Last I wrote, I was at the lake and boat ramp. Danny, an guy with white hair, came by to visit us multiple times. His nephew drove by with his wife and stopped to chat. He gave us juice and then expressed his concern of our location. Supposedly the local dopeheads chill there at night.
He had me follow them home and park on their property for the night. Brian and Samantha have three kids ranging from a year and a half to 14. They turned on movies and provided baths. They were beyond friendly and kind. Brian provided a tarp for bugus which I fastened easily in a diamond on the bug.
The next day, during a break in the storms, we moved house to Danny’s. He’s got a 20 year old dog named shorty and an african grey parrot named Red. I’m trying to win over the parrot. Birds are very intriguing to me. They’re so smart. I’m slowly getting him to sing “bird is the word” since he really seems to like music. He dances to “dance monkey” and anything with a decent beat. While Danny was out yesterday, I opened the cage door, which he lets me do on occasion anyway. I expected Red to just climb on top of the cage as usual, but he decided it was the time to go around the living room and then sit under my chair in the kitchen. After a while, I told him it was time to go back into the cage, and he could go on his own or have me help him, kindly or forcibly. He bowed his head to let me pet him (like a silly hippogrif) and after I gave him a couple scratches he put up his leg to jump on my hand! What a feat! He’s so cool!
Danny himself is kind of a grumpy dude. Or is demeanor comes off as such. He’s the kind of guy broadcasting his righteous viewpoint, generally not that off, but the vociferous determination can turn anyone off. He likes fishing and gets up early to tidy up. His house is tidy, but with an old dog and muddy shoes, the inlaid carpet has formed a layer of muggy grease that stains the kids clothes and bare feet. Daily baths and an available washer and dryer are indespensable at this time of thunderstorms.
The storms raged for a string of days, a couple of which were warm but the subsequent felt rather frigid. Over night it warmed up but the sky was overcast and the air felt muggy. That kind of weather promotes doing nothing. So it is what it was.
Today the sun is starting to peak out. Danny and I have been making mental project lists inclusive of bus interior and leak sealing and property upkeep that’s been somewhat neglected. It’s been really sweet of Danny to take us in and let us park the bus somewhere safe. He’s said that we’re welcome to this safe spot for however long it takes. I get to form connections during this period of isolation. We’re going to be ok and I have great faith that adapting to new circumstances is well in my capabilities. I have solar and a water tank. Plenty of love and compassion. Museums and libraries are shut down, but we could still explore the local outdoors.
Things change. It is the nature of everything. I hope my exploration continues even as it changes. I really hope for this place we call home to come back to it’s community. I see isolation and being at home as a chance to get bored and let your creative juices flow. To pick up the old project you forfeited and give it another go. Something beautiful will come of this. It just depends on how you use the time. My heads been swimming with isolation romance stories, No details really set, but scraps of nature and unity in an offset background of quarantine. Could be utopian in futuristic dystopia. We create our realities and I choose tranquil and productive. The option of being social impeded so there is little obligation to do but where you’re driven in small society.
So what’s next? Uncertainty but preparedness. No sense in worrying about it. Eating healthy and listening to your body.
So the last couple days we’ve been working on some shelf revamps on the bus. There were a few times I pointed out how I wanted something and how it would work best and met the grumpy old man. The time I relented and let him do his way, it ended up having to be put back to the way I had said. It was somewhat slow and a mess, but Danny had all kinds of scraps and tools to help out.
Brian came over this morning to give me a pack of cigarettes and tell me he thinks if I try to cross a border I’ll get stopped and tested and have to wait there until the test results come back. But at any rate to wait until tomorrow because he has some more clothes coming for us.
This morning I cleaned house. Yesterday I had a wasp enter my bedroom. At night it was quiet so I figured it had left, but this morning once it warmed up some it was back. I swatted at it with a fly swat. I think it left after that because it was quiet all around last time I went up there.
Maybe I’ll have to give filing taxes another try this year after all. The last couple years, it told me I wouldn’t get anything since I didn’t earn any money and that sending it in isn’t mandatory, but now with the government check. I’ve also had some issues calling into the public health services to renew our Medicaid. Figured I could ask them about it anyway…
I’m showered and the laundry is going. Kids spent most of the day outside in the sunshine under threats from mom that no cartoons should be turned on until I gave the ok. The old man seems to think it’s acceptable for the kids to watch TV all day every day and I certainly don’t do that. Usually there’s way more running activity than screen time. It really pissed me off when he went over my head and forced me to put my foot down and be the bad guy. Maybe he learned from it. If it happens again we’ll be out of here quick.
I just have this feeling that we’d be better off in Oklahoma. Dot has internet and a nice garden plot. Sonny’ll be there to help out with projects, too.
I feel like stretching. Been a minute since I’ve done any Yoga. Feeling out of whack here. We’ll see.
Stay grateful, humans!
Matilda the Bugus 