We retrace our steps…err….tire tracks….and head north, back into the mountains. And cool is what we get! Nights are in the 20’s (which we didn’t need to make us happy), with days in the 50’s and 60’s. Joy and Shiloh are invigorated…it seems to take a few years off of both of them.
Joy relaxing in a mountain stream where there was snow on the ground.
And here is the snow!
We are at Crowley Lake RV Park, which is mostly a trailer park with a few RV spots.
We plan to stay for a week. There is no internet here, I discover, and AT&T doesn’t work here either. To get a cellular signal I need to drive a few miles.
Though many of the gold leaves are on the ground at this point, we still find stands of golden trees with leaves that seem to light up from within.
I plan to explore the area on these beautiful, crisp fall days. The first place we check out is Rock Creek Canyon which is a few miles south of us and 10 or so miles west…into the mountains. As the elevation increases (we start at about 7000 feet), there are less and less gold leaves because they have already fallen due to colder temperatures. Instead we see more snow. Since we were passing through here less than a week ago the Sierras have been dusted with snow and it’s beautiful!
In other news I want to let you know what’s happening with my voting situation. When I became a resident of South Dakota, I promptly registered to vote, and not long after that I requested absentee ballots. I recently had my mail sent to Lone Pine and when I picked it up I fully intended to find my ballot….but it wasn’t there. I checked my mail still in my mail box in SD via internet, and the ballot wasn’t there either, so I found the number I needed and called to find out when I was going to receive it. What I found out is that one needs to request absentee ballots every year in SD…not just once, as the rule is in California.
I find that I need to print the ‘request for an absentee ballot’ from the http://www.penn.com website (that’s for Pennington County, SD, where I am a resident), fill it out and send it with a copy of my SD drivers license, and then wait for a ballot to be sent to me. If I have it sent to my SD address, I will then have to have it forwarded to where ever I am, and that will take even more time. Now if I had done this awhile back, it wouldn’t be an issue, but right now, time is of the essence, if I want to vote in the November 8 election. Which I do. I decide to have my ballot sent to directly where I will be, and cut out the extra step. But where will I be when they manage to get that ballot to me? I have to figure it out, quickly.
I send my request and drivers license by 2nd day mail to make sure they get it quickly. I try to calculate and estimate where I’ll be in about 8-10 days, and decide to make that the Barstow, CA area. I can’t stay in the Mammoth area too much longer because before long there will be more snow and colder temperatures. Soo….when I leave here, I’ll head to near Barstow and stay there until I can pick up my ballot General Delivery at the Barstow post office. Depending on when that is, I’ll mail it back promptly. Whew. I hope this works out.
Shiloh rolling after a dip in the cold water.
Golden days.
Lots of leaves of gold on the ground now.
Last night, the sunset over Lake Crowley, except in this picture you can’t see the lake.
Next post, we explore Convict Lake!
Wandering Spirit 
Those are some gorgeous pictures! Thanks so much for sharing.
Finally decided I’m going to cash in my retirement chip in June so in less than 8 months I’ll be on the road. Ye doggy! Which isn’t an appropriate shout out because I am currently dogless and need to get myself a companion for the road. I love your dogs so much but then I’m very partial to Goldens.
Oh Lori, another Golden lover! Gosh I love Goldens!
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement and travels!! I know it might now seem like it, but time will fly!
So glad you are enjoying the pictures. I can’t recommend highly enough Hwy 395 in eastern CA in the fall! I’m rather bedazzled right now!
Gosh sure hope things work out for you in the voting process. This is a important election!
Safe travels! I enjoyed reading your post.
Cheryl, Tennessee
Me too Cheryl! I’m going to feel anxious till I get that ballot in my hands. Then I have to get it back to SD and I’ll mail it back in whatever way I have to, to get it there in time. I don’t want to take my voting privilege for granted! It’s precious.
Glad you enjoyed the blog!
This is really beautiful country. Love the ‘golden days’ shot with the golden in the back seat. Hope the voting thing works out OK! I guess mail is one of the things a person has to figure out when they go on the road full time, even in these days where most things can be done via electronics.
PS: I realize I never answered your question about where in Michigan I live. I live with my husband and sheltie girl in Davisburg which is near Clarkston in Oakland County, sort of near the Oakland County/Genesee County line.
Hi Dawn, yes, not having a permanent residence makes it necessary to figure out something about mail, though it can be minimized a LOT due to electronics!
Hi, Micky here. Just want to let you know, in case you comment and don’t get a reply right away, I’m heading back to my camp where I have no connections now. Sometime tomorrow I’ll probably check in on the world again though. Hoping to do that daily, but I may miss a day or two between now and next Tuesday when we move again.
I TOTALLY get the frustrating voting thing! When I arrived here in 2008 it was just before the election and of course I wanted to vote for Barack Obama. But I #1 – made the mistake of changing my car registration to Washington which automatically cancelled my voting registration in California and then #2 – had to provide something mailed to me at a local address to prove I actually lived here. I was living at the family farm with NOTHING in my name!!!! I was frantic. I stood at the DMV counter (where one registers here) sobbing. The clerk took pity on me and we figured out that the satellite dish bill would work!!! I’m glad you seem to have it worked out for yourself as well. [This time around I am voting before I move!!!]
Hi Marsha, so many laws and rules that we may not be aware of, and I realize they are there for our protection and so our voting system stays fair and just. What I’m realizing is that it’s up to us to be aware of them, study them, etc. I had apparently known at one time that I had to apply yearly in SD for an absentee ballot, but I forgot. No forgetting allowed! 😀
Dear Micky, I am so glad that you are voting! I was afraid that wasn’t on your radar! I’m so nervous about this election that I’m convinced that everyone needs to vote!
Absolutely Marie. Hopefully they get that ballot to me in a timely manner. I wrote a note in with the application asking them to please help, I was late! Then sending it 2nd day air so it cost half my life savings…they must know I’m serious! I will keep this situation updated on the blog.
Wow!! Love that show on the mountains!! It is picture perfect.
I sure hope you are able to get you absentee ballot and vote!! I’ll cross my fingers and toes.
The doggie kids seem to be really enjoying that crisp air.
Hi Gerri, it is just so beautiful here and yes the dogs are happy campers. Got a story to share about that in the next blog!
I’m counting on them getting that ballot to me in time. If I have to return it 2nd day air again, I will.
Hi Mickey, you are hanging in our favorite area of Calif! Guy and I used to camp there with our kids for vacations every year!! Crowley Lake is where our son learned to fish and it was snowing then as well.
I hope your ballot gets there in time. We sent ours in the end of Sept. I was so nervous that we wouldn’t get to vote!
The fur babies look like they are loving the water!! Enjoy your time in the mountains! We are still in Coburg! We are hoping to leave here by Nov 1!! Want to be in Paso Robles for Thanksgiving, my sister in law owns a winery so Thanksgiving will be there.
Hi Sue, hat sounds like a great place for Thanksgiving!
Yes this area is just magnificent isn’t it? I’m just in awe of the beauty and getting so spoiled, taking these beautiful walks everyday! The weather has been perfect, cool, but shirtsleeves fine in the middle of the day, crisp breezes, super blue sky’s….snow on the mountains while the leaves are gold….gosh…I’m loving it!