MADDOGS
THE ADVENTURE CREW: Master, The Nomad, Sweet Bird of Freedom (aka Freeta Roam), Pixie & Pod, Miss Cycle, Ivan the writing muse, Jude, and the brains of the crew--Croc. DOUBLE-CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGESunday, January 30, 2005
SUNDAY--Today we saw a woman hitch-hiking along the river about 6 miles south of the Freeport Bridge. Jude had feelings inside that we should pick her up, so we did. She was hitching from SacTown to Largo, Florida. We ended up dropping her off at the truck stop on Stockton Blvd. by Costco. She was happy with that as she's had good luck hooking up with truckers.
She had stringy hair that was mostly gray, decay on several teeth, a sunburned & windburned & chapped face, clean & neat clothing (not frayed or grungy), and carried a bedroll & canvas duffle & purse & shopping bag with crackers and apricots inside. She had $30 to get her to Florida.
At first, we thought she must be in her late 60s, but very soon after she got in the Nomad, we realized the woman was Jude's age--or younger. That realization came a quite a jolt.
She had stringy hair that was mostly gray, decay on several teeth, a sunburned & windburned & chapped face, clean & neat clothing (not frayed or grungy), and carried a bedroll & canvas duffle & purse & shopping bag with crackers and apricots inside. She had $30 to get her to Florida.
At first, we thought she must be in her late 60s, but very soon after she got in the Nomad, we realized the woman was Jude's age--or younger. That realization came a quite a jolt.
Friday, January 28, 2005
FRIDAY--While the Crew was getting Jude to Louise's so they could work on their screenplay, we saw a Tan-fan-dang-go sunset. While Jude drove, Pixie took photos--and what a good job she did.
Monday, January 17, 2005
MONDAY--Yesterday, Jude met with Robin Baby-not at Costco. She bought flowers for a friend then took Jude out to dinner. Ate at Chevy's. Split a veggie burrito. After that, the Crew went for a night ride along the river and saw a fox! Fantastic!
Tip of the Day: He who hesitates is not only lost, but miles from the next exit.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
SUNDAY--No more fever! Jude's out of bed and dressed! What more do you want?
Gee, but it's great to be back home.
Home is where I want to be.
The Birth of the Adventure Crew
Several years ago (about 7 or so), Jude and the Baby-nots set out on a trip to visit Granny. The Baby-nots convinced Jude to stop at a WalMart somewhere in Nevada. Since Jude HATES stores and shopping, she stayed in the car while the Baby-nots went inside to get broke.
While watching the sunset she had an epiphany. Where ever she was, she was home.
Suddenly the trip wasn't about leaving SacTown and arriving at Granny's (or fill in the blanks for any other locations) Where ever Jude was, she was already home. So right there, right then, Jude was already home with no rush to get to or from anywhere. The world changed for her.
Jude and the Baby-nots had their visit with Granny, then took off on an adventure. Vernal Utah, Dinosaur National Monument, Rosie's Cabin, across part of Colorado, back through Wyoming, along the Green River. The Baby-nots became proficient at finding petrogliphs.
They slept in the car, ate out of grocery stores (cooler in trunk), and were as free as the wind. Robin Baby-not and Jude LOVED it; Heather Baby-not HATED it--but she did survive.
From then on Jude was good-to-go with no notice. Eventually she met and fell in love with The Nomad, the remainder of the Crew signed on, and the rest is wandering history.
Gee, but it's great to be back home.
Home is where I want to be.
The Birth of the Adventure Crew
Several years ago (about 7 or so), Jude and the Baby-nots set out on a trip to visit Granny. The Baby-nots convinced Jude to stop at a WalMart somewhere in Nevada. Since Jude HATES stores and shopping, she stayed in the car while the Baby-nots went inside to get broke.
While watching the sunset she had an epiphany. Where ever she was, she was home.
Suddenly the trip wasn't about leaving SacTown and arriving at Granny's (or fill in the blanks for any other locations) Where ever Jude was, she was already home. So right there, right then, Jude was already home with no rush to get to or from anywhere. The world changed for her.
Jude and the Baby-nots had their visit with Granny, then took off on an adventure. Vernal Utah, Dinosaur National Monument, Rosie's Cabin, across part of Colorado, back through Wyoming, along the Green River. The Baby-nots became proficient at finding petrogliphs.
They slept in the car, ate out of grocery stores (cooler in trunk), and were as free as the wind. Robin Baby-not and Jude LOVED it; Heather Baby-not HATED it--but she did survive.
From then on Jude was good-to-go with no notice. Eventually she met and fell in love with The Nomad, the remainder of the Crew signed on, and the rest is wandering history.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
WEDNESDAY--Elvis is dead, and Jude's not feeling so good herself.
Started out by not being able to get warm enough. Jude was freezing. In bed, wearing her 'sleep sweater', feet on a heatingpad, covers bundled around her, 101 temp, joints aching, eyeballs aching, miserable and whiny. Did we mention whiny?
Spent yesterday editing in the fevered condition. Hmmmm, will that make her writing hot? She may have hit upon a great idea here, but Ivan has already claimed the credit.
So here it is 1am, 101.5 temp, too sick to sleep, and whiny, so Jude's doing more editing on her book. Did we mention whiny?
Started out by not being able to get warm enough. Jude was freezing. In bed, wearing her 'sleep sweater', feet on a heatingpad, covers bundled around her, 101 temp, joints aching, eyeballs aching, miserable and whiny. Did we mention whiny?
Spent yesterday editing in the fevered condition. Hmmmm, will that make her writing hot? She may have hit upon a great idea here, but Ivan has already claimed the credit.
So here it is 1am, 101.5 temp, too sick to sleep, and whiny, so Jude's doing more editing on her book. Did we mention whiny?
Saturday, January 08, 2005
SATURDAY--Another rainy day. Just the MADDOGS on an outing with the fine music of Jimmy Hendrix for company. If you were on the Sacramento River and heard the Jimmy gee-tar and foxy lyrics, it was just us MADDOGS passing by with our windows down and the rain pouring in.
Jude finished her lastest book Midnight Blues last week and had some writer fiends (not a sp error) critique it. Soon Jude will open the cage and set it free. Hopefully it will not come back.
Tip of the day: Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Monday, January 03, 2005
MONDAY--If the Crew is to take off on an Adventure this summer, Jude MUST make some $$$.
Her regular job, Adult Education, lost its funding, and although Jude hasn't been laid off, fired, terminated etc., she hasn't been teaching either. And that adds up to $0.
So the Crew is forcing her to reactivate with Kelly Services. At least in that way she can make $ AND take time off for Adventures.
Tip of the Day: Boycott shampoo, demand real poo.
Her regular job, Adult Education, lost its funding, and although Jude hasn't been laid off, fired, terminated etc., she hasn't been teaching either. And that adds up to $0.
So the Crew is forcing her to reactivate with Kelly Services. At least in that way she can make $ AND take time off for Adventures.
Tip of the Day: Boycott shampoo, demand real poo.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
SATURDAY--NEW YEAR'S DAY--Jude took a break from writing and ate lunch on an overpass while we all watched the vehicles on I-5 headed north or south. All the tires sang the same one-note song. The song that leads away from here. This is the Crew's theme song.
STORM FRONT--Yet another in the series of rainstorms passing through Sac Town. Notice the rain falling in the distance. This is the kind of weather the MADDOGS like, makes us want an adventure!
MADDOG ADVENTURE--Flying With The Pelicans!
(The Crew sent the following Adventure out for winter greetings, but we are recording it here for those who didn't get a chance to read it.)
Last July the Adventure Crew picked up Jude's Moms (that's what Jude calls her), and made her an honorary member of the Crew. Then it was off on a MADDOG Adventure. We ended up about 20 miles from Brigham City, Utah in the middle of some wetlands. We spent a leisurely day navigating a gravel one-lane, one-way twisty road. We stopped for binocular views, gourmet lunch in the back of the Nomad, scenic strolls, avocets, stilts, egrets, mallards, herons and photo ops.
Toward the end of the afternoon, the Crew came upon a small flock of pelicans in a stream next to the road. Whenever the Nomad got close to them, the pelicans would take off. As they flew above the stream, their wingtips sometimes dipped into the water. When they felt safe enough, they settled just out of sight of the Nomad. As the Crew meandered down the road, the pelicans would fly away again.
This dance of fly, dip and land, then takeoff, swoop and skim went on for quite awhile. Jude and Pixie tried to get a good photo of the pelicans in flight, but Jude needed at least ONE hand on the steering wheel and ONE eye on the road (since she has TWO of each, the Crew thought this would be an easy task). But alas, although Pixie was doing a great job, Jude had a jiggle-thing going on and the pictures came out blurred or--worse yet--pelican-less.
Then Jude had a great idea. Oh no! We on the Crew can't tell you all the trouble she gets us into with her great ideas. Well, this was her great idea: Jude would accelerate the Nomad to match the speed of the flying pelicans (which turned out to be 37mph--15mph was the posted safe speed), while hanging out the window with Pixie in her grip. Then with one eye shut and the other looking through Pixie's viewfinder she'd be able to capture the flight of the pelicans.
But who would man the steering wheel? None other than Moms.
So there the Crew was, bouncing down the gravel road at rushing speed with Moms swerving to avoid holes, dips and boulders while Jude was hanging halfway out of the Noman and Pixie was clicking away.
The resulting masterpiece is for you.
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