Jay and Ozzy Hit The Road

Finally, and happily, the time has come for Ozzy and me to get back on the road. We have been in New Hampshire for about nine months, mostly taking care of business...trying to pay down debt and save a little so that we could get back on the road,
I worked this past summer on top of Loon Mountain selling photographs of mine, and, in fact, actually sold a bunch. Then I taught this past Fall semester at Plymouth State and finished teaching the winterim term just a couple of days ago. I would have gotten on the road this weekend, but because of the major storm south of here I decided to hang around a couple more days and wait for it to be cleaned up a bit before I drove through it. And then I thought I would wait for February 1 to get all of my tax forms, but, then decided that I have until April 15 and whether I do my taxes now or later is of little consequence as there is no good time to pay taxes and only good times to receive returns.
I had a great time teaching this year which really rejuvenated me. Before the fall semester I was thinking to teach just to make the money because I was burnt out and didn't want to go back into the classroom.  But, my fall class and winterim class were filled with some of the nicest students I have ever had at the university.
I will be on the road from end of January through beginning of May and then return to the routine of Loon Mountain in summer, and university fall and winterim. Seems like a good compromise as I am financially unable to retire 100% of the time but can make it February through May, which doesn't suck.
I worked a lot, but also got to hang out with friends and students. Saw some really good shows at the Flying Monkey and did a lot of reading. Read about the brain, Homo Sapiens, Mountain Men (Saw the Revenant, which was very good and one of my areas of interest), Kublai and Genghis Khan, blues and rock and roll. Met and made some new friends. But, now it is time for me to become anonymous for a while. Although I do appreciate that there are many people in the area with whom I have great relations, I just don't want to be Jay for a while...a largish fish in a smallish pond.
The van, Morrison has continued to be a trooper...it is inspected with good tires and breaks and, knock on wood, starts up every time. We have parked the past nine months at Tish Hill's "point five" property. Just before Christmas to a couple of days ago Ozzy and I house-sat for a couple of places in Plymouth, the last being a place where I was responsible for the chickens and sheep, which, although cold in the morning, was fun. The past two nights Ozzy and I spent in the van, last night being the coldest, minus 2 degrees, but, with the proper sleeping bag, quilts and blankets we were quite comfortable and honestly, I prefer the van, as does Ozzy, to being inside.
So, we will wake up Tuesday morning and I will make the decision then as to where we will be headed. South, for sure, maybe first west to Burlington, VT and then south...don't know, makes little difference, looking to eventually find lows that hover around 30 degrees. Probably at some point back to Lancaster, PA, Asheville, NC, Charleston, SC and more...and, oh yeah!!! gas at $1.70 a gallon, more than half of what I was paying a yer ago when on the road.
I am going to try and be conscientious about posting blogs, probably on Sundays again as I did last winter. So, I made a short story long, which I am really good at, but, to summarize, we are happy, healthy, still young and resourceful, improvisational and creative, ready for a new adventure. Peace to all. Keep in touch, I still have my campus mail address, my gmail address, my website and can always be reached through this blog. Bon voyage to me, Ozzy, Morrison and to you for whatever journey you may be on.