Colorado on Repeat

September 16, 2025 Happy to be back in the coolness of Colorado! I've got two weeks until my appointment in Arizona. I pray by then the weather in Flagstaff will be tolerable. 

After getting supplies at Nature's Oasis in Durango, I headed back to the Mancos Road 316 BLM Dispersal Campground (view from van at left). Lots of spaces, sunny, but cool. We'll see how long I last this time. I keep sneezing and my sinuses are still painful and bleeding. What am I allergic to here? Juniper trees? Or is it mold? I tweaked my left wrist. I think from overuse. I'm constantly using it to lift and lower myself so it's had enough of the abuse. I've been worrying all along if my left leg or knee will give out, or my back, or any number of aging body parts from being unusually used too much to compensate for the lack of right ankle.

I slept pretty good last night - no Olipops, but I did buy a box of Pamela's Gluten-Free Evil Things. Lately I have had NO willpower. I feel sorry for myself and decide I deserve a treat. So bad. I still slept fine. I heard it rain last night for a short time, but this morning it's partial sunshine with some clouds. Nice and cool. 

I looked online for property. Bozeman has acreage for sale...you can buy ten acres for a million dollars. Colorado is a little better where you can buy 80 acres for a million and a half. Yeah, a little out of my price range. Arizona still seems to be my best bet as there are lots for under $10-25K. My new plan is to buy land and use it as a base. I hope it comes with an address so I don't have to buy mailboxes for my mail which has become very stressful. Then build a 10 x 10 cob storage shed for practice. Then maybe the next year build a cob tiny house if I'm not completely exhausted by the process. I wonder if I'm being idealistic? Would I have the energy?

I'm also planning the van remodel. I think I'll get rid of the queen size bed and platform. Replace it with a twin size bed and add some storage shelves in the vacant space. AND get a composting toilet. I'm so tired of pottying in a bucket and constantly having to figure out how and where to dump it. This is the cheap/free option, but such a hassle.

I've told people I don't want a composting toilet because they would take up too much room. OK, right now I'm using a two bucket system. I pee in one using the female urinal (which I love for convenience especially now with one less foot for balance), then dump the urine in the coffee can so it doesn't spill. (Note: My fear is I drop the female urinal throwing urine all over the van especially in the middle of the night. Haven't done it yet!!) (Note: It amazes me how much liquid comes out of my body!! When you do this in a toilet filled with water, it's hard to judge.) (Note: The pee bucket that stores all these pieces I use for sponge bathing. Very efficient set up.) I poop in the other bucket which has layers of plastic bags and pine pellets. Common knowledge is you don't mix them which creates the very bad smell, but sorry, it all smells very bad to me without any mixing. My two buckets probably take up more room than a composting toilet! I have to research. I'm not sure where one empties a composting toilet and the maintenance sounds expensive. I wouldn't be happy if it's worse than having to constantly dump these buckets. Maybe the composting materials are saturated with chemicals? I can't be too careful.

Next day I moved to the Mesa Verde BLM Campground, site 12, which is on an incline. Nobody likes inclines so you feel like you are about to roll out of bed all night. I got tired of the RV that wasn't even that close blaring his music. So rude to be out in the country and imposing your noise on everyone else. Are they just so thoughtless they don't get it? This campground has more gravel than dust so my sinuses feel a little better.

I was reading online both Colorado and Arizona have late summer-fall allergens in bloom such as ragweed, sagebrush, and Russian thistle. Along with mold after a rain and then, of course, dust. Could be anyone of these things causing my misery? Supposedly it all goes away after the first frost and that is what happened last year in Arizona. It was all gone by February, but then everytime I camped out in the desert dust I'd feel worse whether it's Utah, Arizona or Colorado. I just don't know if Arizona is a good place for me, but everywhere else is way too expensive.

I'm reading The Keeper of Lost Causes the Q Department mystery series. About four chapters in I realized I know this story. I've must have read it before....

Next day...Friday, September 19th (can you believe it's almost the end of SEPTEMBER!!??) Sinus congestion is making it hard to breathe. Still parked at the Mesa Verde BLM only at site 2 which is very level and closer to the highway. Mesa Verde National Park is less than a mile away and across the highway. Better views from this site:

Depending on the position of the sun, it's really beautiful. This is where those awesome cave dwellings are. I saw them about ten years ago on a road trip and now I can't really walk the tour so that is out.

I'm now reading The Absent One, second of the Q Department mystery series. Every now and then I feel guilty for reading and doing so little to be productive, but at the same time, it's fun.

Next day, I read A Conspiracy of Faith, third of the Q Department series...I know this story, too!!! I've read these!

Sunday, September 21 I left for Flagstaff! Whoo Hoo! Western Colorado is UGLY:

But there is a view of Shiprock from the north:

Still doesn't look like a ship...

Back to Arizona...