June 3, 2022

Well...here i am nestled in a carved out canyon, snuggled up in my tent. Crickets are rattling off songs as i lay here enveloped in my new nest. 3 weeks ago, i could not have unzipped a brand spanking new comforter and laid it on a cot, nor slept in a tent fresh out of it's sheath without it having off gassed for months...and by then, all would have been moldy and I'd be done for. I've canceled vacations with my family for this very reason and the devastation that followed was just debilitating. I have been going through hell these last few weeks and tears have flowed regularly. It's nowhere near over, but the milestones are joyous. I have been hiking up and down these formations, slipping and sliding all the way. It's a wild place here. Loa, Utah. Kind of a one horse town about 15 or so minutes away. I took a bin bath tonight....a trick i have used a few times. Heat the water on a coleman stove in a stock pot. Bout 3 pots full boiling. And add cold till it's just right. String up a privacy area and a fine bath under the sky in a storage bin. I was plenty dusty after my tumbles but turned out fine with the wash. So this is what i see from here and if anyone knows what creature made this paw print, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. Mountain lions and bears are the choices as far as i know. For scale, it fits in the palm of my hand. Please keep rooting for me. I have had some scary, dark times though am happy to report, today was not one of them.