Thinking of our Mom today

We're thinking of our dear Mom today, with love and much gratitude for her kind and accepting spirit and for all the fond memories of wonderful times we got to spend together.   

Dodge RAM 1500's +EVR gas nozzle stuck in gas fill

 With or without towing an RV - driving in the US can be a challenge. Perhaps one of the most frustrating situations occurs in California for owners of Dodge Ram 1500's (2015-19). These poor folks (yours truly included) can spend up to an hour trying to pry, twist or pull the gas nozzle out of their fueling port each time they stop to fill up at a station using EVR gas nozzles. Those are the ones with a hard rubber bellows covering the nozzle (designed, they say, to prevent the escape of unwanted vapors). These nozzles are used throughout southern California and perhaps other places too.

That happened to me twice... and then I got mad... mad enough to figure out what the problem was and how to fix it.  The problem wasn't the angle of the gas fill neck (as discussed in the owners' forums) and it wasn't just bad luck. Seems the top of the fuel fill neck (on 2015-19 models) has a lip and the rubber EVR nozzle catches on that lip when you try to remove it after filling up. Determined to never get 'stuck' again, I experimented with a few possible solutions and came up with a simple to use and easy to store fixer. I call it the RAMJAM BUSTER.

No more hours spent in blazing heat or pouring rain trying to pry the gas nozzle out with your fingers or a screw driver. No more missed appointments and no more angst as you try to find a gas station without the confounding EVR gas nozzles.

If you, or anyone you know, has a 2015-19 Dodge RAM 1500 and would like to know more about this fix - please contact me at ramjambuster@gmail.com.  Thanks.

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PS: As you've probably figured out, we're back from our camping trip.  While the trip did not unfold as we had envisioned, all parties are home safe and sound.  We're now in 'fall mode' which involves preparing home, gardens and toys for the upcoming fall and winter.  And, yes, we're going to head south again... and looking forward to it. Bye for now.. CJ

Sweet mornings

>

Ahhh, peaceful evening

But it didn't start out that way. We started the day by deciding to flee our neighbours in our previous (and initial) site. She seemed OK; he was also ok but had to use a collar, a leash and a heavy shoulder harness to try to control their 100 pound, one year old, totally unsocialized (to the point of terrifying poor Maddie) large male (Grand Pyrenese)canine. Very unpleasant.

Luckily the new 'dry' site (which means no power or water) we were moving to on Friday was available today so we opted to move early.

There began the trials and tribulations of what could have been simple but grew more complicated by the minute attempt to situate dear Lucy (the trailer) with a perfect view at the same time as she would be easy to pull around and tow out when the time came.

That is NOT what happened! Let me just say that one and a half hours of too ing and fro ing (with 4-6" to spare in either direction), some not so gentle language, and reminders of how important a sense of humour is at times like these… we finally dragged poor Lucy out of the conflagration we had accidentally created and then backed her into place. Now, how hard was that!

Just realized I forgot to mention.., we're camping at Cumberland Lake for a week and hoping to dust off our fly rods. 'Nuff said.

Hope all is well with each of you and your sense of humour is in tact and ready to face any challenge. Ttfn. CJ

Miracles do happen …

 Picture this if you dare...  we've just arrived from a lovely day-sail (the first from our 'new' slip which is another story).  It's been a great day and we're unloading the boat; Kathy handing things off and I on the dock receiving and stacking them. As I lean down to pick up a bag I notice something sparkling up at me in the water. 'What's that? I ponder as I watch it descend.  THAT was when I noticed my bare naked baby finger on my left hand.  The very finger I'd left my irreplaceable, gold and engraved, one of a kind, just had it fitted so I could start wearing it.... retirement ring! To say I was devastated is an understatement, particularly as I watched it sparkle and twinkle its way out of sight as it disappeared into the depths below our boat (about 30' deep and dark). 

There was nothing I could do.  There was no one to blame.  The odds of ever seeing it again were 'slim to none'. Between tidal changes and the related currents AND the silt and slime all over the bottom of the bay, there was no way I'd ever see it again. Yes, I was devastated, may have even shed a tear.

Well, the end of that day (two days ago) was ruined and I slumped home with a very heavy heart. I did leave a message for our diver (Terry) and of course, being a long weekend, he wasn't home. Now, with another day gone (with four separate tidal changes in each 24 hours) all hope was lost.  BUT, to his credit Terry did return my call late last night (Tuesday) and agreed with me there was very little hope... but, he would come to the boat this morning at 0800.

I met him there, and as he donned his scuba gear we both agreed, there was no way the ring would be recovered.  I showed him exactly where it had gone down and that I recalled there was minimal current at the time but, if it had drifted, it would have drifted towards the boat and not under the dock.  

He was only down there two minutes.  He surfaced and called to me to come and bring steady hands.  YES, he had found it! He said it sparkled at him as soon as he got down there and it was only about 18" from where it had gone in. So, I might have leaked a tear again and I thanked him profusely. We both agreed this was a day to buy a lottery ticket (which I have done). 

So, my friends, I can only conclude that Miracles Do Happen! and I have had the good fortune to be the recipient of one; a miracle I will never forget. While I'm not sure if I'll try wearing the ring again, I will cherish it for life.  That's my story for today. Thanks for letting me tell it.  I am a happy girl !

PS:  a photo of the 'sparkling' ring is below, or above depending on where my computer decides to put it,

Hope you are all having good days, some with miracles, and enjoying our warm late summer.  CJ





Sent from my iPhone

We sailed, we swam, we sweltered, we're home...

The Salish Sea is a magnificent body of water, and for my entire sailing life (since I was two, according to family photos) it has posed a challenge in at least one direction on every Strait-crossing cruise. I tell you this in the hopes you will understand how glorious it was to cross the Sea heading home from Pender Harbour... with both sails full and pulling, the sea a calm 1' chop, the wind a comfortable Nor' Wester and our course on one tack the whole way to Nanaimo. We averaged 6 knots under sail; the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue. It was the best crossing in my memory and our grins ran from ear to ear. Even Maddie settled down and went to sleep. 

 We crossed the Sea on Tuesday the 26th and, after a short stop at Newcastle Island we joined an armada of boats heading through Dodd Narrows on the 28th. We headed to a small anchorage near Ladysmith with hopes of staying there a couple days but it was so HOT we headed home early. It was 80 degrees inside the boat and the draw of the heat pump/air conditioner at home was just too strong to ignore. Besides, our little anchorage was filling rapidly with boats coming in for the long weekend and it was only Thursday. 

We usually cruise to Desolation Sound during May or June. This year we decided to go in July and looked forward to warm water swimming, etc. Perhaps it was the relaxing of Covid restrictions or perhaps it's just been the passage of time, but I must say I have never experienced such full anchorages and boat captains who were not always courteous or considerate. Don't get me wrong, we still had a good time. Re-connecting with old friends was, perhaps, the best part of all. As well, we met nice folks along the way and we did get lots of swimming in - just not in the full anchorages (we have a few hidey-holes we keep for ourselves :-). 

It's good to be home and out of the major heat. The good ship SSpirit (that's short for Shannon's Spirit) is biding her time at the breakwater of the yacht club while one of the docks is being repaired. We hope to move into our new slip sometime in the next couple of weeks. We'll be back out on the water for shorter cruises during August and into the fall. 

 In closing up this leg of our journey I just want to say thanks for coming along for the ride. It's always good to know that folks are enjoying the stories and, for some, enjoying reliving their own cruising history. We'll close with a few photos of the last portion of our trip and wish you all a splendid 'rest of summer'. Stay safe and stay well. 

Adios for now. CJ and Kathy and Maddie.

Update 4,372… or thereabouts

 Hi all,

Well, we’ve rounded the corner. After another few, beautiful days in our secret location (where we confirmed it was indeed a young male wolf we had spotted when last we visited) and really enjoying the privilege of walking the island trails (granted to us last year by two and now four of the owners) it was time to turn our nose(s) south towards home.

The only wrinkle we are dealing with is wee Maddie who woke up one morning and said “I’m not sure I like it when the boat’s moving”. We’re working on that but it does have it’s challenges. She and we will persevere. 

We came down as far as Pender Harbour today (for a short grocery shop and shower and then gone again). The NW has been kicking up quite vigorously and we hope it will calm down soon.  Tomorrow morning (early) we hope to make it across to the south end of Texada Island (Anderson Bay) if the winds and seas permit.  We’ll spend either one or two nights there and cross the Straits when it will be the most puppy friendly.

We will likely head into the Gulf Islands for our last few days.  We expect to be home by July 31. 

We’ve met lots of wonderful folks and been, yet again, awed by Mother Nature’s beauty. We are so very glad to call the coast of British Columbia home.

Hope all is well with each of you and your families.  Best  CJ

OOPS: it’s now Monday morning and remember “plans written in sand below high water”?  Well, there’s a little rubber doodad carefully placed in the heads system (read that as toilet system) that has a very important job. This little bit is called a Joker and ours is apparently failing.  We’ll be staying at Pender Harbour for another day while I change it out.  Besides, it’s still blowing pretty hard out there.  Hopefully we’ll get away tomorrow and be back on track.

Catching up on route…

 Here it is Thursday, July 21st already.  It’s 0830 hrs and we’re preparing to leave Beach Garden Marina at Grief Point.  We had a fabulous two days at Tenedos Bay and, before that, a couple nights in Laura Cove.  I must say that Desolation Sound is far more busy in July than in May (our usual month of choice for this cruise). “Yah well Duh” you might say and you’d be right.  Suffice to say in explanation… we were looking forward to warm-water swims as opposed to teeth chattering, mind numbing, cold dips.

In my youth, sailing with my parents I would follow my mom into the water every day in the Gulf Islands and Howe Sound. She wasn’t crazy but she would dive in head first; so of course I did too. Until, one day, when my head it the water and it was so cold I thought my brain was going to explode!  From that day on I would do a lumbering stride jump (I wasn’t all that graceful) as I accompanied mom on her daily swims.

Fast forward to today, just a ‘few’ years later. Unless you can convince me the water is at least 65 degrees for the first two feet, I do the Gulf Island ladder dip. This is the manoeuvre (taught to me by a small dog years ago who didn’t like to swim but needed to be cooled off). Step one: lower a swim ladder of some sort.  Step two: being appropriately attired, slowly work you way down the ladder in stages..stopping to allow your body to cool down, and keep going until your torso is suitably submerged and the temperature is slowly adjusting.  Then, and only then, step free of the ladder and carry on swimming. It may take a little longer but the “Fun to suck” ratio is much improved.

Back to my update.  We leave Beach Gardens this morning and will be ‘off the grid’ in our favourite anchorage south of here for a few days. You know the one so I won’t name it lest the hoards of boats and people, currently advancing on Desolation Sound, think they should stop there.

Our plan after that is a short stop in Pender Harbour for groceries and then to start working our way across the Salish Sea. We hope to stop in either Anderson Bay or Sunset Cove before crossing.  That’s enough for now.  A few photos follow. (Credit to Anne & Dick - SV Full and By)

Laura Cove 

Our anchorage in Tenedos Bay

Lower Unwin Lake - a short walk from Tenedos 

A nice swimming spot on Unwin

A quick stop to check out the creek after our swim

Tenedos Bay

At Deb & Ian’s in Lang Bay - tired out after an afternoon play date,
Maddie shares the couch with her buddy Jerry, 

The cruise continues…and here comes the sun!

Tue July 5: Still revelling in the memories and renewed friendships we headed on our way from Madeira Park; our destination - the anchorage behind Fox Island. Our good luck continued and as we rounded Fox Island we were delighted to see we had the entire anchorage to ourselves (the good luck likely related to our early arrival time). Having the place to ourselves, we opted to anchor and swing.

As more boats joined us they too opted to just anchor and it worked out well for all.  There was a little excitement the next morning as we spotted a black bear working the shoreline not far from us and then a large (like the size of a big dog) coyote on the bluff above the bay. Our visit to this location is usually a very active one (clams, oysters, jigging, hiking, etc.) but as both of us had sore backs we just spent a couple quiet days resting, reading, and relaxing. It was also raining off and on so it was easy to stay home.

Thur July 7th:  Time to go as our next destination was a small bay with a dock we had permission to use. This gave us the opportunity for a visit with old friends who live just south of Powell River. These folks are absolutely delightful and our visit of several days was spent enjoying their company, walking the beach, sharing tall tales, and challenging each other to a daily round or two of JENGA.  If you haven’t played it you may want to give it a try. It’s a blast! We had played it in AZ with our travel companions. This Jenga game is quite a bit larger than the one we were playing in AZ.  Again fun was had by all and between the Margueritas and other exotic refreshments, and the funny stories of our past, the laughter was continuous and raucous (you know, the kind that makes your eyes leak). 

Mon July 11th:  Time to move on as Desolation is waiting for us.  We slipped the little dock at 0715 (had to or we would have been stuck in the mud and leaning on the dock when the tide got to its lowest).

There was no wind to fill our sails so we motored to Sturt Bay on the northern portion of Texada Island. We hadn’t been there since 2010 so we decided to stop by and see what it’s like today.  There’s a tidy little dock in the bay just north of Van Anda and Paul the wharfinger for the Texada Boating Club confirmed there was room for us so in we went. We arrived about 1015 and the dock was about 3/4 full.  By 1700 it was full.  

We’ve met many nice folks and helped boats onto and off of the docks. We decided to stay two nights as the forecast is for NW winds up to 25 Knots this afternoon (July 12). They’re supposed to diminish by tomorrow morning. We shall see. Our plan is to slip tomorrow morning and scoot up to Lund (the doorway to Desolation). While there we will pick up some groceries, do a laundry and visit the bakery. Then it’s on into the anchorages in Desolation Sound and the collection of islands.

Wed. July 13:  It’s a beautiful blue-sky morning and we’re just waiting for the NW wind and seas to calm down a bit and then we’ll be heading off to Lund (the doorway to Desolation). All is well on the good ship Shannon’s Spirit. We hope all is well with each of you. 

TTFN. CJ, K and M

Summer’s here… the cruise is on!

 



Hola

I can hardly hear myself thinking; it’s raining so hard it sounds like the ratatatat of the VPD pipe band drummers. We’re comfortable though, tied to the dock in Madeira Park, Pender Harbour with arrangements to stay another day (until the forecast eases up on the winds and rains). We’re in no rush and enjoying each day for its individual value. Today, being the heaviest rain we’ve seen for some time, seems a perfect day to catch up with the blog post I started but didn t finish a few days ago. So please work with me as I report (a little back to front) how our summer cruise is starting out.  Here goes.  Pretend it’s June 29th.  Thanks…

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Warm weather, fair winds and it’s time to hit the high seas… well at least the Salish Sea(s). But first we must prepare and pack for the journey, ha!

I’ve noticed that as we grow older we seem to think we need to pack more stuff; and by ‘stuff’ I mean all you can possibly cram into a duffel bag and the quickly over-loaded, heavy duty, shopping bags.  You know the ones.  They’re the ones you think of after you’re already in Save-on and have carefully sterilized your shopping cart with the dried out shred of a disinfectant rag kindly left by the shopper in front of you.  They’re the bags you regretfully have to leave in your car because you’re too far into the shopping two-step by the time you remember them, to turn around and go back out. It’s only embarrassing when going through the check-out and having to confess your mistake and suffer the related self-doubt and guilt…sigh.  But I digress - back to packing for a cruise.

It’s not just packing up your clothes and the food…. It’s everything else that leaves you exhausted by the day it’s time to shove off.  By then all tanks have to be topped up - water, diesel, gasoline and propane … (sounds like a blevy about to happen doesn’t it but there are safety features and protocols that keep us safe).  I’m not complaining mind; I’m just mentioning a few of the preparations that are needed before leaving the dock. I’ll stop now and carry on with the good part :-)

We finally did leave the dock about 1215 hrs. on June 29th.  We were clever enough to realize it would be good to be on our way before the festivities of the Canada Day weekend. We also realized we shouldn’t rely on marinas having room for us but have some backup plans as well.

Day 1: We motor sailed to the Ladysmith Yacht Club and enjoyed a night on their reciprocal dock. This is an arrangement between consenting yacht clubs that allows us to enjoy a night at another yacht club for a very reasonable fee and we do the same for others. It was also a chance to catch up with some cruising friends who spoiled us with wine and a visit.

Day 2  June 30th: Up early, we slipped our lines and headed off into a beautiful blue sky and sunshine morning. We were headed to Nanaimo Yacht Club and planned to transit Dodd Narrows during the slack tide at approximately 1130.  While underway we decided we’d rather go to Newcastle Island where we could go for long walks with Maddie and relax in their park lands for the afternoon.  The plan was good; it only got a little hairy when we found out friends were already on the dock at Newcastle and/but would only be there for a few hours.  As it turned out we arrived at Dodd Narrows early and were floating around waiting for the slack so we could go through.  There’s a golden rule for BC passes.  You look up the time the tide will be slack, which is very brief as it changes direction in our narrow passes (let’s say slack tide will be at 1130). Once you know the time, you figure out how long it will take to transit said pass (let’s say it will take 30 minutes).  Finally, you divide the time in half (in this case to 15 minutes) and that’s when you enter the pass… exactly 15 minutes before slack tide.  THAT is the safest time to transit the pass…. It’s the time when you’ll have the least amount of current.  

Soooo, of course we didn’t do that on this day cuz we wanted to see our friends. But, we weren’t totally foolish; at least we waited for the current to slow down to two knots.  Even then there was a significant pushing and pulling going on against our keel which required some pretty fast hands on the steering wheel.  That being said, we made it through in one piece and popped out the other end well ahead of schedule.  We arrived at the Newcastle Island docks in time for a lovely visit and walk before they had to leave.  The only disappointment we had was, being at the dock, left us surrounded on both sides by large motor boats who insisted on running their generators non-stop.

 

It was a quiet night though and …

Day 3, July 1, Canada Day 🍁🇨🇦 was as beautiful a day as one could hope for.  While there wasn’t much wind for sailing there was a gorgeous flat sea, blue sky, sunshine and we had the Salish Sea pretty much to ourselves as we crossed; 

and we made it all the way to Pender Harbour, arriving by 1400 hrs at the Madeira Park Community Dock.  The only excitement I can report involves when we stopped to top up the fuel tank before heading into Madeira Park.  Let me set the scene for you.  Imagine, if you will, a small bay filled mostly with various configurations of docks. At the head of this rather full bay sits a small fuel dock. It s large enough for a couple boats but it is very noticeably close to shore (therefore with unknown depths of water.. and we need at least 7’ and even more if we have to turn around). Sailboats  don‘ t turn very well or fast. There was a mid-size Nordic Tug tied to the deepest end of the fuel dock but I figured we’d have room in front of him so I proceeded in very slowly, basically committing to the approach as there wasn’t room to turn around. Imagine my delight to see the Nordic Tug leave the dock and pull out right in front of me!! Words cannot express my disappointment or my initial reaction and desire to, you know, express my displeasure at such buffoonery! I’m getting mad again just thinking about it.  Anyway, luckily I’ve been helming SSpirit for a few years now and have a fair idea as to her reactions when the engine is slammed into reverse and the RPMs increased at a rather ‘quick’ pace.  She did exactly as I expected and we managed to avoid hitting the tug and the other boats nearby.  We actually made a respectable approach to the dock and tied up.  After fueling we, carefully, left the fuel dock and headed to our slip for the night. Phew!

It is now Sunday, July 3rd and we’ve had a great couple days here.  Spent a wonderful afternoon with old friends who live nearby reminiscing about the good old university days and the welfare of mutual friends over the years. It’s amazing how memories, long forgotten, can come flooding back with just a little prodding.  

Today, as mentioned earlier, it’s pouring and seems a good day to stay put and catch up on projects and writings. I hope you’ve enjoyed this catch up…sorry it’s so long. I ll try to keep them shorter in the future. I hope all is well with each of you and your families.  

TTFN. 

CJ

A bat in our belfry!!

 I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, but lots has been happening; and before I tell you about that… I just have to tell you about ‘this’…. 

Imagine, if you will, saying good night to good friends who are on their way home after a fun evening complete with happy hour, dinner, tons of stories, lots of laughs and…well, just darn good comradeship. Then, like you would, you settle down to finish that last drop of wine in your glass before starting the clean up and dishes… and what does your wandering eye perceive, but a flying, flitting, silently soaring, creature with the wingspan of a  black bird and he’s swooping and circling in your living room just down from the vaulted ceiling! 

It didn’t take long to put the open front door, the oncoming dusk, the high-ceilinged living room and the fact last year we’d had two similar visitors (one that had died clinging to our front wall and the other who we found crawling across our patio and then watched as he climbed slowly up our screen door and disappeared into the eaves trough (sounds weird I know but hang on) together - to figure out a bat had somehow slipped inside when we weren’t watching.

What to do, what to do…we wondered.  The debate led to another (last) glass of wine while we researched our options and kept an eye on Garth (yes, we named him after that famous fellow… you know, Garth Vader) and discussed the options… hmmm seems we could curtain off all three hallways and do so in a way that led Garth to the (still open) front door,  and we could make sure we turned off ALL the lights so his radar could keep him out of our hair and, hopefully, out into the night sky.  We were also supposed to put the house canine away… but she would have none of that and insisted on chewing on her teddy while she watched the entire show from her comfy couch bed.

Well, armed with the best advice the Internet had to offer , we scrambled through the mess in the garage and found some clear, plastic paint sheets.  The googlies had told us… to block all entrances except the door and the bat will only see the blockade and he won’t try to fly through it. He will though, eventually, find the front door.  I had only just returned with an armful of tarps when a quick check of Garth’s favourite roosting location on the living room roof proved to be vacant!  We never saw him leave. In fact we weren’t sure if he had left, but a careful check of all the hallways failed to yield one single bat, never mind Garth.  

Sigh, just when we’d figured out he’d have been welcome to spend the night but…

With that wee story, I bid you good night and, if sharing a thought or two is appropriate… may you always have control of your air space and may the hats in your belly (oops I mean ‘bats in your belfry’) be of the kindest sort.

G’d night all.

PS:  IPad Speak is a language I’m still trying to figure out.  Sorry for any that got away on me.

Home safe and sound..

 Howdy, just a quick note to say we're home safe and sound. Coho ferry and return to Canada all went smoothly and we're back in Maple Bay with all the usual spring projects awaiting us.  The fact it's raining today... is ok.  Gives us time to catch up the mail and other such domestic duties...  Take care everyone and have a happy spring. CJ

Some days you’re just too busy to write… a quick catch-up.

 Hellooo out there; in case you were wondering we have not dropped off the planet. Once our footprints start heading west and north the days just seem to be gobbled up and all sense of time gets kind of fuzzy. As well, in these modern times, there’s not much opportunity for being ‘off the grid’. Not so many years ago heading off in the boat or into the forest with a tent meant “see you when we get back”. There were no cell phones and certainly no internet, wifi, apps, or other such technically confusing apparatuses (is that a word or should it be apparati?). Anyway, we’ve been busy as well as on vacation.

When we left Cattail Cove SP we headed ten minutes down the road to another state park we have enjoyed in the past - Buckskin Mountain SP on the Colorado River. There we found, more grass, less barking dogs, just as much wind (so not much opportunity to have our shade-creating awnings out), friendly staff and (just like the last couple stops) washrooms in need of updating and better maintenance. BUT we enjoyed our time there, complete with bocce in the wind, happy hours and the beginning of what has become the 2022  Jenga Tournament of Champions. The quarter and semi finals have been played and the grand Finals are scheduled for tonight. I digress.

Wind Event; that’s what they called it.  Then they called for Wind Events #1 and #2.  The first event called for gusts up to 55 MPH and that’s pretty much what we got. It certain'y had our attention as the trailer rocked and rolled and campsite carpets picked up and attempted to fly.  Then they called for Wind Event #2 with gusts up to 45 MPH. We were supposed to leave right in the middle of these ‘events’.  Needless to say that didn t happen.  Visions of trailers flying sideways down the road are not the way you want to be travelling.  The authorities were even warning people to stay put; so we did.  At least John and Sue were able to stay in their site. Unfortunately ours was not available for the extra day so we did have to move…but only a few miles down the road to a nice, newer state park called River Island. The overnight was quite peaceful and we packed up and headed out the next day (after adjusting all previously booked reservations for the remainder of the trip home - by one day).

Next stop was in Tehachapi at the Mountain View RV Park. This was a one nighter and it was really great; one of those ‘mom ‘n pop’ places where everything is kind of rough but works. The washrooms were clean and there was even a washer and dryer we could have used.  It’s set up right beside a small airstrip where small planes towing gliders took off every once in a while. They were a lot quieter than the Blue Angels and fun to watch.

Off the next morning to Coalinga and the Harris Ranch.  We’ve been here before, twice.  This is a rather unique place, famous for its wonderful restaurants and the fact RVs can stay overnight for free. On previous visits we had parked on the road behind the attached gas station (very noisy with the big trucks coming and going and the guy who blows off the parking areas at 0500).  The second time we were there we opted for the dirt field off to the side (much quieter but a very rough ride across the rutted and rough field.  This time I called ahead to ask if there wasn’t somewhere nicer we could park. “Why don’t you park in the parking lot?” a nice youn woman suggested. Doh!!  The parking lot??  What a novel idea 😄and so we did. It was indeed quieter with no large trucks, however the 0500 leaf blower guy was still there and little Lucy was over-run with the stench of nearby cattle stockades… not pleasant at all. Once awake thanks to the 0500 leaf blowing alarm, we were up and on our way fairly quickly.

Down (actually up) the road again… and we were at the Rolling Hills Casino RV in Corning. While their sites are very nice, ever since they switched to a new registration system, and then assigned untrained staff to manage it, checking in has been a gong show. Sue stood in line for one hour to check in and I waited for 45 minutes. Having done so I was given a site number with instructions to come back and see them if there was already someone in the site! We won’t be going back… way too stressful.  From Corning to Canyonville, where we are this morning. It’s very busy here, and full. This morning we head to Sheldon, WA the Little Creek Casino RV (no, we don’t gamble but their RV parks are flat and full service). 

Our last camp out will be at Port Townsend. They have a rustic RV park right at the boat harbour. We’ll be there for two nights and will take care of our COVID tests during that time. We will be on the March 30, 0820 Coho Ferry from Port Angeles. My time for chatting has run out so I will post this as is and get busy preparing to leave.  No photos today but, when we have time, we’ll put together a collection and post them.

I hope this message finds you healthy, happy and safe. TTFN  CJ

Cattail Cove State Park

 

Cool mornings, hot afternoons, warm breezes, white sand beach, swimming for the brave.  Nope, not Hawaii but Cattail Cove State Park nestled on the shore of Lake Havasu and a fitting location to begin our journey towards home.  

There are also some good hiking trails and walking paths to temp the energetic. We’re here for a few days after which we’ll move 14 minutes down the road to another state park. We’re having fun sharing some of our favourite RV haunts with Sue and John. Each one is different (the state parks that is :-) with its own set of unique features, topography and set up.

Fun story about here. Two days ago, in the heat of the day, Kathy and I decided to go for a swim. We donned our bathing suits, grabbed our towels and headed down to the beach. We had been in the water here before and it had been quite warm. Once there we spotted two young women standing in the water- all the way up to their knees.  “It’s cold” one of them called over, “really cold”.  Not to be deterred we waded in and, yes, it was definitely cold but we waded in up to our waist and then paused.  Being experienced Gulf Island swimmers we knew the trick. If you were crazy enough to actually want to swim in cold water, you need to wait long enough for at least half of your body to go numb. While we waited we politely goaded the young women a bit about diving in and getting it over with. We had some fun kibitzing back and forth. Finally I called over “how old are you guys anyway?”. One replied that she was 36 and her friend was 27.  I smiled, calmly pointed to myself and said “70”…. at which point, to everyone’s surprise, Kathy and I both dove into the VERY cold water and popped back up without hyperventilating. Well, you can imagine what happened then.  Both of the two younger women dove in (with a little screeching) and even another couple joined the daring frolicking.  We six congratulated ourselves and declared ourselves very brave, etc., etc.

Six folks having fun… a moment in time, no names needed…just some humour, a dare, and some success. A story to share.

Hope all is well with each of you and you’re looking forward to spring. The cactus flowers are starting their blooms down here and are quite beautiful. We look forward to our flowers at home that must be showing their tips by now. Bye bye for now… CJ

Lost Dutchman State Park

 

Still Number One in our books, the Lost Dutchman State Park is beautiful!

Having seen the movie (you should too) several times, we still can’t figure out where the hidden gold mine might be, and my old hockey knees will only let me investigate so far up the trail (and not far enough) sigh. That’s OK though because we could sit and gaze at the rugged beauty surrounding us… for days; and there are lots of ‘lesser’ hikes to expend my energy on. Kathy will head off on the steeper trails and I’ll keep up as I can. Maddie is also adapting and does pretty well avoiding cactus and other prickly apparitions. 

We’ve had two days of blazing hot temps and, starting tomorrow, the temperature is forecast to drop significantly.  No snow is expected though 😁 (like last time we were here). We’ll be at Lost Dutchman for a total of two weeks before we move on heading west and northerly.  Until then we’ll kick back, watch the news, and enjoy the desert beauty that surrounds us. Probably get a little reading in too.

Hope all is well with each of you… adios for now. CJ

Friday Feb 25

 It doesn’t t feel right to be speaking about our vacation when all the world is in such an upheaval. It doesn’t feel right at all. Our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers are focused on the victims of the recent ‘aggression’ launched by Russia. We can only hope the collective strength of all who are opposed will slow and finally stop this threat to our world as we know it. Until then we must all stay strong and committed to what is good and help those in need where and when we can.

That being said, we did promise to keep friends and family apprised of our roamings. After two days enjoying the beautiful desert scenery of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument  -Twin Peaks campground, we moved on to yet another beautiful location.  The moving on part was not all that pleasant this time.  The drive eastbound was blessed with the worst crosswind and blinding walls of driving dust (rendering vision past the front of the truck momentarily impossible at one point) than we have ever experienced. When we stopped for gas, Kathy was almost swept out of the front seat when she opened the passenger door and had to hang on tight to the door to ensure it didn t crash back into her. It is likely some might have decided to sit tight right there and wait for the wind storm to abate but the facts the driving dust didn’t taste all that good, and the trailers were towing well behind our trucks, pushed us back on to the highway.  Fifteen minutes later the wind had calmed down and the dust was mostly gone. We’ve no idea how long it lambasted that poor gas station.

As I write this I’m sitting in my camp chair beside TT Lucy and enjoying the sun and the view. The sites are very nice, the view of the surrounding mountains is fantastic and we’re glad we are here for several days. It’s time to kick back, relax and catch up on some hiking and reading.

Our next stop will be the Lost Dutchman State Park. There are several fascinating stories about the Superstition Mountains and the lost gold mine (which hasn’t been found yet) and we enjoy visiting and hiking in this SP very much. We will be heading there on March 1st. Until then we shall lounge about right here, walk or hike each day, and enjoy all we can as the temperature creeps slowly up (it s still hitting 0 overnight  and not very warm during the day). But, both day and nighttime temps are creeping up.

So, for now it’s adios along with sincere hopes you are all well and safe. Until next time TTFN.  CJ

As promised… the show.

 For you flying buffs… the Blue Angels soar.  Best turn up you volume 😊

PS After a short but great visit with friends in Yuma, we have moved our base of operations to Organ Pipe Cactus Monument Twinpeaks Campground. It’s beautiful here (a little windy and chilly) and it provides us with a little practice dry camping 🥶 We’re only here for a couple of days and then we move into our tour of several State Parks.      Don’t forget to turn up your volume for the videos below. Adios for now.    CJ

What a show it was - the Blue Angels rock… and ROAR!

It’s 8 o’clock in the morning (well, actually 5 minutes after - the bugles blew Reveille at the top of the hour) and I’m standing on the tailgate of my truck with my smart phone camera in hand. Note: I’m still learning my smart phone (smarter than me by far) having recently switched from my trusty flip phone (which I secretly miss).  Anyway, I’m on the tailgate so as to have a better view. 

 We’re parked on a dirt berm, in a farmer’s field, outside the security fence at the end of the runway the Blue Angels apparently use. There are at least a dozen trucks and cars parked just like us and we’re all waiting to see if the rumours are true and the Angels, the real team, are about to take off and practice their skills for the upcoming show. Kathy and Sue are all set up in their folding camp chairs with cameras in hand. John’s not with us for this run. It is indeed early but the sun is starting to warm us and the sky is a brilliant blue. There isn’t a cloud to be seen.

Right on cue, the show begins with the jets all rolling out to the far end of the runway and, without any hesitation, the first four scream down the runway aiming right for my truck! Seems the space I had squeezed into between two other trucks in line was the premium spot, right in line with the runway. 

 Yup, one after another the jets thundered (and I mean thundered…so loud the vibrations came right through my whole body and shook the very ground we were parked on) over my head - so close my carefully styled hairdo was in danger (just kidding my ‘do’ didn’t change much - never has 😀). And then they carried on over the fields, up into the sky, working in groups and as singles, dispensing trails that blended together and/or fell apart, creating circles and other works of art while they entertained us with their skills for over an hour.

 It’s fascinating how the ‘loud enough to endanger your hearing’ sound of the jets follows them and you actually don’t hear them coming until they’ve passed and the thunder of their engines then blows you out of your shoes.

I mentioned I had my camera ready. Andy, I did try to follow them and click stills but I missed them almost every time.  What I did do was click the video button on my camera and a few of those turned out. We’ve included some still shots here and will share the videos with you in the next post. Stay tuned!

I’m really glad we went out to the field and saw the show. I expect we saw more than we would have if we’d spent a lot of money and had to sit in the stands watching from afar. They say the Angels really appreciate us locals coming out to the fields and they make a point of parting our hair and working over top of and around us. Many of the folks there are professional photographers and the coverage provided is good for promoting the actual shows. So that was a big TICK on our tudu list.

The rest of our days since I last wrote have been great. The temperatures are warming up (still very cold at night). We seem to be much busier than we had expected to be what with golf (still getting our moneys worth…more exercise than real golfers), dog walking, shopping, reading, and good intentions to play pickle ball (hopefully we get to the courts before it’s time to leave).

Like all of you, we’re following the news; so much going on in the world, not much of it good. This is one of those times you just have to fasten your seat belt, keep your head down and your hands clean, and wait for those that can to sort it out. I believe the human race is still basically good - the small percentage that have run amok…well, their time will come. For now we must do our best and support each other as best we can.

As I write these posts I think of each of you I know, and those of you I haven’t met yet, and I thank you for taking the time to read my words.  I wish you all a warm and loving day.  TTFN (tata for now). ❤️ CJ

All in a day…

…some RVs are a little more rustic than others

It’s early; 0630… and I was about to get up when the ship’s puppy flopped over, landing across my legs like an anchor.  It’s kind of cool anyway so this seemed like a good time to share some pics and stories.

Each day is different here at Rio Bend.  The past two days have been not only cool but also filled with wind (too windy to golf) and wind blown dust (in your eyes, up your nose…you know the kind). Yesterday was warmer and the skies were clear so the four of us headed off on an adventure. We wanted to show off Anzo Borrego Springs State Park.  It’s one of our favourites in these parts and we’d heard the desert had recovered from a (not sure what you call a forest fire in the desert) let’s call it a palm fire. The fire had destroyed the lovely hike up to a palm tree oasis a couple years ago but reports were it was on the mend. We stopped at the Visitor Centre and then drove through the campsite to show our friends the serviced campsites and the dry campsites - which we think are quite wonderful. Each is fairly large and most have their own palapa but, as described, they do not have full services for RVs. I’m also rather smitten with a particular feature set up for the use of folks in the dry campsites. I’ll let you guess what that service might be. Here is the first clue.

Today’s adventure is a trip to the end of the runway. Yup, apparently you can get to the end of the runway used by the Blue Angels and, if they notice a small crowd they put on quite a show. We’re going to give it a try. They’ve been very busy roaring overhead in formation (too fast to photograph) at all hours of the day.  And, without much warning, their roar will become thunderingly (not a word I think but it’s perfect for the description) loud and they’ll flash by overhead before disappearing into the ‘blue yonder’. Anyway, we’re going to take a drive and see what happens. Will report back later.

For now, I must pry this puppy off my ankles and get going. The doves are cooing outside the window and the sun has risen.  It’s also time to move my garden into the warmth.

Oh yes, the answer to the question above. Voila!!  The most comfortable seat in the desert…and with a clear view of the sky (no roof).

As for my misadventures re packing… I’ m still working on it.

Must go now. Hope each of you are well and have a great day.  Without naming names (you know who you are)…. Stay strong…love you.   CJ

Rio Bend RV and Golf Resort, El Centro, CA (we made it!)

It’s 0800 and the Blue Angels just did another fly-by.  They’re amazing to watch and even their practice jets (they’re the white ones with red tips instead of blue and gold) are very good and entertain us at least once a day. We’re up of course because the huge broccoli plantation behind us has ripened (well, actually the broccoli ripened. I can’t really speak for the plantation itself) and is being collected by at least a dozen workers and some of the largest (and loudest) farm machinery I’ve ever seen and heard. They start each day between 0500 and 0700. Ah, there goes another fly-by; this one too low for us to see because of the lovely hedge half surrounding our site.

Yes, we have arrived at our first destination. We had two stops to make before getting here.  The first, The Almond Tree Oasis RV in Coalinga, was quite acceptable and suitable for an overnight stop.  Unfortunately there was nothing there for Maddie; not even a small patch of ground cleared of trash.  She wasn’t too impressed.  In fact she’s been kind of worried about having left home into what must seem like a journey into the uncomfortable unknown. I’m happy to report she is delighted with the Rio Bend full-on dog park. It’s  clean, cared for, with a large grass area  and a separate, fenced, agility area.  Phew!  I’d been fearing an all out civil disobedience kind of event.  Anyway, she s much happier now and may not abandon us after all.

Back on the road; our next, and last, stop was to be at SpacePort RVPark in Mojave. I won’t go on about this but suffice to say we moved on. We finally came to rest at The Californian RV Resort in Acton. This was an upscale RV Park and a good place for an overnight stay and a shower.

Right on schedule, and after an awesome truck and RV wash (at K&S Truck Wash in Hesperia), we arrived at the Rio Bend RV and Golf Resort, El Centro.  The sun is shining, we have tokens for the driving range and our first Tee off is this afternoon.  We’ve done some shopping and will continue sorting out the trailer storage as time allows. We’re here for three weeks so we can settle in and relax. No more stop and goes. 

Must sign off now. There’s a Hummingbird at the feeder  Yeah!

Hope all is well with each of you. Stay safe. Our hearts go out to our friends who are dealing with the loss of loved ones and who are facing physical challenges of their own.  You are in our thoughts. ❤️