Traveling Days

Bakersfield, California: Happy Earth Day! (This from a woman who spent the day driving around - for pleasure - in a 275 hp diesel motor home.) So today we had to leave our little bit of tropical paradise in the middle of the desert and head towards the San Joaquin Valley. We did not want to leave - Lake Havasu was very nice. This morning, while walking Snickers, I found yet another quaint little spot in the campground from which to view the lake - a stone patio nestled into a small cliff! A family near us was set-up for a month's visit. They had a motor home, a tow car, a Suburban and a boat with trailer. Everything was custom-painted to match! It was very impressive - DT and I must really do something about our situation! Every campsite was immaculate, every RV was nice - I mean NICE - and everyone waved and said 'hello'.  It was like the 'Stepford Wives Go Camping'. In the evenings, the campers cruise around in golf carts - going from site to site to visit their friends with pitchers of margaritas! Are you starting to understand why I liked this campground?

I was allowed back to the marital bed last night - and was I ever a lovely site - BreatheRight Strip in place! No laughing you fair-weather friends - I have a cold, be kind! Between the nasal strip and the Sudafed, I was able to spend the entire night by my husband's side. We had to go to four stores to find the Sudafed - did you know druggies are now making 'speed' with Sudafed and you must obtain it from the pharmacist in Arizona?? Who knew? 
 
So, now we find ourselves in Bakersfield. (Howard: Interstate 40, to Highway 58.) Bakersfield grows most of what you are eating for dinner tonight, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. DT had the worst time driving today - WIND!  He fought the gusts ALL DAY! Once it actually took us out of our lane and luckily no one was in the other lane! It was frightening and DT is just exhausted. (So, exhausted, in fact, he only ran four miles after we arrived in Bakersfield.) We only stopped three times all day - the Rest Stop Dawg has to 'go baffroom' too.  We are at a parking lot RV park, complete with very busy train tracks - but they have phone service at every site, so I will love this dumpy place bunches until 8 a.m. tomorrow.
 
Oh, I nearly forgot - several requests have come in, asking for healing-hand photos, so your wait is over - here is the little purple scar for you all to enjoy!  I took the stitches out the first week (with permission from my doctor and the aid of my fancy needlepoint scissors) of the trip and am healing nicely now. The lovely pink patch below the slashing is what remains of the wound which occurred when the bandage adhesive removed a pound of my flesh.

The Wound - Week Three

ADDED LATER:  We took a DRIVE (didn't get in enough miles today?) in the Honda to Ming Lake and the county park - it was quite lovely.  We watched para-gliders 'hanging' in the sky, little boys fishing and happy families picnicking.  It was nice to see something pretty in this town of oil wells and refineries. Back to the campsite for cocktails before dinner, when a neighbor dropped by (he was not driving a golf cart, nor did he have a pitcher of margaritas). His name was Rod and has devoted most of his adult life to preserving a petroglyh site in Inyo County, California, where sunlight shines through a crack in a rock, forming a slow-moving snake eating an apple/egg.  Rod thinks this site symbolized the story of creation (fruit/serpent) - and was made about 2000 years ago. He could be a nut, he could be a genius. Who knows! He has all sorts of theories about missionaries in California 1000 years before Columbus was born... Celtic priests in Virginia... Rod has been an author, journalist, actor (he is handsome) and made munitions for the military. Just another character on the road.
 
Yosemite National Park is next - and the weather report looks good! We will most likely be out of touch until Friday - but you never know these days!  Until then, I remain your ramblin' correspondent, signing off.