Let It Snow!

Zach and I have made it to Jay Peak, Vermont and the past week has been spent getting settled in and working up at the resort. I'm in rentals; Zach is in the repair shop and the demo shop. It works out well because we work the same hours so we don't have another transportation nightmare like this past summer! The little town we're parked in is really nice: you can walk or bike where ever you need to go (small grocery store, yarn shop, ski shop, ATM, library, bar!) and the locals are friendly and helpful. The bus is in a small field behind the houses on Main Street, so Black Dog has some room to stretch her legs, play a round or two of Chuck-It, and socialize with the neighbors and their dogs when they walk around back here. Also cool, a Jay Peak employee shuttle right from our "yard" might be in the works, but that's just a rumor right now :)

We're "renting" from a family that owns all this land we're on and a house. They've been good to us and are actually leaving for the winter for Florida after Christmas. They are the only ones that can really see a lot of the bus (some others can see a little, but they've been really great about it and we don't think we'll have any trouble with them), so we're crossing our fingers that everyone is okay with us being here. We really don't want a repeat of last year ...

I DIG this town ... community garden, local farms, strong outdoor community, maple syrup! ... and of course so much more that we have yet to discover. Vermont is definitely one of my favorite places so far.

The mountain has limited terrain open, but that hasn't stopped Zach from finding some okay lines. I'm waiting for some intermediate trails to open so I don't go out and wreck myself on the first day!

I have no excuse for not having any pictures to share this time. Maybe I'll work on that this afternoon ...

Do your best snow dance for us!

Kelly

Vermont Bound!

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately ... I can't find the adapter that we use to put pictures from the camera on the computer!

It's official; we're heading to Vermont this month! Our destination is Jay Peak Resort and we've got jobs and multiple places to park. (Wow!) I can't believe winter is so close: it snowed here on Halloween and last night the low was in the teens! I had some carrots growing in a pot outside and the water in the soil is frozen solid. Poor things ... they didn't grow too well anyhow.

More to come soon!

Kelly

In Loving Memory

Tom "Popi" Perdue

10/17/1932 - 09/23/2010

Tomorrow marks one month since my grandfather passed away. It will also be the first full day of fall, which is my favorite time of year and the beginning of the end for summer harvests. In my mind, his memory will forever be entwined with gardening. Popi was a gardener, fisherman, politician, writer, lover of hummingbirds, carpenter and handy-man, among so many other things. He also had a hell of a stubborn streak, and I know for a fact that I inherited it. Popi courageously fought his illness for several years and stayed strong for all of us as well as for himself. I miss him very much and hope that one day I can grow tomato plants as big as he could!

Popi would be tickled pink to see his picture on this blog. He was an avid follower, checking the weather where ever we were to make sure we were staying warm. I didn't make as many updates this summer as I meant to ... I will be posting a large update soon and will add it to this posting in his honor.

Happy Fall Equinox!

Kelly

BATHROOM!

YAY! We finally have a crapper and a shower!!! It's so bright and nice that I almost don't want to poop in there ... almost. Our toilet is nothing but a 5-gallon bucket whose contents are emptied into a compost bin when full. We layer deposits with local wood chips and it helps any smell from developing. No black water tank for us! (Gross!) The shower is a fiberglass sit-down RV shower base that we snagged from an old RV for $20. It's not hooked up yet, but it will be SO nice when it is. Zach has made this new addition look beautiful with tongue and groove paneling and wood panels from a neighbor down the street. Neighbor Dave is quite the man ... he has a herd of cattle, vegetable gardens, a sawmill that cuts up the harvested lumber from his "backyard", and a 1959 MCI bus conversion! He stopped by our bus one afternoon and climbed up onto our new roof; he got a kick out of us being here and has offered us any help that we might need! 

We're enjoying being in our small coastal town. There's the waterfront with restaurants, art galleries, unique shops, the local co-op, and a "green general store". I've seen loons and harbor seals in the harbor and Black Dog has found the biggest puddle, ever. I'm working on a local farm and Zach is in job limbo. The container garden is great and growing!

Here are some recent pictures. Happy Summer Solstice!

New bathroom!

 Zach testing out the shower seat

A bit of bathroom humor

"Eight Ball" Zucchini (Popi's got me beat!)

Snap peas

Lobster in the pot!

View from nice campground near Acadia National Park

Yes, that is a tent on the deck! The loons sang us to sleep that night ...

Coastal Maine

We've made it! We're in Maine visiting with Zach's family and it's good to be back. We don't eat seafood anywhere other than RIGHT ON the coast and since we're here, we've been taking advantage of it! We've decided to stay in Maine for the summer and are in the process of finding work and a place to park. OH! And we've made a HUGE addition to the bus ... something we've been wanting to do for a while ... was inspired by rafting buses ... A DECK ON THE ROOF! It's done and looks AWESOME! I've only got an in-the-works picture at the moment, but you will definitely get the idea. YAY! Time for cocktails on the terrace ...

DECK ON THE ROOF!!!!!!!

Our house / in the middle of the [interstate] ... SCARY!

This mama duck had 17 ducklings following her around in Virginia!

Halfway and On the Move!

HELLOOOOOOO! We are in Northern Virginia and headed north! We just spent two weeks spending time with and doing yardwork for my family in Montgomery, AL and Griffin, GA and then a week and a half at the Nantahala River in NC with my dad! We've been paddling, hiking, and mountain biking our brains out! (And of course it was good to see family and friends!). We vended at the annual "Strawberry Jam" in Bryson City, NC but didn't sell too much. That's okay 'cause Liz and AJ came by and spent most of the afternoon with us!!! Zach got a GREAT haircut and we ate more strawberries than our bellies could probably hold.

We were hoping to hike in the Shenandoahs tomorrow but we're going to get rained out. So we'll hit the road early and mosey onward toward Maine! We're not taking too many pictures but are still posting a couple of the ones we have.

We're having fun, playing hard, and eating good. The road is treating us well and folks are either super excited about what we're doing or too scared to look. HAHA! Strangers can be so strange!

More to come soon!

Kelly

Outside of NOLS Rocky Mountain Branch in Lander, WY

Free campsite along the river in southeastern WY

BLACK DOG HAS A TWIN!!!

Zach behind the barn in Montgomery, AL

Reflections and Renewal

“It is a great time of renewal and new beginnings, when life rises refreshed from its sleep through winter’s dark.”

This past weekend was the annual celebration of life returning! Winter reflection is over and a new season has dawned. While still cold and snowy, the signs are showing even in the tall mountains of southwestern Montana. There are tiny plants emerging from the still somewhat frozen soil. Songbirds can be heard in the trees by the river. Days are getting longer and warmer!

What a strange winter we just had. After arriving in late October when temperatures are generally still tolerable, they suddenly plummeted to forty below. The town enjoyed a great opening day on Thanksgiving and had high hopes for the season. However, February began with unseasonably warm temperatures that continued for a month or more. The snow base deteriorated and the town of Big Sky became a mud pit much sooner than expected. Since then, the days have been alternating between warm and cold; slush and ice are constant companions now and will be around until June. They say there are two seasons here: winter and not-winter.

We got to see some good shows this season … the Hooligans (Grateful Dead cover band from Bozeman), the Lee Boys (which we’re hoping to see again in May in GA), and Sweatshop Union. My dad came to visit in late February and we went hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling in West Yellowstone, and skiing (we’re still awaiting pictures!). We got in some good time on the hill, drank good beer (the only kind we drink!), made some friends, and had friends come visit. We thought “this town ain’t got no heart” when we were booted mid-winter and thought we might have to quit our jobs and drive on, but a kind heart came to our rescue and we got to stay. It was a good season and we will miss this town when we leave.

Now it’s time to look forward! There are so many adventures that await us! Spring and summer bring mountain biking, hiking, paddling, swimming, hammocks, disc golf, cookouts, farmers markets, summer festivals, and harvests from our currently sprouting vegetable plants. I’m ready to put on my Chacos and go wade in a creek with Zach and the Black Dog!

We have decided after much discussion and planning that we are going to embark on our upcoming journey with no plans or time frames. We will stop where we want and when we want, and if we need to work then we will stop somewhere and do so. Many things are possible when your home is on wheels!

Heading out Wednesday, April 14th! ALL FORWARD!

Kelly

 Bus in a spring snowstorm ... bike rack under cover

Neighboring cabin on the river

Love that split-rail fencing

How can you say no?!

Zucchini getting started

Zucchini going nuts!

Lots o' lettuce

MT>GA>ME

It's that time again ... ROAD TRIP!!! We are anxiously awaiting the end of the season (April 11th) and the end of Zach's plowing contract (April 15th) so that we can hit the road! We've got quite the adventure planned! We will total almost 4,000 miles when we reach Maine ... that's a LOT of miles! We can't wait to see our families and friends and show off our home on wheels :) Our route is no where near concrete, so we'll hopefully be stopping in interesting towns, natural hot springs, state parks, music festivals, meeting up with friends, or anything else that tickles our fancy along the way. I'll try to keep the blog updated so you know when to expect us! We have no time frame (except making the Rockland Blues Festival in Maine in July!). We've been working towards this all winter and now it's time to enjoy the fruits of our labor! We still need a temporary parking spot in Griffin and will be open to any yard work, babysitting, auto care, sewing repairs, etc. that you might need taken care of. I will also have some seedlings for sale when we arrive (compact, container-friendly varieties of cherry tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, lettuce, snap peas, organic basil, sunflowers, and lobelia). And don't forget my handmade goods! Every penny counts. After all, it's roughly $.32 a mile!

Thanks as always for being supportive towards our endeavors. We are truly living our dreams and there's something to be said for that!

Coming to a town near you ...

Kelly, Zach, and the Black Dog

The Battle Ends!

Good news folks! We finally found a place to park for the rest of the winter! We are outside of the shared Big Sky/Gallatin Gateway zoning which was what got us booted the first time around. We're also outside of the cellphone service range, so please keep that in mind when calling us! We have access to electricity, toilets and showers, and internet ... also there is a restaurant and bar within walking distance. The shuttle stop is farther away than we thought, but we can make it work. Just when we gave up on Big Sky, someone came through for us!

We've got a bunch of pictures to share, too. Enjoy!

 

 Our Charlie Brown tree

Zach just can't help himself!

Neither can Black Dog!

 

A Shop-Vac helps keep the bus MUCH cleaner

  

  

Zach made the bus into a snow fort before we had to move

  

Zach with long hair!!!

  

After a haircut

  

Zach went snowshoeing and found this old hunting camp

  

There was an old bottle opener hanging there ... 1960s era?

  

Nice view

  

Keeping guard

  

Sewing room under construction!

  

New carpet in the back ... sewing room in it's first stages

  

Free-skier parking lot at Big Sky Resort

  

Jade had lots of buddies up there

  

View from the bus

  

Burgers in the lot

  

Skier community

  

The "Powder Bandits" live in Bozeman but spend the weekend traveling to different ski areas

  

Our friends Elisa and Jake bought the rig in front of the bus and drove it out from Seattle!

  

Laundry fiasco!

  

Friends!

  

Eamonn making a Valentine

  

Icicles!!!

  

View of Lone Peak from Moonlight Basin

  

Chain-up time!

  

She's ready for some snowy hills

  

Another nice view

 

Our new home (until the end of the season!)

That's all for now, folks!

Kelly and Zach

PS - Our road-trip to GA in mid- to late-April (and then to ME in July!) is still on ... if you have a place we can park or some work for us, let us know! Thanks!