Thar's Gold in That There Dirt!

We're returning from Marion, North Carolina where we've been experiencing the Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine (see http://www.luckystrikegoldandgem.com/). Our friends Curtis and Carolyn Smith are members of the Vein Mountain Recreational Miners Club, headquartered there. This photo shows the spot where everyone meets to talk, play cards, eat, pan for gold and gems, solve the world's problems, complain about fuel prices, make beaded jewelry, etc. It's a busy place. Next door is The Miners Diner, a take-out providing burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, coffee, the best un-sweet tea I've ever had, and other delights. They also contributed substantially to a potluck dinner, held on Thursday night "around 7." Time here is an iffy thing. There are some great cooks present--the potluck rivaled those at our church with plenty of sweet stuff, my personal favorites.

Our campsite can only be described as laid back. Folks pull in to all sorts of spots, most of which are two deep (causing some issues when the campers in back want to leave before the campers in front!). We had 30 amp electric through a regular household 3-prong outlet, but it worked just fine. There were two motorhomes in our area (the Smiths and ours) with a few trailers and lots of tents, some of which had satellite dishes! There's no such thing as quiet time and folks have campfires here and there. We were backed up to a creek which burbled delightfully in the night when I could hear it over the campfire groups and snoring from him whose name I shall not mention. But we slept well anyway after the daily activities.

One can purchase a bucket of dirt, some with gold, some with gems, and a few with either emeralds or rubies and sapphires. Herb went for the gold generally. Here he is, working at separating out small grains of gold from the sand and dirt. Curtis got us started, then there were lots of nice folk ready to show the technique and encourage us neophytes. They give you a very small bottle and a little eye dropper device called a sniffer to suck up the little particles. It's a slow but somewhat rewarding process. It can be pretty wet, too, depending on how many are panning at a time and how many children are involved! A busload of sixty grade-schoolers showed up on Friday, really making things interesting! I was more interested in the gemstones and managed to find these. You sieve them out of the dirt. The big thing is to have somebody check what you've got--I was sure I had an ugly piece of rock; the sherriff (more about him later) advised me it was a sapphire! The purple ones are amethyst and the ones that look like raisins are garnets. The sapphire is the black thing near the lower right. The tan ones are moonstone. It was so much fun to dip a scoopful of dirt into the water and come up with some of these!

On Friday and Saturday there was a club dig. Herb participated as Curtis' guest. A backhoe scooped up loads of dirt and put it into this contraption. Through various screens and processes (including a young lady pitching big rocks out of the mix), gold is extracted, along with sand and dirt. There were three shifts; two on Friday and one on Saturday. On Saturday evening there was a big potluck at the clubhouse with fried fish and everything else imaginable. We were entertained by a couple of fellows singing karaoke-style and a man playing the spoons and another playing the frog (too deep to explain). Foggy Mountain Breakdown was outstanding. The gold from the dig was doled out according to a drawing, along with some small nuggets which had been donated. A larger nugget was given out in a raffle.

At one point I was taken prisoner by the sherriff (the less said, the better), but generally it was a most enjoyable experience!

Where We've Been

You'll notice the little map to the left--it shows all the states in which we've camped so far. We have a map like this in the coach with stick-on states to add when we camp in another state. As you can see, we've more to see. If our trip to Kentucky goes as planned, we'll add at least one more state.

If you'd like to create a map to share in e-mail, print, or add to a blog or webpage, go to http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/ and follow the steps. When the map is created, right-click on it and choose "save as." I added it to my photos then uploaded it to my blog. There's probably an easier way. As I've said before, I'm not inept with a computer but just barely ept!

A Trip to the Big House

I'm thinking Casa Grande means big house, so that's where we are. I'm learning about Google Earth. Here's what the campground looks like. We're in the lower left part, about the second row down. We're staying for two nights after a stressful day. We spent $2500 on five new tires for the coach then enjoyed rush hour in Phoenix. It's great fun to drive through heavy city traffic in a 38-foot motorhome towing a pickup truck loaded with an ATV. Trust me on this.

Jane's Ride

You've seen Herb's ATV. So do you think I'm jealous? Not when my employer at Black Rock provides a T-Bird. And here it is! Now don't laugh--the emblem on the front says, "Tee Bird." It's not much for speed and I've had to be pushed back to the office on one occasion. I've asked the boss to have it souped up, but he's seen me drive and is petrified at the thought of damage I could do at greater than 5 mph. Oh, well.

Time to Say Goodbye

Some of you who reside in the cold country may have a difficult time identifying, but this winter was over before we knew it! Yesterday we assembled on our site for a goodbye party. I fixed some salads and Herb presided at the grill, producing hot dogs, brats and metts almost as fast as the folks wanted them! Some of the westerners had no clue about brats and metts; one thought metts were named after the baseball team.

Our bosses, Sandy and Harlan were there; Harlan, as usual, continues to refer to me as Shorty (can't imagine why). Sandy, the best boss anyone could have, brought my favorite cookies. Chris, who also works in the office, brought a delicious crabmeat salad, and Bob, her husband, brought his great sense of humor. Linda Brown brought three homebaked pies which were the hit of the evening: Apple, French silk and black bottom. She cut them, too, knowing I'd massacre them if I did it. Her husband, Ron Brown, showed his Texas colors. It was fun calling him on the radio for propane and having him answer, "What can Brown do for you?" Anna Mae, our postmistress, brought homebaked cookies and her sweet self, and Perry brought his appetite! Deloris remembered to call me Jane instead of Sue for a change. Betty, our hostess for excellent cookouts all winter, brought some smoky sausages. Donna made rice and beans which were soon devoured and a tale of a naked man in the desert. There's actually a nudist colony not far from here. Her husband Bill is still remonstrating with Herb; Herb loaned his ATV to them to try out early in the season. They had barely made it out the back gate when Donna announced she had to have one. They now have a side-by-side ATV and have enjoyed many rides with Herb, the "trail boss."

It was so sad that Kelly could not be with us. She's got a terrible cold and didn't want to spread it--but helped us out with chips, plates, glasses, and the loan of a crock-pot (mine bit the dust over St. Patrick's Day). Her husband Bob regaled us with his adventures as a traffic-reporting airplane pilot in Phoenix. He once reported on the air, intending to say he was taking a peek over east Phoenix, accidentally substituting "leak!" After that, the station kept asking him just where he was, as people were concerned!

Bob and Kelly had loaned us their outdoor fireplace. As the sun went down and it cooled off, everyone gathered around it, continuing to visit and watch the stars.

It was a great way to end our winter at Black Rock, a place where we feel very much at home.

Black Rock Beauty and the Beast

After a busy morning at work, my neighbor insisted I come with her to see a cactus in bloom. Well, I've seen cacti in bloom--lots of them. But I didn't expect this! I've no idea what sort of cactus this is. The blooms appear in the night, last through the day, and disappear by the next morning. The folks who live in the campsite where this cactus is growing were most patient with "tourists" snapping lots of pictures, although Toby, their Welsh Corgi, wasn't nearly so cordial! There's another such cactus in another area of the park with blooms in white with a peach tinge. Unfortunately those blooms were gone by the time I knew of them.

Then today, Chuck showed up. We believe he's a chuckwalla, although he doesn't look exactly like the one in Kelly's book. He likes romaine lettuce a lot but won't eat the white center part. He hung around for a good while, studying us carefully and waiting for more romaine. We were able to approach for close-ups so long as we kept furnishing the romaine I was saving for a salad! I'm almost certain that didn't matter to him.

By the way, I'm not the one who christened him, although the name just flows, doesn't it?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It was a great relief to know the slideout motor on the coach had been repaired. The great feeling lasted until this morning. You'll notice in the picture there's a bar sticking straight up supporting the slide topper awning. Well, it's not supposed to stick up; it's supposed to hold the roller on the side of the slideout, not the top. So when Herb tried to close the slide this morning, the awning just gathered itself up in a bunch. A couple of men at Charger Enterprises came out and helped roll the awning up and secure it. They told Herb there are some broken springs and bent stuff involved and it will be a booger to fix. Oh, well, as Gilda Radner said, "It's always something." Motorhome ownership is interesting. I'm reminded of a little plaque on a friend's boat: "A boat is a hole in the water into which one pours money." Motorhomes seem to have similar characteristics, except they don't float. You'll know that if you've seen Robin Williams' movie "RV."

The true treasure found in this Elkhart odyssey is the service center. Charger Enterprises along with Holmes on Wheels are outstanding for RV repair.

Back in Time

We were in Shipshewana, Indiana recently. This form of transportation was everywhere. Some of the carriages had three rows of seats.

Large farms along the road had clothes drying on the lines and bicycles, horses and carts in evidence; no cars or pickups in sight. Signs advertised handmade quilts, woodworking products and furniture, and fresh produce.

The Amish women in this area dress traditionally but in pale gray for the most part, with white bonnets. A number were working at booths in the huge flea market. Their words were gentle and pleasant. The prices were more than reasonable.

And on the road traffic made way for carriages and buggies of every description with handsome, high-spirited horses trotting along oblivious of the cars and trucks. Despite the crowds of tourists, their lives go on in a peaceful way as they have for many years.

Communication Challenged

I suppose you wonder where we've been. We were in White Cloud in western Michigan. And the reason why you've not heard from us is no internet access. Our phones were on roam as well.

Because of the trees, Herb couldn't aim the satellite dish. So there we were. After glaring at each other for a time, we went on with things.

We went canoeing and hiking. Herb grilled over an open fire. We had a look at Lake Michigan, nearby. We visited some yard sales and fresh produce stands. Cherries and sweet corn are grown in the area--we feasted!

We'd like to return to the area next year, perhaps to work in the campground where we stayed. There's a lot to see, including woodlands, small lakes and farms of all sizes. Nice people, too. Now I have to lose this Michigan accent before I get back to the southwest!

Wow!

We had an exciting afternoon. As we were setting up camp at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Belleville, Michigan, a loud roar alerted us to the Blue Angels! The aerial acrobatics were amazing and performed at blinding speed. We watched, open-mouthed, for a long time, trying to catch some pictures. Herb was better at catching them at the right moment. Most of the other campers watched as well. It was really hot outside, but no one seemed to notice.

The experience was unforgettable. Such precision! I think we'll both probably have stiff necks in the morning.

This is the second time we've stayed at this fairgrounds. Last time, we just needed a place for the night and happened to be in the area. We were delighted to find the county fair in session. We explored the exhibits and Herb ate some disgusting hot dog conglomeration which included sauerkraut and, I think, chili! Truly an ecumenical meal.

This time, we chose to stay here because we're having repairs done to our coach just down the road, and it was convenient. I think we may come back again, just to find out what's going on!

Unexpected Animal

There were many surprises attached to our church mission trip to West Virginia. Some involved the campground we'd chosen--Paradise Island of Christian. Not only was it located at the wide space in the road called Christian, WV, it was a Christian campground. Whatever we expected to see in West Virginia, it didn't include a llama!

We certainly wondered what we were in for on arrival. Priscella, one-half of the couple who owns it, introduced herself and gave us the lowdown. Some aging RVs are rented to homeless folk in exchange for working in the campground. Abused animals are taken in and cared for. The animals, treated very well, include several horses, a pony, a couple of frisky goats, and a llama, the biggest I've ever seen! Our 37-foot class A diesel motorhome, a bit battered though it may be, was the best looking RV in the place.

We arrived on Sunday and were told to pay for our stay on Monday--"We don't do business on Sunday." Priscella is a lady of faith but not to be messed with. Folks are not permitted to take advantage of her kindness. She expects them to do what they've agreed to do--if they don't, they're out. As Billy Sunday once said, "A sinner can repent but stupid is forever."

On Monday we came back late and went over to pay the bill. Priscella was playing the keyboard and singing, accompanied by a fellow with a guitar. She has a deep, beautiful voice.

If you'd like to have a look, here's a link: http://www.paradiseislandwv.homestead.com. We started out skeptical, but had a great experience after all.

If This is Tuesday, This Must Be...

If we were drawing a diagram of our current travels, it would be most confusing.

We left Texas, traveled across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The plan was to drive across the Florida panhandle as far as St. Augustine. We tried to have some repairs done in Gulf Breeze. When that didn't work out, we thought we'd continue on; but there was smoke in the air. If you look at a map of northern Florida, you'll see that Gulf Breeze is a considerable distance from Lake City, where wildfires are still burning. I checked the Internet--parts of I-75 and I-10 were closed for low visibility. Southeastern Georgia is afire as well. It seems a fire started in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, spread across the state line to Florida, and has now crossed back into Georgia--payback!

So we checked the map and all of our discounted camping plans. It was back to Alabama for the night, then into Georgia from the west this morning. The air was still smoky but has since cleared.

Tomorrow we'll head through the northeastern part of South Carolina and into North Carolina, where we'll stay in Salisbury. That is, if the plans don't change again.

By the way, we're staying on Lake Oconee tonight, full hookups, 50 amp service, for two bucks. All those discount books come in handy. We have neighbors from Canada and Australia. We can see the lake through the trees. After all, home is where we park it.

Bad Coach! Bad!

Yesterday we stopped in Livingston, Texas to have the coach inspected. Coming out of the lot, paved with potholes, the back of the coach bottomed out. As we were driving through Louisiana, a kind semi driver with an air horn let us know something was wrong. Herb discovered the mud flap had come loose and taken some fiberglass with it. He creatively tied it up with all sorts of cables and cords. This morning we removed the mud flap.

In preparation to leave Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, we discovered the big slide on the driver's side would not close. Instead, it made a sound I believe I heard in the movie "Alien." Of course, the cell phone only worked outside in full sunlight. Coachnet called a road service company from Lafayette--they showed up two hours later and used the wrecker to push the slide in, accompanied by a most unpleasant grinding sound. The mechanic was of the opinion that the gears were stripped and two motors, at $700 each, would need replacing.

On the road again, I called several RV service centers along our route. The best we could do was in Gulf Breeze, Florida in five days.

We ended the day in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in a miniscule campground. We parked in a site, put down levelers, extended the slide that still works, connected to water and 50 amp electric, and then discovered the 50 amp electric wasn't working. So we undid everything and moved to another site where we couldn't level the coach unless one wheel was off the ground and there's a long step down from the door. Oh, well.

He's Riding!

This Gambrel's Quail, perched on the back of Herb's ATV, probably felt like he was going somewhere! That little topknot thing usually dangles down in the front. High winds were causing it to stand straight up! He was supervising two other quail that were scratching in the gravel under the bird feeder just like chickens. A Gila Woodpecker was dangling upside down from the suet feeder, taking a bite here and there, while the feeder swung in great arcs in the wind gusts.

Desert Beauty

For those who might think that the two words in the title are an oxymoron, here's a photo Herb took yesterday while exploring by ATV. We continue to see that God's creation is superior to anything that man has devised.

Desert Bird

I spied this dude (or dudette) hanging upside down from our feeder yesterday to grab a choice morsel. According to our bird books, it's a red-shafted flicker of the woodpecker family. It's a large bird and apparently likes peanut butter suet blocks. Well, who wouldn't. The birds seem dusty (and thirsty fershure!) so a birdbath is planned for the Benjey campsite.

Work!

Whenever work was mentioned on the old Dobie Gillis sitcom, a character named Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) let out a yelping "work!" I believe Herb and I echoed that sentiment as we retired.

But yesterday we both took jobs at our current campground, Black Rock RV Village in Brenda, Arizona. I work in the office of this 420+ campsite park, taking reservations, checking people in, charging items and taking payment, etc. I love it so far. I think I needed something to do! Today my cash drawer balanced--I felt I'd truly accomplished something. My work pays for our campsite, electricity and propane.

Herb is working on the maintenance crew, pumping propane, repairing cable TV outages, checking electrical problems and whatever the manager finds for him to do. He gets a paycheck.

It's part time work--truly makes a difference. We've plenty of time to enjoy the view. This was how it looked last evening.

Holy Smokes, Boss, It's the Green Hornet!

For younger readers, the Green Hornet was a masked crime fighter of radio, and later TV fame. As Herb rode off on his green quad, complete with wraparound sunglasses, the comparison came to mind. I'm not certain what sorts of crime he might be fighting out there on the Arizona desert, but I know he's having a great time.

We rode together yesterday, out the back gate of the campground and into desert land. After a time the only sign of civilization was the ATV trail. The only sound was the wind. Tall saguaro on the mountainside stood guard under fast-moving clouds. What peace!

Little Things

For those of you who think we might be motoring through life without a care, a few words--not complaints, really, just realities.

A prescription went astray in the mail (imagine that) necessitating a call to the doctor's office. He wasn't in, they'd give him a message. The prescription was called in to the closest Wal-Mart, 40 miles up the road. Two days later, on arriving at said Wal-Mart, we learned they were out of that particular nostrum, "come back Monday." On Monday, another 40 miles up the road, the line at the pharmacy was out the door and around the corner. The person at the counter, obviously frustrated with a flock of elderly and not-so-elderly snow birds, was brusque at best. I've heard of a sign once posted in Quartzsite--"We love snowbirds--they taste like chicken!"

In the ice and snow of Albuquerque, a sharp chunk fell from the roof and neatly sliced in half the hose that drains unmentionable fluids from the coach. Try mending one of those at twenty degrees!

In a campground in California we were given a space rated for a 40-foot rig. Backing in, we hit a tree at the rear--most of the coach was still in the roadway.

Since we still have issues with the title to the Jeep (thank you, Ohio), it's necessary to order temporary tags monthly from Texas at 25 bucks each. The Attorney General's office responds that the investigation is not going as fast as they'd like. That's interesting--the Newtown Police had theirs concluded in less than a week.

So are we ready to hang up our Family Motor Coach membership and call it a day? No way. Right now we're cruising along through the Arizona desert toward a favorite destination, looking forward to new adventures. Herb has an Aussie-type desert hat on and is planning to throw me on the back of the ATV and head for the hills. Bring it on!

Wherever We Are, We're Home

We were sitting at a picnic table eating lunch in Quartzsite, having plunked ourselves down with another couple. We exchanged basic information (who we are, where we're from). When they learned we live full time in our motorhome, the woman said, jerking her head toward her husband, "He could do that in a minute, but I couldn't. I need a home."

Now there's a cliche amoung full-timers that goes, "Home is where you park it." And like many cliches, it's true. Because wherever we are, we're home. From Oceanside, California to Portland, Maine, when our day is over and we've finished exploring/shopping/whatever, we say "Let's go home" and we do.

If the scenery is lovely and the neighbors are pleasant and their dogs don't bark a lot, we're comfortable with the blinds and drapes open. When it's dreary outside, we can close out the weather. When the karaoke gets too loud at the clubhouse, we can close the windows and turn on the air.

There were the usual questions about mail, banking, keeping in touch, paying bills, all easily answered now that we've been "homeless" for a year and a half.

Basically, though, home is what you make it, wherever it is, and wherever you park it!