Where We Are at The Silver Strand SB

Where We Are at Silver Strand SB  Jan 9 - February 4, 2013

Mother Nature is alive and well where we are at the Silver Strand.  The wind has been blowing all day and the sand is still racing across the asphalt parking lot.  The wind pushing against the door makes it very difficult to open and makes it slam shut with great force.

Thus, it has been a day to stay inside and enjoy the view.  However, I've been enjoying the view by myself. 




A Room with a View



Bob woke up this morning not feeling well.  Is it a cold? or is it the flu?  We both have had our flu shots, and I have no symptoms.  It is 3pm in the afternoon and he has been in bed since 10am this morning.  He is experiencing chills and has a below normal temperature.  I am hoping for a quick recovery for him, but keeping my eye on him for worsening of symptoms. 

Just a little worried, Being Where We Are.

 

 

 

 

 

We Rescued a Seagull Today

Where We Are at Lake Cahuilla Jan 2 - Jan 9, 2013



Bob and I have long been active advocates of doing what we can to save marine life from the thoughtless and/or reckless behavior of humans.  In particular we go out of our way to pick up monofilament fishing line that litters the shoreline of many lakes we have visited. 

As stated on this website http://mrrp.myfwc.com/ : 

"Every day, improperly discarded monofilament fishing line causes devastating problems for marine life and the environment. Marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and birds become injured from entanglements, or might ingest the line, often dying as a result. Human divers and swimmers are also at risk from entanglements and the line can also damage boat propellers." 

And on this website http://blog.bird-rescue.org/index.php/2012/09/entanglement-heermans-gull-v-discarded-fishing-line/ :

"Monofilament fishing line pollution poses a problem to myriad aquatic species. For birds, the injuries that can result aren’t limited to swallowed hooks: Fishing line entanglement can severely impact a bird’s ability to fly and feed, and deeply embedded entanglement can mean amputation if the bird is lucky enough to be taken into care."   

Today we witnessed what this monofilament fishing line can do to a sea bird. 

About 10 minutes into our walk around Lake Cahuilla we saw a seagull at water's edge lying on it's back and struggling unsuccessfully to right itself.  Bob and I watched it flop around for a minute and questioned what we could do to help it.  I didn't want to get near it if it was sick, but I couldn't leave it alone to die either.  I suggested Bob approach it and try to turn it over with a stick to see if he could help it get back on its feet.   (Notice it was ok with me for Bob to get close to it.)

Curiosity made me approach the bird with Bob and immediately I saw the reason for this bird's predicament.  It had a fishing hook embedded in its foot and the attached monofilament was wrapped around both of its legs.

I picked up the bird (this is the first time I have ever held a wild bird).  It didn't object as I wrapped my hands around its body.  It was light in weight and droplets of water rolled off its soft feathers.  I had intended to take it to the park entrance for ranger help, but Bob thought maybe we could provide the aide.  And he was right.

Bob was able to remove the hook from the gull's foot and untangle the monofilament from around its legs.  While holding the bird, I noticed that the other end of the line was hanging out of the bird's beak - the rest of it extended down its throat.  I thought the bird had swallowed a 2nd hook and that it would surely die.  At that moment a Riverside County Parks worker drove by and I flagged him down.   He was more than happy to help.

The Parks worker tugged on the line extending from the bird's beak and eventually was successful in extracting the other end of it which had wadded itself into a ball in the bird's stomach. 

I'm glad I was holding the bird and was well out of reach of its beak which it used quite freely and frequently to attack the fingers of its rescuer.

I set the gull down and after a moment, it stumbled down the embankment and into the water.  It looked tired and was not yet able to fly, but swam away under its own power. 

Being able to rescue this bird from a certain death caused by a careless act by a human was quite rewarding and gave us a new resolve to keep looking for stray monofilament anywhere fishing is a past time.

My only regret is that I didn't have my camera with me to document yet another animal affected by our human-abused environment. 

All the same I feel like we are Super Heros. 

Just another day "Being Where We Are" at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, Ca.

We Made It

Where we Are at Fantasy Springs Casino



We made it to Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio Christmas Eve night too late to celebrate Christmas Eve with Tim and family, but in time to get a good night's rest in order to be ready for Christmas morning.

When I wrote in my previous post about the excitement of being on the road, I had no idea of what was to come.  We decided to take the "back way" to Indio by going through Temecula and the outskirts of Hemet.  Instead of traveling on a well-lit several-lanes-wide freeway, we found ourselves on a very dark 2-lane road which turned out to be very exciting indeed.  My eyes were never so wide open trying to see the road as I "helped" Bob drive.  "Watch out."  "Go that way."  The headlights coming at us were blinding.  Turning on the defroster helped clear the moisture from windows that we hadn't realized was inhibiting our ability to see the road.
The biggest positive on going that way was that we had no semi-trucks by our side.

We are grateful to our friend Jim Custeau for locating a starter for us on Christmas Eve morning in time for Bob to install it and still be able to reach our destination for Christmas.

"Look Grammy, It's Just What I Asked Santa For"

We had a great time at son Tim's house Christmas Day.  A lot of presents were exchanged and a lot of play was accomplished.  Santa was very good to this very loved little boy.
                                  

Cars 2 Toyko Spinout was a hit.  "This is just what I asked Santa for".

                                   

 



A Quiet Moment for jimmy

                                                           

~Our Very Special Family Photo~
Pretending to look for a spider did not encourage Jimmy to join us in the photo.

He did, however, use the remote control to snap this memorable moment.

 

It turned out to be a very Merry Christmas.

Bob and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and wish you a very healthy and happy New Year.

We are enjoying Being Where We Are.

We Are on Our Way

With a little help from a friend we are on our way to Indio~4:00pm Christmas Eve. Soon after I posted our situation about the broken starter, Jim came to our rescue. Jim is a long time friend of my brother and just happens to be a recent retiree from Cuyamaca College where he was the head auto shop teacher. He offered to contact his parts suppliers first thing this morning to find the part we needed. And that is exactly what he did.

Jim contacted us by 9am with the location of the part which was only 8 miles away. By 10:15am we had said part in hand and on our way home to get on with it.

Bob had a few snags during the installation of the starter, but eventually he got the job done. It’s comforting to know that the almost 80yr old still has what it takes.

We don’t know if we’ll make it in time for Christmas Eve dinner or if Christmas Eve desert will have to do. At least we are counting on being there for Christmas Day.

Being on the road is rather exciting on this Christmas Eve evening. I can feel the rush in the air as the cars whiz past us carrying moms and dads, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, girl friends and boy friends, and a lot of single folks in a hurry to get to the mall for that last gift, to the grocery store for the forgotten eggnog, or to the extended family’s home for their Christmas Eve celebration, or simply to get home from work.

We are driving in the dark...and we NEVER drive in the dark.  Oh, for the new experiences.

Once again..

Merry Christmas to All

　

　

　

We Tried to Go to Indio Today

Where We Are at Jean's in Chula Vista, Ca.



"I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May your hearts be open, your bellies full and the spirit of Christmas in your RV". 

So was the wish from our RV friends Nina Fussing and Paul via her blog at http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/.  Bob and I were counting on doing exactly that - having full bellies and the spirit of Christmas in our RV - in Indio, Ca. with the RV parked at Fantasy Springs Casino near Tim and Rosemary's (son and daughter-in-law) house so we wouldn't have far to drive to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at their home.

We intended to depart our Chula Vista location of 5 weeks early this morning.  We awoke with a strong desire to pack up and ready the motorhome as quickly as we could in order to take on gas at the local Costco which is only 3 miles from our location at Jean's and 5 miles from the Mexican border.  Although a Costco gas station, it is very near the parking lot for Wal-Mart, which is usually very busy on Sunday mornings, especially the Sunday before Christmas.  We wanted to beat the crowd so as to not get our home on wheels in the middle of the madness of the Christmas Shopper traffic.

After a quick breakfast we went to task to rearrange our possessions in a matter so they would ride comfortably and safely to our destination.  We retracted the slideouts, relocated the stuff stashed in the front seats to the bed, moved the 42" TV that is in-limbo-sitting-on-the dash-until-Bob-attaches-it-to-its-permanent-bracket to the bed, dumped the black tank and unhooked the sewer hose, unhooked the water hose, lowered the TV Satellite dish, unhooked the power cable, switched the refrigerator to operate on propane, and lowered the motorhome off the jacks.  After a last minute photo with Jean, we were ready to go....so we thought.



Jean, Kathie, and Bob with our "new" thrift store purchsed wreath

 

I turned the key in the ignition to let Bob know I was "ready to go" and .......

 

The engine wouldn't start! 

 

So 3 hours after our "ready to go" status, Bob is still under the motorhome continuing to work on the starter after a brief interruption to clear his eye of something that had fallen from the undercarriage of the motorhome.  (He is now wearing his safety glasses.)  We are still hoping beyond all hope that we will get this thing on the road today, but I am losing that optimism very quickly.

 

My grandma always said, "Things happen for the best".  I can't help but think that we were not intended to drive the motorhome to Indio today. 

 

Fortunately, we have the option to drive the car to Indio to spend Christmas with our son and family (Rosemary, Jimmy, and Nana).

News alert:  Bob has just informed me he has extracted the starter from the motorhome and predicts if he can get the part early tomorrow, he can replace it in time for us to still get to Tim's by Christmas Eve night.  That is very good news.

However, there is a high wind warning issued from midnight tonight to 4pm tomorrow for the passes through which we intend to travel.  O my, there is always something.  I firmly believe that Rvers are a strong bunch, and we proudly include ourselves in this family.  We will see this challenge through to a happy outcome.

Now to undo all the packing we did this morning and carry on with our day.

Bob and I wish you a Christmas filled with joy and without such obstacles.

 



Around Calaveras Big Trees

 

Where We Are at Calaveras Big Trees State Park



Two years ago Bob and I were fortunate to fall into this Camp Host position at Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Arnold, Ca.  We volunteered here in 2010, 2011, and are happy to be here again.

 

The park is located 75 miles east of Stockton on Hwy 4.  At 4800' elevation, its summers are pleasant when the valley temperatures average in the mid-90's, and it's winters are cold when Sockton's average temps are in the mid-40's. 



One morning in September on my usual walk from our campsite to the park's entrance station, I discovered a dogwood tree in bloom. It shouldn't have been in bloom. It's supposed to bloom in the Spring! The leaves were turning color as they were supposed to do in the Fall, but it was very strange to see flowers. 

A little research by Tami, the Visitor Center's retail manager, revealed that the dogwood tree will bloom out of season if it has been under stress during a drought for a period of time followed by a period of rain.  There was very little rain last winter and this past summer.  And then one day in early September the area received a significant amount of rain in a very short period of time followed by a spell of unseasonably hot weather.  This is the first time the locals remember dogwood trees blooming in the Fall.

Mumbert Cabin

On our day off today, we decided to gander about the park and search for the famed Mumbert Cabin.  We knew it was about a mile down the fire road that parallels the back side of the campground.  So off we went for a little stroll and soon came upon the rustic cabin that is used by the Parks Department personnel for R & R.  It was very peaceful here on the porch as we sat and rocked
                                                                              on the rustic metal chairs and contemplated the universe.

The Meadow

On our way back "home" we strolled past sites that we have become very accustomed to seeing on a daily basis.   The meadow is the center of the campground and offers a sunny and warm escape from the shade of the trees.  A newly re-contstructed boardwalk is the center piece and offers a quick way to get from one side of the campground to the other.

Sequoiadendron giganteum

One of the few Giant Sequoias in the park that is visible from a road is a good example of the species' adaptation to grow with a twist.  This is a characteristic that serves to strengthen the tree which promotes it's longevity. Sierra redwood trees are the largest trees in the world. Many sierra redwoods are between 250 and 300 feet tall, the tallest being about 325 feet high. While their height is impressive, the real wonder of a sierra redwood lies in its bulk. Many of these giants have diameters in excess of 30 feet near the ground, with a corresponding circumference of over 94 feet.

The largest redwood in Calaveras Big Trees State Park is the Louis Agassiz tree.  This tree is "only" 250 feet tall, but it is over 25 feet in diameter six feet above the ground. The largest tree in the North Grove is said to be the Empire State Tree, which is 18 feet in diameter six feet above the ground.
 

 The Fallen Sentinel





A Dogwood in Fall Colors near the Fallen Sentinel





A Douglas Squirrel (aka: Chickaree) 



The Chickarees are fattening up for the winter



We resume our camphost duties tomorrow amidst all this beauty.  As long as we have committed ourselves to volunteer for 2-3 months out of the year, this is a pretty good place to do it.

No real post yet.....

I know. I know.  It has been a while since I posted anything.  Heaven knows I have a ton of stories to tell.  It's a matter of having time to put words on a page and then when that time arrives, my internet connection fails.  But life is not that tough.

Bob and I are comfortably (almost) settled at Calaveras Big Trees State Park located on the western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range along Highway 4 in California at 4800' elevation.

And that's about all I have to say now, as our workday as camphosts begins.