An emotional time at hand...

A very emotional 3 weeks have left me speechless (I know it's hard to believe)...Bill calls it writers block.  

The culprit could be the 2 cancellations of my knee replacement, being on the thresh-hold of the holidays, missing all our family and peeps, looking at the end of our time here at Joshua Tree NP or all of the above.  So I choose to let my pictures tell the story this time....

We took David McChesney's 2 day Advanced Photography Class and made a new friend in the process.  You will love David's work.

Check it out:  http://www.outmywindows.com/outmywindows.html

David (in yellow shirt) is "focused" so to speak.

Bill at Eureka Peak

The smog from LA....spreading over the most beautiful countryside...so SAD!  

And why we are not likely to go to LA.

Working on new techniques at Ryan Ranch, JTNP

Capturing color and texture.

Jan (with volunteer Cheryl) likes going up high for the shot....by the end of class the other members were calling me: "Mountain Goat Jan".

                                                    Joshua Trees can be so simple...

And so complex...Blackrock Campground (where we are posted) sports the oldest,
most nature Joshua Trees in the park.

 

          Lighting is everything.                         Early morning Cholla Cactus (AKA "Jumping Cactus")

Class day #2 dawns....another beautiful one....and we get to practice on Joel:

The "Marine Sandpiper" ....later that week we heard both Joel and David (who plays the harmonica) showcase their talents at a local restaurant.  Boy were we surprised at how well they can sing and play!

Midway through day #2 I spotted this Nolina and HAD to climb up to get pictures of it....But, Bill had to bring me the camera, and look what he found 4 feet from me (10 inches from where our faces had passed)

Rule follower that I am, I remembered David's instructions and hollered down the swale "Tarantula".  David and several other guys came running.  The neatest thing (if I can figure out how to do it)... I took the 300 pix at high speed.  When I fast flash thru them, it looks just like the brown Tarantula is walking along the rock having a nice afternoon in the sun before he goes into hibernation.  

One of our favorite aspects of the job is the opportunity to connect with people...either in conversation or taking pictures for their benefit or in steering them toward neat things to do and see.  Tracy and her son Zeke were some of those people we were blessed with getting to know (albeit a very short time).  We hope she liked the series of  "Zeke on the boulders" that we sent them.

Sunrise another day, a day which would later find us hiking the High View Trail....but, in the meantime, we had important business to take care of .....we often have groups of Boy Scouts camping with us, and while we were on our days off, Dwight (our teammate) had the great idea to have them assist with the morning flag-raising.  The purpose of this was twofold: #1: encourage the boys to bed down at a reasonable hour in preparation for the early morning ceremony (scouts have a tendency to be quite loud) and #2: provide the "boys" with some real life experience at a ceremony they usually only practice with their troop leader.

Bill and Dwight are briefed by the Scouts.....

The flag is honored...."present colors"

and flies high!

Good times with new friends (well a year now), included a visit from Lisa......

And celebration of Connie's birthday with her hubby Jerry

   new seasonal Abby and boyfriend John and,

  (not pictured) Cynthia (our boss).  GREAT (spontaneous) fun!  Proof positive that there is great value in continuing to develop new friendships

That value was found in an evening spent with Margot & Daryll...new friends from Vancouver...

 and Mat and Pat from Montreal.  Pat is a wonderful musician and they are traveling for the better part of a year developing new songs etc.  Follow them on Facebook at Matandpatontheroad.

While between visits with these wonderful and inspirational young people we found time to hike a bit....

The High View Trail...

Came by the name honestly...

spectacular views....

1.3 miles round-trip....mostly verticle :-)  O shows where we started this journey.... 

The dark line in the photo, above the O, is a relative of the San Andreas Fault running across our valley.

Going back to the real world is inevitable.  

                                  After dinner with Connie and Jerry we came home to this :-(

On the upside......over dinner the next night Cynthia introduced me to this machine, which makes water a great deal more enjoyable.  Just in time to begin hydrating for my knee replacement surgery scheduled for 10:15 AM tomorrow.  After 2 cancellations, at the (literally) last minute, I am not holding my breath this surgery will take place, but I will soon begin the fast JIC.

AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

We are wholeheartedly committed to living our retirement out in an active and productive manner with the National Park Service, our home away from home.  This does not make the missing of dance recitals, birthday's and holidays any easier.  We pray the grand,s and our kids, feel our prayers and our presence!

Stay tuned....Bill is in the mood to file a post!

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:

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

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:-)