Happy Halloween!

This is a unique Halloween for me, that's for sure! My first in over 25 years that I won't have a door for trick or treaters to come knocking on. My son and I carved jack-o-lanterns a couple weeks ago and mine has been set on Hella's Fender facing the sidewalk where I park at night  I can tell the locals have enjoyed it as they walk by in the evening. I was storing it in the truck during the daytime, but like all carved pumpkins do, it started declining a bit too much for that. So, a few days ago I hid it in the tall grass behind where I park for the day. When I returned to my spot that evening, I found it perched on the post as pictured above. No damage done, just set onto a bolt to keep it steady. It looked great, so I left it there and lit it up as usual. It's been three days and nights now and it's still unharmed. So very cool!

I'm a big believer that we reap the energy we sew. Thus far I have been treated very warmly by the locals that walk by Hella daily in my Ballard spot. Many have stopped to introduce themselves and learn about what I'm doing. I know that's largely due to my unique vehicle. But, there's a tremendous amount of good energy surrounding it because of the path I'm on and I believe people sense that. Ballard has been an amazing community to get to know, and I feel very welcome here. I love the maritime nature of the place and am enjoying living here while I build the support for Jackdaw that will allow me to extend my reach beyond Puget Sound. I know the time will come when I will be traveling much more extensively and I won't have a regular home base like I do at the moment. In the meantime, I am blessed to call Ballard my Seattle home.

Thursday I leave for a gig in Wenatchee for a few days and then go directly to Olympia for a week helping out Mom. See you in mid-November Ballard!

Emergence of the primal...

It's been nearly three months since I launched this new phase of my life. The warm weather and the newness is gone. An ancient fire is kindling deep within me. The shift is palpable. Whether good day or bad, it keeps rising. An energy that goes back way beyond this lifetime I am living. I feel my Gypsy surging in every corner of my life like an exquisite tapestry weaving itself before me. A sense that as each day ends, it was all I needed. A completeness when I lay down to sleep. Like if this day were my last it was what it was supposed to be. I no longer ache for something different. The now is right and true. The simplest of things delights me. Food to eat, a place to sleep, a healthy body and mind, and purpose.

This rising within me is my Wolf. I set him free nearly three years ago, but what really lit him up was letting go of everything. Embracing who I am without reservation or shame. Learning to trust my instinct. Relinquishing the need for the illusions of security and safety. Running in faith and the wind. He still has to turn and nip me every now and again when I slow my pace over something. But, I snap out of it quickly with one look in that face of his. I trust my Patronus. Lead on wild one...

Rubber hits the road

I've been based in Seattle for nearly three months now. It's been the best time of year to be a live aboard in Puget Sound. Perfect timing for reacquainting me with this lifestyle. Fall is here now and the days are getting shorter, the nights colder. As I laid waiting for sleep last night, I thought about how warm and comfortable I was in my little rig. I went to sleep peacefully. This morning I drove downtown at 0530 in order to get a primo parking spot at the market for the day. I got to see many street folk bundled up wherever they could find cover. That's always very sobering for me. One man began screaming profanities in the pre-dawn chill as if trying to warm himself up. Only he knows. It was disturbing and heartbreaking.

In the last few days I've realized I have been playing this a bit too safe. It snuck up on me as I saw my savings steadily decline. So, I began trying to make contacts electronically and on the phone so as to save fuel. As I did, Jackdaw's momentum slowed down. I know this work will have lulls from time to time as I seek out communities to serve. But, this was different. Hella opens doors when I arrive new places. That's just a fact, and without her, I'm just another guy walking in the door.

So, Fuel burn be damned! I will be rolling to new communities weekly now. I will have faith that as I do, more support for this work will come on board. The Universe is testing my mettle and I'm all in to show her what I've got.

October week with mom

I spend a week a month helping out mom in her house. She always enjoys having Hella parked out front! Very cute. I don't know what the rest of the neighborhood thinks, but oh well!

It's always a busy week here with her. It's challenging to build up Jackdaw momentum for three weeks and then throttle back for this week. But, it's very important and I get things rolling again quickly with Jackdaw once I leave.

For now, I am focused on what mom needs. See y'all next week!

Live aboard lessons and adjustments

I'm in my third month of living on the road. It's not my first rodeo, so the surprises have been minimal. But, in recent days I have noticed just how broadly the minimalism and financial restraint has seeped into everything I do. With the arrival of the holiday season, and still living on my savings, I have to pass on all the sweet little indulgences I used to make when I had regular income. It's taken me a week of wrangling with myself to allow the purchase of this $4 playground ball to be my Halloween decor for Hella. Ugh! But, that's what happens to your perspective when you're living in survival mode. Buying anything other than food, fuel and sundries becomes a big decision. You begin to scratch the surface of what it feels like to be truly broke, which I am still a fair distance from. I'm sticking with putting all my energy into gifting people and building support for this work. I know that if I started other work in an effort to relieve the stress of dinging my finite savings every week, it would compromise what I'm working to build with Jackdaw.

I'm a very responsible Wolf, but sometimes, you've just got to have a little fun and give in to a holiday impulse! So, Happy Halloween from Hella and I! I hope this jack-o-lantern ball is lucky and stays put. I have certainly learned that anything not locked on or bolted down tends to walk away. Which is what happened to my Cub Scout neckerchief clasp that was wrapped around one of my grille guard bars. Hopefully it's being put to good use with it's new owner. I like that thought.

Have a wonderful day All!

Umbrellas...

I have never liked using an umbrella. As a matter of fact, the only time in my life that I have used one is for sheltering cameras in the rain. I've had this giant Kodak umbrella for over 30 years now. It is seriously heavy duty and nice.

Now that I live in a truck and with very limited wardrobe, not to mention space, it's imperative to keep my clothes dry. So, on this first truly all day rainy day of my new life on the wet side of the mountains, I have been walking with an umbrella instead of just letting myself get soaked in the rain like I've done all the rest of my life. It was no biggie before since I could hang out clothes to dry, not to mention take a nice warm shower, when I got home.

I'm finding it's actually really sweet to walk in the rain with this thing. I like it. Although, it is leaky at the panel seams. I'll stop in to a fabric or hardware store tomorrow to find a waterproofing tape solution of some sort. Because I'll be damned if I'm giving up this cool old Kodak umbrella after all these years! It's actually gotten me thinking about just how old most of my things are. Except for my camera, phone and computer equipment, most everything I own and use is at least 10 years old, if not 20 or 30. I've always bought the best quality stuff I can afford and it has certainly paid off for me. Here's to hard wearing and long serving gear! It only gets better with time.

Tugboat 'Michael Quigg' in the background.