I PROMISED TO DAZZLE MY FRIENDS

I LOVE TO CREATE DRAMA .  SO I ANNOUNCED TO THE FRIENDS CAMPED WITH ME IN THE FOREST NEAR FLAGSTAFF,AZ THAT TOMORROW at 10 AM YOU WILL BE DAZZLED.  Something is going to appear right here that may leave you speechless---or you may just utter: "DAMN"!   I said that I had a friend who was working on a rather large do-it-yourself project that was causing people everywhere to do a double take.  I 'm sure I had them believing that a hippy acquaintance had cobbled together a ramshackled something that was making its way here at my request.

As the moment neared, I saw them glance anxiously at the entrance to our private paradise, wondering if one or more of my eccentric friends was headed here to contaminate our pristine meadow with their presence.

At precisely 10am some kind of behemoth with a quiet murmer was nosing itself through the forest toward us.

Almost stealthily, it glided past some trees into the meadow.  My friends prepared themselves for the coming dazzle.

AND THEN----AND THEN----THE DAZZLE---AN INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL BUS ROLLED INTO OUR MEADOW.

Could a hippy possibly create such a thing?  The dog chased it to a stop.

Did I hear someone say DAMN?

Out stepped an old and valued friend who was willing to drive 80 miles to humor me and dazzle my friends.

Meet Ron Walker, the creator of this wonder.  

I met him decades ago in the badlands of California above the Salton Sea.  He is not a rich man but he has something better? VISION AND WILL.

The retail price of a bus like this is 2.4 Million dollars and requires 12 men working a full year.
Ron estimates this one will cost less than a tenth of that plus a lot of work.

The dazzled folks gathered around--met Ron

and were treated to a tour.  

My tiny rig and van

Looking rearward--at Cheri seated.

And forward at Kathy seated.

Shower, bedroom etc.

Ron says it's still under construction.

We sat around for awhile and he answered our questions.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  THE REAL STORY HERE IS THE CREATOR AND NOT THE CREATION. (though it is a wonder)  I asked him the source of his vision and his will.  He said that he saw one of these splendid things and just decided to build one for himself.  The will and skill he explained was inspired by his father who did excellent work in all his projects.  Ron has discovered
he says that you can train yourself to do about anything by digging into it.  He said that a vast project like this bus resolves itself really into a thousand separate projects and that each offers satisfaction along the way to keep him interested in continuing.
     A quote from Goethe came to my mind:  "WHATEVER YOU CAN DARE OR DREAM--BEGIN IT.  BOLDNESS HAS MAGIC AND POWER IN IT."
     Thank you Ron for coming and for the inspiration.