So following up, before I could head back to Canada for my registration I needed to again dig Veronica out of her resting place in the mountains. She had been sleeping here since early March when I left to fly back to Canada to renew my visa.

Once she was out and running I spent the afternoon cleaning her up. The following day I picked up Lyle, my father, at the Denver airport and off we drove into the Nebraska sunset.

We drove, we drove, we drove. Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan.. and finally Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

23hrs of driving past feedlots, fields, rural landscapes, and unemployed Michiganites.

We crossed the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor late at night, and having driven almost straight through, we checked into a hotel to shave, shower, and grab a much-needed goodnight sleep. The sleep was deep and dreamless, with only a flickering image of the highway etched into the backs of my eyelids.

By 9a.m. we were at the garage that was to do Veronica's clean air test. This was the whole reason for the journey, to get a clean air test in order to renew my Ontario vehicle registration. We had tried the previous month to do this without the van present but to no avail.. the van needed to be there!

The mechanic met us as we parked, "I'll be with you in ten minutes." So we sat and talked about the upcoming return drive home. After about 7minutes the assistant mechanic came out saying, "Ok, com'on in." I replied, "So you want me to back my van in?"... "No it's already all done." stunned I said, "But I didn't even turn my van on?" to which he replied, "I don't give a fuck."

Laughing I explained the irony.. that I had driven 23hrs from Colorado to Canada for a clean air test, and although I knew the diesel test was visual and a joke.. I at least expected him to start the van. He basically shook his head bitching about bureaucracy and gave me my paperwork.

We then drove over to the licence bureau where I had a new registration and plate sticker in ten minutes flat. Everything I drove to Canada for was accomplished in under 30 minutes.

We then left Windsor into the United States where at customs my van was searched and they entered a book worth of information about me into their computers. They probably bugged my van too ;-) Finally they let us go so that I can finish this epic film project.

The drive back to Colorado was uneventful.. more fields, more cows, more rural landscapes... with the exception of a stop at the mighty Mississippi River!

I could have never done this drive without the help of my father. His years of training as a pilot proved handy as the miles clicked by, his conversation kept me sane, and, as always, it was good to spend time sharing ideas about the world and closing the generation gap. I've grown to appreciate family so much more than when I first left, and I'm grateful for every moment I spend with a loved one.

peace,d

In this age of Facebook and the omnipresent eye of Google, here's another example of how we've given up our right to personal privacy without any real choice in the matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyKcoDaofg

peace,d

Well I've been MIA for the past month. I had to return to Canada to visit family, sort out some financing, renew my van registration, and U.S. visa. It was nice to be home, but it's also always difficult to transition out of the van and into 'normal' reality. I spent most of my time up at my family farm working with my father cutting wood for my uncle's new house and reconnecting to my roots and on some level planning my future.

I have plans to build a farm up on my family land in a few years. And my vision is a hybrid of various visions already out there. I would love it to be an off-grid space with extraordinary greenhouses based on Anna Edey's Solviva concept and design, combined with a space of sustainable learning like the Rocky Mountain Institute, again crossed with an artist retreat for independent artists, and finally a film studio... If you're going to dream, DREAM BIG!

Here are some pics of the land I want to build on. This vision is inspired by my journey; as I'm repeatedly asked the question of how do we move forward, how do we change the way we live, and how do we make choices that work towards a complex but sustainable future.

I have some films that have emerged and entered development during my journey, films that I've serendipitously shot preliminary footage for while out on the road. These films will be industry projects while my next art project will chronicle and document the building of my off-grid farm.

Anyways back to the present.. and having to still make it to Panama and the trials and tribulations that come with this journey.

I was unable to renew my van registration while in Ontario since the van was not present for a clean air inspection. After visiting various inspection centers and talking to officials and coming to this realization I called down to Colorado (where my van was parked) to see if there was any possibility of temporarily registering the vehicle in the U.S. The woman I spoke to assured me that is wasn't a problem so I somewhat relaxed during my flight back down to Colorado. But it all seems a little to simple...

Upon my return to Colorado this past week I began the run around for my new vehicle registration only to discover that the information previously presented to me was in fact false. There is no way to register a Canadian vehicle in the United States without a customs form that would allow this to happen. And for the customs form you require other Environment Protection Agency certificates and inspections... yeah... plus even if all of this did go well I would end up with a six month Colorado registration that would only act as a band aid until I enter Mexico... and this may create issues with U.S. customs who I'm grateful to say have been very supportive of my project up until this point.

So... guess who just flew back from Canada only to have to drive 21hrs back to renew his registration..? Yes.. that unfortunate person is me. And then I have to drive back to continue my seemingly unending cinematic process working my way to Panama. At this point the only solution I've found, is to Breeeeeeeath.

42hrs of driving, roughly $1K in fuel and one tired ass filmmaker... Inhale... Exhale.

My father or brother may fly down to do the drive with me which will create some nice quality bonding time, Moses will prob stay back in Denver with friends, and hopefully it will all be over quickly.

As a good friend of mine likes to say, "Suck it up you're a filmmaker!" and although it will be a tough slog, in the grand scheme of things I am still grateful for a blessed life.

peace,d