My son Steve came over 1st thing this morning with his son and helper, 2 yr old Liam. Liam had his Black & Decker tool belt with all his tools, and they were ready to get to work. Liam got sidetracked by remembering that Grandma has a big cabinet, at kid's level, stocked with healthy snacks & kids' drinks. It's the first place they all go, and return, and return.
I only had Donald's 6ft stepladder, but Steve was able to hoist himself up onto the roof and check out the situation. He immediately saw what was needed, including a small fitting that I didn't have, so naturally we all hopped into his van for a quick trip to Home Depot. It didn't take long and the swamp cooler was up and running, blowing out incredibly cool air.
He did a few other small jobs while he was here, and we looked at National Forest maps to figure out future camping trips for me, backpacking trips into the wilderness for the guys. We also tried to prioritize future work on the house, beginning with the roof. That can wait for cooler weather however.
I went out to check my mailbox a few minutes ago and can't believe the difference in the outdoors and inside (which my thermometer registers at 83F). I'm going to grill mahi mahi for my dinner and don't look forward to having to go out to light the grill and then to cook.
I'm just so sorry Lady isn't here to enjoy the liveable temperatures, and sorry she had to suffer the heat along with me for so long.
I set up the cot today and tried it out, and I'm going to be perfectly happy with it. Forgot to get pictures before I rolled it back up for storing until my next trip, but it's so easy to work with I will set it up again before long and remember to take a couple of pics. I had thought I would head for the hills on Monday morning, but I think I may wait until all the summer vacationers are back to school and work. There is so much I should be doing around here for now - indoors of course.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Bring on the Pineapple Express!
It looks like now the predicted high today will only be 102, down 2 degrees from the 104 that was originally forecast.
To amuse myself I looked up various websites to see what the coming winter might hold - hoping Sacramento would be blessed with a frigid cold streak. It won't happen, but I discovered this little statement about the Pineapple Express. I don't like to think of excessive rains with a roof that has always leaked, but I'd love to be where the incredible snow events take place.
The famed "Pineapple Express," a phenomenon that occurs when a strong, persistent flow of tropical moisture sets up from the Hawaiian Islands to the West Coast of the U.S., could develop for a time this winter. This phenomenon often leads to excessive rain and incredible snow events.
Steve is going to drop by tomorrow morning before the temps start to rise (supposedly to 105F) and see if he can figure out how to hook up the swamp cooler. I went to Home Depot this morning and the portable a/c's that you can move from room to room are expensive. The window units won't work with the type of windows I have. So I'm screwed (although another term comes to mind) and will have to go with the swamp monster on the roof. I didn't see anything like a mister at HD, that I would be happy to set up on my driveway and move out there from Noon to 10 pm.
I'm trying to drink copious amounts of water but now and then substitute a cold beer. I hope when the weather cools I can easily reduce the amount of beer I've been drinking lately. (It's really not all that much - the beer gets warm before I can make a dent in it because of the temps, so I often put the opened can into the freezer for a while until it gets cold again.)
The hummingbirds are emptying the feeder almost as fast as I can fill it. The wasps like it too, and when I see several flying around I go outside with a bottle of windex spray. I figure that can't be poisonous so as to harm the birds, and I don't spray it near the feeder. I have noticed times when two hummers will alight and drink at the same time - something they don't normally do. When times get tough we all have to pull together!
To amuse myself I looked up various websites to see what the coming winter might hold - hoping Sacramento would be blessed with a frigid cold streak. It won't happen, but I discovered this little statement about the Pineapple Express. I don't like to think of excessive rains with a roof that has always leaked, but I'd love to be where the incredible snow events take place.
The famed "Pineapple Express," a phenomenon that occurs when a strong, persistent flow of tropical moisture sets up from the Hawaiian Islands to the West Coast of the U.S., could develop for a time this winter. This phenomenon often leads to excessive rain and incredible snow events.
Steve is going to drop by tomorrow morning before the temps start to rise (supposedly to 105F) and see if he can figure out how to hook up the swamp cooler. I went to Home Depot this morning and the portable a/c's that you can move from room to room are expensive. The window units won't work with the type of windows I have. So I'm screwed (although another term comes to mind) and will have to go with the swamp monster on the roof. I didn't see anything like a mister at HD, that I would be happy to set up on my driveway and move out there from Noon to 10 pm.
I'm trying to drink copious amounts of water but now and then substitute a cold beer. I hope when the weather cools I can easily reduce the amount of beer I've been drinking lately. (It's really not all that much - the beer gets warm before I can make a dent in it because of the temps, so I often put the opened can into the freezer for a while until it gets cold again.)
The hummingbirds are emptying the feeder almost as fast as I can fill it. The wasps like it too, and when I see several flying around I go outside with a bottle of windex spray. I figure that can't be poisonous so as to harm the birds, and I don't spray it near the feeder. I have noticed times when two hummers will alight and drink at the same time - something they don't normally do. When times get tough we all have to pull together!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Why did I come back?
Here I am back in Sacramento where it reached 104F today, I don't have air conditioning, and at least 1/3 of my jalousie window cranks don't work or are missing. I'm suffering! Should have stayed in the mountains. With the weekend coming up it's no time to be setting off to try to find a decent camping spot, but Saturday is predicted to reach 105!
I spread out my tent on the living room floor and wiped the floor of it with damp paper towels. I had used a small whisk broom to get rid of the forest debris but still found plenty of it, along with dog hair I missed somewhere along the way. I'll be finding dog hair everywhere for a while, but I don't really mind. She would have been miserable in this weather, just as I am.
I've been trying to figure out what to do next summer to escape the heat. There is always volunteering at Lassen or other national parks and forests, and I think I could find a visitor center job so I wouldn't have to be a camp host. Other than that, the 14 day limit on staying in a particular space makes it difficult to decide where to go.
I went to the Dollar Store this morning to pick up some small items for my camping box. The nice thing about dollar stores in CA is that everything is one dollar - unlike Dollar General in, say, North Carolina, and a lot of other states.
I was planning to take pictures of my cot in various stages of putting it up, but it's just too damn hot. The sales rep at REI put the side rails in, and the cot folds in half, so I don't think I will ever have to completely take it down. You will see when I post pics. It is lightweight - somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds, and that was a big consideration for me. As you know, I've been grumbling about things such as lawn/camp chairs & lounges, and just about everything outdoors, that is so overweight you can hardly carry them. I'm tired of that and am not buying anything from now on that is too heavy for me to comfortably handle.
Speaking of heavy, you can't do much about coolers, especially when they are filled with ice and maybe a 12 pack, plus various food items. I noticed this morning that my biceps are looking good, like I've been lifting weights. I couldn't figure it out at first and then realized it was from moving the cooler around to keep it in the shade. Now I guess I need to go back to lifting the weights just to keep my arms looking halfway decent.
I spread out my tent on the living room floor and wiped the floor of it with damp paper towels. I had used a small whisk broom to get rid of the forest debris but still found plenty of it, along with dog hair I missed somewhere along the way. I'll be finding dog hair everywhere for a while, but I don't really mind. She would have been miserable in this weather, just as I am.
I've been trying to figure out what to do next summer to escape the heat. There is always volunteering at Lassen or other national parks and forests, and I think I could find a visitor center job so I wouldn't have to be a camp host. Other than that, the 14 day limit on staying in a particular space makes it difficult to decide where to go.
I went to the Dollar Store this morning to pick up some small items for my camping box. The nice thing about dollar stores in CA is that everything is one dollar - unlike Dollar General in, say, North Carolina, and a lot of other states.
I was planning to take pictures of my cot in various stages of putting it up, but it's just too damn hot. The sales rep at REI put the side rails in, and the cot folds in half, so I don't think I will ever have to completely take it down. You will see when I post pics. It is lightweight - somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds, and that was a big consideration for me. As you know, I've been grumbling about things such as lawn/camp chairs & lounges, and just about everything outdoors, that is so overweight you can hardly carry them. I'm tired of that and am not buying anything from now on that is too heavy for me to comfortably handle.
Speaking of heavy, you can't do much about coolers, especially when they are filled with ice and maybe a 12 pack, plus various food items. I noticed this morning that my biceps are looking good, like I've been lifting weights. I couldn't figure it out at first and then realized it was from moving the cooler around to keep it in the shade. Now I guess I need to go back to lifting the weights just to keep my arms looking halfway decent.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Tue., Aug. 7 & Photos
After a terrible night with very little sleep, I packed it all in at 6:30 this morning and came home. My first reaction walking in the door was, "My God, there is so much room here!". Now that I've had a nice long shower and hair wash, I feel pretty good.
I blew up the air mattress yesterday in the late afternoon. By 7:30 pm I could see it lost most of the air, so I lugged it back out to the car and tried it again. I've had problems ever since I bought this mattress, including night #1 at the North Fork CG. Whatever I did after that first night, the air stayed in for the following 4 nights. Back to last night, I went out a third time to fill the mattress, removing and resetting the cap thinking I might not have had it in properly. By 1 am I was on the ground and went to finish the night's sleep (sleep? what sleep!) in the car. Of course I don't fit across the back seat of the car, but I put my sleeping bag in and climbed into it, with my knees bent for the rest of the night.
I didn't bother with a shower, nor did I stop at the next campground which also had showers. I forgot to pack my bath towel, and all I had were two dish towels. They would have worked, but what if someone ran through the CG yelling, "Fire - evacuate the campground!" Yeah, that probably would never happen, but it could. I'm entirely too old to still have hang-ups like that.
Other than getting onto the wrong highway about half way home, I soon realized my mistake and had no further problems. This trip, and the 2 before it, have been sort of "shake down camping trips". I need to get the hang of this - I used to have it and didn't realize I lost it along the way - but I will be able to write the ultimate "Camping Guidebook" before long.
I will post some of the photos I took and will do a recap and lessons learned post another day.
The creek at North Fork CG:
Same creek from my site. You can barely see the creek for all the elephant ears!
My stash of firewood for one night - all free for the taking.
I passed this meadow one day while out looking for firewood:
My campsite at North Fork:
A shot of Lake Tahoe. From the direction I was driving most of Tahoe was on my left, with lots of trees in the space between the lake and the road. When there was a break in the trees, mostly visible were the sailboats in the marinas. I think the most beautiful sight of the lake is coming up US 50 from Sacramento. You come to the top of a mountain and there it is in the distance looking gorgeous as ever. Up close to the lake is all tourism and vacation rentals.
These were taken on CA 4 after leaving Ebbets Pass, Elev. abt. 8400 ft. This was one of the best and most scenic drives I've ever taken, but it's a treacherous one. Very narrow and twisting, with one hairpin curve following another, and killer drop offs with no guard rails. I was wondering what kind of fool would try to drive an RV or tow a trailer in this section, and yep, I saw a few of them. I honestly don't know how they made it and I was glad I wasn't still driving my truck!
Hell's Kitchen, on CA 4:
My campsite at Wakaluu Hepyoo:
This is the distance to the car, and I had to carry everything that distance. Back and forth.
I found a trail leading down to the Stanislaus River and followed it, but I thought better of climbing down to the big flat rock.
A lot of folks have written expressing their fear of being in a tent during a lightning storm. I wasn't very worried about it, although it seemed eerily close at times. I just figure getting struck by lightning might feel like a massive heart attack, and to be truthful, I wouldn't mind going that way - the heart attack, I mean. I don't want there to be any reason to put me on life support.
I just heard on the Weather channel that men far outnumber women in being struck by lightning. It wasn't as much to do with more men working outdoors, but spending leisure time outdoors. Well, I guess camping in a tent could be classified as leisure so I wasn't as immune to trouble as I thought I was. I still won't worry about it as the Weather channel also said there is no safe place to be outside in a lightning storm. Where ya gonna go when you're miles from "civilization"? I'll take my chances. Maybe a tent qualifies as "inside"?
Quick note from Wed., Aug. 8:
I made a trip to REI this morning and bought a cot. It is very easy to set up, and can be folded and stored or transported without breaking it down. It is low to the ground, but a bit higher than my air mattress. I think it will work out fine for me, and I will try it at home before taking it out camping so I will be able to return it if it isn't comfortable or suitable for my use.
I blew up the air mattress yesterday in the late afternoon. By 7:30 pm I could see it lost most of the air, so I lugged it back out to the car and tried it again. I've had problems ever since I bought this mattress, including night #1 at the North Fork CG. Whatever I did after that first night, the air stayed in for the following 4 nights. Back to last night, I went out a third time to fill the mattress, removing and resetting the cap thinking I might not have had it in properly. By 1 am I was on the ground and went to finish the night's sleep (sleep? what sleep!) in the car. Of course I don't fit across the back seat of the car, but I put my sleeping bag in and climbed into it, with my knees bent for the rest of the night.
I didn't bother with a shower, nor did I stop at the next campground which also had showers. I forgot to pack my bath towel, and all I had were two dish towels. They would have worked, but what if someone ran through the CG yelling, "Fire - evacuate the campground!" Yeah, that probably would never happen, but it could. I'm entirely too old to still have hang-ups like that.
Other than getting onto the wrong highway about half way home, I soon realized my mistake and had no further problems. This trip, and the 2 before it, have been sort of "shake down camping trips". I need to get the hang of this - I used to have it and didn't realize I lost it along the way - but I will be able to write the ultimate "Camping Guidebook" before long.
I will post some of the photos I took and will do a recap and lessons learned post another day.
The creek at North Fork CG:
Same creek from my site. You can barely see the creek for all the elephant ears!
My stash of firewood for one night - all free for the taking.
I passed this meadow one day while out looking for firewood:
My campsite at North Fork:
A shot of Lake Tahoe. From the direction I was driving most of Tahoe was on my left, with lots of trees in the space between the lake and the road. When there was a break in the trees, mostly visible were the sailboats in the marinas. I think the most beautiful sight of the lake is coming up US 50 from Sacramento. You come to the top of a mountain and there it is in the distance looking gorgeous as ever. Up close to the lake is all tourism and vacation rentals.
These were taken on CA 4 after leaving Ebbets Pass, Elev. abt. 8400 ft. This was one of the best and most scenic drives I've ever taken, but it's a treacherous one. Very narrow and twisting, with one hairpin curve following another, and killer drop offs with no guard rails. I was wondering what kind of fool would try to drive an RV or tow a trailer in this section, and yep, I saw a few of them. I honestly don't know how they made it and I was glad I wasn't still driving my truck!
Hell's Kitchen, on CA 4:
My campsite at Wakaluu Hepyoo:
This is the distance to the car, and I had to carry everything that distance. Back and forth.
I found a trail leading down to the Stanislaus River and followed it, but I thought better of climbing down to the big flat rock.
A lot of folks have written expressing their fear of being in a tent during a lightning storm. I wasn't very worried about it, although it seemed eerily close at times. I just figure getting struck by lightning might feel like a massive heart attack, and to be truthful, I wouldn't mind going that way - the heart attack, I mean. I don't want there to be any reason to put me on life support.
I just heard on the Weather channel that men far outnumber women in being struck by lightning. It wasn't as much to do with more men working outdoors, but spending leisure time outdoors. Well, I guess camping in a tent could be classified as leisure so I wasn't as immune to trouble as I thought I was. I still won't worry about it as the Weather channel also said there is no safe place to be outside in a lightning storm. Where ya gonna go when you're miles from "civilization"? I'll take my chances. Maybe a tent qualifies as "inside"?
Quick note from Wed., Aug. 8:
I made a trip to REI this morning and bought a cot. It is very easy to set up, and can be folded and stored or transported without breaking it down. It is low to the ground, but a bit higher than my air mattress. I think it will work out fine for me, and I will try it at home before taking it out camping so I will be able to return it if it isn't comfortable or suitable for my use.
Sun & Mon, Aug 5 & 6
Sun., Aug 5:
As the sun was going down last night I got out the packaging for my tent to check the directions for attaching the fly. Sometimes I just throw it on and attach the corners, but it’s much better to use the cross pole on top since it makes it easier to get in and out of the door. I’m planning to camp tomorrow night at a higher elevation, and the fly does make the tent warmer. I prefer to have the top uncovered though, so I can look at the stars through the trees.
About 1 am this morning I woke up to a rumbling sound and it became apparent it was thunder. I went to the car, got the fly and threw it on the tent – not easy in the dark. I had a flashlight which didn’t help since I had to set it on the ground; I could have lit my Coleman propane lantern but the thunder was now accompanied by flashes of lightning.
I lay in the tent through the storm which didn’t really drop all that much rain, but there was a lot of lightning and thunder. I counted the seconds between the sound and the flash, although I don’t really know how to translate it into # of miles away. I think it was close, because one flash was followed by the crack of thunder at about 2-1-thousand! This morning the sun is out and not a cloud in the sky so I’m hoping my gear will dry out. I think I’ll remove the fly tonight if it is thoroughly dry, so I can pack up quickly in the morning. I’m even going to get my coffee on the run!
The new campground host came this evening. His mom and dad drove up also to help him get set up she told me they were CG hosts at Death Valley for several years. The new host was scheduled to come last Friday but his wife had a car accident, and she is home recovering mainly from aches and bruises.
He arrived in late afternoon with a Lance truck camper. They did all the necessary things to get it off the truck (I would have left it on, myself) and moved the truck out. Shortly afterward one of the legs on the camper snapped and the whole thing slid and twisted sideways. I couldn’t see how in the world they could do anything but call for a tow, but people began to stop with offers of help – mostly young folks riding by on motorcycles and in their trucks. A guy in his 30’s came with his truck and between what he had in the pickup plus what the CG host had in the small trailer he also pulled, they got it propped up so it was fairly even.
Through all this I stayed over in my own camp because I would have just been in the way. I felt so bad for him and just know that camper will never be the same. The frame is no doubt twisted and while it might be repairable to some extent, I don’t think I would ever trust it again. I wonder if he had brought sawhorses to set the camper on since he expects to be there through Labor Day. As I said, I would have packed up everything I could in the truck and gone back home, sending a flat bed to tow the camper home. His parents had brought their own tent to stay overnight, and I think the host was able to stay in his camper.
Monday, Aug. 6:
I was up at 7 am and pulled out around 7:30 and headed towards Reno. I turned off on Rte 89 at Truckee and drove down the western side of Lake Tahoe. I continued on until turning off at CA 4 towards Ebbets Pass. The part of the Sierra Nevada I’ve driven today is some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever encountered. I took a few pictures although the sun made Lake Tahoe look sort of washed out; it’s difficult to get good pictures while driving along, even if I stop at a pull out. It’s difficult to even drive because of constantly going between shade and brilliant sunlight.
I intended to stop at a campground called Pine Marten, and remembered the directions that it is right after Alpine Lake. Duh, the directions are for coming the opposite way and I missed it entirely. That is the CG that is at about 7000 ft, and I’m planning to go back probably after Labor Day with more cold weather camping gear than I had this trip. I came on down to about 3900 ft and am staying for one night at a CG called Wakaluu Hepyoo, which in the language of the Miwuk indians means Wild River. I am close enough to hear the Stanislaus River but can’t see it from my site. The signs at the campground are in English and Miwuk.
It is a beautiful campground, but like all I’ve found so far this year the budgetary cuts have affected maintenance. Knowing this you’d think campers would be more careful to pick up their trash. I’ve found two used band-aids, used Kleenex, various plastic bottle caps, and a fire pit full of aluminum cans. They only have vault toilets but there are quite a lot of them. You can smell them when you go by but I think that's because the wind blows the fumes coming out of the vent stacks on the roof. The facilities themselves were very clean.
I only paid for one night so tomorrow I will either stop at another CG along the way that looks good, or I’ll go on home. This one, by the way, has free showers. I looked into the shower room and it looks very decent but it’s all the way back at the entrance. The one I might stop at tomorrow has coin op showers, and is a much bigger CG. I prefer the smaller ones, although on a Tuesday night it won’t be crowded.
I’m down to about 45% left on my battery, so I think I will post all my pictures when I get back home.
As the sun was going down last night I got out the packaging for my tent to check the directions for attaching the fly. Sometimes I just throw it on and attach the corners, but it’s much better to use the cross pole on top since it makes it easier to get in and out of the door. I’m planning to camp tomorrow night at a higher elevation, and the fly does make the tent warmer. I prefer to have the top uncovered though, so I can look at the stars through the trees.
About 1 am this morning I woke up to a rumbling sound and it became apparent it was thunder. I went to the car, got the fly and threw it on the tent – not easy in the dark. I had a flashlight which didn’t help since I had to set it on the ground; I could have lit my Coleman propane lantern but the thunder was now accompanied by flashes of lightning.
I lay in the tent through the storm which didn’t really drop all that much rain, but there was a lot of lightning and thunder. I counted the seconds between the sound and the flash, although I don’t really know how to translate it into # of miles away. I think it was close, because one flash was followed by the crack of thunder at about 2-1-thousand! This morning the sun is out and not a cloud in the sky so I’m hoping my gear will dry out. I think I’ll remove the fly tonight if it is thoroughly dry, so I can pack up quickly in the morning. I’m even going to get my coffee on the run!
The new campground host came this evening. His mom and dad drove up also to help him get set up she told me they were CG hosts at Death Valley for several years. The new host was scheduled to come last Friday but his wife had a car accident, and she is home recovering mainly from aches and bruises.
He arrived in late afternoon with a Lance truck camper. They did all the necessary things to get it off the truck (I would have left it on, myself) and moved the truck out. Shortly afterward one of the legs on the camper snapped and the whole thing slid and twisted sideways. I couldn’t see how in the world they could do anything but call for a tow, but people began to stop with offers of help – mostly young folks riding by on motorcycles and in their trucks. A guy in his 30’s came with his truck and between what he had in the pickup plus what the CG host had in the small trailer he also pulled, they got it propped up so it was fairly even.
Through all this I stayed over in my own camp because I would have just been in the way. I felt so bad for him and just know that camper will never be the same. The frame is no doubt twisted and while it might be repairable to some extent, I don’t think I would ever trust it again. I wonder if he had brought sawhorses to set the camper on since he expects to be there through Labor Day. As I said, I would have packed up everything I could in the truck and gone back home, sending a flat bed to tow the camper home. His parents had brought their own tent to stay overnight, and I think the host was able to stay in his camper.
Monday, Aug. 6:
I was up at 7 am and pulled out around 7:30 and headed towards Reno. I turned off on Rte 89 at Truckee and drove down the western side of Lake Tahoe. I continued on until turning off at CA 4 towards Ebbets Pass. The part of the Sierra Nevada I’ve driven today is some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever encountered. I took a few pictures although the sun made Lake Tahoe look sort of washed out; it’s difficult to get good pictures while driving along, even if I stop at a pull out. It’s difficult to even drive because of constantly going between shade and brilliant sunlight.
I intended to stop at a campground called Pine Marten, and remembered the directions that it is right after Alpine Lake. Duh, the directions are for coming the opposite way and I missed it entirely. That is the CG that is at about 7000 ft, and I’m planning to go back probably after Labor Day with more cold weather camping gear than I had this trip. I came on down to about 3900 ft and am staying for one night at a CG called Wakaluu Hepyoo, which in the language of the Miwuk indians means Wild River. I am close enough to hear the Stanislaus River but can’t see it from my site. The signs at the campground are in English and Miwuk.
It is a beautiful campground, but like all I’ve found so far this year the budgetary cuts have affected maintenance. Knowing this you’d think campers would be more careful to pick up their trash. I’ve found two used band-aids, used Kleenex, various plastic bottle caps, and a fire pit full of aluminum cans. They only have vault toilets but there are quite a lot of them. You can smell them when you go by but I think that's because the wind blows the fumes coming out of the vent stacks on the roof. The facilities themselves were very clean.
I only paid for one night so tomorrow I will either stop at another CG along the way that looks good, or I’ll go on home. This one, by the way, has free showers. I looked into the shower room and it looks very decent but it’s all the way back at the entrance. The one I might stop at tomorrow has coin op showers, and is a much bigger CG. I prefer the smaller ones, although on a Tuesday night it won’t be crowded.
I’m down to about 45% left on my battery, so I think I will post all my pictures when I get back home.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Friday, Aug. 3:
I just got back from a huge Shell gas station/convenience store/Burger King where I sent off a post. That place is expensive - $2.39 for a gal. of Crystal Spring water ($.98 in Sac.), and gas was $4.19. I hope it’s cheaper than that when I need to fill up again.
Before I left I put everything away except for a small bag of trash, including my coffee filter and a couple of paper towels. When I got back everything was strewn on the ground. I also realized I left my vitamins/supplements in Ziploc bags on the table, and whatever it was even took those. I divide up the pills for the day into a.m., noon, and p.m., with most of them being taken in the morning. So the birds/mice/squirrels got a good dose of fish oil capsule, calcium, vit. D, iron, aspirin, and vit.C. I can’t believe I did that!
I decided to put on my jeans this morning until the sun warmed the day. I had washed and line dried them, then folded the to pack. When I tried to put them on, it was like breaking starch! Imagine me in my tent balanced on one leg while trying to get the other one to go through the pants leg. Finally got it, but then I had the other leg to do. Meanwhile, I’m doing a jig that would make an Irishman proud, and trying not to fall on my rear! There is no one in sight, and I could have just sat out at the picnic table to put the jeans on.
A campground is not the place for me to be on a weekend. This one has been relatively quiet since I arrived on Wednesday, except for a very large extended family group with many kids at at least 10 dogs, some of which bark constantly when the families go off and leave some of them behind. Fortunately this group is way in the back of the loop and is very friendly.
The campground host left the day I arrived and a new host is expected tomorrow. I remember why I don’t want another camp host job. It’s called “weekends”.
Sat., Aug. 4:
The CG was very quiet last night but this morning it’s a different story. The two sites down from me are occupied by a couple of guys and 5 boys, about 10-11 yrs old. I raised 3 sons, so I can let a lot of things go by, especially the noise, but this morning two of them ran right into my site, one chasing the other and running around my tent. There is not much space around the tent to begin with, the slope to the creek on one side, and trees on the other. I could just imagine one of them tripping over a tent stake and pulling the whole thing down, so I said “You shouldn’t be running through other people’s campsites.” They left without a word.
You may remember when I decided I’d go ahead and be an old lady, and wear my glasses on a chain. Yesterday I was talking to a young man, probably 18 or 19, about the CG’s registration process, which sites were reserved, etc. When he left he said “I really like your beaded chain. My girlfriend does beading.” So now it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks about the chain, this cute kid liked it!
I'm back at the Burger King and decided to eat an early supper here so I don't have to cook. I remember when I thought BK was good but times sure have changed. One thing I'm going to have to do is figure out some decent camping food that doesn't require a lot of preparation or cleanup.
Just finished this excuse for a hamburger and now I will go pay the exhorbitant price for a couple of bags of ice and a 6-pack of something. They don't carry my favorite so I might try something new, like PBR!
Back with ya in a couple of days.
I just got back from a huge Shell gas station/convenience store/Burger King where I sent off a post. That place is expensive - $2.39 for a gal. of Crystal Spring water ($.98 in Sac.), and gas was $4.19. I hope it’s cheaper than that when I need to fill up again.
Before I left I put everything away except for a small bag of trash, including my coffee filter and a couple of paper towels. When I got back everything was strewn on the ground. I also realized I left my vitamins/supplements in Ziploc bags on the table, and whatever it was even took those. I divide up the pills for the day into a.m., noon, and p.m., with most of them being taken in the morning. So the birds/mice/squirrels got a good dose of fish oil capsule, calcium, vit. D, iron, aspirin, and vit.C. I can’t believe I did that!
I decided to put on my jeans this morning until the sun warmed the day. I had washed and line dried them, then folded the to pack. When I tried to put them on, it was like breaking starch! Imagine me in my tent balanced on one leg while trying to get the other one to go through the pants leg. Finally got it, but then I had the other leg to do. Meanwhile, I’m doing a jig that would make an Irishman proud, and trying not to fall on my rear! There is no one in sight, and I could have just sat out at the picnic table to put the jeans on.
A campground is not the place for me to be on a weekend. This one has been relatively quiet since I arrived on Wednesday, except for a very large extended family group with many kids at at least 10 dogs, some of which bark constantly when the families go off and leave some of them behind. Fortunately this group is way in the back of the loop and is very friendly.
The campground host left the day I arrived and a new host is expected tomorrow. I remember why I don’t want another camp host job. It’s called “weekends”.
Sat., Aug. 4:
The CG was very quiet last night but this morning it’s a different story. The two sites down from me are occupied by a couple of guys and 5 boys, about 10-11 yrs old. I raised 3 sons, so I can let a lot of things go by, especially the noise, but this morning two of them ran right into my site, one chasing the other and running around my tent. There is not much space around the tent to begin with, the slope to the creek on one side, and trees on the other. I could just imagine one of them tripping over a tent stake and pulling the whole thing down, so I said “You shouldn’t be running through other people’s campsites.” They left without a word.
You may remember when I decided I’d go ahead and be an old lady, and wear my glasses on a chain. Yesterday I was talking to a young man, probably 18 or 19, about the CG’s registration process, which sites were reserved, etc. When he left he said “I really like your beaded chain. My girlfriend does beading.” So now it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks about the chain, this cute kid liked it!
I'm back at the Burger King and decided to eat an early supper here so I don't have to cook. I remember when I thought BK was good but times sure have changed. One thing I'm going to have to do is figure out some decent camping food that doesn't require a lot of preparation or cleanup.
Just finished this excuse for a hamburger and now I will go pay the exhorbitant price for a couple of bags of ice and a 6-pack of something. They don't carry my favorite so I might try something new, like PBR!
Back with ya in a couple of days.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Wed & Thur., Aug 1 and 2
Wed., Aug. 1:
I left home at 8:30 and arrived at the North Fork (of the American River) CG in 2 hours, stopping once to get ice. It’s a Forest Service CG that is about 6 miles off I-80. I myself wouldn’t want to bring an RV over the very narrow and winding road, but the back of the loop is filled with an extended family with tents and trailers of all sorts. I’m in the first site from the entrance with the river running alongside my site.
In the west this can be called a river, but in the east it’s a creek (or sometimes more properly a “crick”). I can hear the water rushing over the rocks and it reminds me of many campsites in the Smoky Mtns.
This is water in the way I love it! Oceans are beautiful, and I lived within spitting distance of the Atlantic in Ireland. Big wide rivers are gorgeous – the Hudson, Ohio, Mississippi, and the Snake Rivers come to mind. Lakes are also ok, but give me a rushing creek and that is perfection! Warning signs tell me that there are rattlesnakes in the area. Always something to beware of.
I’ve paid for 5 nights of camping which will bring me through Sunday night. I have another drive in mind leading to a new area for me, so stay tuned.
Thurs., August 2:
I woke up to a very cold morning and hated to get out of the sleeping bag, but my need for a hot cup of coffee and something to eat over rode the comfort of sleeping in. I brought my sleeping bag outside and got into it on my nice lounge chair, with my coffee mug on the little table next to me.
I need to rearrange my tent and I think my head was downhill slightly last night. I am going to try the bed alongside the back of the tent which will make it much easier to get in and out of. I have so much room I don’t know what to do with it all. It’s missing a dog!
This morning I decided to drive up the road a couple of miles. I walked a few hundred feet earlier, but since my first time at Lassen I can’t pass up sticks and twigs for firewood. I usually don’t get very far and have to bring it back without dropping it. So when I drove I was on the lookout for firewood, and found a couple of spots that had some beautiful wood that were good lengths for the fire pit.
It is easier I’ll have to admit to just go buy cut firewood at a convenience store, and then you don’t have to be constantly adding to the fire. But I guess this is where the German in me comes out – I cannot see paying for wood when I’m in the middle of a forest with it all around me. I feel like I’m doing my small part to reduce the tinder from the ground.
There is something so satisfying in gathering wood for the fire, and I can relate to the millennia of women before me, and even now in some countries, where women have always been the gatherers.
I’ve been wondering where to get water to have on hand for putting out the embers of the fire when I go to bed at night. The road down to the creek is too steep and I hate to try it since I’m having enough trouble walking around my campsite without tripping. It came to me that I could use the water from the melted ice in my coolers! I’m brilliant this morning and on a roll for sure. I collected the melted ice water into a pan and then poured it into an empty gallon jug, and voila! I even had the bright idea to tear off part of the label so that I wouldn’t get that jug mixed up with two others that are my drinking and cooking water.
Will get this posted now while I have the chance. I drove about 15 miles to get ice, and the Burger King here has wifi. I will post pictures next time around.
I left home at 8:30 and arrived at the North Fork (of the American River) CG in 2 hours, stopping once to get ice. It’s a Forest Service CG that is about 6 miles off I-80. I myself wouldn’t want to bring an RV over the very narrow and winding road, but the back of the loop is filled with an extended family with tents and trailers of all sorts. I’m in the first site from the entrance with the river running alongside my site.
In the west this can be called a river, but in the east it’s a creek (or sometimes more properly a “crick”). I can hear the water rushing over the rocks and it reminds me of many campsites in the Smoky Mtns.
This is water in the way I love it! Oceans are beautiful, and I lived within spitting distance of the Atlantic in Ireland. Big wide rivers are gorgeous – the Hudson, Ohio, Mississippi, and the Snake Rivers come to mind. Lakes are also ok, but give me a rushing creek and that is perfection! Warning signs tell me that there are rattlesnakes in the area. Always something to beware of.
I’ve paid for 5 nights of camping which will bring me through Sunday night. I have another drive in mind leading to a new area for me, so stay tuned.
Thurs., August 2:
I woke up to a very cold morning and hated to get out of the sleeping bag, but my need for a hot cup of coffee and something to eat over rode the comfort of sleeping in. I brought my sleeping bag outside and got into it on my nice lounge chair, with my coffee mug on the little table next to me.
I need to rearrange my tent and I think my head was downhill slightly last night. I am going to try the bed alongside the back of the tent which will make it much easier to get in and out of. I have so much room I don’t know what to do with it all. It’s missing a dog!
This morning I decided to drive up the road a couple of miles. I walked a few hundred feet earlier, but since my first time at Lassen I can’t pass up sticks and twigs for firewood. I usually don’t get very far and have to bring it back without dropping it. So when I drove I was on the lookout for firewood, and found a couple of spots that had some beautiful wood that were good lengths for the fire pit.
It is easier I’ll have to admit to just go buy cut firewood at a convenience store, and then you don’t have to be constantly adding to the fire. But I guess this is where the German in me comes out – I cannot see paying for wood when I’m in the middle of a forest with it all around me. I feel like I’m doing my small part to reduce the tinder from the ground.
There is something so satisfying in gathering wood for the fire, and I can relate to the millennia of women before me, and even now in some countries, where women have always been the gatherers.
I’ve been wondering where to get water to have on hand for putting out the embers of the fire when I go to bed at night. The road down to the creek is too steep and I hate to try it since I’m having enough trouble walking around my campsite without tripping. It came to me that I could use the water from the melted ice in my coolers! I’m brilliant this morning and on a roll for sure. I collected the melted ice water into a pan and then poured it into an empty gallon jug, and voila! I even had the bright idea to tear off part of the label so that I wouldn’t get that jug mixed up with two others that are my drinking and cooking water.
Will get this posted now while I have the chance. I drove about 15 miles to get ice, and the Burger King here has wifi. I will post pictures next time around.
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