Another long gap in my postings but so it goes.

We arrived home from Quartzsite on March 1^st after an overnight stop in Boron, CA at Arabian RV Park. This is about half way home for us. It also allowed us to have dinner at Domingo’s Mexican Restaurant in Boron which had just reopened 3 weeks earlier after being closed for several years. I know that a lot of road warriors are glad to see it open again. While there, check out all the new military photos Domingo has posted and especially ask him about his ride in an Air Force F16.

Of course, coming back from a few months on the road we hit the ground running. There is lots of small jobs to do on the new RV plus weed pulling in the yard. Boy, have we pulled weeds. Every week our green waste container as well as the neighbors is full. But, it has been worth it as the yard looks much better especially after all the rain.

I have been putting together a raised garden bed which has been on my wish list for years. However, making it out of redwood just wasn’t practical so I decided that in my old age, using fir would do just as well as it may still outlast me. The bed is 4 x 12 and 12 inches high. When I planned this I did not take into account how much dirt and mulch it would take to fill it. Therein lies my problem. Where to get good topsoil without stripping my garden of it and what is it going to cost me if I need to buy it. I need about 30 cu ft. I also need 15 cu ft of compost and 5 cu ft of potting soil. I also have several smaller beds that need the same materials.

Bed built upside down so I could add hardware cloth to keep gophers out.

Right side up with newspaper under the hardware cloth to keep soil moist.

California poppies taking over my garden.

I have the bed ready for my pole beans and peas and today I put up the trellis’s so they can climb up.

The RV has had its problems. Unknown to me was the condition of the upper slide seals. With one of our last rain storms after we returned home, water came in and soaked the rugs. It took a week using heaters and fans to dry it out after I had used a wet vacuum and got up what water I could. I also used a lot of old bath towels to soak up the excess. After it had dried, I spread a layer of Baking Soda on the carpet and brushed it in with my hand and left it for a couple of weeks. This was so there would be no oder from the rugs being wet. I have done this successfully a number of times when we have had leaks and it seems to work.

Ten days ago I took the RV to A-RV in Nipomo, CA to have the slide seals replaced and to have the front and rear cap seals checked. Yesterday I picked up the RV so now I hope I am ready for camping again with no leaks.

Now I need to get ready for Ranchero Visitadores which for me starts on Monday April 29^th when I go up and mow the grass in the area we set up our camp in. When Clyda and I took the RV to Nipomo we stopped off at our Visitadores camp site on our way back home to see how high the grass was and to make sure nothing else was amiss at the site. Well, “belly high” on a cow would describe the grass so I called the Ranch foreman and asked if he could run a mower through there before I go up on the 29^th. His smart alec answer was he would send me 2 goats to take care of the grass. There is no way my back yard mower would cut that grass. I don’t mind spending a few hours running a mower around the lot but not all day at it either. So we’ll see if he follows through.

Before the 29^th I need to go through all of the equipment I take with me, such as stoves, tilt up canopy, signs, etc, to make sure all is in readiness. I have lists of everything I should need so just need to refer to them. All of the food is already on order so that is done.

After I am through with Rancheros we always go camping somewhere. Last year we were at Lake Lopez with a large group and this year a few of us are going to Morro Bay for 4 days. As long as the RV is out of the yard I want to use it. Son Craig brings Clyda and a trailer up to the camp when I finish. That way Clyda can ride with me to Morro Bay and Craig can take all of my excess camping stuff back home.

Clyda has a quick trip to Lynden, WA planned for right after Easter to visit a niece and nephew who have new babies we have not seen. BIL Mark invited her to stay with he and Tammy which is very thoughtful of them.

At the end of May we have a trip to Houston planned for our Granddaughters high school graduation. She is trying to decide on which college to attend. She has been accepted at a few already, a couple which are very prestigious places.