My Tireless Retirement – Week 181

 

Hello my friends!  I woke up last Friday morning feeling incentivized (determined and optimistic) and decided the best way to combat melancholy is to work on some goals and plans for my future.  It is hard to feel blue when you are excited.  I have come to realize that I have much to be excited about and that, with anything, whatever “this is” is only temporary.  This too, shall pass.

 

I headed into work Friday morning with patience and compassion intended while my BFF headed back to Colorado, his home base.  I ended up having a wonderful day at work.  I love my Friday co-workers and the crowd that comes in to play pinochle and line dance.  The atmosphere is typically upbeat and loving.  It is a great vibe.

 

Everything fits with room to grow

Last week I headed back into the garage and did some rethinking and redoing of the camping supplies storage pods.  I quickly realized after forgetting that I had put some things in the dishwasher that I had underestimated sizes.  A quick trip back to Wal-Mart and I came home with two more of the larger containers, which happen to stack much better than the two smaller ones sitting on one large one.  Now everything fits better with a little bit of growing room, which for me is perfect.  I have plans to still use the two smaller containers for other camping and travel related items.

 

A friend of mine bought me this shopping bag to use for camping 💖

Along with the two new containers from Wal-Mart I stopped into the feed store on my way home and picked up a heavy duty bucket and a Gamma lid to use as the shower bucket.  Inside I tucked my USB powered shower, some toiletries and laundry washing supplies and the first aid kit.  I also chose and added a pop up shower tent to my Amazon cart.  I plan to use that not only for showering out in the wilderness, but also to house the portable composting toilet I made.  This is solely to protect the bears from having to see my bare butt.

 

Over the weekend I got out the hedge trimmers and the pruners to spruce up and trim the next door neighbor’s row of hedges that extend way over the property line onto my driveway and parking area.  It took me a solid three hours to get those beasts trimmed and all of the debris cleaned out that had collected amongst the branches.  Using a tarp to catch the majority of the debris and trimmings saved me as far as the final clean up.  I filled up the trash wheelie bin and two paper leaf bags full of stuff.

 

Another birthday present showed up on my porch last week, this one a complete surprise.  It’s a mini K cup coffeemaker and there were two boxes of assorted K cups to go along with it.  On my birthday trip we had talked about how nice it would be to just pull off to the side of the road and brew a fresh cup of coffee to enjoy as one takes in the scenery.  We talked about it quite a bit and how various things could be packed in which to do that, including a camp stove and a kettle or even a mini 5 cup coffeemaker to use with my solar generator.  Knowing how I not just love my coffee, but I really LOVE my coffee, once he got home he placed an order and then texted me to go outside and get my package when it was dropped off at my house.  I was so excited, but even more so that I am fully supported in my future plans and endeavors.

 

I worked a few hours Monday and Tuesday and enjoyed dinner out with my colleagues Tuesday evening.  I headed out Wednesday morning on for a solo overnight campout to test the new stove as well as the coffeemaker and enjoy some peaceful time in nature.  I headed off to somewhere I hadn’t been in ages and it felt absolutely amazing to spend time there and recharge my batteries.  The stove worked great and the coffee was really good too!

 

Mission accomplished!

It was a really great week and exactly what I needed to pull myself out of the doldrums.  Being out in nature completely alone with no cell service I was completely unplugged from the world and all of its incessant nonsense.  I once again found myself wading in the river and marveling at the beauty surrounding me.  That night as I lay in bed gazing up at the sky filled with stars I felt so much closer to God.  The noise in my head evaporated.  I was surrounded by His glory and I was incredibly grateful.  I now know I need far more days just like that.