From Joshua Trees through the Mojave Desert to Needles, Ca

 

It did not take long to get over Tehachapi Pass, a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains, a principal connector between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert, also known as Highway 58 through the mountains. We left at 7 am, filled up at the Flying J in Tehachapi at $4.39 per gallon ($150 for 34+ gallons of gas) and soon we were in the western Mojave and coming into patches of Joshua Trees.

As I am passing by tree after tree I think about the many old Western movies and/or TV shows where they show Joshua Trees in places like Kansas, Montana, Colorado, even the Dakotas.  Fact of the mater is that the Joshua Tree is found primarily in California, and small parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona....along with parts of north-west Mexico.  A similar occurrence happens with Saguario Cactus.  It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California...yet can be seen in episodes of Wagon Train crossing through Kansas or Colorado, various movies not set in Arizona, etc.  It's kinda like watching a movie of Custer's Last Stand with the background of Sedona or Monument Valley as the backdrop to the movie.  Back when those movies and TV shows were shot, they did not expect people to have the Internet or that so many would have the ability to visit these sites in person.

Here in the Mojave Desert the tree brings a bit of life to the dreary desert.  Let's face it, except for a few areas, the Mojave Desert is a bit of a boring drive.

We drive through the newly upgraded Highway 58 through Boron (all four lane, two each way now) and through Barstow, and hit the Rest Area just 20 miles east of Barstow...one we seem to stop at each time.

Seems we stop at the Desert Oasis Rest Area area going either east or west on I-40.

Above you can see the west rest area on the other side of the freeway.  Tears came to my eyes as I told Marcia that just 9 1/2 years ago the view was from the other side of the freeway...

Here they are, Skruffy and Bubba...looking at the east rest area right at where we are parked 9 1/2 years later, right where I put this red arrow into the picture.  Perhaps they knew something...or perhaps they were thinking just what I posted about this picture way back then.  "Who stole the #*%*@&* grass?"

Over the next 120 miles there are only a few distant mountains in which to enjoy, along with a few cactus species.  At 59 miles per hour, which is 4 miles over the speed limit but slow enough not to attract the attention of the three highway patrol officers monitoring the patch of highway, it is a long long drive...  

We finally make it to an RV Park we have stayed at many times before...Fender's River Road Resort in Needles, right on historic Highway 66, with part of the park right along the Colorado River.  It is a Passport America park and cost just under $20 for the night's stay.

As we drove the 'back way' to Fenders RV Park from the Interstate, we came across a number of rock displays, all with flags.  I told Marcia that I would need to unhook the car and come back to check it out...it is about a mile away from the park.

All of the displays seems to correspond to a Veteran's Day celebration.  There was a display for the Army, Navy (above), Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, along with a VFA display and this Vietnam POW/MIA display.  All together there was around a dozen displays.

The sun made it hard to get good pictures on the southwest side of the road, and threw shadows on the other side of the road.  It was a real special, inexpensive display of Patriotism that I really appreciated.

Tomorrow we will enter Arizona where the time changes by an hour, and gas prices drop by 25%.

RIP Bubba Dog, You ARE Missed

 

Our Bubba Boy is with his sister, sitting on Dad's lap with cousin Charlie (Patti's dog).  Above is from our 2013 travels, and no...they did not have sunglasses on, and no, Bubba did not have that big white smile.  They were together so much, Bubba and Skruffy, now they are together forever.

Countless times they were staring out the motorhome door waiting for their FAVORITE time...their Arny Treat to start the day.  "IF" we let them out early, Skruffy and her big mouth would wake the entire neighborhood.  This year we let Bubba out, and Indy once we got her, and they would wander the yard and then wait for Arny.  

Then there was the time on our first visit out west in 2012.  Stopped at a rest area in the middle of the Mojave Dessert and not a blade of grass could be seen.

But Bubba ALWAYS walked to the beat of his own drum.  He was kind, gentle, quiet, always in search of a handout (treat), and loved the smells of the outside (and of food, of course).  His love of outside smells had him taking off at any opportunity he could. And those smells would over-ride his normal obedience.  You say, "Bubba NO!", he would mind...unless the call of the smell was there...then off he went.

Of course, Bubba loved to get his naps.  With our first motorhome, he got his own man cave, where the original old TV was encased and would pop up over the dashboard at the push of a button.  He loved that man cave.

But he sure loved his food...and the food of others.  This had to have been his happiest 3+ months, when we left him at Sandy and Arny's while we went back to Florida.  No Skruffy, his favorite Uncle Arny and Aunt Sandy, and he only ran away (sniffed his way down the block) two or three times!

And boy did he like a nice green lawn and a roll on his back.

No matter HOW HOT it was, Bubba would go lay on the grass in the sun.

This was him all groomed out for the initial trip out west.  From this point on, I did most of his grooming, and although he did not like it at first, he came to put up with me.

While we mourn, Bubba is rolling on his back laughing.

This morning, in the middle of the night, Bubba got up and walked over to the front door, 2 am.  I got up and let him out, he walks about 10 steps and just stares out into the night.  After 5 minutes of him staring, I ask him to come in and he turns around and comes in...but won't get in his bed.  I turn the light on and see that he peed in his bed in his sleep.  Yesterday morning after coming back in from his morning duty, he stood up in his bed and was shaking...every leg shaking, his whole body shaking...it  was if he was so weak that he could not stand but he did not want to lay down either.  Over the past week he has nearly fallen out of the motorhome 2-3 times, and needed help to get back in nearly every time he went out.  When I let him out at 2 am this morning, with it being dark and the light on, he just went down the stairs like they were nothing, and back up again.  In the sunlight it was so bright on his eyes that he could not see where he was going.  He bumped into trees, bushes, picnic benches, the motorhome...it was just heartbreaking.  On top of that his cough was getting very persistent. About all he did was eat, sleep, pee and poop.  So our decision was do we let him eventually fall out of the motorhome and get hurt (break leg or neck) and then put him down, or do it now while he was failing but before he got hurt.  Marcia could not stand to see him continue going downhill, and did not want to see him hurting (from a fall).  So now he is free from that aging body...he was a GREAT dog, and good boy, and went so peacefully to sleep.  They have a butterfly garden where they spread the ashes of the dogs and cats and other critters...so next time you see a butterfly, think of Bubba.

 

 

Trying to Settle In -- Home in Florida

We have been home for eight days, and for the most part, we are settled back in...but there is a BIG HOLE still in our lives, in our hearts...

One thing we love is the Florida Gas Prices compared to the California Gas Prices.  I have a 14 gallon tank in the HHR, and I put nearly 13 gallons in at Sam's Club Friday.

Back in late November, I put just over 13 gallons in, and it cost me $45.50!  That's $15 more in taxes in California than in Florida!  THAT'S a bunch!!!  On top of that, Florida's highways are in much better shape than California's highways...makes you wonder doesn't it???

It took us a week, but we finally made it to Mama Maria's.  To top off the treat of eating at Mama's, we met Marcia's granddaughter and great-granddaughter there.  No pics, they don't want pictures of the nearly 4 year old out on the Internet...all I can tell you is that she is growing up, and is as cute as could be.  

Next week is Marcia's first Doctor's Appointment of the new year.  Today we went to get blood work done, and we were back home within the hour.  Sometimes it has taken us over an hour just to get the blood taken once we walked in the door!

 

Bubba is sure adjusting well without Skruffy.  We turned in the notification to the Condo Board about Skruffy's death, and Bubba being the new service dog.  We are going to look for a younger dog to fulfill this need, probably start looking in March.  He reminds us when he gets his "Arny and Sandy" treats...sometimes this 16+ year old acts like a kid.

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since we lost her..the hole in our heart is a bit smaller...I have not had any more dreams of her, but we both miss her so much.  

All of these pictures of her were taken back in 2012, except the one below which was taken a few years while we were headed to, or already in, Alaska.  This one above was taken at a westbound rest area in Texas along I-10 between San Antonio and Van Horn.  It was a very windy day, and she let me put her securely up on this tree limb, and you can see by her face just how windy it was.  When we drove along the same highway but eastbound, I looked over at that same rest area, I think the same tree...there are going to be many, many memories like this as we travel.  Happy memories, which help fill that empty hole...

Now when we drive, we just figure that Skruffy is there with us as our "co-pilot"...sitting on my dad's lap.  We love and miss you both.

Home Sweet ‘Our Family’s' Home

At Sister’s House, Citrus Heights, CA

We pulled in at my Sister and Arny’s house around 5:15 Thursday.  Hoped to be in earlier, but had a leak in one of our tire extensions, which are needed for our Tire Pressure Sensor System.  As we started out from Bakersfield, our left front motorhome tire was down to 47 psi…should be 65 psi.  The RV Park had a inflator, and got it up to 72 psi, and it seemed to hold there.  As we drove north along US-99, known as the eternal bumpy highway, we were dropping 1 psi per 10 miles, so we stopped at America’s Tire Store (known as Discount Tire’s in other states) where they quickly diagnosed the problem (after waiting an hour for ‘our turn’) and we removed the extender and the sensor and drove on north.  The rest of the drive, outside of ‘Devil’s Revenge’ in Atwater where the road was much like the Yukon as you near Alaska, went fairly well…considering we hit ‘Rush Hour’ in downtown Sacramento.

  

The DOGS are probably happier than we are…and we ARE HAPPY ourselves…to be here.  They LOVE Arny, Sandy, and the backyard.  Bubba has rolled in the grass more than I can remember.  Skruffy, despite her eyesight problems, knows right where everything is, and she chased her first Squirrel yesterday.  It won’t be long before the Squirrels start teasing her by coming down to her face and laugh at her…but we hope brother Bubba will step up and give teach them a good lesson…time will tell.

Last time we were here I mentioned that they got rid of the Turtles, and now the turtle pens have been converted to a nice garden.  Here is the home of half of the Naked Ladies, some Tulips, and these various bushes and shrubs.  They also got rid of the rose bushes that ran along the patio, opening the patio up to the nice grass without fear of getting poked by Rose Thorns. 

  

Sat outside for awhile yesterday and today listening to and watching the various birds that come and go from the backyard.  This guy above (top two pictures) was just singing away, turning its head back and forth.  The three in the bottom picture live in the Oleander Bushes which are on the neighbor’s property, but which intrude into Sandy and Arny’s yard.

  

  

So far there are fewer Doves, but numerous of the other birds…including the Humming Birds.

And I think this squirrel will learn ‘real fast’ that Skruffy is not the threat she seems to have been in past years…but it sure was checking her out far below…it just did not understand that Skruffy never did see it, but her nose sure was twitching a bit.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, Liver and Onions and Steak for Dad and me.  YUM!

Orangless Bakersfield

At Orange Grove RV Park, Bakersfield, Ca

After leaving Phoenix on Monday morning, we stopped in Needles at the Fender's River Road Resort & Motel where we have stayed a few times before.  At $19 for full hookup, it is a pretty good park…but I did not take pictures this time...tired or lazy or both I guess.  We had a detour along the way…we drove to Prescott where I met my long time friend and co-worker at the Pine Bluff Library, Roger.  We started on the same day at the Library in Pine Bluff…I think it was Monday, January 7th, 1991.  We have stopped to visit Roger a number times during or travels, but sometimes he is out of town as we come by, or we are quickly going through Phoenix and can’t make it up to Prescott.  Roger is the Director of the Prescott Public Library now.  Today we drove from Needles to Bakersfield, visiting another RV Park we have stopped at many times, the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield (pic above, more down below).  Unfortunately, no oranges this time of year…they are winter oranges, and they are all gone.  Late November through January is the prime time, but we have found some in March before.  You can pick as many oranges as you wish…free.  Well, nothing is free because this RV park cost $45 per night with Good Sams, AAA or AARP cards, more if you are a bigger rig and need 50 amp. 

This picture above is similar to other I have shown before from the last rest area on I-40 before Barstow California. 

Every time we drive west on I-40 we stop here…and every time the dogs look for grass to do their business on.  For sure this is one of the most desolate rest areas for dogs that there is!

Bubba found some grass first and started in with his routine of SMELL, SNIFF, SMELL some more, then business time.  Without grass, it sometimes is near impossible for Bubba to do his business.  From here it is a good 2 hours to Bakersfield, so it is there last stop of the trip.

  

We have been to Orange Grove RV Park many times before, sometimes with the park nearly full to capacity…that’s nearly 200 spaces spread out on 40 acres!  Today we have so much space between our neighbors…it is just WONDERFUL!  Not as wonderful as our next camping spot…in the backyard at Sandy (sister) and Arny’s (brother-in-law) house.  Dogs won’t have trouble finding grass there, that is for sure!

Note: We had planned to stay at Red Rock Canyon State Park tonight, about 80 miles to the east of Bakersfield…but a little more research found no Internet, no Cell Service (or very, very poor service) so we decided to skip it for now.