Wandering Spirit

As I sit down to write to you today.

And, we’ve decided to stay here at Mary’s until after it has passed.  (and we have Mary’s blessing on that, it’s ok! 🙂

Soooo….Mary and I have spread a bit of our combined Christmas decor around her house.  We are both working on being minimalists, so our decor is fairly sparse.  We’ve both saved some sentimental items.

Christmas brings out my inner child, through memories of both when I was very young and when my kids were.  I love the feelings created by soft Christmas music, the glow of candles, cozy Christmas lights, and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove.

What’s left of my Christmas bear collection.  That dark brown bear wearing the button that says “When in despair, hug your bear” is older than me.

I’ve been living the ‘Joy’ theme for some years now.  🙂

And the ‘Peace’ theme for even longer.

Shiloh’s name comes from “Shalom”, meaning ‘peace’.

Shiloh wore his hat and bells quite proudly.  Joy wouldn’t even keep the hat on for 2 seconds, so no picture of her wearing it.

Mick didn’t have much to say…just looked at me with the same expression he always does.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen Santa without his hat.

I like bells!

And candles.   Oh, and wine.  🙂

Even JR is decked out:

Inside and out.

This past couple of weeks I’ve seen some friends.

Mary and I went to dinner at an Indian restaurant where it was easy to pick vegan food.

Sharon and I had lunch together twice, and wandered the Christmas-y streets of Carmel-By-The-Sea.  Had a visit and lunch and a walk with Marian, and coffee with Debbie, after which  we ‘did’ the Monterey Farmers Market.

Had breakfast at Deetjens Big Sur Inn with Mo, a tradition for us.

Mary and I went to a Native American Christmas craft showing.

We bought some gifts…

Then just Tuesday I had lunch with Carol at Rocky Point Restaurant in Big Sur.

All these windows in the restaurant face the ocean.

And you get to see things like this…

And this.  Takes my breath away….

After lunch Carol took me to her home, not far from the restaurant.  She and Mac live among the Fairies, Sprites, and Tree Spirits in a home they have built themselves, from absolute scratch.

They have continued to work on,  and improve it for over 30 years.

Carol by the front door.

The door is made from walnut….and not just any walnut, but from a tree that they knew and loved.  Mac made the door himself, along with a table and some other items in the house.

Another view.

Their home is on the side of a fairly steep hill.  Here is part of the driveway.

The road they live on takes us deeper and deeper into the woods….narrow, windy, and full of magic.  I so enjoy this visit!

All in all, I’m having a GREAT time being in the ‘home place’,  and there is lots more friends and family time planned right up until Christmas.

Yes, and I’m seeing doctors and the furry ones are seeing the vet too.  Joy had an ear infection that needed to be treated, and is now healed.  My stuff is routine.

Aka:  Joys New Wheels!

You may remember that Joy turned 13 in September.  In dog years….at least the way we used to figure dog years…she turned 91 years old.

Ok, she’s a young 91, and in many ways she’s still 3.  She’s still the most joyful person I know, and her joy has been contagious over the years.  It’s hard for me to be depressed with her around.  She constantly pulls me out of myself.  She makes me smile and laugh and be ‘in the moment’.

Pretty in Pink.

(Nothing against Shiloh here,  he has his own personality which is very different than hers but very wonderful in other ways.  He is much more serious and protecting and cuddley)

Through Joys eyes, everything is fun, everyone is wonderful, and life was made for playing.  She is sweetness and love and acceptance, personified.

Up until a year or two ago, she just never slowed down.  Now there is a noticeable difference, as age catches up with her….as it does with us all.  Maybe somehow though, I thought perhaps “The Joy Buzzer” (Laura and Joel’s name for her since she was a pup) would go on full speed ahead, forever.

These days however, she’s developing problems, and a major one is that her legs are weak and she often stumbles and sometimes outright collapses.  My heart breaks every time it happens, usually on walks.  She just looks at me and gets up the best she can and continues on.   I can just hear her saying, ‘mommy, what is going on with my legs?  This isn’t supposed to happen!’

She weighs 75 pounds and I can’t lift her.  I carry a sling type thing to put under her belly, with handles at each end to wrap around her to help her walk if necessary.  I’ve only had to use it once so far.  Our walks have gotten shorter and slower as time has passed.

Leaving her behind when Shiloh and I walk is NOT an option.  It’s not something she could tolerate. But the thing is, Shiloh and I need to get more exercise than we are getting.  Sooo…after quite a bit of research I ordered a giant dog stroller from Amazon.  It’s called the Expedition Pet Stroller by Pet Gear, Inc.  I have never talked to anyone or even seen anyone pushing  a large dog in a stroller, but Amazon reviews for various ones helped me decide which one to buy.  Supposedly it holds a dog that weighs up to 150 pounds, but in reality, that seems pretty unlikely to me, when I see how Joy fits into it.

It arrived in parts and I had to put it together, but really it was not hard to do.  It folds up so I’ll be able to store it either in the truck bed or in WS when we travel.  (That’s one reason it was important for me to lighten my load and get the big bin with the sewer hose in it, out of the truck bed.  See last post.)

I used treats to encourage Joy to get inside of it, and at first just left it still and continued to feed treats while sitting on the floor beside her making happy sounding conversation.  After a few days of doing that a couple of times a day and having her stay inside a little longer each time, I began to move the stroller back and forth in the room, just a few feet.

Shiloh has to have treats too.  🙂

By now we are outside with it, going on walks that get a little longer each day.  She starts out walking with Shiloh, both of them on extendable leashes and me pushing the stroller.  This way she gets to sniff and do her business until she starts getting tired and begins to stumble.  Then I encourage her into the stroller with treats.

We continue our walk, while I also get a workout pushing her, especially if we go uphill!

I’m also holding Shiloh’s leash.  This setup is not easy, but it’s doable, and nobody gets left behind.

Here in Marys neighborhood it’s relatively easy with paved sidewalks and roads.  In the future, depending on where we are, there will be times and places that we won’t be able to use the stroller so our walks will have to be shorter then.  We’ll just take one day at a time.

Now, for the dogs, seeing the stroller means walks and treats so when I bring it out there is lots of excitement, and yes, Joyfulness.  🙂

I sure love my fur babies!  🙂

When I arrived at Mary’s house in early November WS and JR need a few repairs. I figured taking care of those things would be easier to do when I’m stationary, and where I could more easily get help if I needed it.

1. Joy’s ear. That problem didn’t start until after I was here but needed to be taken care of right away. Her left ear started itching, was red inside, she kept shaking her head and scratching. She wasn’t at all happy to let me look in it or clean it. Soo….off we go to the vet again. All he was sure of was a lot of inflammation and swelling and fluid in her ear, so we are treating it as an infection with meds for inflammation, an ear wash and an antibiotic. I will call him tomorrow to let him know how she is doing, but it doesn’t look red inside anymore and she’s not so particular about me touching it.

Joy….younger.

2. JR (Joy Ride, my truck) had a recall notice. I make an appointment at the Ford dealership where I bought her and have that taken care of, along with a general check up. The battery is doing exceptionally well for closing in on 5 years of age. The breaks are fine for now but need to be watched, they tell me.

I’m happy with my tow vehicle, a 2012 Ford F150, EcoBoost.  It has a little over 60,000 miles on it now.

3.  Awhile back I blew my GFCI outlet and couldn’t reset it.  I read up on replacing the outlet and got some advice from the Casita Forum….still, I’ve never replaced an outlet or even watched someone else do it.  I remove the old one but don’t have the confidence to put the new one in.  Laura and Joel (The Joel Pole Man) were coming over for a visit so I ask if Joel would mind doing it.  He brings his little bag of tools and in 10 minutes I had a functioning GFCI outlet, AND I get to watch him do it, so hopefully next time I can do it myself.  Thank you Joel!

4.  For a long time I’ve wanted to get a sewer hose holder…one of those long white tubes that attaches somewhere on an RV.  Casita people usually put them between the front of the trailer and the propane tanks.  Finally I order one on Amazon. It arrives and I secure it with zip ties to the above mentioned location.  One problem with the tube is that people find the fittings on some brands of sewer hoses are just a tad too wide to fit inside.  Mine happens to be one of those brands so I just file the fittings down about a quarter of an inch, and now it fits!  This eliminates a good sized plastic bin from the truck bed.

My built-in microwave hasn’t been working right for awhile now.  I really do like the ‘luxury’ of a microwave when I have electricity (I can’t run it on solar power).

The built-in needs to be removed and it is riveted into place.  I find out that I need a drill to remove rivets.  I don’t  have a drill but feel it is something handy to have around, so I begin asking for advice and recommendations about cordless ones.  After exchanging a number of emails with Konrad at Little House Customs in Camp Verde, AZ (who did some mods for me a year ago), I decide on the same drill he uses, and 18 Volt Ryobi.  It comes with 2 batteries, a charger, and a case to put it all in.  I also buy some drill and driver bits.

Here it is!

After more emails with Konrad I actually get up the courage to start the job.  Removing the rivets goes smoothly after I get the hang of it.  Then I am able to shimmy the oven out of the opening with some difficulty.

Empty hole.

I had ordered a new cupboard door from Casita, and i just need to pop it into place….yeah, right.

Microwave ovens no longer come standard on Casitas, so unless you order one, you have a nice empty storage space there, covered by a door that opens from the top and gives a bit of wider temporary counter space when it’s open.  It has two hinges on the bottom which means I’ll need to drill 4 holes into the fiberglass.  Also, the door doesn’t fit properly.  The latches don’t reach out far enough on the sides to latch against anything so I’ll have to figure a way to extend the sides of the fiberglass opening. I don’t believe this is an error on Casita’s part, I think it’s a one size fits all situation, and ‘you work it out.’  Also, though I asked Casita to send all the hardware, they failed to send the screws, so I remove one from another cupboard door hinge, in hopes of finding the right size screws.

After thinking for a few days about what to use to extend the sides of the opening to reach the latches (needs about 1/2″ in each side), I go to a hardware store and wander the isles.  A couple of clerks don’t have any good ideas, though one helps me find the right screws.  After honestly, a good hour of wandering and changing my mind about a few different items, I end up with a metal yardstick which I ask to have cut to the sizes I need.  I also buy epoxy glue.

When my courage returns to continue this project, I start with measuring and boy, I measure very carefully because I don’t want to drill holes in the fiberglass, in the wrong place.  Also I don’t want to drill the holes too big, so I start with a very small drill bit.  Can’t get the screw in so I drill again with the next size drill bit.  Still too tight, so I go for the next size up.

Oops.  Too big.  Dang!  Just what I was trying to avoid, and I did it anyway.  I put epoxy on the screws, hoping that will hold them.  It doesn’t.

Okkkk….so lets work on extending the sides of the hole so the latches will work.  Again, I measure very carefully, then glue the pieces of the yardstick in place, and clamp them.

This part of the process seems to be working.  They are in the right places and the epoxy is holding firmly.

Now back to the store to figure out what to do about the screws.  I figure I should get the next larger size, but now I’m at Walmart and I can’t find any screws that are labeled with the size I need.  I end up buying a latch kit (same price as a package of screws), that LOOKS like the screws are a little fatter than the ones I have.  I also buy wood filler.

I fill the holes, dip the new screws in epoxy glue and screw them in and OMG, they actually tighten and seem to be holding!  Yay!

I give it time to dry, and then close the cupboard.  But what’s this??  NOW the cupboard door fits tight against the piece of wood above it….a bit TOO tight.  The way I measured, and the way it fit with the first screws, I had about 1/16′ leeway.

Well screw it!  (Pun intended 🙂  I’m done.  The cupboard door will be a snug fit and maybe that will help serve to keep it closed while I’m bumping down the road.  If it becomes a problem, I suppose I can sand down the top a bit.

Here is the new microwave….the smallest I can find at .7 cubic feet and 700 watts.  The wood thing is the open cupboard.  The square plastic thing is the latch housing on one side.  There is another on the other side. You can also see the pieces of yardstick.  (sigh). Now I have a little more storage space in there. I forgot to take a picture of it with the cupboard closed.

I’ve also been cleaning and organizing, and by that I mean I have taken just about everything out of WS and cleaned really well, plus, before I put it all back in, I’ll make a decision about if I need each and every item.

Pulling it all apart.

These holders are made to hang in a closet (and I do have one hanging in the closet), but I’ve started using them under the bed too.  I used to use small bins, but then I have to lay on the floor and get half way under the bed to reach the last bins.  Now I just have to pull, and it’s like a drawer.

I do still use one good sized bin though, and I pack cloths in it.

I keep it right there, and by pulling it out a little way,  it’s used as a step for the dogs to get on and off the bed with.  I cover it with a small rug so it’s not slippery for them. And it looks nicer too.

I also defrost and clean the fridge.

As far as I know I have one more project and that is to fix the old, or use a new closure on one of the outside storage doors on WS.  The one on there has been causing me no end of trouble and I know that this seems like a two minute job to some….it seems like a pain in the butt to me.  I’ll figure it out though!

Next post will be about Joy’s new wheels!  🙂

3

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.  I sure did.  The first part of the day was spent with Mary, Joy, and Shiloh, relaxed and laid back on a beautiful fall day.

Later in the afternoon I hop into JR and make my way south on Highway 1, where I am invited for dinner with my daughter-in-law Mandy’s, family.  We have a warm and peaceful time.  Mandy’s parents Sharon and Larry are the most gracious of hosts, and make me feel like part of their family.

Dinner was lovely and the evening was fun, comfortable and friendly.

Mandy and Jason pour Champaign.

Champaign and wine flow freely and ahhhh…well, maybe you know the feeling….happy and relaxed.  Because this was the plan for the evening, everyone is spending the night here!

I am given a sweet little guest room on the lower floor with its own bathroom, completely private with  double doors leading out to the deck. The window you see here looks out to the ocean, and since I leave it slightly open, the sounds of the surf serenade me all night long.

Early in the morning I scurry up to the kitchen, make coffee, and since the house is still silent, bring it back to bed with me and get cozy again.  Heavenly.

When I finish the coffee it is light enough outside to go walking in the gardens.  The costal fog is already lifting and the views are magnificent.  I want to share some of this foggy morning paradise with you.  (Permission given by Sharon and Larry).

Fog is still over the ocean and also over Point Lobos in this picture.  Fog is so nice, muting sounds and giving the world soft, fuzzy edges.

Carmel-by-the-Sea in the distance.

Can you see the layer of fog between the ocean and the sky?  Fog mutes the color of both, in this picture.

Peaceful.

There are extensive rose gardens, and most of the seasons roses are past now, but here are some hangers-on.  Beautiful!

Mushrooms and rose petals.

Impatients.  The flowers are Impatients, that is.  🙂

How inviting!

Much to be thankful for.

A small part of the view from the deck you can see in the last picture.

See the window with the light on at the right?  That was my little piece of heaven for the night.

Nice place for a picnic….or a cup of coffee.

Or here, if you prefer.

Garden stairs.

Late November, but still blooming.

And then….

“Here comes the sun…!”

“Little darlin’….”

“Here comes the sun…”

“It’s all right…” (The Beatles:-)

That’s what I was singing right then.  Feeling dreamy….just remembering….

Less fog now.  “I can see clearly now…..it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day!” (Johnny Nash…back in the early 70’s)

I hope you can get a little bit of the feel of this foggy morning paradise, that gave way to sunny morning paradise,  as I wandered the garden paths.   I am thankful for SO many things, and this beautiful morning is one of them.

PEACE.

The mystical magic on the Big Sur Coast is not weather dependent.

I still feel it, in the hawk soaring, the sunshine glittering on the ocean, and it may be even more noticeable when the fog and the mist cover the mountains, and the wind-torn waves crash on the rocks.

November 19 we experienced this…the latter description, with rain and lots of wind.

My friend Patty, who sometimes comments here, is a volunteer at the Point Sur Lighthouse, and she arranged to give Mary and I our own private tour on Saturday

This picture above is from the previous Saturday, but I caught the light from the lighthouse, so I wanted to show you.  That’s Point Sur.  It almost looks like an island, but it’s not.

We arrive at the gate at the appointed time, and we are escorted to the bottom of the point by car.  There we park, and continue the journey to the top, on foot.

View from Hwy 1 right in front of the point.  This used to be Navy property.  Now it’s private except the point is owned by the state of California.  You can’t see the actual light house from this angle, it’s built on the seaward side of the rock.

On either side of Point Sur are sweeping beaches….uninhabited by humans.

It’s often windy here, even when it’s calm nearby, but today with the generally blustery weather on the coast, the winds are wild here!  Walking up the path that winds around the point, there are times when it’s hard to stand and keep our footing.

The long and winding road.  There was a couple here, and they had the regular guided tour with another volunteer.

First peak of the light house from the path we are on.

Here it is!

View from the white stairway that you see two pictures above.

Inside looking up!

We go up the stairs and see the light from underneath, then out on the deck! Patty and Mary.

Such amazing views.

The Point Sur Lighthouse went into operation August 1, 1889.

This isn’t just a lighthouse, it’s a light station, with other buildings and two huge kerosene tanks for fuel.  The tall building on the left housed 3 families who ran the lighthouse, back in the day, that is.  Now it runs itself.

It has major improvements and updates.

But the views remain the same.

Pico Blanco is the mountain on the left.

The vertical line in the middle is the road that brings you in to Point Sur.

There have been many shipwrecks nearby.

And of course there are ghosts, as you might imagine.  Not malicious, but apparently very noisy at times, according to Patty, especially at night.  She’s had some experiences…

There is an annual Halloween tour, if your interested. 🙂   There are also moonlight tours.  Sign up well in advance.  www.pointsur.org

After 2.5 plus hours of exploring, it’s time to go.  The weather is wilder now than it was when we arrived, but that doesn’t stop us and Mary drives us a bit further down the coast, back to Nepenthe for a late lunch.  No outdoor seating today of course, so while we wait for a table we wander through the Phoenix Gift Shop, then return to order drinks.  Patty and I go for the famous South Coast Margarita, while Mary decides on something warm, an International Coffee, adjusted to be vegan.

Inside, even though it’s a large, windowed, crowded room, somehow it’s cozy, and being here somehow makes the rest of the world recede for awhile.  It’s that kind of place.  Well, I guess the drinks help banish the world….and the rain and fog.  No matter the weather, it’s always a beautiful day here.

View from Nepenthe. The lower road you see is Highway One.

Flowers in full bloom, even now, on the wall of the family home which the restaurant is built up against.

When we leave, it’s raining even harder…until we get back to Carmel-By-The-Sea, where there is no rain at all.

I think we have been in an alternate universe…a world apart…felt as well as seen…alive and wild, unconfined and indescribable.

If you ever plan on experiencing this area for yourself, as an introduction I highly recommend the book “A Wild Coast And Lonely” by Rosalind Sharpe Wall.  This book is a history mixing lore with fact, written by a Big Sur native whom has since passed away. The book is on Amazon.

Much of Robinson Jeffers poetry also takes in the area with depth and passion unmatched. You can tour his home (he passed away in 1962), Tor House and Hawk Tower, built by his own hands with rocks from the nearby shore line.

http://www.torhouse.org

One more beach view.

Saturday, November 12 was a perfect day as Jason, Mandy (my son and daughter-in-law), and I took the amazing drive south on Highway 1 to Nepenthe, a restaurant that has been there and owned by the same family for…mmm…about 67 years now.

It’s hard to get a good picture of the actual place, but easy to get pictures of the views from it.

When we gave our name, they told us it was a 1-1 1/2 hour wait, but we didn’t mind!  Mandy and I ordered our South Coast Margaritas and Jason his beer and we found a spot with a view….it’s impossible to find a spot without a view here.

We relax with big smiles as we try to take it all in.

Don’t know of a better combination for kicking back and clearing my mind. 🙂

Eventually our name was called, but that was one powerful margarita, and I have no idea how long it actually took….it just didn’t matter!

I’ve seen some beautiful places in my travels, and I mean REALLY beautiful, but the Big Sur coastal area remains the place I resonate with more than any other.  It’s beautiful to my eyes, my heart, and my soul.

When I walk the redwood forests here or the coastal hills, I feel a mystical presents and I fully expect to see fairies, gnomes and tree spirits any second!

All wild flowers, growing naturally here.This picture and many below will be from my photo collection.

The wildness here has a life of it’s own and there is no way humans will ever tame it. And this is a GOOD thing!

This carved bird…the Phoenix…represents Nepenthe.

You can read about the Phoenix here, along with the meaning of the name “Nepenthe’.

Another view of the Phoenix.

I’ve been having the South Coast Margarita’s here for some years.  🙂  I think this was 7 years ago. Like the hair do? 🙂

Views from the drive along highway 1 can look like this.

Walking the paths, you can find hidden beaches.

Lots of rocks.

And colors.

More colors..

Blues of every shade.

Be careful of the poison oak!

Bixby Bridge was built in the early 20’s with convict labor.

Sunset around Christmas, some years back.

Fog and morning glories.

Serenity

The sun setting on our way back on Saturday.

That little island-like hill is Point Sur, and there is a lighthouse on it.  There will be more about that in an upcoming post.  🙂

Peaceful

November 6, 2016

Here we are alive and well at my friend, Mary’s house, not too far from what used to be our home.

Tuesday, November 8 I take Joy to the vet.  There are no major or new issues, but she needs some med refills, and we decide to try something new for her skin problems.

Dr Clark wants to hear about our adventures.  He’s been very supportive of our full timing, even though our living quarters are small (long ago he reminded me that wolves live in dens), and the dogs are older.  He feels like this lifestyle with the adventures and stimulation is healthy for them.  I’ve told him that they take dips in every body of water we can sniff out and he applauds that.  He feels this is a good life for them and that is reassuring to me….remember for me, it’s all about the dogs.

Joy and Shiloh many years ago…and much younger… on the same beach you will see below. The picture above is one of my all time favorite pictures of Joy.

Tuesday afternoon the dogs relax at Marys house while I make my way to the Farmers Market.  Three blocks and then some, right in the middle of down town Monterey are blocked off every Tuesday afternoon, year round.

Fresh fruits and veggies are here in abundance, and there are plenty of organic choices.

Beautiful, aren’t they?

Of course you can also find hand made jewelry, soap, hats, shirts, pies, candied apples, popcorn, flowers, and dinner.

Colorful shirts!

Pretty bouquets.

There’s music on every block.

And a guy always brings his birds to town.  oops.  Not a good picture at the top!

Wednesday, November 9, we are invited to my friend Anne’s home.  It’s ‘the day after…’ and we need to spend some time in the comfort of nature and experience some healing.  We head for the beach…Joy and Shiloh’s favorite beach.

The surf is ginormous!

There is almost no beach to speak of, even though it’s low tide.  I leave the dogs on their leashes (usually they run free here), because the waves are just too dangerous.

We all watch the huge waves pound Monterey Bay.  Wow.  That’s powerful stuff…just what we need today though.

There is a lady and her little girl out there.  We watch them with concern, but they use common sense with the waves.

November does tend to bring heavy surf to Monterey Bay, and later I hear on the radio that there is a ‘high surf advisory’ in effect.

I’ll say!

In the background the land you see is the Monterey Peninsula.

It was good to have experienced this first hand even though when we leave my shoes are squishy wet and filled with sand and my jeans are salt water wet up to my knees.  Joy is pretty much saturated too, and both fur kids are sandy and happy when we trudge back to JR.  Anne manages to remain dry!

A great picture of Joy and Shiloh that Anne took.

Saturday I’ll be heading out to Big Sur with Jason and Mandy (my son and daughter-in-law), so be expecting some pictures soon, of my very favorite place ever!

Oranges everywhere….and for some reason they make me want to smile all the time.

Smiling orange.

I don’t know how many orange trees are in Orange Grove RV Park, near Bakersfield, but I’ll guess about 500, plus there are orange groves to the right, left, and behind the park.  The showers are spa-like and oh so clean.  There are clean laundry facilities and a swimming pool.  Free donuts and coffee every morning.  And oranges….no charge.  Highly recommended!

Oranges and sun rays.

Oranges above.

Oranges hiding.

Oranges in cami.

Oranges at the campsite.

Oranges row on row.

I’m surrounded by oranges that make me smile.

And tomorrow I’ll be leaving the oranges behind and heading for the Monterey Bay….and the home place.  I-5, to Hwy 46 to 101….about 215 miles to Mary’s house, farther than I usually like to drive in a day, but I’d rather ‘just do it’….just get there.

Pastel sunset over the orange trees, last evening.

And it’s a mans as well.  I’m not being sexist here.  🙂

I want to go explore Sawtooth Canyon Campground. (Joy and Shiloh think it’s a good idea too!)  Tuesday, November 1 we head out Hwy 247, about 15 miles past the city of Barstow.  You won’t find any signs for this campground, which is a GOOD thing.  The one mile dirt road that we turn on isn’t bad at all.  Sadly the camp host site is empty.  I wish Janet and Jim were here.  I see a sign that says a camp host volunteer is needed for this location.

Two of the 16 sites are occupied, and there is a truck here also with two guys who are preparing to rock climb.  The landscape is so different than Owl Canyons muted colors and rounded hills.  Here the hills are dark and….well…sawtoothed!…even though the two campgrounds are only about 25 miles apart.

You can see where the canyon got its name!

There is no charge to camp here.  The sites have covered picnic tables, grills, and there are pit toilets.  No water.  No trash.

I park at the site I stayed at when we last camped here almost 2 years ago.  This would be my choice again, if we come here tomorrow.

See the kissing stones above?  Turns out this was the same site RVSue camped in when she was here.

Another view.  Can’t see the kiss from this angle.

We take a nice walk.  

I wonder how much the dogs remember?

The RV that is camped here, leaves.  It feels really good here…no bad vibes, but none at Owl Canyon either.  Where to go tomorrow?  I know it will work itself out and I’ll start leaning towards….somewhere.

Tomorrow arrives, Wednesday, November 3.  I’m preparing to break camp at the KOA.  I close up the inside of WS and make it road-ready.  That means shutting and locking the windows, raising the blinds, lowering the vent cover, making sure all the cupboards and inside doors are locked, put anything breakable or that might fly around in a safe spot, either in the dishpan in the sink, or on the bed among the pillows, or on the dog bed.  Outside I sweep off the blue mat and fold it up, put away my chair and side table and whatever else is outside, disconnect hook-ups.  I’ve gotten into a routine, but even so I double check everything.  I get the ramp out so Joy and Shiloh can get into the back of the truck…up they go…and then disconnect their tie-outs from WS’s steps, fold up the steps and lock the door.  I get into JR and with the use of my trusty back-up camera, get into the proper position to hook up.  That usually takes at least a few tries.

I’ve previously decided to go to Owl Canyon…why, I don’t know.  Both places are good.  BUT….gosh….my heart isn’t in it….isn’t into boon docking right now!  I thought I wanted to do it one more time before my home visit, but….I’m just not feeling it!  Sooo…I don’t.

I get on I-15 and take the exit to Hwy 58 to Bakersfield, and end up 130 miles later at Orange Grove RV Park.

Odd.  The reason I went to Barstow was to camp at either Owl or Sawtooth Canyon, but I’ve changed my mind.  Again.  Why?  I don’t know.  I find I’m tired of always second guessing myself…judging myself critically for every move I make.  In your comments you all have helped me realize how often I do that.  I am learning I need to accept me and my decisions at face value.  It is what it is.  It’s time for me to ease up on me.  🙂  Time to accept myself and love myself for who I am.

Funny how minor thoughts and choices can lead to major moments isn’t it?  Funny how we grow.

Anyway here we are at Bakersfield, among the unripe oranges at Orange Grove RV Park, and I plan on heading home on Sunday.

These may look ripe but actually on most, there is more green than shows up in the picture.

Loving this life and how it guides, teaches, opens doors and my heart.

Loving the beauty of nature that I keep finding all around me.

Loving finding more understanding and different perspectives.

Loving that I am free to choose.

Shiloh is on the mend!  Actually Monday, by the time I’m posting this, he seems all better. He’s eating….and other digestive functions are back to normal. Yay!  He feels better and therefore I feel better.

We are back in the desert, and Shiloh is digging’ it!  Ha 🙂

Here is Shiloh, demonstrating that he feels better!  Rollin’ through the desert.

AND…my absentee ballot arrived here in Barstow!  I went to the post office on Saturday with my fingers crossed, and YES, the ballot had arrived!

Pertinent info deleted from the receipt.

I brought the ballot out to JR and asked Joy and Shiloh for their opinions about the voting….

Then put the ballot in the special envelope and put the whole thing in a Priority envelope and mailed it back to SD.  I can track it, but it’s supposed to arrive at it’s destination in Pennington County on Tuesday, November 1, a week before it’s due.  Phew.

The Barstow KOA/Calico campground has been jam-packed and wild over the week end.  Sorry to say, but Halloween brings out the crazies! (or maybe just extra alcohol).  Generally it feels safe here.  Lots of kids around, who are fine….if only they could keep their parents (and grandparents) under control!  🙂  This campground is near Calico Ghost Town, where there are multiple events related to Halloween, and this campground is nearby.

Yesterday, Sunday, being the end of the week end, about 3/4 of the campers left here, and now it’s calm and quiet.  Yay!  Not sure what will happen tonight…

Sunset reflecting on the Calico Mountains.

Another sunset view.

Sunday we drive about 7  miles out to Owl Canyon Campground.   There is about 4.5 miles of washboard road to drive over to get there.  Arriving I find about a dozen of the 35 camp sites in use.  Only a couple were RV’s, otherwise, tenters and a few car campers.  The vibes here are fine.

Owl Canyon Campground is in the Rainbow Basin.  The hills are soft and rounded, in pastel colors.  It costs $6 to camp here.  It has pit toilets, a few water spigots and there are trash cans available.  Each site has a covered picnic table, and a grill/fire pit.  It’s $3 with my Senior Pass.

Rocks of multiple, soft colors are everywhere.

Small view of the hills.

Joy and Shiloh looking into the canyon.

There are some Joshua Trees here.

There has been rain here recently and the ground cover is starting to get green.

Remember Shiloh digging above?  He likes to lie in the place he digs out.  🙂

Today or tomorrow we will drive out to Sawtooth Canyon Campground and get the feel there.

In the meantime, Joy, Shiloh and I wish you a happy….and safe….Halloween!

My two companions dressed as fur children.  🙂