30 Comments
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Antonia Malchik's avatar

Travel by drought is a genre I didn't know I needed!

"Tennessee, where the “Adultery is a sin” billboards are trying, and failing, to outnumber those for sex shops." 😂

John Lovie's avatar

I should rename my publication "Mostly Drought."

Antonia Malchik's avatar

Oh dear. The truth of that is ... welp.

John Lovie's avatar

Washington's heading into it's fourth severe drought summer in a row.

Antonia Malchik's avatar

Honestly, your work is becoming more important than ever. I used to see stories about drought but now rarely do. As with so much, it feels like major news outlets insist on sticking their heads in the sand.

Jaci Mach's avatar

All of the dry lakes and extreme drought conditions is quite alarming....are people paying attention? Data centers don't help the bleak situation. Thanks again for another great read, John!

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you Jaci, and no, people, at least the people making decisions, are not paying attention.

Kirie Pedersen's avatar

I finally got to read this far in your amazing roadtrip story, John! I of course note that at each stop, water comes into the picture - mostly the lack of it other than on the coast. Scary isn't it. Here in Washington, I'm nervous about a repeat of last summer's wildfires, which as you know were pretty close and I'm still cleaning fine ash inside the house. Our canvas tent, where we sleep in the cliff, also got ruined with ash and cinders. That van is pretty snazzy looking!

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

How fun for you to have a van, and for us to get to travel vicariously. Good to have the update!

Elizabeth Beggins's avatar

I envy the road trip and the van, John. Layla looks like an awesome new friend! Having just returned from the southwest, I'm also paying attention to water for the same and different reasons. It is, I believe, and despite all that's critically wrong now, the greatest problem of our future. Thanks for this important accounting.

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you, Elizabeth, I agree with you about water.

Julie Gabrielli's avatar

"No scavenging, dead animals, dirt, rocks, cement, tires, metal objects, appliances, batteries or trees" has got to be THE best list I've read . . . maybe ever.

John Lovie's avatar

Too good to pass up. State park dumpster in New Mexico. It's the dead animals…

I love that state.

John Lovie's avatar

Can't help wonder what they'd found.

Julie Gabrielli's avatar

I'll bet my left arm that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. passed through there, and that's why they had to stencil the dumpster. . . .

Catherine Bachy's avatar

This made me very thirsty. Thank you for your observations.

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you Catharine!

Paulette Bodeman's avatar

Here in Southern Oregon, we are heading into another drought year. Most of Oregon is in some level of drought conditions.

Enjoy the van!

John Lovie's avatar

Washington too, fourth in a row. Thanks, Paulette.

Paulette Bodeman's avatar

Will you come through the Ashland area on your way home?

John Lovie's avatar

Not sure yet. We're going to work our way up the coast as long as we can, but there may come a point when we head back to I5 and head home.

Paulette Bodeman's avatar

I don’t blame you; that drive is spectacular.

Bill and Kate Poss's avatar

Hi John— I read every word of your travel login but it’s sobering to see the amount of drought that has hit the southern states. Do you have a name for your new rig?

John Lovie's avatar

Layla, after our late beagle.

Just read in the Seattle Times that Washington is headed into a fourth consecutive severe drought summer.

Wayne Schumacher's avatar

Thanks for the guided cross country tour-de-drought. Prompted me to once again prompt our board of directors to get on with approving a WUE goal, missing now for a third year….

John Lovie's avatar

We have just written ours, waiting on final approval by the board and it will be published.

Morgaan Sinclair, Ph.D.'s avatar

I wondered where you'd gone off to. I LOVE this post!!! Please tell me who did your van. I am really, really thinking about going Nomad for a little while! All the best to you, beagle, and family!

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you, Morgaan. The company is Raft Tiger. Great quality and cheaper than West Coast builders.