personally been there when it was 30 below zero. So it's a great place to go in the Summer and in the Fall. But Winter and Spring.... Not so much.

I'm somewhat familiar with books although I lost touch with them for quite some time when I walked into the local library and the card catalog with the Dewey decimal system in it was totally gone and there were two computers, which I didn't know how to turn on, taking its place.

When I lived in a house that was firmly affixed to the ground, I had an office, and in that office I had several bookcases just full to the brim with these things you call books, and I had enjoyed reading them all.

But when it came time to pare down my belongings to fit in a 30 foot fifth wheel, there was very little space for books. And the fact that books are heavy was another one of their problems when it came to adapting to my new slim and trim mobile lifestyle.

I of course carried some books with me but over the years they have been pared down to a somewhat precious few that seem to collect more dust than eyeballs.

So over time books have become one of the many hobbies I had that have been somewhat left behind. You may recall me mentioning in my blog, that I have been blessed, or cursed depending on how it's used, with a "one track" mind. And with no small amount of embarrassment, I have to admit.... my reading train has jumped the tracks.

Tom

Linda

8/31/2021 02:17:37 pm

Beautiful sunsets! I would also want to stay there a long time. Except for having no internet. I am firmly addicted to my electronic connection to the world.

At one time I had nine tall bookcase. Now I have a tablet with more books on it than I can read. Sure packs a lot easier, though.

8/31/2021 03:08:08 pm

Thank you Linda, I appreciate that.

If you stay at my place too long you'll need a snow shovel, to shovel the 3 miles to the Lake, where you can drill a hole through 4 feet of ice and hope a Seal pops up to Breathe so you can test out your recipe for Seal soufflé.

I too am thoroughly addicted to the Internet, and lack of phone or Internet service out at my property has been pretty annoying since I went full-time.

Hunting, shooting, prospecting, and riding a dirt bike, used to be three of my favorite things to do and I could do them all out at my property.

But when I went full-time, my interest in hunting and shooting pretty much went away completely. My interest in prospecting is waning. And if I start traveling in a truck camper I'm probably going to sell my little Beta motorcycle so I don't have to tote it around anymore.

Which means that of the two things that interest me the most, taking pictures, and playing on the Internet, taking pictures is now about the only thing I do at my property.

I have considered getting a digital reading device and having books on it to read as you do, and may do so in the future. But so far I remain busy enough that I haven't felt the need just yet.

And with me facing a fork in the road on what kind of RV I would like to continue full-time camping in I'm waiting for all that to shake out before I make any more life-changing decisions.

Tom

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Settling down for the night

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