How Remote Is Too Remote, for Workamping, or Just Living?

Lake Fork Gunnison River Vickers RanchFind us a boondocking spot in beautiful country in the middle of nowhere, and we’re all over it. When we started looking for a summer workamping gig, we wanted a job in remote, mountain location. There were a couple of forest service jobs we could’ve taken, but we ended up here at Vickers because 1) it paid more, and 2) it offered us the chance to see if we’re resort owner material.

But the one thing we didn’t really consider, were the foodie sacrifices we’d have to make to live and work in a really remote mountain town with a year-round population of 500 people.

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Amarillo in August, Free Book Review


Amarillo in August Book by Jonathan MillerOne of the books piling up next to the bed in our RV was a free one I got as yet another perk workamping at Riverbend hot springs resort in New Mexico. Free books are great. They’re even better if you actually enjoy them.

And I enjoyed reading Amarillo In August by Jonathan Miller, author of Rattlesnake Lawyer – the book about which this book is about.

Amarillo In August isn’t so much about the Author’s first book, as it is about the book signing tour he embarked on throughout the Southwest to offload the cases of books his publishers dumped in his lap, almost literally. But it does hint about Rattlesnake Lawyer just enough to tease any legal thriller buff. Smart marketing. Something Miller should have thought of before publishing his first book. A book that cost him his public defender job and nearly got him disbarred.

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But seriously folks …


Bookmark this post and set aside time to watch this entire End of Suburbia program about peak oil with people close to you. Pending or not, crisis or melarkey, what’s most important is to listen to and realize who is saying the enlightening if not disturbing things in this documentary. Read Matthew Simmons’ Twilight in the Desert book for more oil industry insight.

Click the bottom middle icon at the bottom right of the YouTube player to view at full screen. Better yet, get the End of Suburbia DVD and show it to everyone you know. Or give them a copy to pass along. Or email them this page link so they can watch it right here.

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Funniest. Comment. Ever.

Al Workamping at Vickers dude RanchWe just received the funniest comment on any of our posts, from someone named Harvey. (Sorry RhodesTer.)

It made me laugh. And it reminded me of fellow workamper Al, who we met working here at Vickers Ranch.

On the post I wrote about trying the NextGen Gallery Worpress plugin, Harvey said:

“You got a picture of canned pork brains, and everybody wants to comment on what program you’re using!”

ROFLOLFYIETATBD! 😆

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Not In Such A Twitter About Tweets

Rene Tweets on Twitter Social NetworkIt was that funny RhodesTer guy who first turned us on to the whole Twitter thing. Though I must say, I was never really that turned on.

It was René who insisted we add the Twitter badge that shows what we’re doing at every instant.

I fought and stalled, but eventually conceded.

We compromised by placing yet another widget at the bottom of our sidebar. You see … Twitter is only good if you tweet.

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Happy Anniversary Baby!

Beautiful Rene Atop Hecla JunctionPlease allow me this brief moment to shout out to the entire world just how much I love my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?

Living together in a trailer on the road, it’s hard to surprise someone with anything. But since steel is the traditional gift for an 11-year anniversary, and Rene isn’t really into jewelry – the modern choice – perhaps I can steal her heart once again with a few heartfelt words.

I recently expressed concern to René about her dancing on the precipice at Black Canyon National Park. OK, she wasn’t dancing. But her scrambling made me nervous nonetheless.

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Get to the Point, Callers

Buddah Statue at Riverbend Hot Springs, NMIn 1992, I’d just finished college, and in order to pay my student loans, I took a job as a receptionist at a big marketing firm. I was the lowest admin on the org chart, and it was an awful, demeaning experience. But little did I know that the skills I learned on that job would come in handy so many years later.

Here at Riverbend, we answer the phone when we aren’t giving tours, cleaning the pools or doing laundry. Although I do my best to sound cheery, I really hate picking up the phone; it just takes me back to that awful job. Many conversations are an exercise in Buddah-like patience, especially on busy weekends.

Riverbend Hot Springs, how can I help you?”

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WHERE TO BUY TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

February 2008 I’ve had it with the whole TIPS ON PUMPING GAS email fraud. But enough people I respect sent me the famous GOOD INFO! message that I just had to look into it.

I was about to write about how I heard about not filling up when big trucks were filling much bigger tanks below the ground. But that was years ago. And an industry man told me way back then how the stations had filters to that took care of that. Now I’ve discovered the urban legend of tips on pumping gas to be mostly fraudulent.

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i go pogo

I Go Pogo For Okefenokee and the South


pogo1b.gifI’ve determined that if I don’t write something short and quick with first impressions about new places we see, I never will.

There is so much to see and do on this journey – as I told a Canuck fulltimer yesterday – we could stay on the road for the rest of our lives and never see the entire country. And if I don’t jot down some basic observations about where we’ve been soon after we arrive, I will forget if there is any reason to return when the time comes to plant some roots again.

With that said, I go Pogo … we have made it to Okefenoke Swamp. And we have officially reached the South.

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