Bernard the Bus

August 16, 2007....Thursday...well, Carl Jung was right...synchronicity...here we are in Midcoast Maine...we see a big yellow school bus pull into Camden Hills State Park...our Park... and all along the side of this big boy is   www.bernardthebus.com  so Ray looks them up the next time we are at our library free wifi site...these guys are from Sarasota....they are our neighbors back in Florida....so we went to meet them.... Roth, in the foreground...Bob at the rear...in March they bought Bernard at a school bus auction....they have fitted him with a system that uses Waste Vegetable Oil for fuel...they use their GPS to locate restaurants in their area of travel...they go and stop in and offer to take the used cooking oil off their hands...many restaurants still pay to dispose of this used oil...so they are ever so happy to have Bob and Roth take it and use it to feed Bernard...Bernard holds 150 gallons and can go 1200 miles on that...plus it smells so good they say...like Chinese egg rolls and such........  Roth is an organic cook...he has a propane fitted range in the rear of the bus...he has some sprouts growing and a large rosemary bush... but he says they are not picky...they will eat anything...they are coming to our Airstream for dinner and music tonight... they have taken off to see America and meet the people...they want to make things better...they are starting out with changing themselves...good idea...they have stopped in at several festivals and have given instructional talks about what they have done with Bernard...they are visiting family and friends along the way and are looking for organic farms and intentional communities...we have directed them to Jon and Deb's organic farm and intentional community in Plant City, Florida.... www.ecofarmfl.org  ... Roth plays guitar and writes his own tunes...Bob is a skilled carpenter...he says the bus fuel system is really like doing plumbing.... Bob is working on a boat this week at Camden Harbor...then they are off to Asheville, NC tomorrow and the Pacific Northwest in February....how encouraging to see them out there...taking risks...and believing...the journey is the destination...see you on the road, guys....

Comments

[Desert Diva]

Wow, those are two incredible guys!

[Cynthia]

WOW,WOW,WOW - what special guys! A treat to read your report on their travels and efforts to improve the world. Cynthia

[TorAa]

Very impressive what they have done with the old bus and fueling system. Thank's to your photo's I got a good picture of it.