Casa Grande, AZ
43 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. clear, light Northerly winds.
I sure wish the shortest day of the year would hurry up and get here. I'm getting tired of it being dark until almost 7:00 AM, and then getting dark again a little after 5:00. And, the worst part is, we're still not to the shortest day, so it's going to get worse! Actually, the days aren't getting shorter. They're still 24 hrs long. I wonder why we say that?
I think I would like being up in Alaska in the summertime, when it never gets dark.
Jim went for a little bike ride yesterday while Linda worked on her Family Tree stuff. For dinner they went to a chinese restaurant in town, but neither of them seemed to thing it was anything special. Other than that, not much else happened around here.
Oh, I almost forgot, Jim got an e-mail from Roland and Louise yesterday, and Louise is back in the hospital. They think that the MRSA infection in her hip may have come back. I sure hope not. She was recovering nicely, and making good progress with her therapy. And, they had hopes of going down to Florida for a month or so this winter.
Everyone here is praying for you, Louise.
Did you know that Mark Twain, (Samuel Clemens), was born on this date in 1835?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Who's Blaine? and Other Animals?
Casa Grande, AZ
48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 68 deg. clear, light NW winds.
On Thanksgiving day, I made the statement that Jim, Linda, Blaine, CLT and I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday. Yesterday, it was brought to my attention that some of you don't know who Blaine is. Well, Blaine is Jim and Linda's pet. He's a little dog that is very well behaved, (usually anyway), who rides along with us everywhere we go. He's very easy to take care of, and never barks at people. If you want to learn more about him, you can check out my blog entry for March 20, 2008.
Probably the easiest way to do that, is to scroll down this page until you come to the section on the left side of the screen that says "Labels", then go down to the "Pets", category and click on that. When the next screen comes up, scroll down through those entries and you will find the post about him.
It was a real quiet day around here yesterday. I think everyone was resting up from the holiday. I know Jim and Linda didn't do much. Jim was on this computer quite a bit, and Linda was busy with her sewing projects.
Did you hear about the Wal-Mart store employee that got trampled to death in New York? It made the national news yesterday. It seems that this mob of people came crashing through the store entry doors when the store opened, to try to be first to buy on-sale Christmas stuff. They trampled this poor employee in the process, and then were upset when they were asked to leave when the store manager closed the store because of the man's death.
I sometimes wonder what people are thinking. Are people turning back into animals, where their individual wants are more important than even human life? Was it worth that mans life to be first through the door to buy some Christmas presents? I don't think so.
Did you know that in Arizona, because of the hot weather, it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water?
48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 68 deg. clear, light NW winds.
On Thanksgiving day, I made the statement that Jim, Linda, Blaine, CLT and I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday. Yesterday, it was brought to my attention that some of you don't know who Blaine is. Well, Blaine is Jim and Linda's pet. He's a little dog that is very well behaved, (usually anyway), who rides along with us everywhere we go. He's very easy to take care of, and never barks at people. If you want to learn more about him, you can check out my blog entry for March 20, 2008.
Probably the easiest way to do that, is to scroll down this page until you come to the section on the left side of the screen that says "Labels", then go down to the "Pets", category and click on that. When the next screen comes up, scroll down through those entries and you will find the post about him.
It was a real quiet day around here yesterday. I think everyone was resting up from the holiday. I know Jim and Linda didn't do much. Jim was on this computer quite a bit, and Linda was busy with her sewing projects.
Did you hear about the Wal-Mart store employee that got trampled to death in New York? It made the national news yesterday. It seems that this mob of people came crashing through the store entry doors when the store opened, to try to be first to buy on-sale Christmas stuff. They trampled this poor employee in the process, and then were upset when they were asked to leave when the store manager closed the store because of the man's death.
I sometimes wonder what people are thinking. Are people turning back into animals, where their individual wants are more important than even human life? Was it worth that mans life to be first through the door to buy some Christmas presents? I don't think so.
Did you know that in Arizona, because of the hot weather, it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water?
Friday, November 28, 2008
Parade? Thanksgiving Dinner and Hail
Casa Grande, AZ
49 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg. partly cloudy, light SW breeze.
Well, did all of you have a good Thanksgiving? I know I did, and I'm sure Jim and Linda did too.
I was going to drive up on my soapbox this morning, and complain about the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV yesterday, but after almost 24 hours, I've changed my mind. What was I going to do that for, you ask? Well, first of all I was going to give you the definition of a parade, which Wikipedia says, is a procession of people, bands, floats, fire trucks and sometimes large balloons going down a street.
But I won't do that.
Then I was going to give you the definition of a procession, which means, to go forth, advance, proceed.
But I won't do that either.
Then I was going to rant and rave about how it was almost an hour into the program before we ever saw a marching band or float, and then after it started, how every few minutes I had to watch someone sing, dance, or perform some kind of skit, and how they spent more time on that, instead of showing the floats, bands, and balloons, which actually make up a parade.
But again, I won't do that.
Another thing I was going to rant and rave about, was how they expected any small child, (who was watching to see the floats, balloons, and Santa Clause), to have a long enough attention span to keep on watching, for all that time. And how Jim and Linda even lost interest, and finally turned the TV off after watching about 1/2 of the so-called parade.
But, I'm sure you can tell by now, that I've settled down, so I won't do that either.
I'm sure glad I didn't bother driving up on that soap box today. ;-)
About 1:45 Jim and Linda headed over to the Clubhouse, and had an excellent dinner, with all the trimmings. There were lots of people there, and from what I could gather from the people walking down the street in front of me, after the meal, everyone really enjoyed it.
Oh, I've got to admit that the weather people were right yesterday. It did rain some more, and in fact, we even had some small hail! It didn't last long though, only for about an hour, so I don't think it spoiled too many plans.
Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is not the biggest shopping day of the year? Actually, it's the day before Christmas when all the last-minute shoppers hit the stores.
49 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg. partly cloudy, light SW breeze.
Well, did all of you have a good Thanksgiving? I know I did, and I'm sure Jim and Linda did too.
I was going to drive up on my soapbox this morning, and complain about the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV yesterday, but after almost 24 hours, I've changed my mind. What was I going to do that for, you ask? Well, first of all I was going to give you the definition of a parade, which Wikipedia says, is a procession of people, bands, floats, fire trucks and sometimes large balloons going down a street.
But I won't do that.
Then I was going to give you the definition of a procession, which means, to go forth, advance, proceed.
But I won't do that either.
Then I was going to rant and rave about how it was almost an hour into the program before we ever saw a marching band or float, and then after it started, how every few minutes I had to watch someone sing, dance, or perform some kind of skit, and how they spent more time on that, instead of showing the floats, bands, and balloons, which actually make up a parade.
But again, I won't do that.
Another thing I was going to rant and rave about, was how they expected any small child, (who was watching to see the floats, balloons, and Santa Clause), to have a long enough attention span to keep on watching, for all that time. And how Jim and Linda even lost interest, and finally turned the TV off after watching about 1/2 of the so-called parade.
But, I'm sure you can tell by now, that I've settled down, so I won't do that either.
I'm sure glad I didn't bother driving up on that soap box today. ;-)
About 1:45 Jim and Linda headed over to the Clubhouse, and had an excellent dinner, with all the trimmings. There were lots of people there, and from what I could gather from the people walking down the street in front of me, after the meal, everyone really enjoyed it.
Oh, I've got to admit that the weather people were right yesterday. It did rain some more, and in fact, we even had some small hail! It didn't last long though, only for about an hour, so I don't think it spoiled too many plans.
Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is not the biggest shopping day of the year? Actually, it's the day before Christmas when all the last-minute shoppers hit the stores.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving, and A Did You Know From Dave
Casa Grande, AZ
57 deg. overcast, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 65 deg. cloudy, 80% chance of rain, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Jim, Linda, Blaine, CLT, and I would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday.
We had a pretty heavy rain shower go through here yesterday morning, but really nothing to talk about since. The weather people on TV still keep insisting that more is coming though, but I'm beginning to have my doubts.
About the only things that happened here yesterday was that Jim and Linda went over to the "Happy Hour" at the clubhouse about 3:30, and then Linda made Tacos for dinner.
Today, at the clubhouse, they are having the Thanksgiving dinner at 2:00, so this morning, Linda will be making her green bean casserole to take, and I'm sure that she and Jim will be watching the parade on TV. Other than that, I don't think there are any other plans.
Oh, I'm sure all of you long time readers of this blog know who I'm talking about when I mention the "Illinois Bunch". Well, for those of you that don't, the "Illinois Bunch" is a group of RVers that are from Illinois, (where Jim and Linda used to live), who we get together with when we are in Illinois during the summers, and in Florida, when we are there during the winters. Anyway, Dave, a long time blog reader and one of the "Illinois Bunch", e-mailed Jim yesterday, with this fact that I thought you might find interesting.
Did you know that Americans consumed over 690 million pounds of turkey last Thanksgiving?
Thanks Dave.
57 deg. overcast, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 65 deg. cloudy, 80% chance of rain, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Jim, Linda, Blaine, CLT, and I would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday.
We had a pretty heavy rain shower go through here yesterday morning, but really nothing to talk about since. The weather people on TV still keep insisting that more is coming though, but I'm beginning to have my doubts.
About the only things that happened here yesterday was that Jim and Linda went over to the "Happy Hour" at the clubhouse about 3:30, and then Linda made Tacos for dinner.
Today, at the clubhouse, they are having the Thanksgiving dinner at 2:00, so this morning, Linda will be making her green bean casserole to take, and I'm sure that she and Jim will be watching the parade on TV. Other than that, I don't think there are any other plans.
Oh, I'm sure all of you long time readers of this blog know who I'm talking about when I mention the "Illinois Bunch". Well, for those of you that don't, the "Illinois Bunch" is a group of RVers that are from Illinois, (where Jim and Linda used to live), who we get together with when we are in Illinois during the summers, and in Florida, when we are there during the winters. Anyway, Dave, a long time blog reader and one of the "Illinois Bunch", e-mailed Jim yesterday, with this fact that I thought you might find interesting.
Did you know that Americans consumed over 690 million pounds of turkey last Thanksgiving?
Thanks Dave.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Rain and Getting Ready For Thanksgiving
Casa Grande, AZ.
57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. cloudy, 50% chance of rain, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Rain.- - - That seems to be a magic word around here. It is one of the top stories on the TV this morning, and the weather forecasters are all excited. I suppose that when you are in an area where the annual rainfall averages about 10 inches, it's really special when it does rain. As for me, I'm not so sure I want it to rain. There's probably a lot of dust up on my roof, and unless we have a good heavy shower, it's just going to turn to mud, run down my sides and make a mess.
Oh Oh! Now it's raining in Phoenix, and already, they're having problems with accidents and major traffic delays! I guess it's like one reporter said, "The people here don't know how to drive in the rain".
I'm glad I'm not out there on the road today.
Well, are all of you ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow? We do have a lot to thankful for, you know. Take a little time to sit back and think about how great things are in comparison to some other places around the world. Oh sure, we all have problems, and sometimes they seem really huge, but over all, we've got it pretty good.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national symbol of America?
57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. cloudy, 50% chance of rain, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Rain.- - - That seems to be a magic word around here. It is one of the top stories on the TV this morning, and the weather forecasters are all excited. I suppose that when you are in an area where the annual rainfall averages about 10 inches, it's really special when it does rain. As for me, I'm not so sure I want it to rain. There's probably a lot of dust up on my roof, and unless we have a good heavy shower, it's just going to turn to mud, run down my sides and make a mess.
Oh Oh! Now it's raining in Phoenix, and already, they're having problems with accidents and major traffic delays! I guess it's like one reporter said, "The people here don't know how to drive in the rain".
I'm glad I'm not out there on the road today.
Well, are all of you ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow? We do have a lot to thankful for, you know. Take a little time to sit back and think about how great things are in comparison to some other places around the world. Oh sure, we all have problems, and sometimes they seem really huge, but over all, we've got it pretty good.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national symbol of America?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Shopping Again, and Not On Vacation
Casa Grande, AZ
57 deg. partly cloudy, light NE breeze
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg, partly cloudy, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph. Slight chance of rain this evening.
Again, another slow day. Jim and Linda did go shopping yesterday afternoon, but other than that, nothing much happened here. Their shopping trip started with a stop at an Office Depot to pick up some printer paper, an ink jet cartridge, a new mouse for the desktop computer, and a new mouse pad. Then they went to an Albertson Grocery store and bought some groceries to hold them over the Thanksgiving holiday. Linda also bought some green beans, to make a casserole, to take to the Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.
After that, Jim and Linda both took a nap. Then for dinner, Linda cooked hamburgers on my stove. After dinner, they watched TV for awhile before heading to bed.
Exciting, huh?
You know, a lot of people seem to think that we are on a permanent vacation while traveling around the country. Well, part of our travels are like that, but a lot of time, (like now when we are just sitting in an RV Park), Jim and Linda say it is very much like living in a stix and brix house. Nothing much exciting happening, just living from day to day, doing normal things like cleaning, carrying out the garbage, talking to the neighbors, and making the necessary shopping trips.
When people first start the Full-timing lifestyle, they usually go from place to place, hurrying from one attraction to another, staying only a day or two at a park, and then heading to the next destination. Well, that usually last for about a year or so, and then all that rushing from one place to another starts to get pretty tiring, and expensive.
The solution? Slow down, enjoy the area you are in, the people, and the local sites. Stay awhile, taking advantage of weekly and monthly camping rates. Relax, smell the roses, and enjoy life.
Ahhh! I like that last part the best.
Did you know that turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere?
57 deg. partly cloudy, light NE breeze
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg, partly cloudy, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph. Slight chance of rain this evening.
Again, another slow day. Jim and Linda did go shopping yesterday afternoon, but other than that, nothing much happened here. Their shopping trip started with a stop at an Office Depot to pick up some printer paper, an ink jet cartridge, a new mouse for the desktop computer, and a new mouse pad. Then they went to an Albertson Grocery store and bought some groceries to hold them over the Thanksgiving holiday. Linda also bought some green beans, to make a casserole, to take to the Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.
After that, Jim and Linda both took a nap. Then for dinner, Linda cooked hamburgers on my stove. After dinner, they watched TV for awhile before heading to bed.
Exciting, huh?
You know, a lot of people seem to think that we are on a permanent vacation while traveling around the country. Well, part of our travels are like that, but a lot of time, (like now when we are just sitting in an RV Park), Jim and Linda say it is very much like living in a stix and brix house. Nothing much exciting happening, just living from day to day, doing normal things like cleaning, carrying out the garbage, talking to the neighbors, and making the necessary shopping trips.
When people first start the Full-timing lifestyle, they usually go from place to place, hurrying from one attraction to another, staying only a day or two at a park, and then heading to the next destination. Well, that usually last for about a year or so, and then all that rushing from one place to another starts to get pretty tiring, and expensive.
The solution? Slow down, enjoy the area you are in, the people, and the local sites. Stay awhile, taking advantage of weekly and monthly camping rates. Relax, smell the roses, and enjoy life.
Ahhh! I like that last part the best.
Did you know that turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere?
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Bug?, And A Slow Day
Casa Grande, AZ
43 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
43 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
I don't know if there's a bug going around or what, but yesterday, Jim wasn't feeling well. Like Linda the day before, he never really got sick, but just didn't feel well most of the day. Being that he was feeling "under the weather", he didn't do much but watch TV, go for a little bike ride, and then cook some ham out on the grill for dinner. Oh, he did help Linda with her family tree stuff a little, but that only took about an hour.
Linda worked with her family tree stuff and read in her book most of the day, and then cooked some cauliflower and made salads to go with the ham, for dinner.
We've had very nice weather here in Casa Grande since we arrived, but it sound like that's going to change this week. They're calling for rain, Wednesday through Sunday. I didn't know it rained that much in the desert.
Did you know that turkeys sometimes spend the night in trees?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Feeling "Punk", A Little Shopping, and Dinner
Casa Grande, AZ
45 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. partly cloudy, light winds.
Linda didn't sleep well Friday night, so she felt kind of "punk" yesterday morning. She did manage to get 2 loads of laundry done though, and while the second load was drying, she took a nap. After she woke form her nap she seemed to feel a lot better.
While Linda was doing laundry, Jim dug his bicycle out of the back of CLT (Cute Little Truck), and rode around in the park for awhile. The park is fairly small, but he says that some of the side roads in the area look like they would be good to ride on.
About 4:00, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed into town to find a Drug Store to pick up a few items. They found both a CVS and a Walgreen's, and decided to go to the CVS because they have one of those discount cards there. Anyway, they got what they needed, and then decided to go to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. Jim had a Chicken and Rice special, and Linda had a Ham sandwich. Like usual, both were good.
When they got back here, they watched some TV for awhile (British comedies on PBS), and then went to bed.
Not a terribly exciting day, but a good one.
Did you know that the original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone, and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, AZ?
45 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. partly cloudy, light winds.
Linda didn't sleep well Friday night, so she felt kind of "punk" yesterday morning. She did manage to get 2 loads of laundry done though, and while the second load was drying, she took a nap. After she woke form her nap she seemed to feel a lot better.
While Linda was doing laundry, Jim dug his bicycle out of the back of CLT (Cute Little Truck), and rode around in the park for awhile. The park is fairly small, but he says that some of the side roads in the area look like they would be good to ride on.
About 4:00, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed into town to find a Drug Store to pick up a few items. They found both a CVS and a Walgreen's, and decided to go to the CVS because they have one of those discount cards there. Anyway, they got what they needed, and then decided to go to the Cracker Barrel for dinner. Jim had a Chicken and Rice special, and Linda had a Ham sandwich. Like usual, both were good.
When they got back here, they watched some TV for awhile (British comedies on PBS), and then went to bed.
Not a terribly exciting day, but a good one.
Did you know that the original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone, and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, AZ?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunrise, RoVers Roost, and Pizza
Casa Grande, AZ. El. 1398'
50 deg. clear, light NE breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Before we left the Boon-dock area in the desert yesterday morning, we were treated with a beautiful sun-rise. I don't know if Jim hasn't found all the settings on his camera yet, or what, but I think the sunrise was even prettier than this picture shows.
We left the BLM area about 9:40 and continued South on Rt. 95 and into Quartzsite. There, Jim pulled me into a gas station where Jim gave me another drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. I wasn't real thirsty, but the price wasn't too bad, ($2.54), and the station was real easy to get in and out of. Once I had my drink, we turned East on I-10. which took us to Rt. 85, (just West of Phoenix), where we turned South, and took it down to I-8. This turned out to be an excellent way to miss all of the Phoenix traffic. I-8 then took us farther East and to Casa Grande, where we pulled into the Escapees Club "RoVer's Roost" park.
When we turned into the park, I wasn't sure I was going to make the turn. Coming from the West, like we did, you have to make a right turn into the park, and immediately make another right turn once in the park. It's like making a real sharp U-turn. Anyway, I made it, (by inches) and pulled up to the office to get registered.
It was 1:30 when we got here, so it took us 3 hrs and 50 minutes to get me my drink and travel 186 miles.
This seems to be a really friendly park. Many people have already come around and talked to Jim and Linda, and at 3:30, they went over to the clubhouse and joined many of the people from the park for a "Happy Hour". There, Jim and Linda introduced themselves and got to know a lot of the people. They also found out about activities that are will be going on in the park, and, since we're going to be staying here for at least 2 weeks, signed up for the Thanksgiving dinner that they will be having.
After Happy Hour, Jim and Linda took CLT and went into town, found a Pizza Hut restaurant, and had a nice dinner. Then they came back here, watched some TV and then went to bed after the news.
.
Did you know that Casa Grande means "big house" in Spanish?
50 deg. clear, light NE breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Before we left the Boon-dock area in the desert yesterday morning, we were treated with a beautiful sun-rise. I don't know if Jim hasn't found all the settings on his camera yet, or what, but I think the sunrise was even prettier than this picture shows.
We left the BLM area about 9:40 and continued South on Rt. 95 and into Quartzsite. There, Jim pulled me into a gas station where Jim gave me another drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. I wasn't real thirsty, but the price wasn't too bad, ($2.54), and the station was real easy to get in and out of. Once I had my drink, we turned East on I-10. which took us to Rt. 85, (just West of Phoenix), where we turned South, and took it down to I-8. This turned out to be an excellent way to miss all of the Phoenix traffic. I-8 then took us farther East and to Casa Grande, where we pulled into the Escapees Club "RoVer's Roost" park.When we turned into the park, I wasn't sure I was going to make the turn. Coming from the West, like we did, you have to make a right turn into the park, and immediately make another right turn once in the park. It's like making a real sharp U-turn. Anyway, I made it, (by inches) and pulled up to the office to get registered.
It was 1:30 when we got here, so it took us 3 hrs and 50 minutes to get me my drink and travel 186 miles.
This seems to be a really friendly park. Many people have already come around and talked to Jim and Linda, and at 3:30, they went over to the clubhouse and joined many of the people from the park for a "Happy Hour". There, Jim and Linda introduced themselves and got to know a lot of the people. They also found out about activities that are will be going on in the park, and, since we're going to be staying here for at least 2 weeks, signed up for the Thanksgiving dinner that they will be having.
After Happy Hour, Jim and Linda took CLT and went into town, found a Pizza Hut restaurant, and had a nice dinner. Then they came back here, watched some TV and then went to bed after the news.
.
Did you know that Casa Grande means "big house" in Spanish?
Friday, November 21, 2008
A Pretty Sunset and Heading To Casa Grande
Quartzsite, AZ
46 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Yesterday was one of those "do-nothing" days. Jim just checked our a few things on me, so I'd be ready to travel today, but other than that, not much else. He did cook some hamburgers out on the grill for dinner, and in the middle of doing that, he managed to get this shot of a very pretty sunset.
Most of the sunsets we have seen since we've been here have been nice, but the skies have always been clear, so you didn't get the effect of the sun on the clouds. I'm glad there were a few clouds on our last night here.
Today we'll head for Casa Grande, AZ., where there is an Escapee park called The RoVers Roost. Jim and Linda have been there before, but I don't think I have. It's not a large park, and the sites aren't real big, so Jim called ahead to make sure that they could accommodate me. Once the lady, that Jim talked to, found out that I don't have any slide-outs, she said that there shouldn't be a problem getting me into a site, and told Jim to bring me on over.
Both Jim and Linda remember the people at this park as being very friendly. I hope it's nice there, because I think Jim and Linda are planning on staying a couple of weeks, if possible.
Did you know that in Arizona, there is a possible 25 year prison fine for cutting down a cactus?
46 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, E. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Yesterday was one of those "do-nothing" days. Jim just checked our a few things on me, so I'd be ready to travel today, but other than that, not much else. He did cook some hamburgers out on the grill for dinner, and in the middle of doing that, he managed to get this shot of a very pretty sunset.
Most of the sunsets we have seen since we've been here have been nice, but the skies have always been clear, so you didn't get the effect of the sun on the clouds. I'm glad there were a few clouds on our last night here.Today we'll head for Casa Grande, AZ., where there is an Escapee park called The RoVers Roost. Jim and Linda have been there before, but I don't think I have. It's not a large park, and the sites aren't real big, so Jim called ahead to make sure that they could accommodate me. Once the lady, that Jim talked to, found out that I don't have any slide-outs, she said that there shouldn't be a problem getting me into a site, and told Jim to bring me on over.
Both Jim and Linda remember the people at this park as being very friendly. I hope it's nice there, because I think Jim and Linda are planning on staying a couple of weeks, if possible.
Did you know that in Arizona, there is a possible 25 year prison fine for cutting down a cactus?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A Man In A White Truck, and The Dented Can Store
Quartzsite, AZ
46 deg. clear, calm
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 mph.
A Ranger in a white pick-up truck came to see us yesterday. He said that Jim needed to get me a permit, and he could get it at the first RV, out by the main road, (Rt. 95). He said that there wasn't a charge, and the only reason for the permit was to stop people from staying in this area for more than 14 days. You see, if you want to stay more than 14 days, you need to go to a different area, (which is South of Quartzsite), and pay a small fee. Then, you can stay the whole winter, if you want to. Well, Jim and Linda wanted to go into town anyway, to pick up a few things and take their garbage to the the waste transfer station, so on the way, they stopped and picked up the permit
No problems, no hassle, and friendly work camping RVers handing them out.
About 1/2 way into town, they have what they call a "waste transfer station", where everyone who is staying out here in the desert, takes their garbage. By having a place like that, they don't have to try to drive all around in the desert with garbage trucks. All of the people who camp here seem to be OK with that, because you don't seen any trash anywhere in these areas.
In town, Jim and Linda went to a grocery surplus store, where they have all kinds of boxed and canned goods. A lot of the boxes are banged up, and some of the cans have dents in them, but they sure have good prices. About 1/2 of what you pay in a regular grocery store. Of course they don't have everything you might want, but Jim and Linda found quite a few items, and had fun doing it.
That's about all that happened around here yesterday. Today is our last full day here in the desert. This has been a really neat experience, and I hope we can do it, or something like it again. An RV could get hooked on this boon-docking thing. ;-)
Did you know that Quartzsite is the burial place for Hi Jolly, (Hadji Ali), a Syrian camel driver that took part in the experimental U S Camel Corps, back in the mid nineteenth century?
46 deg. clear, calm
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 mph.
A Ranger in a white pick-up truck came to see us yesterday. He said that Jim needed to get me a permit, and he could get it at the first RV, out by the main road, (Rt. 95). He said that there wasn't a charge, and the only reason for the permit was to stop people from staying in this area for more than 14 days. You see, if you want to stay more than 14 days, you need to go to a different area, (which is South of Quartzsite), and pay a small fee. Then, you can stay the whole winter, if you want to. Well, Jim and Linda wanted to go into town anyway, to pick up a few things and take their garbage to the the waste transfer station, so on the way, they stopped and picked up the permit
No problems, no hassle, and friendly work camping RVers handing them out.
About 1/2 way into town, they have what they call a "waste transfer station", where everyone who is staying out here in the desert, takes their garbage. By having a place like that, they don't have to try to drive all around in the desert with garbage trucks. All of the people who camp here seem to be OK with that, because you don't seen any trash anywhere in these areas.
In town, Jim and Linda went to a grocery surplus store, where they have all kinds of boxed and canned goods. A lot of the boxes are banged up, and some of the cans have dents in them, but they sure have good prices. About 1/2 of what you pay in a regular grocery store. Of course they don't have everything you might want, but Jim and Linda found quite a few items, and had fun doing it.
That's about all that happened around here yesterday. Today is our last full day here in the desert. This has been a really neat experience, and I hope we can do it, or something like it again. An RV could get hooked on this boon-docking thing. ;-)
Did you know that Quartzsite is the burial place for Hi Jolly, (Hadji Ali), a Syrian camel driver that took part in the experimental U S Camel Corps, back in the mid nineteenth century?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Minor Repair, Dinner, and A Dumb Thing
Quartzsite, AZ.
46 deg. clear, light NW breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Yesterday, Jim took a couple of short walks around this area to check out some of the other boon-docking areas, and then got out his ladder and checked out the sealant on the right rear corner of me. You see, when we were along the coast, in Oregon, there was a slight leak that showed up near the bedroom window on that side. Now, if you remember, it was raining hard with a very strong wind blowing, so maybe, it just came in around the sliding glass, but Jim thought he had better check it out to make sure. He did find a few very small cracks in the caulking and repaired them, so now we'll just have to keep an eye on it.
Speaking of rain, Yesterday, the weather lady got all excited that one week from today, there is a chance for a rain shower here. I guess the rain is so sparse in this area, that any chance of rain is cause for excitement.
Jim cooked a steak out on the grill for dinner last night. It was large enough that he and Linda were able to share it. Linda cooked up some peas for Jim and some cabbage for her, and along with some bakery bread, it made a real feast.
Oh, I almost forgot! You'll never guess what someone did with their RV yesterday! I looked up, and I couldn't believe what I saw. Here was this guy driving across the desert in his Motorhome, with his slide-out rooms extended!! Now, I'm sure the RV manufacturer didn't design the MH to do that! I mean, it's bumpy here, with dips and humps, it's definitely not like driving down a road! That had to knock something out of alignment!
That was really a dumb thing to do. And now, I suppose the guy will be back at the dealer telling him that his slide-outs don't work right anymore, and can't understand why.
Did you know that I am parked in the Sonoran Desert, and that it is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, and covers an area of 120,000 square miles?
46 deg. clear, light NW breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Yesterday, Jim took a couple of short walks around this area to check out some of the other boon-docking areas, and then got out his ladder and checked out the sealant on the right rear corner of me. You see, when we were along the coast, in Oregon, there was a slight leak that showed up near the bedroom window on that side. Now, if you remember, it was raining hard with a very strong wind blowing, so maybe, it just came in around the sliding glass, but Jim thought he had better check it out to make sure. He did find a few very small cracks in the caulking and repaired them, so now we'll just have to keep an eye on it.
Speaking of rain, Yesterday, the weather lady got all excited that one week from today, there is a chance for a rain shower here. I guess the rain is so sparse in this area, that any chance of rain is cause for excitement.
Jim cooked a steak out on the grill for dinner last night. It was large enough that he and Linda were able to share it. Linda cooked up some peas for Jim and some cabbage for her, and along with some bakery bread, it made a real feast.
Oh, I almost forgot! You'll never guess what someone did with their RV yesterday! I looked up, and I couldn't believe what I saw. Here was this guy driving across the desert in his Motorhome, with his slide-out rooms extended!! Now, I'm sure the RV manufacturer didn't design the MH to do that! I mean, it's bumpy here, with dips and humps, it's definitely not like driving down a road! That had to knock something out of alignment!
That was really a dumb thing to do. And now, I suppose the guy will be back at the dealer telling him that his slide-outs don't work right anymore, and can't understand why.
Did you know that I am parked in the Sonoran Desert, and that it is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, and covers an area of 120,000 square miles?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Quartzsite, Tackiness, and Extending Our Stay
Quartzsite, AZ
47 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. clear, East winds @ 5 mph.
I really wasn't happy with the photos I posted yesterday, so here are a couple more. This first one is of the desert and mountains to the front of me.
This one shows how Jim parked me, (facing NW), so that there would be shade on my door side during the hottest part of the day. This shady area is where Jim spends a lot of time in the afternoons, listening to my radio and having a cold one now and then.
Not much happened around here yesterday morning. Jim spent some time outside, listening to the radio and drinking coffee, while Linda had breakfast and read her book. After lunch, they took CLT and went into Quartzsite to mail a birthday card, pick up some hamburger buns, and check out the town.
47 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. clear, East winds @ 5 mph.
I really wasn't happy with the photos I posted yesterday, so here are a couple more. This first one is of the desert and mountains to the front of me.
This one shows how Jim parked me, (facing NW), so that there would be shade on my door side during the hottest part of the day. This shady area is where Jim spends a lot of time in the afternoons, listening to my radio and having a cold one now and then.
Not much happened around here yesterday morning. Jim spent some time outside, listening to the radio and drinking coffee, while Linda had breakfast and read her book. After lunch, they took CLT and went into Quartzsite to mail a birthday card, pick up some hamburger buns, and check out the town..
I don't think Jim and Linda were too impressed with Quartzsite. They said that most everything was pretty tacky, and had a kind of carnival atmosphere. They said that there were RV Parks everywhere, and tents scattered throughout the town with vendors selling everything you could think of. They also said that they couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like in January, when the shows actually begin, and many more vendors and and thousands of RVers come to town.
.
Neither Jim or Linda felt like making dinner, so while they were in town, they stopped at a Carl Jr's, (just like a Hardee's), and picked up a couple of sandwitches to bring back here.
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Jim and Linda have been talking about how long we want to stay here. I think they finally decided that we would stay until Friday unless something unforeseen comes up to change their minds. Like I said yesterday, it's kind of neat here in the desert, and the price is sure right. Oh, I didn't tell you? Because this is public land, and we are not staying over 14 days, it's free!
.
You can't beat that!! :-)
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Did you know that Quartzsite's population is about 3,350, but attracts about 1.5 million people annually, mostly in January and February for the gem and RV shows?
Monday, November 17, 2008
Roller Coaster, Off-roading and Stars
Quartzsite, AZ El. 879'
47 deg, clear, light winds.
Forecast today = High temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda weren't in a hurry, so we didn't leave Needles until about 10:10 yesterday morning. Right outside of the park entrance, we turned South on US 95 and followed it down to Vidal Jct. where we turned East on Rt 62.
Now, before I continue, I want to tell you about US 95. When they built this road, they didn't cut through any of the hills or fill up any of the low spots, so you are constantly going up and down, up and down. by the time I we got to Vidal Jct. I felt like I had been on a roller-coaster ride!
OK, back to our route. Once on 62, we followed it until we crossed the Colorado River, entered Arizona, and the city of Parker. In Parker, we turned South again onto Rt. 95, (not to be confused with US 95), and followed it down to Plomosa Rd., which is about 5 1/2 miles North of Quartzsite. After turning East on Plomosa Rd, and following it for about 1/2 mile, Jim turned me off of the road, and drove me out into the desert!
Now, I have to tell you, it felt really strange for me to be driving out across the desert. For a little while, I felt like a SUV , Jeep, or some other off-road vehicle. Anyway, after about 1/4 mile, Jim and Linda found a level area, and just parked me, right there in the middle of the desert. Wow, that felt strange!!
I was 12:15 when Jim shut off my engine, so it took us 2 hrs and 5 minutes to travel 91 miles.
So, here I sit, out in the desert, with my closest neighbor about a block away. The only things near me are some scrub trees, creosote bushes, and rocks. I don't have any hook-ups, so I'm conserving electricity and water as much as I can. Of course Jim and Linda are doing their part too. We have to be careful because we don't want to run my batteries down too much, or run out of water before we want to leave here.
You know, it's kind of neat out here in the desert though. It's real quiet, and there are no street lights shining through my windows. But, the neatest thing of all, was last night, after the sun went down, was the amount of stars I could see in the sky. There had to be at least 2 gazillion of them, all up there twinkling down on me.
This full-timing lifestyle sure is great!
This is a photo of my front yard.
The sunsets out here aren't too shabby either.
Did you know that Arizona leads the nation in copper production?
47 deg, clear, light winds.
Forecast today = High temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda weren't in a hurry, so we didn't leave Needles until about 10:10 yesterday morning. Right outside of the park entrance, we turned South on US 95 and followed it down to Vidal Jct. where we turned East on Rt 62.
Now, before I continue, I want to tell you about US 95. When they built this road, they didn't cut through any of the hills or fill up any of the low spots, so you are constantly going up and down, up and down. by the time I we got to Vidal Jct. I felt like I had been on a roller-coaster ride!
OK, back to our route. Once on 62, we followed it until we crossed the Colorado River, entered Arizona, and the city of Parker. In Parker, we turned South again onto Rt. 95, (not to be confused with US 95), and followed it down to Plomosa Rd., which is about 5 1/2 miles North of Quartzsite. After turning East on Plomosa Rd, and following it for about 1/2 mile, Jim turned me off of the road, and drove me out into the desert!
Now, I have to tell you, it felt really strange for me to be driving out across the desert. For a little while, I felt like a SUV , Jeep, or some other off-road vehicle. Anyway, after about 1/4 mile, Jim and Linda found a level area, and just parked me, right there in the middle of the desert. Wow, that felt strange!!
I was 12:15 when Jim shut off my engine, so it took us 2 hrs and 5 minutes to travel 91 miles.
So, here I sit, out in the desert, with my closest neighbor about a block away. The only things near me are some scrub trees, creosote bushes, and rocks. I don't have any hook-ups, so I'm conserving electricity and water as much as I can. Of course Jim and Linda are doing their part too. We have to be careful because we don't want to run my batteries down too much, or run out of water before we want to leave here.
You know, it's kind of neat out here in the desert though. It's real quiet, and there are no street lights shining through my windows. But, the neatest thing of all, was last night, after the sun went down, was the amount of stars I could see in the sky. There had to be at least 2 gazillion of them, all up there twinkling down on me.
This full-timing lifestyle sure is great!
This is a photo of my front yard.
The sunsets out here aren't too shabby either.Did you know that Arizona leads the nation in copper production?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
LA Fires, Less Wind and Boondocking?
Needles, CA, El. 495'
62 deg. clear, N. winds @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
The winds finally died down yesterday afternoon. In fact, they weren't near as strong all day, as they were on Friday. By dinner time, they had diminished enough that Jim was able to cook a brat and a hot dog out on the grill, without being blown away.
Again, the news out of the Los Angeles area is not good. Like I said, the wind has died down here, but not in the LA area. The fires continue to burn, with more homes being lost every minute. One of those Mobile Home parks that I talked about yesterday, had about 600 homes in it, and now, it has been reported that at least 500 of them have been lost. These fires have been burning for 2 days now, and they are no where near contained. In fact, they are still spreading and burning more and more homes. The wind is so strong, that the embers from the fires are flying blocks and sometimes miles away, and starting new fires. The fire departments are doing all they can, but in some areas, they are running out of water, and the fires are in so many areas now, that they don't have enough personnel or equipment to handle it.
Today, we'll be leaving here and heading down to the Quartzsite, AZ area. It's only about 100 miles from here, so it won't take us long to get there. Quartzsite is well known to RVers for it's Rock and Gem, RV, Craft, and Art Shows that take place during the month of January. The area is also know for it's Bureau of Land Management Areas, where the thousands and thousands of RVers who come to the area for the shows, can park for free, or in the long term areas, for a very low cost. These areas are in the desert, so there are no hook-ups, but some RVers, with the help of solar cells, and generators, stay there for the whole winter. They go into town to get water, and dump their tanks, and are able to live comfortably in the desert for months.
We, on the other hand, may try camping out in the desert for a few days, to see how it goes. I have a pretty large bank of batteries, and with the use of my generator to recharge them occasionally, we should be able to "boondock", (camp without any hook-ups), for a few days. If we find that it doesn't work, there are many RV Parks in the town, that we can go to if necessary.
If we do boondock in the desert, I have no idea if there will be any Internet signals and phone signals, or not. Probably not, so it may be a few days before my next post on this blog.
Did you know that the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge, in California, contains the largest winter population of bald eagles in the continental United States?
62 deg. clear, N. winds @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
The winds finally died down yesterday afternoon. In fact, they weren't near as strong all day, as they were on Friday. By dinner time, they had diminished enough that Jim was able to cook a brat and a hot dog out on the grill, without being blown away.
Again, the news out of the Los Angeles area is not good. Like I said, the wind has died down here, but not in the LA area. The fires continue to burn, with more homes being lost every minute. One of those Mobile Home parks that I talked about yesterday, had about 600 homes in it, and now, it has been reported that at least 500 of them have been lost. These fires have been burning for 2 days now, and they are no where near contained. In fact, they are still spreading and burning more and more homes. The wind is so strong, that the embers from the fires are flying blocks and sometimes miles away, and starting new fires. The fire departments are doing all they can, but in some areas, they are running out of water, and the fires are in so many areas now, that they don't have enough personnel or equipment to handle it.
Today, we'll be leaving here and heading down to the Quartzsite, AZ area. It's only about 100 miles from here, so it won't take us long to get there. Quartzsite is well known to RVers for it's Rock and Gem, RV, Craft, and Art Shows that take place during the month of January. The area is also know for it's Bureau of Land Management Areas, where the thousands and thousands of RVers who come to the area for the shows, can park for free, or in the long term areas, for a very low cost. These areas are in the desert, so there are no hook-ups, but some RVers, with the help of solar cells, and generators, stay there for the whole winter. They go into town to get water, and dump their tanks, and are able to live comfortably in the desert for months.
We, on the other hand, may try camping out in the desert for a few days, to see how it goes. I have a pretty large bank of batteries, and with the use of my generator to recharge them occasionally, we should be able to "boondock", (camp without any hook-ups), for a few days. If we find that it doesn't work, there are many RV Parks in the town, that we can go to if necessary.
If we do boondock in the desert, I have no idea if there will be any Internet signals and phone signals, or not. Probably not, so it may be a few days before my next post on this blog.
Did you know that the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge, in California, contains the largest winter population of bald eagles in the continental United States?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Fire, Wind and Hunkering Down
Needles, CA, El. 495'
62 deg. clear, very windy
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.
The big news here in California is about the devastating fires in the LA area. They have just reported that the fires have moved into 2 mobile home parks where it looks like almost all the homes were lost. These fires have closed many of the roads, including I-5.
The other news is about the strong winds, which are fanning the fires and causing problems all through the Southern California area. Here, just South of Needles, there are times when the winds are blowing around so much sand and dirt, that I can't see the mountains that are about 15 or 20 miles East of here.
I'm sure that we will be staying here another night. I'm nice and comfortable, and there's really no reason for us to be out on the road when conditions are like this. The wind is supposed to die down tonight, and the forecast is for light winds for tomorrow.
I hope they're right.
Jim and Linda didn't do much yesterday. They closed all my windows and vents to stop the dust and sand from blowing in, and turned on my AC. The only time Jim even went outside, was to go up to the office, and make arrangements to stay for an additional day or two. The manager was very nice and told Jim to wait and see how long we wanted to stay, and then come back and pay for for the additional nights today or tomorrow morning, before we left.
In the meantime, I 'm just going to hunker down and wait for better conditions. Except for the wind, (which seems lighter today than yesterday), everything is good, and I'm very comfortable here in the Calizona RV Park.
Please take a minute to think about, and maybe say a prayer for, all of those people who have lost everything in those terrible fires.
Did you know that the first motion picture theater was opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902?
62 deg. clear, very windy
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.
The big news here in California is about the devastating fires in the LA area. They have just reported that the fires have moved into 2 mobile home parks where it looks like almost all the homes were lost. These fires have closed many of the roads, including I-5.
The other news is about the strong winds, which are fanning the fires and causing problems all through the Southern California area. Here, just South of Needles, there are times when the winds are blowing around so much sand and dirt, that I can't see the mountains that are about 15 or 20 miles East of here.
I'm sure that we will be staying here another night. I'm nice and comfortable, and there's really no reason for us to be out on the road when conditions are like this. The wind is supposed to die down tonight, and the forecast is for light winds for tomorrow.
I hope they're right.
Jim and Linda didn't do much yesterday. They closed all my windows and vents to stop the dust and sand from blowing in, and turned on my AC. The only time Jim even went outside, was to go up to the office, and make arrangements to stay for an additional day or two. The manager was very nice and told Jim to wait and see how long we wanted to stay, and then come back and pay for for the additional nights today or tomorrow morning, before we left.
In the meantime, I 'm just going to hunker down and wait for better conditions. Except for the wind, (which seems lighter today than yesterday), everything is good, and I'm very comfortable here in the Calizona RV Park.
Please take a minute to think about, and maybe say a prayer for, all of those people who have lost everything in those terrible fires.
Did you know that the first motion picture theater was opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902?
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Rough Road, Scenery, an OK CG and Wind
Needles, CA. El. 495'
68 deg. clear, N. winds @ 15 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 20 to 30 mph, with gusts to 45 mph.
We left Barstow yesterday morning about 10:00 and took some local roads to get on Eastbound I-40. About 1/2 of 40, (between Barstow and Needles), is nice and smooth, but the other half leaves something to be desired. The pavement is not breaking up or anything, but it's just plain rough. Other than that, I really enjoyed the drive. The road was pretty hilly in places, but I don't think I ever dropped down below 55 mph, so the grades weren't too steep. The photo below shows some of the desert and mountain scenery we saw along the way.
Just South of Needles, we turned off of I-40, and onto US 95, and took 95 for about 5 miles to the Calizona RV Park. It was about 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us about 2 hrs and 45 minutes to travel 145 miles.
This is an OK park. There are a few trees around the park, the sites are pretty level, there are nice cement patios at each site, but the sites are quite narrow. The people in this park seem to be very friendly, as well as the people running the park, and that's always a big plus.
We were going to stay here only one night, but I think we may stay here for another night. They're forecasting very high winds today, and we don't need to be traveling under those conditions.
Did you know that in Needles, the temperature routinely reaches 120 degrees in late July and early August, and like Death Valley, is one of the hottest places in the US?
68 deg. clear, N. winds @ 15 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. clear, N. winds @ 20 to 30 mph, with gusts to 45 mph.
We left Barstow yesterday morning about 10:00 and took some local roads to get on Eastbound I-40. About 1/2 of 40, (between Barstow and Needles), is nice and smooth, but the other half leaves something to be desired. The pavement is not breaking up or anything, but it's just plain rough. Other than that, I really enjoyed the drive. The road was pretty hilly in places, but I don't think I ever dropped down below 55 mph, so the grades weren't too steep. The photo below shows some of the desert and mountain scenery we saw along the way.
Just South of Needles, we turned off of I-40, and onto US 95, and took 95 for about 5 miles to the Calizona RV Park. It was about 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us about 2 hrs and 45 minutes to travel 145 miles.This is an OK park. There are a few trees around the park, the sites are pretty level, there are nice cement patios at each site, but the sites are quite narrow. The people in this park seem to be very friendly, as well as the people running the park, and that's always a big plus.
We were going to stay here only one night, but I think we may stay here for another night. They're forecasting very high winds today, and we don't need to be traveling under those conditions.
Did you know that in Needles, the temperature routinely reaches 120 degrees in late July and early August, and like Death Valley, is one of the hottest places in the US?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Bail-Out, Groceries, and Farther Into The Desert
Barstow, CA. El. 2178'
45 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. clear, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
I think RVers need a bail-out. The government is bailing out everyone else, so why not RVers? If all the RVers would have to quit RVing because they didn't have enough money, think of the impact that would have on the economy! All the RV parks would close down, putting hundreds of thousand of people out of work, the RV manufacturing industry would shut down completely, putting millions out of work, the petroleum industry would suffer from lack of sales of gasoline and diesel fuel, and the tourism industry would probably have to lay off at least 50% of it's work force.
This bail-out is needed right away! This crisis can't be ignored any longer! Millions of jobs may be in jeopardy, not to mentions the billions of dollars it may cost the economy!! RVers need this bail-out now!!!!
OK, enough wishful thinking.
Yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Post Office and picked up their mail. From there they went to Stater Bros. Grocery Store and bought so many groceries, that I'll bet they're still trying to restock the shelves that Jim and Linda emptied. Then, they came back here to try to get all of those groceries stored away inside of me. They made it, but some of my cabinets are bulging! For dinner, they went to an I-HOP restaurant, where Linda had pancakes and Jim had chicken. Nothing special, but since neither Jim or Linda felt like cooking, it was fine.
Today, we will be heading farther Southeast. It's all desert out there, so I don't know if I'll have an Internet signal or not. If you don't hear from me for a few days, be patient. As Arnold would say, "I'll be back!"
In the meantime, I'll be waiting for that bail-out. ;-)
Did you know that the Mojave Desert cover more than 22,000 square miles?
45 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. clear, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
I think RVers need a bail-out. The government is bailing out everyone else, so why not RVers? If all the RVers would have to quit RVing because they didn't have enough money, think of the impact that would have on the economy! All the RV parks would close down, putting hundreds of thousand of people out of work, the RV manufacturing industry would shut down completely, putting millions out of work, the petroleum industry would suffer from lack of sales of gasoline and diesel fuel, and the tourism industry would probably have to lay off at least 50% of it's work force.
This bail-out is needed right away! This crisis can't be ignored any longer! Millions of jobs may be in jeopardy, not to mentions the billions of dollars it may cost the economy!! RVers need this bail-out now!!!!
OK, enough wishful thinking.
Yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Post Office and picked up their mail. From there they went to Stater Bros. Grocery Store and bought so many groceries, that I'll bet they're still trying to restock the shelves that Jim and Linda emptied. Then, they came back here to try to get all of those groceries stored away inside of me. They made it, but some of my cabinets are bulging! For dinner, they went to an I-HOP restaurant, where Linda had pancakes and Jim had chicken. Nothing special, but since neither Jim or Linda felt like cooking, it was fine.
Today, we will be heading farther Southeast. It's all desert out there, so I don't know if I'll have an Internet signal or not. If you don't hear from me for a few days, be patient. As Arnold would say, "I'll be back!"
In the meantime, I'll be waiting for that bail-out. ;-)
Did you know that the Mojave Desert cover more than 22,000 square miles?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Mountains, Desert, Fuel, and A Great CG
Barstow, CA. El. 2178'
44 deg. partly cloudy, SW winds @ 16 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. clear, winds turning to the North and dropping to 5 to 10 mph.
Wow!! Are we ever having a beautiful sunrise!! I don't think Jim can get any good photos though, we're in town with a big building on the East side of the park that is blocking the view.
The trip here to Barstow yesterday was pretty neat. We left Bakersfield about 9:50, and continued in a Southeasterly direction on Rt. 58. It wasn't too far until we started climbing up into the Tehachapi Mountains. The grades weren't too bad, but some of the climbs were pretty long. The biggest problem I had was when I had to slow down because of slow trucks. Then, it was hard to pick up speed again. The road was good though, and soon we were going over the 3793' pass. Along the way, there were some beautiful mountain and valley views. After going over the pass, and dropping down a little, the terrain leveled out as we began to cross the Mojave Desert. There's not much out here, only a few small towns, and lots of sagebrush and creosote bush.
When we got to I-15 we turned South for about a mile, and pulled into a T/A Truck stop where Jim bought me a nice big drink of good old #2 diesel fuel. I was pretty thirsty because I hadn't had a drink since way back in Oregon, and I had traveled over 700 miles since then. I'm sure glad the price of diesel has come down. When we started this trip, the price was up near $5, but yesterday we got it for $3.03 per gallon. Much better, but still too high.
After fueling me up, we got back on I-15 and headed North for about 5 miles where we turned off and pulled into the Shady Lane RV Camp. It was 12:50 when we pulled into the park, so it took us almost exactly 3 hours to travel 186 miles, and get me fueled up.
This park is nothing special, but the people are great. When we got here, Jim went into the office where the man told him how much the sites were, and all about the park. Then, before Jim paid him anything, the man led me to my site, told Jim to get me all set up, and then, at Jim's convenience, come back to the office to pay for the site. After getting me hooked up to the utilities, Jim went back to the office where the man asked him if everything was satisfactory, and only after Jim told him that it was, did he start to register me. When Jim asked him about grocery stores and the Post Office, the man got out a map, told Jim about the different stores, the Post Office, and showed Jim the best routes to get there, and then gave Jim the map.
Like I said, this park is nothing special. There are quite a few permanent RVs here, and the sites are kind of narrow, but the park is clean, there is no junk setting around any of the permanent RVs, the sites are nice an level, and the owners can't do enough for you.
If we ever get back to this area, we'll be sure to stop here again.
Did you know that the highest and lowest points in the continental Unite States are within 100 miles of one another? Mt. Whitney measures 14,495 feet, and Bad Water, in Death Valley is at 282 feet below sea level.
44 deg. partly cloudy, SW winds @ 16 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. clear, winds turning to the North and dropping to 5 to 10 mph.
Wow!! Are we ever having a beautiful sunrise!! I don't think Jim can get any good photos though, we're in town with a big building on the East side of the park that is blocking the view.
The trip here to Barstow yesterday was pretty neat. We left Bakersfield about 9:50, and continued in a Southeasterly direction on Rt. 58. It wasn't too far until we started climbing up into the Tehachapi Mountains. The grades weren't too bad, but some of the climbs were pretty long. The biggest problem I had was when I had to slow down because of slow trucks. Then, it was hard to pick up speed again. The road was good though, and soon we were going over the 3793' pass. Along the way, there were some beautiful mountain and valley views. After going over the pass, and dropping down a little, the terrain leveled out as we began to cross the Mojave Desert. There's not much out here, only a few small towns, and lots of sagebrush and creosote bush.
When we got to I-15 we turned South for about a mile, and pulled into a T/A Truck stop where Jim bought me a nice big drink of good old #2 diesel fuel. I was pretty thirsty because I hadn't had a drink since way back in Oregon, and I had traveled over 700 miles since then. I'm sure glad the price of diesel has come down. When we started this trip, the price was up near $5, but yesterday we got it for $3.03 per gallon. Much better, but still too high.
After fueling me up, we got back on I-15 and headed North for about 5 miles where we turned off and pulled into the Shady Lane RV Camp. It was 12:50 when we pulled into the park, so it took us almost exactly 3 hours to travel 186 miles, and get me fueled up.
This park is nothing special, but the people are great. When we got here, Jim went into the office where the man told him how much the sites were, and all about the park. Then, before Jim paid him anything, the man led me to my site, told Jim to get me all set up, and then, at Jim's convenience, come back to the office to pay for the site. After getting me hooked up to the utilities, Jim went back to the office where the man asked him if everything was satisfactory, and only after Jim told him that it was, did he start to register me. When Jim asked him about grocery stores and the Post Office, the man got out a map, told Jim about the different stores, the Post Office, and showed Jim the best routes to get there, and then gave Jim the map.
Like I said, this park is nothing special. There are quite a few permanent RVs here, and the sites are kind of narrow, but the park is clean, there is no junk setting around any of the permanent RVs, the sites are nice an level, and the owners can't do enough for you.
If we ever get back to this area, we'll be sure to stop here again.
Did you know that the highest and lowest points in the continental Unite States are within 100 miles of one another? Mt. Whitney measures 14,495 feet, and Bad Water, in Death Valley is at 282 feet below sea level.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veterans Day, Vegetation, and A Bath
Bakersfield, CA. El. 404'
43 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 65 deg. partly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Happy Veterans Day!!
Please take time today to honor all of those brave soldiers who have made it possible for us to live in, and enjoy, this great country of ours. Many of them gave their lives for our freedom.
We left Lathrop right at 10:00 yesterday morning, and continued South on I-5. When we got down to Rt 46, (a little North of Bakersfield), we turned East and took it over to Rt 99. 99 then took us down to Bakersfield and to Rt. 58, which we took East for 6 miles. Then it was about 1/2 mile North to the Bakersfield Palms RV Park. When we pulled into the park, it was about 2:20, so we were on the road for 4 hrs. and 20 minutes, and covered 240 miles.
These long days are going to have to stop!
As we were traveling South through the San Joaquin Valley, we passed many areas where there were vineyards and fields of small trees. Someone suggested that the trees might be nut trees, but I think some of them were fruit trees. We also started seeing Palm trees, and now in this park here in Bakersfield, there are a lot of them. We have also started to see small cactus growing along side of the road. It's interesting to see the change in crops and vegetation as we travel to different parts of the country.
After arriving here and getting me hooked up to the utilities, Jim checked out the campground rules and regulations. Unlike so many parks, it didn't say anything about not washing vehicles, so Jim got out the hose and long handled brush and gave me a much needed bath. You wouldn't believe how dirty I was after driving through all that rain up in Oregon.
Today, we'll continue heading East. Jim and Linda have had their mail sent to the Post Office in Barstow, CA. We will stay there for a few days, so they can pick it up and stock up on groceries and other supplies.
Did you know it is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually? I hope we don't have any big ones while we're here!
Why don't you get out that flag and fly it today, to honor our Veterans?
43 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 65 deg. partly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Happy Veterans Day!!
Please take time today to honor all of those brave soldiers who have made it possible for us to live in, and enjoy, this great country of ours. Many of them gave their lives for our freedom.
We left Lathrop right at 10:00 yesterday morning, and continued South on I-5. When we got down to Rt 46, (a little North of Bakersfield), we turned East and took it over to Rt 99. 99 then took us down to Bakersfield and to Rt. 58, which we took East for 6 miles. Then it was about 1/2 mile North to the Bakersfield Palms RV Park. When we pulled into the park, it was about 2:20, so we were on the road for 4 hrs. and 20 minutes, and covered 240 miles.
These long days are going to have to stop!
As we were traveling South through the San Joaquin Valley, we passed many areas where there were vineyards and fields of small trees. Someone suggested that the trees might be nut trees, but I think some of them were fruit trees. We also started seeing Palm trees, and now in this park here in Bakersfield, there are a lot of them. We have also started to see small cactus growing along side of the road. It's interesting to see the change in crops and vegetation as we travel to different parts of the country.
After arriving here and getting me hooked up to the utilities, Jim checked out the campground rules and regulations. Unlike so many parks, it didn't say anything about not washing vehicles, so Jim got out the hose and long handled brush and gave me a much needed bath. You wouldn't believe how dirty I was after driving through all that rain up in Oregon.
Today, we'll continue heading East. Jim and Linda have had their mail sent to the Post Office in Barstow, CA. We will stay there for a few days, so they can pick it up and stock up on groceries and other supplies.
Did you know it is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually? I hope we don't have any big ones while we're here!
Why don't you get out that flag and fly it today, to honor our Veterans?
Monday, November 10, 2008
A Quiet Weekend and Illinois?
Lathrop, CA El. 20'
41 deg. clear, S. winds @ 4 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 63 deg. partly cloudy, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Not too much happened around here yesterday. All of the weekend campers left, and now there's only about 10 other RVs in the park. You know, for a county park on the weekend, it was pretty quiet. Oh sure, there were a few making some noise, but they were down at the other end of the park. The biggest problem I had was some kids walking through my site, but considering what some other parks that I have been in were like, that was minor.
This area of California kind of reminds me of Illinois. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, the terrain is very flat, it is farm land, and you can see for miles, just like central IL. I don't know what kind of crops they grow here, but if there were a few corn and bean fields scattered around, it would be hard to tell the difference.
Today, our journey will take us farther South. I think Jim is planning on getting down to the Bakersfield area today, but that could change.
Did you know that California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year?
41 deg. clear, S. winds @ 4 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 63 deg. partly cloudy, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Not too much happened around here yesterday. All of the weekend campers left, and now there's only about 10 other RVs in the park. You know, for a county park on the weekend, it was pretty quiet. Oh sure, there were a few making some noise, but they were down at the other end of the park. The biggest problem I had was some kids walking through my site, but considering what some other parks that I have been in were like, that was minor.
This area of California kind of reminds me of Illinois. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, the terrain is very flat, it is farm land, and you can see for miles, just like central IL. I don't know what kind of crops they grow here, but if there were a few corn and bean fields scattered around, it would be hard to tell the difference.
Today, our journey will take us farther South. I think Jim is planning on getting down to the Bakersfield area today, but that could change.
Did you know that California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Roland and Louise Update and One More Day
Lathrop, CA.
51 deg. overcast, W. wind @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 66 deg. mostly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Those of you that have been following this blog for awhile, know about the terrible automobile accident that Jim and Linda's friends, Roland and Louise had way back in March of this year. Well, we haven't heard anything from them lately, and Jim and Linda were starting to get worried, so yesterday afternoon, Jim called Roland to find out how everything was going.
Louise is having a real battle with her rehabilitation. She can finally put weight on her left leg, but the pain is very bad when she does. She is trying to use a walker, rather than the wheelchair, and it is extremely difficult for her. If you remember, her left leg was the one that was damaged the worst, and then after many surgeries, she got a staph infection in that leg, so they had to go back in multiple times to remove infected tissue and muscle. Now, the task is to try to rebuild that muscle, and get all the joints and healed bones working again.
It sounds like she still has a long uphill road ahead of her.
Roland seems to be doing fine, although Jim and Linda think that he is having problems keeping a good outlook on their RVing future. Jim said that he seemed really "down", when they first started talking, but seemed to cheer up after talking for awhile. They still have hopes of taking Big Herb, (their Winnebago Journey MH), down to Florida for at least part of this winter, but Louise has to be able to go up and down Big Herb's steps in order for that to happen. And therein, lies the problem.
Last night Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a Country Kitchen restaurant that is near here. Jim had breakfast for dinner, and Linda had a small steak. They said both meals were very good. When they came back here, they watched a little TV and then went to bed.
Oh, and they were also talking about how nice this park is, and decided to stay one more day. That's good, I like it here too.
Did you know that in Pacific Grove, CA, there is a law on the books establishing a $500 fine for molesting butterflies?
51 deg. overcast, W. wind @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 66 deg. mostly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Those of you that have been following this blog for awhile, know about the terrible automobile accident that Jim and Linda's friends, Roland and Louise had way back in March of this year. Well, we haven't heard anything from them lately, and Jim and Linda were starting to get worried, so yesterday afternoon, Jim called Roland to find out how everything was going.
Louise is having a real battle with her rehabilitation. She can finally put weight on her left leg, but the pain is very bad when she does. She is trying to use a walker, rather than the wheelchair, and it is extremely difficult for her. If you remember, her left leg was the one that was damaged the worst, and then after many surgeries, she got a staph infection in that leg, so they had to go back in multiple times to remove infected tissue and muscle. Now, the task is to try to rebuild that muscle, and get all the joints and healed bones working again.
It sounds like she still has a long uphill road ahead of her.
Roland seems to be doing fine, although Jim and Linda think that he is having problems keeping a good outlook on their RVing future. Jim said that he seemed really "down", when they first started talking, but seemed to cheer up after talking for awhile. They still have hopes of taking Big Herb, (their Winnebago Journey MH), down to Florida for at least part of this winter, but Louise has to be able to go up and down Big Herb's steps in order for that to happen. And therein, lies the problem.
Last night Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a Country Kitchen restaurant that is near here. Jim had breakfast for dinner, and Linda had a small steak. They said both meals were very good. When they came back here, they watched a little TV and then went to bed.
Oh, and they were also talking about how nice this park is, and decided to stay one more day. That's good, I like it here too.
Did you know that in Pacific Grove, CA, there is a law on the books establishing a $500 fine for molesting butterflies?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
137, 0, 237, 238, Rest
Lathrop, CA. El. 20'
50 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = High temp. 63 deg. becoming mostly cloudy, 10% chance of showers, light NW winds.
Wow! I never have gone this long without posting on this blog, but circumstances beyond my control prevented me from making an entry. Between no Internet signal at all to a very very weak one, it just didn't happen.
Oh well, I'll try to get you caught up on my travels.
We left Yachats Tuesday morning, (between rain showers) and continued South on 101, down to Florence, OR, where we turned East on Rt 126. 126 is a very scenic route, but it is narrow and rough as it goes over the coastal mountains. Once over the mountains, it smooths out and gets a little wider. When we got to Eugene, we turned South on I-5 and took it down to Sutherlin, OR, and the Escapee's Club, Timber Valley RV Park. It took us about 3 hours to travel the 137 miles.
This Escapees park is really neat. The rows of sites are terraced, and there are grass areas between the rows. The sites are large and well landscaped, and everything is very well maintained. Oh, and another thing. There are deer roaming all around in the park every morning and evening. They're not afraid of humans at all, and only slowly walk away when someone gets too close. I'm sure they know that no one in the park will hurt them. We stayed there for 2 nights.
By the time we left Thursday morning, the rain had stopped, and there were patches of blue sky. As we headed South on I-5, we began seeing more and more clear skies. This section of 5 is very mountainous and goes over 3 or 4 passes, of which Grant's Pass is probably the best known. The grades are not real steep, (5 and 6%), but some of them are very long, so caution must be taken not to over-heat your brakes going down.
When we came to the little town of Lakehead, CA, Jim pulled me into the Trail In RV Park. This was an OK stop for one night, but lets just say it was "rustic" at best, with a lot of permanent RV scattered around the park. It was 237 miles from Sutherlin, OR to Lakehead, CA, and it took us almost 5 hours. A very long day for us.
Yesterday morning, about 10:00, we left Lakehead and continued South on I-5. Somewhere around Redding, we finally got out of the mountains and into the Sacramento Valley, where the road finally leveled out. The road conditions were very good until we got down to Sacramento, and then 5 got very rough as we passed through the city.
I don't know what it is about the roads through large cities, but they are almost always rough and in need of major repair. I know it must be difficult to repair them with all the traffic, but there must be some way of doing it.
Once through the city, the roads improved again, and it was smooth going down through Stockton and to Lathrop, and the Dos Reis RV Park. This is a county park, that Jim and Linda had stayed at 5 years ago when they came through the area, and remembered it as being a nice little park. Well, they were right. It is a nice little park, with large sites, lots of shade, paved roads and parking areas, and about a mile from I-5, so it is nice and quiet and a good place to rest. Jim and Linda paid for 2 nights, but we might stay for 3. We'll see.
Again, yesterday was a fairly long day for us, it took 4 hrs and 15 minutes to travel 238 miles.
The weather yesterday was great. Bright sunshine all day, with temps. in the low 70's. They're forecasting a slight chance of showers today, but then sunshine and temps in the upper 60's for the next 3 or 4 days. I can live with that!
Did you know that more turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States?
50 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = High temp. 63 deg. becoming mostly cloudy, 10% chance of showers, light NW winds.
Wow! I never have gone this long without posting on this blog, but circumstances beyond my control prevented me from making an entry. Between no Internet signal at all to a very very weak one, it just didn't happen.
Oh well, I'll try to get you caught up on my travels.
We left Yachats Tuesday morning, (between rain showers) and continued South on 101, down to Florence, OR, where we turned East on Rt 126. 126 is a very scenic route, but it is narrow and rough as it goes over the coastal mountains. Once over the mountains, it smooths out and gets a little wider. When we got to Eugene, we turned South on I-5 and took it down to Sutherlin, OR, and the Escapee's Club, Timber Valley RV Park. It took us about 3 hours to travel the 137 miles.
This Escapees park is really neat. The rows of sites are terraced, and there are grass areas between the rows. The sites are large and well landscaped, and everything is very well maintained. Oh, and another thing. There are deer roaming all around in the park every morning and evening. They're not afraid of humans at all, and only slowly walk away when someone gets too close. I'm sure they know that no one in the park will hurt them. We stayed there for 2 nights.
By the time we left Thursday morning, the rain had stopped, and there were patches of blue sky. As we headed South on I-5, we began seeing more and more clear skies. This section of 5 is very mountainous and goes over 3 or 4 passes, of which Grant's Pass is probably the best known. The grades are not real steep, (5 and 6%), but some of them are very long, so caution must be taken not to over-heat your brakes going down.
When we came to the little town of Lakehead, CA, Jim pulled me into the Trail In RV Park. This was an OK stop for one night, but lets just say it was "rustic" at best, with a lot of permanent RV scattered around the park. It was 237 miles from Sutherlin, OR to Lakehead, CA, and it took us almost 5 hours. A very long day for us.
Yesterday morning, about 10:00, we left Lakehead and continued South on I-5. Somewhere around Redding, we finally got out of the mountains and into the Sacramento Valley, where the road finally leveled out. The road conditions were very good until we got down to Sacramento, and then 5 got very rough as we passed through the city.
I don't know what it is about the roads through large cities, but they are almost always rough and in need of major repair. I know it must be difficult to repair them with all the traffic, but there must be some way of doing it.
Once through the city, the roads improved again, and it was smooth going down through Stockton and to Lathrop, and the Dos Reis RV Park. This is a county park, that Jim and Linda had stayed at 5 years ago when they came through the area, and remembered it as being a nice little park. Well, they were right. It is a nice little park, with large sites, lots of shade, paved roads and parking areas, and about a mile from I-5, so it is nice and quiet and a good place to rest. Jim and Linda paid for 2 nights, but we might stay for 3. We'll see.
Again, yesterday was a fairly long day for us, it took 4 hrs and 15 minutes to travel 238 miles.
The weather yesterday was great. Bright sunshine all day, with temps. in the low 70's. They're forecasting a slight chance of showers today, but then sunshine and temps in the upper 60's for the next 3 or 4 days. I can live with that!
Did you know that more turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Another "Plan B" and Breakfast At The Blue Whale
Yachats, OR. El 45'
45 deg. rain, windy.
Forecast today = high temp. 47 deg. rain, NW winds @ 15 to 25 mph.
AAKKKKK!!!! I don't know how people live in this area in the winter!!! It has rained ever since we got here, and the forecast for the next week is, (you guessed it), "RAIN".
Yesterday, Jim said, "Enough is enough, we're going to plan B." The original plan was to stay on US 101 and keep heading down the coast and into California. Well, that would take quite a few days, with the twisty, hilly, wet road. And, with all the rain that is in the forecast, doing or seeing a whole lot would be difficult, at best. Soooo, today we will be heading East to I-5. There is an Escapee Park in Sutherlin, OR, where we may stay for a few days, and then head South from there to, (hopefully), drier, warmer weather.
Jim and Linda did take CLT (Cute Little Truck), and head into town yesterday. First they went to the Blue Whale Restaurant, where they had an excellent breakfast, and then to a place called Topper's where they bought some sugar-free chocolate candy for Linda. The rest of the day was spent on the computers or watching TV. Oh, and Jim did manage to get my tanks drained, some water added to my fresh water tank and all the hoses put away, during one period of time, when it wasn't raining too hard.
I don't know exactly when we will be leaving here. Jim is watching the radar, and will try to get me out of this site and hooked up to CLT, between the heaviest rain showers.
Did you know that Tillimook Rock Lighthouse, built in 1880, is currently used as the site of the final resting place of up to 467,000 cremated individuals?
45 deg. rain, windy.
Forecast today = high temp. 47 deg. rain, NW winds @ 15 to 25 mph.
AAKKKKK!!!! I don't know how people live in this area in the winter!!! It has rained ever since we got here, and the forecast for the next week is, (you guessed it), "RAIN".
Yesterday, Jim said, "Enough is enough, we're going to plan B." The original plan was to stay on US 101 and keep heading down the coast and into California. Well, that would take quite a few days, with the twisty, hilly, wet road. And, with all the rain that is in the forecast, doing or seeing a whole lot would be difficult, at best. Soooo, today we will be heading East to I-5. There is an Escapee Park in Sutherlin, OR, where we may stay for a few days, and then head South from there to, (hopefully), drier, warmer weather.
Jim and Linda did take CLT (Cute Little Truck), and head into town yesterday. First they went to the Blue Whale Restaurant, where they had an excellent breakfast, and then to a place called Topper's where they bought some sugar-free chocolate candy for Linda. The rest of the day was spent on the computers or watching TV. Oh, and Jim did manage to get my tanks drained, some water added to my fresh water tank and all the hoses put away, during one period of time, when it wasn't raining too hard.
I don't know exactly when we will be leaving here. Jim is watching the radar, and will try to get me out of this site and hooked up to CLT, between the heaviest rain showers.
Did you know that Tillimook Rock Lighthouse, built in 1880, is currently used as the site of the final resting place of up to 467,000 cremated individuals?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Garibaldi to Yachats, and a Great Site.
Yachats, OR. (pronounced "Yaw hots") El. 45 '
53 deg. overcast, showers, S. wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 55 deg. showers, SW winds @ 10 to 20 mph.
It wasn't raining when we left Garibaldi yesterday morning at about 9:45, but it sure looked like it was going to. We got back on US 101 and continued our journey South. The road was about the same as it was North of Garibaldi with lots of twists and turns, hills, and rough spots. Again though, the scenery was spectacular!! There were lots of ocean views, and neat little towns along the route. The going was slow, but even after pulling into some of the scenic overlooks for better views, by 12:45 we were pulled into the Sea Perch RV Park which is about 6 miles South of Yachats.
So, we were on the road for 3 hours and covered 111 miles. Not too bad.
The photo below was taken by Jim as he stood right along side of me. We are parked with my front end facing the ocean and the view is terrific! I am probably about 50 yards from the water's edge.
Now if it would only quit raining, it would be much nicer.
This is a pretty nice park with cement parking slabs, lots of grass, and 8 other sites have the same view as I have. Maybe it's because of the weather, or the season, but when we got here, there were no other RVs in the park, (except for a few way up by the road that appear to be permanent). In fact only 1 other RV pulled into the park yesterday, and it is parked 3 sites to my left.
I'm posting this on a very weak Wi Fi signal from the CG. It's free, but very weak out here close to the ocean. So, I'm hoping that I can get this entry posted before the signal drops out, like it did a couple of times yesterday.
Did you know that the name Yachats is a Siletz tribe word that means "at the foot of the mountain"?
53 deg. overcast, showers, S. wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 55 deg. showers, SW winds @ 10 to 20 mph.
It wasn't raining when we left Garibaldi yesterday morning at about 9:45, but it sure looked like it was going to. We got back on US 101 and continued our journey South. The road was about the same as it was North of Garibaldi with lots of twists and turns, hills, and rough spots. Again though, the scenery was spectacular!! There were lots of ocean views, and neat little towns along the route. The going was slow, but even after pulling into some of the scenic overlooks for better views, by 12:45 we were pulled into the Sea Perch RV Park which is about 6 miles South of Yachats.
So, we were on the road for 3 hours and covered 111 miles. Not too bad.
The photo below was taken by Jim as he stood right along side of me. We are parked with my front end facing the ocean and the view is terrific! I am probably about 50 yards from the water's edge.
Now if it would only quit raining, it would be much nicer.This is a pretty nice park with cement parking slabs, lots of grass, and 8 other sites have the same view as I have. Maybe it's because of the weather, or the season, but when we got here, there were no other RVs in the park, (except for a few way up by the road that appear to be permanent). In fact only 1 other RV pulled into the park yesterday, and it is parked 3 sites to my left.
I'm posting this on a very weak Wi Fi signal from the CG. It's free, but very weak out here close to the ocean. So, I'm hoping that I can get this entry posted before the signal drops out, like it did a couple of times yesterday.
Did you know that the name Yachats is a Siletz tribe word that means "at the foot of the mountain"?
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Rain, More Rain and Movin' On
Garibaldi, OR. El. 22'
55 deg. rain, light NE wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 56 deg. 100% chance of rain, winds becoming SE @ 15 to 25 mph.
Bummer!! It's raining already, and the forecast is for it to rain every day for at least, the next 7 days!! It looks like our drive down along the coast will be a wet one.
Jim went out, (between showers yesterday afternoon), drained my tanks, and put all my hoses away. He checked tires, and compartment doors, so now the only thing to do outside is to unhook my electric cord, hook CLT to the back of me, and we can get under way.
It's about 120 miles down to the Sea Perch RV Park, (where we're supposed to have an oceanfront site), so it's not too far, but judging by the road conditions so far, and the fact that it's supposed to rain all day, it might take us awhile to get down there. Jim says that we'll just take our time, because they know we're coming, and we don't have to worry about getting a site.
Our stay here at the Barview Jetty County Park has been very nice. There's a lot to do and see in the area, and you can drive or walk out to the jetty any time you want to get a great view of the ocean. It's been real quiet while we've been here, but I would imagine this place is really busy during the summer months.
Did you know that the Tillamook Naval Air Museum is housed in the worlds largest wooden clear-span building?
55 deg. rain, light NE wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 56 deg. 100% chance of rain, winds becoming SE @ 15 to 25 mph.
Bummer!! It's raining already, and the forecast is for it to rain every day for at least, the next 7 days!! It looks like our drive down along the coast will be a wet one.
Jim went out, (between showers yesterday afternoon), drained my tanks, and put all my hoses away. He checked tires, and compartment doors, so now the only thing to do outside is to unhook my electric cord, hook CLT to the back of me, and we can get under way.
It's about 120 miles down to the Sea Perch RV Park, (where we're supposed to have an oceanfront site), so it's not too far, but judging by the road conditions so far, and the fact that it's supposed to rain all day, it might take us awhile to get down there. Jim says that we'll just take our time, because they know we're coming, and we don't have to worry about getting a site.
Our stay here at the Barview Jetty County Park has been very nice. There's a lot to do and see in the area, and you can drive or walk out to the jetty any time you want to get a great view of the ocean. It's been real quiet while we've been here, but I would imagine this place is really busy during the summer months.
Did you know that the Tillamook Naval Air Museum is housed in the worlds largest wooden clear-span building?
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