Rain in the desert, part one
The weather today took a turn for the worse and became chilly, cloudy, windy, and rainy. That kind of weather is not conducive to enjoying life as a full-time boondocker. But you have to play the hand you're dealt, and it looks like for the next two days, I'll just fold my hand and hang around inside the Lance.
I sometimes mention that being a boondocker requires a certain amount of ability to overcome the challenges of living by your wits, so today, and probably tomorrow, it looks like this will be one of those times. Since I'm not doing anything, this seems like a good time to write about one of the challenges of boondocking, especially in desert areas.
When staying in RV parks, RV Park owners are largely responsible for your safety, including regarding the weather. RV Park owners have a fiduciary responsibility to their customers, and even though campground owners probably don't do a very good job of it, most RVers don't pay much attention to anything to do with the weather other than how it affects their plans for the day. But for boondockers, some days can be a challenge, especially when dealing with the weather, and guess who's responsible for any dumb boondocking decisions that are made? ..... That's right!
Having made more than a few dumb decisions, I’m particularly careful about my safety when boondocking. So, I pay close attention to the weather and how it's going to affect the area I'm boondocking in. Since I’m mostly in the desert in the winter, rain and what it might do are always at the top of my mind.
Usually, I don't have to worry about rain; after all, I'm in a desert, and rain is rare. But when it rains, it doesn't take much to fill up the dry washes and turn the landscape into a muddy mess, making driving difficult or, in rare instances, dangerous.
Now, that hasn't happened today, and I don't think it will, but tomorrow, I'll write about what I do to keep myself out of trouble if it does rain too much.
Theboondork
The skies around here looked like this for most of the day. It sure looks like it’s going to rain hard, but this is the desert, so all it did was sprinkle lightly for five minutes.
This used to be a nice view of the mountains, but now it’s full of power-lines thanks to the humongous chip manufacturing plant at the far end of these power lines.
This tattooed lady is loading her 12 gauge double barrel shotgun preparing to shoot.
Hot air balloon near my boondocking area.
Cowboy shooter. These folks shoot for time and not for accuracy, which makes the contest a little easier for everyone so more people can compete. There's a handful of people here that can shoot faster than you would think is possible, but they're pretty rare.
Most of these folks are here for the fun and to talk about their hobby. One of the signs of being old is when you do more talking... than doing.