ON THE MOVE

We decided to leave Lake Perris State Recreational Area a day earlier than we estimated.  Visitors were beginning their long weekend early and we could see that it was going to be a noisy day.  

You are right.  We are spoiled.  We love the absence of human voices.  The discussions as to how to erect a huge tent for the first time, with each person having a different solution.  People talking on their cell phones so loudly that they probably didn't need to be heard back home..... since they were yelling into their phones, etc, etc.  

The flies and mosquitoes were already there awaiting their meals arrival in their cars, trucks pulling  RVs and the motorhomes.    How is that for a multi-day banquet?

We moved south on the 215 and looked for a place to park for the night.  And here we are in the palatal estate of the Home Depot!  This is a huge lot and we do not hear one voice, the buzzing of mosquitoes or flies!  We will take the monotonous buzz of traffic any time over the voices of people that we do not know.  

In Jojo's town, is allowable to park a motorhome on the street for three days.  Tomorrow, Friday, we will park in front of her house and will leave Monday morning.  Hopefully, by then, we will have a place to land for the next five weeks.

The hot, hot weather is not "supposed" to hit the area until early July or late June.  June "gloom" is supposed to keep us cooler.  

Jojo's birthday is July 8 and we want to celebrate her birthday with her for the first time in twenty years.  Then, we are heading for cooler weather.

Where?  Not sure.  Our desire is cooler temperatures and no humidity.  Both are essential elements for keeping John healthy.  Any suggestions?  

We must be back in Indiana late October / early November for all of John's appointments with various physicians.  

We also need to schedule a visit to Red Bay, Alabama.  We want Tiffin to make a few repairs on the motorhome including a boo-boo that John got when he had a fight with a large rock.  

Leigh and Bryan from the blog found here always have great meals that Leigh posts in her blog.  I asked her how she manages to have all the ingredients.  She actually plans her menus for a week then makes her shopping list.  A great  big duhhhh here.  

Yesterday, I made a meal plan for the next seven days.  I put all the ingredients on my phone's grocery list and today, we purchased everything I will need for the next week.  We will see how this goes.

What is so neat is that Leigh and Bryan hardly eat the same thing over.  They go from one tasty recipe to another.  John and I think this is a neat idea and are willing to follow their lead.  

If you are looking for some good plant based recipes check out their blog!  The meals are to die for!  

We met Leigh, Brian and Curtis (Olivia's friend) at Clark Dry Lake in Borrego Springs last March.  Then they found us again we we all camped at Blair Valley.

They are making their way to Washington state where they have land to park their Airstream during the summer months. 

Yesterday was our great-grand Harper's second birthday.  

She has changed a bit from this photo!  

And she is going to be a big sister in January!  

As an answer to our prayers, Kelly of The Bayfield Bunch has a diagnosis and is receiving treatment after a visit to the emergency room.  Read all about it in Al's blog.  

With that good news, I'm outta here!

God's blessing on each of you.  Travel safely...

   

A CHANGE OF SCENERY FOR THREE DAYS

Three weeks ago, we came to visit and to help Jojo with some projects.

A congregation had purchased and was remodeling a church that was one house away from Jojo's.  The elders were gracious and let us park in their lot until the church was ready for Sunday services. 

The Koi pond filtering system retrofit is complete, but we still need to work on the pergola and irrigation system so we intend to find a place to stay until after Jojo's birthday, July 8th.

Today is the day we needed to move.  We have moved to the Lake Parris (Pronounced Paris) State Recreation Area just twenty miles from Jojo's.  This is just a temporary place as it is Forty-five dollars each night for water and electricity.  

In retrospect, we should have been looking for a place to park during the last three weeks since the foreman on the church remodel told us we would be moving.  But, we met the chairman of the board and he said just to stay there as long as Jojo needed us nearby.  

Staying in a parking lot is not the ideal situation.  But for us it was ideal.  We were close to the work that needed to be done, but most important, we were close to a daughter that we had not been able to see on a regular basis for twenty years. 

We did not need to dump until this past Sunday.  That was almost three weeks!  And where did we dump?  Right here at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.  

We showered at Jojo's.  I took Oliver and Olivia to her fenced back yard so they could run whenever they wanted.  I did laundry at her house rather than using the water on-board.  What a difference all those experiences made.  

This campground is on asphalt.  It is almost like we are back at the church.  But here, we have trees, a lake, and other campers that are off in the distance.  Oh yes....we have flies.  Flies by the hundreds!  The thousands, millions, billions, trillions!  Sounds like our national debt, doesn't it?

Tomorrow, even though for just a short time, I put out our hummingbird feeders and get the seed for the other critters with wings.  

So....what do I think of Lake Perris SRA?  I am so pleased that we will not be here for the Memorial Day weekend.  

The campsites are large enough for a small RV with their tow vehicle parked next to them.  Each site has water and electricity.  The dump station with flies by the gazillions is in a separate location.  It is NOT worth forty five dollars a day.  

The person at registration tried so hard to find a site for our forty foot Tiffin Allegro Bus and our sixteen foot trailer.  

She thought if we parked parallel to the road, all would fit side by side in one campsite.  If it were not for a tree, we would fit.  

We are not willing to either back into or pull into tree branches that would scratch the coach.  Also, we were not willing to pay for two campsites which was the other suggestion. 

My final thoughts about Lake Perris SRA, is just to skip it unless you are shorter than thirty feet, do not mind be lined up as if in a parking lot that is not level.

The scenery is nice, but you can find foothills anyplace.

  

The lake is okay, but it is not next to the campgrounds.

Would I return?  Only if we had to. 

Tomorrow, I plan to get out and take photos, do some hiking and enjoy the quiet.  

What are you planning to do tomorrow?  

Please pray for Al and Kelly of the Bayfield Bunch.  Kelly and Al are both having physical problems that need to be addressed quickly, but are in the quagmire of the Canadian healthcare system.  

For tonight, this is it.  Take care and most of all......

GOD BLESS!

LOOK WHAT THE WIND BLEW IN!

Actually, you cannot look.  I was in such awe of His camera that I forgot to get my point and shoot or my phone and take photos.  If you want to see some photos, you will need to go to the his website. 

We were lucky enough to learn that Al, Kelly and Pheebs of The Bayfield Bunch were here in Borrego Springs.  Actually, they were just west of us. I sent an email to al hoping that we would be able to connect.  But since the Miata was in the hospital having a brake job, I said they needed to come to our location.  They were so gracious to do just that. 

They were getting out of Dodge – Oops! I mean the Springs.  The wind had buffeted them enough previously and they had had enough.  Little did they know that their decision was a wise on.  

We had some mighty high winds and very little sleep that night and then again last night.  Ask me how tired John and I are.

Photo borrowed form Al's blog

Back to the Bayfield Bunch.  How would I describe Al?  He is one neat gentle giant.  I am just under  five feet. Almost everyone looks like a giant to me. 

And there is Kelly, a bundle of energy and a sweet, sweet spirit.  Now wonder Al grabbed her up! They are a great team and strike a perfect balance for a dynamic duo. 

Then there is Pheebs.  Pheebs, Oliver and Olivia became good friends immediately.  Our two pooches have no idea that they are smaller than most dogs and are willing to take them on in play. 

Lake Bed - Anne McKinnell, Photographer

Al pointed out an area across Clark’s Dry Lake, where we 
all were staying.  He said that there was an area where someone was camping. And there were Palm trees.  Humm, that sounded interesting. 

The next morning, before the sun came over the mountain, the “kids” and I struck out on our walk.  Heading in the direction that Al pointed.  I knew that I would never make the opposite side, but wanted to see just how far we could go.  My goal?  To walk further than the previous day and that had been about an hour and a half.

We walk. Olivia’s nose is to the ground checking out all the new scents.  She finds what I believe to be Coyote poo.  I shorten the leads a bit and keep talking to them to let whatever pest there might be lurking in the Creosote bushes that a big monster is out there to protect her “kids.” 

The Cholla Cactus keep us all on our toes / paws.  We sure do not one of those in any feet!  Occasionally we see footprints of another human.  My, what big feet you have, Mr. Stranger.

Octillio, greet us in one section of the desert.  Now that is a welcome change.  Much better than those mean, sticky Cholla.  We come upon a desert treasure.  WHY, WHY did I not bring my camera?  (do you notice a familiar trend here?)

The desert floor has been transformed into artwork! It is not the tan sand and rock that we have been walking in for the last hour.  It is as smooth as glass….a piece of artwork!  As the teal colored surface of the mountains is washed from the mountain, it comes to rest on the desert floor which is partially clay.  When the two mix and is followed by rain, a semi hard, shiny surface is the result.  The surface follows the flow of the run-off.  When it dries it is another of God’s masterpieces.  I could walk on this part of the desert and not disturb the artwork.

As my journey continued I saw there was not only the green of the Palm trees across the dry lake, but also there were trees on my side of the lake.  I made the closer trees my goal.  Now I knew where I would begin my return journey.  I also knew that I was getting tired.  One problem with the desert, there is no good place to sit down and rest.  Oh well.

When we reached the trees, I found that I had no idea what they were.  The resembled a pine tree but their needles were a larger diameter.  But the tree dropped its needles like a pine tree.  Soooo, is this a Desert Pine?  I have been searching the internet and have yet to identify it. 

The sun was hot and from its position, I estimated that it was close between eleven o’clock and noon.  I had left before the sun poked its face over the mountain around six forty-five. 

My short walk was becoming quite a hike. I said “let’s go home” to Oliver and he took the lead and actually made it home faster than I led them out.  We were all happy to be home.  I took my hiking shoes and vowed to not walk the rest of the day.  That lasted about five minutes till I went to the refrigerator to get more water.

It is a good thing that I love to walk and climb.  When I finish, I have more energy than when I left.  I like that. And that is the end of my Wednesday story.

God Bless you and keep you safe today…Until next time…

 

ARE WE ANOTHER DAY CLOSER?

If only you could see this place! No, you don't even want to. I cannot believe the confusion around here.  This is not a real picture of here, but it gives you an idea of how I feel it looks.  I do not handle confusion well.  Last night I was as jittery as a bowl of jello during an earthquake. 

I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  I should hope so.  The first of January is rapidly approaching, on it's hairy feet, tracking me down.  I just wish I could put a halt to the clock which keeps on tickin the time away.  


Occasionally, that light at the end of the tunnel feels like a freight train coming straight at me.  

When one is going through closets, drawers and cabinets and getting rid of "stuff" everything comes out of those places and hardly anything goes back in. Yippee!  But the ongoing sorting stage creates a colossal mess.


Today, to  top it off, I have to do the laundry.  You know, don't you that laundry waits for no one.  Ohhh, thank goodness we don't spend the rest of laundry day doing the ironing!    I no longer own an iron, but I do have a clothes steamer which will soon be donated.  


When John and I was first married I was crazy enough to iron his briefs and t-shirts.  That ended with the coming of children, thank you very much!


It has been found that man filled pans with hot water and moved them over fabric to eliminate wrinkles.  Sad irons began being used during the seventeenth century.  I think irons should be banned! How about you. 


Oops, I digress!  Back to the subject at hand.... Uhhhh what hand, which hand, whose hand?  


This morning, I read some of the blogs that I follow.  Ohhhh they sound so good.  Even those of the people that are cold in Arizona, new Mexico and Texas.  It's the same here, but they are in their homes on wheels.  Now, which do you choose?  You don't even get more than one answer.  


Well, my break is over, back to the grind.  At least I'm not ironing!  See, there are things worse than getting a house ready to sell.  As RV Sanity says....make lemonade.  


God bless, stay warm and safe travels...