Tag Archives: poetry

Day 160 – Friday – Harris Beach State Park Brookings

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I took Max for a long walk this morning and didn’t get a drop of rain on me. Now that we’re almost ready to wrap things up here in Eureka, it’s raining again but it’s OK. I’m almost immune to getting wet and worrying about it. The key word here is “almost”. I’m not a fan of having rain pouring off a roof, down my neck. Makes me very cold just thinking about it.

The trip up Hwy 101 was very nice and actually beautiful. The sky was clear, it didn’t rain and traffic was sparse. Pretty much a perfect travel day. We got to our evening stop between 2-3 pm and Max was excited to be parked. While I worked on setting things up, Diane tethered him to the picnic table and when I gave him an option to get in the bus he just laid down. That’s “no” in Max’s language. I understand. It was very pretty out and he’s been couped up for a few hours.

About halfway here we stopped at a Rest Area and made PB&J sandwiches. I also ate two carrots. It was a good lunch. Eating lite like that made it easy to plan for a big supper in town.

After a brief search we settled on Catalyst Seafood. I dished up Max’s dinner then we headed down to the restaurant. It was a good choice. Diane had fish and chips and I had a crab salad with a bowl of chowder.

After we got back, I took Max for an extra-long walk because he deserved it. We made a circuit of the A loop stopped about a hundred times to analyze the bouquet of odors assaulting his nostrils. He’s very serious about things his nose tells him.

Here’s the view from Harris Beach State Park Space #20. It’s very stunning. There’s even a southern exposure so Dish works perfectly.

Here’s something fun. Did I mention that the light fixture in the bedroom leaks? Yup, when it rains, it drips. One more thing to fix one of these days. It’s a 12VDC light so I’m not too concerned about it. I think I know how the water’s getting in but I’m not going to investigate it until we get home.

Another interesting bit of info is that I’m pretty sure I cracked a rib this morning when I sneezed. For some reason I tried to suppress it and I was bent a little in the wrong direction. Consequently, when the sneeze happened anyway, I was subjected to an extremely painful stab in my back, left side. The pain actually went all the way around, under my left arm and across my chest. It was explosive. Since then, I cannot take a deep breath without recreating the pain. Neither can I blow my nose, or cough without severe pain. If I’m not careful about how I move my arm, like reach for something quickly, it feels like something is not connected properly and I get the pain again. In between those bouts of pain there is no pain, and I forget that it will happen again if I’m not careful. And, I always forget that it’s going to hurt again. I need a chiropractor. Until then, I’m just going to do a lot of sucking in my breath from the pain when I forget. I don’t know, yet, if I can lay down without moaning a little.

Time to stop so I will leave you with our first Oregon sunset since last summer.

Day 150 – Tuesday – North to Tehachapi

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Tehachapi, California is only about 93 miles from Barstow and is the home of two of the largest wind farms in the country. I know that’s true because I believe everything I read on the internet. You can confirm this claim by checking the above link.

It is currently 0800s hours and the base bugle has alerted everyone that it’s time to get to work. Thinking about that made me realize that I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned the bugle calls that echo off the buildings and hills surrounding every military base we’ve inhabited. It’s so routine that I never considered it interesting. For those of you who have never been on a military base when the bugler is at work, perhaps you might enjoy this bit of news.

The most common bugle calls are Reveille, Retreat, and Taps. These calls are broadcast electronically on the base so everyone can hear them. In a nutshell, reveille gets you up in the morning at sunrise, retreat signals sunset, and taps signals the end of the day at 2100 hours. Please check the link for specifics about each call, if you wish. It’s quite a tradition. One that’s hard to forget.

The drive to Tehachapi on Highway 58 was uneventful and we easily found our new campground. All we had to do was follow the instructions provided by our handy dandy GPS. It new exactly where to go.

It’s a small park and we were the 4th unit to arrive. We’ve been here a few hours now and only two other units have checked in. So, it’s almost like we’re here alone. There is no sewer, so I hooked up just the power (50 amp) and called it good. We found it interesting that there is a lot of snow all around us. The elevation is just under 4500 feet so I probably shouldn’t be surprised. We’re in a small valley and in the distance, on the snow-covered hills there are dozens of windmills spinning for our evening enjoyment. Not true, of course. They are spinning to churn out megawatts of power for the masses. I may have stated in a previous post that there are two wind farms in this area that are the largest in the country. As we got closer to our destination, the wind farm revealed itself.

We drove around in front of the farm you can see, then wound up going through farm to the other side.

Once we made it around the hill on our right, our campground was very close. When we got parked, the other side of the hill became the view from the RV.

I expanded the above photo so you can get a better look at the other side.

The dark strips running across the field are runways for an airport that’s off to the right. Just little planes. When we checked in, the young lady (London) who greeted us said to go all the way to the back, but don’t drive in the field because that’s our runway. So, I didn’t drive in the field. But, when I took Max for a walk out there after getting things settled, he promptly pooped demonstrating how unimpressed he is about snow. He’s seen snow before. Once. He wasn’t impressed the first time, either. I would love to find a snowbank big enough to toss him in and see how unimpressed that makes him. We talked about his ho hum response so far and think once he experiences it in his own back yard it will be more fun.

I’m sitting on the sofa facing the starboard windows and saw this as the sun was going down.

I know. It’s a little repetitious, but still worth another look.

Now we rest. We’re here just one night then it’s on to NAS Lemoore.

Cheers.

Day 121 – Monday – Prepping to Move On

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Today was supposed to be the beginning of our trip north. Some of it got done, some didn’t. Most importantly, we visited Lazy Days RV We Fix Everything That Is Wrong With Your RV, or more simply Lazy Days RV WFETIWWYRV, Place. All we want them to do is drain the bus’s radiator and refill it with the proper amount and mixture of coolant. At this time the engine is being cooled with mostly tap water. The reason? Mostly because I’m lazy, and I forget that it needs to be addressed. Some of you may remember the Great Catastrophe I created in Nevada a couple of years ago where the bus overheated and I foolishly took the radiator cap off before the engine cooled down. It was pretty exciting for some of us. Had it not been for the quick thinking of our travel partners I would have been scarred for life, literally. Because of them, although I had been drenched head to toe in boiling hot water, I have no scars. But that’s a story already told. If it interest you, there’s a post about it somewhere in the past.

The visit to Lazy Days was to arrange a visit so they could rectify my neglect and hopefully resolve our overheating issue when we drive up long hills. Diane had the brilliant idea to make our first stop after leaving the Bone Yard, a place that could fix it. So, now we have an appointment on January 8, 2025, to do just that. When done, we’ll hook up the car and buzz on up to Luke AFB in Phoenix. Lazy Days is conveniently located just a few miles away, close to I-10 that will lead us north. It’s really nice to have a partner like Diane. Everyone should be so lucky. Thank you, my Love.

After making those arrangements, we stopped by Culver’s to pick up something for lunch. I had shrimp and Diane had Halibut. We took it home to eat.

Two other tasks on my list was to call the Family Camp at MCAF 29 Palms and beg for a place to park next month. That didn’t happen because I forgot until too late. Now we must wait until next year to make those arrangements.

Lastly, I was to call Hudson Garbage Services and discover why we have a credit on our account. This has happened before. The reason is because, for some there were times when it seemed right to pay them every month, like a normal bill. But, Hudson only requires payment every OTHER month. There have been times when we’ve had over $500 credit because of this. Diane called it our Hudson Garbage Savings Plan. You’d think I would learn, right?

After that, the day should have peacefully into the sunset. But, it didn’t.

When Diane was neck deep in laundry, something I normally help with, I was called by one of our neighbors to help install her new TV. Once that was done we had to hook the TV up to the Bone Yard WiFi. Then she needed help getting her car off base so it could be towed to the closest Honda dealer for repair. All of this resulted in Diane doing all the laundry by herself.

Finally, we wound up back at our bus to greet the evening with some downtime. She certainly earned hers. Me, not so much. I had this guilt complex about not sticking around to do my job. I suspect I’ll get over it eventually. Maybe by the time we pull anchor and sail off to Lazy Days on the 8th.

I have no photos to share about all that happened today but here’ one from December 19, 2016 that’d kinda cool. It’s Diane’s 38th birthday cake.

Isn’t she lovely?

Be safe.

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 114 – Monday – Laundry (again)Today

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After a chilly start, this day turned out to be almost like summer in Oregon. We took our laundry up the street to our very own laundromat and sat outside the bus soaking up the sun while the machines did the work. It’s just a short walk – about 100 feet, or so. Maybe even shorter. I’ll have to measure it the next time I make that trip to ensure I’m giving you correct information. I know all of you rely on me for valid information, right?

Yesterday we were going to take a trip to Green Valley to visit with Roberta, my cousin. I’ve talked with her on the phone a couple of times recently and she figured we haven’t seen each other for about 60 years. Yes, 60 years. So, Diane and I were primed for the visit. Sadly, on Friday, our neighbors here in the Bone Yard told us that we’ve been exposed to COVID and needed to quarantine for a week or so. It was good to know so we don’t show up at Roberta’s and spread the good news to her. I called her right away to delay our visit just to make sure we keep it away. So far Diane and I are fine, but Pat and Laurie next door have a pretty nasty case of this critter. Diane and I have had all the vaccines so aren’t concerned about coming down with the virus.

Last night, right after it got dark, Max jumped up to his window, the one next to the driver’s seat, and went ballistic, barking at something running by the RV. Shortly after that we could hear the coyotes howling very close to us. So, technically, Max saved my life by letting me know it wasn’t a good idea to go outside. Actually, I had no intention to go outside anyway, but it was still good to have him warn me.

Now I must do some catching up on stuff that happened previously. Most important was Diane’s birthday lunch at Mama Louisa’s.

Sarah, our waitress, took our picture to commemorate this moment.

Diane had ravioli’s drenched in pesto sauce and she swooned on almost every bite. I guess she really liked them. I was very happy about that.

I was looking forward to some spaghetti ala carbonara but that’s not a menu item. I really like that stuff. But I settled for giant prawns, gently warmed in a buttery lemony concoction, and lovingly placed in a bowl of linguini. It was pretty awesome as a substitute. For some reason I didn’t take a picture of my meal which is unusual. I almost always take a picture of my food, even at home. I did, however, get one of the tiramisù that Diane got for getting older. It was pretty good, too.

The candle was lit when it arrived, and Diane blew it out before the shot. She put the candle back but we didn’t have any matches to relight the candle so you’ll have to squint a little and visualize a flame on the candle so you can enjoy the original effect.

I’ll end this with a photo of Diane’s snowman collection that she’s accumulated since we’ve been here. She finds them in the thrift stores and I gotta say they are pretty cute sitting there on the printer.

Yes, there’s a reindeer in there with a snow globe, and he’s cute, too.

We pray that all is well with you. Peace and Joy to you and your families during this blessed season.

Day 110 – Thursday – Christmas Concert

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Tomorrow is Diane’s 78th birthday so we’re going to celebrate by decorating our tree and other stuff. It’s a small tree and it won’t take long to cover it with ornaments. Currently it’s outside letting the flocking odor escape. She wants to tweak the branches a bit before adding ornaments. When done, we will move it inside. This way there’s less chance of flock flying around inside where Max might decide to taste it. So, we’ll decorate it outside. The move should be interesting.

For this day, her chosen activity was to stay up late, drive do the heart of downtown Tucson, join a couple hundred strangers and enjoy a couple of hours listening to a string quartet Candlelite Christmas Concert.

According to Veronica (our GPS) the Scottish Rite Cathedral was only 15 minutes away, but we didn’t want to take any chance of being late. The doors closed at 2100 and would not be opened for late comers. We made it in time and surprisingly found a parking spot only a couple of blocks away.

There was a long line of people waiting to get in when we got there.

This is the Red Room of the Cathedral. For the concert, the floor was filled with chairs and chairs were also placed on the first level of the risers on either side. They were angled toward the stage. We were seated on the first riser on the right with a perfect view of the stage. Diane picked them and she made an excellent choice.

Here we are in our assigned seats. When Diane saw this photo she said, “you should smile more.” This is just the way I look when I’m concentrating, and I concentrate a lot.

These are the candles that littered the risers next to us.

This was our view of the stage.

In case you were wondering about the candles, they were all battery powered, but very realistic. I know they weren’t real but I had to stick my finger in the fake flame of the candle under my chair to make sure. It didn’t hurt at all.

When the music was finished, we sat while everyone else filed out. The candles were the only light in the room throughout the performance. There were hundreds of them around the room and it was quite stunning. A nice young lady took this photo and I’m smiling because I didn’t have to concentrate. I just had to stand there with the love of my life, right where I belong.

Once outside it was a leisurely walk back to the car for our ride home.

Max was happy to see us and I took him for a walk before we retired for the night. He knows the routine.

It was another really good day with an excellent ending.

Day 63 – Saturday – Couch Potato vs. Thrift Stores

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You all have one guess as to who did what. Tic tock tic tock tic tock.

OK, time’s up. You’re all wrong. Diane was the couch potato today. I went thrift storing.

Diane stayed home and watched all the football games I was interested in while I went shopping and made an honest attempt to purchase things I know she would like. For instance, in one store I spent a couple of hours sitting on a couch going through a large box of Christmas cards, picking out the really cute ones I knew she’d like. I also found a couple of really nice shirts for her, and a really handy little cooler. I didn’t get anything for myself.

Diane’s main goal was to watch the Oregon vs. Michigan game so she could fill me in on what happened. Unfortunately, she fell asleep before half time so missed a pretty good game. Thankfully, it was set to record so I was able to watch it after I got home.

She didn’t even wake up when I returned and that was OK. She’s having difficulty sleeping about every other night. Usually, it’s because Max sleeps crossways on the bed. That never bothers me because I generally don’t sleep well anyway. That’s why I crave naps in the daylight hours but rarely get one.

After a brief respite upon returning home, I cooked dinner. Diane suggested hamburgers, our go to meal when in doubt. They were pretty good. We even had good fries using our handy dandy little air fryer.

After dinner I took Max for his evening walk, and he got to visit with Ally for a bit. They’re great friends.

Ally belongs to Dawn, the legs on the left below. The legs on the right belong to Linda.

We whiled away the evening watching fun things on TV. Then, all the sudden, it was bedtime again.

Max

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Just got my hair done and need an opinion about the style. I think it’s a little too curly for my rugged nature.

Found a new series on Paramount + that you might like. I plan to binge watch it the next time I’m left alone for a while. Of course, one of my humans will have to dial it up before they leave because I have a real problem with remotes – there are three of them. Maybe if I hold a pencil in my teeth, I could push just one button at a time. Yeah! That might work!

I can do this all day. She’ll cave and put the plate on the floor eventually.

I got to meet some new humans the other day, Brian, Kelly, and Annie. I think they’re related to my primaries in some way. They just showed up in our driveway the other day. I don’t know why, and no one told me they were coming. I’m apparently out of the loop about this stuff.

This is Brian, Kelly, and Me.

And this is Annie, and Diane. You already know Diane. She’s the other primary human I live with.

Sadly, my other primary human, who takes all the photos, didn’t put a lot of thought into getting a photo of all three of them together. How dumb is that? I think he’s getting really old. I heard the other day that he’s like 560 years old in dog years.

Maybe he’ll remember next time.