Helene Aftermath at Crystal Beach

If you have followed us long enough, you probably can remember that on Monday Indy and I drop Marcia off at Bible Study, and then Indy and I go over to Crystal Beach, which is 4 miles away from the church.  Well, this is what we saw today...

OH MY!  The pier is GONE!  Below is what it has looked like in the past...

I first went to Crystal Beach back in 2012 ...  the pier has held up to other hurricanes, tropical storms, even vandals.  I was just a bit shocked!

As we drove down to Crystal Beach, there were many signs of the flooding that the homes underwent.  

Saw neighbors helping neighbors...lots of furniture and appliances which were ruined.  Talked to one lady and asked how high the water came into the homes.  She said that most had three feet enter their homes, some more, others less.  Interesting enough that the homes down closer to the beach did not have water in their homes, but you can see where the debris had gotten real close to their front door.  

What was missing were the people out walking their dogs, riding their bicycles, enjoying the wonderful, peaceful surroundings that makes Crystal Beach the place it is...

 Hey Dad, it doesn't look like we are in Kansas any more...

Hurricane Helene

 

When we left Arizona last Sunday, the storm now known as Helene was just a small blip on the NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER website with a small chance (20%) of forming into a Tropical Storm.  Today it passes 90 miles to our west as a Category 4 Hurricane.  This time a year, I look at the National Hurricane Center website daily...sometimes many times a day.  

The hurricane is going to hit just east of Tallahassee if the current projection holds true.  Marcia's granddaughter (with husband and two children) just moved to Tallahassee about a month ago.  For much of the day it looked like the Hurricane would pass right over her house!  Now it looks like it will pass around 10 miles to her east.  That means they are on the weaker side of the Hurricane, it could mean the difference between facing 120 mph winds down to 80 mph winds.  We sure hope there is no damage to their house...or harm to any of them.  The hurricane will pass over them later tonight...we only hope for the best.

Our lights flickered a few times this afternoon, then went out...just to come back on 15-20 seconds later.  That happened two more times...and then, after the third one, BLACKOUT!  We lost power, and the winds were just kicking into fourth gear...which means Duke was not going to be able to fix anything due to the danger.  The wind would die down, then shoot back up over the next two hours...during one of those lulls, our power came back on, and is still on.  We can still follow the storm over our computers, especially since the Internet equipment is plugged into a battery backup.  When my laptop got to under 50%, I switched to my Android Tablet.  Five minutes later the power was on.  For the next few hours the power flickered a few times, but never went out.  The winds have died down considerably, and we sure hope the lights don't go out again.   And kudos to Duke Energy for getting the power on during the storm.  Our neighbor is on oxygen, and the battery will only last so long on her machine.  When she called them, she reminded them of her predicament, as did I when I filed the outage over the Internet.  Due to the number of older people here at the Villas, Duke already had us as priority...but to do the work during the heat of the storm is commendable.  

But Duke is only one of a number of electrical providers in Florida.  Took this screen shot an hour ago...over 1/2 million customers were without power.  Just checked again and it is up to over 600K...heck, just wait until the numbers start coming in from the Tallahassee area.

By-the-way...the Condo Association President allowed me to park our Camper Van here at the Condos until Friday.  When we lost power, the outside temps was in the 70's.  We could have gone into it and turned the generator on...had the outage been longer, or the temps hotter, we probably would have.  Had our neighbor needed power for her oxygen, I would have run an extension cord for her oxygen.  Thank goodness we had it around if needed.

 

Home, But For How Long...

 

Here is Marcia and her long-time friend Gerry.  Gerry is four years older than Marcia, and they have known each other for over 55 years, meeting in Chicago by chance.  Marcia was walking around the block with two of her children, one was in a stroller.  Gerry was out on her front lawn with her daughter Ruth, and Marcia stopped, they started a conversation, and the friendship bloomed from there.  We have met Ruth (whom Gerry lives with along with Ruth's husband, their daughter and son-n-law and their two kids in a very large house) at Cracker Barrels, and at the home they had near St. Augustine, and now at this home outside of Atlanta twice.  What a friendship these two have had...they can go months, even years, not seeing each other, and then when they do, carry on like they had just seen each other yesterday.

I survived the sauna of Tifton, and when we left the Cracker Barrel at 7 am, we were home by noon.  The goal is to NOT have to load and unload too much stuff each trip, but even the amount we do is overwhelming when it is 95 degrees, when it is the hottest September 23rd in Tampa history, and ... well ... you got the picture.  First things first, I needed to take the Cargo Carrier off the back.  Once that was done, and the ADA GoGo Scooter was put in the HHR, I was sweating like a pig.  Then it is a matter of getting some clothes into the condo, all of the toiletries, and our computer stuff.  The perishable foods would wait until Tuesday (which is today, in real life).  

After I parked the Camper Van in the Storage Lot, hooked up the cameras, I came back to get dinner, and then took the longest shower I can remember.  BOY, that sure felt great!  Not sure what time we went to bed...probably before 10, and got up at 8:30 this morning...that felt Great.

So the Camper Van is again back at the condo.  I finished getting a few things, such as dog food (poor Indy had to live off our our food) and laundry soap, and a few other things.  Then, I emptied the Fridge, turned it off, and it is currently in meltdown mode.  Another hour, in this heat, and even the water will have evaporated!  (LOL)

So what is with the title, "Home, But For How Long"...

Well, a storm by the name of Helene is headed our way.  All of the models so far are saying it will hit in what they call the "Big Bend" area.

Above is what Wikipedia shows as the Big Bend area.  The "blue" extends all the way down to where we live near Tampa.  The Red is the Big Bend Region.  The storm is suppose to hit the Region...but the Area, including where we live.  So by Wednesday night we will have to make a decision as to staying or leaving.  All long as it continues to head north, we will stay.  If the prediction shows a turn to the east...well...that is one of the reasons we have an RV.  And with this Camper Van, it makes it that much easier.  

So "IF" we did decide to leave, the Cargo Carrier stays behind, so that does not have to be worried about.  The amount of clothes and the amount of food does not have to be as large.  The toiletries and the drugs and the computers all go.  I figure when we make a decision to leave, if we do, we can be gone in a hours notice.  Chances are...we will be staying put.

Note:  I put Indy's food in her bowl an hour ago...she hasn't touched it, but she did have some Pork, which is part of her daily diet... so no comments about how mean we were to her last night or this morning, she is just fine!

 

Tifton Ga

Sixty miles north of Florida lays the city of Tifton.  It is midnight, 75 degrees with 90% humidity...I just turned off the generator which was running the AC which allowed me to get a restless hours sleep.  I feel suffocating, just how did our ancestors do it back then???  Oh ya, mine did it by STAYING NORTH OF THE MASON-DIXON LINE!  

We are 4 hours, if lucky, from the comfort of the Condo's AC, which we don't notice every time it kicks on and off.  If I can only make it through the rest of the night...

Marcia had a very nice visit with Gerry...more on that in my next blog, including a picture of two.

Bremen GA

Today we shot through the rest of Arkansas, through Tennessee (well, a small corner of it), Mississippi, Alabama and into Georgia.  We are at a Cracker Barrel in Bremen, which means neither of us had to cook dinner or dishes.

 About 90 minutes from Marcia's friends house, we plan to go by a Blue Beacon Truck wash in the morning on our way there...spend 3-4 hours visiting, then head south to home, which is around 450 miles to the south.  Should be home Monday.

It was an uneventful day until trying to decide where to stay for the night.  After striking out on 3 other possible choices (one full, one had bad cell signal, one was a Loves which had 8 RV hookups in a very loud atmosphere) that I decided Cracker Barrel was it even though the generator would need to run to keep AC going.  Well, turns out the temps are in the low 60s and the generator only ran from 6:30 to 9 pm!  

The journey is nearly complete...

Back in Arkansas Again, (even though it is a pass through on I-40)

After living in Arkansas from 1991 through 2012 it always feels like a "coming home" moment.  Today, a little I guess, but we are just passing through.  Our goal, to get to Georgia for a visit with Marcia's long time friend Gerry, who is just a few years older than Marcia.  

 

We left Texola at 8 am, got to Brinkley Arkansas after 4 pm, with an hour lost going from Mountain Time to Central Time.  Traffic was not too bad...got through Oklahoma City without any problems...the same with Little Rock.  Lots and lots of large trucks, as always.  Tomorrow we need to drive about 400 miles to get us within 90 minutes of where Gerry lives.

Tonight we are staying at the Brinkley RV Park, which is part of the Super 8 Motel...price is around $30.  It is just too hot to try and stay at Cracker Barrel like I had hoped for...in fact, our Air Conditioner ways on for nearly the entire night last night...and will be until we get home.  I have tried different was to do this, and setting it so that the fan runs regardless, helps to create a loud "White Noise" which masks the on and off of the compressor.  Right now it is nearly 9:30, it is 81 degrees and 80% humidity.  If I don't have the A/C going, the humidity gets to me real quick.  Welcome home to the SOUTH.

Return to Texola, Double D RV Park

Back in the spring of 2022 we drove from Pine Bluff to Texola, population 42, and stayed at the Passport America Park for $14...we were the only ones here.  Today, after getting tired of driving but not in much pain, I decided to stay here again...still $14 with Passport discount.  This time there was 4 or 5 rigs here when we pulled in, and 3 more that pulled in after.

We enjoyed our night at Santa Rosa Lake, and left around 8 am after using the dump station.  Traffic was steady, only a couple of jerks today to watch out for, and what construction that was going on didn't slow us down by more than a couple of minutes.

Tomorrow's goal is Little Rock or beyond.  Temps are now in the 90's, humidity around 45%, and rising into the 60% in Arkansas. 

Saw gas for under $2.50 today, but I did not need any at that time. 

A trend this year is less pictures.  I have seen so much of the countryside along this route that taking pics just hasn't interested either of us.  Wish I took a picture of Indy when I called Sandy today...she heard Aunt's voice and knew right away who it was, she got up by my lap and was so excited. Can't wait till we do some FaceTime when we get back to the condo.

Santa Rosa Lake State Park

 

Yesterday I mentioned a picture of the $2.90 gas price...well, there it is.  This was at the Flying J just east of Gallup by 20 miles or so.  Of course, I get a 5 cent discount due to the discount card, but still, $2.95 is WAY better than the $4.20 I payed at Sams Club in Citrus Heights just days before we headed back for home.

New Mexico State Parks are a GREAT deal.  We have water and electricity for only $18, $14 for the site, and $4 for the online registrations fee which can not be avoided.  But if you were to stay a week, that $4 applied to the reservation, so for seven days, it would be $98 for the site and $4 for the reservation, so $102 for the week...not bad at all.  Of course, most of the sites at this park don't have electricity, but this time of year it was easy to find a spot and then register online for it.

My lower back is much better today, but still a bit sore.  Thursday we will try and get into Oklahoma, though it might be just a mile or two over the boarder. 

Grants New Mexico

Again, no pics...not even the one showing gas prices of $2.90!!!

Why, because Internet really sucks.  I always check that out...but I was have spasms in my lower back, left side which caused me to veer off the last Grants exit and check into the RV park whose name I can not remember.  After a 90 minute rest with a heating pad I get online to a S L O W connection.

Tomorrow we will stop at Walmart for a few things in Albuquerque, then continue to the Santa Rosa Lake State Park which is where I wanted to stay today.  A shorter day, a long with heating pads, should make things better...

Seeing Friend in Phoenix, and on to Sharp Creek NF Campground ... in the RAIN!!!

 

 

We ALWAYS enjoy our nearly yearly visit to Phoenix to see Laurie.  Marcia has known Laurie since Laurie was around 12, and she is...NOPE, not going to give it away!  She treated us to Lunch today, after we all had a good visit at her house.  Until next time dear friend...

After a fill up of gas at Walmart, off we traveled through Fountain Hills and up the Beeline Highway to Payson.  In Payson we decided to travel east on Highway 260 to Sharp Creek NF Campground.

I love traveling a new highway in the mountains, and was very glad to see TREES once we started east toward the campground.

Prior to Payson, the clouds made for some interesting pictures as sun hit some of the hills, and lack of sun covers up the rest.

There was little traffic, and the climb to 5,000 feet was smooth.

We come around a corner and see this Wall of Rain ahead...with a faint sign of a Rainbow.

And after many attempts, we (Marcia) gets this shot which, if you look close, is a double rainbow.  Rain came and went, as did the rainbow(s). 

I did not get any pics of the campground, but let's just say it is the typical National Forest Campground.  However...when you do the self pay, it is on a machine which takes credit and debit cards.  That was slick!  Later, a camp host came by and collected their half of the receipt, and placed a Reserved Sign in front of the camping spot.  Like other NF Campgrounds, there are no services outside of the outhouse and some water spouts.  Verizon Internet is excellent.  Generators need to be off by 10 pm, which is an hour from now, so I have to wrap this up.

 

 

To Wickenburg

Sorry, no pics.  But we did make it to Wickenburg.  Intended to dry camp, 95+ degrees changed my mind on that.  We are staying at the Aztec RV Park near McD's.  Lots of folks live here full-time, and lots of spots for Snowbirds.  The park is probably 2/3rds empty.  All the folks I have seen seem very nice.  Enjoyed watching the horses in the pasture across the back fence by us...closest Indy has been near horses.

The trip was a familiar one to us, travel this way nearly every year coming or going.  Impressed that the Interstate from AZ boarder to Kingman is half finished...so now you only lose your fillings for half the drive.  Unfortunately Highway 93 is still full of bad spots, but that will all change when Interstate 11 is put in... don't know when that dream will see the light of day, but they have signs up.

When we got gas near Bakersfield 21 gallons cost $100...in Lake Havasu I got 20 gallons for $61.  Don't see how folks in California can afford to live there...

Tomorrow we plan to see our good friend Laurie, then head out towards Payson AZ where there are a few National Forest Campgrounds we can call home for the night.  We have never been in this part of Arizona before.

To Tehachapi California

 

It was a toss-up as to if we dry camped, or get into a campground at Tehachapi.  I decided on the latter.  Here we are in spot #1, 25' (little more like 28' in my opinion), and all we hooked up was electricity.  We dumped our tanks at the rest area in Tulare...when we got to the Flying J just north of Bakersfield I found that the container that holds the sewer hose had come open and we lost our hose out on highway 99.  

I KNEW this was something that other owners had complained about, and I thought having a clip on it, which you can see in the bottom right of the holder, would prevent this from happening.  Apparently I was wrong.  I will need to be more prudent to be sure the cap is on properly, and then clip it.  Thank goodness they have a Walmart here in Tehachapi, so we are good to go. The new hose is only 10' long, not 12' or 15' like the one that came with it, so it should be easier to put the lid on the storage container.

The backup camera sure makes it easy to backup into spots like this...

Here is a panoramic view of the north side of Highway 58 in Tehachapi.  You can see the smoke which has been very prevalent from before Fresno all the way here.  Normally you can see the mountains to the east as you travel Highway 99...not today.

We are at the Mountain Valley RV Park, a 27 site campground which can hold rigs as big as 60+ all the way down to the one we are in which they claim is for no larger than 25'.  The price is $43 with the AARP discount. There is an Airport right next to the property, but it has no lights and is for small planes, so no noise from there at night.  It is a very quiet park, especially since the train tracks are over by Highway 58.  Tomorrow....Wickenburg is our destination.

And the answer is YES...Indy misses her Aunt and Uncle and the green grass of the backyard there in Citrus Heights.

 

Grandma Has a Special Little Visitor

 

Thursday of last week Marcia and I went for a visit with mom.  If we get there earlier enough, I can put out the awning and we enjoy a cool outdoor visit.  Arrived shortly after 9 am, got everything setup, went in and got mom, and started to enjoy our visit.  A blue VW comes humming up (an EV) and mom says, "I don't have any idea who that is..."  Until it parks and my son Michael gets out.  Now he is parked a good 20-25 yards from where mom was and as soon as he emerges she says, "It's Michael!"  Her next words were, "I hope he brought Addy!!!"

Michael and Addy get setup, and Addy sits comfortably on her daddy's lap.

It does not take long before she is on the grass, and she is pulling out books, playing with her toys as we all converse and watch the show.

Soon she is off to the rocks where she starts to load up her dump truck.

Then she moves over to the other side and gets those rocks too.

Then she spots the small amount of water puddled on the sidewalk from the lawn irrigation system.  PUDDLES!!!!

So at first she jumps on the puddle, then squats over the puddle, puts her hands in it, then puts her hands in her mouth.  "ADDY, don't put that water into your mouth!", says Michael.

Well, like any two year old, that warning lasts for about 60 seconds...

... and back at it she goes.  Soon she is sitting in the water, then she is sitting on Dad's lap.  

We all had a wonderful hour-plus visit, and seeing her Great Granddaughter, her Grandson, Marcia and I all at the same time sure made Mom's day.  Michael took Addy's pants off and put them on his dash for the drive to Day Care down by the State Capitol where he works.  I hope they dried before he got her there...

Well, we find our time here in Sacramento is coming to an end.  We left our Condo on July 18th.  We knew when we left that we would be home before the end of October.  We plan to leave on Saturday the 14th, and take our time getting home...which probably will be before October 1st.

As for living in the Camper Van, the fix with the beds has worked out very well.  I find the cooking area to be much too small, but I work with the area the best I can.  Dropping a raw egg on the floor, a rare thing for me to do, is product of the small area.  We can go five days before emptying the waste tanks, which is not bad considering how small the black tank is.  There is a gas station a few miles away where I pay $10 to do the dirty deed.  We just make sure to include the dump station in any errands we needed to do on those days.  And the small fridge definitely has its limits, but we have been able to fit our most needed items in it, and we go to the store at least twice a week, and Sam's Club about every 10 days.  

Will try and post one more time before we leave, and every day or two while we travel back to Florida.