TECHNOLOGY (LACK OF), THREE RIVERS.......AND CLANCY!

November 2016

Three Rivers is nearly at the top of my list as far as "fond memories", small town settings and beautiful surroundings.  We were so busy taking in all the sights that we weren't too concerned about our lack of TV or internet (we had the jetpack which used all our data so... no Netflix for us), however not to be able to check in with family proved difficult plus there were e-mails to catch up on. To remedy this, we drove into Visalia (pop. 128,000) where we found a Starbucks with free wi-fi. The dogs were with us so we sat outside on a corner but still within wi-fi reach.  Phone calls were made and e-mails answered all within in an hour but that was all we could handle.  Had Three Rivers affected us in a way that the noise of foot traffic and cars were too much?  I believe so as we couldn't wait to pack up the dogs and head back to our fifth-wheel by the creek, under the trees. In town that afternoon we stopped at the renowned candy store

Reimers to pick up a few souvenirs.

The next morning, I was walking Gracie and had to dispose of the "poop bag" in the bear resistant trash can when an elderly gentleman said to me "I can't believe you can lift the top of that"! He was walking his dog and we struck up a nice conversation about his military duty in the Marines with tours in the Korean War and World War 11. He shared how he met his wife and talked about the book he published.  We talked for awhile and I was so intrigued by this lovely man, that I told him Perry and I would stop by later to purchase his book.  He and his wife live full time in a double trailer along the river. His name is Clancy and his wife, Gail.
A few hours later we walked along the creek until we spotted a home with a screened in porch just as he described.  Prior to our visit, Clancy wanted to warn us his wife had Alzheimer's in the event she seemed confused.  Without apprehension we knocked on the door and were warmly greeted by Clancy's equally delightful, counterpart Gail. Having our undivided attention, we listened to his interesting life long stories, admired Gail's needlepoint and admired Clancy's paintings and beautiful baskets he weaves out of pine needles.  They invited Perry and I to stay for a glass of wine but told them we would take them up on their offer when we got back from town.  Jokingly, Clancy asked us to bring back some chocolate from Reimers and how could we say "no" to our new, delightful friends?  Is it because my Mom would have been 86 the next day and being around them made me miss my own parents? It's hard to say but I'm better off for having known them if only for a day!  We were to return to hear more stories and a couple hours we did just that and shared a glass of wine.  Gail did show some signs of Alzheimers such as reminding me of the year she gave me the necklace around my neck.  Of course I went along with it and Clancy told us she couldn't remember us being there earlier in the day.  We hugged them as we left after promises to keep in touch and Clancy said he'd join us in the morning for coffee at our place before we left Three Rivers.

The next morning, I felt sad to leave my dear friend Clancy, but yet it was time to move on to Paso Robles for a little wine tasting.  I was excited to get there knowing we'd be seeing our son, David, his girlfriend, Taylor and our daughter, Kaylyn.


THOUGHTS ON OUR FIRST TWO MONTHS OF RV TRAVELING FULL TIME!

Selling our house, leaving our adult children and our jobs and deciding to take on the exciting idea of traveling full time has been just that.....exciting!  The places we have been so far and the people we have already met is an indication of what the next year will bring!  It was easier than I thought to leave a rather large home and live in a lovely but SMALL fifth wheel.  I'd like to list a few thoughts.

1.  We're spending LOTS of time together and though we do almost everything together, we also              respect each others need for privacy or just "alone" time!
2.  The days of showering with full water pressure are over and quick (lather up, rinse off) showers          are the new thing! Side note.....Perry chooses to use the RV park showers because he likes the            larger space and "full-flow"!
3.  No washer/dryer in the fifth-wheel which means I collect quarters to visit the RV laundry facility        once a week. Don't care for laundry but it has to get done!
4.  I've learned to do with less.  Fewer clothes, shoes, make-up......it's simplified things quite a bit.
5.  Cooking and cleaning dishes are simplified.  We like to cook but we use food that's on hand and          shop when needed.  We do enjoy eating out and well....using paper plates (no dishwasher)!
6.  There is no garbage disposal ...minor inconvenience but no big deal.
7.  There are no monthly bills to pay (mortgage, utility, etc.)
8.  We have met so many nice, friendly people of all ages who are full time RVers.
9.  The beautiful places in California we've seen in two months have given me a new love and respect      for this state.
10. The people we've met along the way have made this trip (so far) well worth it!  It's a big, beautiful      country and we hope to see as much as we can over the next year!

Next..........Voting, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, NAS Point Mugu and Thanksgiving!

Clancy and Gail

Clancy, Gail and their dog "Pooch"

Our quiet spot in Three Rivers

Three Rivers, Two National Parks and One Bear!

Monday 10-31-16


Human vs. GPS error

Our three hour drive towards Three Rivers was uneventful until we had to look for our turnoff, North Fork drive.  As we got closer, I plugged the address into the GPS on my phone but service is spotty and I've been given the job by "the driver" to be navigator.  The "driver" should have fired me because I inadvertently typed in South Fork drive instead of north.  Here we go up a narrow windy road and not even a half mile into it did I realize my mistake.  Luckily, we found an area to turn around Papi and Edna (no easy task for the total length of approx. 50 ft.)!  I stood in the middle of the road to help navigate Perry around logs, ditches and a fence.  Fortunate for us, a man was working outside watching us struggle and was kind enough to direct us to North Fork.
Three Rivers is at the foothills of the Sequoias surrounded by mountains, trees and supposedly bears!  Sequoia RV Park is in a small area called "Kaweah" and as the sign stated as we pulled in, Elevation 960 and 480 Souls!  I looked at Perry as we entered the wilderness "Are these 480 souls alive or dead"? After all....it is Halloween!  We found our spot, unhitched and went into town for our new tradition of pizza on travel day.  The next day we explored a nearby area called Slick Rock and Perry attempted to fish in the river outside our campsite without any luck.....too many rocks.  We sat outside enjoying the creek right outside our site and the beautiful fall evening and before long our neighbor who was from Washington state joined us in conversation.  He told us of he and his wife's plan to tour the U.S. in their 40 plus foot R.V.  We enjoyed talking to Craig and Lisa and hope our paths will cross again somewhere across the U.S.  Soon after, a small jeep drove up and a friendly, salty character was selling firewood for $10 a bundle.  Our fire was kicking up and soon we were joined by a younger, tall, thin man and his girlfriend who proclaimed themselves to be "gypsies".  They were a year into their relationship, decided to sell everything and travel.  YIKES......sounds like Perry and I?  They had no agenda and were living in a tent trailer but were a fun couple to be around.  I had my reservations about Chris since he took to Daisy but also felt comfortable in disciplining her when she got overly excited.  I liked Beth but it was time to cut this party short!  We had to get up early to head to the Sequoias and Kings Canyon.

Thursday 11-3-16

We couldn't wait to visit Kings Canyon since David and Taylor loved it so much.  It was a good two hours to get there and UP the mountain roads we went with not a word spoken between us.  I don't think either one of us care for heights.....the what ifs?  We know the end result will be worth it and it was!  Kings Canyon is amazing however, being that we were here in the off season a lot of hiking and picnic areas were closed.  We heard so much about Hume Lake and the General Grant tree in the Sequoias.  First stop was the Visitors' Center with verbal directions to the General Grant tree.  According to the volunteer "it is only one third mile from here".  Since you can't bring dogs on national park trails, we made the dogs comfortable in Papi and set foot to see the General Grant tree.  Oh yes......bear whistle neatly tucked away in my pocket.  The trail led us to small signs that said "General Grant" with the arrow pointing in the proper direction.  With not a soul in sight we walked for a good mile, wondering if the fallen tree in front of us was the famous tree and this continued a couple of times on the trail until we determined something didn't feel right!  There was a creepy silence in the air and I knew the bears were somewhere in the not so far off distance.  We walked until we saw a paved road and "yes"  cars....civilization!  This road led us back to the truck and as we drove further down the road,  there was a large sign that pointed to the General Grant tree.  We determined the woman volunteer in the visitors' center meant one third mile driving distance....not walking!  Good old General Grant tree was not the fallen tree on our path but the one near the parking lot with dozens of tourists taking pictures of the second largest tree in the world!  We moved on in search of  Hume Lake .  We followed the signs and noticed there weren't any cars heading in the same direction to the lake.  Did the rest of the people know something we didn't?  Apparently, because it was just US and the speeding Fed Ex truck on the single lane, steep narrow road with an amazing canyon view and the 1,000 foot unsecured drop off.  Traveling at 10 mph we made it to Hume Lake that had NO WATER?! How could that be since so many people I've talked to fairly recently, had been there ?  Upon our safe return, we  were told the dam in the lake was being repaired.  Okay everyday can't be perfect!  Up the road we went in search of recommended Cedar Grove, also in Kings Canyon.  We were at the summit and looking down the windy, stark road when Perry and I decided it was best to head back "home", but not before stopping to let the dogs do their thing.  Perry took them on a trail that took them out of my sight and I thought they were taking long.  Here I am in the middle of nowhere and after twenty minutes the dogs came running back towards me and the truck with no leashes and no Perry. ( I could NOT drive the truck down 6500 feet if my husband didn't come back).  Thankfully, ten minutes after the dogs ran back, here comes Perry!  He figured the dogs got an uneasy feeling when they came across fresh beat scat.  GLAD to get out of here figuring each day brings a different adventure.  We didn't get to see all of Kings Canyon but couldn't wait to get back to buy our $10 firewood and plan our trip to Sequoia National Park the next day.  What a day!

Sequoia National Park
11-4-16

Somehow I knew this day would be different than yesterday.  The drive (according to our neighbor Craig) is easy and scenic!  He was right about it being scenic but NOT easy!  The entrance to the park was only a few miles from where we were staying and our first stop was Tunnel Rock.  Years ago cars would travel up the mountain under Tunnel Rock.  Next stop was Hospital Rock which had petroglyphs (prehistoric stories carved into rock) and a rock where Native American women ground acorns into flour in time creating shallow "bowls" into the rocks .  Next to this was the "bear warning" sign.  Time to head UP the mountain......focus......don't look down!  As beautiful and somewhat scary as this drive was, I managed to looked down and saw a tiny little spec which was actually a car working it's way up the mountain.  Next stop.....Moro Rock, then General Sherman (the largest tree in the world).   As we got out of the car to hike to Moro Rock, people we were putting their food in the bear proof containers....bears?!  I decided to use the restroom before heading out to the highest point and all I could think of were bears!  This narrow-minded ridiculous thinking led me into the "mens" restroom. Hopefully only Perry knew (he pointed it out) !  Gracie and Daisy didn't like being left behind and they sure let us know it by barking.  The climb up was extremely steep but the top of the rock is supposed to have the most amazing view of the Sierra Nevada's (including Mount Whitney). After two-thirds up, I decided to head back and keep the dogs company.  Off to the General Sherman tree.....guaranteed we learned our lesson after yesterdays trip to General Grant.  We began the hike down to the famous tree reading signs along the way warning hikers of the intense climb back up. People were heading back up the mountain (out of breath) and Perry made the comment "if that old man can make it, you can make it".  As they passed us, we noticed the "old man" was actually a woman in her fifties with a hat!  Thankfully he quietly made the comment where only I could hear it. The tree was definitely worth the hike......what a magnificent tree!  We stopped at a visitor's center once again, where I got a brilliant lesson on the sequoias from one of the rangers that also informed me that at this time of year, the bears are heading down to Three Rivers looking to store up on food in preparation for hibernation.   Wait.......Three Rivers is where we're staying?! Trying to forget about what I just heard, we enjoyed a nice sandwich (much better than the other day) reminding each other to clean up to avoid bear "temptation".  I need to face my phobias and see a bear.......well our treacherous non-verbal, lean to the left trip down the mountain brought us to a black bear off the side of the road.  A couple cars had stopped to take pictures and once we were able to stop the bear had crossed to the other side.  I was able to see it close up about 5 feet away and luckily I was in the truck!

We enjoyed a nice, relaxing dinner at the River View restaurant and again made friends with a lovely couple that were entertained by our dogs. Soon another couple walks up acknowledging our dogs as we ate on the patio.  After a good hike, we all needed a break....the

other couple were the two women passing us earlier on the General Grant trail.....(the woman with the hat)!  They couldn't have been nicer!   Another fun, memorable day!

Next.........our last few days in Three Rivers and......Clancy!

View of  Mount Whitney from Moro Rock

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Hospital Rock

Twin Sisters-Sequoia  National Park

General Sherman Tree

Yosemite Beauty and Tarantulas!

Monday, 10-24-16

We hitched up the fifth wheel with a little more ease and sense of relief as we left Chico towards our stay in Coarsegold.  Before we left Chico,  Perry, Brandon and I visited the Verizon store for our phone updates and to get answers as to why we "blew" through 40 gigs of data in less than two weeks!  We had purchased a portable wifi for our trip and unfortunately used 30 gigs in a short amount of time.  Our phones were automatically put on the "slow mode" by Verizon so we wouldn't have an exorbitant bill.  Too late...slow mode, no data and desperately needing the GPS from the phone to navigate us to the foothills of Yosemite into Coarsegold.  Today we were heading towards Park of the Sierras (SKP) which has a certain amount of spaces for vacationers with the majority of the park being full time residents.  It should be a pretty direct route until we had to stop and gas up. Perry had studied the map and knew the route but wanted me to double check our directions via GPS since it had served us well up until this point.  We were ready to change highways...easy no problem! According to GPS we were to take a certain street towards Yosemite but it was a confusing intersection and we took the wrong turn.  We were rerouted through GPS which normally turns out okay but not this time, especially pulling a fifth wheel!  It took us through an open area and the roads were so narrow with no place to turn around.  Before long, there were no longer any signs of civilization except an occasional cow.  We continue to follow the GPS which has never steered (no pun intended) us wrong before, and suddenly we are literally in the middle of nowhere, mile after mile of nothing but rough, narrow, windy roads.  We felt EVERY bump along the way.  Not confident in the GPS any longer and unsure whether we'd make it before dark, we figured we'd better call the office and let them know we'd be late.  As we get a little closer to our destination there was cell service after not having it for miles.   The friendly woman on the phone informed us that we might have to "dry camp" outside the gate because they were going home soon and to "please be careful"!  We so far along our short journey have not "dry camped " and certainly didn't want to tonight after a long stressful drive. Dry Camping is camping with no hook-ups (mostly water and electricity). Thankfully, someone was willing to wait for us as long as it was by 5:00pm. We were greeted at the gate by "George" an older gentleman with a cowboy hat and southern accent.  We followed him to our site and after a thirty minute attempt, he navigated us in and under the trees we were hoping not to clip. As we were setting up, another elderly gentleman (Bob) came up to us and engaged us in conversation about his time in the Navy as a cook.  He served in WWII and the Korean war and was burned over 50% of his body on a Naval ship explosion in the kitchen.  He was such a sweet man and finding out Perry had served in the Navy there were plenty of stories from our new friend.
Park of the Sierras was so different from our last destination of Almond Tree in Chico.  Here it was so quiet with no trains running 24/7 and campers coming and going all hours of the day.  What we encountered the next day were a lot of seniors (full timers) and they all owned golf carts to get them up and down the hilly neighborhood.  The next day was kept low-key checking out the cute small town of Coarsegold and making plans for Yosemite over a cold beer and pizza .  This would happen the following day since rain was predicted for two days following.  Perry was hoping the rain would let up for Saturday for the much anticipated Coarsegold Tarantula Festival.  I don't like BIG spiders and things that crawl, but he talked about this for days.....how could I NOT go?

Wednesday 10-26-16
Yosemite

Neither Perry nor I had been to Yosemite before so we were excited to make this trip.  We  anxiously packed the necessary dog items for the hour and a half drive up.  Twenty minutes from Coarsegold and on the way to Yosemite is the town of Oak Hurst, a much larger town of  about 10,000 people. After passing through the town and starting the ascent up towards Yosemite, we noticed thousands of diseased and dead pine trees. We read there were over thousands of acres of bark beetle ridden trees in Yosemite and because of this a lot of trees along the road were being chopped down which slowed traffic nearing the entrance to the park. However, the higher we climbed, the trees were bigger and much greener.  Our first stop.....Glacier Point!
There are NO words to describe the majestic beauty of the rock formations and several waterfalls that you see from Glacier Point and today being clear, the views are exceptional!  Our oldest son had hiked from this point several years ago for 37 miles and told us of half dome.  It is an enormous sheered off rock smoothed by a glacier millions of years ago. We could have stayed here for hours admiring its beauty but there is so much to see......time to move on! Today we were supposed to board the dogs so we could get some serious hiking in, but after checking their vaccination records the day before we found Gracie needed the bortadella vaccine.  Too late to find a vet so our little canine companions joined us on our Yosemite adventure.  It was a blessing in disguise since we couldn't hike as much, but in driving we saw a lot more of Yosemite. The crazy, windy drive down took us to Tuolumne meadow. The fall colors were amazing and we had a great vantage point of Bridal Falls and El Capitan. It makes me realize how much beauty is in California . This indescribable beauty moved me emotionally and spiritually!
We had lunch at the visitors center and ate turkey sandwiches that tasted three days old!   In an odd way as fearful as I am of bears, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of one.  Just the same I made sure my whistle was secured in my pocket and all leftover food thrown away in the bear proofed trash cans. Beginning our way out of the park, we passed by Curry Village a camping spot of about 100 makeshift tents.  Kaylyn and her friends stayed here for a week for their senior trip.  I wondered how I was so brave as to let my 18 year old daughter go to a place on a scary mountain drive, no service and bears!  As we headed back to Coarsegold up and down the windy road, I again leaned to the left near Perry and chose not to look over the edge.  It was definitely worth the nerve wracking drive!

The rain came the next day as predicted but just after we took the dogs to the dog run.  We planned on going into town to get diesel and get Gracie her bortadella vaccine but no sooner did we get into the truck, the rain started coming down.  I love this place and its' sweet seniors that live here.  They all smile and wave as we head into town. We get to the small vet hospital where Gracie and I waited for an hour but not before meeting an older man with long hair and a beard.  His 16 year old cat was not eating and had lost a lot of weight.  The vet met him in the lobby and said his cat needed to go on medication.  The kindness and warmth of this hospital was unbelievable because they knew the owner was on a fixed income, had his own health issues and told him they wouldn't charge him for the tests.  The rain was really coming down hard now and Gracie was loved by all the vet techs.  We were enjoying the beautiful and much needed rain!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

This was the day!  The day of the Annual Tarantula Festival in Coarsegold.  It was smaller than we expected but Perry found his tarantulas to hold.  They had a kids screaming contest, hairy leg contest and tricycle race.  It was a fun small town Halloween event where we met nice people, bought locally made honey and our dogs got a lot of attention.
The next day we checked out the church in Oak Hurst.  It's a beautiful church with large open windows that give you a view of all the pine trees behind it.  We risked leaving the dogs behind in the fifth wheel for an hour and a half and to our surprise they did great.  We didn't want to risk leaving them again so we took them with us while we got a bite of lunch.  They made sure they had us in view too as they watched us from the front seat.

We had such an amazing stay but it was time to head towards Kings Canyon and the Sequoia National Park!
                                                                    

Our small spot in Coarsegold!

                                                             

Many of Yosemite's diseased trees

                                        

Half Dome

Tuolumne Meadows                                

That smile tells it all!

El Capitan

Look of fear!

Patiently Waiting!

October 20, 2016


Perry had in mind that I was to throw a line in the water to catch fish!  We had gotten the fishing pole and all the necessary accessories at a sporting goods store, all at the expense of Perry throwing his back out.  Thank God for a quick recovery because my thoughts were "If he is ill or gets injured, I couldn't drive that truck AND pull a fifth wheel". We woke up early this morning (after he spent the entire day yesterday fishing for salmon.....determined but unsuccessful, while I went to lunch with my son) ready to fish at Bucks Lake!  I can cast a fishing line the way I can throw a ball or a roll of toilet paper upstairs to my kids, never successful at any of these.  I never could call myself an athlete! As we drive out of Chico, we approach Butte County with hundreds of buttes everywhere! Okay, I do remember learning about buttes in my college days as I recall they are caused by erosion and are flat on top.  The scenery changed very quickly as we once again started to climb and the pine trees grew more dense.  OK, after Mount Lassen I thought we were DONE with sheer drop offs....boy was I wrong!  Suddenly, our conversation became non-existent because Perry was concentrating on driving and I was leaning towards the driver side as if to prevent us from falling over the 1,000 ft. drop while  trying not to look down.   I quietly prayed that we would be safe! My thoughts were "there's no one around us on the road and if anything should happen, our kids would never find us"!  Seriously Carol. have more faith!  I started to relax and admire the amazing scenery of the rushing Feather River, the cut out tunnels and trellises along the way.  The dogs needed us to stop and we found a spot that happened to be part of the Pacific Crest Trail.  I was excited about this because I had read the book "Wild", the adventures of the author along her 2,600 mile journey.

As we continue to drive past the enormous pine trees and the Feather river, once again the dogs needed to be walked. We stopped at a beautiful park with many trails and could smell fresh cut lumber.  We are now in the Sierra Nevada's and found ourselves in an amazing little logging town of Quincy, California at an elevation of 3,300 feet.  It is a quintessential small town with white steeple churches just below the evergreen trees. Friendly townspeople are walking their dogs, everyone waves to us as we walk downtown.  Small towns like this actually exist!  We stopped to have lunch at a great little place called Morning Thunder.  The staff was so friendly and catered to the dogs and informed us that Bucks Lake was 17 miles "up the road".  It was a chilly, beautiful, clear day and seventeen miles didn't seem that long but as we drove towards the lake we noticed  there were no cars in front or behind us only a sign that indicated there was a 15% incline.  We've seen 6% or 7% but never 15%!  Good thing we were in a powerful diesel truck and NOT pulling Edna! We found Bucks Lake but couldn't find an access because everything was closed up for the season.  "I may not be able to cast that line after all" but my husband's determination to watch me fish found us on the other side of the lake and low and behold, a dock!  He was SO excited he grabbed the fishing pole and tackle box while I grabbed the dogs and bear whistle. ( I know it's silly but I'm afraid of bears and this was bear territory. ) What a beautiful, quiet place, just us and the dogs.  He showed me how to cast a line as he stood on the dock for no more than 5 minutes. It didn't take long before he determined there were no fish!  I cast the line as well and gave it a good 5 minutes also.   So there you have it, my first attempt after many years.  Credits......Church-3, Fishing-1.  We drove to another part of the lake to let the dogs run free and the lake was so beautiful casting reflections of the trees and as we stood there (just us), the silence was broken by the sound of three C130's  which swooped down at about tree top level.  All we could surmise was they were training for the fire season dropping fire retardant. Weird for being where we were but interesting nonetheless!
 All in all, it was a great day with "no bears and no fish"!

Friday, 10-21-16 through Monday, 10-24-16

Perry wanted to try out the popular taco truck down the street and as we sat outside eating our lunch, a man drives up pulling his trailer, "Did you save any for me?".  Our new neighbor Don is quite the character.  Don pulls up next to us with his little dog "Pax" and Perry helps him as he struggles with one of his trailer connections.  He told us his granddaughter is getting married the next day and needs to get ready for the rehearsal dinner but doesn't know what to wear.  The red collared shirt wins as he asked Perry for his approval.  We love our new neighbor!

There's the Honey Run Covered Bridge in Chico that's historical and that afternoon we though we'd check it out.  The bridge was built in the 1800's and had to be rebuilt at least once for someone driving into it.  As we drive up a man in his 40's is working near the bridge keeping the surrounding park clean.  He strikes up a conversation with us and was full of history knowledge of the bridge.  He points to the nearby trailer and said he gets cheap rent in exchange for keeping up the surrounding area.  After walking the bridge, we decided to hike down to the running creek and according to our storyteller friend, has gold in it!  Hmmmm, it was beautiful and cold and the dogs loved running through it, but we spotted no gold. We drove to a nearby town called Centerville and were awestruck at the terrain.  It looked like the Butte creek and canyon were all cut right through the surrounding hills all as a result of water cutting through ever hundreds of thousands of years.   Amazing!  After getting back to the fifth-wheel and touching base with Brandon, a movie was in order for the next day!

During our stay in Chico,  we would put Daisy and Gracie in a dog pen with their blankets and toys so we could go out for an hour or two and today was no different.  The three of us wanted to go to a movie.  We were back by 7:00 pm and were greeted by the neighbor on "the other side".  Somewhat friendly but complained about our "hound dog"  howling" and shortly after the landlady drove over in her golf cart to inform us people were complaining about our dogs.  I love our 77 year old, chiseled mustached neighbor Don who the next day told us what we should tell them?  It's okay, we have to come up with a solution or Daisy and Gracie will be going where we go.  I"m sure they'd love that! The next day, we visited a different church in Chico and as I'm starting to lose count I believe we're at Church-3 fishing-1.  Already enjoying conversations with Don, today he wore a "Portugal" tee shirt.  I asked him if he had been there and replied "no" but is Portuguese.  Since I am half Portuguese myself, we had so much to talk about.  There were similar interests in Portuguese food and fiestas.

 Household chores and packing are in order for the rest of the day and dinner with Brandon.  He decides to join us for an early breakfast the next morning before we move on to Coarsegold, Ca. just outside Yosemite.  I'm going to miss him!
                                                           
                             

The Pacific Crest Trail

My first fishing credit!

Daisy and Gracie enjoying their freedom

On our way to Quincy

 

The Honey Run Covered Bridge in Chico, Ca.

Beautiful Bucks Lake

       

The small town of Quincy

    

Chico, Anxiety and Grandma Pretzel! Part 2

Anxiety to Peace!

Thursday 10-13-16

I woke up at 2 am with a racing heart. Was it my vivid dream that caused it?  I have to believe it has something to do with my life doing a 360` with no longer owning our home to leaving two of our three adult children behind....temporarily.  It is a big life changing event!  I fell back asleep and several hours later was awakened by Daisy who desperately needed to "go out".

Walking yesterday at upper Bidwell Park made me feel it was straight out of a movie or perhaps on a different planet.  Bidwell Park is made up of hundreds of acres of tall, dried grass with sparse trees on what is known as upper Bidwell and mid and lower Bidwell parks are full of green shrubs and plants, tall trees changing to a bright orange, amd a river.  Dogs are allowed off their leashes and free to roam the tall grass at upper Bidwell, whereas at lower Bidwell, the dogs have to be on leashes.  The beauty her is undeniable and the four of us are getting our exercise.

Today I decided to check out the oven for the first time, promising Brandon and his roommates homemade lasagna but before doing so Perry and I had to check out a nearby winery.  I'm thinking it's like other wineries (which I enjoy) but not in this case as it is owned by an order of Trappist monks.  It is called the Abbey of our Lady of New Clairvaux but the winery is simply, New Clairvaux. The monks' purchased the vineyards and surrounding walnut groves back in 1955 and over the years produced some amazing red wines. We decided to do a self-guided tour around the grounds designated for tourists.  We walked down to the church currently being built and went inside the "old" church.  I figured after a terrible nights sleep a little prayer couldn't hurt! The church had a few visitors inside listening to the  Cistercian   monks chanting their prayers.  There were about seven monks from young to old and of many different nationalities who speak very little as they have the vow of silence and prayer.  What a beautiful and serene place! Good wines too!

Saturday 10-15-16

It was raining today and the rain forced us to stay indoors and do house chores.  Yes, I know, a 500 square foot fifth wheel isn't a lot to keep up, however, the floors still have to be vacuumed and mopped and laundry has to be done (okay save that for tomorrow)!  My only saving grace was having a nice dinner out with our very busy son. Most of the outdoor Greek activities (including the parade and Brandon's frats' prize winning float) were postponed to the following week.  A little rain didn't stop us from visiting downtown Chico  We saw a lot of interesting types some of which made me feel very uncomfortable. I wasn't uncomfortable just curious as we saw several young guys with carved pumpkins on their heads.  "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore"!  Knowing our son was in the middle of Greek week surely this was part of a fraternity but come to find out it was a contest from a local radio station.  The contestants had to see how long they could stand on a box with pumpkins on their heads without going to the bathroom or without food or water. The grand prize was $1,000. Definitely something for the young.

Sunday 10-16-16

Fast forward to Sunday, Perry said from the beginning of our journey "when I go to church with you, it's a fishing credit for me".  I didn't realize he really meant it so.....score church-2 fishing-0. Tomorrow is the day for me to get my own fishing pole ...yay. Should I be excited? Well, let's say I've been fishing a couple times growing up and would much rather see a musical but marriage is a compromise!

This morning we went to the same church as last week and I have to say it's really growing on me.  It's a very sweet church and I admit being in the  "bubble" made we well somewhat "spoiled".  Part of my husband's quest has been to expose us to all walks of life.  I think he's onto something.
Back home I pile my large bag of dirty clothes and throw rugs into the truck to drive the short distance to the laundromat. As I head towards the door that says "laundry" a red car pulls aside and the woman driver (she appears to be in her seventies) rolls down her window "Are you doing laundry"?  Smiling, I politely said "yes, but there's enough room for both of us".  There are two washing machines and dryers.  She looked at me, scowled, made a comment and drove off. I noticed her license plate frame that read "Grandma Pretzel"  What did that mean.......I could tell you where my thoughts went as she wasn't the pleasant type.  The wash cycle is about 30 minutes and I wanted to be sure to transfer them to the dryer right away so someone else could use them.  After the dry cycle was complete, who shows up but "grandma pretzel".  She apologized for being so rude and went on to explain her husband had unexpectedly ended up in the hospital but now released and was having well.....bowel issues and needed to wash bedding.  I felt sorry for her!  I was glad I held back my sarcastic thoughts because this poor woman was going through a lot!

You NEVER know when you meet a stranger what they might be going through.  I think this trip WILL be good for me! Maybe a few kind words and a nice smile will bring peace to us both!

Upper Bidwell Park                                               Winery owned by Trappist Monks

Pumpkin Heads

Dinner with our son, Brandon

                                                                     

Yay! Look of excitement holding my first fishing pole!

 

Chico, Anxiety and Grandma Pretzel! Part 1

Friday October 7, 2016

OFF TO CHICO...

The process of breaking down camp seems a little easier  today, even hitching"Edna" was easier for Perry!  Practice makes perfect as they say.....pretty uneventful four hour trip to Chico.  Gracie (our Aussie) whined for the first hour eventually settling in.  There are always a lot of big rigs on interstate 5 and we happened to get stuck behind one with reflector mudflaps....blinding!  After several miles, we eventually passed and because of the big rigs, we opted to take route 99 (mostly a 2 lane highway).  A much slower and less stressful option.  Both dogs were antsy and of course as we're still getting used to pulling this long fifth-wheel behind us, we had to make a bathroom and water stop.  It's not an easy process trying to pull off the highway with a long truck and fifth wheel, but as luck would have it, we found the perfect place to pull off in a small town called Live Oak.  We found a little burger restaurant and sat at a nearby park to eat and within minutes were surrounded by children getting out of school.  At this point I'm getting anxious to move on to Chico!  Thank goodness for GPS as it helped guide us through hundreds of acres of almond groves, tree lined streets and eventually to our destination for the next two weeks at Almond Tree RV park.  

Beautiful landscaping caught my eye as we first drove in but so did the "older" people hunched over, grey hair and canes with many playing card games. " Please God, I'm not THERE yet, am I?" Ewww boy.....my new RV life?!  We are fortunate enough to take on this journey at a so called "younger" age.  Thankful to my husband who retired from the U.S Navy after 22 years and working hard for twelve more years for a non-profit organization. He deserves this time enjoying life and seeing the U.S.!   We set up camp and anxious to see my youngest who is currently "busy" with fraternity activities!  No problem...I'm patient and we're here for two weeks to enjoy " parents weekend" and next week is "Dad's weekend" for the fraternity.I was so happy to see Brandon our first night, and with school and frat activities I was beyond delighted to do his laundry the next day ( I didn't know he had SO many clothes).  Quiet night, peaceful park.....good night's sleep!  

It took Perry a couple of hours to hook up the cable....too much football not to be missed!  He lay aside the frustration so we could walk to a coffee shop half a mile down the road and take pleasure in some tasty lattes We discussed needing food because granola bars wouldn't sustain us for long.  Our refrigerator is one third the size of our old one, we had to be careful not to overbuy.  It's not easy when you know your hungry college aged son will be looking for home cooked meals.  With the dogs nestled in their crates we headed to the grocery store.  Afterwards, Brandon invited us to see his apartment, to meet his roommates, and oh yes to pick up all his dirty laundry which was pretty much everything he owned!  The boys were off to a fraternity party and us "ol" folk returned to our "home" to watch the movie "RV" with Robin Williams.  There were so many hilarious scenes we could relate to.  In an RV and fifth wheel, there are three different hook ups, the shower, the sink and the toilet (2 grey hoses and 1 black....well you can guess what hose is what).  When we first got our instruction on "Edna:, the first thing the guy asked was "have you owned an RV?", we answered "no". " Have you rented an RV?" We had to be honest, and once again "no"!  He laughed and we could only imagine what he was thinking!  Unlike Robin Williams, Perry had no problems connecting hoses.  Entertaining movie!

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

We left the RV park heading for Lassen National Park but before getting there, we stopped at a little (not much happening) town of Chester.  We needed to exercise the dogs and first we stopped at an old coffee house where retired locals hang out.  I overheard a conversation with an older couple and the young girl at the counter.  The couple had lived in Newberg, Oregon and the gentleman was from Pendleton, Oregon.  After settling in California, they expressed their dislike for Oregon because of the lack of sunshine.  I became a part of the conversation and added "my husband gets tired of California because it's so expensive".  The woman, " there "is no perfect place"  in our journey for "retirement shangri-la", this resonated with me.  We took our coffee and dogs to the local park and let them off their leashes.  Gracie wanted to play fetch with a tree branch and at one point while we were playing tug of-war, she latched onto my sweatshirt giving it a good "rip"!  They were tired from the car trip up to Mount Lassen.  We climbed in elevation and the temperatures were dropping.  The pine trees were big and dense and soon we were at the park entrance.

 One of the benefits of being retired military is free entrance to all national parks.  In the visitors center we saw bear and mountain lion sighting warnings for the hiking trails.  I was relieved knowing the dogs weren't allowed on the trails in a national park.  Climbing the mountain, we stopped at sulfur mud pots that were boiling like a witch's brew.  (It is Halloween month).  I was fascinated by them because the rain runoff goes deep into the earth where the heat of the earth forces the mud back up to the surface.  The sulfur smell was so strong we had to move on and see more of this historic volcano.  The last time it erupted was 1915.....not that long ago for an active volcano!  We kept climbing and it was hard for me to take in the entire beauty of this volcano because of the sheer drop off.  The summit was 8500' and knowing Perry has dealt with vertigo issues in the past had me a little concerned.  I'm afraid of heights and there was NO way I'd be taking over the drive! After an hour and a half stressful (but beautiful) drive, we desperately needed lunch.  I'd say more Perry since faced with windy mountain roads that could rattle any drivers nerves.  We came across the ONLY food for miles at a little family operated restaurant called JJ's cafe located in the small town of Old Station .  I'm sure I've mentioned before that some small towns are not for me as sweet as they can be but Old Station assured me that this was the case.  We took our lunch to a nearby stream where we talked to a young family from Texas and enjoyed watching our dogs play in the stream.  It was a long, fun day and all Perry wanted was a nice cold beer. After returning once again to the RV park,  wouldn't you know, there was a tap room right down the street that would satisfy his thirst.

At the end of the day, we settled into our heated recliners and settled in the for the night watching our fuzzy connected cable tv.  It reminded me of when I was young and there were knobs you could adjust to get a clearer picture (yes, I'm dating myself)!  Modern technology has me spoiled.

With SO much more to tell........please come back to read my next blog about Anxiety and Grandma Pretzel!

Day 1 Time to Hit the Road!

October 5, 2016

With all the furniture moved out and stored, we wake up after a restless night in the fifth wheel with a neighbor having yard work done (A JACKHAMMER at 6:45am), another neighbor bringing in a barrel, not to mention the cars leaving for work in the wee hours of the morning.  Awe, the joys of suburbia and sleeping "on the street". By 7 am our wonderful neighbor, Cyle who has been more like a son over the years, brings coffee.  Now THAT was a good start to the day.  Much to my surprise my friend Lisa returns to finish helping me pack the fifth wheel and before long, Cyle returns with my much needed second cup of coffee. In the meantime, David and Taylor return from their own exhausting move and prepare to send us off!  After waiting for the housekeeping service to arrive to do the "move out" cleaning, we continue to pack and realize our 9am take off time was not going to happen.  We continue to work and as time gets closer, my stomach is churning with the thoughts of leaving family behind .  By 1:00pm (so much for 9am), the fifth wheel (Edna) is hitched up and ready to go.  My wonderful 6'3 first born child wells up with tears as do I as we say "goodbye" and we prepare for our year long departure, I can't help but ask myself, "what am I doing"?  As we slowing drive away from the neighborhood, I cry for the next few minutes!

Our dogs, Daisy and Gracie don't know what's happening as they whimper and cry for the first hour.  Eventually they settle in for the six hour car ride first to Santa Nella, Ca. Our first challenge was going down the Grapevine at a 6% grade with big rigs flying by us but  I have the utmost confidence in Perry and of course, Edna.  They both handled the elements beautifully!  Around 7pm we arrive at Santa Nella RV Park and are assigned a pull through lot.  Getting a pull through lot while pulling 33 feet is something any RV owner could hope for since you don't have to maneuver backing in....no easy task I may add.  The unhitching process couldn't have been any easier.  We breathe a sigh of relief !  We're pretty hungry at this point and enjoy some Chinese take-out (not much around here) and we're also very tired and can't wait to settle in for our first night sleep. Considering we were right across the street from a truck stop, we slept pretty soundly (at least until 5am) when I realized I was no longer in my king-sized bed but a queen with a 60 pound dog laying on my feet. As I nudge her to get off my legs this resulted in a major leg cramp. Okay, somethings got to change here and some dog boundaries have to be set!  Up at 7 to get my coffee and catch up on the latest news and emails, Perry joins me an hour later and we're ready to plan our day in the little town of Santa Nella.

 After trying to find space for all our belongings (not an easy task moving from a 2350  square foot house to a "mini house" on wheels), Perry convinced me to go to two wildlife refuge parks in hopes of spotting Sandhill Cranes and Tule Elk.  He grew up in a little town in Washington state and remembered seeing the cranes as a young boy.  Not knowing what to expect and driving out in the middle of nowhere, we come across the first preserve with not a soul in sight.  You drive through the marshland to find the wild cranes and we did just that (5 miles) to spot them.  Mind you I was born a city girl and could admire a beautiful animal (or bird), but after looking at its grey colored body and listening to its unique sound for five minutes, that was enough for me but "no", NOT my husband.  As I see him enjoying nature, I thought to myself "he's a nature person and I'm more a people person" and now in this new stage of life, he IS  right now my only "PEOPLE" person.  Ahh.....the old expression "opposites attract"!   Off to the next preserve to look for elk! We drive around the five mile loop and Perry spots antlers several hundred yards away.  In his excitement he grabs the binoculars and darts to the lookout.  The dogs got excited and Daisy flies out the open window to join him.  All I could think about were her sutures still in her belly from a minor surgery and praying she doesn't tear them open.  Gracie and I soon follow to spot the elks' antlers that could have easily been confused as tree branches.  It didn't take long for us to realize were being eaten alive by mosquitoes.  As we drive off, Perry admitted it wasn't what he thought it would be, but it didn't matter because it's one memory of many to follow.  There are no grocery stores in Santa Nella and we had no food in "Edna" so as we head back to camp, Perry was in search of Mexican food for dinner.  Time to settle in to night two in truck-noisy Santa Nella.

(Sidenote)
Santa Nella is a few miles from Los Banos a small farming town where we had our van stolen in 2000.  We came back from a camping trip in Oregon and at the time our kids were quite young.  Los Banos was a place to" hang our hats" for the night. I had an arm full of children's' items to put back in the van but when I looked for it in the parking lot,  it was .....GONE! Stranded in Los Banos!  Ahhh.....distant memories!

Fast forward sixteen years, who would think I'd be "camping" once again not too far from this not so pleasant memory?  I can't wait to head out in the morning for Chico, California where our youngest attends college.  We cannot wait to see him!

Day Before Take-Off of our journey across the United States!

October 4, 2016


Reality has hit!  The journey across the U.S. over the next year that my husband Perry and I talked about for awhile was about to begin.  Exciting, but also bittersweet as we leave behind our grown kids David, Kaylyn and Brandon and a house that we lived in for the past fifteen years. We decided to bring our dogs, Gracie and Daisy.  Deciding on the perfect travel vehicle for us was no easy task and after a lot of research, we decided on a 33 foot Grand Design Reflection.  Perry has always felt the need to have nicknames for family or important things in his life so we "reflected" and decided on "Papi" for the truck (yes we're fans of Big Papi's) and Edna for the fifth wheel (also fans of Edna Valley chardonnay).

With so much to do after the sale of the house with packing up the fifth wheel, deciding what items will be stored over the next year and scheduling physicals for ourselves and for the dogs, our take off day of October 5th is coming quickly!  There is never enough time to spend with close friends and family!

The pre take off day was a little crazy trying to fit last minute things into our storage unit and waiting for them to pick it up to store for more than a year.  After watching our fifteen years of household items get carried away in a 16' pod, Perry and I stopped by the high school that I worked at for fourteen years to say "goodbye" to my dear friends. Afterwards, we needed to find a gas station that carried diesel for Papi.  You wouldn't thing finding diesel would be that hard but after a lot of driving around (I did use the app but once we got to the station, they either were out or no longer carried it), we found a station at $2.79 a gallon.  We now were on our way to pic up "Edna" from storage about 30 miles from home.  The entire process was about two hours with so much packing left to do.  I had a much needed hair appointment with my long term hairdresser, Faye and knew I'd be late for my 4:30 appointment.  Thankfully, she was willing to wait since it would be my last hair appointment with her for a long time!

A fifth wheel is such a wonderful way to travel because you have more living space and you can disconnect it from the truck to sight see.  It sounds so easy but yesterday was round one of patience testing.  Parking in front of the house with the 33 foot fifth wheel was a breeze but separating the truck from it was (an understatement) a chore! With no other means of transportation besides the truck, I knew I'd be more than a little late for my hair appointment (very important to a woman)!  Thankfully, my wonderful daughter, Kaylyn showed up just in time.  I took her car for my two hour appointment while she stayed to help Perry figure out why the releasing bar of the hitch wouldn't release. IT TAKES A VILLAGE!  With help from our kids, David and Kaylyn along with neighbors and a call to the place where the hitch was installed....victory! Hair done, hitch released and pizza for dinner. Several friends were over to help us finish packing up "Edna" and to wish us safe travels.  At the same time of our crazy move, David and his girlfriend Taylor were moving the same day into their own place in Woodland Hills.  Many moving parts to the transition of a lifetime!

For those of you who know me, family has always been my main focus! To have David and Kaylyn here made the transition easier.  Our youngest, Brandon was not here but in a few days we'll be spending a couple of weeks with him in Chico, Ca.  Okay, I have to do a shout out to my friend Lisa who really helped me focus on getting rid of things and to pack up the fifth wheel.  She saved me a lot of time and that being said, I slept a little better that night.  Knowing our kids are happy and excited for us makes the trip a lot easier and leaving our home (filled with memories) of fifteen years.  As I walked through each room for the last time,  I reminisced about the gecko that Brandon didn't particularly bond with but lived forever, the music that came from each room..(some desirable and some not), the many sleepovers, the holidays......ah I will miss the holidays and the beautiful church choir that Kaylyn and I were fortunate to share a year singing together! Snap out of it.....it's now time to meet the new chapter of our lives head on. It's also time to spend with my husband, dogs and well.....Edna and Papi!