We're Back

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We're back at the house, and what a time we had!

We had great weather (and a tsunami warning!), and got to meet a ton of people. Morro Bay State Park is a lovely venue, and there were something like thirty five Lazy Daze, with the oldest being a couple of 1983 models.

One belongs to our friends Steve and Nancy who we met last fall in Capitol Reef and the other to our new friends Dorothy and Mikio. I have to say, with a little bit of care, these Lazy Daze rigs can go on forever!

I wonder if we'll still be in Cholula Red in 2033???

Time will tell.

Once again, we learned so much.

I think after looking at the upgraded lighting in Steve and Nancy's rig, I'll be switching out our halogens for super bright LEDs. I've been hesitant, because the cost is pretty high. But after seeing them in action, I'm convinced that they can give as much light with such an energy savings that, even with the high initial cost, it will still be worth it. When I get this project underway, I'll give you particulars here, in case any of you RVers are interested in making the switch.

Another thing I'm planning on writing is a small piece explaining electricity in an RV. Now, this won't be for you of you who know anything at all. This will be for the very rank beginner. The reason I'll be doing this is, the subject came up several times, and it seems that most people who try to explain 12 volts, chargers, generators, batteries, inverters etc, already know way too much, and just can't seem to dumb it down enough for us beginners.

It seems, since I only understand the very basics, I was able to explain it a bit to several people at the get together. It was suggested that I write it out for the blog, so hopefully I'll get to that soon.

I also have some pictures I took during our trip (not as many as I hoped, but hey, I was busy visiting!), so basically, this entry is just to touch base till I get around to really making a posting!

We're Here!

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We are the laziest people in the world . . .

Our intentions are good, but you know, that warm bed and that good book just has a real hold on me in the morning. Must be all those years of getting up at 5am and going to work.

So around 3:00, we finally got on the road. We just couldn't get our act together any sooner. Of course, this meant that our plans of pulling in to Morro Bay early and taking a leisurely walk to see the sunset were pretty much dead in the water.

By the time I realized we were going to miss the sunset, I figured a few pictures out of a moving car were better than no pictures at all, so here we go.

I started shooting
somewhere outside of Cambria.
It's so lush and green right now,
really gorgeous.

Once again, I found myself
shooting right into the sun.
I love this technique.
And just think how good
this could have looked
if the windshield were clean!

Knowing we would miss the sunset,
I shot this out my open window
while Terry drove.
If you enlarge it,
you can see just the teeniest sliver
of the setting sun.

As predicted, we pulled into the campground in complete darkness, and of course there was no one in the booth. We do have reservations, so we figured we could just find our spot. Lots of loops here! We drove around, trying to get to our site (106) when we came to a sign 107-whatever to the right, whatever to 105 to the left, hey what's the skinny here? And no, 106 was not right in front of us!

Finally, I had Terry sit in the rig and I hotfooted it out to try and find our site. And finally I did, tucked back in a little corner.

So now were snug and happy.

Actually, it's an amazing experience, because the shades are all drawn, so we could be anywhere on earth. The excitement of new surroundings starts tomorrow morning when we wake up and look out our windows.

the Timeless Ethel

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I have really been into musicals lately (duh!) and tonight we were watching one of the Broadway's Lost Treasures discs (highly recommended).

And there was the fabulous Ethel Merman.

Wow, what a performer! What a set of pipes and what a dame.

I love these old time performers. They sure don't need no stinkin' microphones . . .

My favorite Ethel Merman story.

During the making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, her character carried a large purse, with which she would haul off and hit her son-in-law (Milton Berle) and a hapless driver who picked them up (Terry-Thomas). It was later discovered that Ethel kept all of her personal jewelry in the bag and apparently, it weighed something like twenty pounds.

I don't know why that makes me laugh so hard, but it does. Of course, the entire movie is such a hoot, that's just a small part of it.

Tomorrow we're off to Morro Bay. We were talking today about how swell it is to not have to worry about what to take with us, because all we have to do is drive the house!

Carrying the Canon 7D

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For some time now I've been meaning to write about my very favorite camera accessory.

It's called the Cotton Carrier and I have to tell you, it has changed my photographic life.

Let me back up a bit here. For years, I shot with a Panasonic Lumix, a truly wonderful camera. In fact, all the photos on this blog prior to February of 2010 were shot using a Panasonic Lumix. One of the great advantages of this camera is that it's incredibly light weight.

Then, about a year ago, I played with a friends Canon 7D, and I knew it was time for me to finally take the Digital SLR plunge. And I really love my Canon, it's an amazing camera, with just one tiny problem.

This sucker is really heavy.

At first I thought it wouldn't be that big of a problem, but as time went by, it became apparent that it was going to be a gigantic hindrance. It all came to a head last fall when we were in Capitol Reef. We took off for a hike one day, it was fairly warm, and the footing was pretty rocky. I tried carrying it around my neck, but that got bad pretty quickly. Then I tried carrying it in my hand, but I needed my hands for balance. Then I tried over my shoulder, but it just didn't feel secure enough. Not being the most stable on my feet (actually, I'm an enormous klutz), I was having a really difficult time. Finally, we just returned to the rig.

Where I started looking at camera straps, and let me tell you, there are a million different ones out there. Then I started seeing mention made on several sites of a contraption called a Cotton Carrier. Holy Moly, this thing looks like Japanese Samurai gear! And it's expensive to boot. But the more I look at it, the more sense it makes. I keep looking all over the Internet, but over and over I kept returning to the Cotton Carrier.

Finally, I talked with Terry, took a final look and realized it was available on Amazon (with an easy return policy) and pressed the order button.

And I have never looked back.

The hardest part of the whole set up is initially getting the fit right. It took both Terry and I awhile to figure out exactly where the straps should ride, but once we got that settled, I took it out for the exact same hike, and the difference was night and day.

The Cotton Carrier was a real revelation. Not only did it carry my heavy Canon 7D with absolutely no strain at all, but I am also able to carry my Panasonic Lumix in the added holster (I carry both because I don't have a wide lens for my Canon, and the Lumix takes such excellent wide angle shots).

At first, I thought it looked pretty silly. But now, I really don't care how it looks. It's the perfect accompaniment to my Canon 7D, or any camera for that matter.

I use it all the time. Whenever we go out shooting, I put it on. You can walk, hike, ride a bike, climb a hill, do just about anything and not only is your camera totally protected, it's immediately available for use.

It's the cat's meow,
the bees knees
and
the best thing since sliced bread.

If you want to read more about it,
you can find information
on their website at
CottonCarrier.com

Followers . . .

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Just last night after I posted, I saw that I had finally reached 100 followers! Gee, at this rate, when I've been going for eight years (I just reached four years back in February), I should reach 200!

Then, this morning, I went to post this and saw that I was back to 99!

OOPS! Guess someone likes the blog better when we're on the road and posting lots of pictures.

Oh well, I want all 99 of you (whoever you may be) to know I appreciate you following the blog.

the Unsinkable Molly Brown

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I know I write about movies a lot, but hey, I love them. Now lately, we haven't found a lot of new movies to love, but we sure enjoy the oldies.

Tonight, we watched the Unsinkable Molly Brown, and I must say, what a delight. The first time I ever heard Harve Presnell, I was in awe, what a fine voice. And Debbie Reynolds has never been better. Plus, you have Ed Begley, Hermoine Baddeley and the fine wonderful of Meredith Wilson.

I think the reason I love these musicals so much is that I find myself smiling while I'm watching them. And not just smiling, but grinning, from ear to ear.

Can you say that about many movies made today?

I wish more movies made me smile like that . . .

Well, YUCK!

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Today we thought we should start getting ready for our little adventure next week. The rig has been sitting under the trees, getting sappy and dirty, it looks a fright.

So we gave her a wash and boy, did she need it.

Then we looked her over and decided to give her a bit of spit and polish. We don't do this as often as we should and I'm ashamed to say, she doesn't look as good as other Lazy Daze that are even older. They told us the red paint was a mistake (much more upkeep) but did we listen?

So soon, she may suffer a name change. Maybe Cholula Tomato Soup, or Cholula Dusty Rose? Whatever, she will always be Cholula Red to us.

So anyhow, we used a bit of Finish First prep, which helps with the oxidation. I say we used a bit, because we only got to one side of the rig, the door side, Then we put a bit of Finish First wax on that side, and by the time we were done with the one side, she looked wonderful, but we were too pooped to go any further. Still, we knew we had to do something about the cab of the rig.

Let me backtrack a bit here,

When we make camp, we use a mesh boot which goes on the outside of the windshield. This allows light in during the day, and while we can see out, people can't see in. When we wash the rig, that has to come off, and of course it was filthy dirty. Fortunately, that can go right in the washing machine.

While the mesh boot works great during the day, when it gets dark outside, we add a device called an Easy Curtain. This is one of my favorite tweaks for the rig. It's lightweight, yet completely blocks all light, yet for some reason, it seems to help with both heat and cold.

In addition to the boot and the Easy Curtain, when we're somewhere for an extended stay and it will be cold, we've made a curtain that attaches to snaps on the cab over. It's a heavy microfiber blanket that goes all the way to the floor and into the wheel wells. Using this makes the rig extra toasty and snug, especially in cold weather.

So that's been the set up here for the last couple of months, the boot, the Easy Curtain and the microfiber drop.

Now, remember a while back when we were talking about how moist the rig had become, sitting here under the trees? Well, as regular readers know, we got a dehumidifier, which has completely taken care of the problem.

At least, we thought it had taken care of the problem, never thinking about taking down the curtains we have in the front of the rig . . .

So we took down the microfiber plush and Uh Oh, this doesn't look good. We see some mold on the bottom, where it hits the floor, so into the washer it goes. Then we notice a bit of mildew on the Easy Curtain (another load for the washer . . .).

When we take the Easy Curtain down, I have to tell you, it looked like the mildew monster had taken up residence, YUCK!!! It was everywhere. On the dash, in the seat belt, on the window, the doghouse, the floor mats, everywhere.

Wow, this was really disgusting!

Fortunately, it cleaned up pretty easily.

But it leads me to ask the question, What do you folks who RV in the wet climates do? The Lazy Daze is very well insulated, including thermal pane windows and tons of insulation. But that didn't stop the moisture from collecting, especially in the cab area of the rig, where the insulation is the weakest.

I haven't read much about this problem on the online forums, but it makes me wonder.

And once again miss the beautiful arid southwest.

Anyhow, it's supposed to rain tomorrow, so we may never get the other side of the motorhome waxed.

So if you're reading this, and will be visiting us in Morro Bay, make sure you only look at the rig from the passenger side.That's the shiny one . . .

Just One Flower

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Today I decided it was time for a haircut.

Getting a good haircut while on the road is often a real challenge. That said, it hasn't been that much easier since we've been back. The last time I needed a haircut, I asked two separate women whose hair I liked where they got their haircuts. Of course I got two different answers. That last time, I went to one of the hairdressers, and while it was OK, this time I decided to try the other one.

It turned out to be a lovely little salon, and while I was waiting my turn, I couldn't help staring at this small flower arrangement.


As you know, I'm always looking for photographic opportunities. It seems to be a gift you receive when you get into photography. You see pictures everywhere. Still, the opportunities have been scarce lately, but I'm trying.

So I decided to see what I could do with it and the few minutes I had before my haircut.

Here it is from a different angle.

Since the shot above was pretty blown out,
I moved to another angle,
incorporating the mirror for a different look.

Then I decided to zoom in
on the flower itself.

And finally, with a little manipulation,
I decided to really make the flower
the star of the shot.

When I was done taking my pictures, I asked the receptionist what kind of flower it was. She admitted that she didn't know, but was I aware that it was fake?

Ha, the jokes on me.

But I do think I got a great haircut!

Lions Supermarket

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Regular readers know I love to cook, and part of that is discovering new sources of food. When we used to live here in the bay area, several times a year we would visit an Asian supermarket over in San Jose, named Lions.

Today we had errands to run and decided to visit again.

What a great store, we had almost forgotten what an adventure shopping can be.

I love the incredible variety of fruits and vegetables. I asked the manager if he would mind if I took pictures, and he said it was fine with him.

So come along
on a visit through Lions Supermarket.

Have you ever seen these?
They're called Jackfruit,
they're the largest tree fruit
in the world.

Here's what they look like inside.

These are fingerling bananas,
we'd never seen them before.

I'm including this shot,
not just for the Baby Bok Choy,
but it also gives you an idea of the market.

These are called Fragrant Pears.
They have such a lovely aroma,
we had to buy a few.
We haven't eaten them yet,
but we're looking forward to them.

I've never seen beans this long before!
I guess that's why
they're called longbeans . . .

These are called Sin Qua.
I looked online,
but couldn't find any information.
Anyone have any idea what these are?

Another mystery,
but I love the presentation.

We're especially fond of sesame seeds,
so we picked up some of this.

They also have an astounding variety
of fresh seafood.

If we had been closer to home,
I would have bought some
of this beautiful tuna.
The fish here is amazing,
fresh and bright,
no fishy odors at all.

I love perusing the aisles,
everything is so bright
and exotic.

The candy comes in the greatest containers.
These were about ten inches tall.

After we ran all our errands in San Jose, we stopped by the auction (which is once again filling up fast). Is this the coolest slot machine you've ever seen?

Here's a closeup of the payout window.

So do you think I'll ever have anything more interesting than a visit to the grocery store to post about?

I know we had a great time, and while it's true that I'm pretty easily amused, I'm never sure if I should even bother with these kinds of topics. Still, that’s what's going on in our lives, so that's all there is to write about!

the Hunger Games

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I know I haven't been posting for a few days, but I have a truly valid excuse.

I've been reading the Hunger Games.

Officially, this is considered a YA (Young Adult) novel, but I must say, it never felt like it was talking down to youngsters. If it hadn't been labeled as YA, I would have just considered it a great read.

It's a trilogy of books (including the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay). I haven't been so immersed in a series in recent memory. Now I'm sorry that I'm done with them.

I've never read the Harry Potter books (maybe I should?) and I tried the Twilight sagas, but found them pretty boring. This kept me from reading this series for a while, since I thought it was just a "kids book". But trust me, this is a fine adventure.

Set in a not too distant future, the characterization is superb, and the story involving. Speaking to various topics like ecology, war and reality television, it subtly weaves these themes without ever getting preachy. And I really loved the characters

If you have any other recommendations (YA or not), please share. I don't know what to read next!

I also wanted to mention that we've had visitors. Russ and Donna, who have just taken delivery of their brand spanking new 30 foot Lazy Daze stopped by for an afternoon on their way home to Oregon. If you'd like to hear more about their new rig and their adventures, (including pictures) you can read their blog here.

We took another load down to the auction today, but we want to start getting ready for our short vacation next week when we'll be visiting Morro Bay. We need to clean the rig, inside and out, and hopefully give her a bit of wax (maybe). If we can't get her spin 'n' span to our specs, well, what they hey, we're going anyway!

Hopefully, I'll get a bunch of pictures to share with all of you.

Just a Few Shots

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Today we took another load to the auction. This week will be their first auction at the new site. It should be kind of cool, but we won't have a whole lot in this one.

I know I say this a lot, but I really can't believe how much stuff we have. I've been busy finding art. Oil paintings, watercolors, pen and ink, photography, woodcuts, lithographs, engravings, the list goes on and on. Right now, I'm just lining them up, but I'll probably take some photos before we take them away.

And the Disney. It is everywhere! I must have at least a dozen sets of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, some really beautiful, others not so much.

It's always bothered me
that the Dwarfs are
fairly easy to portray.

But, boy howdy,
there's some really bad
Snow Whites out there.

And this is one of them.

This really isn't one of the better sets, but I found it hiding under my coffee table, so it had to be moved. One thing can be said of it, it's pretty big! Snow White is probably a full nine inches tall. I thought I'd snap a picture before it goes in to the big wrapped up box pile.

Speaking of the wrapped up pile, I found a gigantic box of old Disney shirts. Ranging in size from medium to one size fits all, several of them are brand new, and most of them worn maybe once. Some have sequins, there's at least one Hawaiian and just a huge assortment. Anyone want them? I kind of hate to just dump them at the Goodwill, but I guess that's the best thing to do with them.

I've also taken a few shots while we were out and about. I have to admit that I do love the ocean here, but I so miss the blue of the southwestern skies . . . It's a toss up, but we'll always be able to visit.

This is a small park
down by the Santa Cruz Wharf.

Same park,
from another angle.

Doesn't this look idyllic?
Well, it was.
But remember,
it was in the middle of the week
in the middle of the winter.

This stands right behind the park,
and while scenic,
it gives you a better idea
of the commercialization of the area.

I'm getting excited about our trip to Morro Bay in a couple of weeks. It'll be great to once again be with a bunch of Rvers. Maybe looking out my window and seeing a brand new view will inspire us to work a bit faster?

Much Less Blah . . .

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Well, I can't say that my morning funk is completely gone, but I do feel better.

The transformation began when I spent some time with a friend this afternoon.

After a while I re-realized how very happy I am not to have to get up every day and go to work at job I don't love. And working with people not of my choice, who I may or may not get along with. And having my time not be my own.

I guess sometimes I forget to count my blessings.

In musing this over, other thoughts keep popping into my mind.

A lot of our local friends ask how we can stand to live like we do, expressing disbelief that we could be happy living in such a small space with no "home base".

Then I listen to them talk about how much everything here has changed. How it bears no resemblance to the place they thought they wanted to live. How crowded it is, how expensive, how the social climate has changed.

When this comes up, I ask them if they've ever considered leaving? Almost to a person, they express surprise and say of course they'd never leave, this is their home, they love it here!

Am I the only one who is hearing mixed messages here?

What happens to so many of us as we age? Are we afraid to try new things? Do we become so comfortable (even when we're not really happy with our circumstances) that we no longer see that we have options? Do we lose our sense of wonder?

Or are those of us
who choose the nomad lifestyle different?

Not better,
not worse,
but just different?

I have to wonder.

And be happy
that we've made the choices we have.

I'll be very happy when we leave,
my spirit is feeling renewed.

Blah!

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Will we ever be free again?

I've spent this morning catching up on travel blogs, and it makes me pine for the time when we were free. The idea that if the mood strikes us, we can leave and search for a new place to be.

It's been interesting entertaining our friends. They love the area and can't understand why we want to leave. Sometimes, I look at it and can't quite grasp it either. The area is quite diverse and truly beautiful. It's just that after sixty plus years, I want something else. Like turquoise skies, red rocks and endless horizons.

I really do feel like we're trapped here. We've done a lot on the house, but it seems like there is so much more to do, will we ever get through it all?

I miss waking up with that sense of adventure, places never seen before, people who love the lifestyle right outside my door, DRY WEATHER!

Yes, it's raining again, and that may have something to do with my mood . . .

Also, the fact that we haven't been able to take things to the auction house. We're hoping next week. Moving things out of the house really gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Sorry, I just needed to vent.

Catching Up

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A-I've had a cold
B-the auction has been unavailable
C-it's been raining
D-we've had guests

Pick one and use it for the reason
I haven't been posting!

In any case, they're all true, plus, I just haven't had a whole lot to report.

We've been really enjoying visiting with our Lazy Daze friends, and sadly, they're leaving tomorrow. BUT, the good news is that we're got online friends coming next week. Theyll be driving home from picking up their brand new 2011 31 foot twin bed Lazy Daze! We've been communicating by phone and email for a while now and I can hardly wait to meet them. It's always fun to meet online friends, don't you think? And I can't wait to see the new rig.

Meanwhile, we did have a couple of days of beautiful weather and we spent a good deal of it showing our friends around Santa Cruz. Brad is a dedicated metal detector person (whatever that title is eludes me) and he talked Terry into going out with him a couple of days.

Here they are all suited up.

We dropped them off, then went out looking
for photo opportunities.
We found one,
right on the cliffs overlooking
where they were searching.

For some reason,
I've never been to this tiny park before.
Look at this view!

Here's the view in another direction.

In addition to a great view,
there are tons of beautiful flowers
hanging from the cliffs.

These beauties are growing
all along the coastline.
I don't know what they're called,
but I love them.

I know it's kind of boring
to always post pictures of flowers,
but I just think they're so perfect.

I also have a thing for palm trees.
Fortunately, I wasn't driving
so I was able to stick my head out the window
for this shot.

And for whatever reason,
I kept going back to this shot.
Again, it was taken from a moving car.
I guess I just like the composition?

That's it for tonight.
Hopefully we can take a carload
to the auction tomorrow
and get back on track!