Clancy's Freedom Song

My hairless ape captors are holding me here, naked and shivering in the cold all the time.   While they wear many layers of clothing all over and sit on chairs!

Don't they understand the needs of an Australian Terrier?  I'm a political prisoner, held here for my Down Under beliefs.

Fellow Australians!  Strike out!!  To the barricades!!!  Sing out in unison!!!!


[To the tune of America the Beautiful]

Australia the beautiful,
Is warmer than right here.
They keep me on this cold cold floor,
And will not serve me beer.

Australia the warm warm place,
Has heat vents everywhere.
With blazing fires to lie before,
And jackets lined with hair.

Send coats and blankets!  And some imported New Zealand beer!!

Oh beautiful Australia,
Has warm sun all day thru,
No, wait, that's really Alaska,
No fires in igloos.

To tell the truth,
Was really born,
Right near west Idaho,
Have never seen a kangaroo,
Except on TV shows.

Oh beautiful Australia,
I feel you in my genes,
But I'm stuck here in this RV,
Australia's in my dreams.

America, America,
I guess I'll have to stay,
These hairless apes won't send me there,
The airfare they won't pay.

And I'm not a working dog.

Clancy

Arrived at Tucson, AZ

Finally arrived in Tucson.  The Desert Trails RV Park looks very nice, with activities galore.  And tis true that we back right up to the Saguaro National Park, with hiking and biking trails almost to our campsite.  Christmas carolers offering cookies and hot chocolate.  This we like!

So we pull up to our campsite.  Knock on our neighbors' door to ask them to move their truck a little. 

Bark, bark, bark!  Up bounds Rusty, an adult Australian Terrier!!  So we spent the next 30 minutes trading funny stories about our dogs.  Same noises, same behaviors, same feistiness.  They jump and play and all is well in dog land.

Next day, while Bruce works on the slideout under the trailer, Rusty harasses him to play with a rock, just like you-know-who.

Later in the day, Bruce meets two different couples from Olympia, one of whom will shortly undergo the same knee surgery he had one year ago.  Plus another couple from nearby Shelton and others from WA.  All fleeing the same rain and cold, no doubt. 

No pictures yet.  Too windy today, ahead of a cold front approaching from CA.

Those #!* Californians are always doing this to us Arizonians.    When was the last time we sent a storm in their direction??  Never!!  They have it in for us, sure 'nough.  Just jealous 'cause their state is more broke than ours.  Ha ha!

Peace.

Bruce

Back to The God Forsaken Desert for Solar Power

We returned to Imperial Dam to visit friends and get a solar panel installed on the roof of our trailer. 

We may return there for a week or two on our way north in the Spring.  For now, on to Tucson!  Plenty of sun and fun there.

Bruce

Borrego Springs, CA

Spent an afternoon and night in Borrego Springs, CA.  A nice little berg in the middle of Anzo-Borrego State Park, the largest state park in the lower 48 states.  I mean BIG.  Mountains loomed in every direction around the town.

On the way down the STEEP CURVY road to town

We visited Russ and Dee, a couple we met at Lake Tyee, at the beginning of this adventure.  At that time, they gave us maps, brochures, and advice on places to go, many of which we have visited in the past two years.

Upon our arrival, the hydraulic mechanism that pushes out one of our large slides groaned and bent at an unseemly angle.  Which forced us to keep the slide in for several days.  Another hitch in our giddyup.  We plan to obtain a repair while in Tucson.

Bruce

Jojoba Escapees RV Park

On Monday and Tuesday, we drove south from Park Sierra for two days to the Jojoba Escapees RV Park, http://www.jojobahills.com/ east of Los Angeles and six miles south of Palomar Observatory.

This is the "crown jewel" of the Escapees park system and by far the most costly to join.  A beautiful facility built on the side of a hill,  with nice views of the nearby Temecula Creek canyon hills and valley.  Mabye the only SKP park with a (fancy) pool and hot tubs. 

Nice people here...very welcoming.  We may return here in the future.

Two days here and we turn south and east tomorrow. 

Bruce

On the Road Again - Not

We had intended to hit the highway today, after 2.5 months at Park Sierra.  But two big winter storms in our path convinced us to wait two more days till Sunday.

Our plans - meander down thru southern CA and southern AZ to Tucson for two months.  More cacti and tostadas, I reckon.

Along the way, we may visit another Escapee RV park, this one in the south western corner of CA (and the continental US).  A day and night at Borrego Springs, CA, reputedly a beautiful desert area, where some friends reside.

Then on to Imperial Dam, site of our ten week dry camping adventure last winter.  This time we will stay only two nights, to see friends there and get a solar panel installed on our trailer for emergency power.

Those are our plans. 
- Man proposes.
- God disposes. 
- Fingers in noses.

Bruce

Now Winter Has a Say in our Itinerary

Bruce managed to fix the furnace and water pump.  Refrigerator next, but not critical.  But predictions of two winter storms along the entire west coast in the next few days has given us pause.  We'll wait till it all blows over.

We enjoyed our visit with friends Steve and Sandy.  We took a jaunt up to Yosemite National Park.  And attended a tree trimming community dinner.  Today, they made a run for it in their motorhome, ahead of the first storm.

Bruce

Got the Blues

We had hoped to turn south in a few days, after a visit from our friends Steve and Sandy from Lake Tyee.  But an assessment of our state of readiness finds us wanting...fully functioning utilities for dry camping.  So we remain awaiting parts and installation, likely for another 7-10 days.  Nice place to wait, so we don't care.

But still, it put me in the mood of the blues.  Who better inspiration than Janis herself.  And so a riff on Me and Bobby McGee

Busted flat in Park Sierra,
  Waitin for a water pump...and a furnace and a refrigerator door,
Seeing water flowing in my dreams,
  Jenna drove our diesel down to Fresno for a bite,
Stopped for barbeque ham and pork and beans.

We pulled out our computers for a little surfin' time,
  Playin' solitare while Jenna read the news,
Clancy chewing softly on the cables while we snoozed,
  He ate every sock and shoe we use.

Freedom's just another word for waiting for repairs,
  Waiting for a bill, it sure ain't free,
Feeling good is easy when you have some heat and lights,
  Feeling good is good enough you see,
Good enough for Clancy, Jenna, and me.

Which reminds me of Martin Mull's Middle Class Blues.  He learned the blues from his uncle, who was so middle class that they called him Blind Lemon Pledge.

Starts out
        I woke up this afternoon
        and I saw both cars were gone
        I felt so low-down deep inside
        I threw my drink across the lawn

And so forth.

Bruce