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21 Sept..Trouble’s Traveling Cup in Lower LaSal Valley hanging on the dinner bell at 3 Step Hideaway.

Authentic Navajo tee pee with T’sTC

22 Sept…spent the night at the overlook west of Monticello up in the Abajos again…a bit rainy and cool…was going to go to a boondocking spot where Hwy 95 crosses the Colorado river on the way to Hanksville today but have decided to stay put one more night. The weather today is gloomy and it’s going to rain again. That’s ok…got lots of stuff to read, places to hike to, and coffee to make…easy and calm.

Ran the batteries down to 65% last night watching TV, running the fans, furnace, running the microwave to heat soup, and charging all my ball and chains needed to stay in touch with other humans. Total overcast today so I’m running the little Honda genset for an hour or so to top off the batteries. Even though I can run them down to about 10% and recharge without damage, I do like to keep’em topped up.

Found a business online that sells authentic Navajo handmade dreamcatchers…ordered a small one to send to my niece as a gift from the road…hope she likes it.

Woke up around 0300 this morning with a headache…must have slepped wrong…a cup of coffee…the caffeine opened up my blood capillaries to my brain so more oxygen would flow and after a few minutes the headache was gone…good.

Left the trailer and buggy at 3 Step for a few days of un-encumbered exploring in the van…it drives so nice with out the anchor stuck to the rear…will return in a week or so to grab the trailer then head down to New Mexico to see my buddy Len and his wife Chris for a few days.

Got hungry around 1030…grilled cheese sandwich hit the spot…so good to be self contained…time for a nap after a small cuppa….skies are clearing…will be a nice night.

Cup was half gone when a Dodge camper van pull into the overlook…a couple and 4 big dogs got out…I wonder sometimes if a person’s pets actually run their lives….one day I may get a dog…when I finally settle down…maybe.

Nice and sunny now but I don’t feel like traveling…I’m all settled in and watching Forensic Files on the tube…fascinating stuff…nap can wait a bit.

Oh BTW, I’ve finally weened myself off cream in my coffee…BLACK COFFEE MATTERS!

23 Sept…up and at’em at 0430 this morning…stopped by the Maverick in Monticello on the way out of town for the morning coffee…headed north…took Big Indian Road over to LaSal then through Paradox Valley to Hwy 141…awesome road.

Overlooking Paradox Valley in Colorado…Trouble’s Traveling Cup

A little pull out going through the Gateway Canyons on Hwy 141.

It was a beautiful drive up and over Grand Mesa east of Grand junction…topped out around 11,000 feet…no photos, just enjoying the drive…have a nice shady spot at the Walmart in Montrose this evening…probably going south to Silverton again in the morning…weather is perfect.

24 Sept…last night at the Walmart in Montrose was interesting…started out nice but I soon discovered I’d parked near the area the drag race boys hang out…cranked up and moved to the other side of the parking lot around 2100…nice and quiet after that.

Up around 0630 to a nice morning…slept well…coffee and pancakes for breakfast…then shopping to restock the pantry. I was heading back down to Silverton for a few days and wanted to have everything I needed…the prices at the grocery store there are really high.

Repaving Red Mountain Pass…down to one lane…the non-acclimated mountain tourist drivers stood out…nervous for sure but entertaining…stopped at the summit to take a photo of Trouble’s Traveling Cup for my niece…one day I’ll bring her along to show and teach her about America.

25 Sept…made a nice pot of chili last night…had enough for dinner and two more meals…it was so good I literally farted all night.

My morning walk around Silverton was nice…cool temps, clear skies, and calm winds…not a whole lot of folks still in town as the season is winding down…the aspens are exploding with color and beautiful…I wear my cowboy hat when I take my walks…it’s amazing how many people think I live here…would be nice in the summers…we will see…

26 Sept…beautiful day for a drive back over to the Abajos…I’m at my favorite camp spot at the overlook again…here’s a few shots from the drive today…shot them through the windows of the van so there’s some glare…enjoy…Red Mountain Pass and the Million Dollar Highway were lit up with the aspens!

I Love this spot…never anyone here for long…most just pull in, take a look, and head out.

I told a friend I come here and stay a few days at a time…he asked me what I did all day…easy…I take walks, drives through the mountains in the buggy, take naps, and sometimes I just sit and look…life has slowed for me and that’s a good thing…it’s nice to wake up in the mornings and just not do anything much at all…up in the elevations one gets a feeling of content and freshness…life is good.

6 October….been a bit tardy updating the bog but I’ve been taking a nap…spent the last days up at my camp spot in the Abajos…yesterday I drove over to another of my favorite spots for the night…Hwy 95 west of Blanding where the highway crosses over the Colorado River..,.absolutely awesome spot.

More Trouble’s Traveling Cup….

Mom likes me to bring her rocks from places I visit… here’s a deep read one sitting by TTC

7 October…good morning…this is at the Site Overlook

Took a drive through Capital Reef NP…beautiful.

8 October….spent the night at the Love’s truck stop in Green River UT…nice and quiet parked out back…today is beautiful…nice drive over to Canyonlands NP for the morning…another photo of T’sTC…my niece likes seeing all the places her cup is visiting on this trip.

This afternoon I’ll head down to La Sal to pick up my absentee ballot that my sister mailed out to me from Florida…will get it signed and sent back today…every vote counts these days.

11 October….had a nice drive down from Monticello to Silver City NM the past two days…mostly all small backroads…the road through the Apache National Forest is awesome…I’m at the Ridge View RV Park on Hwy 90 just south of Silver City for a couple of days… was going to meet up with my buddy Len but our schedules didn’t work out…he’s super busy volunteering for various charities in the area and is out of town this week…the folks here are the RV park are letting me store the trailer and buggy on their property for 3 months…they have a nice secure fenced area for trailer and RV storage…I’ll be coming back though after the first of the year headed out to southern Arizona for the winter…I’ll pick up the trailer on the way out.

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