GETTING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE: Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves
of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~ Rachel Carson
  Getting In Touch With Nature
  • PHOTO-BLOG
    • Let's Chat >
      • ON MOTORCYCLE
      • LIVEHONESTLY
  • HOME
    • CUSTOM DESIGNS
    • Greeting Cards
    • ANIMALS
    • CHIPPY & CREW
    • BIRDS
    • MY BOOK
    • PLANT LIFE
    • HUMANS
    • TRAVEL
    • NATURE'S ART
    • Growing Up In Africa
  • ABOUT ME
  • Beach Wood
  • BEES
  • BUY MY ART
  • MY BOOKS
    • FOR ALL THE BEES
  • TINY-LIFE
    • GEESE PHOTOS
  • LADYBUGS
  • FOR ALL THE ANIMALS
  • ANIMAL RIGHTS & WELFARE
  • Island Rental
  • TRAVELS WITH MOM

The First Part of Week Two

11/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Heading into Sausalito, California.
Picture
Heading north from Sausalito toward Napa, CA
Picture
After getting a few groceries at a small neighborhood market in Sausalito and more items in a town called Strawberry, I headed for Tiburon Ridge Open Space Preserve, but not before my driver side mirror clipped the mirror of a parked van. The parking lot was small, crowded and designed only for cars. Both of our mirrors did what they're supposed to   do, which was collapse a little. The driver of the van wasn't there when it happened. When he returned, I went over to talk to him. He saw no damage and neither did I. He smiled and thanked me for telling him and we both continued on our way.

The Preserve I was searching for didn't work out. Getting there was once again through small, winding roads full of backed up traffic due to construction. When the phone ap said, "You've arrived," there was no where to turn and it did not look like we arrived where we wanted to be. The best thing was seeing three wild turkeys cross the road. I stopped traffic to photograph with my cell phone and no one got upset.  

I asked Google Maps to guide me to a rest area and I was taken to a large parking lot at a Target store where RVs could park. Sometimes listening to directions without knowing at all where we are or where we're landing is unnerving especially when the voice says 'you've arrived' only to renege and keep giving directions. That's happened more than a handful of times already. There will be last minute right or left or u-turn instructions that have me looping around before landing me where I want to go. You don't give last minute directions to a motor home driver!

One time in Seattle, the Google Maps wound us all over a hillside overlooking the water and told me "we'd arrived" when we were at a park bench high on a hill. What we wanted was the ferry boat to Bainbridge Island where we were headed for my mother's hand surgery for skin cancer.

​The views from Target were outstanding with walking paths along the water. We stayed until dark. 

Picture
VIEW FROM TARGET PARKING LOT
Picture
MORE VIEWS FROM TARGET PARKING LOT
Picture
After leaving our lovely day spot, I found overnight parking at a hotel parking lot. It's a bit like a winning lottery ticket to find a place that works out. We had no neighbors and it was quiet - two huge pluses when boondocking - until the sound of early morning garbage pick up. 

​After 7 days and 7 nights of driving and moving from spot to spot each day, we spent the entire next day and night at that location. It was a windy morning (the news had wind warnings for high profile vehicles like ours) with the threat of rain, but by early afternoon, the skies had cleared. The feel of cool wind blowing through our open windows felt good.
Picture
.

We visited my mother's first cousin and his wife in Napa, California. They moved to California from West Virginia in the 1960's. They are mask wearing anti-Trumpers like us. We sat outside in their back yard very mindful of social distancing. We left with homemade apricot and strawberry jam that they made, and fresh cut roses from Richard's garden. 

In the span of sixty years California's population more than doubled from 15.87 million 39.78 million.  

I remember meeting Uncle Stanton, (dad to the cousin pictured here) when I was a very young girl. He told a story that stuck with me about losing his son, Robert. His son promised his dad as he left to fight in WWII that he'd be home. My mother and I don't recall how he died, but it was some sort of military training accident in the states. On the night his body was shipped home, my uncle heard/saw his son at his bedroom window telling him he was home. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
I tried to book a cut-n-wash for my mom at a nearby hair salon, but was told they aren't allowed to wash hair -- a COVID restriction. They also aren't allowed to blow dry or style. My mom just air dried hers after the cut. Not sure what the regulations are, but pandemics demand we be flexible, adaptable and learn to go with the flow. I get it, but it sure takes a bite out of fun and easy.

My mom came out of the salon telling me all about the young woman -- twenty something -- who cut her hair. Her background was German and her grandfather fought for the Germans in WWI, and her father, who came to America when he was two, grew up to fight for the U.S. in WWII. Much of her family back in Germany died in a concentration camp. Mom ran out of time finding out more details. She would loved to have talked with her longer. The young women  said she didn't understand what was going on in our country under Trump and that she was raised to treat people the way you wanted to be treated. She was disgusted with Trump and his supporters. Biden hadn't officially won yet, but the counting was under way. They both discussed their hopes that Trump would be voted out of office. 
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Travels With Mom

    I'm traveling in a 24' RV with my 96-year old mother who is six months into recovering from a broken hip. And, of course, Cooper is with us. He's my 9+ year old rescue dog. We're mostly boondocking across the west coast of the United States. 

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2020

    Categories

    All
    BEGINNING OF WEEK TWO
    Harris State Park
    Just Another Thursday
    OR
    Sea Lions & Surfers
    WEEK ONE - Colorado To California
    Week Two Begins
    WEEK TWO CONTINUED

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.