the tlc

Serenity has been having a few issues. She is still running, but she is just not herself these days. Our slow bus is going even slower, and not really enjoying any sort of hill.

Ah yes hills. Before we came to the land we had to dump our toilet. We pulled off an exit and saw a sign for a campground 2 miles away.Not bad, so we decided to dump there. Well the two miles was downhill on windy roads. No problem except that we have to get back up the hill. Normally that is not a problem, but with Serenity out of sorts....Well, Nigel pushed the pedal to the metal and up we went, slowly, slower, sloower, stop. Some of you might remember a similar incident at the Wyoming gathering!:)
We back up the bus, and the trailer and tried it again. Not even close. We started backing up again. At this point I am entertaining thoughts of where we will live at the bottom of this hill.
As we are backing down the second time a car drives by. They ask us if we need help. We tell them what is going on and they, being locals, tell us of an alternate route! A dirt road but not nearly so steep a hill. 10 minutes later and we are back on the highway! 

A week or so ago I sent a text to a friend of mine saying that Serenity needed a little TLC.

We made it to Nomads Land safe and sound. Now what to do about Serenity. A group arrived shortly after us to do a bit of work on the Land. There was a man in the group who knew right away that our bus was a 1963. He used to drive the same kind in New York! As he knows a bit about the engines he offered to give Nigel a hand in figuring out what was wrong. He knew ALOT about our bus. He even took it for a test drive. City Bus style. My cupboards stayed in place, but I was a bit nervous. The name of the group was TLC!
Funny eh?
So Serenity got a bit of TLC. There is still quite a bit more needed. Nigel is in the process of taking apart the engine. Something about a blower and maybe a fuel injector. We have a manual coming in the mail that should help. We are enjoying our time at Nomads Land. It is a beautiful place with beautiful people.

the veggie oil and mistakes

We are in Kentucky.  We just finished a gathering in the beautiful Shawnee National Forest. We watched the leaves change while we were there. We were a small kitchen this year, but we had others join us and it was a peaceful and quiet time at the Jesus Kitchen.
Lets talk about Veggie oil for a minute. Nigel has been in the process for the last two years of converting our bus to run on veggie oil. My husband is a very talented man who has no fear about trying new things.
The veggie oil has been "getting the kinks out" for quite a while now. I like to think I have been quite patient and supportive during this process, but I am sure that is not a hundred percent true...
We had another kink in the veggie oil yesterday. My immediate reaction was to call it quits and be done with the veggie oil once and for all. I look at Nigel and he seemed calm and collected, just trying to figure it out.
I realized something about the way the two of us approach new things. Nigel is not scared to make a mistake. It is all part of the process for him. He jumps right in with both feet, gives it all hes got, and if it dosent work out he tries again. And sometimes again and again and again.
Now me, I do not like making mistakes. I avoid them at all costs. If I am going to do something new I think it all out ahead of time. I look at all the angles, think through all the possibilities, and if it seems too risky then I just walk away.
My husband and I are so different. I love it sometimes. He pushes me to try things I wouldn't normally do.
And I like to think I keep him from jumping in too deep at times.
Balance.
So we are in KY. We have about 5 days to get to Nashville. That is about a 2 hour trip:) So slowly we travel down south. Enjoying the journey.

the preparation

September 1st.
25 days and counting and we hit the road again.
I am as always torn. Change is not always my favorite thing and yet I live a lifestyle that is in constant change.

Friends here in Minneapolis are starting to talk about fun winter plans. Plans of book clubs, and Bible studies, and snowmen, and sitting around the fire on cold winter nights. It all sounds so...cozy. It makes it hard to leave.

An then on the other hand. The Road. I love being on the road. I love having my home with me wherever I go. I love meeting new friends and visiting old ones. I love being in the woods with the beautiful rainbow family. And, just quietly, I even enjoy staying in walmart parking lots. The journey is exciting and fun and simple. The bus will more than likely break down at some point. And if it doesn't then it is a good day.

I am in this state of tension at the moment. Knowing I am leaving something wonderful and also knowing I am going to some place wonderful.

And so we prepare to leave. Nigel is finishing up the kitchen and putting in the water tank. This will be our first trip with water tanks! Goodbye big blue jugs and bird baths. Although I quite enjoy a bird bath.
I have been stocking our cupboards. I feel like a squirrel storing up for then winter. I was getting very excited filling up my jars last night with dry goods!

Trying to be present in the present and looking forward to the future.

Rach

the cat

A few weeks ago we were visited by a very thin alley cat.
We had some left over meat and some milk that we shared with her.
Then she came back the next day and I gave her some more milk and Nigels beef jerky.
And yet another return and Dan gave here some trader joe Sardines!
Nigel kept calling her "Too Cute" so that became her name .
By then she was around everyday and we were out buying cat food, twice. Dan too in case they want to have breakfast together.
Earlier this week we got her a flea collar. I wrote on it "Whos Cat?" It could have been someones cat...
I think she liked the collar, a few days later she left us a present in the form of a dead bird on the door step.
And the next day she brought over her five very cute and very little kittens!
They are now all residing under the porch in the backyard.
Did I mention that they are very cute!
Dan and Nigel have stopped all construction on their respective dwellings to play with the kittys.

Anyone want a kitten?

the first post

New Zealand Serenity

USA Serenity

Serenity is our bus. House bus that is. We actually have a two house buses, both are called Serenity.
Our first Serenity is a big old 1963 beford school bus. It is located in New Zealand and we like it very much.
Our second Serenity is a big old 1963 city bus. It is in Minnesota at the moment, and we are getting used to it. Nigel likes how smoothly it drives, Rachel is a bit scared of how big it is! We have lived in Serenity in the USA for over 2 years now.
We have had many adventures traveling around the US of A with Serenity and we look forward to many more.