Death Valley

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 50 degrees, high 65 degrees, cloudy skies

Here's a picture I took during our visit to Death Valley. A lot of the area was the type of hills seen here. In the range of mountains in the background, there is a small speck of white, which is snow on the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Does anyone remember the TV show "Death Valley Days"? When we were in the valley, the temperature only got up to 99 degrees, which I thought wasn't too bad. Carolyn had a different opinion about that. The differences in elevation and temperature between inside and outside the park were amazing. We were as low as 282 feet below sea level in the park. When we came out of the park, we went to the west and went up to about 6,000 feet. When we got out of the valley, we saw a wall of snow covered mountains to the west. These mountains were the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The highest mountain there is Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet above sea level. What a difference in elevation and temperature!

Oh, by the way. Carolyn didn't like Death Valley. Can you imagine that?



Today was the third day of the weekend. If I'm going to be working, it's nice to have three days a week off. We didn't do much this morning, other than me taking a walk. I watched a college basketball game, which was pretty good except that my team didn't win. To me, college basketball is like college football. The college players play with a lot more enthusiasm than the pros do. Most of the college players will not be pros, so they are trying to get the most out of the experience. There are so many of the pros that turn me off with their attitudes.

When the basketball game was finished, we went to the WalMart Mall to pick up a few groceries and some things that Carolyn wanted for crafting. The rest of the day was spent watching television, surfing the net, and reading. Just the kind of day I needed before going to work tomorrow.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bishop, California: Mule Capital Of The World

Not all who wander are lost.

Alcatraz Island And The Bridge

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 62 degrees, mostly cloudy skies

Most people have heard of Alcatraz Island, where many of the the worst criminals were in prison. Just as many people, if not more, have heard of the Golden Gate Bridge, at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. We were fortunate enough to see both of these landmarks on the same day. How did we do that? In 2004, we wanted to go to San Francisco to do the tourist thing, but didn't want to fight the traffic in the city. So, we took the ferry from Vallejo, located across the bay, into the city. Our route took us by Alcatraz Island, and we were able to see the Golden Gate Bridge at the same time. Neat!!



It's easy to criticize the way things are done in California, as well as the politics, lifestyles, and any number of other things. Having said that, there are several things we like about the state, including the northern part of the state, the natural beauty, the climate, the small towns, and the people. If we're fortunate enough, we want to go back and experience the state again. It's almost as good as Texas.

We were pretty busy today, starting with the long morning walk. I sure miss those walks when I'm working. I do some of my best thinking when I'm walking along, enjoying being outside. When I returned from the walk, we took the laundry to the laundromat and got that chore out of the way. After lunch, I checked to see if the service facility installed the oil pan plug properly, since we have had a couple of instances where the plug wasn't tightened, resulting in an oil leak. No problems today.

By the time that chore was finished, it was time for some meditation. Got to take advantage of the opportunity every chance I get. When the meditation was completed, I went up on the roof to check the caulking to make sure there were no cracks that would cause the roof to leak. The caulking looked good, so while I was up there, I lubricated the gears and mechanism for the TV antenna. Then, the vent crank for the bathroom was acting up, so I lubricated it. After a squirt or two of WD-40, it worked like new.

By the time all that was done, I thought I would be ready to stop for the day. Nope, when I got on the ground, I realized the basement needed cleaning and straightening (again), so I did that little job before going in. Now, I was ready to stop.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - San Francisco, California: Fog City

Not all who wander are lost.

Redwood Trees

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 45 degrees, high 60 degrees, cloudy skies

When we went to the west coast and northern California in 2004, we saw many amazing things that we hadn't seen before. Some of the most impressive sights we saw were the giant redwood trees that the state of California and the federal government have decided to save for posterity. After seeing these huge trees, all we can say is we're glad there are people with the foresight to save these majestic giants.



I had several things that I wanted to get done today on my day off. First on the list was a long walk this morning, which was the first time I had walked since last Sunday. It felt good to get out in the cool morning, stretching my legs and enjoying the early morning coolness. By the time I returned home and rested for a few minutes, it was time for us to go to the dentist for our checkups. That turned out to be a problem. It seems the dentist's office called everyone and canceled their appointments for today. Everyone was called, that is, except for us. There was only one person at the office, so naturally she apologized that we didn't get the message. Anyway, we're set for our checkups two weeks from today, only a week before the long hours start at work.

Since we didn't get the dental checkups done, I decided to take the truck in to get it serviced. It was time for the oil change, and I don't like to forget that. Then we went to lunch, since Carolyn has been nice enough to have supper ready every night when I get home from work.

After lunch, I took our tax information to the CPA, where he and I had an in-depth discussion about the problems the country is having and how to fix those problems. It's too bad the politicians don't listen to their constituents. If they did, maybe we would be happier with their performance.

The next stop was at the library, where I returned some books and checked out more. Then a quick stop at the bank to take care of some business and I was on my way home. By the time I returned home, I was ready for some meditation, which has been in short supply.

Tonight, we met several friends from work, along with Lori and her family, for supper at a local restaurant. I had not seen several of these people for years, so it was good to renew acquaintances and find out what has been happening with them. Time sure does fly. I still have to reiterate, though, that these folks are getting old!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Trinidad, California: Where The Redwoods Meet The Sea

Not all who wander are lost.

Eureka!

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 40 degrees, high 60 degrees, partly cloudy

When we were in Eureka, California, we were impressed by the climate, the friendliness of the people, the natural beauty, and Eureka, itself. This picture is of one of the many Victorian style homes in the town.



Now, having told you what we liked about the Eureka area, here's one thing we didn't like. We have never seen as many young people panhandling (begging) as we saw in Eureka. I asked one of the long-time residents what attracted the young people to the area, and he said it was because of the availability of marijuana in Humboldt County, where Eureka is located. What made the begging even worse was the fact that the free loaders would get belligerent if they weren't given any money. Needless to say, I made a lot of them angry.

The job I'm on now works a normal schedule of ten hours a day, four days a week. That means if we're not involved in a shutdown, we get three days a week off. So, that's the schedule I'm on for the next three weeks, leading up to the shut down starting about three weeks from now. Once the shutdown starts, I'll work 13 hours a day, six days a week until the shutdown is over, 5 to 6 weeks after it begins. I'm getting too old for this stuff! This will probably be the last one for me.

In the meantime, today was more catching up in changes to the planning since the last shutdown and reviewing schedules. I'm ready for the shutdown to begin. The sooner it starts, the sooner I'll be finished and can get back to the retired and drifting life.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Eureka! (I Have Found It!)

Not all who wander are lost.

What Trains?

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 56 degrees, clear skies

There are several things that attract us to the RV lifestyle that we love so much. The freedom to change locations at the drop of a hat, the many great people we meet, little jewels of towns that we visit, and so many other things. One of the best things about this lifestyle is the beautiful countryside we find. This picture is of the coastal mountains near Fort Bragg, California.



I guess we're starting to get conditioned to the train noise. Until last night, we were jarred awake several times a night as trains roared through our living room. Last night, neither of us noticed any train noise, other than me hearing some background noise. I tend to sleep lighter than Carolyn, so I feel pretty good about starting to get used to the noise. The noise is still there, but I'm not noticing it as much. If I start noticing the noise again, I'll console myself with the fact that this will be over eventually. When I ask some of the long term residents of the park what they do to be able to live there with the train noise, they usually say "What train"?

Comedians.

Today was more of the past couple of days: meetings, work package reviews, walk downs of areas, getting re-acquainted with folks, thinking about what we'll do when this is over.... Wait a minute. I need to stop thinking about what we'll do when this job is finished. Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.

Now that my life is not devoted to the daily grind of work (other than the occasional job), I pay more attention to how people act. Every morning this week, I have driven what I think is a safe speed for the road that I travel to work. Each morning, I have had several people pass me as though I was standing still, all on their way to work. Now, I enjoy what I do and like the people I work with, but can you imagine driving as fast as these people do to get to work? They must really like their jobs.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Fort Bragg, California: The Undiscovered Jewel Of The Mendocino Coast

Not all who wander are lost.

Where Are The Wildflowers?

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 42 degrees, high 55 degrees, clear skies, windy – a little chilly

Usually at this time of the year in Texas, we’re starting to enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers. Bluebonnets, Paint Brushes, Indian Blankets, etc. add splashes of color to the countryside, making a scene that is unforgettable. This year, we have not seen any wildflowers yet. During our 300 mile drive to Bay City last week, we didn’t see a single wildflower, even though we were looking for them. We think the primary reason we’re not seeing any flowers yet is due to the winter being colder and longer than normal. One thing that should give us a lot of wildflowers is all the rain that has fallen this winter. Once the flowers start popping out, it should be a glorious sight to see.

The picture below is a good example of the wildflowers, especially bluebonnets, that are to be found near Brenham, Texas.



I continued getting caught up with the changes at work today. Meetings were attended, walk-downs were performed, procedures were reviewed, and I talked to more friends and coworkers. One thing I’ve noticed about the people that I know here, besides the fact that they are good folks, is that they’re all getting old. What happened???

Our dentist is in Bay City, so we’re going to take advantage of our time here to see him for our six month checkups. We have appointments for Friday, and if this one goes like they have for many years, we won’t need to have any repairs performed.

It’s tax season, and like our dentist, the CPA we have used for many years is here. I have an appointment to see him on Friday afternoon so I can give him our information. He and I usually have a good conversation about our travels and what we’re doing. In addition, both of us have the same basic political and economic beliefs, so we get to commiserate with each other about how well or badly things are going. Sometimes when we’re here between tax seasons, I’ll stop in and say hello so we can bounce ideas off each other about how to fix the country’s problems. This meeting should be interesting.

More later, be safe.

Today’s Town – Brenham, Texas: Baseball Capitol Of Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

First Day Back At Work

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 60 degrees, heavy rain early, then clear skies, then scattered showers

The weather today reinforced why we no longer care much for living near the coast. It just rains too much!

The picture below was taken in the Petrified Forest in Arizona. Legend holds that anyone who takes a piece of the wood from the park suffers bad luck until the wood is returned. The park has a problem with people taking souvenirs, and it may be that the legend was started to keep people from taking the wood. Whatever the truth is, the fact is that there used to be a lot more petrified wood in the park than there is now.



Today was the first day on the new job, which should last about two months. Of course, if it was less than that, it would be fine with me. We're already missing the road and being free.

Working in a nuclear power plant is an eye opener for people who have never been in one before. The security is very strict, as it should be. New workers or workers who have been away from the industry for more than a year usually have a wait of more than a week for their security clearance to come through so they can be unescorted workers. No one likes to be escorted, but the only way to obtain a security clearance is to have a worker's personal background exhaustively checked to ensure that people who might be a danger in a plant are not allowed to enter them. Now, having said that, I was able to obtain my unescorted security clearance before lunch today. It helps that I was here for the last outage, which was only three months ago.

Most of the day was spent reviewing changes in planning and getting reacquainted with friends and co-workers from the past outage and past jobs. The relationships I've formed over the years are one of the reasons I enjoy the work so much. However, I'll still be ready for the job to end so we can hit the road again.

Oh, by the way. Carolyn prepared a very good chicken pot pie from scratch for supper. The first thing she asked me after greeting me was when can we leave.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Holbrook, Arizona: Gateway To The Petrified Forest National Park

Not all who wander are lost.