Briar Autumn

Sweet Briar Autumn was born at 1:11AM on November 8th. :) She weighed 8lbs 13oz, which shocked me since I didn't get too big during pregnancy. My labor was 25 hours long, a home birth, delivered by two sweet midwives and Kelley. The intense labor and 6 hours of pushing were way worth it. I ended up pushing for 3 hours before we discovered that my cervix was stuck over a portion of her head, then I was just exhausted for the last 3 hours, trying to pull it together after 39 hours of not sleeping. Definitely an intense experience. :) We love her to pieces!!!

Sweet Rat Girl...

My sweet rat girl passed away today. A tumor suddenly grew on the inside of her mouth, and within days turned into a stinky and rotting situation. :( I was luckily able to sleep with her for a night and hold her before she got too sick. She was seriously the sweetest rat I have ever known. And even through all of her pain, she was still so gentle and tried to lick my hands as much as she normally does. We took her into the vet earlier to make her transition more comfortable. So heartbreaking, and it makes me not want anymore animals for a while, after my girls live their lives fully. It hurts so bad to lose fur and feather family, and I have experienced it twice in the past year with Little Wing passing last October. I am just grateful that Mooshika lived a full life, and had a lot of people to play with her and give her love over the past couple of years. 

With all of that being said, I haven't had the baby yet. I chalk it up to emotional distress with Mooshika, and a few other things. We have a sweet roommate that is going to take Wolfgang for a couple of days so we can give birth in a quiet and calm environment. Wolfgang has been sick with diarrhea a bit lately, and is now in a 2-year-old screaming fit mood the past couple of days, so I am definitely feeling the need for a break so I can focus only on the birth. Last night, my water was leaking a lot and I had contractions on top of each other, and as soon as the little one started screeching, it was over for me and the contractions wouldn't start up again this morning due to more screeching. I know that stress contributes to unsuccessful labor, so I am truly thankful that there is someone looking to help out. I guess this is why people have family to take their kids for a few days so they can give birth. :) Unfortunately we lack that a lot out here. We also had internet setup today at the house, so I will be able to post about the birth soon! :) Stay tuned. Love :)

Instagram

If anyone wants to follow my Instagram for photos, the link is here:

http://instagram.com/earthyhoneymama

It is easier to keep up with than Blogger sometimes :)

No Wee One Yet :)

I am only 4 days away from my due date, but I feel like the wee one will be waiting until November 3rd (the new moon). At least I am hoping so. I am not ready to not be pregnant yet. I enjoy it too much, and will miss the little one being in there. Though, I do want to meet her and am also getting a little anxious to see her little face. :) I have been scrambling to try and stock up on things and get all of my errands done and bills paid ahead of time so that I do not have to leave the comforts of the mountain.

I had some fun on the set of the upcoming movie "Wild" the other day (Reese Witherspoon has the main acting role). I was cast as an extra (just asked on the street) and ended up being in 5 scenes of the movie. I was getting picked for scenes a lot because of the baby in my belly. Neat experience, but wow it was a long day. I worked 15 hours and ended up with crazy ankle swelling for the first time during my pregnancy, since I had to sit in one place for so long. Definitely something I won't be doing so close to my due date with future pregnancies. :) I didn't actually think I would get back to normal, but I haven't had swelling since, thank goodness.

We are still settling into things at the new place. It is nice and peaceful at night, and it is great having other women on the land to talk to. It sure beats being out in the country alone. We should be getting internet out there within the month. We have pretty bad reception up on the mountain, just like everywhere else that we have lived. :)

I guess I don't have too much to share as of yet! Next blog should be about the baby. :) Sending love to everyone :)

Moving to the Mountains!

We found a place to stay for the winter. It is about 45 minutes northeast of Ashland, up in the mountains. I have a good feeling about it, and we will have access to everything we have been wanting (shower/bathtub, toilet, electricity, water, internet). The place we are staying at has free-range peacocks and a lot of elk and deer. :) Kelley also got a job in Medford that he has been enjoying. He isn't getting a whole lot of hours, but he I am glad because I am due to give birth in less than 4 weeks now.

I had my 36 week midwife appointment, and everything is still great. I am ready to give birth now. And definitely excited to be able to hold my pee in throughout the night. :) I have decided to rest for the remainder of my pregnancy since I have been so active and all over the place. Running errands all day long and taking care of everything is wearing on me. I haven't had much downtime the whole pregnancy, and I can tell that my body wants it now. It will be a good time to catch up on some reading and cooking.

My Bug has yet to sell. I haven't had the money to fix the wheel bearings and sell it..so hoping someone will buy it at a discount and just fix it on their own. It is really a cheap fix..but I also don't want to drive an hour and a half round trip to get it done right now. I am really just ready for everything to be done and over with. I am truly just glad to have the Dolphin now and have insurance and title all taken care of.

Nothing else has really been going on. I was removed from the remainder of my unemployment because of government cuts. It has been a roller coaster with it really, being that I have been kicked off of it multiple times already, even after being laid off again. Oregon is definitely a place to make your own job, and not rely on a company for a paycheck. Kelley has applied for so many jobs, and only got one out of applying for 5 or so a day over a month. I really want to get back to Texas in the Spring and get the hours I need to transfer my massage license elsewhere, but I will need to be working for a company, and not myself unfortunately (Oregon Law), hence why I couldn't do it this time around. Ideally, I do not want to be doing anything else job wise.

I am still trying to make a registry list, but I would much rather have hand-me-downs of handmade clothing (knits), and warm baby clothes (newborn to 12 mos). If anyone has any of that, I'd be very grateful. :) I may be out of signal for a while until the internet is setup where we are staying, but will try to stay in contact. :) Sending love. :) My PO Box will still be the same until the end of December.

So many changes!

A lot of things are shifting in my life last minute, as I expected they would. I finally sold the bus to a young couple, who are also expecting a baby..not until spring though. :) I have enough money from the sale to move into the exact Toyota Dolphin that I have been wanting, which is very exciting. I am going to miss the bus, but not the size or trying to find places to park it. The Dolphin will be much more manageable for me. Kelley is going to take me to Klamath Falls to pick it up on Sunday, then the new bus owners will take over the bus then. Sad endings and happy beginnings. :) Now to sell sweet Bella Bug.

I have been downsizing and selling everything that I had on the bus. I am excited to have even less stuff than I moved to Oregon with. Plus, it is giving me a little extra income to work with for when the baby gets here. Looking into buying a small trailer for all of my bulk food so that we can use it all up this winter and have a way to move around the country in the spring. It looks like Kelley might get a really good paying job in Klamath Falls for the winter, which will mean having a roof over our heads until we head out in the spring. :) We will see how that unfolds.

I finally went to my first midwife appointment, more out of curiosity of how my baby is growing than anything. I have felt really great my whole pregnancy, so it wasn't out of worry, but wanting to hear the heartbeat and reaffirm that I have been eating well and that pregnancies can be completely healthy and perfect without having to go to a doctor. The baby is healthy, moving all of the time, the right size, heartbeat is awesome, my blood pressure is great, and the levels on my urine test are perfect. I have gained around 25lbs, but not sure where the weight is going, for I fit into all of my clothes still and my body looks the same, aside from my huge belly. :) I guess it is possible that it could all go to my belly. :)

The weather is changing fast here in Ashland. The nights are getting chilly, and the days have cooled off a lot. I am glad for the change, because it sure was getting hot on the bus during the day.

Will update more on Monday. :)

New Home for Bob

I finally sold the motorcycle today. I sold it for much, much less than it was worth, but I really needed to stop moving it around Ashland, so I am glad that he sold. I was thankfully able to hold back my stream of tears when they new owners drove him away. Two more vehicles to sell! Showing and letting people test drive the vehicles so often is making me slightly crazy and very exhausted. I am getting pretty anxious to find the other two a new home soon, and pick up the Dolphin. I really just want to rest for the remainder of my pregnancy, not move around all of the time. I am 33 weeks on Wednesday, and I do not feel like I am growing much sometimes. Other people reassure me that I am, but I feel so tiny compared to some people at even 28 weeks. I think I just eat a lot differently than most everyone else. I guess I can't gain too much body fat when I am just eating fermented food, a lot of beans, vegetables, and cheese. I applied for Oregon Health Plan the other day to get help with midwife costs, so with that being said, I am working on finding a midwife in Ashland right now for the birth. I think I actually found one, and she is one of the only midwives in Ashland that will take people right before birth, even if you have had another midwife during the pregnancy.

I am thinking about starting an online registry this week for the rest of the baby things I need before the wee one comes. I already have a car seat, which was the biggest thing on my list, but probably not enough cloth diapers..or clothing. So anyone that has any baby clothes they aren't using anymore, please hit me up. :)

I will take an updated pregnancy photo pretty soon. I have been slacking on it big time. :) I have been thinking about staying in Ashland for the winter and then taking a long road trip in the spring. A lot of searching on the internet for places to rent lately. Everything is pretty expensive here.

Just a quick update - I will update more this week. :)

Ashland!

I have been in Ashland, Oregon for about a week now. When I got to town, my alternator started going out. Because of this, I have been living at a rest stop for the past week - but a lot of good things came of it. The rest stop I am staying at is actually home to many people who live in Ashland, or are traveling. You can stay at the rest stop as long as you want, as long as you leave during the day. One of the guys that lives there is going to help me replace the alternator for free, and a local agency is helping me with $200 of the $400 alternator..and I am hoping to find some extra help today. Since unemployment cut me back so much money, I just can't afford to pay for it on my own right now (food is costing me a lot since I have no electricity or way to keep produce). Unemployment also ends in a few weeks, so I need to save as much as possible while the vehicles sell. Ashland is definitely a better place to sell my vehicles, for I get a lot of calls about the motorcycle and car. I have a good feeling that they will have new homes in the next 5 weeks, which will make me feel relieved. Hoping for something faster though. The alternator should be in by Friday, then my bus will be in perfect running condition again. :) I feel that it has been going out since I bought it, so I am glad it went out before I sold it to someone. 

The rest stop has been fun because I have met a lot of traveling families with kids, couples, and single people who are just working to live. Finding a place in Ashland is hard because of the profiling that so many companies do, so not many people can find a home (even families with kids, jobs, and money in the bank). Needless to say, this won't be my final destination (expensive). Looking forward to getting into a Toyota Dolphin still, and heading down to see my sister in Davis, CA before I get too far along. I am 31 weeks pregnant today, so my eyes are bugging out because of the vehicle selling. :) I stay in town a lot during the day just to show and let people test drive the vehicles. It definitely makes me wish that I still had a bicycle, because I do an awful lot of walking since I park the bus on the outskirts in the shade (so it doesn't make too much noise or get too hot). 

I have been going to ladies night at Jackson Wellsprings lately, which helps me meet people. It is really relaxing, and very nice to swim in a big pool of fresh spring water under the moonlight. I will definitely be spending every Monday there until I leave, especially since I keep getting pass kick downs and do not have to pay. :) Granted, it isn't a huge fee - it is really reasonable ($8). 

I will update more later. :) 

Long journey!

I just got back to Elkton, Oregon after a 1,700 mile journey over 25 days. 1,700 miles may not seem like a lot, considering I have even driven 8,500 miles over a few weeks before, but it is a lot being pregnant, solo, and driving a school bus! :) I must admit, I want to leave Elkton already. I came back to dead batteries and a fun new sound under the hood of the bus, plus a lot of fleas. The friends I am staying with have a wicked flea infestation - one of those where you walk into the house or yard and your legs are covered. I am really hesitant to let the girls out in the yard, because it took all of those 25 days to get the fleas off of them since the last time we were here, which led to the girls chewing their hair off in many places on their bodies. Poor girls! They have seriously never had fleas until now. :(

I came back to get my motorcycle, car, and pack up everything I am storing in Elkton into the bus. When I went to "take inventory" of everything I need to load up, my heart sunk. I can't believe how much stuff I acquired over the past 10 months - things that I did indeed use very often, like a cage for the geese (to transport them in), and a huge water container for the geese to swim in etc. Looks like I will be having a huge sale soon! I am off to Ashland, Oregon (for real this time) in a few days. I am hoping that will increase my chances of selling the Beetle, Bus, & Motorcycle. I should only be living there for a month, as long as everything sells quick. I went to Bend on my way back to Elkton, and met up with the woman who is selling the Toyota Dolphin (camper) that I want to buy after everything is sold. It is truly a dream. That little truck runs like a champ, and the camper is super spacious and comfortable. The couple that owns it are very, very nice people. They also have a Great Pyr (but a mix), and another huge dog that they traveled around with in the Dolphin. There is definitely plenty of space for the dogs & rat, and after I downsize everything, my belongings. ;) And of course, there is plenty of room for the wee one, and the Dolphin even has seats with seat belts for her carseat. :) I am definitely praying to the Universe to help make this transition happen soon. Especially being a few days away from 30 weeks pregnant.

Portland was pretty uneventful. On day 3, I was told to leave by the cops because an old couple in the neighborhood said my dogs were barking all of the time and keeping them up all night. I think it was other dogs, because I came back to the bus by 8 (when they go to sleep), and the girls never barked. At one point I hung outside in the grass for a couple of hours during the day (just to see for myself), and they still didn't bark - so I think that the couple just didn't like the bus. They also told the cops that I was going to the bathroom (pooping) and sleeping in the grass at night, which wasn't true at all, for I have the bus and that it just not how I am, especially pregnant. They made not-so-nice comments when I visited last October as well, so that is my guess. It was time to leave anyway, and it was kind of funny that the cops came up to the bus when I had just finished getting ready to leave.

The ride down to Bend was pretty awesome. I stopped at a rest stop right outside of Bend, and it was on the edge of a huge gorge..the kind that you don't want to accidentally fall into. It was a pretty "dangerous" gorge - apparently a lot of dogs have accidentally gone over the edge, so they don't allow dogs anywhere near it. I was trying to imagine how that even happened, considering they have 5ft tall walls around the whole area. The rest stop was by far the most quiet of all I have been to, and I have stayed at a lot of them on this journey. Bend was pretty cool too. The neighborhood that the Dolphin was in reminded me of my friend Sal's place in Nederland. All of the residents seemed to have their own gardens filled with food, some converted school buses, and tons of people waived at the bus and smiled (even kids). Definitely completely different from what I have experienced on this journey. I  could even park the bus in their driveway and everyone made really sweet comments about it.

The baby has taken up residence right on top of my bladder. For the past three weeks, I pee my pants at least twice a day/night. Even since I started writing this blog, she has been putting a lot of pressure on my bladder. It doesn't matter if I just peed or not, something always seems to come out. It has made me think about wearing diapers. ;) I already had a pretty weak bladder before (since childhood). I am pretty sure most of the pre-pregnancy issues with urgently needing to pee often were in my head, so this situation is a whole new level of pee issues. ;) The wee one is also getting so big that finding a position to sleep in is becoming interesting. Especially with this coughing thing that is going on, since it starts up when I am laying down. It is definitely one in the same with the pee issue, regarding the way the baby is positioned. At least I got some new underwear out of the pee thing though. I haven't bought underwear in years - I am serious. I was thinking that it has been at least 8 years or so. I have had the same underwear since Layla came into my life. All I can say is that Hanes makes some tough underwear! :) On the peeing note, has anyone else had a consistent cough for a few months leading up to birth? I have been running into more and more people that say they had a cough for 3 months prior to giving birth because of the baby pushing on their diaphragm.

I am going to be reunited with Wolfgang come Tuesday! I am really excited to see him. It has been over 4 months since I was last with him. Such a long time. I hope that he remembers me. :)

Will write more when I am about to head to or arrive in Ashland. Love to everyone. <3

Living on the Columbia River

I have been living in my old childhood stomping grounds near Hood River, Oregon for the past 8 days. It has been very peaceful and nice. A lot of friendly people, a cool setting (temperature wise also), and it is nice to watch people windsurf again. I have been thinking about picking windsurfing back up again after the baby is born, as long as someone is there to help me watch her, of course. :)  I just arrived in Portland an hour ago, so adapting to a very populated area is interesting, once again. I am living on the side of the street again, at the same spot I was living back in October. My hopes for living on the streets of Portland is to promote and sell the bus soon. So far, I have had a lot of people stand me up on buying the car and motorcycle, but at least my Craigslist postings are generating some interest. Still crossing my fingers that everything is sold by the end of August.

I found a super beautiful Toyota Dolphin that I am going to check out in Bend, Oregon after I am done trying to sell the bus in Portland and Eugene. It has a very similar style to the bus with all of the beautiful bright colors inside, but it gets 16-18mpg instead of 8-12mpg. ;) Plus it has a full shower, bathroom, refrigerator, sink, and all wood floors. It would be so much nicer traveling in a lower profile vehicle, though I am getting used to driving the bus again, and it is very accepted in Oregon. I finally met a couple with a converted bus in Hood River, Oregon. They gave me a lot of really good tips on living free with the bus for months at a time. It is nice knowing that I am not the only converted bus in Oregon. :)

I am 29 weeks pregnant today, and still trying to get over this possible respiratory infection. I have been taking really good care of it, but it has finally strained a lot of muscles in my back. It hurts pretty bad, so crossing my fingers that the cough goes away for good soon. I keep wondering if it was the pesticides I inhaled that caused it, or if it is just the baby pushing on the diaphragm. I can go half of the day without coughing, then when I get into certain positions, I start coughing - especially at night when I lay down. I don't feel sick or anything out of the ordinary, and no one is getting sick from me, so I know I don't have a cold. My sister and a friend of mine had something similar the last 3 months of their pregnancies.   I am definitely ready for the baby to drop near the end of pregnancy so I can get some coughing relief. Aside from all of that, the baby is growing more and more every day and everything is going well, but time is flying!

Waunderin' Washington

It has seriously been a crazy 2 weeks. I left Elkton on the 26th of August to head to Washington for 2 nights of Phish. I am definitely not a huge fan of Washington, though it is very beautiful. I have had a lot of ups and downs since I arrived here. I went to see Bernard & Lucy before I left town, and they look great. When I arrived, he immediately ran over to his ducklings and protected them. He really is a father! On the way back from seeing Bernard, something happened to one of the wheels on my Beetle. I am not sure what it is yet (whirring noise), but since I am not allowed to bring my bus back to the property in Elkton, it is hard to take it to a shop to get it looked at, in addition to it being hard to sell my vehicles from afar. Still trying to figure all of that out right now and find a new place to live that isn't permanent, since all three vehicles should be gone soon.

I had to get a hotel room when I got to Washington, since the RV parks didn't like the look of my bus. It was nice being in a hotel room for two days, but I was glad to get out. I am actually glad the RV parks didn't like my bus, because it ended up being in the 100's the whole time I was in Wenatchee for the shows. The A/C was pretty much running on full blast the whole time since there are no trees in that town..or many anyway. The first night I went to the Phish show, I was blasted with a bus full of pesticides from a farmer that was spraying his field. It was windy, so it covered the whole windshield and the inside of my bus, and many of the other cars around. Since then, I have had a very serious respiratory infection that I have been trying to heal. It seems to be calming down, but it is very hard to get to sleep some nights. Spraying fields like that should be illegal on windy days (or in general). I feel really bad for the baby having to endure my coughing fits (and poison). The show was amazing though, and I was successfully able to dance for 4 hours straight.

Kelley, the father of my child, was also able to meet up with me in Wenatchee. He was traveling from Missoula to Seattle at the same time, so it worked out well. It was nice to have him there with the baby. The second night of the Phish show was really rough. On the way to the show, there were two small fires that were being put out. Over the next 4 hours, they spread over many miles of land and were really close to the show - you could see it over the hill. A lot of people were coughing and couldn't dance anymore, and I was having a lot of issues because of the respiratory infection I recently acquired. A huge crowd of people ended up leaving early because of it, and the whole way back to the hotel was pretty rough. When I reached the fire, it looked like a volcano had erupted over multiple mountain hills. It was really sad, and last I heard, they were still trying to contain it over 40 miles of land. It started in a really windy area, so there didn't seem to be much hope for containment right away, especially since Washington hasn't seen much rain lately.

The day after the show, I headed to Seattle. I quickly found that Seattle isn't the town for me. Much like Wenatchee, the whole school bus thing wasn't a very accepted concept, nor was a traveling pregnant hippie. When I got to the next town of Marysville, Washington, a woman actually told me I wasn't welcome in her town, and asked her husband to back me up and tell me I wasn't welcomed there. It really bummed me out, and I don't really understand what the big deal is..it is just a converted school bus after all. Outside of Marysville, I found a huge dog park for Layla and Millie to run around in. They had a lot of fun and met a lot of dogs. We ended up sleeping at a rest stop (they are all pretty beautiful around here), which was nice and cool at night. After Marysville, we made our way out to Anacortes, Washington. Once again, another town I wasn't welcomed in? A lot of people were disgusted with the bus, making loud comments about it. My first encounter there, I parked my bus next to a park. I parked around a tree, and somehow my bus caught a branch that I couldn't see because of the leaves, and pulled it off. The branch wasn't big, maybe a foot long and dead (all of the leaves were dead on it). These parents in the park had their kids come down to the bus door and yell at me for about 30 minutes saying I was a bad, bad, horrible person for hurting a tree. I was pretty astonished, and wouldn't leave the bus because it was really embarrassing, especially for such a tiny thing that broke off. The kids were only about 5-7 years old, and there were about 7 of them outside of the door. I felt like I was in a foreign land, where humans were at their worst. I went to the local natural foods store, and hightailed it out of that area to the state park down the street. I parked my bus in a RV spot with electricity and water, which was such a nice change  of pace for me. It was quiet and peaceful the whole time, and right next to the ocean. I saw many porpoise, sea lions, and I think even a mink whale. I would walk the girls about 5 miles a day, but had to cut it down near the end because the I was getting some small early contractions from it. But it was really nice just being in nature and being able to breathe in some fresh air! :) The girls certainly loved it, and the weather was perfect being 70 degrees during the day, and around 40-50 at night. I even got to take a shower! A hot shower. :)

Leaving was sad, but the camping is too expensive for me at this time. Especially with the high price of gas right now. On the way out of Anacortes, I stopped at the store to pick up some produce. This man stopped me and talked to me about the bus and changing to something smaller for me and the baby. It is so true, I need something smaller and more maneuverable, especially being pregnant. It is hard driving that huge rig by myself, even though I love my home. But he opened my eyes to many different options for mobile homes that are small and fit in a single parking space. It was comforting being around someone who was so accepting, and he gave me a lot of good travel tips for Washington. I am really looking forward to getting rid of all of my vehicles and starting fresh again. Being on the road for two weeks, I have truly realized that the bus life isn't meant for a single person. Sometimes you just need an extra eye to help you make a turn or back up. The gas milage hasn't been too bad lately though. I have been averaging about 10-15mpg! Pretty amazing for a school bus.

Since I left Anacortes, things have been really challenging. I ended up back in Seattle, and Kelley found a place for me to park where they were staying so I could hang out with him and Mira for the night. The people we were staying with became pretty hostile toward me because of the school bus and my dogs, and said that their landlord was yelling at them for me being there, even though they said it was perfectly fine multiple times prior to that. I was thankful to at least spend a night with people I knew, and hope to meet up with Kelly & Mira to camp near Mount Rainier tonight. All in all, I need out of Washington and fast, and I want to place my vehicles in new homes very soon. Looking forward to going down to Portland and Eugene to be around people more on my wavelength. I might have a temporary home with a community near Eugene for a while, which would be super nice. I have also been thinking about moving to Northern California for a while when all of my vehicles are re-homed. We will see. :) A nice change in pace would be wonderful right now. I really want to be around love, hugs, and people I know.

Hoping that things look up very soon. I am putting good vibes toward a quick and happy transition for me and all of the girls. Sending love to everyone. <3

Changes..again

Some days I am not sure how much more I can take. But I know that I am being pushed in the right direction daily - even if it doesn't seem like it in the moment. I have been staying with some friends for the past two weeks, and their landlord told them today that I need to find a new home because he doesn't like the bus. He isn't willing to give me any time to figure things out. The colors are just too radical for people. I was trying to find a campground recently for a road trip, and was denied because the colors were too loud and the bus was too old. Not sure why it gets harder and harder to find a place to stay. My car and motorcycle still haven't sold. I looked at Craigslist again and realized why. There are hundreds upon hundreds of motorcycles (and VWs) listed on Craigslist all around Oregon right now. It is pretty scary. Not sure what to do aside from hoping and praying that they will both sell. The only way I can upgrade my bus is if my vehicles sell, and I am in need of being able to do this as soon as possible. If I could at least do the upgrades, it would be easier to find a place to stay (not relying on anyone's resources). 

Rat girl was cracking me up today. I had a container full of freshly harvested blackberries, and she randomly started snagging them while I wasn't looking. She was hiding them in places around my body..like behind my knees or around my butt. She really likes her blackberries. I think she ate about 8 of them today, so now they are all hers. :) She is seriously the sweetest rat I have ever known. My Zoey was really sweet also, but Mooshika definitely takes the cake. 

On the subject of small furry creatures, I have definitely had all I can take of this mouse situation. I haven't seen/heard anything from them for the past two weeks, and then this morning there was mouse poop all over the counter again. I started investigating further and noticed that there is a huge mouse burial ground in one of my storage chests, under some things I never move. Apparently one of the mice was having many, many babies, and couldn't feed them because there is no food for them on the bus. This is why I figured they were gone in the first place, but I guess they have just been really quiet and hidden. :( I am ready to just rip all of them hidden areas apart and reconstruct everything to where it is absolutely mouse proof - and this can be done. It just wasn't something that I thought of when making upgrades. Hoping that the RV park will let me stay with them for a week so that I can use their wood working room to make all of the changes that I can make in a short period of time. One of the things I need to do will take some guys that can rip apart my whole kitchen, so that I can rebuild it so mice can't sneak through. Then I have to do that with the bed and everything. The only thing I am not so sure of is going back to the place that started all of these problems with mice in the first place, but I am not sure where else would be this accessible. So many things to figure out. 

I get to see Bernard tomorrow! At least I hope so. I didn't call Bill to make a definite plan today because I was distracted by the whole not knowing where to go or how to move all of my vehicles situation. Crossing my fingers that I get to go over still. :) I miss Bernard! 

It is actually kind of funny that all of this came up today, because I have been looking into this island up North as a place to move to. There was an ad for a RV parking space there for a really cheap price (shaded with deck and covered porch), all bills included. It is a beautiful, beautiful place with a lot of hippies on the island. That and it doesn't get too terribly cold at all, or too terribly hot either. Seems like a dream! Plus there are orcas, and I have loved orcas since I was a little kid. I have never seen one in person, but I feel that this place would make that happen. I am sure that I could find work there, being that it is a very touristy town (people spend a lot of money there). At the very least, I could sell all of my necklaces there and trade garden work for food. A lot of signs have been pointing to this place over the past couple of weeks. It would definitely be interesting if it came through! The RV spot is only a 5 minute walk to the ocean. The island is fully bike-able as well! No need for a car. :) Crossing my fingers that I hear back about it. It would be a nice transition from all of this right now.

Bernard is a Father!

Wow! I had the most amazing day today. I am nesting big time, I can feel it - so I got a lot of things done! The bus looks really amazing and clean right now, and I have been debating on keeping it and turning it into an actual off-the-grid RV when the motorcycle and car sell. I drew up some plans the other day and I have a lot of ideas. There is enough room to put in a bathtub, toilet, two 150 gallon tanks (waste & fresh), a sink, stove & oven, and new counter, tiled & raised floors for storage, two bench seats up front, a closet with refrigerator and other storage, a library in the back (changing my bed into two converting benches), seat belts for the wee one, a wood fireplace, and a deck and solar panels on the roof. This project would be super manageable with the money I will be getting for the car and motorcycle, and there would still be plenty of space for the girls to sleep in. I have been thinking about taking my car & motorcycle up to Portland just so they sell. The money is truly lacking down here, unfortunately.

I cleaned my friend's house today, took a bath (finally), and did my laundry in town. I went into the Natural Food store and they told me that they hear about Bernard all of the time now. I am glad he is so well loved! He is definitely unique. I called Bill (the new owner) today, and he had so many good things to say. Bernard acclimated to the other geese, ducks, and chickens, and has only had one issue with another male there. He handled it pretty well, but the male duck (I believe) didn't want him to go into his coop. Bernard didn't fight or anything, he just waited until he let him pass. Bernard & Lucy also go to their coops before the sun sets, without being corralled over to it. He is such a good goose! He is apparently the head watch animal now, and any time there is trouble with a wild animal in the area, he lets everyone know with his loud scream, and they all chime in. I think that is truly amazing - he has adapted to his new home so well. The BEST update I received was that Bernard adopted 10 little ducklings, and is taking an interest in 12 more that are about to be released. He doesn't let anyone near them, except for Lucy of course. I am so proud of him! He really needed this role, being the kind of goose that he is. He is also mating with Lucy pretty often now, so that also makes me very happy. I feel REALLY good about the home I put him in. Really good. He is living an even better life than he was with me. He has a huge purpose, and maybe soon he will have wee ones of his own. I get to see him on Thursday, so I am really excited to visit him in his new life. :)

Restoring faith

I needed a day like today. It started at the butterfly pavilion in town - tons of Monarchs are thriving over there. Such a beautiful sight, and it was so nice to be in their presence. I have no idea how I ended up there really, but it was good. I got into a long conversation with a man that runs the gift shop. We discussed gemstones, birds, cicadas, bees..well pretty much everything. Before I knew it, two hours passed and I headed home. I spent most of the day outside reading, designing, and watching the girls play, then a man named Aaron pulled up to my bus. Actually, he slammed on his brakes and went skidding through the gravel next to my bus. As soon as I made eye contact with him, I knew he was an important part of my transitioning. He was amazingly friendly with a warming smile. He restored my faith in selling all of my vehicles. I have been scolded so much lately, that I almost gave up selling everything. Said scolding ranges from emails about how I am ripping people off with the prices for my vehicles, which are way way under their actual worth. A few people have told me that my VW Beetle, which is in perfect condition except for the paint, is only worth $400-600. Or that my motorcycle, which only has 10k miles on it and in perfect condition is only worth $1000. Or that my bus is worth only $3000 or less, even though I bought it for $7500, and the bus alone is worth $5000. I am just floored at how often people are trying to take advantage of me. Well Aaron, an ex VW mechanic and someone who just purchased a beautiful bus, agreed with my pricing. He is interested in my bus after seeing and hearing it, and even thought that my Beetle was worth exactly what I am asking for it, because it is truly in great shape! A week ago, another random man who sells motorcycles said that if anyone asks me for lower than $3000 for my bike, to deny them because it is actually worth $1000 more than I am asking for it. Maybe it is because I am pregnant and a female? But I have been feeling really bummed out about all of the nagging lately (I talk to/see/email back and forth with anywhere from 10-15 people a day), that I didn't even want to talk to Aaron when he pulled up. I am truly glad that I did. I am hoping that he gives me a call, because I would truly love for my Bella Bug to go to him. Either way, I am happier because of his visit and feel a lot stronger in what I am asking for my vehicles. If I have to stay here selling my vehicles until the wee one is here, so be it. There is still time for travel in the future.

After looking at trucks and cabover campers for the past month, I am on the fence with keeping my bus and upgrading it with a bolted down RV seat with a seatbelt for the baby's carseat, shower & toilet, wood fireplace, plumbing (hot water heater, fresh & waste water tank), solar, and a new kitchen area. I spent many hours designing a new interior for my sweet bus. I like my plans so much, that I am really tempted to go forward with it. I know people that could help me for really cheap, and I could get everything wired for electricity and have a really beautiful traveling bus. Just selling my motorcycle and Bella would give me plenty of money to do so, and I could even convert it to run on vegetable oil. After all of the upgrading, I would still have plenty of money leftover to travel with. I trust my bus so much, I know it would take me far for many years. I am pretty much waiting on another friend to say yes or no to buying my bus, and if she does, I might just start a small bus project with a trailer. The opportunities are endless, really. Whatever happens, it will be amazing. 

The wee one in my belly is doing really well. I can feel her getting bigger and bigger. It is such an amazing feeling experiencing this connection with her. I really feel good about the path that I am on, and letting go of expectations and time frames for doing things. I received my Phish tickets for next weekend in the mail. I ordered them at the beginning of the new year, so I am really looking forward to dancing my weekend away. The following weekend, I am going to try and get in to see String Cheese Incident. I am ultimately hoping that I can get in for either really cheap, or even free. You never know - people are certainly generous at shows. I have had the free ticket thing happen at Phish shows before. Regardless, even one night with Cheese would be amazing and fill my heart with joy. :)

Oh! My friends Suma & Anna came to visit yesterday. It was so nice seeing friends from Dallas. I really felt at home having them here, no matter how short of a time it was for. We had 3 adults, 4 dogs, and a rat on the bus. :) It has been so long since I have had people on the bus with me, I completely welcome it to happen again. 

Wee one moving :)

Whispering to the Universe

I am all settled in Elkton now. I found a permanent spot in front of my friend's house that is shaded. I don't have to worry about the 90+ degree heat over here because the shade keeps the temperature at about 70 inside. :) It is a nice change! Plus, I shaved Millie the other day, so there is no more panting going on in the bus. Layla got her shave about two weeks ago, but she will be due for another soon. Her fur grows back so fast.

I am starting to get nervous about the vehicles selling. Luckily I am next to a really busy highway now, so people see my bus, car, and motorcycle every day. I had someone interested in Bella Bug today, so crossing my fingers for a sale. My car and motorcycle will be the first to sell for sure. The bus however... I am whispering to the Universe about every day. Hoping that something comes through in the next two weeks. The fact that it is mid-July just floors my mind.

I am missing Bernard every day. I wake up in the morning thinking that I hear him, then I realize that it isn't him and it bums me out. Bernard & Lucy definitely gave my mornings purpose. I am thinking about dropping by and seeing them on Monday to see how things are going. All I want to see is them swimming with the other geese and having fun. :) Maybe that will make me miss them a little less. :)

I have been exploring the world of Bhagavan Das lately. I am also about to watch Karmageddon for the first time. Not sure why I never watched it until now, but I am excited. I definitely love observing and reading about all of the different life perspectives out there.

The wee one has been kicking and twirling a lot lately. I had some honey today, and she was really active. She also moves up a storm whenever I play music. :) It is pretty amazing feeling and seeing my baby constantly move under my skin. Truly an amazing experience. I feel very lucky, and yet I can't believe that I am almost 25 weeks pregnant. Where has the time gone? I will feel content if I have less of a load when the baby comes. It is time for another purge and downsize. I am really excited for the changes coming up. :)

Life in Oregon

Where to begin... :)

My life has been going through many shifts lately. I moved to Oregon in October of 2012. I left Texas at the best time possible - when everything in my life was coming to a close. I was laid off from my long time job, my relationship had ended, and it was time for a dramatic shift. I sold almost everything I owned and moved to Oregon to live in a school bus. I started my journey in a community called Lost Valley in Dexter, Oregon. Sri Magic Bus lived there at the time with her owner Nate. He passed her along to me, and I ended up leaving to Portland and lived on the streets for a while. For about a month, I traveled with some friends around the northern part of Oregon. We ended up landing a care taking position out in Reedsport, Oregon in November, and lived there until the middle of May. The people I was staying with at the time left a month and a half prior to my move in May. I shifted my life 3 miles down the street and traded a living space and electricity for working on the land at a local RV park. Luckily, I was still living on beautiful Smith River. I moved to the RV park with my pups, rat, and my sweet geese Bernard & Lucy. I was truly grateful that the park accepted me and my entourage, since I wasn't ready to find my geese a new home.

Bernard was a rescue goose and a welcomed addition to my family of fur & feather kids. The land owner at the property I was originally at got him to set him free on the river. For some reason, he thought the existing wild geese on the river were all females, and he wanted to give them a male to mate with. His plan didn't work out, for the existing geese were already a mated pair. Bernard quickly became a daily part of my life out there. He was very angry and needy, and also came from a situation where he was wounded and abused. Not to mention, the land owner and his other caretakers were very abusive towards him, throwing 2x4s at him, hitting him with car doors, and kicking him across the property. I worked with him to get him to see me as a friend, and after a couple of weeks, I won him over. We were inseparable. Bernard would follow me everywhere I would go - even to the bathroom. I would kayak a couple of miles down the river, and he would follow me. I could hike up the side of a mountain, and he would keep a good pace behind me to make sure I was alright. I eventually adopted a female for him so that he wouldn't be so attached to me. When it was just me & Bernard, I would leave to go into town, and he would stand at the gate crying and crying for me to come back. No matter what time of night I would get back, he would be there waiting for me. He is the most amazing goose I know. He is definitely a huge part of my heart.

When I brought Lucy home, Bernard didn't really care for her. It seemed that I was his priority, and she was just a pal that he hung out with on the river. No matter where they were, I could call out to him, and they would come swimming up to me. Lucy never warmed up to me, but that was okay, because she is Bernard's companion. :) Eventually the time came for me to leave the RV park, so a few days ago, I took Bernard & Lucy to their new home. A few days leading up to the move, Bernard was a different goose. He wouldn't follow me or do any of his normal daily things. It was good for me though, because I had grown very attached to him. He allowed me one last goodbye though, so I was able to get dozens of smooches in and hug him tight. Living on the road isn't a good life for a goose, not to mention it is pretty much impossible, considering how much they poop every day. :) I am just very grateful to have found a good home for them.

Bringing us back to now, I am selling my school bus, VW Beetle, and my motorcycle so that I can get another vehicle to travel and live in. I am six months pregnant, and have a baby due to enter the world at the end of October/early November. I am finally learning how to flow with all of these changes, for they are truly a blessing. I always think that I know exactly what I want for my life, but find that my ideas change constantly as I evolve daily.