Our last hurrah

Today is Tuesday. Normally I would have written my blog on Sunday evening, but Sunday found us babysitting while our daughter worked. We got home late and went straight to bed.  Yesterday we (our daughter, King and I) took the boys to Legoland. It wasn’t a late night but we got to the park when it opened and left when it closed at 5:30. When the King and I got home we went straight to bed, not even stopping long enough to eat dinner. Sweet exhaustion.  I recall the last time my father went downhill skiing.  He was 82 and made three or four runs, came home and slept for two days.  I understand the feeling.

Yesterday was the longest Petra has been away from us since we adopted her in September. She is now glued to my side. She’s telling me in her doggy way, “You will not be absent from me again.” I think she likes us.

Yesterday was also the first time the boys felt confident enough to try the roller coasters. It was also the first time they were tall enough to ride on all the rides.  And I believe they did just that – rode ALL the rides.

Legoland, for the uninformed, is geared for younger guests. There are no death-defying, spin you on your ear, 500-foot drops, or no cork-screw turns that hang you by your legs. The roller coasters are geared for the younger crowd.  It’s a stepping-stone for their teen years. And speaking of teens, because of the age of most of the guests there were lots and lots of families (even for a Monday) but, there were no meandering hoards of teens, filled with angst over who was riding with who.  (Or is it whom)?

King does not do roller coasters. It’s a motion sickness thing. But he does love to play the games and win enormous stuffed animals. Our daughter inherited that trait. The boys came home with two huge stuffed husky-looking dogs. There is now officially no room in their beds for humans to sleep. Our daughter says they will have to get rid of a few “stuffies”  … eventually. I doubt it will happen.

Room additions

This is our last week in California. We will watch one last little-league game tonight, have one last ice cream sundae party on Thursday night and then head out Friday morning for Michigan. Our goal is to be back in Michigan in time for an Elton John concert in April. My sister and I are going.  We have both been fans since we suffered from our own teen angst.

On our way back we will be stopping in Quartzite, Arizona to collect more rocks for polishing. I have four sets of grandchildren (at least one from each family) who I’ve turned into rock hounds. To be fair, I think our youngest son’s children may have had help from their mother in the rock-hound regard. (They are also exceptional at finding beach glass).  

Heading back in the spring is always bittersweet, but then again, so is leaving Michigan in the fall. We do what we do and find enjoyment in everything.  I’ve learned contentment is all a matter of perspective.  But that’s a story for another day.

In the meantime, stay safe, play nice and don’t kick sand in the sandbox.

Time to think about traveling back to Michigan

Sunday afternoon on the road isn’t really any different from Sunday afternoon living in a brick and mortar home.

King is watching golf on TV, the dog is sleeping on the sofa next to me, the windows are open and a breeze is blowing in keeping things cool. Life is good.

The boys spent last night with us for one last campout before we leave in two weeks. Where we will be staying from March 17^th to March 21^st is currently in a state of flux. I think King and I will be storing the trailer at a friend’s storage space while she is out of town. King and I will stay at her home while roofers come and replace her roof – for the second time in a year. It’s a long story, suffice it to say King will be playing the “bad guy” and making sure it’s done correctly this time. Black mold, leaky walls and ceilings and replacing flooring does not make homeowners or insurance companies happy. 

We will be pulling out of our final campground on March 25^th and meandering our way back to Michigan for the summer.   On our way out here last fall we had a mishap with our trailer plug and King had to make emergency repairs somewhere in New Mexico.  Everything works, but apparently the battery was not connected, meaning without an electric hookup (shore power) we have no water pump in the trailer. I can easily boondock without lights. In fact, we have many times. I’m not so keen on hauling water, (which I have also done many times). Our setup is fairly basic compared to many other full-time travelers but at my more mature age I’d really rather not go without water.  So on our way home we will be looking for campgrounds with a few amenities. 

According to a few Facebook posts I’ve read, since I drive a gas-guzzling truck I (apparently) am not allowed to complain about the price of gas. Suffice it to say, we figure it will cost about $300 a day in gas, and  coupled with paying for less remote camping – we think we will be coasting in to Michigan on fumes.  It’s all part of the things one has to consider when opting for a bohemian lifestyle.

And, not to be political, I’ve never been able to figure out how people correlate the price of gas with the White House occupant – whatever the party. You can comment all you want. I’m not going to engage on that one.

Quartz found in 
New Mexico. I
actually crocheted
the chain using 
32 gauge wire.

In the meantime I’m reading about two books a week on my Kindle and playing around with the quartz stones the boys and I tumbled over the past month.  I’ve mounted them on jewelry findings and turned them into sun catchers. I suppose I could turn them into necklaces but I haven’t for two reasons: 1) I don’t like weight around my neck – that’s any type of weight; and 2) If I turn them into sun catchers I can hang all of them in the window at once and don’t have to decide which one I like best.

Stay safe. Be nice. Play well with others.

Random thoughts on a Sunday Afternoon

It’s Sunday, March 6, 2022. In 19 days we will be packing up one last time and heading back to Michigan.

Michigan in April is a tease. There is the promise of spring with the threat of one last snowstorm.  I’m not sure how I feel about it all.

We had some warm weather here last week and then a cold front came in and it turned rainy and cooler. I won’t say cold because anything above 50 in March to this Midwesterner is warm.

Yesterday we attended the boys’ baseball game and I layered a long-sleeve shirt with a short-sleeved jacket covered by a windbreaker. I was toasty. Our daughter, who has lived in Hawaii and/or California since 2008, was wearing an extra sweatshirt with the hood pulled tight around her face and wrapped herself up in a blanket.  Her teeth were chattering. Our friend was wearing warm clothes plus a knit hat and scarf. She leaves later this week for a six week assignment in Detroit.  There is no way to explain the wet, wind, cold and blooming dog poop (which appears in the melting snow) to someone who has never experienced it.

We are staying at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park for the next two weeks.  Campers are packed in and I find I don’t really like to be around people much. The people next to us allow their dog to wander into our campsite to relieve herself after dark. Unfortunately if the poor hapless animal should wander in during the day Petra would make short work of her. Petra loves people but is extremely dog aggressive. It’s a downside for our sweet rescue.  It would not be an issue if others were responsible pet owners.  I can’t tell you the number of times I hear, “Don’t worry my dog is friendly,” to which I reply, “Gosh, you are so lucky. Mine hates other dogs.”

So as Sunday morning marches into Sunday afternoon, I’m watching with detached interest as  trailers stream past ours in an organized exit. Campers have another two hours before checkout time, so it will be interesting to see how many campers were here for just the weekend. I suspect the neighbors are here for another week.  Watching all this is a reminder that this is the ebb and flow of our nomadic lifestyle.

But it’s been a quiet winter.  We’ve been on Grandma and Poppa duty every other week, so on the weeks we are off-duty we spend quiet days at the trailer. I’ve read a lot -- sometimes as many as three books a week on my Kindle. Yes, I have a Kindle. Regular books are far too heavy and take up too much space to keep in the trailer, and with Kindle Unlimited I can read as much as I like for $10 a month.  I’ve also been doing some wood burning projects, weaving on my small (hand-held) loom and

Tumbled rocks gathered in 
New Mexico

making sun catchers out of the rocks the boys and I polished in the rock tumbler we got them for Christmas. I’m trying to teach myself how to make wire wrapped pendants. Either I’m too particular or it’s not going well. 

Tomorrow we start Grandma and Poppa daycare again, and Tuesday is another baseball game… I think there is a trip to Legoland in the making before we leave. The theme park is less than five miles from our daughter’s apartment.

And so it goes. Another winter winds down.