Tuesday, October 29, 2013

What a difference a week makes...

We were still waiting for the Parks to re-open BUT need to plan ahead for our time in CA, so we headed to Palm Springs on a day trip (2.5 hours from Salome)
Coming down out of Morongo Pass, approaching the valley where Palm Springs lies we were, once again, able to enjoy the "Army" of over 4000 windmills which are spread out across the valley and help supply this well populated area with electricity.
on Tuesday, to see Jan's Ortho guy, knowing we would just have to drive back to Salome that night:-(


I had my check-up with the ortho and he agreed that I need a full knee replacement (go figure) and sends his surgical scheduler in.  Then it goes downhill...(keeping in mind I was at the end of my rope in August when the surgery fell thru in Colorado) the scheduler says..."OK we are booking for just after January 1st".  I looked at her with my mouth open..."what?"... and she repeats herself.  I then explained to her that a delay in the surgical schedule had also occurred in CO in August.  I am now in unbearable pain and we are scheduled to be in Texas on January 1st....she stood her ground..."well, he is our busiest surgeon, and the schedule is full until after the 1st of the year".  Then it happens (with no intent), I started crying.  All of a sudden the scheduler looks at their paperwork and with a bewildered facial expression says "well, I think we had a cancellation for the end of October, let me check and I will get back to you this afternoon".  

We left there and headed over to Yucca Valley (adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park) to have lunch with friends Jerry and Connie,     

Entering Yucca Valley from the west


Residents of Yucca Valley, who are the "Official" and permanent Overseers of the Queen Ranch at Joshua Tree, whom we got to know and love last year when we worked there in the Fall. 


Note the Joshua Tree in the backround






As we approached the park, and Joshua Trees began to appear, here and there, we, once again, began to feel "at home".  

This is a feeling we are experiencing more and more as we travel and become increasingly familiar and at ease, with the many wonderful people we are priviledged to get to know along the way.

Soon after this rewarding visit to Palm Springs and Yucca Valley, I was able to obtain a timely surgical date (October 30, 2013).

Then it was back to Salome, AZ where Thursday was booked solid with dental appointments, RV DISH installation and dinner with 

                                                         








Judy (and Ray Pierce) and Nancy (and Jerry Simmons), Bill's Phoenix cousins.












The government finally returned to work and we spent our last hours in AZ with plans to head to Joshua Tree on Friday morning.


During our pleasant and productive stay at Dick and Debbie's, where the accomodations were

1st class 
and, the hospitality unsurpassed.  

During the furlough we enjoyed fun times, like flying to Parker, AZ for groceries (note Bill at the helm),
Joel (Dick's next door neighbor) lets Bill take the wheel of his airplane

 How did Dick get this one by me?
me, glad to be on terra firma once again, Debbie and I taking turns making dinner, the boys going to a 
Dick flying his airplane
 fly-in auto show, and Bill and I rediscovering Macayo's of Phoenix....(for Bill, after 60 years). 
Bill found Macayos as good as he remembered
Alas, this fun trip to Salome, AZ and beyond came to an end and we prepared to bid adieaux to our generous hosts. Throughout our 2.5 week stay with Dick and Debbie they held nothing back..... including Dick's ENTIRE machine shop, where he builds custom aircraft for fellow aviators, who are not so gifted.

Heading down the dusty trail on Friday morning the excitement was growing as we made one final stop for lunch before hitting the park.  The Summit Cafe was a tasty and unique little place:

Photos of Chiriaco Summit Cafe, Chiriaco Summit
This photo of Chiriaco Summit Cafe is courtesy of TripAdvisor


We had earlier made the decision to enter the park at the "Cottonwood" gate....BIG MISTAKE....as the main road was washed out and caused us a 2 hour delay of arrival at our campground, and that included our NOT stopping to see our boss at 29 Palms.



Make it we did and were introduced to our

 Campground boss, Cynthia, and our teammate Dwight.  


We have settled in to the "job" and are seriously enjoying this beautiful campground.  This past weekend was a real experience with most of our sites taken, and taken by L.A. college students out to have a good time.  We actualy had to work on Saturday in a vain attempt to keep the noise to a minimum so that our early to bed crowd would be able to catch some shuteye.

The upside of the weekend was meeting Max (and his parents), a very special 6 year old with whom Bill and I were able to share some time and space.  Max was asking about some of the things Mr. Bill has made and I am committed to showing him some of these things:  I hope Max (and Yáll) enjoy these......

Pine Grosbeak


Octoberfest Sister Bay

Osprey: when I was young

J. A. Weborg at rest

The Joseph Conrad: Mystic Seaport, CN
In Progress currently: 



1st public showing of his art:  the Alpine Chapel Art Show

Mailbox and sign for the Keenans

1st sleigh: for Natalie (now 15 YOA)
There is, of course, alot more...but they will have to wait.

I am now in surgical prep mode getting ready for tommorrow.  I am both excited to get my new knee and nervouse about going thru surgery.  I am not anxious about rehabbing while living in a 5th wheel as I have talked to other full-timers who have had this same surgery and worse and managed at "home" just fine.

Now, I can get this over with and be ready for January 1st at the LBJ Ranch, where I am sure to be doing a great deal of walking as an Interpretive Guide.

Your prayers are most appreciated.  Thanks, Jan

Sunday, October 13, 2013

About to enter the 3rd week.......






And here we sit in Salome, AZ
Nice digs HUH?

waiting for the National Parks to re-open.  Despite getting several chores done around the "house" we would rather be at Joshua Tree entertaining visitors.

In the meantime we have been entertaining ourselves with plane rides to get groceries,
Dick's plane
In Joel's plane Bill got to "fly"
How I feel in a small plane

Dick, me & Joel (Dicks neighbor)...how'd he do that...got me!
Dick coming up on us as we head home.

























Having DISH Network installed (1st cable in 6 years....Duck Dynasty here I come:-)), ER visits (Jan had a minor surgery, all healed), re-organizing the storage area, making a few repairs to the RV, cooking dinners for the 4 of us, caring for a sick dog (Molly) and scheduling consult appointments with an Ortho in Palm Springs so Jan can finally get her new left knee (October 15th...surgical date TBA).  

The weather here has been glorious, but you wouldn't catch me here in the summer....just sayin:-)

Speaking of weather, we have been extended and accepted an invite to spend Christmas with Tim & Jane (Bill's little sister) in San Antonio....This is particularly nice as we are due to the LBJ Ranch January 1st and it is 1 hour north of SA.  The BEST part will be seeing the Allen family!!!!!!

We will leave (assuming the parks open again) Joshua Tree around December 22nd, head to SA and up to Johnson City, Texas on the 31st of December.
We recently spoke to the assistant volunteer coordinator at Joshua Tree and were very excited to hear that, in addition to running the Black Rock Campground 


we will be able to work at the Black Rock Visitor Center  during our down time.  This will involve Information Desk and Bookstore Sales.  It will be a far cry from "Caretaker at the remote Key's Ranch" (which was our assignment last fall), with WAAAYYYY more people contact.  Can't wait to get there.

Here's to praying our next BLOG is from  CA

FYI: Bill and I have downsized to one phone...
use the  847-438-3332 number if you need to reach us:-)



Wednesday, October 2, 2013

DETOURS!

On the one hand, without TV, Radio, Internet, Phone etc MOST of the time, I am not really in a position to comment on our government's actions, but when your Volunteer Coordinator calls and says "ïf the Park (Joshua Tree) closes, you will not be able to stay", and then IT DOES....you have to ask yourself  "what is wrong with those people?"  The impact of this week could have ramifications well into the future.  I can hardly bear to think about how this might affect us long term.

Please pray for our government, our National Parks, Forests, Historic Sites and all the "little people" who are the ones carrying the brunt of this action.

On a lighter note (much lighter) we had a great time "back home" in Illinois and as we made our way across the "fly over" states toward Monument, CO, we stopped to see friends along the way in Iowa:
Jill & Ben (again)
Steve & Audrey
Dillon, CO 
James & Sarah
and Colorado Springs,
Lucy & Craig



This was before/during Bill's training to become a Certified RV Technician and Certified RV Inspector.  
The class was comprised of 20 men and 1 woman.  Between the class time, and 2 potluck dinners, we made some new connections, with some very nice people!
Yes, it's official "RV Technnician/Inspector" Bill Suttie
At the end of the week we prepared to continue west and begin our next assignment as Camp hosts and part-time Visitor Center support at Joshua Tree National Park (Blackrock Campground & Visitor Center).
 
This brings us full circle to our Volunteer Coordinator at J Tree.......as I said earlier.....she left a VM message which went something like this ...."ïf the Government shuts down, you will not be able to be in the Park, and will have to find other accomodations".  As Bill & I do not watch TV, or have radio, internet etc MUCH of the time, we had no clue what she was talking about and sought out ways to tap in to the news....we soon learned what was going on.  Despite that information, we did not worry..."really, how often does this happen"......and "it is always taken care of in the 11th hour".  So, we hit the road with little concern.  Imagine our surprise when Dick Borden (a good friend of Bill's who resides in Salome, AZ)  called to offer us his private RV parking space beside his airplane hanger (Dick has TV and was following the current situation).  A flurry of phone calls later and we found ourselves changing direction at the last possible moment (Las Vegas) and heading to Salome.  The good news in all of this, thus far, is that we get to see Dick & Debbie, and don't find ourselves parked in in some obnoxious KOA lot, paying $50.00/night waiting for the Government to get its act together. 

And we wait....calling our Coordinator every morning, 2.5 hours drive from Joshua Tree. 

We feel so badly for those families who work so hard for their little 7 day, 10 day or 14 day yearly vacation, scrimping, saving, planning,and driving halfway across the country, only to be told, at the gate "sorry, we're closed"? Imagine the disappointment of the parents, not to mention the little ones, who will not understand.  I wonder when were the Obama children last told "sorry, we can't go on vacation"!?

Don't get me wrong...I am not blaming the Democrats...I am blaming All of them.

If the importance of our National Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, etc is not recognized and supported, we risk surrendering our National identity.

Isn't it ironic, that as we worked our way west, this past few days, stopping to visit every National Park we happen to be in close proximity to: 
Note here:  when we arrived at this location, some idiot was walking along the top of this honored symbol of one of our Nation's treasures, posing in goofy positions, while his girlfriend took pictures.  It was all I couild do to not say something very unchristianlike.








 we found ourselves there, supporting our National Park system on the last 2 days they were open BEFORE the big fiasco.  

OK, just a little FYI here......we do volunteer FULL-TIME for the National Park system, and this does help keep our parks open and visitor friendly, but we also support our National Parks financially.  We do this by becoming a "member" of every park we visit.  I would ask you to consider Googleing NPS, study up on our parks, pick one (or 2) of those you feel most worthy of your time and money, and "join" that Park's partner Association. You may be surprised at how much you, your children and grandchildren will benefit.  'The joy and reward that you will receive is guaranteed to far outwiegh the small investment you will make :-)

 

As I get off my SUPPORT OUR NATIONAL PARKS stump, I'd like to add one final note:

THANK YOU TO ALL THE HARDWORKING AND UNDERPAID PARK RANGERS (and volunteers) WHO GO TO WORK AND PUT IN THEIR TIME EVERY DAY, WITHOUT COMPLAINT OR QUESTION WHILE HONORING THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS!

And to my Joshua Tree friends......we'll see you when the dust settles.

  
Jan & Bill from friendly Salome, AZ