Departure Imminent!

   It's with mixed feelings that we load up and head off on our 2nd Snowbird trip. Sad to leave family and friends behind,  but excited to see where the road takes us, ready to embrace the next adventure.
    This past several months have been packed full with (among other things) trips to Oregon to help my aging Father, get him in Assisted Living, and deal with the mountain of stuff he no longer needs. Since he was living 450 miles south of me, trips were fairly frequent and long enough to make it worth the travel with most of August being spent in Oregon. Over two weeks at Dad's, bracketed by my High School Class Reunion  (which I helped organize) and a family wedding.
  Since I never seem to get enough time in Oregon,  I enjoyed it for the most part, except maybe all the hard work!. But I did get to squeeze in a stay with a fellow RVer I met last winter for a couple of days of sailing near Eugene. What a blast!
  After lots of hard work on several fronts since Spring, I look forward to some R & R.

Onboard Bucha!

Jars peeking out of their warm jacket.

My four happy gallon jars.

  Even though we have parked the RV in the driveway, and have acclimatized back into “Sticks-n-Bricks” living, my kombucha jars are still happily brewing away in the motorhome. Since we have the solar panels and I have the heated jacket set-up, it just seems easier to keep them in there, ready for the next trip! The thermostat keeps the temp fairly even by turning on the seedling mat when needed and the insulated jacket keeps in the warm while allowing it to breathe.

   I had the fun of giving away some kefir grains (connection made through Freecycle) but then she came back for a kombucha SCOBY and watched as I bottled my latest batch in the motorhome Which also led to some discussion of RVs! I love teaching people about kombucha and how to brew it, and since she had done her homework, it was more a matter of answering questions and filling in things for her.

The thermostat running the seedling mat.

   I also left some kefir ‘grains’ with my sister on our way home, and I enjoy her enthusiastic reports of the things she is making with it, how much better she feels drinking it, and her excitement over the first time she got the share her ‘grains’ with someone. The ‘grains’ grow, so it’s kinda like Friendship Bread, only healthier. It is such fun to share these life-giving foods with people.

    With all I have learned, I have come to appreciate the amazing diversity of microbes that normally inhabit our bodies and guts and the critically important roles they play in our health and wellbeing. As I eat I am conscious of the need to protect and help these beneficial microbes to flourish. Hence my food choices. And herbs rather than drugs when possible. (See my Page on the Ferments: Terrific Trio)

    Since today’s post is all about these foods, here is a recipe for those of you who want a little walk on the Wild Side: 

Kefir Cream Veggie Dip:

½ Cup kefir cream* (put ‘grains’ in whipping cream for 24 hours)

Pinch of salt – to taste

Pinch of pepper—to taste

½ tsp Dried onion flakes

½ tsp dried dill or basil   (can use fresh, use less)

Still all together and chill for 10 – 15 min. This makes a very creamy, high probiotic veggie dip.

*you can also use kefir that has been drained in a cheesecloth for 12 – 24 hours. 

Enjoy! And feel free to ask questions.

Where did my Comfort Zone go?

    We've been home for a week, now. It still feels weird.
    When we first walked into the house after 96 days of being on the road, it all looked the same as when we left it. There was our house as usual, all our usual stuff. The same. But....we are not. It is not the same feeling of 'coming home', of slipping back into a comfort zone, a familiar routine. My comfort zone has clearly moved! I found it slightly melancholy to unload the RV, turn off the fridge, 'move' back into the house.
   Oh I enjoy the unlimited hot water, the larger fridge, the bigger kitchen. It just doesn't feel as 'at home' as it once did. It feels like luxury. There were very few things left behind that I missed. Do I really need all of this stuff? Clearly not, since we have done without it for over 3 months. I find myself almost resenting most of it. It demands that I do something with it, if only to dust it. It took me less than a day to start the give-away box, and since it is full, I need to find another...and another!
   There's something about being in a smaller space that changes your perception of stuff and the 'need' hierarchy. We did fine with what we had, missed very few things we left behind, and now look forward to freeing ourselves from the 'Tyranny of Stuff' whether we keep the house or not. For now we are content to keep this as our summer home, our home base.
   I am much more aware of being careful of resources; electricity, water, disposal, space, energy, money. When living in a small space and especially without any hook-ups, one is forced to make the most of what you have. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from doing without, or with less, or for longer. It's empowering to make those choices that save power, water, money; a sense of adventure when you rise to meet the challenge; how long can I go without____? How can I do this with less ___?  Living life on the edge!
 

Last leg of the Journey--for now

     The urgency to get back into Washington was driven mainly by my need to renew my drivers license. This year of all years, I was unable to do this online, so I needed to find a DOL office. When we stopped in Kelso to gas up, there just happened to be an office less than a block away, so  I ran over and got my license renewed  in the time it took him to fill the tank! I love small towns!
    We then went on to park at our daughter's place near Enumclaw where we got to spend time with the grandchildren, meet the new kitties, pet the dogs, feed the bunnies and chickens, collect eggs and help move straw. They are also busy planting the starts in their garden that have been sprouting up in the greenhouse. It's a great farm atmosphere with lots of different animals and growing things all around. Love it there!

Between us is the covered porch and a taller roof is in process for over their RV. 

The view from the front of our rig.

   But finally on Saturday, we pulled up levelers once again for the last time in awhile and made the final leg of our journey to home. 

   One drawback to our driveway is the downward slant to the parking pad. Our street is on a hill, and our driveway slants yet another direction making for weird tilting as we pull out or back in. (This tests how well we packed!) 

    I am behind the wheel and as I back in, Jerry places leveling blocks under the drivers side rear wheels to lift the back up enough to clear the cement. It is not a pretty sound when it scrapes! When we first brought the rig home, not knowing for sure how we would do this, it took about 15 - 20 min to get it parked. Jerry now has it down to a science where we can get it parked in under 6 minutes.

    When we first left for Arizona, we found that parking the rig in our driveway with a full tank of gas is not a good idea! Since then we have learned many other helpful things, and now that we are home we have several ideas of how to make our rig more efficient and livable and yes, lighter!

Home Port for the Queen Mary!

Into Oregon

Mountain Aire Meet-up!

      Staying overnight at a casino that caters to truck drivers makes for a rather noisy and crowded stay. When we first drove into Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, CA, we saw these two other Mountain Aires like ours, so we parked between them. We got to chat with both owners and found that they were a '98, '99 (ours) and 2000! All in a row. We decided we must be a Mountain Aire Rally! It was fun to see the 2000 inside since it looks so much like ours but it had custom features....and it was blue! I almost gave them my number and told them that if they decided to sell to call me first! Amazingly, between us all there were two trucks and another RVer parked! I am astonished at how close those truck drivers can park their rigs. They have some real skill!
     Since it was a bit noisy, we were up and on the road pretty early for us. We decided to postpone breakfast and just took off after gassing up. Breakfast was at a Truck stop near Weed, CA where we gassed up again and took a bit of a break after two hours of driving.
    It was an exciting moment (for me) when we crossed the state line into Oregon! Back in my home country. Ah, breathe the air!

A restful stop.

    The next break was between Medford and Grants Pass at a Rest Stop that also has a State Park next to it. Not only are there lots of BIG trees around here, I also saw MOSS for the first time in over 3 months! I had a lovely walk here which made a great break from the road.
     We had planned to make a stop for a night or two at Timber Valley SKP park in Sutherlin, but we were doing so well we decided to just keep going.

     We finally pulled onto my sister's street in Albany around 6pm, having done just over 400 miles that day. We were glad to get off the road! With the permission of her neighbors, we were able to park across from her house for a couple of nights and have a lovely visit.

Park of the Sierras

     We originally planned to stay 3 nights here giving us a day to rest up after going to Yosemite Park, but after looking at our schedule, we figured we could add in a couple more nights and leave on Monday instead of Saturday. This allowed us to go to church with a couple in the park. It was a great Palm Sunday service and I was very refreshed.
    This park is very beautiful with some elbow room between sites, lots of trees and rolling hills. And grass. Lots of grass. Grass that they need to keep mowed and cut back because of the drought and county regulations. This is not the best environment for someone with grass allergies, so we will take that into account when we time our next visit.
     We happened to be there for two  potlucks so we were able to meet several people and that is always informative and fun. We also went to an Open House of a couple that have just finished with their custom built 5th wheel. It includes several innovative ideas and I was inspired to see how they went about this.
     After 6 nights we are on the road again, driving a longer leg to get to Rolling Hills Casino to park for the night. Another day's drive should find us in Oregon.

Yosemite Park

     We were excited to be able to visit Yosemite Park for the first time. I have seen many pictures of Half Dome and had hear of the park, so was looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes. It did not disappoint! It took us about an hour and a half driving from Park of the Sierras where we are staying. Curvy road. Very. Curvy. Road. 

     After the first half hour, I recommended we stop and switch drivers knowing that my enjoyment would be severely curtailed if I didn't drive. We stopped at the Sugar Pine Railroad. We didn't ride the RR, just looked around and took pictures. It was very picturesque and a refreshing stop.

     After another 45 minutes or so of driving, we came through a tunnel to a view point with lots of parking where we got our first glimpses of The Big Three of Yosemite Park; El Capitan on the left, Half Dome just over Jerry's head, and Bridal Veil Falls on the right. It was a spectacular view where you could see the whole valley spread out below.

First view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridal Veil Falls

When you are standing under Bridal Veil Falls, it's easy to see why it's named that as the wind blows the water and it cascades down like a veil. There were many people on the Thursday, making us glad we were not here at the height of tourist season!

Me in front of Bridal Veil Falls. I am told it is less spectacular than usual from low water volume.

Jerry in front of El Capitan (check out the bird in flight).

Remember the Star Trek V movie with Kirk climbing El Capitan?  It's hard to visit there without remembering how Spock saved Kirk's bacon with his jet-boots!  It is 3,000 feet high and was successfully climbed for the first time in the 1950's.

The view below of Half Dome is one I remember well from a picture my Grandmother painted. It was an awesome thing to be standing there seeing it from that same vantage point, causing me to wonder about that picture and my Grandmother's trip there.

Half Dome from Yosemite Village.

After leaving the Yosemite Valley behind and heading back, we stopped at Mariposa Grove of the Giant Sequoias. We did a bit of hiking to see the trees and it was well worth it. Even though you know they are big, it is still awe inspiring to look up, and up, and up! Grizzly Giant, although not especially tall, has the most massive branches larger than the trunk of other trees.

Grizzly Giant Sequoia, whose lower limbs are 7 feet in diameter!

The Surviving Tunnel Tree, the opening is wider than his arm span.

Both of us in the tunnel of this huge Sequoia.

Getting a picture of us here is sort of touristy, but a fun way to prove we were there!

Vista del Lago and noisy pipes

Driving through the LA area to our next stop from Morongo Casino, we knew it would be a longer leg than we preferred, so we planned a stop at Vista del Lago Visitors Center. It had a beautiful view of Pyramid Lake.

Vista del Lago Visitor Center view from back deck.

It is run by the California Dept of Water Resources. We enjoyed the many varied displays and seeing how they are managing the water in this drought situation. I learned more about the geography and locations of things in California which had been pretty vague. It made a great stop to eat, rest, and see something interesting. And they had enough parking space for us!

     By the time we arrived at Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, CA, it was clear that a hole had developed somewhere near the front of our exhaust system. It was quite loud! We made a stop at a handy AutoZone for patching materials and Jerry got out the tool box and went to work. He was visited by a fellow RVer offering help as well as a security guard who wanted to talk about Washington weather and said we could stay and long as we wanted to.

    The patch helped tone down the noise, but by the time we neared Fresno, it clearly was not working any more and the sound was deafening! We had to yell in order to be heard. So we made some calls and ended up at A to Z Muffler who got us fixed up and back on the road in a couple of hours. If our rig had been as much as 5" longer, it would not have fit on the lift. It was a little unnerving to see my rolling home lifted up in the air, but interesting to be able to look underneath. When we left, it sounded SO much better!

   We were relieved to be able to pull into Park Sierra in Coarsegold, CA and stay for a few days. It was so much fun for me to pull in and have a site with a view of trees!

Hwy 41 north of Fresno, CA on the way to Coarsegold

The drive from Fresno was beautiful and it was fun to see the different trees and rolling hills. It reminded me of the South Salem area and the oak trees of the Willamette Valley. I did find out that many of the trees in the area are Blue Oak.

Our boondocking site at Park of the Sierras.

We got the full tour of the park and met several really friendly people. I made good use of their laundry facility and shower as well as visiting the library.

Standing in front of the Coarsegold creek. Because of the drought the water level is very low.

Casinos

     We have stayed at several casinos on this trip. Not only is it free (yes, free!) but security is generally making periodic sweeps so it feels pretty safe. Plus they are usually paved lots, mostly level, which is a plus. And one can sometimes find friends there! On a few of them we have gone inside, but I find the inside to be rather depressing and fail to see the attraction of sitting at a machine feeding it money. Plus people can smoke inside which I prefer not to inhale. I am appreciative of the fact these people feeding the machines is what builds these places and we get to park there. For free. Thank you.

Morongo Casino

     On our way homeward, we stayed at a very LARGE casino. Morongo Casino and Spa in Cabazon, CA. This is the largest one we’ve seen yet. The hotel is maybe 15 or more stories high and looks like something out of a Sci-Fi film with the top part all lit up as a moving bill board at night. In the daytime it just looks blue.

    They also have a huge water park next to it, a parking garage several stories high, and acres of parking including an area just for RVers to park. While walking around the parking lot for exercise, it’s fun to see the other rigs that people have and to wave at fellow RVers. Some casinos have big rig/RV parking areas and the trucks are in and out and run their diesel motors, so they can be noisier. This one was pretty quiet.

    We stayed an extra night for rest, plus we finally caught the rat and had to clean up after him. He made quite a mess under the sinks and under the dashboard. When I heard chewing sounds from the dash area, I knew he was still with us and we had to get rid of him quick before he did some serious damage! Fortunately the banana-in-the-rat-trap worked. We knew he liked them from the large hole he’d left the day before in the bananas; an undeniable clue that he was still aboard.

Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita, AZ just south of Tucson where we went after Escapade.

    

Oh, Rats!

    Some mornings you just want to climb back into bed and pull the covers up over your head and pretend that you don’t have to face the day. What made me want to retreat to my bed this morning was discovering rodent droppings on my table. IN my favorite cups, no less. Judging from the size of these dropping, no mere mouse did this. I then heard suspicious rustling under the sink. Great. A rat. This is not how I wanted to start my day. I couldn’t even get a cup of tea first to fortify me against this brash intrusion. I stifled the urge to run off to the RoVers Roost Clubhouse (where we are boondocking) and find a sympathetic ear and maybe some good advice as to how to vanquish this foe. Instead I stood and stared at my blissfully sleeping hubby until he woke up so I wouldn’t have to deal with this alone.

     I realize that in times of crisis women want to clump together (hence my urge to run off and find someone sympathetic), and men prefer to solve the problem on their own. Since I didn’t feel so awake and chipper, I decided to support my husband’s method and gave him the facts. We did some investigating and found where the rat had traveled from under the kitchen sink behind the stove and fridge to the bathroom sink. Pulling out drawers and stuff, we saw the evidence of his presence including a chewed up plastic bag.  I saw my neighbor walking her cat and quipped that if he was a hunter, I had a job for him! She offered me some Irish Spring soap bars to put under the cabinets since that is known to drive critters away. I decided to give it a try and whether it was that or our banging around in the recessed of our kitchen, he appears to have exited.

    We also were alerted by our neighbor that her cat had discovered a diamondback rattlesnake who was near us, but fortunately on the other side of the wall. We even got to hear his rattle. It was our day for critters!

The Blogging begins...Piviotal point

Finally, I have arrived in Blogger Land. 
   After doing posts on Facebook in a private group and then making a PDF to email to those not on FB, this cumbersome method, although it gets the travel info out there, slows the process way down. 
   Today I took a seminar on making a travel blog and it cleared up some things for me, giving me the confidence to plunge right in. We are currently at the Escapees Escapade in Tucson where there are hundreds of RVers gathered with activities and seminars for a week. Here is an aerial shot. We are having a great time and learning lots of great RV related stuff and meeting wonderful people.
   I am going to start posts where we are and gradually go back and bring what we have already posted/sent to this one place and continue from here. 
   
NOTE: Be sure to check out 'Older Posts'!

Arts and Sciences in the Middle Ages

One of the great things about large SCA Events is that you get to see displays of different things that artisans have done. There are some beautiful things being made and I love to see not only the variety, but the level of craftsmanship. Since I have been learning leather working, I was especially impressed with the work of this one person. I have no idea who it is since there was no label, but the work is fantastic. Clearly someone to emulate!

So many fabulous leather items, bottom right are tiny dragons!

This is a book similar to what they used in the Middle Ages, it can be worn folded over the belt.

This leather covered box inspires me! This is so beautiful.

There were also beautiful Illuminations, a Scribal art done in the style of the Middle Ages. Full of symbols depicting the abilities or interests of the recipient, these are Awards given to deserving Gentles in the SCA. The higher the Award, the more elaborate the scroll. These scrolls are for the highest Award given in each of two categories, arts (Laurel) and service (Pelican). The level of skill and detail are impressive.

Order of the Laurel scroll by Mistress Amy Marie MacCormack

Pelican Scroll by Dame Angele Plaisance, Caid

I also happened by a class on silk banner painting. It was interesting to me to see the similarities as well as the differences in methods. I had a great chat with the artist who had also lived in Wyewood years ago.  

Interesting way to stretch the silk, with rubber bands and pins.

The whole design is outlined in resist, and she is painting in the dye with a brush.

Clearly the Arts and Sciences (A&S) is an area of avid interest for me in the SCA. This is just a sampling of the many varied skills I have seen both here and my home Kingdom of An Tir. The re-creation of things once made in the Middle Ages and keeping alive techniques, skills and knowledge our forefathers once had is something that gives me a feeling of being in touch with my forefathers. History coming alive is fascinating.

Kingdom Bardic Competition

Atenveldt Pavilion where the Bardic Championship was held.

   I find that hanging out with Musicians can push the comfort envelope. This is usually a good thing. A couple of my new musicians friends at Estrella urged me to join the Bardic Competition. It sounded like a rather small affair, so I thought "why not?" They said to be there a little bit before it started so I could sign in. It was rather casual and I think they were looking for more people to join the fun. I decided to go for it and sang "Fyrd of Wyewood" to further spread the Word Fame of our great Barony. I warned them that I did not have the words memorized, and they assured me that was fine. However, in the end it did lower my score. It was actually a fun thing to do, and other than being pretty nervous it went well. I got to go first and get it over with, which was a great relief so I could sit back and enjoy the stories that were told, the songs sung, and music played. Who knows, maybe next year I might even come prepared!
   I think a comparable competition in An Tir would be more difficult since I know how many great Bards we have. But maybe I'll get brave enough to give that a whirl one of these days, too!
   Embracing life and new experiences, part of what this trip is about!

Music and accolades

After taking a class on how to make my own lip balm with techniques likely used in the Middle Ages (melting small amounts of beeswax and cocoa butter on a spoon over a candle flame), I noticed that there was to be a practice that evening for the Grand Ball. Showing up to meet the musicians, I got invited to join them and so I had great fun 'cross-pollinating' with musicians in another Kingdom, seeing the subtle differences in how they do things. I got to play along on my tenor recorder, and I also got to dance. This for me was the highlight of the week, finding other musicians and playing many of the same dance tunes from the Middle Ages. I even met Matilda from Madrone in An Tir, the neighboring Barony in my Kingdom. We have played together a time or two when Wyewood and Madrone musicians have joined together.

Matillis and Matilda!

   She had seen a Bubba banner (Wyewood's mascot, a bat-winged hampster) and so I went on the hunt to find out who else was there from my home Barony. It turns out that it is Leticia's, whom I had already found. She said she flies Bubba at every Event.

Bubba of the Barony of Wyewood, flying at Estrella War.

I had asked a man camping nearby if that was his banner. He told me it was Leticia's and she had told him much of the Shire of Wyewood. Of course I had to tell him how we had become a Barony and some great stories around that, plus other fun things Wyewood has done. I was happy to spread some Word Fame about Wyewood! The outcome of this enjoyable conversation was that his 'flame was re-lit' (that's how he put it). The next day, Leticia passed on to me his personal coin in gratitude. Turns out he is a Pelican, a White Scarf, a Court Baron, former Baron of Sun Dragon, etc... So, to Don Diego de Marulanda al Nadil, <<deep curtsey>> Thank you, and I am happy to have been of service!

The coolest fire pit I have seen yet! 

Arriving at Estrella War XXXI

Arriving at Estrella War

In the Known World of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), we live in the Kingdomof An Tir and the Barony of Wyewood. We have traveled far to the Kingdom ofAtenveldt to attend Estrella War XXXI

Step back in time with us to the Middle Ages, where you will encounter encampments evoking the time period with canvas pavilions, Viking wedges, fire pits and banner. Strolling around you will pass Knights and Squires in their fighting armor, Kings, Queens and Barons with their crowns and finery. Merchants peddling their wares of crockery, cloth, yarns, armor, bows and arrows, and many more things to delight the eye and lighten the money bag.

     In the evening, by the campfire glow good gentles gather to tell stories, share music, food and drink. The sound of drums and laughter pervades the cool evening air. Although pavilions and tents are close together, there is a general feeling of comradery and sharing. These are the sights and sounds of the Current Middle Ages, where ordinary people ‘live’ for a weekend or a week the life of simplicity and chivalry typical of the Middle Ages.

     We had visitors who came to see what it was like for the day, people we had met in Yuma. It was fun to show them around and tell them about the things we like to do at an Event. Usually we would be at the Archery Range sending our pointed missiles into the target, but we felt no need to become that focused as we relaxed, shopped and wandered around.

I found Leticia in a pottery merchant booth--a transplanted Wyewoodian.

     We enjoy the luxury of the “Queen Mary”-as our motorhome has been dubbed--and don’t mind the walk to see the period tents and pavilions, the banners and decorations. Although I love seeing the inventive ways that people have come up with to accomplish fabulous meals in a camp kitchen and the medieval ambiance, I prefer mine. Not to mention having my own bathroom!

     Our week at Estrella War didn’t start out nearly as well as it ended. In all of our travels, the Tuesday we arrived was the worst day on the road we had had yet. Starting with that moment, when I realized that our directions were inadequate and I had missed the exit. I was stuck on a freeway heading too far North, wondering where I could pull off the road in a 38’ rig to figure out where I was compared to where I wanted to be. It was aggravating, but I got over it. When we arrived, checking in at Gate went smoothly and I thought that the hour extra travel wasn’t so terrible after all.

Lord Gervais, HL Matillis atte hethe.

     But then after we parked we found the Inverter had died. Not good. I use a CPAP which requires that particular piece of equipment. But, wait! We had a backup. Whew! Then the backup died just as we were getting ready for bed. I was hopeful (despite what I knew to be true about my sleep apnea) that I would get a little sleep anyway. At 4:00 am I gave up and said we were going to start the generator or I was going to a hotel! Grrrrrr. Just as I was about to finally drop off to sleep an hour later, the generator quit! No idea why, it worked perfectly when we started it later. I gave up. But when my neighbor started up his generator at 7:30 am, I was over there in a flash begging some power so I could get some sleep! Fortified with 1-1/2 hours of sleep I went off to Merchants Row while Jerry went into Mesa to buy a new inverter. By 6:00pm he had it installed and I was again able to get some sleep. YAY! I function so much better with sleep.

Lord Gervais Blakglove and Lady Matillis atte hethe in front of the Queen Mary.

     












More happenings to come!