Point and Shoot

That's all I can do with any kind of camera, but especially with a digital. I can never see what is on the screen well enough to know if I have a good shot, especially on a sunny day. It was really sunny this morning as I set out to walk the dogs. We went much further this morning than we've ever gone (they will both sleep most of the day now), as I circled around to see if I could get a better picture of the grandstand.

On the way I caught this shot of the Sacramento skyline. I can look at it now and in my mind zone out the power lines as they really do mess up what could be a nice scene, but they are there and necessary for how we live today. I should wait for a better light, but when I have it I usually don't have the camera. Sometimes on a cloudy morning the sun shines through and hits the city skyline through the dark clouds and it is a beautiful picture.



So we circled around the RV park and I caught some shots of the grandstand. I also took several shots of some of the ponies exercising, but only one turned out fair - I told you I can't see the screen so it's just a "shot in the dark" so to speak.





You can click on a picture to make it large enough to be able to see the detail!

Time

In reading the blogs of folks who want to begin their RV travels full time, they all seem to be impatient and anxious for whatever has to happen - retire from the job, sell the house, health issues, and so on. In looking at my own experience, then and now, I would say to everyone - just try to live in and enjoy the present. The future gets here before we know it, and the time spent waiting and hoping and dreaming can never be regained. Day passes into day, and week into week, and while I would never want to go back, I wish I had spent more time enjoying the grandson hugs while waiting for my RV in New York, or the spectacular mountain views from my front deck in North Carolina--the list is endless.

I will fly into Sioux Falls, SD on the 24th of March and return the next evening. I phoned the DMV and made sure that they would be open and that I had the correct address to obtain my driver's license. Then I phoned the motel where I have reservations to see if they had an airport shuttle. DUH! No shuttle. I asked the clerk if she could give me an estimate of the taxi fare to the airport and she said "maybe 10, 15, 20 dollars". That sounds like she has no idea but figured she was in the ballpark. I was wishing I had reserved a rental car, but then remembered I will arrive and leave in the hours after dark. Do I want to drive a rental car in a city I've never been to? After dark? Naah, I'll just pay the cab fare.

I've had several people comment on the cost of my trip just to obtain a SD license. The plane/motel fare is offset by whatever surcharges the insurance company is planning on levying because my vehicle tags don't match the d/l, as well as the fact that there could be a problem for me if I were stopped for whatever reason - sometimes the police just set up a roadblock to check licenses & things like that. I could face a stiff fine. I have no desire to take the chance and will just do what I have to do, and I will no doubt exercise a little civil disobedience in some other way!

I had a real scare earlier today. I was on my way to a laundromat where I could wash the dog bed covers and towels, and stopped about a block from the park to mail a letter in the box. I am always leery about getting out of my car and leaving it running, so I hit the global unlock button and try not to close the door all the way as I'm terrified of locking myself out. I mailed the letter and sure enough, could not open the driver's side door. While I was mentally using my "sailor language" and wondering if I have a spare key back in the rig, I decided to try the passenger door. It opened! I hit the unlock button on the door and made sure my driver's side would open - then went back and securely shut the passenger side. There was a group of 3 people nearby and I thought how silly I must have looked, running around my vehicle, back, around again, etc. I carry an extra set of keys for both car & RV, but of course they are in a zipped pocket in my purse, which was inside the truck.

I feel the same way dumb when I'm hitching up to leave and have to constantly run around the rig, checking turn signals on both vehicles, emergency lights, and all the light systems except brakes, which I can't do by myself. At times like that I wish I had a husband I could send chasing around the vehicles, although it would probably still be me doing the chasing around.

The Simple Things in Life

A warm shower, water running all over your head...how sweet it is, especially when you have had eye surgery and forbidden to get water in the eye for a couple of weeks. This morning I really enjoyed the water, although I still kept my eye closed! It is something to think about, that real pleasure in life doesn't usually come from something you go out and buy (although I sure have to keep buying the propane to insure hot water).

I finally got my stick-on thermometer stuck-on the kitchen side window. It is large enough that I can easily read the numbers, and it just informed me that the temperature on the outside (the shady side) of the rig is 65F.

A little while ago I drove to a nearby Trader Joe's. Normally I just don't care that much for TJ's, but I love to snack on dehydrated fruit - banana chips, apricots, cranberries & pomegranates, and the like. Not wanting to drive to the Sacramento Food Co-op and try to find parking for just those items, I thought I'd do the Trader Joe's thing for once. I think I ate half the stuff on the way home! I wanted to buy bread there, but like anywhere else, it is nearly impossible to find the bread I want that doesn't use a sourdough starter. I really detest sourdough bread but I must really be in the minority, because most bakery type bread is sourdough, and that goes for everywhere I've been the past few years, with the possible exception of NY.

I am about to make plane reservations from Sacramento to Sioux Falls, SD to get my driver's license, leaving the 24th of March and returning the next day. I hope I'm allowing adequate time for a possible snafu, but I don't want to stay an extra day if I don't have to. I think it will be too cold to enjoy strolling the streets of Sioux Falls, SD, although March did come in like a lion this year, so maybe it will be a good little lamb the last week of the month. I haven't yet been hit with the reality of actually going to an airport and all the crap it requires to get on a plane to go somewhere, and then to have to do it all again coming back.

Good day to stay indoors

Ok, Florida and New York, you can take back this cold weather! After a few warmer days I was shocked at the chill this morning. At least I was able to get the dogs out and back in before the rain started again. We've had enough rain that the boating restrictions have been lifted at Folsom Lake and most if not all the boat launch sites are open again. I hope the drought is over this year, although other parts of the state haven't been as lucky.

I am trying to decide how and when I can go to SD to get my driver's license there. A plane into Rapid City makes the most sense. My insurance company is giving me a little more time before they add a surcharge because I'm not licensed in the state, and it would make me feel a lot better having the license to match my vehicle plates. I have been agonizing over this since I started fulltiming last December. It's just the wrong time of year to be tripping to South Dakota!

I forgot to ask the eye surgeon last time I saw him whether I should still avoid getting water in my eye. I phoned this morning and found that I only needed to avoid it for 10 days, and here I have been worried every time I wash my hair! I'm still not supposed to lean over for 4 weeks, and that won't be much longer.

All of the sudden the sun came out and I can see that my windows need cleaning again. I might as well wait until the rainy season is over, although I do like clean windows. I should get busy, or at least get dressed.

Mystery Solved!

You may remember that a few days ago I reported hearing a cow in the vicinity of Cal Expo RV Park. That question has now been answered, and I should have realized it would be something of this nature. Cal Expo, the state exposition and fairgrounds, has a small farm where plants common to the state of California are grown, animals are raised, etc. During the state fair this is open to the public, and the children especially can enjoy seeing the animals up close. I haven't heard the cow since, but the moo is probably drowned out by the sound of the rain hitting my RV.

A trip to Costco occurred this afternoon, and my purchase encompassed all the food groups (the important ones anyway): a case of beer, a very large package of Oreos, and a large bag of pecans. A bite of cookie a couple of pecans, washed down by a cool beverage - that will probably constitute my supper tonight as the cookies & pecans I've just eaten have ruined my appetite. (It's way too early in the day for the beverage.)

One More Month at Cal Expo

I just got the ok to stay here one more month and I'm relieved to not have to move. I have had a really difficult time trying to get things ready to move - especially difficult when you can't lean over, lift anything heavier than 15#, and have two scroungy mutts under foot all the time.

The family all went to Steve & Megan's for "The Dinner" last night. They fixed jambalaya, crab cakes, greens & diced ham, and for dessert served bananas cooked lightly in a rum sauce over ice cream. I don't know what I like best, but I sure returned for seconds of everything! I consider myself a connoisseour (had to consult the dictionary on that spelling!) of greens and I will give these the gold medal of excellence!

AND THEN---Sarah said "Gee Marty, it's a shame you will be leaving California in September because you will miss your grandchild's arrival in October. We were all surprised and overjoyed by the news, although I think Jeannie & Donald knew but were sworn to secrecy. So Alyssa will have a little sister or brother, and Grandma will have two new grandchildren, counting Jeannie's little girl in July.

My offering for "The Dinner" will be on March 17th, and I will do corned beef & cabbage at Jeannie's house.

Now I have boxes all over the RV that I got out for the move - the coffee maker box, the toaster oven box, the electric heater box, etc. But to look on the bright side, I have one more month to attend the harness races just over the fence.

Filling the lakes & rivers

It rained throughout the night and is predicted to fall through the next week. As of yesterday Sacramento had about 77% of normal rainfall for the season. That's good news for the lakes & rivers, which according to many in Northern California, can then be diverted from the farmers and pumped into southern CA so they can water their lawns. That is what I've been reading, not necessarily my own views, so don't blame me SO CAL.

I still haven't removed the hoses from the waste tank, and I may be doing that lovely job tomorrow morning in the rain. Oh how I hope they will let me stay here another month and then I'll be on to another location. I'm getting hitch itch, but not to travel across the Sacramento River into a more crowded park.

Steve & Megan are having the dinner this month and today is also Steve's 34th birthday. I won't have to worry about cooking tonight - just need to scrounge something up for breakfast & lunch. I started wrapping the glassware in dish towels and will put the foam stuff between the plates & bowls just in case I move. There won't be much to do tomorrow except pack away the small appliances and pad all around the computer. I had it boxed and surrounded by styrofoam from NC to here and it was fine, but I don't want to have to unhook all those wires yet. I think I will be ultra careful and box it in the original carton when I travel to Lassen, the last 6 miles of which is a gravel road.

The word of the day here is RAIN!