June 12th, 2024
As I was releasing the leveling jacks I looked down the dirt path that would lead me back on to the road and noticed a couple were walking around down at the end taking pictures. It was Wayne and Carol! They had come up the hill to see me off and spot me while climbing out of the ditch I had dove into to get to this spot. As I approached they watched and guided me with big smiles on their faces. I gritted my teeth as I pushed forward and the RV twisted and creaked around me. Success. I was free of the pit that I had dug myself into. I pulled to the side of the road and threw it into park so I could go thank my new friends and say my goodbyes.
The trip to the Boondocker’s Welcome host was a short one, but I stopped in Wells to gas up, do some laundry and hit the grocery store. That is really the only luxury I am missing out here: laundry. You can really take for granted having easy access to laundry facilities. This is the first one I have stopped at on this trip and, while it was a little run down, it really wasn’t that big of a deal to stop and get a few loads done. It helped a little that the camp hosts, Tom and Rita, were there doing their laundry as well. I chatted them up a bit then headed out to the RV where I kicked on the generator and AC while I waited and got another hour of Bible reading in. The machines at these laundry facilities get the job done much quicker than the machines I’m used to at home. Just over an hour and three loads were washed and dried.
All my busy work done I hit the road for the short 25 mile to trip to the ranch I would be staying at. The drive there was pretty terrible. The wind gusts were really intense blowing me all over the road. It didn’t help that the speed limit out here is 80 and I prefer to go 65 max. The trucks blowing passed me as I fought the wind gusts made for a pretty white knuckle ride on that short distance to my destination. I breathed a sigh of relief as I exited the freeway and it the final stretch. Unfortunately, the road to the ranch was completely unpaved and very washboard… so the last few miles were not really that much better. The rv rattled angrily around me as I slowly made my way down the 3 mile stretch at an uncomfortably slow pace.
I finally arrived and was greeted by Eric who opened the gate for me and invited me in. Eric owns several acres out here in the desert in between Wells and Elko. It’s a nice enough place. It’s mostly dirt with a little house sitting on the corner of a massive property. They had only owned the property for about 1 ½ years and had since been building it out to be an RV friendly place. They used to be fulltimers themselves and originally purchased the property as a halfway point between their home and their children’s home. I chatted with Eric for a while and thanked him for the spot and proceeded to get set up. It was about 95 degrees out by now so I spent the rest of the afternoon on the futon under the ac cuddling with Danny and reading the Bible.
There’s not really much excitement to talk about during my stay at the ranch. It was a very low key stop on this trip. I spent the majority of the time running, working out, reading the Bible, and walking Danny. Since we were kind of out in the middle of nowhere, I started taking Danny on my runs with me. I was a little worried about rattle snakes, this area is pretty undeveloped and smack dab in the middle of the desert, but we didn’t have any probems and Danny is pretty good at sticking right by me as I run.
This is the RV area. It’s not the most exciting place, but it was quiet and peaceful. I got a ton of reading done out here which I really needed because I had slowed my progress quite a bit during my time at Angel Creek with all the exploring and fellowship time with new friends. I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for some peace and quiet, oh, and there are some beautiful views and sunsets as well:
I had a very productive time here. Most of it was spent reading the Bible. That may not sound productive to many people, but for me it absolutely is. A big portion of my transformation this last year is due to one simple thing: discipline. Specifically, discipline through goals. I set goals, both daily and weekly, and I do my absolute best to achieve them. The next week, I try to up them and do more, on and on. My big goal during this first month and a half trip in my RV is to read the Bible. That said, I made massive progress on the goal while I was here. I finished out Ezekiel and on through the entire remainder of the Old Testament. The next leg of my journey will coincide with my next leg of the Bible: the New Testament. Time to get going on both.
June 18th, 2024
The drive to Spring Creek was short, but beautiful. The highway was a gentle 55 miles per hour and as I crested the summit of the Lamoille highway I was greeted with an unbelievable view of the Spring Creek valley. It was breathtaking. Just a gigantic, open, green valley stretching out surrounded by towering green and snowcapped mountains. Just gorgeous. I drove down into the valley and about 10 miles later I found the location which sits just at the bottom of one of these beautiful mountains. I pulled in behind another RV that is staying on this property and got set up.
After having a little dinner I ran into Susan, the host and homeowner, and we had a really nice chat. She has lived out here for 30 years with her husband Karl who works in gold mining. She and her family go to Ruby Mountain Bible Church nearby, and after hearing some of my story she was quick to invite me to the Men’s Group and Bible Study tomorrow night, which I think I will attend. We spoke for nearly an hour about travel, God, and our lives in general. She was very kind and a pleasure to interact with. It never ceases to amazing me the wonderful people that I am meeting on this journey.
The next day I unloaded the motorcycle and made for Lamoille Canyon where Wayne and Carol were staying. They had been there for a few days already and they must have heard me coming because the were both outside to greet me when I showed up. I gave Carol a big hug and she immediately sent us away in Wayne’s truck to go inspect the available dispersed spots in the canyon. They were intending to save one for me if I so desired to move out to the canyon where the weather would be cooler than Spring Creek. Can I just say these people are amazing? They have so much love to share and I feel like I am just being showered with it. They are so warm and giving, I just love them.
We check out the available spots, of which there were plenty, but nothing looked particularly easy to get a rig my size into and I had already kind of determined to stay put in Spring Creek. Karl and Susan had been so welcoming to me and I believe God was working through them to show me some things I needed to see. So Wayne and I headed back and we all spent an hour in their RV chatting, it was a really nice visit.
That evening I attended the Men’s Group Bible study with Karl. The subject was Taking the Lord’s name in vain. We spoke about what it meant to each of us, why it was wrong, how it affected us and other’s, I even chimed in with some of my own musings on the subject. The conversation was open and most of the attendees got involved in the discussion in some form or another. It was just a neat experience to be in this room with all of these good-hearted men that I had never met before all sharing our love for the Lord and discussing Biblical issues. Everyone was very welcoming to a newcomer like me and my input was valued. It was a very fulfilling experience. Afterwards Karl invited me to join them for church service on Sunday, which I was happy to agree to.
The next few days were nice, but not all that exciting. I made some excellent progress on the New Testament and enjoyed the peace and quiet. This RV spot is right in the host’s driveway, but they live in a pretty rural area and the views are magnificent. It’s a little weird at first to be camped out in someone’s driveway, but once you get to know them you tend to settle right in. Susan and Karl made it easy for me to be comfortable here. I spent a good amount of time running and working out and just doing the typical day to day stuff. A few days in I decided to go for another ride out to the canyon. My riding confidence had been getting better and better as I became more acclimated to this motorcycle so I decided to really open it up this time.
The ride was exhilarating. I was in shorts and a t-shirt as I blasted down the highway at 60 mph. It felt so good to have all the wind hitting me in that hot weather. As I ascended into the canyon the air got cooler and cooler while the sights got more and more beautiful. I really like riding through these canyons. The roads winding back and forth with the occasional cool breeze blowing up from the river below, its just such a joyous experience. I drove all the way to the end of the canyon road where a big parking/turnaround area existed at the foot of a snow covered mountain. It still amazes me to be standing in bright sunlight in 90 degree weather with a snowcapped mountain in front of me. It is vexing and gorgeous at the same time. I snapped a number of photos and then headed back the way I came toward Wayne and Carol’s campsite.
I pulled up to their campsite around 2:00 and they immediately knew it was me and invited me in. We all relaxed in their RV and shared stories for a few hours. It was a nice visit that sort of solidified our friendship. You know, like you reach that point with new people where you officially relax around them and just enjoy their company… I asked them if they would join me for a photo to commemorate our time together and they were happy to oblige. We got a few great shots of us smiling gathered together at the base of a gigantic u shaped mountain range rising up behind us. It’s a beautiful shot of all of us at a great angle. We all hugged, said our goodbyes, and I fired the bike up to head back home.
My parents saw this photo and immediately accused me of replacing them. I assured them they were still the coolest in my book. They are so funny, bless their hearts.
That evening around 5:45 I got a text from Susan letting me know she was heading to town with her daughter and wouldn’t be back until 7:30, but they have a pool in the backyard and I am welcome to go for a dip in the meantime if I like. I was floored… a pool? You’ve got to be kidding me. Do the gifts of these wonderful people never cease? I wrote her back my thanks and stepped into my swim trunks. The pool was a really nice above ground pool about 10 feet wide by 30 feet long and 4 feet deep. The sun was bright in the sky, the water was cool and clean, it was just what I needed. I splashed around and swam some laps feeling unbelievably refreshed. I floated on my back and bobbed around just enjoying the sensations and thanking God for delivering me to such a wonderful place and such wonderful people. I am just absolutely humbled by the endless generosity of my Father and his unbelievably wonderful children. These people, and this place, are gifts from God. This whole day was a gift from God. His blessings just completely take my breath away. I am not worthy of this love, but he gives it anyways. I am so thankful.
The next day was moving day again. Off to Wild Horse Reservoir 60 miles north of Elko, Nevada today. Before that, however, I went to attend church service with my hosts at 10:45. The service started out with announcements of upcoming events, and after that came worship where we all stood and sang hymns to the Lord. There were no hymn books or Bibles available in the room, but thankfully they had a few monitors that displayed the lyrics so I could follow along. I tend to enjoy the small church vibe of singing hymns together, and this was one of the better presentations I have seen. The assistant pastor led us in the hymns with his massive voice and skillful delivery. We sang two hymns, prayed, and then sang two more before the lead pastor, Jeff, took the stage to deliver his message. Pastor Jeff led us through Samuel chapters 16 and 17 that covers the introduction of David in the Old Testament. At the end of his teaching we sang one more hymn and parted with a prayer. It was a nice service.
After the service I met up with Susan and we hung out and chatted for about a half hour. She wanted to know the story of my being saved, so I happily told her the whole thing. I love telling this story, people find it moving in so many different ways. I love this idea that is can both help people find God who have not, as well as strengthen the belief of followers. I told her all the ways God had transformed me in the last year as she looked on me almost like a proud Mom. I really like Susan, she is a genuinely good and kind woman. At one point I told her about finding my copy of Wild at Heart sitting in a drawer and she mused about how her husband and son were currently reading the same book. She also mentioned she had purchased a copy of Captivating for herself, but the new puppy and chewed it up before she had a chance to read it. Our chat eventually led to her introducing me to the lead pastor Jeff, who took my number and sent me some links for some of his other teachings to check out later.
As I headed home, I knew I wanted to do something nice for Susan. I knew she would not accept any money, but after my conversation with her at the church, I knew there was something I could do. Susan had mentioned her dog had chewed up her copy of Captivating. Could God have delivered me a more perfect way to repay her kindness? I always have a few copies of Wild at Heart and Captivating on hand to give the people I meet that I believe would benefit from their words. It was perfect, and I had a really nice and clean copy of the book in my shelf with her name on it.
I met her outside to say my goodbyes, thank her for all her hospitality and kindness and then presented her with the book. She was nearly beside herself at the gift. She had joked that maybe it wasn’t God’s will for her to read this book due to its untimely fate the last time she purchased it… yet here it was! It was a perfect end to a really nice stay. She gave me a big hug and cracked a few jokes about setting me up with one of her friends, she then invited me back any time and I agreed to come visit again. As I sat in my captains chair and fired up the engine, Karl ran out from inside to say his goodbyes as well. He had jut woken up (he works the late shift) and I was thankful that I got to shake his hand and thank him again before heading out. The whole thing was just perfect.
I waved one more time and hit the road towards Elko, praying and thanking God as I went.
Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Hebrews 13:1
GOD EXISTS
Even the most devote among us need to be reminded: God exists.
GOD EXISTS
Even the most devote among us need to be reminded: God exists.