I met Mike in the Illinois National Guard in the 60's. Fresh off the farm in south central Michigan. His folks as it turned out..had one of the nicest organic farms of it's day. While he did use a tractor, the rest was as true to nature as they could make it. There is nothing like carrots juice from a fresh pulled patch. Mike was a seasoned truck and auto mechanic. He had taken a job in Chicago .
Living on the north side he visited the family often.
Mike has a bad case of itchy feet. From Chicago to California a few years, then Jerome Arizona.
He lived in an abandoned house with no windows. No nothing!
Finally rented the shop under the old post office formerly Newstate Motor Co.
There he worked to restore a nice 62 Lincoln Continental. I visited him in Arizona a couple of times.
His house faced the only bar in town at the time. At least it was up the hill a few feet
By the way..they called this place "The ghost town that was sliding down the hill"
It has become a artsy crafty ghosty town. Lots of great shops.
It hosts a number of fun festivals. A Volkswagon bus haven.
Santa Fe
Then off to a new place. Santa Fe New Mexico. Mike enjoyed the shaman vitality of the place.
He wound up renting a very old rural ranch house.
It was one of the last houses up Upper Canyon road. Owned by a sweetheart of an older Spanish gentleman. Senor Flavio.
I visited him a number of times too, including bringing friends down to enjoy the area.
Shopped ,
Celebrated Zozobra
Visited Chacco Canyon...
and McCauley Springs in the Jemez mountains.....
I had a grand tour of the area over the years.
Mike had honed his auto skills into being a top notch auto electric guy. He could diagnose and repair any electrical problem. Soon he was the traveling auto electric tech. His travels took him to his next stop.
Madrid New Mexico.
A tourist type hippie town with an eclectic bunch of townies as you would ever see.
Mike fit right in. Soon he had purchased an backstreet miner's shack.
Also one of the few properties with mature trees.
He proceeded to fix up this place to his flavor.
Soon his crusty but benign demeanor had placed well into the mix. He made some friends...
Small town life was interesting...
Like a bolt out of the blue!
As if it was in some movie script.There it was! Just like in a movie script. Hollywood comes to town.
They were going to film Madrid as a backdrop of the new movie Wild Hogs. It would take three months to prep the town and another three months of filming. Every body was going to be slathered with movie. Most didn't mind turning over their town to the film crew. Their business losses (if any) would be covered.
Mike stayed out of the way and watched and listened to what was going on at the place in front of his.
His neighbor made so much money, he made Mike and offer he couldn't refuse.
Mr. Itchy feet already had his sights on getting further off the beaten path. Next stop...Thailand.
Bam! Sell everything...travel light....and
Pai, Thailand
In the area of the Changmei elephant reserves. A teak log house
and a couple of motorcyles...
He is enjoying the food
more than just the food...he is enjoying the break from itchy feet.
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