Cosmic Travels

  As is my usual habit, I awoke in what most humans would consider to be the middle of the night. It was 2am, very dark and very cold. I cursed myself silently in the dark as I felt around for the literal pen light I'd scored in the swag bag at a recent trade show I'd attended in my road bag. I was able to read awkwardly for a few hours whilst I listened to the night birds, insects, and nocturnal animals forage in the darkness. The night progressed into day as the sun began to rise. After a short time of quiet stillness, the diurnal world started to wake. This is my favorite and most productive time of day. It was about this time I was thinking about starting my day. In the close confines of the van, this is nearly impossible to do without disturbing one's partner.  Several years ago, we scored a small one cup coffee maker with branding from a Vegas hotel that is no longer in existence. A relatively new relic just before one-cup pod coffee makers appeared everywhere. The pe...

Our latest adventure to Fool Hollow Lake on May 6-7, 2026, was one of many firsts. Mike and I had been to Fool Hollow before on a day trip on my birthday a couple of years before. At that time, we took many a day trip in the Avalanche daydreaming about adventures more like this. We participated in the Arizona State Parks Passport program they were running at the time. When you visit a state park, you get a stamp in your little passport book. It was great fun and we discovered many things. This was the first-ever camping experience for the dogs. This was our first overnight camping experience in the van. After much thought whilst staring at the floor, and as much physical preparation that could be done, I was confident we could handle nearly anything that would come at us on the road.  We learned of the typical overnight weather from friends who visited us from that general area, who came to warm themselves in the all-abundant heat of the valley. The overnight temperature was expect...