ANOTHER FIRE & A TRIP TO MARCH AIR FORCE MUSEUM

Sunday, June 9

On the northern portion of the Morongo Indian Reservation, is a fire burning in steep, rugged terrain.  All is located in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, not far for I 10 here in southern California.

John and I spotted this fire as we were on our way from our campsite here in the Desert Sky RV park in Hemit, CA.    

The fire had just started and was just a pillar of white smoke in the mountains.  We, being totally inexperienced with California wildfires were not sure that it was just that.   At least until we arrived at Jojo's home in Menefee, where she confirmed our guess.

The area of smoke grew as the afternoon began to drift to the evening hours.  The blue balloon indicates our position, and you can see where the fire is located.  

Last evening, as we returned from Jojo's, about thirty minutes away, the orange glow from the top of the mountain range grew larger by each mile we came closer to Hemet.  

Thank goodness the wind is blowing the smoke away from us, therefore not threatening John's breathing.  

Another thing to be so thankful for is that this is not a habituated area.  No buildings, livestock or homeowners are in the path of this fire, thus far.  

On another note,  the pergola and the area around the waterfall are beginning to take shape.  A few rocks were placed around the waterfall/filter box and it was exciting to see what this area could become.  

When I owned my water garden design, building and supply business, I had the final word on what rock went where and how the pond would look in the end.  Now, I make suggestions.  If they are accepted, good.  If they are rebuffed...that is beginning to be okay too.  It is soooo hard to not be in control.  

Jojo has her own ideas. That is good!  They are great ideas!  I just can't squeeze inside her head to see what she envisions. Maybe a mom is not supposed to do that?  

All of this interaction is a positive experience for me though.  I am learning much about being a mom of adult children.  I need all the practice I can get...It is not easy for a control freak!

Tuesday, June 11

The fire has grown and now the smoke is blowing toward Jojo's home making it harmful for both Jojo and John to be breathing smoky air.  We have postponed our work day.  

We seem to be smoke free here.  Hopefully John will retrieve our Coleman Road Trip Classic Grill so that I can fix our veggie burgers, grilled mushrooms, onions, pepper and potatoes.  OH yum, now I am getting hungry. 


 


Last Saturday, we all took a day off pergola work and traveled to Riverside to visit the March Field  museum where they have over seventy historic aircraft 

including the SR-71 "Blackbird", the world's fastest jet and the B-17 "Flying Fortress".  Artifacts date back to 1918 to the present.  

SR-71 "Blackbird", the world's fastest jet

I have really hate war and these airplanes are a symbol of war to me.  

My cousin lost her husband in Vietnam and every time I go to one of these places, I think of  how many lives are lost and families are
put into turmoil over the loss of loved brothers, sisters, wives, fathers, mothers, etc that are forever ripped from  them forever.  


I know, wars are inevitable.  We as a nation must protect our land.  And because humanity is selfish, this will not end until the end of time.

To say that John and I are thankful for the men and women to have and will serve and protect the United States seems to be, in a way, trite-too small.

When we were living in Indiana in our sticks and bricks, we lived close to Edinburgh, Indiana where Camp Atterbury is located.  Many of the troops would come close by to shop.  We would always greet them with a "thank you for your service."    


 Phil Dahl...this one is for you!  The minute I saw this Coast Guard Plane, I thought of you and your service.  And how crummy getting medical treatment is such as difficult time for you.  Veterans should never have to jump through hoops like you have since I have been reading your blog.  

I am on a soap box here, ya think?  Before I step down (or am pushed off), I am going to address one more terrible situation that we all should be up in arms about.

Imagine sitting here with enemy approaching.

That is the mental health system for our service men who return from horrific battles, injuries, stress, etc.

The suicide rate in unconscionable.  What is our government thinking? Each and every return soldier and their families should have the freedom to receive mental health care without the stigma of being "weak" and unable to continue their service, if they choose.

My uncle was a retired Major General in the USAF.  When we visited him in the summer, this is what I was greeted when he came home for "the office."  He looked larger than life to me!  

THE END

   

  

WHY DO I LOVE FULL TIME TRAVEL?

Each morning, I wake up before John.  I take the fur kids out for their morning walk and return to our coach for my cuppa tea.

Looking out our front window, I marvel at whatever sight might be there that day and I say to myself, "I absolutely L O V E  this life.

The freedom to see new sights and make new friends is remarkable.  These friends might not be with us for a long time, but we will see them down the road...maybe.  But whatever, they will always be friends.  

Being able to go to bed and have a view of the sky from the bedroom window is magnificent. Bright, brilliant stars and the moon in it's various stages.  Then to awake to either quiet, the sounds of the surf or bird's singing it's greetings to the new day.

Peace, peace.  Wonderful peace.  Sweet peace.  God has blessed us with this time of our life and we are both so thankful.

Where but fulltiming can we  experience geography and history lessons 365 days a year?  

We experience first hand fault lines where earthquakes have occurred and will happen again.  We even experience our first earthquake.     

Wild fires followed by mud and rock slides scour the sides of the mountains. 


In the southwest, rivers carve deep canyons.  





There are mines to explore.  The list goes on and on.  





Two years ago we parked next to a forgotten, sleeping volcano in Amboy, California on Route 66.  It was quite an experience to approach the volcano and walk over the hardened lava with the ripples and ridges showing it's path across the desert floor.  People view the crater and think it is a curious site.  Curious?  I don't think so...It is history.  OUR history.
When will the Amboy volcano awake, rumble and spew its molten ash around? When will Mount St. Helen's, Yosemite awake?



Petroglyphs  are a history lesson in pictures drawn on rocks hundreds of years ago.  But, what story are they telling?  Do we rely on what other's translations?  Do we use our own imagination?  


What would the giant redwoods tell us about the history of their lifetime?  The flat lands of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska?  How about the New England States?  

What about the Gulf States?  What would they tell us?  Would they describe the heartbreak of the thousands of lives extinguished during the Civil War battles?  The lives lost in the hurricanes?  What would these states say?  

The difference in the mountains is striking.  In the east, they are covered with trees, shrubs, etc. 





In the southwest the 
mountains are exposed 
sharing the beauty of the 
formations, fault lines and 
changing colors.  





The sounds of full time travel are amazing.  We hear the rumble of vehicles that share the highways and byways with us.  

The roar of the Pacific as it pounds the shore.  

As the water returns to the ocean.  we hear the tick, tick,tick of the pebbles being rolled over and over back to the ocean.

At the next location, it is quiet...we hear nothing!  Silence...total silence. 

These are only a few of the reasons we enjoy our new life of full time motorhome travel.  You just might want to give it a try if you have not yet had the experience.