Got all my packages from the Amazon locker in Kanab yesterday. The downtown area felt similar to Hurricane, Utah but smaller. I drove through a burn area on the way there and back. Three hour errand. Neither grocery store had zero net carb tortillas, but I picked up a backup Tapatio and some shredded cheese while I was there.
I'm still feeling off. I've been down the rabbit hole with both Claude and ChatGPT and they're in agreement that my symptoms align perfectly with electrolyte depletion. They describe what I'm feeling in detail I wouldn't have found words for myself. I made my first custom electrolyte potion yesterday as soon as I got back. The taste leaves a lot to be desired. Salty stagnant pond water. I added twice as much water to make it more palatable. I'll keep iterating. In the meantime I'm hopeful it does some magic. I've felt sluggish and low energy this past week and I'd be so thrilled if this solves it. My system is so clean right now, zero alcohol, sugar, or processed foods for quite a long time. The electrolytes are the only thing that makes sense. I foresee more salty stagnant pond water in my future. I should know within a couple of days if it's working.
Every place has its unique challenges and Jacob Lake's is moths. Abundant and aggressive at night. I have screens in all the time and somehow four got in last night while I was trying to cook. They don't sit still, just fluttering relentlessly around the van. I had to bring out the bug-a-salt gun and have a ten minute gunfight. They're difficult targets because they never stop moving. Shannon had a lot more than that in her van. She ended up capturing them in a tupperware container and releasing them outside. That's probably the better strategy.
Yesterday morning I woke to a mysterious sound outside. At first I thought rodents, maybe under the van. Then rain dripping on the roof. Then the van creaking as it warmed up in the morning light. None of those. Shannon heard the exact same thing in her van. Our best guess is moths bumping against the windows. We agreed we'd get out and look if it happened again. Nothing this morning though.
I set up the new game camera last night. Cheap but functional, runs on 8 AA batteries and mounts to a standard camera mount. I stuck it to the side of the van on one of my magnetic mounts. This morning's footage: Shannon leaving the campfire and entering her van around 9:30pm, and a series of clips triggered by moths flying close to the lens. Successful test run.
Shannon and I played a few rounds of Signal around the campfire last night. Still some bugs but working well. I'll patch it on Friday. I've enjoyed tinkering with this one and want to make more games like it.
I've also been listening back to the Chasing the Butter songs I've posted. That's been an enjoyable process. I think there will be a lot more where those came from.
Three more nights here, then into the North Rim. It's good to have something to look forward to. In the meantime the project plate is full and I wake up each day excited to get into it.
I haven't been keeping up with the people I love as well as I'd like. In my most lucid moments I feel that. What I'm doing here gives anyone who wants it a window into my life, but that's not the same as actual contact. I want to do a little better in that area.