I'm bad at this 

So, the original plan was to keep the site up to date with regular blog posts about my travels, along with a series of YouTube videos, et cetera, et cetera.  Yeah, so I haven't done that.  

I've covered a LOT of ground the past few months.  Extended stays in Georgia, Tennessee, and California, reconnecting with friends, and exploring all over the country.  I've gotten to see New Orleans, Austin, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland (the other one), and I'm just an hour or so from Seattle.  I saw the beaches of the gulf coast, the giant redwoods, and a slew of national parks.  I've been working on art and music stuff- less than I'd like, but more than I had been.

But I haven't been documenting every moment.  Some of this is laziness and ADD, but there's more to it.  I don't want to be an “influencer”.  I don't give a shit how many likes or subscribers I get.  I feel weirdly protective of many of my experiences- I went and sought them out, and they're mine, not the internet's.  I just want to travel and make art, not “create content”.

But it's the nature of the beast.  To be an artist of any kind, you have to promote.  You have to get out there and market yourself and your work.  Man, I'm tired of that, especially these days where it isn't enough to just release an album or exhibit a gallery show.  You have to be the art.  You need to turn it into a compelling series of multimedia presentations styled for TikTok and reels. You need to be at the center, displaying yourself and your craft as a consumer product.  You have to be an influencer, not an artist.  Honestly, I have neither the stomach nor the ego for that.  Not for public consumption.

I'll try to update things anyway.  There's a couple new songs on the music page.  I think I figured out how to release the slew of new material collecting digital dust on my hard drive.  And I'm headed home to Maine in a few weeks for the summer- Maybe I'll have more time to do this stuff, maybe less.  We'll see.

On the road again 

Here I go again on my own...

And it's back to the road.  Done with work for the season, moved all my stuff into the bus, and fired up the engine.  Working on tons of new art and music stuff, but for the immediate moment, Archer is my priority.  Spending most of this week in great company-

Made a wonderful visit to A Sacred Place in Canaan NH and then Peaceful Harvest Mushrooms in Worcester VT, where I got some lion's mane tincture that's supposed to help with some of my diabetic nerve issues. 

Then it was a quick visit back home for Thanksgiving with family, followed by social calls in MA, CT, and on to my next stop in Pennsylvania.

I'll be spending a month or so working on Archer at one or more Wanderlust Waypoints locations as I work my way down to Florida for the Nomads United field trip to All World Acres, where you can see me perform, buy a painting, and who knows what else?  It should be a great time, and I recommend you come check it out.

Work season winding down 

Well, as September draws to a close, so does the hotel season, and I'm making plans for winter.   I haven't had as much time as I'd hoped to work on Archer the wonder bus, but she's road worthy and just this side of livable.  Solar, toilet, wastewater, and kitchen (minus sink) are up and running, curtains are done, and some more furniture is installed.

I've also got half a hard drive full of half finished songs... As per usual.  Eventually I'll release some of that new material.

I think I'll be headed out mid November for points south.  Stay tuned,

Just another update 

So, I had a Reddit post go somewhat viral.  35k upvotes and made the front page.  Other than that, I've been working on a little bit of bus stuff and some music, but my day job is keeping me busy.

I did manage one fun project- I needed some specific hardware for the curtain rods in the bus, but I'm not sure whether it actually exists.  So I fired up Blender, loaded the 3D printer with some gold silk PLA, and woke up to the parts I needed ready to install.  No matter how many times I do this, it's still absolutely mindblowing to me that I can literally come up with an idea, send it to my little robot factory, and have a solid object in my hand by morning.

 

 

Thus ends the off season 

Realized I haven't posted in way too long.

Georgia was great.  Spent several weeks working on the bus at Cobbtown Acres- A DIY workshop and grounds for a couple dozen of us all working on our skoolie projects.  I met some amazing people who have become surprisingly near and dear to my heart in such a short time- Check out BuzuAzul, Escahpay, and Daddamantium on Insta.  Finished the subfloor and laminate flooring, built my bed, kitchen counters, got solar hooked up, mounted storage bins and water tanks underneath.  Good progress.

And then, Cobbtown had to shut down.  They're presently seeking out a more suitable space to restart, probably in a different county.  But for now, everyone had to leave.

A bunch of us- like the folks I mentioned above- decided we wanted to stick together, so it was time for a convoy.  The four of us landed and regrouped with a couple other friends at Wanderlust Waypoints in Tennessee- While they're still getting the place finished, Johnny and Ash were nonetheless able to squeeze us in for several weeks.

I installed and finished plumbing my toilet and wastewater tank, did some more interior framing, and painted a mural in the clubhouse there.

And before you know, it's that time again, and I'm back on the Maine coast for the summer.  Archer is parked at a friend's house, where I am continuing to make progress- This week it's the couch framing and more underbody storage, courtesy of a handful of old metal filing cabinets.  We'll see how much gets done over the summer.

Besides that, it's back to work, and very likely you'll see me at a few Friday Art Walks in Portland, and maybe the occasional gig or open mic.  I'll keep you posted.

Progress at last! 

So, I have made it to my destination in Georgia, where I am working on finishing Archer.

In the last couple weeks, I've managed to install water tanks underneath, build in the bed, kitchen counters, and frame the shower and toilet enclosures, as well as cut a huge horkin hole in the side skirting to mount the two big steel boxes I got for storage.

I'm hoping over the next week or two to get solar and plumbing hooked up and operational.  Tonight, Papa Joe the storyteller is at the campfire, and I'll be accompanying him with some percussion.

Repairs, repairs, repairs. 

YUP, it's a part of skoolie life, and I'm kind of throwing Archer to the wolves here with a 1200 mile maiden voyage.  It's not surprising that anything that was going to go wrong, is.

Spent the last two weeks with friends in Pennsylvania while half the DEF system got replaced.  Today I noticed that my rear axle was hemorrhaging oil, so I'm waiting for the mechanic at a truck stop to put on a new seal tomorrow.  Looks like I'm spending the night at a Love's in North Carolina.

Speaking of spending, HOLY CRAP has all this gotten expensive.  Now's a really good time to buy some downloads, paintings or prints, or some random stuff from the Amazon links below.

 

 

At least Pennsylvania is Nice. 

So, no luck in beating the storm.  Archer had an engine issue and we spent the night in a rest stop in Pennsylvania waiting for a tow truck.  I'm staying with friends until the mechanic gets the part in.

12 Hours to Liftoff. 

Bags are packed. Farewells have been said. Archer, despite her incomplete state, is sitting in my driveway, patiently waiting for her voyage. Tomorrow I leave Maine for the open road… And what looks like two solid days of driving in nonstop rain. That’s okay, if I time it even remotely okay I should miss the snow that would keep me here another week. 

My destination is Cobbtown Acres in Georgia- A community of folks who are all there to work on their own school bus conversions. There, I’ll finish Archer and hopefully, be able to barter some painting in exchange for help with welding and the other couple needed skills I’m lacking in. 

After that, I’ll be headed towards New Orleans, Memphis, a few other places. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve abandoned my hopes for the left coast, but with Archer finished and a trial run under my belt, I should be able to travel for a full six months next year instead of two or three. Time. There’s never enough, and yet there’s always more. 

For tonight, I’m at home with an empty fridge, a sea of totes and boxes, and a sense of anticipation. On a related note, my internet was shut off today- Technically in “seasonal mode”, and I’m working while tethered to my iPhone. I’ve got a solid data plan through T-Mobile and even with a sparse 1-2 bars of subprime signal here in the boonies, I’m able to update the blog and even stream video- Which gives me high hopes for working on the road. 

Stay tuned. It’s about to get interesting.

New Music, Storms, and More 

Running from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old time string band
-Wagon Wheel

Well, my plan to leave this weekend for warmer climates in which to work on the bus has been hampered by an oncoming storm- Sounds like it's gonna be a big one, too.  Hitting the Carolinas on Friday and heading up the coast into Maine.  So it's looking like I'm probably going to end up leaving around the middle of next week instead.

In the meantime, here's a new song for you- You can listen for free on Soundcloud, or download here for .99 cents. 

Stay tuned, I'm packed and ready to hit the road with my guitar, my painting supplies, and new- Matted prints of some of my artwork.  They'll be up on the store soon.