December Sun
After all the talk of Yuma and Quartzite, Arizona we decided on the small mining town of Bisbee. We drove through Quartzite and Yuma and didnt feel the vibe we were looking for. They seemed ok for a short visit but not to spend the Winter with 3 kids in a 40’ bus. So we drove on. Aura said we should try Bisbee. A few hour drive to the east. Inanna found a “work away” family that could host us so we emailed them on the fly and they responded the next day. Bisbee is an old copper miming town with lots of character. Cool streets, funky shops and a plethora of artists. The architecture is inviting and the town is labeled as “the most haunted town in America”. So the kids thought it was perfect to hole up here for the Winter. The temperature is cooler and can freeze in the mornings. That is ok with us, we like a bit of cold for the Winter. So far every day has been sun, sun and sun. Seems perfect for now we’ll see how it is in January and Febuary. We do have a little Buddy propane heater that works well to take the edge off the morning nip.
We had talks with Zack and Val , the family with the small farm we will be staying with. They are great. Reminds me of the family we stayed with years ago in Oregon when Ivy was born. They have 2 kids. one is 4 and the other is 6 months. Nowa and Arisha , the 4 year old have hit it off like old friends. They are together all the time, playing and exploring the land. We parked the bus in exchange for labor hours on the land. So far we have been doing some adobe repair on their house . It involves mixing up plaster from sand and clay and water then applying over cracks and holes in the old plaster. We have been doing some painting work as well using natural pigment based paint that is mixed up from scratch. I’ve helped with small buuilding projects on the house and garage and it has been satisfying to work on another homestead after being on the road for the last year. This is also an off grid homested . They use only solar power to run the whole place. Also , they have milking goats that I have been helping with and a dozen chickens and turkeys. Inanna has been a big help with the baby and also helping out with the constant chores of laundry and housework. Aura will be pitching in as well doing art murals on some of the outbuildings. Ivy too is a big help with the kids when she wants to be!
Our primary source of income now is doing the Tucson craft markets this winter on the weekends. The markets are a couple hours away and we drive the bus and stay in and around Tucson for a few days and vend our wares at the market. Zack and family are heading off to Peru for a month and a half next week so we will be handling the farm while they are gone. So I think Inanna will stay there while I take the bus to do markets for the time they are gone. So far it feels like a good fit for the winter for us and if they have enough work when they get back we might decide to stay till Spring…