Crescent Moon, Veggie Oil, and Lambswool

I end up driving all day even though I hadn’t intended to. My delivery to Las Vegas canceled, I’ve decided to go to the Grand Canyon for a couple days prior to heading to Nogales. I need a dose of splendor and glory before I continue this trek.

Plus the rest area I plan to stop at is closed – a minor detail they forgot to mention at the preceding rest stop so I end up driving into Arizona. The rest stop is small with only 5 or 6 noisy 18 wheelers idling illegally in their section of the parking area. I park as far away as I can, even though it’s under a too-bright street light, finding diesel fumes and noise much more irritating than a little light.

But returning from the bathroom, heading for my truck, I see a beautiful crescent moon hanging next to a brilliant star in the blackest sky, and a big coyote sneaking quietly on 4 balls of feet passed my truck until she suddenly notices me, head shooting up, eyes staring into mine before she pivots and whips off into the darkness.

I’ve been anxious all day about my veggie oil, feeling her slow down on a hill, wondering if I sense a hesitation – I’ve purchased oil from a new person, which is always a risk, although I only put in about 10 gallons into the tank I’m running off, just to test it out. I had to change both filters immediately before I left town but now that I’ve driven 600 or so miles successfully, crossing the incredibly beautiful Tehachapi range, through the Mojave Desert and into Arizona – probably a gain of 3 or 4000 feet in altitude – I’m feeling more secure.

My trip is taking shape. I’ll be at the border protesting our fuckin wall we’re building and the ‘detention’ prison there. Then I need to be in Connecticut around the 20^th of October, then in North Dakota at Standing Rock by the 1^st of November.

I’ve added to my mission: I want to collect winter things to take with me to Standing Rock. I KNOW how cold the winters are there. Did I mention I gave birth to a beautiful, most precious baby girl in the midst of that stark ugly racist place? We arrived there in mid-October and it snowed, and left mid June and it snowed. We had to plug in our garaged car overnight or it wouldn’t start the next day. The first time I took my baby out for her 10 day old check up (do they do that anymore), the car froze on the highway because the anti-freeze was only good for 40 below and it was 70 below. We’re alive because a tow-truck was following us down the highway.

So it’s fuckin cold in North Dakota. I want to collect things like lambs’ wool lined winter boots, military-grade parkas, gloves, hats, down sleeping bags, 4 season tents, blankets, insulated undies, lined pants, wool sweaters, stuff like that.

Probably any propane and/or solar things would be helpful as well.

I’m thinking I’ll go to thrift stores as well as fb and email folks to see if others can collect and I’ll haul.