Where to find Jackie & Yoska

I believe I have found the best solution for wanting to share my life but being tired of the trolls and hateful people.  My friend and I were out and about the other day and we met up with a guy who lives full time on his boat.  We were talking about our lives and living differently.  During the conversation he told me to check out patreon.com.... so that is what I did.  What a great concept! A pledging site to help support artists on a monthly basis so artist can do what they are meant to do.

With monthly support from my followers I can focus more on going deeper into sustainability, living simply and other ways of going off grid and the ability to share them with you.  This will also weed out some of the trolls I have the tendency to get since they will now have to pay to harass me.

I have it set up to take as little as $1 a month to get all my posts from stories, pictures, videos, updates on where we are, what we are doing and everything I use to share quite openly.

So, if you would like to follow along on our adventure, check out patreon.com/blueroad and pledge an amount.  There are also larger pledge amounts for perks or you can pledge whatever you feel like giving per month.  It is charged at the first of every month and you can cancel at any time.

Be sure to check out the perks and goals on the left sidebar. There are public updates where I will share past stories and any articles and such written from others about my life on the road.

Yoska and I are heading out in the next couple of weeks.  Some of the goals I have for the coming months...

I plan to start a garden using small grow bags to take on the road with us. We will be starting from seed this weekend.  I am also working on ideas on how to capture and filter rain water on the road.  Each another step to sustainability.  Should be fun and interesting.

I am also excited for a couple of singing gigs at RV parks in Arizona in January.  I have a few other ideas on making extra cash as I travel. I will also be sharing some odd and end gigs and how I have made a little bit of income and gift cards using phone apps.

Of course, updates on Yoska.

A new year, new goals and always a new adventure.  I hope you choose to come along.  I am excited to be back to sharing with you all.

Peace, Love and Happiness
Jackie & Yoska
Patreon.com/BlueRoad

The perfect gifts for the Holidays

Wanted to stop by and wish everyone Happy Holidays. I finally got Blue's rear tire changed and have money for a month or two. I also have a little gig here in NC to help with some basics and a few other gigs in the making. Things are looking up. I am still going retro with the occasional updates and I am quite excited about it.

My friend and mentor Pauline Oliveros (if you don't know who that is I recommend a quick google search... she was amazing!) passed away last week and I have been thinking about what I learned from her and how to put that towards my own work. First and foremost, I need to be more present in my travels. I need to commit to the work I choose. I need to listen to the world more closely. I have some of the best sounds to listen to in the middle of nowhere with little human interference. I need to believe in the work and the life I live even with all they naysayers. Goodbye to the negative people. Time to take control of my life and my life's work.

I wanted to share some great gift ideas for the holiday season that will support my BlueRoad Project.

I have made a few beanies recently. All sizes, adult/child matching beanies and doggie and me matching beanies (see photo at the bottom of this post).  I also do other custom crochet gifts like wristers, scarves and whatever you can think of.  Order soon so I have enough time to make and send before Christmas. Email booking@jhblueroad.com

The gift that keeps on giving, Postcards from the Road.  This is the only option I have  available to ship around the world. For the adventurer at heart. You can order on my website. jaclynheyen.com

Yoska Love 2017 Calendar will be on sale all month.  Again, order early if you want it by Christmas. You can order on my website jaclynheyen.com

I do the most updates on Instagram so follow below.

Peace, Love and Happiness
Jackie & Yoska

I made us matching hats tonight 😊❤️ #crochet #yoskalove #dog #doggielove #dogofinstagram #winter #beanies

A photo posted by Jackie & Yoska (@jhblueroad) on Nov 27, 2016 at 7:18pm PST

What's next?

I have been here in North Carolina for almost 2 months staying with a friend. The goal was to find work but that didn't happen. After thousands of job applications to places here and across the country over the last 6 months I have had no luck in finding a job... well... except the 10 days I worked at a carnival making around $6 an hour. I have applied to everything from professional to janitorial work, in person to virtual work, temp, contract to regular full time work. My regular workampingig for the fall was out of the question after the discrimination from last year and I am thankful I stuck to it as the hate for people like me, LGBTQ+, has grown after the election. It is crazy that I live in a country where because of what people think may be my sexual orientation they can choose to hire me, fire me, treat me differently than someone who is, what they consider, straight... and it is legal in some states.

These last few months I have had to deal with people saying horrible things to me because they feel that they can. I had a man post on Facebook about a sexual action that literally gave me nightmares. I have been mansplained on a daily basis. Men telling me what it is like to be a woman, men who have never ridden a motorcycle before telling me how to do it, men from the comfort of their couch telling me how to live the way I do. I have had people attack me because of my spirituality. I am exhausted.

There is a motto that I live by and it has come time to follow thru with it.

"If I can't afford to eat I can't afford to give"

 I have given my time and yes, even money, to keep this blog going for the thousands of people who visit every week. I have answered thousands of emails helping people hit the road, gain courage to live the life they choose, and even how to fix their motorcycle. At times it can be a fulltime job. I travel around with the constant thought of what picture will I share, what is important to share with my followers. I have gone out of my way to find Internet, I have paid for data just so I can keep everyone up to date.

 Now that I have made less than $200 a month since September I can't afford to give my time because I literally have no money to eat. I am 3 months behind on bills, I have no money for food or any basics of life. I am thankful to my friend I have been staying with as she is sure I eat every day. But I can't rely on her forever.

What is next? I plan to get enough cash for gas to head out west where I will go off grid. Enough cash to have Yoska food for a year. I probably won't be able to find work out there either so it will be luck if I have food to eat. Then I will just live each day as bonus. That is all I have and all I can depend on right now.

What does that mean? I will not be posting anymore on social media or blogging until I have enough money for the basics. I'm not asking to be a millionaire but I am asking, for all the time I have given, to be able to afford to eat. I will be going retro, I will be sending the few postcards people have bought to support my life on the road, I will be in contact with my close friends by phone and I have to say I'm pretty excited to be present with the people I am with, have the time for longer walks with Yoska and being able to enjoy the place where I am... the sounds, the sights, and I'm excited to have time to play more music.

As my history has shown me over and over again, I know I will loose a lot of followers because I choose life. It has happened in every place I have given my time and had to stop because I was unable to pay bills or, like now, unable to afford food. No thank you, they just disappear. I hit the point in life a few years ago where that doesn't bother me anymore. I know my worth to myself and I know what others consider my worth is irrelevant.

I want to thank the people who have given in return. I want to thank the people who felt my life was interesting. So, here is to goodbye for now. I hope to share with you again soon.

I have many ways to support this blog which I have shared in the last few months. In case you have missed it check out the list below. You can see and order on my website jaclynheyen.com.  You can also donate on the sidebar of this blog.

All items will be available when I am offline as I will still check email on occasion while looking for work.

Yoska Love 2017 Calendar $20

 

Postcard from the Road

 

Singing at parties,  RV parks and churches

 

Speaking about my travels or recovery at group, community or organization events.

 

Advertise your business on the side of TicTac

Costs of living simply

A lot of people assume it is expensive to live the way I do... I am rich, my parents must be rich.  So, I thought I would show you my dream budget... it's a dream because I rarely meet the minimum even when working 9 to 10 months out of the year like I have this last year.

I need around 1/3 of what I needed when living in one place.  When I lived in one place I went cheap.  No internet, No cable and all that extra stuff.  My furniture was all given to me or free off Craigslist.  I have never had money to just buy whatever.

Now, my motorcycle is paid for as Today would mark 9 years with Blue.  TicTac, I worked 3-4 jobs for 9 months to pay for straight out.

I don't have rent, I don't have utilities.  I use to do a pay as you go phone and spend $100 a year but my family didn't like not being able to get a hold of me so I am on their plan. I use public libraries for internet.

What do I pay for?

(Monthly budget)

• $8-10 in gas for every 100 miles

I can easily spend $50 a month on gas if I am just wandering,  I am looking forward to spending more time in one spot.  You can spend 7-14 days in a lot of free camping areas and I really want to take advantage of that.  If I need to be somewhere for a job or visiting someone it would cost more but use less once I get there.  For instance, I spent less than $90 to get from New Hampshire to my friend's house in North Carolina.. and that was going a round about way.  Now being here I go out with my friend in her car so no gas money used.

• $80-150 groceries

This has a wide range and it all depends on where I am.  This also includes Yoska's food which I only need a 4lb bag a month to 6 weeks depending on how much of my leftovers he gets.  If I am moving a lot and riding long days I eat out more often so the price is higher.  If I am boondocking I make my own meals and I usually eat the same meal twice in a day to not have leftovers without refrigeration for long periods of time. 

• $100 motorcycle and trailer insurance

This is a bit high but I have a large amount for medical on my motorcycle insurance.  Injuries from a motorcycle accident can be expensive so I want to be sure to get as much as I can because with my lifestyle there isn't a lot of extra money lying around... usually no extra money lying around.  I want to be sure the burden on others will be as little as possible.

• $500 student loan payment

This is the kicker.  My student loan bills are more than everything else combined.  They are at the lowest payment possible and will be a burden for many, many, many years to come.

• $100 set aside for maintenance of Blue and TicTac

TicTac needs very little in the way of maintenance.  I just replaced the wheel bearings this summer so greasing them twice a year is really all there is.  I changed the tires about 2 years ago but the good thing about those they last a whole lot longer and cheaper than motorcycle tires.   I do this type of work with friends or when visiting my dad so the cost is parts only. 

Blue on the other hand can be a little more expensive.  I do my own oil changes, air filter cleaning on the road and when I visit my dad a couple times a year we tackle the bigger things so I save thousands by doing the work ourselves.  The only costly thing is the rear tire.  I try to order it online for about $130 and then find a mom and pop shop to change it costing around $40-60. A Harley shop can easily cost over $300. (Rear tires need to be balanced)  I do save a bit but I change the rear tire 2-3 times a year.  Front tire maybe every year and a half and I want to be able to do that when visiting my dad.

• $100 for emergencies and odds and ends

It is nice to have a little extra around in case of needing to pay for a place to stay because of bad weather, extreme heat or just wanting to treat myself.  Then there are times you want a souvenir or need some sort of odd and end thing.  I also would really like the National Park Pass.  So this very minimal put away each month helps with all of that.


When I say I can live comfortably for $15,000 a year it is a true statement.  I can get away with $1000 a month but it's nice to be able to save a little each year for things like a new engine for Blue.


Don't forget to click thru the tabs at the top of the blog to see how you can help fund my journey.  From workamping, helping you with needs around the house to working for businesses ranging from 1 day to 6 weeks.  Marketing your business with Social Media Management or advertising on the side of TicTac. Speaking at an event about my travels, living simply or Eating Disorder Awareness.   There is even a bit of shopping with items I make or sending a personalized postcard.  Many different ways for me to make my Dream budget come true.

Here's what we have been up to

Yoska and I headed south a few weeks ago.  We weren't getting any work in New Hampshire and would have to leave soon because of the weather anyways.  We were sad to leave Michelle but talk to her daily.

We did a round about trip to our friends house in North Carolina.  I really didn't want to ride through 4 cities so we headed more inland.  Had a few days of rain but it was nice being back on the road.  We are staying with a friend in North Carolina hoping to find some sort of work... no luck just yet but something will hopefully come about.  Check the links above to see the services and products I have to offer.  They bring you to my website jaclynheyen.com. Every little income helps.

Yoska has some new friends and they play all day every day.  He misses Michelle but is getting along great with his new buddies.

We were in Hurricane Matthew but luckily inside my friends house with Blue and TicTac in the garage.  We all stayed dry but outside the house flooded quite a bit.

The water here is gone but we can't really go anywhere outside of town since all the surrounding towns are flooded.  

So, we are hanging out, looking for work, and planning our next adventure.

Flagging Don't do that! Part 2

For our third day of flagging we were sent to Jaffrey NH.  We met up with the guy we were working for at a gas station.  We were working on a very busy 2 lane hwy going thru town.  The people we were working for were digging some sort of huge hole in one lane of the road.

I knew from the get go it was going to be an interesting day by the look on the guy's face when he realized he got stuck with 2 women as his flaggers.  Some men like to make it impossible to work with.  I know language can be hard to some but some sort of communication is crucial when working together.  Michelle and I were standing there waiting for instructions, then standing there waiting for cones to be put out.  Wasted time really... Then we just had to read their pea brain minds to know they were ready to start working... Pretty much when they just went out in the middle of traffic with no warning was our cue.

They finally put out cones and the traffic was constant.  No rest for the weary.  Back and forth we let the cars thru as these guys dug a whole in the middle of the road... Then for quite some time stared down the hole in the middle of the road.  I was almost hit by a car or two, had a guy come right up to me and started waving his arms.  I gave him the bird and made him go around.  Another guy thought if he got in the other lane from over a block away I would change the sign to slow... Then when I didn't he sat in oncoming traffics way.  I was sure to tell him he was an asshole and made him go all the way down a side street to turn around.  Soon I was starting to feel light headed... I was getting hungry and needed a break.

The guys working had stopped and were packing up for lunch.  So, I called over to the head guy we spoke with and asked him when was lunch break.  We had been working straight with no breaks for over 5 hours.  He told me to call my manager he doesn't give breaks.  I told him someone has to give us a break.  He said he didn't have any certified flaggers on his team so we didn't get a break.  I told him it is the law... We need a break.  Then he gave that snort laugh that makes you want to kick a man in the balls so hard he kneels down, singing like a soprano and beg for mercy.  Then he gets in his car and drives away.  

While directing traffic I got on my phone to call our manager.  He told me he was sorry we didn't have any break and he will call the guy who was an ass and tell him he has to give us a break.  He hangs up and I wait about 10 minutes and call our manager back.  He told me the guy will give us a bathroom break when he gets back.  I told him that was not acceptable.  We had been working 5 1/2 hours by this time and we needed a lunch break.  Our manager said "we normally work thru our lunch break and just take two 15 minute breaks."

I told him "you may choose to do that but I need a lunch break, especially since we have had no break for over 5 hour."

Manager said "well, that is the way it is.  You get two 15 minute breaks"

Mind you, we have no idea when we start the day how many hours we will be there.  It could be 7 hour or up to 15 hours.  No one says anything... Even after we arrive.  We had been there for 5 1/2 hours with no break, no one willing to give us a break and we had no idea when we would be done. We are directing traffic that doesn't care about people on the road.  They would run you down for sport or complete obliviousness while talking on their cell phones.  We need to be aware and people who have not eaten or drank anything in hours are not at their best.  At this point I felt we could be in danger... Especially since I was having to rely on the stick to hold me up because I was feeling dizzy from lack of food and water.

After the guy came back one of the workers came to take my stick and told me we could go use the bathroom.  By this time I was pissed to say the least.  I got on the walkie talkie to Michelle told her we were leaving... They were not giving us a lunch break and I was done.  So we left them with no signs and walked away. I laughed as the men started yelling at us to leave the signs.  We kept walking.

The traffic was starting to build up and we saw a police officer where we parked.  He asked us if we were done for the day.  We told him we were done because they wouldn't give us a break.  The police officer was surprised that the company took that stance since now they don't have flaggers.  He told us he would go look at the situation.  When we left the police officer was directing traffic.

I did look up the the law on breaks for New Hampshire and it is 30 minutes for every 5 hours worked.  It says nothing about 15 minute breaks.  It does say if an employer can not give a break one can work thru their lunch if hey are able to eat and work.  They are also paid for that lunch.

I sent this info over to our manager, told him we quit and we would pick up our checks when we dropped off our stuff the next day.  I also contacted the New Hampsire Labor Department, who unfortunately doesn't care about the workers of NH.

The next day I got a call and many text messages from our boss saying he was sorry and wanted us to come back to work.  We said NO THANKS!

We figured out quickly why this business was whacked... Our boss looked and acted like Tweedle dumb.  How many people can say their boss truly looks like Tweedle dumb!?  He wore these long shorts that hung down, a t-shirt and a cap on sideways strutting out of the back office like he was 12.  We dropped off our stuff and he told us our last paycheck would be mailed to us.  No problem... Except when we got our last paycheck they didn't pay us for all hours worked... So that screwed me over to getting to the beet harvest for my next gig.  

Supposidely it is fixed and we will get our check in the mail in the next couple days...as my time for the beet harvest is passing.  So, after all that I don't have a job and no money to get to my next spot.  I rearranged a few things and will be leaving this weekend to spend some time with a friend in NC and hopefully find work for the fall.  I have just enough money to get there... Keep you fingers crossed that I get there without any Blue or TicTac issues.  It's only 800 miles.  😳

I have mixed feelings as I am excited to be on the road to somewhere new but sad it will be just me and Yoska as Michelle is staying back for school.  It will be different being by myself after almost a year traveling with someone else.  Guess we will see what happens!  

Flagging... Don't do that! Part One

For whatever reason I have wanted to try out being a flagger for road construction.  How hard could it be and everyone says you get paid so well.  So, when Michelle and I arrived at our new spot in New Hampshire and saw an ad for flaggers we decided to give it a try.  Mainly because we knew it was temporary until other jobs came through.

First, it is crucial to know it is not a well paying job unless you get in with the state.  We worked for a private company. The rate depends on the job but ranging around $10-$18/HR but from what I hear if you work for the state you are talking $30-$40/HR. 

Before we were hired we had to watch a couple videos and take quizzes of pretty obvious answers online.  Then they give you a call and text you a street to meet them on.  Our first day we had to arrive a little early to meet with our trainer. A random residential culdasac with about 3 houses on it in the middle of nowhere.  Our trainer was a guy with that hard Boston accent talking about football, hockey and baseball who couldn't stand in one place.  Right off they tried to pay us less than the advertised rate.  I was sure to put a stop to that right away. He told us the basics of what we needed to do, what we learned from the video.  Then waited for the company we were working with.  We waited over an hour having to listen to sports talk and face palm political talk.  

The company finally arrived, Asplundh, however you say that.  We were going to be flagging as they were trimming trees on the side of the road.  Our trainer kept telling us how he didn't like these people but Michelle and I thought they were all very nice.  The trainer also made a big to do over getting bathroom breaks.  I figured we wouldn't have a bathroom around so Michlle and I planned ahead for that.  No fluids for us. Haha. He seemed to think that would be the biggest concern for us.  We weren't sure why, but whatever.  

We were the first ones to be fully certified on the same day this whole summer... Actually, in about an hour.  Who knew you had to be certified to turn a little stop/slow sign.  I'm totally putting that on my resume. So we are certified flaggers in the state of New Hampshire.  Every state has different regulations so you have to be certified per state.

The first day wasn't bad.  A short day at 7 hours.  Our trainer said the days can be as long as 15 hours... He didn't know of anyone working longer than that.  

A few cars almost ran into each other because those 3 signs before us weren't enough to get people to slow down.  People are insane!  The trainer said if people aren't slowing down make them stop before letting them through.  That is exactly what I did... I treated them like the children I use to babysit who misbehaved.  Made them sit and wait for a minute before letting them pass.  Then there are those people who look like they won't stop at all.  You are suppose to drop the sign and run to the side of the road.  No one really came at me that fast so I would take a step forward, pound the sign into the ground as if I were Gandolf with his staff.  Everyone stopped.  The amount of people who then sped thru the actual part with people working is ridiculous.  Shame on them!!  No matter how much you tell them to slow down with hand signals or just yelling at them they don't care.  This really isn't a surprise for me since I ride a motorcycle and see this kind of crap daily.  People in a hurry, on their cell phones thinking of no one but themselves. 

With these people we worked with we got a 30 minute lunch we took on the side of the road as they headed off somewhere for lunch.  It sure didn't seem like much work was getting done on their end. They got a break at 10, noon and we were done at their afternoon break time, 2:30.  I was also shocked as to how many of them would be smoking while working with chainsaws in brush and trees during a drought.  Even when they went up in the lift part they were smoking.  The amount of swearing was also worse than a 90s cop movie.  F this and F that.  A few of them came over to chat and in a normal conversation the F bomb was used every other word.  Guess it was the only way they knew to show emphasis. 

Michelle working hard.

It really didn't seem too bad.  The road wasn't all that busy so Michelle and I could chat a bit over the walkie talkies while we waited.

The lingo we had to learn:

Car coming towards my side...

Me: Clear to send?

Michelle: Clear to send

Me: Sending

Michelle: copy 

If it was one car you would say: sending solo

If it was multiple cars you would say color, make of car and last 4 digits of plate of the last car you send thru.

Michelle and I don't know our car types very well so we just used color and the last 3 or 4 digits of the plate:  Red 4532

Michelle: Copy

after the car got to Michelle's side she would say: received red 4532

If there were no cars on her side she would say: all clear 

I would say: all clear 

but if there were cars we started all over again.

I'm not sure what was so funny... Talking on the walkie talkies, being in my own mind, me doing this job or the cars driving by but I laughed the entire first day.

I learned from my Australian friend that we are called lollipop girls.  That helped entertain me the next day we worked... The entire time with the lollipop guild from the Wizard of Oz was stuck in my head.  I would even do the dance and voices.  Yep, the job was that boring.  The second day we worked with the same company and we had to leave early so it was another easy day.  I did get a little scared for a bit as we were on a weird blind turn for a little bit.  No one slows down after the flagging signs before us so at full speed people would come around the corner and then slam on their brakes.  I had one lady yell at me that I should be elsewhere.  I told her I tried multiple spots before and after the curve but the signs are to advise you to slow down, that a flagger is ahead.  She got quiet and drove thru. One thing I learned from that spot, if you are too far away from the workers people go around you and back into the lane where they are working... Idiots! Hence, having to be in a awkward place on the blind curve.

Our third day, which turned out to be our last day, we worked with a different company.... I will tell you all about that drama and why you don't want to be a flagger in my next post... To be continued!

New Part of New Hampshire

We headed out of the White Mountains at the end of August so Michelle could start her class.  I was quite thankful for new scenery.  The White Mountains are beautiful but dealing with the campers where we worked and stayed were a bit more than I care to deal with.  So, my limit was met and we headed south to Michelle's family in NH.

Leaving Crawford Notch Campground

 

So far Michelle has been enjoying her class, we are still looking for work but did try Flagging for road construction... Ummm... Don't do that. Will tell more about that on another post.  Yoska has been having a blast with all the attention.

Practicing before shift. haha

Yoska's new bow tie... A definte must have during all those formal occasions he attends.

Visiting the apple orchard

We had a picnic at an apple orchard.

And a must stop for this 80s kid to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.

Cool poster for sale at the museum of Christa McAuliffe

I'll be here for a bit more then hitting the road where I call home.  This time it will be me and Yoska as Michelle furthers her dream of being an architecture in New Hampshire.  

More to come...

Up Mt Washington on the Cog

One of the many adventures we had while here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire was taking the cog up to the top of Mount Washington.

If you don't know what a cog is... It's a train of sorts.  It's on a track but the engine pushed the car up the side of the mountain and gravity and brakes is what brings it back down.  The amount Washington Cog has two different types you can ride... The steam engine which only runs once a day and for a shorter season and the diesel/electric train.  We got to ride up on the steam engine with ash in the air and all.  We even got to stop part way up to fill with water.  

Quite fun.  Then you spend about an hour up top and come back down.

Here are some of the many pictures I took that morning.

That's what it looks like... Remeber the engine pushes the car not pulls.

Yes, I cheated but that is the tip top of Mount Washington.

A hiker on the trail as we pass.  The AT goes right by here also.

On the way up it is this steep that Michelle is standing straight up in this picture.

Beautiful views.

On our way up.

On our way down

It was a beautiful morning.  Michelle and I got to go with our friend John!  Thanks John!!

5 Things You Need To Know When Visiting A Seasonal Rural Area

I have worked in small rural towns for the last few years as I travel around the country.  This list are the things I see the most working with tourists of these areas.  Hopefully this will help when traveling thru rural areas for less agrivation and stress during vacation.

1. Bring Cash: Businesses have a charge for every swipe of a credit or debit card. If they are a seasonal business they have a small timeframe to make money for the year and the rates are not any better for those only open seasonally.  That is why most places are cash only or have a minimum to use your card.

Not only bring cash but bring small bills.  These small seasonal businesses are not a bank.  If the last bank you saw was 30 miles ago that means the business has to drive 60 miles round trip for change and other banking needs.  So don't expect to break your $100 bill with a candy bar.  

2. Top Off Your Gas Tank: In rural areas there isn't gas at every corner. There isn't gas in every town.  I have been to places where it is 150 miles to the next gas station.  Don't assume.  Top off if you are leaving a larger town.  It won't hurt to be prepared and you will be thankful when your scenic drive isn't ruined by the worries of running out of gas.

3. Bring An Atlas: A basic atlas should be in every vehicle.  GPS is a nice convienence but it is not reliable.  GPS on your phone is even less reliable.  In rural areas the cell phone coverage can be spotty at best which means the GPS on your phone will be spotty at best.  Bring an atlas and have a basic idea of where you are going.  Pay attention when you drive, the signs will give you a lot of information if you know the basic route.

4. Be Aware Of Waste: In rural areas there will not be a trash can every time you stop.  Rural areas are also not the place to clean out the last 3 weeks of Starbucks cups from the back seat of your car.  A lot of rural areas do not have trash pickup and each business has to bring their trash to the dump themselves.  If there is trash pickup it may only be once a week and can be pricey.  Be courteous and don't make as much waste as you do at home.  Conserve and reuse as much as possible.  Don't expect to be able to throw things away at your convienence. 

5. Bring The Medical Supplies You Need: Remeber in rural areas there will not be a Walgreen/CVS on every corner.  The nearest Walmart or big box store may be 60 plus miles away.  Even a local pharmacy may be in the next town or two towns over.  Be prepared by bringing anything you think you may need from bandaids, pain relievers, medication and other medical needs. 

The moral of the story is to be prepared.  Don't assume there will be any convienences of the city.  Also, don't be upset when there isn't what you need in these areas.  They are seasonal and helping you visit their area for a short time. They do their best with limited resources.

Hiking Adventures

I'm not much of a hiker... I keep saying I'll become a hiker but I'm not into the hike just to hike... I want a view of some sort... 

Michelle and I have done two hikes since being here in New Hampshire.  We wanted to hike once a week but there is a lot to do so it is hard to have time to do so.

We did a short wander with Michelle's family to The Basin.  It really isn't a hike and I don't count it as one of the two we have done but thought I would share a picture anyways. :)

Our first real hike was Arethusa Falls.  It is a mile down the road, about a 3 mile round trip hike to the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire.  

Yoska and Michelle went over all the rocks to the waterfall.

Our second hike was to Mt Willard.  A little shorter of a hike than Arethusa, not a very interesting hike but the view was Awesome!  We hiked to the top and had a quick lunch we brought with us and hiked back down.

Michelle showing off. :)

There are a ton of hikes in this area.  The AT is only 3 miles from where we are staying.  There are 52 hikes with a view and 48 hikes that go to the top of the 4000 ft mountains in New Hampshire... Then there are hikes to waterfalls and swimming holes also.  We would never have to hike the same trail twice.  It's a bit hot for me now so we have been kayaking instead... Maybe some more hikes when it cools in the fall.

The rest of the way to New Hampshire.

Not much else happened on our way to New Hampshire.  We wanted to get here before Mother's Day so we had some miles to ride.  The first few days was rain and wind and we finally had a good day for riding so we rode from Maryland to southern New Hampshire... Somewhere around 550 miles.  It was a good riding day until the mountains of Vermont where we hit some thick fog, a bit of rain and it was getting dark.  We took it slow and made it to Michelle's family that night.  We spent a couple days there and then headed to where we are now in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.

It is beautiful country here in the White Mountains.  I'm having a hard time staying still this long but we are half way done.  We've seen a few things in the area that I'll share with you with plans for many other adventures before leaving here in October.  I can hardly wait and have been working on a few things with my travels to help fund my way so I don't have to sit this long in one place.  Hopefully this will be the last of that.

So if you are in New England keep a look out.  You just might see us around. :)

The People We Meet

We meet a lot of different people from many different places and backgrounds.  I always enjoy a good conversation and learning something new.

While in Kentucky my dad, Michelle and I went to the auto parts store to get a couple of things for Blue.  While there this guy started talking to me.  I told him we were getting things for my motorcycle and he went on about this car he was rebuilding.  He asked if we wanted to go check it out.  Since my dad was with us we said sure.  So we followed him to a hanger on the outskirts of town.  He had this old car he was rebuilding and showed us all the little parts and what was original and what he had to find to replace with original parts.  It was looking pretty good.  He even started up the motor that was just on the frame.

Also in the hanger was a biplane... The Triple Nickle.  I was in awe.  If you have been following my blog for a while you know that it is my dream to fly in an open cockpit biplane.  I was pretty excited to see one up close.  I didn't ask him for a ride but now I know where he is and hope I run into him again in town.  

This is a picture of the Triple Nickle I got from the Internet.

He was retired but he use to build factory grade mixers.  I guess he invented a new type of mixer that didn't brake where they usually broke... he showed us a picture and told us some of the factories around the country that use his mixer.  It was pretty cool to learn about.

After a few hours of talking to this guy we headed home... We could of spent all day with him learning all types of stuff.

Then the next day Michelle and I went to town to ship a few things to New Hampshire for our summer gig.  We went to this Insurance/UPS place (small town) and the guy who helped us ship started talking to us and I told him we were riding a motorcycle pulling a teardrop and heading to New Hampshire.  Next thing we knew he took us to the garage behind the counter and showed us his old truck he was fixing up and telling us all about what he has done so far.  Michelle and I just laughed... what are the odds??

On our way thru West Virginia we met the mayor of Albright WV who had followed us from Albright to the interstate just to talk to us.  He told us how he had black lung disease and his doctor wrote a note saying riding his motorcycle at 80mph helps him breath... He even showed it to us.  He talked to us for quite some time and while talking he started folding money.  He pulled out what looked to be a check book but it was a book of dollar bills. He ripped one out and folded a shirt for me then he ripped another one out and made Michelle a heart.

He then told me to give Michelle the heart and to confess my love.  Haha... I'm not sure but we may be married in the state of West Virginia.  

I love meeting people and learning about what they love.  These guys were all great. Michelle couldn't believe that people would just stop and talk to us and show us things like they do.  Life is about sharing experiences and I love that I get glimpses from people I may never meet again.  Life is good!

Time with my dad

We spent a few days at my parent's house so my dad and I could do some work on Blue.

First, we took off the primary to get the gasket behind there where the shift lever connects.

The shifter was shaking like crazy and we had decided while I was still in California we were going to take it apart to see why.  Then the mechanic in Arkansas said there was a leak back there.  Changing out the gasket was a cheap, somewhat easy thing to do.  

Funny... Sometime my dad and I get a little occupied in our thoughts and we forgot to unplug the battery...  When my dad was loosening up the primary from the other side he hit the cables that run right there... Here I am on the other side looking in... 

Me: I see smoke, why would there be smoke?... oh crap, I see fire!! 

It was just a little flame and it went out right away.  We cracked up the rest of the day about that one.

We also checked the chain while it was out and there isn't any loose spots so it is good to go for a bit longer.

Then we checked for other oil leaks.  We took off the Oil Bud Oil Cooler because that has been my suspicion.  We pressured washed it since you can't get a good clean from between the top of the Oil Bud and the bottom of the bike... Since there has been an oil leak for quite a while now it was full of gunk so we washed everything off to get a better view...and let it sit while we worked on the forks.

I started to get a fork leak in Nevada... Too many potholes and off roading. Haha.  So we took apart the forks and changed the gaskets and refilled the forks.

All of this is pretty simple once you realize exactly what the service manual and YouTube videos are showing you.   With the forks you obviously have to take off the front tire, fender, front of the faring and the fork lock.  The fork lock took a bit but once we got it it wasn't an issue.  Same with getting out the gasket in the fork.  The first one took some time but then we figured out what was going on and now we will be able to do it quickly.

The frustrating thing about this "American Made" motorcycle is that it is more "Assemblesd in America".  Gotta love it when you pull off a factory part to see "Made in China" or have to find a metric tool to take off a part.  Luckily, my grandpa was a Honda and Kawasaki rider and when he passed away my dad got his tools.  It saved us a few times from having to buy a new tool.  There were a couple of tools my dad still had to buy to finish the job.  He started working on his own Harley after playing with mine so the tools will be used... It is quite addicting.

Once the forks were done we started putting everything back together.  We put some lock tight on the front connection of the Oil Bud as it gets loose and I believe that is where the leak is coming from.  Then we put everything back together and my dad took her for a ride and so did I.  No leaks!  She was good for a couple of days on the trip to New Hampshire and then a leak again from the front... The Oil Bud connection, I believe... I need to find something better to lock that connection tight.

So in my mechanic journey so far I have changed oils and other fluids, brake pads, spark plugs, changed out the fuel lines in the tank, fuel filter, primary chain tensioner, completely taken apart the primary, taken off the front tire, changed the front fork oil, done a little bit of electrical work... Where it concerns the trailer, and who knows what else... Pretty good start.  I can a least give her a good tune up.  :)

My dad and I have a good time and this time neither one of us swore... Which is quite the miracle. Haha

Update: Goings on in New Hampshire

Before going on about our trip across country I wanted to share a few things happening while here in New Hampshire.

One thing I do like about having time in one place is it allows me to get some other things going for my BlueRoad project.  So here are a couple things I have been working on.

1. This might be obvious but I changed the layout just a little on the blog. If you check out the right sidebar ----> you will see a list of pages and links to visit.  

2. I updated my artist website with more information about the BlueRoad Project and other projects I have worked on... There is even a page dedicated to Yoska!  You can check that out at jaclynheyen.com or the "website" link on the sidebar --->

3. I finally got it together to get business cards.  Michelle designed them for me and I LOVE them. Even Vistaprints wants to showcase my business card.  If you see me on the road be sure to tell me you want one.  I will also be sending them out with donations and sponsorship packages.

4.  I am refining my ideas about sponsorship and public speaking.  The more followers I have on my blog and Facebook and other social media helps me be able to get sponsors for my journey and hopefully some speaking engagements about my project around the country.  My goal is to live off of living.  So, hopefully by the time we leave New Hampshire I will be on a roll with this.  I will keep you updated!!

5.  I am completely excited that I will have about a ten minute segment on Wild Ride Radio that should be aired this coming Saturday.  Check out their website for affiliated stations and we will also be able to get it off of iTunes.  This is an awesome step towards number 4 and had a fun time speaking with Dallas.

If you have any ideas that might help me towards my goals please let me know.  I'm feeling hopeful that my dream will come true.  Being on the road like I have for almost 4 years... I think I have put in the research time with many more things to learn and share.  I thank you all for your support!  

Graceland and heading to my parent's

We got up nice and early to be at Graceland when it opened.  Rain was in the forcast so we were hoping to be in and out and on the road before the storms.  We got there right at the time it opened and they already had the first tour on the bus heading across the street. Quite the efficient place.

I have been to Graceland three times.  I do love Elvis.  I have been to his birthplace in Tupelo and drove by his home in Palm Springs... They don't do tours at the house in Palm Springs anymore because it is now privately owned. I have watched most of his movies... My favorite being Change of Habit... Mainly because I do love Mary Tyler Moore and I worked with people with Autism and I shake my head every time I watch those scenes.  Of course, I have listened to a good chunk of his music.

My first time at Graceland was with my dad the summer before heading to Nashville for college, 1996.  We made a trip from Nebraska to Nashville to get everything sqared away for the fall semester and made the detour to Memphis on the way home.

The second time was in 2000 when my roommate from college came down to Nashville and we spent a few days in Memphis... It happened to be a couple weeks before going inpatient for my Eating Disorder.

Here we all are in another part of Memphis.  (I'm the 2nd from the right with the overalls)

Michelle had never been to Graceland so we had to stop.  When I went before it was an audio tour with a tape deck... Now it is all on iPads.

It is really a lot of information and I wasn't much of a fan.  Too many things on the iPad to see while going thru the house and trying to see the actual stuff right in front of you.  It was busy but no waiting on people so not much time to stare at the screen.

We did the tour with all the little museums and the airplanes.  My favorite is the airplanes.  You can easily spend an entire day at Graceland alone... Then you have Sun studios, and all the other cool places to visit in Memphis.  We spent the entire morning and the beginning of the afternoon seeing everything.  We didn't have time this Memphis visit to see anything else but we do want to come back.

Of course we didn't beat the storms... While wandering around the sky opened up and rain came down... Flooded streets and the whole thing.  We hung around checking everything out hoping it would pass but no such luck.  We headed out when the rain calmed a bit but was still riding thru flooded streets and rain.  I wanted to take all back roads to Kentucky because of the weather and I accidentally picked the right one.  We missed the turn to the road I thought we were going to take but the road Graceland is on goes north out of Memphis all the way to Kentucky.   After getting north of Memphis the rain finally stopped and we were just to the other side of the storms for the rest of the ride.  It was another long day but we made it to my parent's house right after dark.  

It always feels like it takes forever to get to my parent's house because coming from the west there isn't an interstate or a direct route to their house but it is a pretty ride on the back highways.  After the rain we had pretty good weather and didn't get wet again.  

Now time for my dad and I to work on Blue...

Did I just do that?!

We headed out towards Memphis... Beautiful day and I was excited to get off the Oklahoma roads.  We stopped at the last rest area in Oklahoma and Blue was leaking like I had never seen.  Not sure what the mechanic did in Elk City.  I checked all the bolts on the primary and one of them broke off.  Yikes!

I luckily had cell phone service so I googled the closest motorcycle shop which was the Harley dealer in Fort Smith Arkansas... About 30 miles away.  I called and told them the situation and they said to come and they will take a look but had a rally they were preparing for so they most likely couldn't do anything until the following week.  They said all will be good to get there... Don't add any oil, just come.

So we headed off and made it there no problem.  The service manager came out and took a look.  He said the primary wasn't leaking and put a plug where the bolt broke and said I would be good to make it to my parent's house in Kentucky.  He said there was a definite leak behind the primary where the oring is from the back of the shifter lever and there is something obviously leaking from the front but he wasn't sure where.  My dad and I were going to take a look behind the primary when I got to their house because the shifter lever has quite a wiggle so that and the leak at the front wasn't a surprise.

I was really impressed by the ease of help and it brought back a bit of what Harley dealerships use to be like.  The service manager was awesome and we chatted a bit about traveling and he didn't charge me for his time and the plug. A big shout out to them!

That made me feel much better about Blue and the rest of the way to my parent's house.  It was a long riding day and we made it all the way to West Memphis.  One more stop before getting to my parent's house for a few days in Kentucky... Graceland. 

Ooooh-klahoma

Oklahoma is that state I try to spend as least amount of time as possible... It may be that I'm a Nebraska girl... Cornhuskers forever. Haha... Or it could be they always seem to have intense storms.

Michelle hadn't spent any time in Oklahoma so we planned to spend at least one night in Oklahoma.  We stopped in Elk City to get a rear tire change.  Another... Should of taken an hour but took 3 hours thing.  The mechanic said he had to put a whole quart of oil in the primary... then started lecturing me on how horrible that is for the bike and I had a major leak in my primary.  I told him how I just worked on the primary and maybe the bolts came loose.  After finally being done and now being completely paranoid that the primary is leaking... A quart of oil low in the primary is all the oil in the primary... I checked all of the bolts when we stopped for the night.

Elk City has a city park with 5 sites with electric and water... And free.  So we got a spot there for the night.

We met some nice RVers who let us fill up our water bottles since the water spicket is under ground.  We relaxed and Michelle made some cornbread on the hiker burner.  Then the storms came.  We stopped at the perfect spot.  Not much further down the road they had tornados.  We just had a few sprinkles and some cool clouds.

Some locals walking the park told us where the local shelter is in town if the weather got bad... I couldn't imagine riding Blue thru a storm to shelter.  All ended up being good for us.

The next day we headed out and the wind was a little harsh so I wanted to take back roads... We ended up on this detour to no where, stopped in a town and almost got run over by a car who didn't stop at a stop sign while we were walking around and the roads in Oklahoma are atrocious.  I was not a happy camper and ended up making a short day of it and wandered around El Reno OK which was on the list of cute downtowns.  

We ended up eating at SID's Diner which was on Man vs Food or one of those shows.  We had their special burger... Wasn't bad.  We enjoyed the burger with a milk shake and then spent the night at the Walmart in town. 

I, of course, checked all the bolts and the oil in the primary.  All seemed good so I was still confused as to what this guy was talking about.  After much thought I realize the guy meant the engine oil not the primary oil, which is always close to a quart low... Blue spits out that last quart as soon as I put it in the engine oil.  So it wasn't new to me but it took days for me to realize what the mechanic was talking about... More on that later...