I choose to come to the City of Rocks as a transition into retirement. After 40 years of working an established job with deadlines, meetings, massive amount of emails, and my life ruled by my Outlook calendar, my friend Jan strongly recommended that I don’t start my retirement at home. Start with some structure she recommended. Leave. So I started looking for a trip to take and opportunities to volunteer. The results of my search; is coming to the City of Rocks. I give geology tours and hang around Register Rock telling stories about the California Trail for those that stop by.  Plus I walk trails in uniform answering questions. A perfect transition to retirement.

I use to work in a high rise climate controlled building.  My new offices are different.

My new home office in my camping trailer on a small folding table

Continue reading →

I’m here – at the City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park – at the end of the pavement. I arrived here during a snow squall, it seemed perfect to me. I left home to live a different life for a month; snow the last day of April was a welcoming sign that life would be different here.  The area is a simple place where most livelihood is ranching. It is a place without distractions.  A place where one can make their life what they want it to be.

A view from Almo the day I arrived.

Continue reading →