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It's been a week since our abrupt arrival in the Tucson area. While waiting on a replacement freshwater storage tank for our RV we're making lemonade out of lemons. On Monday, January 23 we went on a scavenger hunt in Old Tucson with a good friend, Mary Johnson who drove up from Rio Rico, AZ for the adventure. It was a fun way to see some of the sights downtown and learn a little Tucson history. Tuesday, January 24 we joined Odie Hudalla and John Ontiveros for lunch at the Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain in Oro Valley. Odie has known me since I was 10 and was a co-worker of my mother and close personal friend of both my parents for over 50 years. They are still both sharp and active. John (88) and Odie (94) live in their home that is part of an active adult community with a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool and many more activities. It was good to catch up and reminisce. Wednesday, January 25 we had to move our rig from the Valley of the Sun RV Resort to the Pima County Fairgrounds. Karen stayed with the rig after we moved to get set up and I took our truck to the RAM dealership in Tucson to begin the process of replacing a leaky rear timing gear gasket under warranty. From the dealer, I walked and took the local transit bus to Davis Monthan (DM) Air Force Base for my VA credential clearance to get on base, then took another bus to the Enterprise Car Rental office to rent a vehicle while the truck was in the shop and returned back to the fairgrounds to pick up Karen for our dinner date with Thom and Peggy Rooney. Thursday, January 26 we both returned to DM to get Karen's pass for the base. We drove to the on-base family RV Camp to check it out. Guess what? No RV sites available with full hook-ups and there was a waiting list. God had our backs in providing us the only full hook-up site left in the Pima County Fairgrounds! Out of 400 sites!! While on the base we stopped at the Exchange to do some shopping and get lunch. During our errands Jesse, the RAM dealer service advisor, called to tell us the repairs were finished. We shot back over to pick up the truck, no charge with the under warranty work, returned the rental truck and paid $47 for only one day. We killed the rest of the afternoon with a visit to the nearby Saguaro National Park. Fascinating place to see and visit. We ended the week with a bang! Oh boy, on Friday January 27 we took a road trip to Tombstone , AZ. We parked the truck and began to explore the town's three blocks of history. What did we do, you may ask? Paid $20 to see the re-enactment of the "Gun fight at the OK Corral", got a photo with Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday, "I'll be your Huckleberry" on the dry, dusty street of Tombstone, and did an ole time photo in appropriate attire with Karen. What a blast! On the drive back to the RV we even stopped and tried some Arizona wine. Whew, what a week!

Today, Sunday January 22 we attended Christian worship services at Casas Church. We were warmly welcomed and encouraged to relax, be yourself and freely connect with God in a meaningful way. We felt right at home and certainly had a heart full of gratitude and thanksgiving. We heard about the church from Scott and Holly the day before and got to say hello to them when we attended. After church we journeyed out to a very interesting venue just north east of Tucson: Biosphere 2. Here are some facts about the origin of the Biosphere project: • In the 1800s, the Biosphere 2 property was part of the Samaniego CDO Ranch. After several changes of ownership, it became a conference center in the 1960s and 1970s, first for Motorola, then for The University of Arizona. Space Biospheres Ventures bought the property in 1984 and began construction of the current facility in 1986 to research and develop self-sustaining space-colonization technology. • Two missions, between 1991 and 1994, sealed Biospherians inside the glass enclosure to measure survivability. Behind this highly public exercise was useful research that helped further ecological understanding. Several first-person accounts have been published by former crew members that provide different perspectives on the experiment. • In 1994, Decisions Investments Corporation assumed control of the property and Columbia University managed it from 1996-2003 and reconfigured the structure for a different mode of scientific research, including a study on the effects of carbon dioxide on plants. Columbia also built classrooms and housing for college students of earth systems science. • The property was sold June 4, 2007, to CDO Ranching and its development partners who then leased the property to UArizona from 2007-2011. The enclosure now serves as a tool to support research already underway by UArizona scientists. As a laboratory for large-scale projects, such as the Landscape Evolution Observatory, the university's stewardship of Biosphere 2 will allow the UArizona to perform key experiments aimed at quantifying some of the consequences of global climate change. A self-guided tour cost $23 each (with the senior discount!) and was well worth the money and time. If you're ever in the Tucson area we strongly recommend you take the time to see and experience this facility.

Friday morning, January 20 started with a beautiful sunrise at Kim's home in Prescott, AZ. It had snowed during the night and our rig was covered with a light layer of two inches. We'd planned on a 9 AM departure, but getting the snow off the three retractable slides of the trailer was required before bringing them in. The extra time to accomplish this sweeping delayed our departure for Tucson, AZ. We said our goodbyes and were on the road by 9:20 AM carefully pulling the fifth wheel down the icy road. Once we made it to the more heavily traveled State Route 69 heading south to US Interstate 17, the road surface greatly improved and we made great time to Phoenix, AZ. The traffic was manageable through the city and the 17 eventually hooked up with US Interstate 10 as we continued south towards Tucson, AZ. Our trip was proceeding smoothly and we were making good time for our next overnight stay at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. We stopped for diesel fuel at a TA Fueling station in Eloy, AZ. About 12 miles north of the town of Marana, AZ , and just south of Picacho Peak State Park we observed a male driver in the left lane pass us frantically attempting to get our attention. Oh no, was our ladder or portable sewer tank loose? He changed lanes to get in front of us, so I followed him keeping a safe distance. He slowed and pulled off the highway on to the shoulder. We stopped and he runs back to our truck and tells us something was dragging from under our rig throwing out sparks. Not a good report. I thanked him for getting our attention and he proceeded on his way. It was almost 2 PM. I reluctantly walked back towards the rear of the fifth wheel to investigate the cause of his concern. What I found made my heart sink. The fresh water tank was on the ground behind the undercarriage on the passenger side of the trailer. The two supporting steel brackets, front and back had snapped off the frame. causing the source of the sparks. The underbelly liner was torn off under the tank and water was freely flowing out onto the asphalt. Karen got out of the truck to see what the calamity was all about and found me unhappy but calm. Now what to do? Karen got on the phone with AAA and I tried calling Alliance RV customer service back in Indiana. By the grace of God we were able get a message to the Alliance customer service department during business hours and 10 minutes later Leslie phoned to start our case file. Within 30 minutes she had Tim, an Alliance technical rep, calling to arrange for a local mobile RV Technician named Scott to come out to help us. Scott called and told us he was en route and would arrive within the hour. So we waited on the side of the highway in our beach chairs and ate cookies... because we deserved some comfort food! By 4 PM we were on the road again with our fresh water tank removed from under the rig, dangling equipment components strapped up for travel and Scott following us from behind as we limped into the Valley of the Sun RV Park 12 miles down the highway. Destination plans now changed and at a different RV park with full hook ups, we started counting our blessings: no accident, quick discovery of the problem, RV still drivable, prompt response by Alliance and the local RV technician, an available RV site at the last minute, and many more. Scott, our RV Tech and his wife Holly were God's provision for us. These two helped us get settled Friday evening and he returned Saturday morning to rewire the broken electronic leveling jack motor damaged by the dropped water tank. He took some additional photos and sent in the parts request to Tim at Alliance. Now we wait, spending some unexpected additional time visiting friends and sightseeing. God is keeping our hearts peaceful as we trust Him for the timing. We are learning to surrender our plans and embrace God's presence through these trials!

We spent three days exploring with extended family in the Prescott area. Wednesday we visited with my cousins Ron and Linda Ross and had a great lunch at Rosa's Italian restaurant in Prescott, AZ. After lunch we added a quick visit to see my cousin Barbara's widow Bob Rose in Chino Valley, AZ just north of Prescott. Sadly, we lost my cousin Barbara (Ron's twin sister) back in December 2021 and it was important for us to stop by and see Bob. Thursday, January 19 would be our last full day, so Kim, Karen and I took a 2 hour road trip to Sedona, AZ to do some sightseeing. Kim got married to Bob Switzer in Sedona but hadn't been there for 10 years. She drove us in her Audi Quattro "Mafia Car" so we could enjoy the views. Sedona is as beautiful as advertised. We drove to the visitor center to get some information then to the Sedona Airport to have lunch at the Mesa Grill restaurant. We took photographs and drove around gathering information for a future trip to stay longer in Sedona and the Verde Valley. We headed back to Prescott for a dinner date with Kim's sister Stacy, her niece Dori and her three grand nephews Cayden, Everett and Ronin at the historic Palace Saloon on Whiskey Row. Although Whiskey Row was known for its many saloons, The Palace opened in 1877 and was much more than a fancy "watering hole". Men came in to check for notices of work available; it served as an election central for several political races and cattle spreads; and mineral claims were bought and sold over the bar. The Palace is still the oldest frontier saloon in Arizona and the most well-known and historic restaurant and saloon in the state. In the late 1870s, Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday were patrons of the Palace. Virgil and his wife Allie lived in Prescott where Virgil owned a saw mill at Thumb Butte and was Town Constable. Wyatt and his other brother, Morgan, visited Virgil in Prescott before they left for Tombstone. Doc was on a winning streak on Whiskey Row (possibly at The Palace) where he won $10,000 playing poker. He joined the Earps eight months later in Tombstone. On July 14th, 1900, The Palace was destroyed by the Whiskey Row fire. The ornately carved 1880s Brunswick Bar, which is still in use, was carried to safety across the street to the plaza by patrons.

We arrived at my cousin Kim's property in Prescott, AZ on January 17 in the late afternoon. The weather was predicted to get down to the high 20's at night so we didn't hook up water or sewer lines due to the possibility of them freezing. She has 50 Amp service which we did need to keep everything warm through the night. This was going to be a good test for Trinity in the cold. We had a lovely dinner Kim had prepared, and together caught up on life since our last visit in March of 2021. Karen and I got our "dog fixes" visiting with her two four legged companions Buddy and Chelsea. Kim offered her spare bedroom, but we opted to try sleeping in the rig in the cold weather and make sure everything worked right. We turned on our tank heaters and used both the gas furnace, fireplace heater and bedroom space heater to keep us warm through the night. I got up at 7:45 AM and the bedroom temperature was 60º F ,the main room was at 59.5º F and the battery compartment was at 43º F. Outside it was chilly 28.6ºF...burrr! The water system in the rig works fine. No frozen pumping. However, I think I'll shower in Kim's house instead of filling up our gray water storage tanks. Our rig is supposed to be four seasons and so far, so good.

Quartzsite, AZ is a well-known meeting place for RV nomads from all over the country. Snowbirds enjoy the warm winters while camping in over 70 RV parks and 11,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA), plus five 14-day free dispersed camping areas. Thousands of acres of dispersed BLM camping draws upwards to a million visitors a year. From New Years until even after the RV Tent Show and Rock and Gem Show, the desert is littered with every imaginable recreational vehicle out there. We arrived in Quartzsite at 4 PM yesterday after losing an hour from the time zone change while heading east on Interstate 10, exiting at Highway 95 south. We turned east on Kuehn Road which turns into East Dome Rock Road. We pulled off onto BLM land and parked the rig in an area we had visited some years ago. Karen and I had passed through Quartzsite in the past but never during the peak RV season of January to March. We wanted to stop and experience the energy and scale associated with Quartzsite before continuing our journey east. Today is Monday, January 16 and MLK Day. Last night it rained again in the desert and the temperature has been in the high 50's at night and low to mid 60's during the daytime hours. Karen and I went exploring through the Tyson Wells show area south of the town where many of the exhibitors have their spaces. We did find some RV items we needed but nothing we couldn't get on Amazon or maybe Camping World for less money. Between the wet, cold weather and the fact that we are in between 2 big shows here, there aren't nearly as many people as we expected. Honestly, I don't get what the big deal is about this place. Sure you can camp for free up to 14 days with no hook ups and even stay longer at the LTVA venues, but the whole scene is like a giant, crowded flea market. Well, we can now say, "been there, done that" if anyone ever asks. I'm thinking that the appeal might make more sense with a group of RVer's traveling together. There's plenty of room to create your own compound and put the "wagons in a circle". I can see a big family group or a bunch of friends hanging out here, eating together, exploring the area and ending the day with a big camp fire at night. On Tuesday, January 16 we will journey to the Prescott, AZ area to see some of my extended family that live in the area. We're planing on mooch docking for three days at my cousin, Kim Penman Switzer's place.

After spending a week at the Del Mar Beach RV Resort we said goodbye to the west coast and traveled east to Anza-Borrego State Park for a couple of days. Bob and Gail Conrad were staying at the Palm Canyon Hotel and Resort so we booked two nights next to them in the RV park. The fee, $90 per night was too high in my opinion. They pulled a bait and switch by advertising $76 a night but don't disclose a $12 per night "resort fee" until you check in. Hummm! By the time you've paid the taxes, well you get the idea and this game they're playing. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, a Spanish word for sheep. With 585,930 acres that includes one-fifth of San Diego County, it is the largest state park in California. We arrived on Friday, January 13 by noon so after setting up we all took off to do some sightseeing before sunset. We drove out to Font Point to see the "badlands" looking towards the Salton Sea which lies 230 feet below sea level! It was an ideal vantage point to view this impressive expanse. The desert is an amazing place to visit. During our short stay we observed the earliest of flowers starting to blossom. The rain has come early but it will be at least a few more weeks before the spectacular "desert bloom" event occurs that brings thousands of visitors to witness. We were sufficiently fascinated with the variety of cacti and the impressive geologic scale of Anza-Borrego. After the two night stay we said our goodbyes to the Conrads and left Sunday morning, January 15 at 11 AM for our next destination: Quartzsite, AZ.

I slept great last night and woke up this morning realizing that even though we couldn't continue traveling on the schedule I created for this trip it was ok. Yes, we lost one nights reservation fee at Anza Borrego State Park but that might even be reimbursable with our truck repair extended warranty. After years of living by a calendar, a daily schedule with deadlines and a lengthy list of thing to do I fell into an emotional morass because we couldn't keep going to the next location on our trip. Today is a new day and the Lord reminded me as I was laying in bed that our trip plan is man-made and an artificial deadline. We're RETIRED.... more or less. We can go where we want, stay as long as we want and change our plans anytime we want. This new reality obviously is taking some getting use to and yesterday was a wake up call for me. We are learning how to live in this new flexibility and freedom to be spontaneous. Weird to think it would be so hard to accept but after years of a disciplined and scheduled lifestyle I think many of you might understand what this might be like. So Thursday, January 12 began with a cup of coffee, a banana and the view of the Pacific Ocean outside our back window watching the early morning surfers riding the waves offshore. Today it cleared enough to see both Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands offshore. Not a bad way to start your day, right? We got a call from Bob at MasterTech around 12:15 PM informing us the alternator finally arrived. His technician would need a couple hours to install it and road test it before we could come by. So I stopped by the RV guest services office to extend another day here. We relaxed and did some revised trip planning with the expectation we would get the truck back in time to leave Friday morning. Karen spent part of the day working out details on the phone with Allstate regarding the rental car expense reimbursement procedures. MasterTech called us shortly before 4 PM to tell us the truck was ready to pick up. Yeah! The final bill for all the work came to $1370 and change. We paid $243.66 for our part and Allstate paid the balance. Thank God we purchased the extended warranty service coverage. So "Rambo" and "Trinity" are together again and we couldn't be happier. Tomorrow we will finally hit the road for the Anza-Borrego desert to spend two days with our good friends, the Conrads.

Six days ago I posted a blog titled, "Trifecta of Trials" where one of the issues involved a low voltage warning on our truck. While in Oceanside, CA I started contacting some local mechanic shops to inquire their availability to address this issue. On Monday, January 9 I was able to find a local mechanic who could do the diagnostics to evaluate what was wrong. On Tuesday, after getting a rental car (notice we can't tow with this), we dropped the truck off at MasterTech and waited for the call after the initial evaluation. We headed to visit Karen's Aunt Jean who now lives with her daughter Laura and son-in-law Vincent in neighboring Carlsbad. We had a great visit and it was good to see Jean who is 92 years young! While we were there, I heard from the shop at noon that our truck had a bad alternator and it would need to be replaced. The good news was the shop located a new replacement. The bad news was it would cost over $800! With our departure from Del Mar Beach RV resort scheduled for the next day we explained our situation to the Service Manager and he immediately ordered the part to arrive the next day. We were hoping the new alternator would arrive around 10 AM Wednesday morning and the repairs could be completed by noon. This would require a late checkout which we got lined up with the RV office, no problem. Wednesday morning we called Allstate Truck Warranty. When we purchased the truck we paid for the extended warranty anticipating this kind of costly repair might make it worth the cost in the long term. We spoke with a Rocky at Allstate and he helped us navigate the process. He informed us that the repair would be covered, less our deductible, and our rental car cost would be reimbursed. Great news and great service so we were encouraged! The bad news came later in the morning when Bob at MasterTech inform me the alternator was not on the parts delivery truck...serious bummer. We needed to cancel our two day reservation at Anza Borrego State Park because we would be stuck in Oceanside at least one more day, possibly two. Fortunately the Del Mar Beach RV resort could accommodate us, so we'll take it one day at a time. I guess if we have to be struck with this view out our back window, I shouldn't complain too much. Better than a shopping center parking lot next to the freeway in the rain! I was looking forward to camping with our good friends Bob and Gail Conrad in Anza Borrego with their new trailer and that still might happen. We're hoping and praying the alternator arrives tomorrow morning, the repairs get completed and we continue on to the desert. Stay tuned for more of the adventures of Trinity!

January 5, Thursday morning we finally got our credentials at the visitor center at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme to officially enter the RV campgrounds at the Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu. Well a lot has changed since I was stationed here and I made some assumptions about base access that made the process much more complicated. The confusing process and terrible instructions didn't help. Bottom line, we got to our campground, checked-in and set up for one night instead of two. The recent storms made some of the RV sites unusable but we found one close to the beach but far away enough from the ocean to not flood with another storm surge and high tide .The weather cooperated enough and we didn't have to work in the rain. The afternoon was spent re-supplying the truck with diesel fuel, DEF and engine oil. We also needed to fill one of our 30 pound propane tanks for the trailer. Unfortunately these chores didn't leave us much time for enjoying the beach. We did manage to get some down time enjoying the view during the sunset. Eventually the sound of the nearby ocean waves providing a lovely "white noise" background instead of highway traffic when we went to bed that night. Friday morning we got up early to pack up and hook up so we could leave by 8AM. We had a breakfast date with my cousin Glenda Teague and her two daughters, Nikki and Rachael at the iHop restaurant in Agoura Hills about 30 minutes away. It was so good to reconnect with my family and catch up. The brief time we spent together brought back fond memories of my cousin Jeff Teague, Glenda's husband who passed away unexpectedly some years ago. I could see and hear his influence on their lives as they shared stories about their lives now. All three of them are ambitious and creative, reflecting some of Jeff's legacy and energy in these beautiful women. After breakfast it was back on the road navigating the journey for the two plus hours through LA traffic down to our ultimate destination in Oceanside, CA. When we arrived at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton main gate at 2 PM, we immediately went to the visitor center to get all our required paperwork in order. Fortunately the personnel in this office efficiently processed us through security and from there it was to the check-in office for the Del Mar RV Beach Campground. This will be our home for the next five glorious days (Jan 6-11)! This campground is incredible with our back-in site next to the beach. The view is worth every penny and we enjoyed a stunning sunset and beautiful weather our first day. The Marines know how to take care of their own and we are the fortunate beneficiaries of their hospitality and facilities. Semper Fi!

Wednesday, January 4 started early with our departure from Greenfield to International Tire shop in King City, CA for a tire repair. We arrived at 8:20 AM and presented the tire to the owner for an assessment. I had found one metal screw in the tread and they found another but the coup de grâce was the delaminated side wall. We needed a new tire, so this was our "Strike one" for the day. We decide to continue south with the trailer's spare and headed to Paso Robles, CA about 45 minute further en-route. Karen called America Tire Company, ( I had purchased our truck tires there) and inquired about a tire brand I wanted to install on our rig when the time arrived. Turns out they had four Goodyear Endurance ST235/85 R16 tires in stock and they could see us that day! Hey good news, maybe this was going to all work out just fine. We arrived at the store, purchased the tires and backed the rig up to their service bay at 10:20 AM. Headed to Starbuck's for coffee in the same shopping center and waited for a text from the service department when completed. We had just finished our coffee and grilled cheese sandwich when we got the notification that the job was done. Less than a hour for completion and we were back on the road. Now the weather was horrible. Heavy rain and wind all the way to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, CA. It was a white knuckle drive and with the heavy weather delaying our arrival Karen decided to call the base to find out how and where to do the check in process. She was informed that the visitor center closed at 2:30 PM and we would never make it there in time to get our passes for the base in time. Karen tried to negotiate with this low level government employee and I'm sure you guessed how that worked out! We went to the base gate anyway when we arrived to appeal our situation with base security but got politely turned down. While traveling though this lovely weather and now no access to our booked campsite, the truck battery light lit up indicating low system voltage. Strike two! So where do you spend the night with a 35' fifth wheel and truck in Ventura County? Walmart parking lot...no not permitted. How about the local outlet mall where there was even a Cracker-barrel restaurant and we've used them in a pinch! So we parked there and at 9 PM the security patrol stopped by to inform us we could not stay overnight. He suggested the movie theater complex down the road which we checked out but it was a no go. So we took strike three for the day! We drove for another two hours looking for any place and eventually found some trailers and motor coaches parked in a large shopping center with a Target, Ross, Home Depot and multiple restaurants next to Hwy 101. We found a spot and hoped that since there were others parked there we'd be okay for the night. We only had to deal with the highway traffic noise all night long. Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4

Tuesday, January 3 started out on a positive note. I had my scheduled doctor appointment at the VA at 10 AM before leaving the area and everything turn out great! My labs looked good especially my A1C was down. My weight was down and I even had good numbers for my blood pressure. This lifestyle must agree with me! So we hit the road by 10:50 AM with our destination four hours away in Greenfield, CA on Hwy 101 just ten miles north of King City, CA in Monterey County. We booked one night through Harvest Host at the local Assembly of God Church on El Camino Real. The trip went smoothly enough given the drive through Bay Area traffic until we got to the Bay Bridge maze in Emeryville. We had a number of travelers trying to get our attention. Turns out our portable "Honey Pot" had jumped off our rear trailer ladder and was barely hanging on by the safety strap. We were safely able to pull over by the Oakland container ship facility and re-attach the tank to the rig. So we thought, "okay we've had our glitch for this leg", as the weather cooperated and we had dry roads all the way to Greenfield. We arrived around 4 PM and backed into the parking lot for the night. As we're unloading the truck, our TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) alerted with a slow leak from the driver side rear trailer tire. The pressure was down to 50 PSI so I got out our compressor and added some air hoping for the best...no luck. The tire just continued to lose air, so Karen made a call to AAA and had a mobile truck come and change the tire with our onboard spare. So again we learned more lessons about life on the road as nomads and the necessity to be flexible when the unexpected happens. Our AAA repair truck arrived in 20 minutes and we had our tire changed within an hour of the call! So tomorrow we get to find a place to patch the tire before heading too far down the highway on our way to Point Mugu Naval Air Station for two nights. The travel time is roughly five plus hours and with the weather expected to get nasty, we are going to get an early start. Stay tuned...more to come.