And we arrive...

November 6 – 16, 2014

What a glorious venture this year has proved on the road up to this early point. Although we were two months late in starting this year’s journey it all happens for a reason. We are deliriously happy: have arrived for a month stay in a beautiful park in Indio, CA; beautiful weather all the way down our speedway of I-5; great familiar and newfound RV parks from Oregon to California; not much anxiety or fighting without popping Xanax every morning; cats are pretty happy, well behaved, hysterically funny; everything in place and organized in Blue; no breakdowns.

Highlights of our flying RV are a good meal in Weed at a questionable place; overnight at a familiar park in Redding; weird, open field, substandard utilities and expensive county fairgrounds in Roseville, CA – nice peeps though; a hideous navigational blunder on our part – yes, our! – which  took us around and around.  As chance has it though, and our lives are very, very bespoke with good luck, we landed in a park smack dab between train tracks and a loud, busy highway (58 East). We pulled through this walled park though, and felt the gates of heaven open up and a chorus of angels singing a snappy boogie woogie.  All sites are pull-through, cats outside is no problem, clean little pool, sparkling bathrooms, super friendly people. In a phrase: delightful needed, super delightful delivered. 

The folks across the grass from us in their typically permanent RV, surrounded by various foliage in broken buckets and planters, none flowering or showing any fun at all; extra “room” set up to extend the inadequate living space of the RV.  A large, furry man emerges, grunts and waves, as Tony and I sit side by side on our picnic table bench, soaking up the sunny sun sun. Within a few minutes a female in flowing skirt and low-cut top appears, a large, gray wool cape with druid/pagan trim engulfing her ample bod. First thing noticed is her burnished red/gold hair – long and absolutely gorgeous. Second is her skin which is pale and flawless.

She sees Mr. Blackie and Roku and comes over to talk the RV park talk, as we try to feel each other out. Turns out they are “ren fair” (Renaissance Fair) devotees and workers. She is also a nurse. He’s a retired heavy equipment operator turned wooden horse builder. He explained that he has built two giant rocking horses. The tallest one is 8’ tall and 1200 pounds! They’re constructed of laminated plywood, finished and Spar varnished, that they haul to events where people pay to ride them.  WHO KNEW?! Delightful people, quirky, hard working, livng life. A plus on their side is that they have a 20 year old cat who hobbles around with arthritis and tried to rumble a bit with Blackie Boy.

Across the park we walk to a big old converted bus we saw that pulled in behind us. Luckily the gent is outside and we can inquire about this unique “RV.” He is a BC’er from above Lake Osoyoos, 81 years old, an apple farmer.  The bus is a 1973 Motor Coach International, 41’ long, 56,000 lbs. He’s obviously got money, heart attack five years ago, has been doing this RV thang for 29 years with various motor homes – this being his favorite, his wife’s least favorite. It takes a CDL to run it, big ol’ thing. And we walked away with eight of his fresh apples. Score us!!!

Reluctantly we travel south and east to Cherry Valley, a park we’ve stayed in before. Not really excited about it as it was a little run down before and is right on noisy old I 10. But we were pleasantly surprised in that the park is cleaned up and damn nice.  Super people, a little tight between spaces but no big deal, and a million feral and regular cats around – enough so that ours aren’t noted as anything but well-behaved.

We stayed here in particular in order to visit with sister-in-law Rose, who lives nearby in San Jacinto. We had a delightful lunch with her the next day.

Last night we were lucky enough to connect with  two of our very favorite people, C. Blair and Georgia Leckie of Masonic fame. Off we trotted to the favorite El Gallito where I threw all caution to the wind (sorry Dr. Christy) and devoured a big old burrito with sour cream and guac. The thing I loveLOVE about Georgia is that she has this huge, huge heart full of Democratic, Greek Orthodox, love.  This does not mean that she uses only her heart – au contraire my little friends! She is so damn smart.  She tempers her empathy with this incredible intellect that never gives an inch. Fun, fun night ending with this Georgia story:

While they were at their friend’s house preparing for dinner, they were asked if their friend’s brother and wife could join them – sure, no prob. She then explained that her brother had been married four times unsuccessfully and went online to find a new love. He found her, explaining that she had been married three times…..and was also a professional clown. She then divulged that at their wedding the bride had pictures taken of the whole wedding party, with red noses on.  The bride also wore big, floppy clown shoes with her wedding dress.  Apparently the brother, and new bridegroom, made it clear that his new bride needed to “Put Bozo away, enough is enough.” She is suffering withdrawals from not being able to express herself through her alter clown ego.

 A good night’s sleep - rare these days – and waking up in our beautiful park in Indio is delightful.  The red oleander is in full bloom and we have a beautiful, large tree shading us. Everything is bright and sunny: the sky a crisp blue, palm trees bright green and swaying in the breeze, water sprinklers are on, pool gleaming…..and quiet as a tomb. Life is good.

Tomorrow, Monday, brings us to Tony’s initial appointment with his ortho at Eisenhower Medical Center, to see if getting a knee replacement is an option for him. We think it’s a 50/50 chance but we’ll leave it to the doc. After that we’re heading to a local dermatologist who has the light booth we think Tony still needs, to prevent a rash from further development. He is pretty clear – enough so that he can comfortably hit the pool without people pointing and laughing or running in terror. Yay Tony!

Seahawks. ‘Nuff said.