Like Jello Nailed to a Tree: Another Great Inbetween Season at Camp Cordray

My sincerest apologies to those who lose their minds when the picture is hung on the wall off center. I am one of those people. I made this sign in a class at the community center in Quartzsite. I never hung it up so I didn’t know the twine hangy-thingy was off-kilter. It didn’t quite seem to match the feeling of spending a summer in the desert, although we have several times. Nonetheless, it is a sign of the times here at the Mississippi River version of life at Camp Cordray.

My post about a contract extension for Dan wound up being a bit premature. The extension was offered and Dan accepted, but in the same week it became a contract negotiation instead of a contract renewal. We didn’t quite understand the sudden change and had little intel until an all-hands-on-deck meeting was called at Hino Motors Manufacturing, where a 2027 end of production and Arkansas factory permanent closure was announced. All current employees would be given a significant raise and bonus if they stay until the final day, plus Cobra insurance, assistance finding a job, etc. Since Dan is not officially an employee but instead employed by a recruiting service, these perks would not apply to him, and the need for his expertise as this change happens is uncertain. At this time, negotiations have been ongoing for more than ten days since the announcement.

Oh how that Jello has been jiggling the past couple of weeks! We have had several moments where we thought we would know the answer TODAY about whether we will be staying until February or leaving Memphis the beginning of August. As of this wee hour morning, we still don’t know the answer. Fingers crossed, we will know this week, one way or another.

In the meantime, surfing the waves of the great unknown leads to dreaming and scheming for the next leapity-leap. My yellow dogs (legal pads) are howling from the weight of the scribbles denoting each of the various possible directions and locations to explore once we leave this nest. As much as we have loved and benefited from this time spent in Memphis, the urge to get wheels to pavement is always there. A lot of stuff has been happening while we have been planted in Memphis.

Dan’s son Terry and wife Alex brought our newest grandboy Theodore “Teddy” into the world over the weekend. We are so happy and proud! We can’t wait to see this sweet boy, Terry and Alex, and grandboys Jamison and Victor, plus several other kids, step kids, grand kids who may be able to come to visit while we are here. Victor was born during the time of Covid when we didn’t leave our desert oasis for a solid year, so we missed being present for the festivities when he was born. I have been lucky enough to be part of this young family’s life since my beginnings with Dan and Layla. We have camped at their farm many, many times over the years, and Terry and Jamison once joined us at bushcrafting camp. It is a sacrifice to miss big family events in person given the way the Jello jiggles sometimes, but we gratefully accept that we are luckier than most, knowing that one way or another, we will see them whether it is here or there.

Dan’s stepdaughter Nicole and beloved TJ welcomed Celyn Manilow into the world last month, joining sister Lola, whom we have not yet met! We are proud and so very happy for this little family as well. If we stay longer, they will come see us here. If we leave in August, we will see them when we roll through Kentucky. We ALWAYS go through Kentucky sooner or later. We have lots of beloveds there, like our grandboy Beau, Lola and Celyn’s cousin and son of John, and our dearest Mandy-Bird who passed away back in November. Lola is outnumbered with all of these grandboys, but I have a feeling she holds her own.

The lot of them were making plans to come see us here, but we might see them there. Both families considered trying to come before babies arrived but that Jello did not set. We will see them all, and many more, when we are again out on the breeze.

Last but certainly not least is our excitement over the upcoming visit of my daughter Courtney, husband Clark, and grandboy Abraham, who just turned 5! My navigator skills dusted off, I have found all kinds of fun things to do while they are here. Abe is my first grandchild, but I am lucky to be Grandmomma or Grandma or Memaw to many children, far and wide. What a blessing to be so loved by so many!

While we have enjoyed every perk of living here and are grateful to be stacking up funds that will fuel further road dreams, we will be happy however it turns out. Leaving in August OR leaving in February will pare down the leapity-leap destinations that would be appropriate at that time, weatherwise. While we are actively shopping for a van replacement, we have not found anything that suits our needs locally. On one look-see adventure we drove to Mississippi and came back through Arkansas to our home in Tennessee, which was its own adventure. For now, we are getting our familiar and trusty chariot ready for whatever is next. We may (or may not) have to find our next chariot somewhere out there.

For my part, I am making lots of art when I am not consulting maps and thinking about the possible sooner than later pack-and-stack. I have had the book proposal I wrote over the summer edited and I am ready to mail it off hither and yon when I feel a bit more certain about our next steps. Stay tuned for the rolling out of more Memphis stories, and the eventual update of THIS story. Maybe I will wait to fix the welcome summer sign and post the pic of it fixed, and then you will know (if you know) that we have an answer.

Nomadic life by the seat of your pants is the only way we roll, so here we go (maybe). Raise ‘em up in a high-five for resourceful and courageous Camp Cordray as we sit on these eggs and wait for them to hatch, or polish our wings and prepare to fledge from our nest!

What's meant to be will always find a way,

Brenda Cordray

The Desert Rose