Location, Home in CA
Last night around 11 PM we received one of those phone calls no one ever wants to get. Our youngest son C.. and a friend B…were involved in an accident near our home. The friend called us from the emergency room and told Clyda what had happened and that “C.. was in bad shape”. We immediately left for the hospital emergency room expecting the worst. They took us back to where C.. and his friend were and of course we were expecting the worst possible scenario. C.. had blood all over the left side of his head and face from a 2 inch laceration above his left ear which they had stapled but not cleaned up.
Both guys had seatbelt marks across their stomachs and shoulders and various other bruises. C.. has his left arm in a sling from the shoulder harness and B… has a very badly bruised right hip. Both had numerous x-rays and were kept over night. C.. was released this afternoon with a bandage covering his skull. He gave the staff such a fit that I think they were glad to get rid of him. B.. will remain for at least one more day.
C.. was making a left turn on a green arrow driving Clyda’s Chevy Tracker when they were hit by a large pickup which ran the red light. The impact spun the tracker around and shoved it into a car which was turning behind the Tracker. The pickup ended up jumping the curb almost into the local high school parking lot.
We were told the pickup driver was held for a DUI. We have no information about the driver behind the Tracker. So… today was spent talking to the insurance company, the storage lot, etc. We have not seen the tracker but believe it will be totaled as they used the “Jaws of life” to open the driver side door and both airbags deployed.
Both were very lucky…….
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Running errands
Location, Home in CA
I ran a few errands this morning. One of the things I needed to do was check all of the flower bed sprinklers. It has been some time since I had looked at them and anyone who has sprinklers knows they need periodic attention. I found several problems and of course, my supply of spare parts was low, hence a trip to the hardware store this morning. All of my lawn and most of my flower beds are on sprinklers with timers. This allows us to be gone for extended periods. Plants may not get the best care but they will survive.
I turned on the refrigerator in the RV this morning. It gets cold really fast so this afternoon I loaded the freezer with food. We take a variety of frozen food with us and usually it is whatever we have on hand. Of course, we plan on stopping at a few Costco’s along the way. I even printed out a list of Costco stores in cities we plan to pass through.
Our travels will be mostly through places we have already been with a few exceptions. I will point those out as we travel. I find it a little more relaxing to start a trip if I am familiar with the route. Once we have a few days on the road and settled in to a routine, then new routes don’t bother me.
I ran a few errands this morning. One of the things I needed to do was check all of the flower bed sprinklers. It has been some time since I had looked at them and anyone who has sprinklers knows they need periodic attention. I found several problems and of course, my supply of spare parts was low, hence a trip to the hardware store this morning. All of my lawn and most of my flower beds are on sprinklers with timers. This allows us to be gone for extended periods. Plants may not get the best care but they will survive.
I turned on the refrigerator in the RV this morning. It gets cold really fast so this afternoon I loaded the freezer with food. We take a variety of frozen food with us and usually it is whatever we have on hand. Of course, we plan on stopping at a few Costco’s along the way. I even printed out a list of Costco stores in cities we plan to pass through.
Our travels will be mostly through places we have already been with a few exceptions. I will point those out as we travel. I find it a little more relaxing to start a trip if I am familiar with the route. Once we have a few days on the road and settled in to a routine, then new routes don’t bother me.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Steak for dinner
Location, Home in CA
The sun is shinning but I can hear the foghorns so it must be foggy along the coast. I have never checked to see how close to the beach we actually are but my guess is about a mile as the crow fly’s. We often hear seals when it is quiet at night and we do hear the oil service boats also at night as they make their way up the channel to the oil platforms.
We just had dinner at the local beach restaurant. I had won a gift certificate as a door prize at my company Christmas lunch in December. We decided we should use it before we left. We had a really good meal. Mine was a small sirloin done to perfection while Clyda had salmon.
Starting this weekend, every hotel and restaurant in town will be filled because of graduation at the University. It is a hectic few days as thousands of grads and families come in for the ceremonies. This is a good weekend to leave town.
I picked 7 1/2 boxes of boysenberries today. That may be the biggest picking this season. I will pick twice more before we leave. I rinse and drain the berries and freeze them on cookie sheets then bag them in gallon size freezer bags. Clyda makes cobblers or when we have plenty she makes jam and syrup. Most of this we give away as gifts. Everyone likes something home made.
The sun is shinning but I can hear the foghorns so it must be foggy along the coast. I have never checked to see how close to the beach we actually are but my guess is about a mile as the crow fly’s. We often hear seals when it is quiet at night and we do hear the oil service boats also at night as they make their way up the channel to the oil platforms.
We just had dinner at the local beach restaurant. I had won a gift certificate as a door prize at my company Christmas lunch in December. We decided we should use it before we left. We had a really good meal. Mine was a small sirloin done to perfection while Clyda had salmon.
Starting this weekend, every hotel and restaurant in town will be filled because of graduation at the University. It is a hectic few days as thousands of grads and families come in for the ceremonies. This is a good weekend to leave town.
I picked 7 1/2 boxes of boysenberries today. That may be the biggest picking this season. I will pick twice more before we leave. I rinse and drain the berries and freeze them on cookie sheets then bag them in gallon size freezer bags. Clyda makes cobblers or when we have plenty she makes jam and syrup. Most of this we give away as gifts. Everyone likes something home made.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BBQ'd turkey
Location, Home in CA
I BBQ’d a small turkey this afternoon. We wanted to use it before we left for the summer. I like to BBQ my turkeys in a Weber kettle using charcoal. I coat the turkey with a mixture of rosemary, oil, and pepper and put a few rosemary sprigs inside the cavity.
I use the indirect method which has the charcoal pushed to each side in the kettle and a foil pan in the middle. A small amount of water in the pan keeps the air moist. Drippings from the turkey into the pan are later strained and make the best tasting gravy. Every half hour I add 5 charcoals to each side by siding the lid sideways just enough to put the briquettes in. I never completely remove the lid as I don’t want the heat to escape. I also add sprigs of rosemary around the turkey at the start. This makes a really moist and flavorful turkey. I cook the turkey about 11-13 minutes per pound.
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Here is a plant called a Lions Mane which is a volunteer in my back yard. I have 2 more of these in front of the house intermixed with purple sage. The combination is striking. This plant is over 6 feet tall.
I BBQ’d a small turkey this afternoon. We wanted to use it before we left for the summer. I like to BBQ my turkeys in a Weber kettle using charcoal. I coat the turkey with a mixture of rosemary, oil, and pepper and put a few rosemary sprigs inside the cavity.
I use the indirect method which has the charcoal pushed to each side in the kettle and a foil pan in the middle. A small amount of water in the pan keeps the air moist. Drippings from the turkey into the pan are later strained and make the best tasting gravy. Every half hour I add 5 charcoals to each side by siding the lid sideways just enough to put the briquettes in. I never completely remove the lid as I don’t want the heat to escape. I also add sprigs of rosemary around the turkey at the start. This makes a really moist and flavorful turkey. I cook the turkey about 11-13 minutes per pound.
.jpg)
Here is a plant called a Lions Mane which is a volunteer in my back yard. I have 2 more of these in front of the house intermixed with purple sage. The combination is striking. This plant is over 6 feet tall.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Trip planning
Location, Home in CA
I got a little damp this morning during my walk. It started to drizzle just after I left the house. We have had a lot of overcaste mornings but few of the coastal drizzle starts to the day. I am definitely ready for some warmer weather.
I have been looking at possible camp sites for our trip this summer. I use Microsoft Streets and Trips to plan my route and also find campsite locations. Google Earth gives me a “bird’s” eye view of the camp sites. In some cases it is a fuzzy view if I zoom in to far but it is good enough to see the general detail and location of camp sites.
Streets and Trips provides routes, mileage, driving times and an estimate of fuel usage. I can print copies of maps and routes to use on the road. Generally I only print details of a route if I am unfamiliar with it or it is some complicated route within a city. I do the trip in segments and store those segments for later recall. This has worked well for several years.
I guess the next step would be a GPS. I have thought about it but the displays are generally so small that it is difficult to operate them while driving. I am not a fan of the talking display. I think it is too distracting. I have a friend who uses a fairly large LCD screen mounted where the glove box is on the passenger side to display his route while traveling. This really is superior but does intrude on the passenger space. Again, it is just one more distraction while driving.
I got a little damp this morning during my walk. It started to drizzle just after I left the house. We have had a lot of overcaste mornings but few of the coastal drizzle starts to the day. I am definitely ready for some warmer weather.
I have been looking at possible camp sites for our trip this summer. I use Microsoft Streets and Trips to plan my route and also find campsite locations. Google Earth gives me a “bird’s” eye view of the camp sites. In some cases it is a fuzzy view if I zoom in to far but it is good enough to see the general detail and location of camp sites.
Streets and Trips provides routes, mileage, driving times and an estimate of fuel usage. I can print copies of maps and routes to use on the road. Generally I only print details of a route if I am unfamiliar with it or it is some complicated route within a city. I do the trip in segments and store those segments for later recall. This has worked well for several years.
I guess the next step would be a GPS. I have thought about it but the displays are generally so small that it is difficult to operate them while driving. I am not a fan of the talking display. I think it is too distracting. I have a friend who uses a fairly large LCD screen mounted where the glove box is on the passenger side to display his route while traveling. This really is superior but does intrude on the passenger space. Again, it is just one more distraction while driving.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Neighborhood BBQ
Location, Home in CA
I didn’t have a chance to update the blog yesterday. We had a neighborhood BBQ in the cul-de-sac late in the afternoon. Fortunately the weather cooperated with sunshine instead of fog. It was a nice gathering with plenty of food and a chance to catch up with local news. Everyone has such hectic lives that we rarely talk to each other.
We drag a few BBQ’s out to the street, set up tables, gather chairs, and talk. There is not a lot of organizing except to notify everyone and assign a few dishes to make sure there is a variety. Everyone cooks their own meat and we always have lots of desserts.
The one striking notice is how many children we now have on the street. When we first moved here 40 years ago, every one had young children. They all grew up and left, families moved on, houses sold, and now we have a whole new generation of young families again. It really is nice.
I didn’t have a chance to update the blog yesterday. We had a neighborhood BBQ in the cul-de-sac late in the afternoon. Fortunately the weather cooperated with sunshine instead of fog. It was a nice gathering with plenty of food and a chance to catch up with local news. Everyone has such hectic lives that we rarely talk to each other.
We drag a few BBQ’s out to the street, set up tables, gather chairs, and talk. There is not a lot of organizing except to notify everyone and assign a few dishes to make sure there is a variety. Everyone cooks their own meat and we always have lots of desserts.
The one striking notice is how many children we now have on the street. When we first moved here 40 years ago, every one had young children. They all grew up and left, families moved on, houses sold, and now we have a whole new generation of young families again. It really is nice.
Friday, June 8, 2007
New generators
Location, Home in CA
In the blog dated May 14th I discussed the pros and cons of Honda Generators. A few days later in my blog I wrote about my decision to go with 2 Honda EU2000 generators as my choice. Of course I did nothing about it for some time. There was no urgency to do anything and I think “sleeping on my decision” helps to solidify my thinking. I did finally order the 2 Honda EU2000’s and they arrived by FedEx last night about 8 PM. I opened the boxes this morning but need to get some 10W30 oil before I can fire them up.
I spent part of the day removing things from the trailer that we won’t need this summer and adding things we will need. I also spent a large amount of time planning part of our trip through Canada. I really wish we had more time to spend on parts of the trip but circumstances are such that we need to be in certain places at a certain time. Maybe someday we will get to the point when we can just “mosey” along at our own pace. That isn’t to say that we will be on a tight schedule the whole summer as we do have lazy time built in.
One real concern is the cost of camping. We are very capable of dry camping to cut down the cost but the weather will dictate to a large extent how much of that we can do. If it is very warm, then we need AC which means paying more to camp. Last summer we averaged les than $17 day for camping fees. I suspect it will be higher this year.
In the blog dated May 14th I discussed the pros and cons of Honda Generators. A few days later in my blog I wrote about my decision to go with 2 Honda EU2000 generators as my choice. Of course I did nothing about it for some time. There was no urgency to do anything and I think “sleeping on my decision” helps to solidify my thinking. I did finally order the 2 Honda EU2000’s and they arrived by FedEx last night about 8 PM. I opened the boxes this morning but need to get some 10W30 oil before I can fire them up.
I spent part of the day removing things from the trailer that we won’t need this summer and adding things we will need. I also spent a large amount of time planning part of our trip through Canada. I really wish we had more time to spend on parts of the trip but circumstances are such that we need to be in certain places at a certain time. Maybe someday we will get to the point when we can just “mosey” along at our own pace. That isn’t to say that we will be on a tight schedule the whole summer as we do have lazy time built in.
One real concern is the cost of camping. We are very capable of dry camping to cut down the cost but the weather will dictate to a large extent how much of that we can do. If it is very warm, then we need AC which means paying more to camp. Last summer we averaged les than $17 day for camping fees. I suspect it will be higher this year.
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