Learning New Flowers

We now own some flowers that don't grow in the Northwest, at lest not naturally.  The first thee pictures are from a Mimosa Plant.  The second three are some kind of "Bottle Brush".

HOT!

We certainly don't expect any sympathy from our friends in the Pacific Northwest but it is pretty darn hot here in Las Vegas.  We are starting to look forward to the cooler temps we will encounter in and near Yellowstone.

From this morning's paper:

Las Vegas has 99 problems, to borrow a phrase from rapper Jay-Z, and Mother Nature is one of them.
Monday’s scorching temperatures reached 99 degrees, a new record for April 29, surpassing the previous record of 98 degrees set on April 29, 2007, according to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
Monday’s high temperature also tied a record for the hottest day ever in April, which has been reached several times.
The high temperature was recorded at McCarran International Airport, the weather service’s official monitoring station. The weather service has been recording temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley since 1937.
The average temperature for April 29 is 83 degrees.

And for contrast.

Las Vegas Update

(If you click on the LOCATION hyperlink above you will get a map and if you zoom in on the map you can see our exact location inside the resort.)

We have been busy weeding and trimming and cleaning.  We have also had family over for dinner two nights and will again tomorrow night.  So we have been busy.  It has been fun trying to make this place feel like our own.  We have not owned dirt for almost 15 years!  So far the resort has lived up to our expectations and we are pleased.  We have had a couple of "cooler" days but temps are headed back into the 90's by the weekend.  The last two days have been in the low to mid 80's and much more comfortable.

We have not met too many people yet but Friday evening there is social for owners (as opposed to short term renters) so we should hopefully get to meet a few people.  Everyone seems most friendly when we are out walking.  Here are a few pictures.  Not really much difference from the pictures I posted before we came down here other than the presence of NORV ORBUS taking up quite a bit of space.

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE.

 

 

Las Vegas

Just a short posting to say that we made it here to our lot in the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort about 1:30 having left Bakersfield about 8:30.  We only made two short stops so about 4.5 hours of driving.  Arlyene did about 100 miles of of it to give me a break.  We are parked in our spot and checking everything out and doing some cleaning.  We are having company for diner already!  Will post more and some pictures in the next day or so.  Going to relax right after my nice cool shower.  Oh, did I mention it was 90 degrees here?

Orange Grove RV Park

We left Lodi about 9:30 and arrived here in the Orange Grove RV Park just outside of Bakersfield about 3:30.  This park is literally in the middle of orange groves and we have three trees right on our space.  Tonight on our evening walk we picked up a half dozen fresh oranges that are now in the refrigerator. 

We took highway 99 instead of I-5 partly for the change in scenery and also because it was a little bit shorter - still was about 250 miles.  It was about 85 here this afternoon but has cooled off considerably as the sun went down.  Only 73 outside now.  Will try to get out of here about 9 again tomorrow for the 280 mile trip to Las Vegas.  Good thing, Gizmo is getting tired of traveling.

Oh Lord - Lodi, CA

This place makes me think of the old Creedence Clearwater tune:

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin´ my fame and fortune
Lookin´ for a pot of gold
Things got bad things got worse
I guess you will know the tune
Oh ! Lord Stuck in Lodi again

Well I can't say we are "stuck" - we planned to stay here and in fact the place we are in is pretty nice as RV parks go and the immediate area is pretty new.  We are still a few miles outside of the actual town of Lodi but will be passing through tomorrow on our way down old Highway 99 to Bakersfield.  It is very very flat here and nothing much to take a picture of.  I should have taken a picture of our thermometer about 3 pm when is showed 93 degrees.  I finally wimped out and turned on the AC.  Now that the sun is setting there is a nice breeze and the ACs are off and the windows are back open.  Looks like it will be OK sleeping temps.

So tomorrow we have about a 250 mile drive to Bakersfield and our last night out.  Sunday we will be in Las Vegas if all goes according to plan.  It is supposed to be 90 there.  At least Arlyene loves it.  She signed away any rights to complain - but I didn't!

Medford to Red Bluff

We learned our lesson a couple of years ago about crossing the Siskiyous in the Spring.  We wanted to start from Medford just in case any spring storms were rolling through.  We could have just held our position until the storms passed.  Our experience crossing in a snow blizzard on Easter Sunday a couple of years ago is not one we want to repeat.  Turns out today was a perfect day to do the trip.  Clear and sunny and dry the whole way.  No shortage of up an down or big trucks but all things considered it was a good trip.

We stopped in a rest area near Mount Shasta to get a picture and found it full of Seagulls!  We have spent a lot of time around Seagulls in the last 12 years or so but did not expect to find them near Mount Shasta.  I know they follow the Columbia River pretty far inland but there is nothing like that around here except perhaps Lake Shasta.  Anyway, they were being Seagulls including looking for handouts and getting in the way during picture taking.

Mine?  Mine?

We are now settled in our campsite in Red Bluff where our plans are to hang out all day tomorrow.  After two nights here we will head on south to Lodi, CA then down old highway 99 to a RV park just east of Bakersfield that is in the middle of an orange grove.  Should be interesting.

Moving Along

Easy day today.  Especially easy for me as Arlyene drove all but the last 22 miles.  We are stopped in Gold Hill, OR - just north of Medford.  Tomorrow we head over the Syskiyous and plan to stay two nights in Red Bluff where last time I looked it was clear, sunny and 84 - with some high winds.

Where Gizmo ate her lunch this afternoon.

That's about all there is for today.

A Day in Coburg

I had intended to say that we had an uneventful day in Coburg - except the bombs went off in Boston.  What a sorrowful scene.  Having run several marathons Arlyene identifies with the finish line atmosphere of an event like that.  We pray for those lost and injured.

All the repairs and upgrades are done on the coach.  Even a couple we did not anticipate.  We are back at our campsite relaxing and will be ready to the next short segment to the Medford, OR - only about 175 miles.

That's it for today.

First Update - Coburg, OR

I will spare you the pictures of I-5 through Tacoma and Olympia in the rain.  I will spare you any pictures of hail too.  Days one and two have had plenty of both.  We also developed a problem with the electrical connection between the coach and the Jeep so it did not have blinkers or brake lights.  I worked yesterday afternoon trying to troubleshoot the cause but had no luck.  I woke up about 4 am this morning, my mind in troubleshooting mode.  Later,  I checked some additional fuses.  Turns out two of them were blown.  I did not have any the same size but I made up a temporary that actually worked and got us here without a ticket.  Headed out this afternoon to find some correct replacements.

So it is Sunday afternoon and we are safely parked in Coburg, OR.  At 8 am tomorrow morning we have an appointment with the Cummins facility just on the other side of the freeway to have some annual maintenance done as well as an engine recall.  Hopefully it will all get done in one day.  We will spend a second night here tomorrow night and head out to Medford Tuesday morning with Arlyene at the helm.

Zero Hour Has Arrived!

Last minute packing (if you can call it that) is all that is left.  Everything else is as ready as it can be and we will be departing this morning to start our spring tour.  We are having typical spring weather here. 

Not much better down the road for the next couple of days but if we get over the Siskiyous on schedule we should start to dry out once we reach Red Bluff, CA.  It will be a wet drive today.  We will be stopping at one of our regular stops along I-5 not far from Mount Saint Helens.  The park is on the Toutle River famous for filling up with debris after the eruption.