Jan 7 2012

January 6-7, 2012

All I have to do is try to keep the days straight.  HA!  Friday morning, as Dan took Junnie to the truck, Junnie jumped from Dan’s shoulder into his carrier and waited for us to leave.  That campground had lots of citrus trees, too, but there were lots of trains passing about 75 feet from the camper.  In fact, there was a spur beside the track that ran by the campground.  Junnie was thrilled to be leaving.  Our neighbors there were so generous.  We offered a couple some tangerines we had picked at the last campground and they accepted.  Next thing we knew Ben had brought us a half dozen oranges he had picked from one of the trees at the camp and his wife came by later with a half dozen ruby grapefruit.  You meet the nicest people camping!

We were still driving through the Imperial Valley and saw fields of radishes and chives.  There were more “cemented –bottom” streams in the desert, filled with water.  We still have not found the range where the deer and the antelope play, but we keep looking.

There must have had some rain, however, because there was a hint of green in the sand around the other vegetation along the road.  We passed a couple of areas with cows. Lots and lots of cows at feeding troths in huge outdoor corral were busy eating.  They must be at  the last station before they are sent to be turned into steaks, roasts, and ground beef.  Seeing all the cows cleared up a mystery for us.  We did not dare ask anyone at the campground what was causing all the fragrance we experienced every time we took a breath.  Even driving down the road the next day, I thought the upholstery had absorbed the odiferous essence.  The whole area stink-ethed…big time!

It was our day to be stopped by the border patrol.  Once again they wanted to know if we were both citizens and then they asked us if we had people in the camper.  I started to laugh but thought better of it.  They probably would have searched us.  If they have ever been inside a trailer when it was moving down the road, they’d know no one in their right mind would do that…(see “The Long, Long, Trailer with Lucy and Desi!  The patrol people had pulled several cars and the drug dogs were searching along with the police.

We’d been on the road a while and saw a rest area.  We were informed, when we got there (via sign), that the unloading of livestock was forbidden at that area, so we had to keep Junnie in his carrier.  We disobeyed the sign!

I spied a sign that told us there were petroglyphs ahead and we veered onto the road that led us to them.  What a fascinating sight.  Huge mounds of boulders with etchings in the desert “varnish” on them.  According to the signs they had there, many of the drawings have been documented to the BC ages.    It is definitely a cultural  and religious site.  It’s wonderful when places of such significance are preserved for the future,  and so that we can see portions of our country’s history.  The petroglyphs are also on part of the Butterfield Trail.  The trail went from St. Louis to San Francisco.   On the way to the petroglyphs we passed a sight called, Solana Generation Station.  I think they will have hundreds of acres of solar collectors when the project is finished, but that’s just a WAG!

We passed cotton bales everywhere and more cow plants.    I also want to report I saw 2 lizards at the petroglyphs and one road runner in the middle of a road.  Where else would a roadrunner be?

We had time to shower and change before going to our friend’s home for a wonderful evening last night.

Saturday.

I promised to have a dull day and it started that way.  Then your wonderful father decided to treat me to some local cuisine, Kath.  He bought me a bacon, egg, and cheese burrito for breakfast with a piping hot cup of coffee.  He did this as we were leaving the Phoenix area.  They called the restaurant around here, Carl, Jr. AKA Hardee’s!   It was delicious.  I’ve never had a burrito for breakfast before.   Not all meals do I cook!

I’m not going to say too much more except that today has been one of the most breathtaking and heart stopping scenery day we have had so far.  Perhaps it is because what we saw is so foreign to us.  We stopped shortly before arriving in Tucson trying to find a map and were told by a tourist information person to go to the Saguaro National Park.  Our friends had told us of some caves to visit, and we planned to do that.   We found the road to the park, but no one told us it would be an “iffy” drive pulling a trailer.  What a terrific job Dan did of driving.  We saw thousands upon thousands of Saguaro Cacti and many others, too.  I can see why people have cactus gardens.  They are so varied and interesting in their shapes, colors and fruits.  We saw an excellent film about the Sonoran Desert and it was narrated by Native Americans telling us what the desert and this particular Cactus means to them. When the film was over, the screen ascended, the drapes opened and we were staring at a huge expanse of this part of the Sonoran Desert.  I wasn’t the only one who gasped. 

 Did you know that those Cactus that look like people are over 100 years before they even begin to develop arms.  It takes 44 years before the first flowers appear on the ones in this National Park.  What a glorious day we have had.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything else done because the sun was way past it’s zenith and we needed to set up for the night.  I just wish each one of you could have been with us.   We’ll just have to make another trip out here.   We have such a marvelously wonderful country with all kinds of experience opportunities and beautiful areas to bring so much joy to us all.  I’m so grateful we are doing this.  What a gift to ourselves.

Blessings,

Three Thankful Travelers

Jan 6,2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

Happy 12^th night!  We’ve just gotten back from a wonderful evening with friends.  On the way here, our friend called and suggested we come for supper instead of coming to breakfast Sat. morning.  What a super evening we had of laughter, good food, excellent company, and lots of conversation about all kinds of things.  Dan and I married in June.   Lindsay and Jim married in July.  Their first born son was a month or two before our first born son and they have a beautiful daughter as their second child, too.  It is absolutely true,  “Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold”!  Lindsay and Kara were able to come to Dan’s retirement in Goldsboro and I promised Lindsay that we would visit her.  Today we were able to keep that promise.

It’s been a great day and we’ve done lots of things that I will tell you about later.  Right now, it’s after midnight where most of you are.  I got up an hour earlier than usual, and we had a great (good) surprise in our travels today.  I’m ready to put my feet up.  I’ll do my best to have a dull day tomorrow so that I won’t have lots and lots and lots of things to tell you other than what we did and saw today.

Know we love you!

Truly Tired Travelers

January 5, 2012

Thursday, January 5, 2012

We slipped from California into Arizona today.  It’s hard to believe that we had been in CA for almost three weeks.  They certainly have been wonderful, fun filled days and evenings in that beautiful state.  I must tell you though, if we thought we’d seen barrenness before, we were not at all prepared for what we saw this morning as we traveled down 86 from Oasis to El Centro before merging onto I-8.  Whether winds across the land has been “sown” by salt from the Salton Sea, or whether the property was purchased with the idea of building a huge resort and then abandoned, there are miles and miles of sand without even any scrub brush vegetation anywhere.  It is frightening and sad how stark and flat everything is on both sides of the road.  Even the medians were devoid of vegetation, just miles and miles of dirt!

The mist hovering over the sea broke the monotony of the landscape and then we caught occasional glimpses of the Chocolate Mountains on the east side of the sea.  They were back lit, so I don’t know what color they really are.   Since they’re named Chocolate, my imagination says they look like milk, maybe even dark, and with some rivulets of white (perhaps), Chocolate.  Yum!

Soon the bleakness began to give way to fields of feed for livestock.  Next came emerald green groves of avocado trees and fields with workers harvesting heads of cabbage.  It’s really the first time we’ve seen large irrigation rivers with swift running water and ponds beside the road which have been vertically grooved.  Dan says they make the grooves to cut back on tires slipping when the roads are wet.  I suppose that rain is so scares,  road dirt and oil, before they are washed clean by the rain, could become a problem for cars.

We began seeing signs telling us we were driving through the Imperial Valley.  The valley is the exact opposite of the scenery we had passed through getting here.  We passed Speckles Sugar mill.  Dollars to doughnuts those dark green, short things and the tall green thingies I saw yesterday were sugar beets.  There were fields and fields of the same dark green thingies today with workers harvesting the rows.  Broccoli and cauliflower grow everywhere along this area, too.  There was even a business called “Rain for Rent”…a portable irrigation system.  On the east side of the highway were fields of FEMA trailers waiting to be put to use.  Hopefully they will not be needed soon.

I talked with my brother-in-law around noon today, and he said my sister is doing much better.  My niece had called him around lunch time saying Neva did not like what they served her for lunch and she wanted  a  “Gene made” grilled cheese sandwich and some of Becky’s potato soup.  Gene said he fixed it for her and carried it over to the hospital, so she is getting back to her feisty self (so says he!).  He also relayed that she may be released sometime next week and he’s already reserved a room for her at a convalescent center near Bermuda Run.  Both he and I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue.  She’ll have a long way to go.  Her M.S. will be an extra challenge for her to overcome with this illness.  She’s quite a trooper, but as with all  of us, we can never get enough prayers sent our way.  I have M.D., she has M.S.  Go figure!

On I-8 along the Mexican border, were fields of cotton, cabbage, broccoli, tan straw/hay? and green bundles along the road waiting for what will happen next.  Some under tin roofs, and some under tarps with the ends open so they don’t mold.  Crop dusters were flying overhead and to the south of us, and we held our breath while they rapidly descended to the earth, yet thankfully missed it.  The fields had lots of hoe-ers working and we passed our second border patrol check point of the day on the opposite side of the road from us.  We’ve only been stopped once on this trip, so far.  From the windows we could see Mexico and the huge sand berms along the border.   As we approached Arizona, the berm turned into huge walls.  We stopped at a grocery store because we needed more salad fixings.  We’d eaten all I’d gotten for us.   I took over driving.  I had read the camping book a couple of times last night  trying to be sure about camping places, so when I was exit 21 I took it.  Dan was checking things on the GPS and it said to take exit 31.  We had a little discussion and he was able to find (Atlas, etc.) we could get there from the exit I had taken and I must say it was great to have no one else on the road with us.  The views through the mountains were spectacular.  Dan was trying to read the Atlas, follow on the GPS, listen to Streets and Trips and I’m telling him to take pictures of the scenery.  Turnabout IS fair play.  It was wonderful having a chance to drive, and I know  Dan loves and enjoys telling me where to go and how to get there!

This campground is next to citrus trees, too, and so far a train has come by 6 times in the last four hours.  Junnie does not like trains, especially when they shake the ground.  It seems he thinks they’re coming to get him.  We don’t have to worry about his getting out the door here.  He went into his “kitty cave”and has been staying there.  I’m so glad I have a deaf ear.   Dan thinks I think he is deaf, anyway, so maybe they won’t disturb him during the night.  Hopefully Junnie will stay in his cubby and not freak out.  It promises to be an interesting night!

We have friends near Phoenix and they’ve invited us to have breakfast with them Saturday morning.  What a treat it will be to see them and have a really good breakfast.   We tend to grab breakfast bars and coffee as we hit the road.  Those peanut butter and oat Fiber One bars are good.  Can’t miss with PB, in my opinion.

Blessings to you,

Three Thinking Trailer-ers

January 4, 2012

January 4, 2012

Guess what we did?  We changed our minds. Before we went to sleep last night we decided to stay here another day.  It is such a beautiful place.   After breakfast, we got in the truck and just drove.  It is great to be able to unhitch our trailer from the truck and take off for places unknown.  In this area, everywhere you look there is vegetation.  Last night I talked about seeing lots of date palm trees.  I just didn’t know there are over 100 kinds of dates.  (See, I learned something today!)  Crops we saw today include ruby stem Swiss chard, spinach, watermelons, corn, lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, grapes, sod fields, unidentifiable deep green thingys that looked luscious, and taller unidentifiable deep green thingys, too.   We even saw red, hot chili peppers being picked and short, olive green somethings being hoed.   Workers were out picking citrus.  Many oranges are ready…depending on their type.  Lemons are being picked and tangerines.  We had tangerines right off the trees here.  They were some kind of good!    As we drove around, we saw a development that was all set up with lot partitions, palm trees, bougainvillea blooming, as well as lantana, and something called Tacoma, which defies description.  Many of these blooming plants are covered in honey bees and humming birds.  We had a family of humming birds who lived in a pine tree on our property in Goldsboro, and they have a characteristic chirp that I recognize immediately.  They are fascinating and many of the ones here will just perch on the trees to survey their next flight path.  That just blows my mind.  I’m used to them flitting around, not sitting on a branch looking around!   

Right after we saw the development (it only has model houses and no sold signs) we saw a sign that pointed to a different road on which we found the Brown Date Ranch.  They let us taste test the different types of dates they had.  What wonderful snacks we had this morning!   The first dates came here from the Spanish missionaries in the 1800’s.  Offshoots (baby palm trees) were imported from some overseas desert areas in the early 1900’s because it had been discovered that the soil, rain, and climate of this area are superb for growing dates.  This area grows the majority of dates sold in this country.  They had date candy, corn meal cookies, and books on the sex lives of dates.  We were way too embarrassed to purchase those books! 

We drove through some of the date groves and saw the hanging dates enclosed in bags to keep the birds from eating them and to cut down on the hand picking necessary to harvest them.  The tallest date palms are around 25 feet high and have ladders for each tree so that the pickers can reach them.  These ladders are often carried back and forth daily.  Harvesting dates is heavy, labor intensive work.

After lunch, we drove to Salton Lake.  It is a huge saline lake that is rapidly dying because much of the water is being diverted to nearby cities and towns.  Small rivers run into the lake, but with no natural outlet so the salt content has increased even more because of the diverted waters.  The beach around the lake is composed of dead barnacles and the dark patches that are everywhere, are dead fish.  Birds abound in the area, but they do not eat the dead fish.  There is no smell of rotting fish, but the sharp, strong odor of salt water.  I certainly did not find the aroma offensive, but some of the people we’ve talked with have shuddered at mentioning the fragrance that surrounds the area.  What is their problem?

Tomorrow’s destination is not chiseled in stone, but I know we’ll be heading out early.  Hope the sun is high enough in the sky not to blind us as we head east!  Looking at the atlas, I-8 is as far south as we can go (in this area) without going into Mexico.  We didn’t bring passports, so we’ll need to stay north of the border!

Blessings from us to you,

Three traveling troopers

January 3, 2012

January 3, 2012

In the not-quite-immortal words of Willie Nelson, we’re “On the Road again”.  We said tearful good-byes to Kath and her beautiful family this morning. Karl had to go to work early, so we’d had to tell him good-bye last night.  One time when we part, I cry.  Another time when we part, Dan cries.  We are just so thankful to be able to spend time with our family.  Kryn was only able to stay with us for a week before he had to leave, but it was even more wonderful when he was with us.  I would love to keep them all with me, but I’m not so sure they’d want to be with MOTHER for all that time!

We soon discovered it was hot.   When you were having 30 degree temperatures in Carteret County with 50 MPH winds and a chill factor of 17, we were having to stop to remove some of our outer clothing as we ventured farther south on the  5.  Around here, we learned all highways are preceded by the word THE.  At home, using the CA lingo, it would be The 70 or it’s on THE 101.  We went down the 5 through Pasadena (took a short side trip so we could say we’d been on Colorado Blvd where the Rose Parade goes).  After the 5 we took the 210 over the megalopolis that is along the southwest coast of California.  The traffic is not as horrendous on that road and it’s a much smoother surface for traveling.  Junnie, who has been a dream traveling between the RV park and Kath’s home, almost immediately began his mewing as we left their area.  When I asked Dan why he was crying and we hadn’t even gone as far as we would go between the park and Kath’s, he informed me it was because Junnie could see that the trailer was following us.  Hummm.  He’s smart, but not that smart…Junnie that is, is he?

The traffic was so busy and I was spending so much time trying to keep us on track by reading the “Streets and Trip” program we decided to use today, that I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of the absolutely beautiful mountains we saw.  You’ll just have to use your imagination to see what we saw.  Picture freshly starched beige, tan, and green sheets all crumpled together upon the bed.  See the valleys and peaks the rumpled sheets make?  Now, sprinkle the highest peaks on the bed with talcum powder for the snow and let some of the powder sift gently down a rill or two to have the effect of snow covered peaks and trails along the sides of the mountains.  Isn’t the view gorgeous?  Perhaps I’ll be able to capture the scene sometime when traffic is not so congested.

We saw streets lined with avocado trees, and occasionally, California pepper trees.  The best way I can describe them is for you to think of a weeping willow tree covered in trailing mimosa leaves.  They are very beautiful.  We passed three different exits for Citrus Avenue, each in a different city.  Windmill farms, palm groves, citrus orchards, pistachios, lush green fields of various produce were along the road and then, Oleander bushes as the dividers in the medians.  They weren’t blooming, unfortunately.  We did read a sign when we were in one of the valleys that said we were 71 feet above sea level. That was rather hard to imagine since we were surrounded by huge peaks.  The mountains are so tall they still have snow even with the 80 degrees California has been having.  It seems California, too, is having most unusual weather.

Trying not to travel more than just short of 200 miles a day, we arrived at Oasis RV Park around 3 this afternoon.  It is probably the most beautiful park we’ve camped in so far.  We are in the middle of a citrus grove and have been told to take all the citrus we want.  The tangerines we had as a snack were delicious.  We’ve picked grapefruit…ruby as well as regular, for breakfast.  We are camped beside lemon trees and even though it may be in the usual 40 degree range for night time temperatures, I may try to open a window or two because the air smells so fragrant.

The last 25 miles or so were through date palm groves.  At least three different types of dates grow here, each on a different type of palm tree.  The dates around here are so flavorful.  Santa brought me a container of the California dates and placed them beside my stocking.  I’m hoping we can find more to purchase so we’ll have plenty for snacks along the way east.

The camping area also has lots of holes in the grass.  They’re gopher holes.  We keep looking for wild life, but are not very successful at finding any.  This park has a huge lake with palms, citrus, California pepper, cedar, live oak and other trees I do not recognize.  There’s a rec room, a TV room, hot tub and heated swimming pool, a computer room and lots of vehicles from California and Canada.  We’ve met people who have been here since Thanksgiving and plan on staying until sometime in March.  We can understand why.  It’s a place we might someday come for a visit of more than one afternoon and evening.

My sister’s having a really rough time right now.  I ask you for prayers for her and all of her family and friends who love her so very much.

Blessings to each of you,

Trio Trekking Troopers

Christmas and New Year in Southern Calif

December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012

Saugus (Santa Clarita), California

What a phenomenal way to end the year.  The azure sky is overhead, honey bees are in the eucalyptus tree, the avocados are ready for us to pick to ripen on the counter, the breeze is gentle, the temperature is in the low 80’s (with even lower humidity), birds are chirping in the beautiful rose bushes and Calvin is becoming quite adept with the pogo stick Santa brought him.  I would never have thought that on New Year’s Eve I would ever be sitting outside typing to you.

It’s been two weeks since I last typed a blog.  A belated Merry Christmas to you and our best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.   We have had so much fun with our children and grandchildren during this time.  Family is so precious and time spent with them during this special season of the year is a huge part of what Christmas is all about and we wanted to spend our time with them first, you just a little behind them!

We arrived here on December 16, a Friday afternoon and spent a good bit of Saturday just relaxing and feasting our eyes on our gorgeous daughter and her handsome family.  How very blessed we are!

On the last Sunday of Advent we attended Valencia United Methodist Church.  It was a celebration of pure joy.  The children’s choir sang, the youth choir sang, the adult choir sang, we sang, scripture was read, special music was played and then a choir I’ve never heard before played.   Guitar, accordion, flute, drums and other percussion instruments, violins and trumpets (many of the members work in Hollywood in the music area, some on set design and in photography) and they prepared the visual aids and played for the choirs as they sang.  The most unusual musical rendition was from the I-pad band.  Four members of the church, each using a different instrument application, played  “Canon of the Bells” on I-pads.  It was awesome and astonished just about everyone who heard it.   My mind was just singing away, “Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells…”  The sermon centered on the shepherds and asked if they knew it was Christmas.  Each week in Advent the sermons centered around different aspects of the Christmas story and each asked, “Did they know it was Christmas?”  The Sr. minister is an NC State graduate and his parents live in Southport!  How’s that for a connection?  The associate pastor is Korean.  It was a treat for Dan and me to be there.  We were in the minority…age wise, that is, for the first time in quite a while.  This church is composed of many different races and also has a huge outreach program, not only in the California area, but in Nicaragua as well.  The minister and about 25 others  are  going there in January or February to dedicate the high school that was built with the help of the Valencia congregation.  They also sponsor a winter homeless shelter in Santa Clarita and hope to have it up and running year round by the end of 2012.  The congregation if heavily involved in  both  youth and adult rehabilitation centers.

On the way to the beach at Carpentaria, we passed fields of green…sod, broccoli, and fennel.  We passed groves of oranges, lemons, avocados, pistachios, and limes.  How does one know when a lime is ripe and ready to be picked?  Acres are covered in palm trees of different kinds and then there are fruit stands with wonderful produce.  Fresh butternut squash, coconuts, oranges, zucchini, California dates and honey of all kinds are for sale in the fruit and vegetable stands that line the roads.  Behind the green fields and nurseries of tropical plants and mountains were patches of green.  They’re not patches!  They are citrus groves that are planted in tiers on the sides of the mountains.  All this we saw on the way to the beach.  Walking in the sand, rolling down dunes, playing with other children on the swings and sliding boards set up nearby was fun.  As we were leaving, Kryn spotted a pod of porpoise rolling in the calm, deep blue waters of the Pacific.  The ride down is along the coast and I was so glad that I could watch the scenery while Kathryn drove.  To the left I could see the ocean; to the right the Sierra Madres! What a fantastic world of wonders we have to enjoy!

One of the major presents Chelsea said she wanted for Christmas was a peacock.  While the back yard here is large by California standards, it is not very large to us.  The next day found us down pass Pasadena and very close to the city of Los Angeles where we stopped at an arboretum in Arcadia.  Unfortunately it was closed because of all the damage it sustained by the 100 mph Santa Anna winds a week or so earlier.  The good part, however, was that the peacocks that roam freely in the arboretum were all over the entry way and we took picture after picture of the peacocks and pea hens along with a solitary guinea hen.  They were all outdoing each other with their calls.  If you have never heard any of their melodious screeches, you should/could/ought ’a  be thankful!  The highlight of this particular visit was that one of the peacocks ate from Chelsea’s hand.  Talk about excitement and one excited and happy five year old.  Hugs and kisses for Uncle Kryn abounded!

At the Christmas Eve service, Kathryn, Karl, Calvin and Chelsea were invited to light the advent wreath and light the Christ candle at the five o’clock service.   They also had a 7, 9, and 11 service.  Of course, Kryn, Dan and I beamed when they lighted the candles.  Our tradition is to have Chinese on Christmas Eve.  That started in Goldsboro when we got home too late and we were too hungry to wait for the mother of the family to cook the meal, so we ordered from our favorite Chinese restaurant and the tradition was begun. 

Christmas Day was filled with unwrapping packages, checking out stockings, squeals of excitement and laughter.   Junnie has been thinking he was a present all the time.  Either he’s been thinking that or he’s been thinking,  “If I hide under the tree maybe no one will see me and make me put on that terrible harness and leash.”  He has gotten along really well with the “alpha” house cat of the Fiebich’s.   Jimmy (who is about nine years old) has been very tolerant of the young upstart.   Junnie follows him around like a little puppy.  Only once has Jimmy had to raise one of his polydactyl paws towards Junnie and Junnie retreated, hastily!   Church service Christmas Day was at 1 pm and the sermon was…Do YOU know it’s Christmas?”  

Our friends, Amy and Thomas from San Francisco, came to spend Christmas with us, so they were here for our Christmas Eve meal as well and our Irish Christmas dinner.  Calvin and Chelsea asked for Corned beef, I asked for colcannon, and Kryn wanted carrots and pineapple.  We all wanted Kath’s homemade apple pie!  What a feast we had.

Kryn, Karl, Calvin and Chelsea went to the mountains one day hoping to have a snowball fight.  Unfortunately, no new snow had fallen.  Dan and I were in search of tires for the truck.  We realized, (and Dan’s brother confirmed) we had enough tread to make it out here, but not to make it home safely.  We were spending Dec. 26 in search of tires.  We finally decided to get them from Sears.  That way if we need to have any adjustments or anything else done,  Sears  is usually nearby.  Unfortunately Kryn had to leave Tuesday morning.  I really miss him when he’s not around.  It’s so very nice having everyone around.

So far this week, we’ve had everyone over to our camper for a couple of lunches and one more additional pool time.  I’ve never had the opportunity to go swimming three times during Christmas week.  It is our understanding that the weather back home is nice and warm, too.  It’s always a wild guess as to what Christmas in Beaufort will be.  The range of weather keeps us from thinking the season will be the same from year to year.

We celebrated the New Year at 9 pm here.  It’s midnight where our home is and the perfect time for little one to be able to join the festivities with us.

While on the road, I have received word though, that a friend of mine that I’ve had since I peeped around my Daddy’s legs when he delivered medicine to her home when we were both three, and she was peeking at me from behind her mother’s skirt had died December 18^th.  We even went to graduate school together and she was our maid of honor at our Bloomington, In.   Bronna entered this world on May 18^th, exactly two months to the day before I entered and returned home on the 18^th of Dec.  She fought a noble battle against Plu Parkinson’s plus.  At least that’s how we spoke about it.  This was the most virulent form of Parkinson’s there is and she bore the disease for 6 years with the dignity she exhibited all her life.  I will miss her greatly, yet I am so relieved she is no longer in such horrible pain.

I suspect I won’t be back on line until we head back across country Tuesday. the third of January.  We have friends to see in the Phoenix area, I want to see the Alamo, maybe, friends in La, and family in Georgia.  There’s no telling when we’ll get home, but know that you are loved and prayed for each day.  We’re having a wonderful trip and time.

Have a wonderful New Year,

Triple Travel Troopers

December 16, 2011

Friday, December 16 (the second time)
We are here!  We have made it across the continent and arrived in the Los Angeles area this afternoon in time to set up camp and make it to Kath’s home around four o’clock.  We knew we had arrived there because Chelsea and Calvin were outside the house waiting and waving and jumping up and down.  Now we know how royalty feels when they drive down the streets and have everyone watching for them to arrive.   It was another joyous time for Dan and me, and the grands and Kath seemed very glad to see us, too.
Now, why did she say Dec. 16 (the second time)?  I am using a laptop that has a clock at the bottom and it is set on EST while we are now on Pacific time.  It’s after 1 AM where you are and it’s 10 PM here.  So, yesterday when I told you it was the 16th, it was really the 15th.  No wonder I’m always getting so confused about things. 
The scenery is lovely in this area, too.  There is more green than we expected and they have familiar trees.  Trees we know are mixed in with the new trees we have met on our way here.  We saw sycamore trees beside the Palo Verde with date palms  and cedars thrown in the mix, and we’re camped under a male mulberry.  At least I’m hoping it’s a male.  Those purple berries can create havoc on everything they touch.
Traffic in Phoenix was bad.  Traffic around here is horrid.  Fortunately Kryn had suggested alternative routes and we skirted LA proper and did not have to drive in that traffic, but what we did travel was nerve racking enough, especially hauling a trailer.  I missed lots of the scenery because I was trying to navigate for Dan, reading directions on where to go and which exit to take.  Unfortunately the exit number is at the exit.  If you do not know the name of the street that is the exit number you want, you might pass it before you know which one to take.  We managed to stay OK with me reading, Dan driving, Junnie behaving and my eating my fingernails!
Calvin’s scout troop went ice skating tonight so immediately after supper he and Karl headed out the door.  Chelsea sang “The 12 days of Christmas” for me.  I learned some new things.  There’s one partridge in a bear tree, three French friends, four CALLING BIRDS (YELLED AS LOUDLY AS  POSSIBLE),  and Kath told me yesterday she learned there were 10 vipers viping.  She said she was so sorry she had corrected her.  I had to tell Chelsea I had never heard that song ever sung exactly that way and that it was wonderful. .. and it was.
There will now probably be spaces in my blogging.  I doubt seriously you need to know a blow by blow account of our time with our family, but I will tell you about some of the things they have planned for us.   I just don’t know when that will be.  I’ll do intermitten blogs.  At least that’s what I’m thinking.   When we head back across the country I plan to do a daily blog again.  This is what I’m planning.  Only heaven knows what I will actually do!!!
Know that you are loved dearly, thought of often, and held within our hearts.
Blessings,
Dan, Fran, and Junnie