New Update, June 27-June 30

I hope this works, and I'll try to get all the updates loaded on one entry.

Saturday, June 27:
I left Sacramento at 7:00 a.m. and made the tiring drive to Butte Lake. I let the GPS direct me over some back roads from Red Bluff. avoiding Redding, and the scenery was beautiful with lots of hills, twists and turns. The trip took 4 hours which isn’t bad, although it really wore me out. You get used to shorter mileage with an RV, and then even four hours, or 225 miles seems like a lot. The campground was hopping when I got here and I had a lot of reserved signs to put up, which takes time.

My RV batteries must have just run out of power before I got here as the fridge was off but everything was still cold, and everything in the freezer was frozen solid. Thankfully David came along because I had hooked up to the power from truck to RV which didn’t do much, so he put the jumper cables from the truck directly to the battery, which did the trick. I’m now running my generator for the second time today. I’m not sure if the problem is with the batteries themselves, with the way they are wired into the RV, or what. I need more power and definitely something reliable. I would like to get at least a starter package for solar power but the money I’ve spent on the generator means that I’ll have to wait another year. The batteries were purchased last Nov. 30th in New York, so even if there is a warranty period I can’t do much about it from here.

I had a wonderful visit with family and really enjoyed my time in Sacramento, but I’m definitely feeling at home back here at Lassen. I just hope things go smoothly with the campers here. Most are fine people and I’ve met a lot of nice folks today. but there are always some who exhibit bad behavior.

Sunday, June 28:
What a beautiful day it was! After I made the first round through the campground I was sitting outside listening to the wind and looking up at the sky, and thinking of how musical the wind sounded roaring through the pine trees. Soon I heard the wail of an electric guitar and then the music from several campsites over irritated me for about 15 minutes. I realized though, if it had been bluegrass music I would have hot-footed it over to listen; if it had been C&W’s Willie, Alan or Toby, I would have enjoyed it. But what is music to one person’s ears is just discordant and noisy to another. Once in a while I can hear music while going through the campground, but most people leave it behind with their cell phones (and survive quite well, it seems).

The dust and dirt is making my boots really messy looking, but if I clean them up they will just get dirty again. I think I should just let nature take its course, for a while anyway.

Today I started peeling off some of the really bad caulking on my 5th wheel. I have taken most of it from the propane bay and main storage bay doors. I was told my someone that I needn’t bother getting all the old caulk off, just the loose stuff, and to caulk right over it. I think most of mine is loose enough to peel away fairly easily. Now to try to figure out what to do about the residue that is left – I don’t want to ruin the gelcoat but don’t know if I can go over it with alcohol (the rubbing kind) or if I need something else. Unfortunately, anyone reading this who knows the answer can’t reach me in time to give me advice! With July 4th coming up I won’t be going anywhere for a couple of weeks at least.

Monday, June 29:
I love having a uniform for work as it makes for very simple choices in the morning. I sometimes almost feel like I’m back in Catholic school, but I hated wearing uniforms then. Mothers loved them, and I understood why when my own children went to school.

I am making brownies this morning and it is a toss up how they turn out. I ran short of vegetable oil so I supplemented with butter. The olive oil on hand is much too robust for brownies! It’s a good thing I read all the fine print on the package because I never even gave it a thought that I should follow directions for baking at high altitudes. They are mainly intended for David, who has been such a help to me since I’ve been at Butte Lake.

The campground is back to quiet today with most of the weekenders gone or getting ready to leave. It will build up mid-week for the 4th of July holiday, and I fervently hope I don’t have to deal with obnoxious people, although there are usually a few in any large crowd.

Tuesday, June 30:
The lull before the storm – getting ready for the holiday crowd. It is pretty peaceful now.

The dogs woke me up at 5:00 a.m. growling at something outside. I looked out the windows but didn’t see anything – this morning I found deer tracks and it must have gone right by my RV and crossed the road. The dogs are getting pretty good at not barking or growling when people come into the campsite, or when other dogs go by on the road. When I’m not here is probably another matter.

I can’t believe the dust that is everywhere. My truck looks beige from driving on the gravel road, mostly from other passing vehicles. Every surface I touch has a gritty feel, but I’m not going to worry about it. It’s a good thing I’m easy going about a clean house!