Author Archives: Kent
What a ride
This morning while hooking up the car for towing I noticed a penny on the ground. I placed it on the back bumper of the motorhome and continued the hookup process, then promptly forgot it until we were moving down the road. Some 160 miles of 2-lane, up to 11% grade and it made the trip for the entire day. Guess the road was not as rough as I thought.
That 11% grade for 4 kilometers is by the way the 1st time I have noted 4 “runaway truck ramps” on one hill.
Boom!
We hear a loud pop and a puff or white “smoke” rises out of the back corner of the boat. We were at the time under a shade tree 30 ft away. Seems the daytime high of 99F degrees with a bright sun was just too much for the boat air horn. You know the kind used as an annoyance at stadiums. It blew sinkers all over the boat but other than the container which contained the propellant nothing else was damaged. Upon further inspection the can says maximum temp is 120F, opps!
Sunset in the Desert-Quartzsite
Mojave Preserve cont.
Thursday included a couple of hikes on the northern part of the park. We had traversed the dirt road across to the north earlier before the latest rain and noted the uniform brown color splattered on the official white pickup that came into camp via the dirt road. So today we started our driving by going around via paved roads. It adds about 50 miles and zero time. The dirt roads are pretty rough courtesy of the flooding rains they had about 2 weeks ago. We finished our hikes around 2 pm and feeling brave we headed toward home across the rough but passible dirt roads. This route would have been really fun yesterday as I noticed tracks in the road indicating someone had been traveling with tire chains yesterday. Fortunately, it had dried quite a bit since then and there was only one real muddy spot. We noticed heavy equipment tracks as well. That is good, maybe they have worked on the many places where sand was washed onto the road and portions where edges were washed out earlier.
We were on the home stretch when we met a ranger about 2 miles from camp, “We just pulled a car out of the sand ahead. It is only soft for about 50 yards. You’re going downhill so keep your momentum up and don’t spin the wheels and you should be fine.” Well that adds a little stress to the trip. Now, we can turn around and go back about 80 miles or we can take our chances in the sand pit. We have come this far, we may as well at least give it a look. When we get to the area it appears when they worked on it today they must have removed too much roadbed and were left with only deep sand. Opps! Anyhow it seemed passable so we slogged through and found our way home. It was a little challenging but we made it. Probably will go around if we need to go this way again. We had considered taking this route with the motorhome, THAT would be a mistake now.
Update! While finishing breakfast we noted (4) rolloff dumpster delivery trucks with tagalong trailers hauling empty dumpsters past camp. They had already passed the sand pit which was kind of a surprise. In about 1 hour the empty trucks and trailers went past camp going toward the sand pit presumably headed back to Las Vegas. It wasn’t long until we noticed a Preserve Backhoe scurrying up the road toward the sandpit. Over the next couple of hours various combinations of the trucks went by in various directions until apparently the backhoe was successful in freeing the 1st truck and clearing a path so all the trucks could make it north. Seems like it must have been a fun morning for all involved. We enjoyed watching all the activity out the Motorhome window.
Mojave Night Sky
I saw The Green Bubble
Long ago an article entitled “In Search of the Green Bubble” discussed the rarely sighted green in sunrise/sunset. The bubble is visually present in every sunrise/set as the spectrum of light changes. However, the green spectrum is usually overwhelmed by the oranges and the backdrop of blues. Well after 40+ years I saw it tonight.
What a thrill
As part of our Holiday Celebration the whole clan went to the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall. Everyone enjoyed the show, for me the most precious part was watching Willa (nearly7 months old) enjoy the show. With good planning by Mom and Dad, she was able to view the entire show with wonder and amazement. She sat in Nana’s lap and watched and danced and swung her arms to the beat of the music. She was particularly engaged with the overhead light displays. Possibly “overstimulated” she was attentive to the whole production and grinning ear to ear throughout. And as always is the case, she made fans of the surrounding adults with her winning smile.
Afterward the evening continued as we braved the crowds and took in the iconic NYC attractions; the Rockefeller Tree, ice rink, and decorated storefronts. Willa joined in for the tree viewing then retreated with Mom and Dad for a much needed nap. We caught up with them at the restaurant, Hurley’s, and enjoyed a delicious dinner and great company.
NYC bound Dec 17
Kent and I are heading for the city. We are fortunate to have use of an apartment in Mike and Tracy’s building so we are going early to hang out, baby sit, shop, take in some NY holiday sites, bake cookies, and do stuff. I am excited!
Cookie baking: we go for all vegan recipes and are pretty pleased with ourselves as all are wonderfully tasty—-gingerbread cookies, painted sugar cookies, peanut blossoms, almond cookies, almond butter candy, and black no-bakes.
Decorating: we make our way to the local tree lot just down the block. They have a huge selection and the guy running it tells a great story promoting the best trees he has. Kent and Mike head home carrying a beautiful six footer. Soon it is up and the apartment filled with the wonderful holiday smell. Out come the lights and decorations—it is almost perfect. Willa will put on the tree topper tomorrow when everyone is here
Christmas sites in the boroughs: The Dyker Heights neighborhood has a long-standing reputation for magnificent/some might say garish displays. That sounds about right! It is pretty cold and it is quite a trek via subway and then by foot but the journey is worth it. Giant santas. Huge blow up reindeer. Carousels. Armies of nutcrackers. Thousands of lights on miles of garland. We end the evening a little cold and tired but I am thrilled with the images dancing around in my head.
Strolls through Astoria residential neighborhoods show off some lovely decorating too.
Willa takes regular Nana and Grandpa breaks up at our place…wonderful for us!
We squeeze in a rainy day stroll through Union Square Holiday
Market to work on our shopping.
Adios Lake Rayburn
The fishing was not good. The weather for boating was only good a couple of days. But, Rayburn Park is a beautiful campground. It is on a point into the lake supporting magnificent sunrise and sunsets(at least this time of the year). It is really quiet with dark nighttime sky. It is not easy to reach and you had better take your supplies in with you since it is about an hour to the nearest real shopping. The camp hosts do an exceptional job of maintaining the place while respecting the peace and quiet. We will definitely be back.