Sunday ; I-5 Rest Area near Dunnigan to Grass Lake Rest Area on Hwy. 97 north of Weed, California
Today was mostly sunny and hot, until we arrived at the Grass Lake Rest Area on Hwy. 97 north of Weed, California, at an elevation about 5000 feet ASL, in the shadow of Mount Shasta. BRRRRR !
This morning we departed the rest area near Dunnigan and continued north on Interstate 5. At a subsequent rest area we refilled our freshwater tank and dumped our shower waste tank. At Redding we pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot and had lunch. Joanne went into the store ( I'm not going to violate my "no Wal-Martin' on weekends" rule twice in one weekend ! ) and bought some toothache medication ... for Sully. Poor Sully is suffering with a dental problem. We have succeeded in getting him to eat some watered down canned food. At least we're getting some nutrition into him. A few miles down the road we stopped at Camping World so that I could exchange the incorrect gutter spouts I bought in Bakersfield. Like most Camping World stores, this one had free Wi-Fi for their customers so I sat in their very nice customer lounge and posted my weekly blog entry. Before leaving the Redding area we stopped a t a Safeway fuel bar and refilled with diesel.
We continued north on I-5 through the Shasta Mountains to Weed, California, where Hwy. 97 starts / ends. We turned onto Hwy. 97, and will remain on Hwy. 97 all the way to Osoyoos, BC. We're now in the Cascade Mountains, and things are starting to look like "home". I took Bo for a walk upon our arrival at the rest area while Joanne went into the trailer to start making supper. The rest area is in a pine forest overlooking the meadows surrounding the mostly dry Grass Lake. HMPH ! How about that ? ! ? A Bald Eagle soaring and hunting ! Just like home ! And ... saw my first robin of this spring.
Monday ; Grass Lake Rest Area on Hwy. 97 north of Weed, California to LaPine State Park, Oregon
Today was sunny and mild, about forty degrees cooler than a couple of days ago, now that we're in the Cascade Mountains. Lots of dead deer on the sides of the road today !
This morning we left the Grass Lake Rest Area and continued north on Hwy. 97. We crossed into Oregon and stopped at a Native casino and travel center at Crater Lake Junction to refill with diesel. We stopped at a rest area to have lunch and while Joanne prepared lunch I went into the forest and scavenged some firewood from the logging debris. Our destination for today was LaPine State Park on the Deschutes River. We've been here before a couple of times and quite like it.
After arriving at the state park, and getting set up in a site, I napped briefly with Sully. He seems to be doing better since we've been applying toothache ointment to his dental problem. After my nap we went for a short hike around the campground and along the river. Bo loooooves hiking ! I'm still short of breath and coughing a lot. I made a campfire and cooked supper on it. Joanne prepared "steak rolls" for me to cook on the campfire. Thin steaks, stuffed and rolled, wrapped in foil. It was a new recipe, and I overcooked them a bit. Partially because it took us so long to eat the appetizer, a huge and astoundingly good artichoke we bought in Oakhurst recently. Cooking on a campfire is more an art than a science, and I'm proud of my ability.
Tuesday ; LaPine State Park to Biggs, Oregon
Today was sunny and mild, temperature reaching the low 60's, the best that can be expected in this area at this time of the year.
This morning we departed LaPine State Park and continued north on Hwy. 97. At Bend we stopped and shopped ... a lot ... at Wal-Mart. We were fulfilling our "must buy in Oregon" shopping list. Oregon has no sales tax so twice a year ... northbound and southbound ... we shop in Oregon. Anything that we want but don't need right away goes onto our Oregon shopping list. Today we got everything except one item on our list. We had lunch in the trailer in the Wal-Mart parking lot then walked next door to buy a few grocery items at Albertsons.
I have been searching for a Discount Tire Center ever since leaving Fresno, California. One of the three new trailer tires that I bought at Discount Tire Center in Fresno did not get balanced.
I haven't been able to find a Discount Tire Center but I had a recollection of somebody telling me that Discount Tire and America's Tire are affiliated chains. Just south of Bend I saw an America's Tire so I pulled in to find out. Well ... Discount Tire and America's Tire, both national chains, are affiliated, but Discount Tire Center, a Southern California chain, and America's Tire are not ! Nevertheless, the manager of the Bend, Oregon America's Tire generously offered to balance the tire at no charge as a goodwill gesture. Well ... how nice ! Thank you very much. It took one of his employees just a few minutes to balance the tire, and we were on our way, with a worry of mine eliminated. I intend to spend money at America's Tire in the future, hopefully at the Bend, Oregon location.
We stopped at the Peter Skene Ogden Viewpoint over the Crooked River just to see the astounding view ... again. We've been there a few times before. We refilled with diesel at Safeway in Madras, Oregon. Our intention was to spend the night at the Pilot Travel Center at Biggs. When we arrived there, the truck parking lot was overfilled. We found a large, gravel "overflow" lot just down the road. With a great view ! We spent the night there. Biggs is on the southern side of the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River is the border between Oregon and Washington, so as soon as we cross the bridge over the river / across the gorge tomorrow morning we'll be in Washington.
Wednesday ; Biggs, Oregon to Okanogan, Washington
Today was another very nice, sunny warm day. It seems likely that we will make it all the way home without encountering any rain. I don't think we've ever accomplished either the fall southbound or spring northbound migration without encountering rain in the Pacific Northwest. Our plan for today was to make it to Omak, Washington and boondock overnight in the Wal-Mart parking lot. We stopped five miles short of Omak, at Okanogan ( American spelling ).
I had a rough night, coughing a great deal and keeping everyone awake. Nobody felt rested this morning. Not surprisingly we got a bit of a late start. I need to see my doctor as soon as we're home !
This morning we left the gravel parking area behind the Pilot station, got back onto Hwy. 97 heading north, crossed the bridge over the Columbia River into Washington. And we drove a lot of miles today to ensure that we're home tomorrow. We drove into Toppenish to buy some pan dulce. There used to be two panaderias in Toppenish, the most northerly panaderias that we knew of. Neither is in business any more. DARN ! We stopped at a rest area to have lunch, a brief nap, and dump our shower waste holding tank. While there was a sanitary dump at the rest area, there was no freshwater refill, so we were unable to refill our freshwater tank.
I stopped on the side of the road to give assistance to another pickup truck with fifth wheel trailer RV'er. He was pulled over with the hood of his GMC POS ( that would be ... piece of shit ) ¾
ton truck raised. Anyone who has followed my blog for many years knows why I consider GMC trucks to be POS ! His turbocharger air intake pipe had blown off while climbing the long, steep hill we were on. I helped him get it reconnected. It needed four strong hands ... and two step stools ! HMPH ! The turbocharger air intake pipe on the Duramax engine is about ¼
the diameter of the same pipe on the Cummins. No wonder those GMC POS struggle up the mountain roads when towing heavy trailers. To help him out in case he had any further problems I followed him from there to Ellensburg. His truck’s computer was sending him a series of “the sky is falling” dashboard messages. Should’ve bought a Dodge, pal !
We refilled with diesel and freshwater at an independent fuel bar in Ellensburg. Because ... and we know this from experience ... the Flying J in Ellensburg is far from the best diesel fuel price in the area ! Usually we travel from Ellensburg to Wenatchee on a series of roads other than Hwy. 97 to avoid the Cascade Mountain passes that Hwy. 97 traverses from Ellensburg to Wenatchee. And the bad weather that route usually entails. But today ... since it was such a nice weather day, we took Hwy. 97 through the mountains from Ellensburg to Wenatchee. It's a very scenic route, and pleasant if the weather is good.
Knowing that we were going to be stopping pretty late, and having a late dinner, we ate a bag of Trader Joe's sweet potato chips as we drove. Odd looking things, but good tasting. Five miles before reaching Omak, our destination for tonight, we saw a new casino at the town of Okanogan. We pulled in to check it out, as we could see that there were a number of RV's parked. HEY ! The new Okanogan Bingo Casino has an RV parking lot with electrical pedestals. We parked, Joanne started preparing dinner, and I went inside the casino to find out what the RV parking lot deal was. WOO-HOO ! Free overnight parking ... with electricity ... for members of their player's club ! Guess who's now a member of the Okanogan Bingo Casino player's club ?
Thursday ; Okanogan, Washington to Keremeos, B.C.
A beautiful, sunny, warm day !
This morning we departed the RV parking lot at the Okanogan Bingo Casino and drove about five miles north on Hwy. 97 to Omak where we stopped to buy a few items at Wal-Mart and refill with diesel at Exxon. We continued north on Hwy. 97 to Oroville and the Canadian border.
Today's border crossing was the quickest we've ever experienced. There was no line up upon our arrival. We drove directly up to the Canada Customs booth. The female Customs Officer asked five questions. We were there for perhaps thirty seconds. Thank you ... goodbye !
Once across the border and in Osoyoos, BC we stopped at the Visitor Information Centre to find out where the International Curling Rink is in Osoyoos. Joanne's B.C. Election employment training course will be held there. My training course is tomorrow in Keremeos. We found the curling rink then headed west on Hwy. 3 into the Similkameen Valley towards Keremeos.
What a beautiful area we live in ! ! !
In Keremeos we stopped to have lunch in the trailer and buy a few groceries at Valu-Plus. We continued west on Hwy. 3 to Riverside RV Park Resort, arriving home about 3 PM. A few miles before home, when Bo recognized exactly where we were, he became very excited ! We set up the trailer on lot 89 before beginning the "summerization" process of our park model on lot 4. Setting up the trailer on lot 89 and "summerizing" the park model on lot 4 were both very slow processes because we interrupted our work a lot to chat with neighbours.
This is the first time we have returned to the park model after a winter's absence. Things were okay. There was some ugly mould / mildew in the toilet and a little bit of mould / mildew on the shower stall. Must have left it damp when we departed. Otherwise our fall pre-departure preparations / "winterization" did everything they were intended to do, keeping everything dry, safe, and secure.
We had supper and spent the night in the trailer. By tomorrow the fridge in the park model will be cold, and after my training course we will "move" from the trailer into the park model.
Friday ; Sunny and warm, very nice weather here for this time of year.
Whew ... long, hard day ! I was up early. I had to be in town by 9AM. My B.C. Elections training course was today at Victory Hall from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. On the way into town I stopped at the South Similkameen Health Centre a.k.a. Keremeos Clinic to see if I could get a doctor's appointment for right after lunch. My family physician was not in today, but I was able to get a 1:30 PM appointment with one of the other three doctors in the clinic, the only one of the three
I had never seen before. Good opportunity to meet him.
My elections training course was uneventful. It's not rocket science ! I am "partnered" with a neighbour who lives across the street from us. She is the "voting officer" and I am the "voting clerk" for our polling station, making me her "assistant", sort of. She has worked many elections before.
After the training course I walked over to the pharmacy and ordered prescription refills, then walked over to the newspaper office and renewed our subscription to the local weekly newspaper. I still had half an hour until my doctor's appointment so I went to one of the little restaurants in town to have lunch. What mundane food ! How do they stay in business ?
I steered the doctor towards "Valley Fever" assuming he would not be familiar with it. Wrong assumption ! He says every spring us "Snowbirds" return from down south and some come in complaining of possible Valley Fever. It's not that common, and he has only seen one real instance of it. He suspects simply a flu virus taking a while to clear itself out of my bronchial passages. Just a case of "bronchial flu". He has ordered chest x-rays and blood tests, but thinks that a persistent cough following a flu is not much to be concerned about for at least a couple of months, and I've only been coughing for about a month.
Back at home Joanne and I spent the day moving from the trailer to the house. More work than we thought it would be. And more work than I want it to be twice a year. We need to organize and streamline this living in the park model for six months and the trailer for six months to minimize this "moving" process.
Come on, Sully ... take a shit already ! It's been about a week since he's had a bowel movement ! He's been eating very little because of his dental problem, which is slowly improving as we apply toothache medication twice daily. I hope he's not entering the "end of life" process yet. When we adopted him at age thirteen he and I reached a "five year agreement". And it's only been three and a half years !
Saturday ; Today was mild, but extremely windy.
We went into town this morning to buy some bread ... and take a look at a Class C motorhome for sale. Not suitable for us ! We spent the day on "return home" chores. Joanne finished "moving" from the trailer to the house. I played around online and found a couple of interesting truck campers for sale, one in Kelowna and one at Camping World in Burlington, Washington.
This evening we reviewed six months' worth of mail. WOO-HOO ... got the cheque from the Mexican insurance company for the Guasave accident claim.
DSK
Sunday ; Once again my day's plans were upset by another trailer maintenance problem and solution. Yesterday was a tire blowout. Today was the water pump. I am SOOOOO tired of constant trailer maintenance issues. When we return to Yuma next November, Harvey the fifth wheel trailer's life as a vehicle will be over. He will retire to our lot 52 at Kofa Ko-op and become a stationary residence.
We boondocked overnight in the parking lot of Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort near Coarsegold. This morning we were almost finished our morning "toilette" when the water pump died. We departed the casino and drove about a mile south on Hwy. 41 to SKP Park of the Sierras. We checked in, got set up in our assigned site, and after lunch I got to work on the pump.
This is the third ( and final ! ) breakdown of the "new and much improved" water pump I bought and installed about four years ago. I think that today's problem was that the motor overheated and seized / burned out. When I installed this "new and much improved" water pump I kept the original equipment water pump as a spare. I removed the dead water pump, much easier said than done. However ... I've installed and removed this pump a few times already so ... practice makes perfect ! We went to the Sunday afternoon ice cream social, had some ice cream and socialized for about an hour, then returned to our site to install the old ( original equipment / spare ) water pump. As soon as I had completed the reinstallation of the old water pump it was time for this RV park's daily dog party in the dog park. WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO ! ! ! Bo had been eager and excited as soon as we arrived here this morning. He remembered ... this is the daily dog party RV park. WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO !
We went to the dog park and socialized for two hours while the dogs played. Afterwards we went into the clubhouse so I could use Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail, and Joanne could use Skye to phone her sister. We returned to our trailer and prepared supper. We started with one of the three artichokes we bought at Village Fest last Thursday in Palm Springs. It was a disappointment ... and we had been so looking forward to having artichoke. We barbecued steak and potatoes, and spent the evening watching TV ; Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice.
Monday ; Today was sunny and warm, the best that can be hoped for this early in the spring, this high up in the Sierra Nevadas. I was sick for most of the day with an ulcerative colitis flare up, inspired, I think, by the Cajun trail mix I was munching on while watching TV last night.
My rush yesterday to replace the dead water pump was because today the RV park's water system was being repaired. We needed to have our freshwater tank full ... and a working water pump ... to have water this morning. After the repairs were completed and we switched from the trailer's internal water system to the external "city water inlet" ... YUCK ! The park's water was ... dark ! Joanne postponed doing laundry waiting for the park's water system to clear up.
While changing the exploded trailer tire the other day I noticed there were screws and bolts missing underneath the trailer, in the underbelly panel from behind the wheel well to the rear of the trailer. Probably due to Mexico road vibration. This morning I crawled underneath and replaced all the missing screws and bolts.
This afternoon while Joanne and Bo visited with their friends in the dog park I worked online in the clubhouse. I received confirmation of employment from B.C. Elections. We are both going to be working the upcoming B.C. Provincial Election. And it means we're going to have to be home three days earlier than we had planned in order for me to attend a training course. I shopped for a new trailer tire ... or three. I phoned tire dealers in Oakhurst and Fresno, and made a decision.
Occasionally Joanne and I each make our own separate dinner if one wants to eat something the other doesn't want ( her ) or can't digest ( me ). Tonight was one of those occasions. I poached myself shrimp ( purchased fresh in Mexico ) in coconut milk ( collected fresh in Mexico ) and lime juice ( squeezed fresh tonight ). MMMMM !
Tuesday ; Today was an unusual weather day. It started out sunny and warm. Joanne put supper to cook in the Sun Oven. It became cloudy and cool. She took supper out of the Sun Oven and put it into the oven in the trailer. The weather became windy and cold. And a few drops of rain fell. As the day progressed, those weather changes reversed themselves so that by sunset it was sunny and warm again. Such is springtime in the Sierra Nevadas, I guess.
My project for today was to replace the gutter spouts on the front of the trailer. The gutter spouts on both sides, at the front but not the rear, recently broke off. Plastic parts that have baked in the sun for a few years. Crisp as potato chips ! I removed the broken gutter spout on one side, then opened the package of new ones I purchased a couple of days ago at Camping World in Bakersfield. DAMN ! I carelessly selected the wrong ones ! I'll have to exchange them for the right ones at Camping World in Redding after we leave here. In the meantime ... today's gutter spout replacement project is on hold ! I puttered around with some other minor maintenance chores.
Around 4 PM Bo was driving us nuts, throwing a hissy fit about leaving for the daily dog party. Does that damn dog wear a wrist watch ? ! ? We tried to convince him that nobody was going to be in the dog park today because at that time, it was windy and cold. He didn't believe us !
I needed to go to the clubhouse to use Wi-Fi for a few minutes so we decided to take Bo along and show him that the dog park was empty. Well ... we were wrong. Guess ours wasn't the only dog throwing a 4 PM hissy fit. HA HA HA ! Bo enjoyed a brief visit and play session with his old friend Parker the Rat Terrier and his new friend Laddie the Doberman Pinscher.
We spent the entire evening watching episode after episode of an addictive reality show we hadn't seen before ; World's Worst Tenants on the Spike network.
Wednesday ; Today was sunny and warm. Why couldn't it have been like this yesterday when we wanted to use the Sun Oven ? ! ?
This morning we did an obedience session with Bo ... good dog, Bo, well done ... then headed north on Hwy. 41 through Coarsegold to Oakhurst. I refilled Lanoire with diesel ... under four bucks a gallon for the first time since we left Yuma ... then we went to buy groceries at Vons.
I bought an item I needed at CVS Pharmacy then joined Joanne at Vons. On the way back to SKP Park of the Sierras I stopped on the side of the road and ... at this point, I invoke the privilege granted by the 5th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. HA HA HA !
Big group at the daily dog party. A good time was had by all. Watched Survivor after supper. WOW ... what a brilliant twist at Tribal Council !
Thursday ; Another sunny, warm day.
One of the things I like most about SKP Park of the Sierras is that they have a large, excellently equipped, three bay maintenance garage. The maintenance people use it every morning, and it's available for use by residents ( including visitors / renters ) in the afternoons. This is where
I changed the oil on the truck by myself for the first time. And a few more times since then. Including today ! This afternoon while Joanne was doing laundry I changed the truck's oil and filter, lubricated the tie rod ends, and changed the fuel filter. First time I've changed the fuel filter on the truck by myself.
I can't get rid of this cold / flu. It's been 2½
weeks. I had a suspicion, and after doing some Internet research, I think that it is quite possible that I have what is known in Arizona and Southern California as "Valley Fever". ( Dr. Darcy ... check it out ... coccidioimycosis ) It's a fungal infection in the lungs caused by a fungus spore that gets circulated in the air during desert dust storms. It's not that uncommon in the desert southwest, particularly around Yuma, Arizona. When we get home I'll see my family doctor, but at this point in time, I probably know more about it than he does ! Northern doctors sometimes initially misdiagnose it as lung cancer ... unless if the patient steers them in the right direction, which obviously I will do. Our saxophone playing friend Ernie had Valley Fever, and suffered for more than a year until diagnosed. Made playing the saxophone pretty difficult !
We went for dinner to the Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort. They have a promotion during April ; 2-4-1 in the buffet restaurant on Thursdays. WOO-HOO ! ETYS for half price ! HA HA HA ! With that promotion, seniors' discount, player's club member discount, our bill was, including taxes ... wait for it ... $10.44 !
Friday ; Still sunny and warm.
This morning I went into Oakhurst to have the truck's front and rear differentials' fluids changed at the lubrication service business in town. I did not get it done ! Their price was outrageous and the young staff didn't really seem to know what they were doing. I will wait until we're home, then go to Great Canadian Oil Change in Penticton. They know what they're doing, they do it well, and their prices are reasonable. Before leaving Oakhurst I refilled our five gallon water jug.
Late in the afternoon we went to the dog park for our final daily dog party. After that we went to the clubhouse for Friday afternoon Happy Hour & Potluck Dinner. After dinner we sat around chatting with old and new friends while also working online, paying bills and doing e-mail.
In the evening we watched a bit of TV while I printed and reconciled our monthly MasterCard billing.
Saturday ; SKP Park of the Sierras south to Fresno then north to I-5 Rest Area near Dunnigan, California
Sunny and hot today ! This morning we prepared for departure, checked out of SKP Park of the Sierras, and headed south on Hwy. 41 to Fresno. We found our way to Discount Tire Center where I had an 11 AM appointment for the purchase and installation of three new trailer tires.
I was really annoyed to discover that the three new tires were still sitting in a Discount Tire Centers' warehouse somewhere in Fresno. Apparently they don't bring the tires to the retail store until the customer arrives < fume >. That caused a delay of about an hour < fume > ! Earlier in the week I had spoken to that store's manager to ascertain if the tires' manufacturing date codes were "fresh" enough to satisfy me. He arranged with the warehouse for three tires manufactured in the 50th week of 2012 to be put aside for me. When they finally arrived today, two had manufacturing date codes of week 8 in 2013, and one had a manufacturing date code of week 32 in 2012 !
I refused that tire < fume >. Another hour delay ! ! ! Eventually a tire arrived with the 5012 date code. And I did not discover until we stopped for the night and I was examining the tires that ... because I was rushing them so much by the time the third tire had arrived, it didn't get balanced
< FUME > ! ! ! I'll be looking for another Discount Tire Center over the next few days where I can get that tire balanced !
We found our way to a Wal-Mart in Fresno where we stopped to buy a few needed items, violating my "no Wal-Martin' on weekends" rule, but we really needed pet food, especially for Sully. He has hardly eaten anything in the last few days because of a tooth problem. We needed to get him some canned food because he won't eat dry food right now. We're worried about him !
We had a very late lunch in the trailer in the Wal-Mart parking lot, then crossed Fresno from east to west to head north on Hwy. 99. At Ripon we stopped at Flying J to refill with diesel, refill a propane tank, and adjust the air in one tire. After leaving, I realized ... DARN ... I forgot to check the new trailer tires' lug nuts with my torque wrench. At Manteca we used Hwy. 120 to cut over from Hwy. 99 to Interstate 5. We stopped at another Flying J at Lodi and I checked the lug nuts.
We had hoped to make it to Sacramento today. And with the delays at Discount Tire we thought we might not. But ... we actually made it to and through Sacramento, and stopped for the night about half an hour north of Sacramento at a rest area on the Interstate.
DSK
Sunday ; Another in a long line of sunny, hot days.
Our plan was to spend all day today preparing for departure tomorrow. That plan changed when we encountered an unexpected trailer repair that took us half a day. The day / night shade beside the dinette table window, the largest window of the trailer, broke a cord today. It seems as if we have had to restring a day / night shade in the trailer approximately once per year during the nine years we've owned this trailer. And a few years ago I learned how to do it myself, after spending too much time looking for capable repair shops all over the USA and Canada ... wherever we happened to be when a blind cord broke ... and way too much money paying for these difficult day / night shade repairs.
Joanne thought our Arizona room was an ideal place to do this repair. And I had all the necessary materials on hand. So ... we spent the afternoon restringing the large day / night shade. A four cord shade ! And, of course, removing the valance over the window and shade uncovered the need for some valance repairs as well. I used most of my day / night shade repair materials, but ... I know where to get more in Yuma, so as we depart here on Tuesday, I'll replenish those supplies so that I'll be ready for the next broken shade !
Joanne continued preparing for departure, creatively finding spaces to store things in the trailer. The ( not so ) portable solar panels fit into the back of the bedroom closet. We gave Bo a bath. Joanne thought it unacceptable to arrive in Palm Springs with a dirty dog. HA HA HA ... okay, dear ! We attended the final ice cream social of the season. Not very many people left here ! Joanne prepared a beef stew in the Sun Oven for supper, dicing up one of the sirloin steaks we bought yesterday into stewing cubes of meat.
Monday ; Well ... it fortuitously turned our rather well that we didn't travel today after all. Today was a severe desert storm, with extremely high winds, blowing sand reducing visibility to near zero, and dangerous driving conditions from here to Palm Springs.
We spent the day preparing for departure tomorrow. Working outdoors ... or walking the dog ... was like being in a sandblaster. Grit in the teeth, grit in the eyes, sandblasted face ! And for me ... an earache ! My ears can't tolerate much wind ! I often wear ear plugs because of wind. And I did today, but ... a bit too late, I guess.
Putting the snap on vinyl walls back onto the Arizona room was an extremely difficult task. Don't let anybody tell you that vinyl doesn't shrink, given enough time, sun and heat. I think we're going to have to replace a couple of the larger panels next year. Sully was snoozing on one of the two sofas in the Arizona room when I began to install the vinyl wall panels. He was not pleased with the installation of the vinyl wall panels and the consequent slow disappearance of his sunbeams.
In the dog park, behind the rear fence of the unoccupied lot next door is a lovely Cholla Cactus ( pronounced CHOYA ). In the two winter seasons that we've owned our lot here, I have tended to it while tending to my own cactus plantings behind our rear fence, because the owner of the lot next door has not been here. For both of the last two winter seasons the lot has been occupied by renters. The weight of this spring's new growth caused one of the Cholla's segmented "arms" to break off. With extreme difficulty ... OW OW OW OW OW ... ( have you ever tried to handle a Cholla ? ! ? ) I attempted today to transplant segments of Cholla behind our rear fence and in my new cactus garden along our north side yard fence. Since the plantings will receive no watering or care over the next seven months, their survival is unlikely, but ... in the "wild", segments of Cholla break off, blow around the desert, get stuck in the sand, take root and grow, so ... < shrug > .
Tuesday ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California
Today was sunny and warm, a bit windy but nowhere as bad as yesterday.
This morning as we prepared for departure our friends Larry and Carol Mae came over to say goodbye, followed shortly thereafter by Eilene, bearing fresh, home made cookies. Thank you and goodbye. Hope to see you all in the fall, especially Eilene who is ... < thinking > ... ninety-three,
I think.
We departed Kofa Ko-op, stopped at RV Connection to buy some day / night shade repair supplies, refilled with diesel at Barney's, and left Yuma, Arizona heading west on Interstate 8 into California. We stopped at Holtville to buy a couple of burritos at Holtville Taco Shop ; a machaca burrito to share for lunch and a carne asada burrito to share for supper. We have eaten Mexican food all over Mexico ( and Canada and the U.S. ), and nobody makes burritos as good ( or as large ) as those at Holtville Taco Shop. We had our machaca burrito for lunch in the trailer then went to the panaderia in Holtville. We have been there many times. Today was the last. The selections of pan dulce have diminished and the prices have risen a lot !
We left Holtville and dipsy doodled on country back roads heading north and west until we reached Hwy. 86 heading northwest to Palm Springs. As Hwy. 86 merged with Interstate 10 on the east side of Palm Springs we pulled into Spotlight 29 Casino on the south side of the freeway. We parked in their RV overnight parking lot and I napped. My stamina is still low. We went inside to explore the casino. HMMMMM ... interesting food specials. Joanne wanted to go see Fantasy Springs Casino on the other side of the freeway and compare. Okay ... we returned to the truck and trailer and drove over to Fantasy Springs. Easier said than done ! A short distance from point A to point B on California freeways isn't necessarily all that easy to navigate, especially with a big rig ! We parked at Fantasy Springs Casino and went in to explore and compare.
Fantasy Springs Casino is owned and operated by the Cabazon Indian Band. Spotlight 29 is now owned and operated by the 29 Palms Band of Mission Indians. It was originally developed and owned by Donald Trump. The two casinos are on opposite sides of the Interstate.
Okay ... here's the comparison ! The RV parking lot at Fantasy Springs was a very long distance from the casino building. We never saw any cheap, tawdry hookers at Spotlight 29 as we did at Fantasy Springs. We never saw any Native Americans snorting cocaine at Spotlight 29 as we did at Fantasy Springs ! Fantasy Springs did not have any interesting food specials. Back to Spotlight 29 we went !
We had our carne asada burrito for dinner, then I worked on the computer for awhile before going to bed early.
Wednesday ; Whew ... what a long, hot day of getting our annual Palm Springs "fix".
This morning before departing the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino where we boondocked overnight we went into the casino to have a cheap breakfast and join their player's club to get some promotional discounts at their buffet restaurant. For $2.29 each Joanne had "all you can eat" pancakes and I had "all you can eat" French toast. We joined the player's club and each received $2 off their buffet dinner today only, and a free buffet dinner anytime within the next thirty days, starting tomorrow. Guess we'll be eating at their buffet restaurant both tonight and tomorrow night, as we plan to leave Palm Springs on Friday.
We left Spotlight 29 Casino and drove west on Interstate 10 from the east side of Palm Springs to the west side, and then north across the freeway into Desert Hot Springs, to Caliente Springs RV Resort. We registered, got set up in a site, unhitched the truck from the trailer, and at noon headed off for a long day of indulging ourselves in Palm Springs shopping. For Joanne that meant shopping at every upscale thrift store from the west side of Palm Springs, all the way down Hwy. 111 through the city over to the east side of Palm Springs.
"Upscale thrift store" seems like an oxymoron, but if you've ever been to Palm Springs you would know it's not. The thrift stores we shopped at today were selling, amongst other things ... baby grand pianos, tuxedoes, golf carts, home furnishings with four figure price tags. We bought a lot of clothing and kitchenware and linens.
My Palm Springs shopping indulgence was ... Trader Joe's, an upscale, exotic and gourmet food store. We spent a lot of money impulse buying food items that simply aren't available elsewhere ; things like sweet potato bisque, ten minute / quick cook bulgur, chicken and sweet potato dog treats, smoked sardines.
We also shopped at PetsMart for Sully's Glucosamine treats that we can't get in Canada, and at Wal-Mart. By the time we got back to Spotlight 29 Casino for dinner, it was 8 PM. Tonight's theme in the buffet restaurant was "Mexican". MMMMM ! After eating for an hour we left, heading west on I-10 again. We stopped to refill with diesel at the "suburb" of Thousand Palms.
As I was barrelling down I-10 in the dark at 70 MPH ... a little white dog stepped off the shoulder onto the road in front of me ! YIKES ! Heavy traffic, no room to move over, car beside me,
I squeezed over as much as possible as I slammed on the brakes. Probably scared the bejeezus out of the driver of the car beside me ! I did not hit the dog ! I pulled over onto the shoulder, stopped, and dangerously backed up in the dark with traffic whizzing by me at 70 MPH ! Another car stopped. The woman driver of the other car, and Joanne and I tried to catch the little dog, now scampering around just off the side of the road. We couldn't catch it, but we did chase it back into the desert away from the highway, hopefully scaring it enough to discourage it from attempting to cross the freeway again. I hope !
Thursday ; Wonderfully sunny and hot.
WHEW ... day two of our annual Palm Springs fix ! So much shopping ... so little time ! HA HA HA ! This morning I went out by myself to Blair Station RV Supplies, a small, local RV parts dealer who usually has the most obscure parts that I need and can't find anywhere else. Once again, Mr. Blair came through for me ! WOO-HOO ... thank you ! I returned to Caliente Springs RV Resort, picked up Joanne, and we headed into Desert Hot Springs. While Joanne browsed at Angel View, a thrift store in Desert Hot Springs I sat on a very comfortable sofa near the front of the store, waiting and ... watching the thrift store drama. HA HA HA ... I never knew that the dynamics within a thrift store have more drama than any soap opera. It was captivating ! I didn't want to leave when Joanne was ready. HA HA HA HA HA !
Will the psychiatrically disabled transgendered black lady with the corn rowed hair and male pattern baldness buy anything today ? She says she is going to but ... < insert ominous music here > ... does she have any money ? Will the old homeless man who carries his credit score papers around in a binder finally get a date with the thrift store supervisor, the Hispanic lady that's about 30 years younger than him, is a foot taller than him, and outweighs him by about 75 pounds ? Or ... < insert more ominous music here > ... will she gently and kindly blow him off yet again ? Stay tuned ... for scenes from tomorrow's episode of .... Angel View Lives and Loves. HA HA HA HA HA !
Next stop was Glossy, the Desert Hot Springs swim wear store that always has a great selection of mastectomy bathing suits, and at reasonable prices. Joanne shops every year at Glossy. And as usual, she bought herself another bathing suit there today. On the way back to Caliente Springs RV Resort I stopped at AutoZone to buy a fuel filter for the truck. Next week while at SKP Park of the Sierras I am going to change the truck's oil and oil filter, and fuel filter.
We had lunch then went to "take the waters" in Caliente Springs RV Resort's hot mineral pool and swimming pool. The therapeutic hot mineral water comes out of the ground and into the mineral pool. From there it flows to the huge, free form swimming pool where it cools. From the swimming pool it flows to the ornamental pools and fountains around the property, and then it's used to irrigate the landscaping. Good use of the resource ! After our time in the pools we took Bo to the resort's dog park where he played for an hour or so with many dogs while we chatted with their owners.
Around 6 PM we headed for downtown Palm Springs for Village Fest. Every Thursday evening from 6 PM to 10 PM Palm Springs main downtown street is closed to vehicular traffic for ten blocks or so and it becomes a huge pedestrian mall filled with vendors of all sorts of foods, arts, crafts, performing musicians, etc. We've been to Village Fest a few times in the past, but realized today that it must have always been in late November. Palm Springs and Village Fest are both much nicer in mid-April than late November. We intend to plan our future visits to Palm Springs in the spring. We wandered the entire length of Village Fest, but our only purchase today was three very fresh artichokes. MMMMM !
From downtown we drove all the way back to Spotlight 29 Casino to use our coupons for free buffet dinners. < BURP > Excuse me ! Tonight's "theme" was prime rib. On our way "home" we refilled with diesel again at Valero in Thousand Palms.
Friday ; Palm Springs to I-5 Rest Area near Lebec, California
I "lagged" a bit this morning during preparations for departure. My cold / flu is mostly over but ...
I have a lingering cough and "run down" feeling.
We departed Caliente Springs RV Resort about 11 AM, drove across Desert Hot Springs, and turned north on Hwy. 62 at Guide Dogs Of The Desert where we had a disastrous workcamping experience about ... < thinking > ... six years ago. Still have a sour taste in my mouth ! And vowed to never do another workcamping job. The only good thing to come of that experience was it introduced us to the Palm Springs area.
We travelled north and east on Hwy. 62 to Yucca Valley, then turned onto Hwy. 247 heading north then west to Hwy. 18 at Lucerne Valley. Our route today was a bit less than direct because of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to avoid. We were headed for the California Poppy Preserve at Antelope Valley and we wanted to avoid Los Angeles.
At Lucerne Valley we got onto Hwy. 18 to Apple Valley and Victorville. If California had armpits, they'd be Apple Valley and Victorville. Did I just type that out loud ? ! ? HA HA HA ! We stopped to have lunch in a shopping mall parking lot in Apple Valley. Our route took us slightly east and north of Los Angeles. We drove south on Interstate 15 for just a couple of miles to get back onto Hwy. 18 heading west. Hwy. 18 became Hwy. 138. At Palmdale we turned north on Hwy. 14, then just after Lancaster turned west on Hwy. 138 again to the California Poppy Preserve on the slopes of the northern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
We were so looking forward to seeing the miles and miles of poppy fields blooming again, having seen them a few years ago. HUH ? ? ? Miles and miles of ... high desert sagebrush ? ? ? WHAT ? ? ? ! ! ! Where the hell are the poppies ? ! ? We're a week or two later than we were a few years ago coming through this area. You mean ... the poppy blooming season is that short ? ! ? We missed the "window" ? ! ? HMPH ! ! !
We continued westbound on Hwy. 138. An oncoming Ford dually hit a squirrel right in front of us. DAMN ! The squirrel was lying on the road, twitching severely. I slammed on the brakes, pulled over, and walked back with my tire thumper bat to end its suffering. I hate having to do that ! By the time I reached it, it had died. Thank goodness !
When we reached Interstate 5 we turned north. We refilled with diesel at the Flying J near Frazier Park, then pulled into the rest area near Lebec, about a mile north of the Flying J. Nice place to spend the night. We've been here before. California has nice Interstate rest areas.
Saturday ; I-5 Rest Area near Lebec to Coarsegold, California
Usually we get a relatively early start to our travel days after boondocking overnight. But not today ! I'm still coughing ! I'm still "run down" ! Can't get out of bed in the mornings !
We headed north on I-5 to Bakersfield. We stopped at Camping World in Bakersfield to buy a couple of items. I certainly do buy a lot of RV repair items, don't I ? ! ?
We continued northbound on I-5 until it split, then north on Hwy. 99. We were planning to have lunch and buy groceries at Vallarta in Tulare. Vallarta is a large Mexican supermarket that we're fond of. Just before Tulare I pulled into a roadside rest area just to check if it had a trailer dump station, for future reference. < sigh > I discovered a trailer tire had exploded, the third blowout on the trailer this season. We had lunch in the trailer then changed the tire. Hard work in the hot sun, especially when already feeling weak and tired ! Joanne thinks I should have considered using our emergency roadside service. Are you kidding me ? ? ? Real men don't use emergency roadside service for flat tires, no matter how big the vehicle, even when ill ! ! !
We drove on to Tulare and did our grocery shopping at Vallarta. It's interesting and amusing to find Mexican "culture" alive and well in America. One of the very annoying ( to us gringos ) Mexican habits is the practice of never removing signage, no matter how redundant it may be. We shopped at Vallarta in Tulare about a year and a half ago, on one of its first days of business after opening. Today ... the "Grand Opening" banners are still flying on the front of the store. The only way that one can be sure that it's not really "Grand Opening" time is because the banners are so very tattered and torn ! Just like in Mexico ! ! !
We continued north on Hwy. 99. At Fresno we took Hwy. 41 north up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains towards Yosemite National Park. We reached ... and passed SKP Park of the Sierras, continuing on to Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort about a mile beyond the Escapee RV park. We wanted to boondock overnight at the casino, mostly so that we could go to the free comedy show tonight. As the comedy show host said ... "free is good !" And it's actually easier to boondock overnight at the casino than to arrive at the Escapee park after hours and spend the night in their boondock area.
The comedy show was good ! Especially the Mexican "headliner". Very funny Latino pope jokes ! Over the heads of some old white folks who've never been to Mexico / never ate in a Mexican restaurant / know nothing about Mexico or Mexicans, and obviously aren’t Catholic ! HA HA HA ! "Well ... we're going to be here all night if I have to explain the jokes". HA HA HA HA HA !
DSK
Easter Sunday ; Still sunny and hot. This morning I did an obedience session with Bo before climbing up onto the trailer roof to continue doing resealing / repairs to the many long cracks in the edge of the trailer's roof on the south side. Some of that cracking might be due to hitting a lot of low hanging trees while driving on a tree lined boulevard in Culiacan, Mexico a couple of months ago.
Immediately after having lunch we left to go shopping at Arizona Market Place, the nearby large flea market. Usually at the end of March many vendors are selling their wares deeply discounted, some as much as fifty percent off. Not this year ! We walked throughout the entire market and bought only a few items. We bumped into our friends Lynn and Micha while shopping. I refilled Lanoire with diesel on our way home. The price of diesel continues to decline.
After returning home I got up on the trailer roof again to continue working on repairs. I finished repairing the cracks ... I think. We went to the Sunday early evening ice cream social. Not many people left in the park. We visited with a couple that will be working this summer in Omak, Washington, not very far from us in Keremeos, BC.
We had a late supper while watching Amazing Race. Joanne made a Moroccan stew in the Sun Oven. OH ... discard that new recipe !
Monday ; Very ill today with cold / flu ... or ? Spent almost entire day in bed sleeping and occasionally reading a bit. Got up briefly to be sociable for dinner with Joanne's friend Eilene.
Tuesday ; Still very ill with strange cold / flu like illness. Somehow managed to muster up enough energy late in the afternoon to get out of bed and climb up on trailer to wash roof, a long overdue annual task that I hate and have been procrastinating doing. Roof repairs were good excuse to procrastinate. In hindsight ... shouldn't have attempted this job at this time. Too sick !
Wednesday ; Finally managed to get a hold of a*****e American claims agent of Mexican insurance company. Have been trying for a month ! ! ! Hope the a*****e reads my blog so he knows what I think of him !
Still pretty ill. Discovered a slow leak in a truck tire so ... < sigh > ... with assistance from Joanne
I changed the tire. After lunch we drove to Pep Boys to get the tire fixed. They refused to fix the tire claiming that it was "too worn" to be fixed. How convenient. I wonder if it would have been "too worn" if I hadn't been using a voucher for a free tire repair ? ! ? Not to worry. This is Yuma, Arizona. I drove to Angel's Llantera. Angel ( pronounced ANN HELL ) is a Mexican, obviously. There's no such thing as a tire that's "too worn" from Angel's perspective. BUT ... he was unable to find a leak in the tire. HMMMM ... must be the valve extender that's leaking. I will check the tire's pressure again tomorrow, and if there's no change, then I'll install the valve extender and check it again a day later.
Carol Mae just came by ( at 4 PM ) to advise me ... with tears in her eyes ... that the six puppies we rescued and took to the Humane Society on Saturday have been euthanized. You mean ... I've got three bite wounds for nothing ? ! ? < sigh > Oh, well ... at least they didn't die a slow death of dehydration out in the desert.
Because I'm ill my plans for the last few days have been altered, including today's planned trip to Los Algodones has been postponed. SO ... our departure date will also have to be postponed. We were planning to leave Yuma on Sunday, but now it will be Monday at the earliest, maybe even later.
By supper time I had received, by e-mail, the insurance claim amount that the Mexican insurance company will be paying us for the Guasave accident damages. It's ... generous ! Too bad their American agent is such an a*****e !
For supper I cooked some of the lovely scallops we got in Kino Bay, Mexico. Holy mackerel ... chef Gordon Ramsay would not approve ! They were the texture of ... according to my wife ... like chewing on pantyhose waistband. HMPH ... I wouldn’t know. I’ve never chewed on pantyhose waistband. Well ... at least not since the early 70’s ! HA HA HA ! Fortunately, Sully loooooves rubbery scallops. HA HA HA HA HA !
Thursday ; Getting tired of being ill !
This morning we went shopping to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Today all clothing items were one dollar. Bought a bunch of shirts and shorts.
This afternoon I remounted the spare tire under the truck, and reinstalled the valve extenders, wheel liner, and hub cap on the recently changed tire. I determined that the slow leak was caused by a malfunctioning valve extension.
In the evening I prepared the documents I need to send to the Mexican insurance company to get my claim paid.
I'm frustrated by my current low energy level and lack of stamina.
Friday ; My cold / flu ... or whatever it is ... has progressed, from a head cold to a chest cold. That's actually an improvement. No more headache, stuffy sinuses, etc. And I feel less weak.
This morning we headed to The Foothills to run shopping errands. Priority was the last visit of the season to Al's RV Service & Supplies on their final 15% off day of the season. Next stop was the Post Office to buy postage and send mail to the Mexican insurance company. Hope there's a cheque waiting for us when we get home at the end of the month. We stopped at a "park & hope" sales lot to look at a few old park models for sale. We're beginning to collect ideas for the future of our lot here at Kofa Ko-op. Final stop in The Foothills area was Fry's where I sat in the customer lounge and used free Wi-Fi while Joanne shopped for groceries. As is often the case the Wi-Fi at Kofa Ko-op has been unusable for the last few days.
From The Foothills we drove west on Interstate 8 all the way across Yuma and across the Colorado River into California. WOO-HOO ... date shakes at Sun Gardens in Bard ! After a morning of being left to wait repeatedly in a hot truck, Bo was very excited about date shakes ! After having our final date shakes of the season for lunch we bought some dates to take home as gifts. And some "munchies" for the road !
Back at home, after a brief nap, I used the new back flush valve device I bought today to back flush the kitchen and bathroom grey tanks. Joanne began the arduous task of sorting and packing for departure. Thus winter we bought much more to take home than we usually do ; large TV, printer, large propane tank, solar panels, tools, lots of "home accessories" for our new park model home back at Riverside RV Park Resort in Keremeos. Don't know how / where we're going to pack it all to get it home !
Saturday ; Another in a long string of sunny, hot days.
It was our hope this morning that I would have sufficient strength and stamina to be able to go to Los Algodones, a trip postponed from Wednesday. We did some easy morning chores, had an early lunch at home, then headed off to Mexico.
It was a long, hot, tiring afternoon. With a long line up to get back across the border into the US. Spring break ! Damn ! We started by walking all the way through town to Safari Veterinary Farmacia to buy some heartworm medication for Bo. Whew ! Hot and dusty, long walk through town. Bought a Diet Coke to drink in one direction, and a Mirinda ( like Orange Crush ) in the other direction. Went for haircuts. Our regular hairstylist, Fabiola, only works Monday to Friday, so today we had haircuts by Maribel. Five dollars for a haircut for Joanne, three dollars for a haircut, beard trim, and eyebrow trim for me. Why are men's haircuts cheaper ? Found a new panaderia. Bought some pan dulce, but not much as we will be at a panaderia in Holtville in a few days when we leave Yuma, probably on Monday. Joanne bought some of her favourite Zuko drink mixes, like a Mexican version of Kool-Aid or Crystal Light, I guess. We bought lots of Mexican chocolate bars and a bottle of rompope ( Mexican egg cream liqueur, kind of like Bailey's ), the nut flavoured version that Joanne prefers.
The line up at the border was 45 minutes. Seemed a lot longer than that, thanks to the obnoxious drunk from Alabama behind us in line. Bo, if I were you, I’d hide the fact that I was from Alabama. Nothing but rednecks and drunks, sometimes one and the same. We drove back to Yuma, stopping at Rally’s for a milkshake on our way to Albertson’s to do some grocery shopping. WOW ... sirloin steaks, buy one get two free. Good deal ! Got a freezer full of steaks now !
Back at home I did some trip planning before cooking myself some scallops over pasta for supper. No more scallops for Joanne ! Once was enough for her ! My attempt at cooking scallops today was better than the last one, my first time cooking scallops, but ... still not up to chef Gordon Ramsay’s standards yet.
DSK
