Happy Easter....HE is Risen!!!!!

The Current Situation:

Visitors galore.....yes, the campground is full, full, full, on Friday and Saturday nights as usual, but for the last weeks now, a new phenomenon has begun:  The campground nearly full during the week, when it would normally be almost empty.

With spring break bearing down upon us, soon the campground will be full everyday, not just because of spring break, but the spring bloom of the Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree National Park is in full effect.   

I find it particularly interesting that each Joshua Tree, has "buds" in many different stages of development, instead of all the buds emerging at the same time.

 The thing about this?  This will allow the trees to be in bloom for several weeks.  

The wildflowers are just now hinting at the "super-bloom" that is expected due to heavy rains in the Fall.  

Desert Dandylion

Purple Mat, Desert Star, Purple Mimulus (AKA Monkey Flower)

Desert Sunflower, Desert Star, 

Brittlebush

Chuparosa

LOVE this  Beavertail cactus

This, in a nutshell, is the reason we have stayed at J. Tree for 6 months, well beyond our usual 4 month stint.  I have never seen the desert in bloom, and I am excited about the coming explosion of color.

And those hordes of visitors?  Some of them are very special to us.......



Don and Lisa:  

our besties from Illinois (now Wisconsin) arrived for a tour of Joshua Tree National Park.  

Thanks goes out to our local besties, Connie and Jerry.  Because of them, Don and Lisa were treated to a private tour of Keys Ranch (our favorite spot in the entire park).

A trip to the Cholla Gardens                was the only marring event of their trip.  Don may have gotten some good pictures, but Lisa learned the hard way NOT to get too close to the Cholla (AKA jumping cactus).  While walking around, she picked up a Cholla bur on her fairly heavy blue jeans.  Not a problem, right?  Well, then she tried to "brush" it off with her shoe and sustained a large and painful wound, with multiple punctures to her calf, right through the jeans.  We felt so badly, but Lisa is a medical professional and had the proper equipment to treat the wound.

Their visit included the requisite picture in front of the "tallest Joshua Tree in the World" 











and a windy stop at Key's View.

 

As well as, a short hike to "Arch Rock".

  

The visit concluded with a great lunch at the "29 Palms Inn", our first time there.  THANKS for coming to visit us!!!!




















LAUGH OF THE MONTH!


You may remember last summer, when we were volunteering at Camp Zion in Door County, Wisconsin and I had purchased anniversary tickets



to see Josh Turner in concert.  















At the last minute, before heading to the auditorium, I went to the drawer where I knew the tickets to be, only to find them MIA.  Fortunately, Austin and Corey

came to the rescue by contacting the Auditorium and arranging a "will call", we made it to the concert with a full minute to spare.  Fast forward 7 months......we are now all the way across the country, and I am cleaning and organizing drawers in the living room.  I discovered the tickets, fallen  behind the drawer.  Proof positive you can lose things in a little 40 foot space.  Now if I could only find those $1000.00 glasses:-)

Critters Galore:

As the weather has warmed, the wildlife has once again emerged.  


There have been tortoise sightings

The Campgrounds resident Desert Tortoise

Lots of birds

Cactus Wren

Scott's Oriole

Loggerhead Shrike

The Mourning Doves have been quite vocal

Titmouse (sorry for the blurriness)

   





Gamble Quail (so funny to watch),



                                                       












Chuckwalla Lizard

Kinda scary face Heh?

Jackrabbit

MY very first Jackrabbit experience was along the Panorama Loop, as we neared the end of a 5 mile hike.  This guy was HUGE, standing straight up about 2 feet high. We got a good look at him, as he was not afraid of us.  

  
                        
Other critters we have seen (but not necessarily gotten a good picture of): 

Peregrin Falcon


  

          
                                                                                                  



                                              Nesting Crow





                                                                                 

Now here is an interesting story: 

I was out shooting pix and spotted this Jackrabbit scoot  across my line of sight and disappear.  So, with my camera at the ready, I began to move in the direction I had seen him run.  Through the viewfinder I spot "him" like this: 

 





 As I inch closer, step by careful step, I begin to wonder if he is dead?  How can that be, I just saw him run through here?  I continued to creep, camera at the eye.








 Twenty steps and 20 shots later, this happens: 











Three steps, three more shots and this happens:

             And finally: 

                                                                                     












Now, I will have to do some research on this behavior and get back to you on it next month.

CRITTER OF THE MONTH:
  

Brought in by one of our campers, this Bearded Dragon was fascinating.  His Mom let him wander on the Joshua Trees, and it was pretty cool to watch him completely blend in with his environment.

Cool RV Technology:   The technological opposite end of the "cool" spectrum:  a remote controlled self-positioning trailer hitch.  

Simply drop the neck, unhook from your vehicle, and, using the remote control, perfectly position your trailer.  NO, maneuvering it with a vehicle, no back and forth, re-adjusting.  Push some buttons and the trailer  "drives" itself into your chosen position.

FUN TIMES: 

Our co-workers often become long term friends.  It begins with little get togethers like going out for dinner.  Dinner with Wayne and Janice was a real revelation, in more ways than one.  We let Ranger Janice and her husband Wayne choose the restaurant.  We went to a "Sushi" place!  Those of you that know me well are now going....."What, wait, huh".  Never fear, even I can find something I like to eat at a Sushi place (Chicken Teriyaki anyone).  That said, with Wayne and Janice's guidance I ventured into the world of sushi (sans any seafood) and found several things I loved.  It was a great learning experience.

That makes "Kimi Grill" my RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH!  

The time of year we have waiting for.....the spring bloom:  I have already covered the first plant to bloom, the Joshua Tree:  Now our wildflowers have just begun to pop.


BEST ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH:  a fun time was had at the OK Corral (Yes, the REAL OK Corral of Gene Autry fame)

 A short drive from Joshua Tree you'll find "Pioneer Town" the home of 
















"Pappy and Harriet's" Restaurant 

and an old west town used back in the day to make cowboy movies.  It looks the same as it did back in the 1930's and 40's, replete with cowboys on horseback.

The icing on the cake?????  A few modern "locals" live in Pioneer Town, and this one was filling the streets of this ghost town with some great  guitar music.

 I could have stood and listened to him all day.

MOST EXCITING EVENT OF THE MONTH:  Kelly came to visit.  She looked so cute pulling up in her little Mercedes.

 She stayed overnight, and though we ran out of time to show her the entire park, we did get her up to Eureka Peak.

 On the way to the Peak we were reminded that, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree":  Neither Bill and I hesitate to stop driving to take a picture.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD: This months "Small World" story emerges from this visit:  when Kelly arrived, the 3 of us dallied over lunch and spent the afternoon chatting.  It was by then too late to go into the park, so we settled for the two hour trip to Eureka Peak.  Upon our return, I headed to the Visitor Center to pick up the evenings paperwork.  As I exited the the Visitor Center, I observed two young men approaching and asked if I could help them.  The young man advised they needed a campsite.  I suggested we walk over to our RV, and as we covered the 200 feet or so, I asked "where are you guys from?"  answer:  "Manhattan Beach"...my response "our daughter just arrived from Manhattan Beach.  When we arrived at the RV, I stuck my head in the door, calling out to Kelly "Hey Kel, there's a couple of guys here from Manhattan Beach".  Kelly hollered back "cool".  I started the paperwork and a few minutes later Kelly emerged from the RV, looked at the guy I was signing in and said "Hi David", and he said "Hi, Kelly".  Now, Yes, Kelly lives in Manhattan Beach (CA), a suburb of LA, approximately 4 hour drive from Joshua Tree National Park, BUT it is a suburb of LA, and NOT a small place.  Kelly and David know each other from yoga class.  Both of them had recently relocated to a new Yoga studio and Kelly was signed up to take her 1st yoga class at the new studio the next day with the new instructor, David!  What are the chances? Small World indeed.  The guys were very nice and invited Kelly to join them at their campsite.  Kelly graciously declined:  "Thank You, but it's really a parents weekend".  We cannot remember the last time we had any quality time alone with Kelly and we cherished every minute of it.

Our next day off and a spontaneous outing to 
Death Valley National Park was the plan.

  

As the "superbloom" was going on,

we could not find lodging, so we converted the ride to a day trip, heading back home late in the afternoon.  

We were amazed that just 4 hours north of Joshua Tree, the terrain could be so utterly different, BEAUTIFUL!  

Lunch at "The Furnace Creek Inn"

was complete with a Roadrunner escort.

I gave the Inn 5 stars on Trip Advisor and came away with a new lunch dish that is now my FAV.  We are calling it the Death Valley Wrap.


DOG DAYS:

Back at camp the next day, we had the pleasure of meeting "Stelladorable".

We, fans of the yellow Lab, have met many and varied canines that we have grown fond of (remember the Weimareiner?), and in the previous two weeks there has been a glut of Standard Poodles we have come to appreciate (oh to have a dog that doesn't shed......sorry Tessa).   

Now comes Abby, with Stella, a regular sized Poodle with an overlarge personality.  Beautiful in looks, engaging in demeanor, personality to spare, we fell in love with her instantly!  Then to find out Stella is a rescue dog and hope springs eternal that 

A:  we could find a smallish dog that we liked.

B:  we could have a dog that doesn't shed.
C:  we could find a cool dog at a rescue agency 

(in this case) Stella was adopted as a puppy from "Midwest Rescue" http://midwestanimalresq.org in Missouri).  We have always been "big dog" people, but something flipped a switch in my brain the night Abby came over to watch "The Oscars" with us.  Watching Stella roam around the RV, and all I could think was "why, she is just the perfect size for RV living!"  Only time will tell, but Stelladorable made a good and deep impression on us.  Still, no more dogs until Tessa has gone to doggie heaven: 1 dog per RV!

FAVORITE KID MOMENT OF THE MONTH:  2 little girls (maybe 10 and 6 years old), camping with their grandparents:  as we drove past their campsite, the girls were deeply engaged in making a dollhouse village at the base of a Joshua Tree.  The "village"

was left behind when it's builders relocated.  It seemed a little lonely without its inhabitants. 

As if 1 trip on a weekend wasn't enough, 2 days after the run to Death Valley National Park we rolled south to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Along the way we stopped down at the Cottonwood Visitor Center (south end of Joshua Tree NP) to visit with our friends George and Kathy, and we may have stayed too long.  Our arrival at the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center was very late in the afternoon and I had a real need to complete a hike.  The question was posed to the volunteer at the VC desk "If we wanted a 2 hour hike, what would you recommend?".  His answer was quick and sure..... "the Palm Canyon hike"...."it goes 1.5 miles to to the Fan Palm Oasis and waterfall, you should be able to do it in 2 hours".  The minute I heard "Fan Palm Oasis and waterfall, I was all in.  Bill not so much, but he is a good sport and is all about supporting my fitness goals, so at 4:35 PM we hit the trailhead.  An hour and 5 minutes later we were seeking respite at the waterfall on the edge of the Fan Palm Oasis.  Worth every boulder we had to traverse the last 1/2 mile.  Just starting to get dusky out, we headed back, trail marker 15, trail marker 14, trail marker 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...nothing.  Finally Bill said "we should have been back by now."  I say "if we went wrong somewhere, we are off to the left."  A quick readjustment and soon we spotted the lights of the bathroom and landed on a blacktop road.  No, this was not the bathroom we had parked by, but it still gave our rising tension some relief.  Another 3/4 of a mile and we were home free. The entire adventure was fun!  

                    The Ocotillo were spectacular!!

The final destination!

Back at the campground and back to work the next day we ran into Fran and Smiley 

down at Horse Camp. Did I mention I LOVE horses?   You may remember Fran as the equestrian who so graciously invited us to her "Hoof Clinic".

THE FUTURE:

Approaching the end of our time here at Joshua Tree, I begin the process of booking our future gigs.  Camp Zion (Ellison Bay, WI) (http://www.campzion.com/Camp_Zion/Home.html)  June, July and the 1st part of August, 2016 is where we can be found, followed by Governors Canyon State Recreation Area near San Antonio for September and October.  

These were already carved in stone when I opened an e-mail, an interesting e-mail, sent by an employer who had come across our resume on Workamper News.  We have had many such solicitations in the past from privately owned RV parks who seemed impressed with our credentials, but a quick review of the job, the park, the location or the perks, and we have always quickly deleted the request (after sending a polite reply).  But THIS e-mail was not quickly deleted, looking actually quite interesting, GREAT actually!!!  So, as Bill and I were headed down the road to Death Valley, I opened the e-mail and read it to him....preceeded by the comment "don't judge too quickly".  Before we knew it, we were on the phone to Llano Grand RV Resort in Mercedes, TX: and into an interview which closed with our committing to our first ever "Workamper" job for the months: November/December 2016 thru January/February/March 2017.   Check out the resort at the above link, what's not to love?  Actually, after seeing how well Brad and Lynne have fared in this endeavor for the last 2 winters, we are encouraged that we could be a success at it as well.

http://llanogranderesort.com                                         

Main kitchen

Craft room

Lunch on the patio

                                                                                                         

Lunch in the sports bar

Sewing room

Lunch in the dining room

Art Studio

Fitness Center

Woodworking shop

Life goes on, time flies and we continue to be busy and booked for up to a year.  The downside to advanced planning is the sudden opening of a GREAT job which is looking for someone "right now".  This happens for two reasons......#1:  the camphost/volunteer has a serious heath condition arise or, #2:  the camphost/volunteer has elderly parents who've fallen ill.  Either case means that we are already locked in to a position and unable to go after some of these cherry assignments.

After our time in south Texas we will probably head up along the coast to Oregon or Washington...time will tell.

Lots to do in our final 4 weeks at Joshua Tree, so I am off.  

What a difference a year makes.

CCCHHHHH CCCHHHHH CCCHHHH  CCHHHH  CCHHHHH Changes:

This is where we were a year ago.  North Carolina with my cousin Lynn, her daughter Caron, Mo and John.  LOVE YOU GUYS!

This year we hang with our West Coast friends and family.

Jennifer (Bill's niece) and Greg with 2 of their kids and extended family.

                                    Friends Connie and Jerry with some of their family and friends.

A year ago, while we were stationed at Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (South Carolina), living in a 38 foot, 2006 Cedar Creek 5th wheel.

This year we are stationed at Joshua Tree NP (Southern California) living in a 40 foot, 2015, Montana, 5th wheel.

While bike riding in South Carolina (Low Country), it was all nice and flat.

  

The same cannot be said for riding my bike in the High Dessert of Southern California, where it is 

NEVER flat.

James was engaged to Sarah

 and set a destination wedding date of June 25, 2016 in Mexico.

  Kelly and Michael were also engaged  and are quite busy with wedding plans.

After a summer (2015) of one skin graft surgery after another, Bill's legs are finally healed and we look forward to another summer at Camp Zion.

But, for the here and now, we are in "recovery" mode after surviving a wild December and early January.  Tiring, Yes, but rife with new and unusual experiences and people.

As is traditional for me, right after Thanksgiving the Christmas decorations comet of hiding to grace our little home, much like they did (albeit on a different scale) when we lived in a "sticks and bricks" house.

the little snow people were a gift of Connie and Jerry




The new ceramic Christmas tree is a tribute to Mom 

The LED Christmas tree is still with us from 85 Linden

The BLUE Christmas lights a tribute to all Law Enforcement Officers

Shortly after the decorating was completed on December 1st, we headed east on one of our favorite roads across the dessert (62) to Parker, AZ and "Lilies", our fav Mexican Restaurant to have lunch with friends Dick and Debbie.  Now, Dick and Debbie live in Salome,  AZ and we would have driven all the way there to see them, but as fate sometimes intervenes in positive ways, on this 1st day of December Dick and Debbie were scheduled to be in Parker for an appointment that was ending just before lunchtime.  Except for Bill having to take an important phone call just as we were sitting down, we had a perfect lunch.  
                 
On December 3rd we were able to host our boss, Cynthia, and her fiancee' Larry for dinner. It was an important meal, as we gathered together to rehash the final details for their upcoming wedding, for which Bill and I had been asked to provide 2 important components.  Cynthia had requested I make their wedding cake, and I had been creating "dry runs" for 2 months in the hope that my consistency would be solidified when the "real thing" had to be produced.  Bill had been asked to be their wedding photographer.  We were honored to fulfill both of these requests for our friends.

The happy couple with Pastor Les 

Jan's famous Carrot Cake

The bride seems to like the cake

The cake was a hit with everyone!

As evidenced by Doug's reaction........soon after the cake was served December 5th, I was seated at my table when Doug, Cynthia's brother, crossed the room and guided me out of my chair for a great big hug.  As his words spilled down on me from above (Doug is very tall) "thank you, I have been trying to get my wife to make a carrot cake like my grandmother's since we got married.  This is the closest I have had to my Grandmother's".  Now, Doug's wife doesn't need to know about this, but it meant a lot to me after 2 months of "practice cakes", this one compliment (and there were many others), made it all worthwhile.

Many of you think Bill and I are "living the dream", and we are!  But THAT dream only goes back to 1989, and it is OUR dream.  Before that, way before that, I, Jan, had a dream that dated back to 1956 (Careful).  THAT dream was to won my own horse.  As you probably know, dreams can change, or have to change, as mine did, but the desire does not go away.  So, Bill and I periodically head to a local stable and saddle up.   You can imagine my excitement to realize Black Rock Campground has facilities for equestrian campers.  It didn't take much for me to raid the refrigerator for carrots and head down to "horse camp".  There we have met many wonderful people (actually, in my humble opinion, all horse people are great people).  We have met people who connected us with, OH, just the Volunteer Coordinator for San Diego County Parks, and we have met stable owners who live so close to Joshua Tree that their trail rides follow the Black Rock Campground Trail system.

And then there's Fran and Steve.  Now Steve is a car aficionado and has given Bill information on the weekly, local car show.  But Fran, well, Fran invited us to her "Hoof Care Clinic".  Fran and Steve live just down the street,  so it was a short drive, and in that crowded room of friendly people, we learned a lot about 'natural' hoof care.  Thanks Fran, we intend to build on our horse care knowledge .

 December 14th: the eternal quest for real Mexican food took a surprising turn at Las Casuelas in Palm Springs with George and Kathy.

With "Lilies" to compete with, you would think Las Casuelas had no hope of winning this contest.  But, the 2 aforementioned restaurants could not be more different from each other in atmosphere and decor.  Lilies is a  "fast food" atmosphere and Las Casuelas is a sit, relax, have a margarita (extra large) and chat with friends atmosphere.  WE LOVED IT!  George and Kathy can make a recommendation to us anytime.

Not ones to let any grass grow under our feet, December 16th found us having Mexican food, once again, this time with friends Connie and Jerry at THEIR favorite (local), Kokopellis.  The food was good, the company even better!

December 23rd found me making Mexican food (I sense a theme here), as I brought a vegetarian, 7 layer dip to Janice and Wayne's for "game night".  The "vegetarian" aspect was for Ranger 

Jamie.  

The event being held at Ranger Janices's house.

Our fellow Camp Hosts, Jim and Sue, gave us all a chuckle when, after several minutes of private self introspection, it was revealed that they had both come up with the same exact answer.  What are the chances?  Game nights will continue.

Christmas Eve, and we were not going "home" for Christmas.  It just seems fiscally irresponsible to go back EVERY year, so we have decided to celebrate Christs birth "on location" every other year. And Yes, we do miss family and friends back home, but then we have the chance to enjoy the company of new friends and family from, what is usually, far away.  

Our Christmas Eve festivities were at the invitation of Connie and Jerry.  An evening with their family, and a house decorated to the hilt, was a surefire way to get into the Christmas spirit.  We overdid it in the gastronomic department 

  

But it was worth it.  

Once again I had brought a Mexican dish.  This time the 7 layer bean dip WITH the meat layer.  It was hit!

I have always loved decorating for the holidays and I still put up as much decor as I can.  Not as much decor as I would have put up on Linden Road, but I make do.  Besides, NO ONE could give Connie any competition in the Christmas decor department:

And that is where spent Christmas Eve, with Connie, Jerry, their son Greg,

(seen here with the "wolf" puppy), his daughter, 

 her husband, and some fellow volunteers.











                             

It was a wonderful evening!  Thanks Connie and Jerry!

Our own Christmas morning was simple, as it should be.

Christmas Day we were off to Irvine to spend the rest of the holiday with niece Jennifer and her husband Greg, 2 of their kids (with their spouses, 1 newly minted grandson, 1 mother-in-law) and Tessa.  Greg and Jennifer are long time Floridians.  Thanks to the Cheesecake Factory (who recently relocated them to Irvine, CA), we were able to have a wonderful Christmas Day in at their place.  The "kids" took Tessa for a nice walk, I wonder who enjoyed it more?  The meal was unsurpassed!!!  I don't know where anyone found room for the carrot cake I brought, on Jennifer's request, but they did.  The big "take home"....Jennifer bought me some soap and hand cream from her local farmer's market.  Bon Villian is now my absolute favorite.

Levi was smitten with Uncle Bill

Jennifer giving Uncle Bill  the honor of reading "the Christmas Story"

Greg and Levi

Spending the holiday with Family....Priceless

What a special day it was!  Thanks Jennifer and Greg!!

December 26th and call comes in from a "Warmshowers" guest.  Matt showed on his bicycle from 29Palms.  This bike ride would have looked like this:  approximately 25 miles uphill with a 20 MPH sustained wind.  I was glad to take Matt in for two days.  As it turned out, he would benefit from Andi's cooking as well.

December 27th: Andi cooking?  Remember those 20 mph winds  I previously mentioned?  Did I say the night time temperatures had been running in the mid 20's?  I was in the Visitor Center when Andi and Dennis arrived to check in.  It was pretty quickly obvious the very nice Korean couple were new to camping (1st time for Andi).  As a question about the safety of the small, propane heater in their tent was asked, I quickly redirected Andi to our Montana, where she would find Bill with a great deal more knowledge on the topic.  Leaving Dennis (her husband) behind in the Visitor Center,  Andi and I headed for the 5th wheel.  Now, keep in mind, Andi was facing several nights  in a tent, gusty (20+MPH) winds and temps well below average (25 degrees).  We were all aware this was going to be a "survival" experience more than "fun camping" experience.  As I led Andi into our toasty warm home, she took one look around and said "Oh, I could cook in THIS kitchen".  We thanked her for the compliment.  Andi continued..."No really, I could cook you a great Korean meal here."  At this point Andi sounded quite serious.  Bill and I made eye contact.  He knows I am a picky eater, and was looking for me to take the lead. Andi continued her persuasive dialogue and I finally just thought 'Why not?', 'you only live once'.  We set a time for dinner while Andi and Dennis headed to their campsite to gather their stores up.  At the previously agreed upon hour, Dennis and Andi returned with a cooler full of previously prepared Korean food.  Andi took over our kitchen, and in 40  minutes we were sitting down to our 1st "real" Korean meal.  Let me just say this:  The food was absolutely fresh and delicious, and #2:  if I ate like that all the time, I wouldn't have a weight problem.  We have a standing invitation  to their place in Peter's Canyon for dinner on them.  Not necessary, but we look forward to their company again.

Dennis, Matt (Warmshowers) and Andi

Despite the cold, windy pre-Christmas weather, the week(s) before Christmas were quit busy around the campground.  Right after Christmas the aforementioned freezing cold and high winds continued, and we still remained full.  We had many families during this time, which made it more fun for us.  The MOST fun?????  Swearing in of new Junior Rangers:

January 1st arrives, and with it the dawn of a new style "Mexican Blowout".  This annual, 36 year long tradition for Bill (only 23 for me) involved Bill cooking Mexican food for an army and extending an open invitation...."if you know about it, you're invited".  Four years ago, when we went "on the road", the Mexican Blowout was abandoned, until we revived it this year, with a few adjustments.  Attendance had to be kept low (the weather outside didn't permit us the luxury of the use of the great outdoors), so just a few people were invited.  Bill and I also cooked smaller quantities (well, slightly smaller).  And, like Mexican Blowouts of the past, this one was an interesting mix of people:  Rangers, fellow volunteers, and one homeless guy we have befriended (Harvey).  Well, Harvey is not REALLY homeless, he lives in a small trailer, is very neat and clean AND he loves the Lord!

Jim is our Camp Host partner

Harvey and Jamie both adore Tessa

January 2nd was welcomed with excitement as Meghan, Kim and Audrey were coming to J. Tree.

 Meghan is the sister of our DIL Katie, Aunt Mimi to  our two, youngest Grands.  Kim is Meghan's friend and Audrey is Kim's daughter.  We have always loved Meghan and were very excited to see them.  They drove in from San Diego, arriving at lunchtime for some Mexican food (go figure).  The only down side was that it was a duty day for us, and I was compelled to spend most of the afternoon in the Visitor Center, relieving my Ranger for her lunchtime.  Bill directed the group to a few neat places in the park, and with sunset  looming, they took off to explore.  Looks like they had fun:

Before that week was out, we would have two more neat experiences:
#1- an 18 year old guy, recent high school grad, 6 months into a trip traveling by motorcycle around the country, woke up in one of our campsites on a very cold morning, to find his bike wouldn't start.  So, after some motorcycle maintenance training, Bill gave him a push start.

 
After 3 tries Bill got the kid to put the bike in 3rd gear and it finally started.  We hope this young man from rural Pennsylvania finds his dream of becoming a professional dancer.

#2:  A nice group of young people, camped out right next to us, stopped to chat early on a Sunday morning.  Their little guy "Kirby",

looked so much like our recently departed Granddog Max, that I had to forward a pix of him to Tami.  I wonder how long it will be before we have another Granddog Yorkie?

Bike riding here at Black Rock has been kinda challenging.  It is either downhill 5.5 miles (or more), or uphill, with the steepest part of the incline the final mile.  This has not been fun, so, with a new plan we headed into Palm Springs, for a nice flat, 15 mile ride.  Not only is Palm Springs flat, but it is very bicycle friendly.  Flat roads and new things to look at made for a fun ride.  Plan to ride down there once a week.  That said, shortly after my Palm Springs ride, I took to a new route closer to home.  This route was on Wayne's suggestion.  I found it a balanced ride and much more enjoyable.

A few days later I began to experience extreme pain in my feet, making it difficult to even walk, much less ride.  I have a February 5th doctor appointment scheduled, but it will be the ER for me if things don't improve quickly.  (Note: this prediction came true on January 26th, where the ER doc diagnosed a flair up of my MS).

January 7th, Bill's son's birthday made the day special, but snow, YES SNOW!  Made it memorable.  Doesn't happen around here very often.  Beautiful!!!!

  January 12th, 2016:  a duty day, but not so busy we couldn't sneak away for a bit.  We took advantage of the quiet and drove the 1.5 hour drive to Cottonwood Campground (on the south end of the park) where or new friends

 George and Kathy

are volunteering.  In our defense (since we were supposed to be working), we did explore the visitor center there, but to be honest, we sent way more time with our buds.

Oscar Quest 2016 has begun.  Many years ago now, our friend Beth told us that she and a group of her friends wait for the Oscar nominations to come out every year.  Then, in the next 6 weeks, they go to see every film nominated in these 5 categories:  Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
That sounded like fun to us, and for the last 10 or so years it has been.  As it was in the first year, it is now.....we get to know what theatre has the BEST popcorn, and try to see as many of the films there as we can.  This game is fun in many ways:  #1- creates stimulating conversation/debate and #2- we end up seeing movies we would NEVER have voluntarily chosen to go see, which end up being lifelong favorites.  For example:  "A Single Man" comes to mind.  And this year....."Trumbo".  We both think Trumbo should take Best Actor (he won't).  And how on God's green earth was Trumbo not nominated for Best Picture.  And speaking of Best Picture.....this year there is a call for a boycott of the Oscars by black actors.  If Will Smith didn't deserve a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, I'll eat my hat.  Now, one could argue that there were no "black" actors/movies that performed well enough to be nominated.  That would be a valid aurgument,  if it were true.  But, even on the most basic scale, Will Smith got robbed, as did his movie "Confession".  Both were FABULOUS, Oscar worthy material, in this humble amateurs opinion.

This year our theater of choice, for the most part, has been the Mary Pickford in Palm Dessert.  You oldsters will know who she is.  During our visit last week, the Palm Springs Film Festival was in full swing, as you can see.

Not all is fun and games in our world, as we fight a major battle for warranty coverage on our new, 2015 Montana.  I feel very strongly the fault lies at the feet of Camping  World-Valencia, CA, but the manufacturer may also be to blame.  This, now 4 month long saga continues .  I will reveal the long and painful story when it is resolved.

PRAYER CORNER:

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my beloved big brother, Tim.

THIS is the single most difficult aspect of being gypsy's I have encountered....the inability to be somewhere in a hurry when I want to be.  I could not be there for Tim's last 2 weeks, as his health took a sudden and quickly spiraling downturn.  I comfort myself with the  knowledge that he didn't want a fuss being made.  Please join me in prayer for peace for his wife, Laura, kids Paul and Brenda and Grandkids Ali and Alex.

At the end of April we will leave southern California to head back to northern Illinois, visit with family and friends for a few weeks, before returning to Ellison Bay,WI to serve the summer at Camp Zion.  Yes, our stay here this winter has been longer than is usual for us, but, in the interest of seeing a dessert in bloom, we decided to hang around.  I am sure pictures will be forthcoming in March.

As for heading"home".......we have not yet decided whether to take the "northern" or "southern" route "home".  If you end up being on or near our route, you will most certainly hear from us.