12/11/2009

Here's a pic of the blanket I snuggle with that friend Anne gave me - all positive affirmations.

And another of our lived in RV; quite different than when we first got it.



I rolled out around 7:30 AM, hoping to do the laundry prior to leaving the Santi Netta (sounds so beautiful, not in reality though). Didn’t find the laundry so read and checked the net for that dastardly Delta smelt that is causing farmers to do without water. See 12/10 blog on “Congress Created Dust Bowl.” What I found is that, as usual, the issue is many sided. My favorite read is a woman who writes for the Bakersfield Californian by the name of Lois Henry. She is pragmatic and suffers no fools, stating the case of the water shortage in the San Joaquin/Sacramento Delta - is an argument 100’s of years old: WATER RIGHTS. I have more research to do, but please Fox News, tell the whole truth, not just the part that fits your agenda.

Tony woke up with a chest cold today, hacking and coughing - plenty of phlegm to go around! Snot fairies visited him last night, I guess, in good old Gustine, CA.

I’m in the AM driver’s seat again this morning, and glad to be there. Gassed up, got some coffee and took off…..to the sound of the espresso I made Tony dumping itself on the floor, and the distilled water left on the bathroom counter shooting through the door and onto the carpet. Little things. We’ve got a road to tear up!

I had pre-loaded the netbook’s “Favorites” with potential camping sights up the I-5 corridor, so felt confident that no matter when we stop for the night, we’ll have a place to pull into without searching or arriving too late (see 11/26 - 12/1 blogs).

I had a great run dodging raindrops and big trucks, cars not minding their way and those whose blinkers must have been stolen in the night for they did not work. We made great time, pulled over outside of Stockton for an In-n-Out Burger. Yoweee are they good! Reminds me of Dicks. I mean the restaurant, bozo’s! Fresh potato fries, simple menu.

Tony then took the wheel and burned up some more road, mainly through the good music of the Grateful Dead. A local station was playing their live 1971 concert from NY. Tony, as usual, clueless on who is singing, just knowing he loves good tunes, innocently asks “Who’s this?!” I tell him, and he so very happily JAMS to Truckin’ and Bobbie Magee and Casey Jones. I do love him so for his ear to good tunes. I believe he’s been good enough this year to find that particular recording in his stocking.

We missed it on the way down, so stopped in Corning at the Olive Pit - I’ve spent a lifetime hoping to visit this place. And it lived up to all of my expectations and more. We loaded up on various secret and wonderful things, and also met a delightful sales clerk. Young, funny and helpful.

We hit it again, and end up at the Marine RV Park, on the Sacramento River. It’s a cute little spot, too much pavement, but the river is beautiful. After doing the laundry here and watching a good movie - “Run, Fatboy, Run “ - we’re chillin’. The long term camper across from us has full Christmas lights up and we would very likely find them here next Christmas.

Through the mountains tomorrow. Let’s pray there’s no snow.