June 3, 2026 · San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Slept with my door cracked open to the babbling brook. I’d leave it wide open but there are bears around and the van is stocked with food. I have a little device that lets me latch the door closed but still allows a couple inches of air circulation. Enough for the sound to come through.
I worked on the Hi-Fi Lonesome songs most of the evening and ended with some good stuff, but I’m questioning the time efficiency of my current workflow. I think I need to focus less on mixing individual songs and more on mixing a whole set. I went to bed wondering again whether the big DJ setup is earning its keep. My mind was already thinking of places I could stash it. But I’m on the fence. I’ll give it more time.
The research I did yesterday about the environmental situation in this region changed the complexion of my stay here. I was so looking forward to getting in the water. Now I won’t be. Still a good spot and we’ll likely be here another couple of nights. Shannon is deep in a full reorganization of her van that she says will take a few days.
I made good progress on my own van. The kind of progress that looks like great progress. Everything stashed away out of sight, though the out-of-sight places could use another level of attention. Good enough for now. The space feels open and I can operate with a normal flow again.
The campsite shared with me by my friend Brad, a 4x4 nomad who’s been living out here for years, is looking like it might be too difficult to reach. The reviews on OnX Offroad sound rough and I suspect snow is blocking the route. I don’t need another harrowing experience where my home and my life are at risk. One reviewer said the road was impassable and he had to back out on a narrow ledge dropping hundreds of feet. People who made it said it might be the most incredible campsite they’ve ever had. I’m going to ride up there on my bike this afternoon and see what’s actually up.
The back tire on my bike has developed a slow leak, takes about two days to go flat. I should order a new tube to Telluride while I’m at it. My big upgraded air pistol is already waiting for me there, the nicest nozzle for filling things with air that you can get, with a built-in pressure gauge. I’ve been wanting something like it for years, before I even knew what it was I wanted.
I’m working through some competing impulses on the short form video routine. One wants to go deeper and get obsessed. Another says use that time for music instead. Music feels more central to who I am. The challenge I’m putting before myself is to just make something each day, however simple. I do sometimes give myself challenges that start to feel like chores, which is why time limits help. I typically like 30-day challenges. Putting an end point on things helps psychologically.
I’m enjoying making these little games. The best teacher I ever had was Mrs. Bowen, my seventh grade English teacher at MBA in Nashville. Her whole method was games. She made complicated stuff engaging and fun, and she was brilliant at it. Also the toughest teacher I had. She taught me that this way of learning really works for me. Yesterday when I had a van full of overwhelming clutter, I set a timer for 20 minutes and committed to three blocks. After the first block I couldn’t tell any difference visually. By the third it had opened up. I’ll keep making games to teach myself things and share them. I want to find mechanics that make them feel less like quizzes and more like games, but they’re working fine as-is.
The new 30-foot extension cables for my portable solar panels are saving me. I’m typically adjusting the panels throughout the day as the sun moves. Each panel is about 8 by 4 feet and even a small shadow kills the output. One branch putting a 6-inch shadow on a panel makes a measurable difference in power. The longer cables give me the range to keep them in the sun despite all the obstacles at a typical campsite.
It was lovely waking up to a van that looks like it’s in order. This is my living space and it makes all the difference in how I experience my day. No matter how much work I do in here, the single biggest difference always comes from vacuuming. I learned long ago that it is 100% worth carrying a full-sized vacuum. When I vacuumed yesterday the energy in the van felt renewed, restored to baseline. Freed up some creative energy right away.