I have so little to share that it almost isn’t worth it, but I use this blog as a memory keeping aid so here goes.
I offered to drive halfway to Seattle to return my sister-in-law’s dogs that we had been watching while they moved. Since I was headed through Sacramento and couldn’t find a deep cycle AGM battery anywhere in my small community, I emailed ATC about it. They said come on by. I cannot possibly say enough good things about the service this small factory does in aftermarket assistance. Most companies wash their hands of you once they’ve got your money. These guys go above and beyond. Quick in and out replacement. Once again very glad my policy is to maintain a clear aisle at all times. Didn’t have to move anything but the couch cushion to make the repair.
I got a site at Valley of the Rogue again. Not exciting but predictable. We spent a wonderful evening in their motel room catching up.
The next morning, I started heading down 199 to begin my coastal vacation down highway one. But I got a message from my mother that I needed to come home to Long Beach. My dad has stage four lung cancer. So I powered my way down highway 5 instead.
I have never seen so little snow on Mount Shasta. California will be in bad shape if we don’t get rain soon. And the smoke from Redding to Stockton was horrible because of the Camp fire that destroyed Paradise last week.
I was fine driving the full 12 hours although it is a boring road even in daylight, but I got a call from my husband worried about me. He thought I was letting my worry cloud my judgment (he didn’t know I was totally enjoying a book on CD). He asked me to pull over at the next hotel. I was on I5 just south of Bakersfield, the black hole of nothingness. I promised him I would (not too nicely, either). Imagine my surprise when the next exit had a little brown recreation sign with camping. It said four miles to Buena Vista Lake. I was lucky to find a lakeside site at 9:00 pm on a Saturday two hours from Los Angeles. I am a Christian so I don’t call it luck but Devine providence. I popped up and got a good nights sleep. Until 3:30 when the propane ran out. It made some different clicking noises trying to light the furnace. So I got up and drove the rest of the way “home”.
I will use the camper in my parents driveway since there are not enough beds for everybody. Yes, I have time to create this blog entry while sitting at the hospital. It takes forever to get discharged. But praise the Lord they are letting him come home.