Tuesday 11/21 thru Saturday 11/25 and misc ramblings

It’s Wednesday (11/29) at sunset. I just read what I’ve wrote previous. When I don’t write every night…..I forget till I remember. Not much about how pretty the coast is. I stopped numerous times and from Legget past Bodega Bay, as nice as it gets. Really rugged country. I was in culture shock the first week or so. But after a couple of weeks now… I’m still in culture shock. California is two extremes. People and beautiful scenery. And as nice, serene and peaceful as anywhere I’ve been.

UncleAllan&Bev was a nice break…..maybe Allan didn’t think so. He has been sitting in his chair ranting about Trump with no one to back talk him. I got him so stirred up one afternoon, I had to back off ‘cause I thought he was going to burst! I’m a curmudgeon. He’s the poster child for us! The “Liar in Chief” as he refers to him. The economy? Whew, ‘cause Obama had the wheels going and the LIC is just getting the credit. IT was fun! Our wit and sarcasm are the same, he just takes his politics serious. Plus he isn’t a citizen and doesn’t vote, so whatever he says has no meaning. ( he also doesn’t read the blog, so Bev pass this on to him)hehehe.

They have a wonderful place and other than Allan’s spot, it’s all Bev. A really nice lanai with a table and chairs. The sunsets have been beautiful. That’s Bev spot. I got to share it. Drove out and picked up Auntie Karen from Rosie&Allan camper. I’m staying in the schooner of course, so they have a extra bedroom. Had dinner and talked old times. They went to the casino Saturday morning and I stayed and fixed a lamp for Bev and just hung out.

Thanksgiving dinner, as good as it gets!! Everything I like and NOTHING I didn’t. Bev wouldn’t even let me help clean up. Allan is in to sports about like me, so when we are watching football, no sense asking him anything. Tyler Moore where are you? Sebastian and family are in San Antonio, TX for thanksgiving. Now hear this, I sent a facebook request! I’ll be able to keep up with Mason Newman.

Joshua Tree National Park, where I still am, is where I first started backpacking 50 years ago. Wanted to do it so joined the Explorer’s Post of the Boy Scouts. A bunch of swimmers from Upland and me. They liked the drinking part of camping, me, not so much. Hiked and camped this area and used the Palm Springs Tram to get into the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Always a nice way to start a backpack trip by riding up 4-5 thousand feet. And since I really don’t remember what it looked like, it looks exactly the same!

All my……appointments are done. No more, I need to be somewhere. A nice mind set gear down. I’ve put my old coffee mug back in service. I tried Mike&Brittany’s, keeps the coffee too hot, tried one that has a locking lid, tall, okay but unstable….. So went back to leaner. Everyone seems happy now.

I’m turning into one of those REI geek. REI hat, REI day pack. But you know, I haven’t seen one of those bastards with a green stool on their back! If people only knew.

Camping observations:

Level is nice-not mandatory-but worth the effort
Mustard has a mind of it’s own when used after a day of elevation changes
Refrigerators are worrisome
If you hike a lot, you can eat what you want
It is always worth the drive thru ALL the loops of a campground before making a choice
A back in is better than a pull thru
Spontaneous smiles are a treat

[photogrid ids=”1177,1178,1179,1180,1181,1182,1183,1184,1185″ captions=”yes” columns=”two” fullwidth=”yes” ]