Search Results

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.

As we begin 2023 Karen and I thank you for all your thoughts and prayers throughout this last year as we journey through this new adventurous lifestyle. As we prepare to once again journey on, I'm reminded of this well known blessing: May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. ~ Irish Blessing Tuesday, January 3rd we start driving south enroute to the San Diego area. We have reservations at the Point Mugu Naval Air Station on the coast for two nights before we head to Del Mar Beach Campground at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside for five additional nights with waterfront property views. We want to enjoy some time at the ocean before heading east to the desert. The plan following our west coast stay is to continue on east to Anza Borrego State Park and eventually Yuma and Tucson, Arizona before arriving in Spicewood, Texas on February 5th, We're excited to start our first volunteer project with Roving Volunteers in Christ Service (RVICS) where we will work for three weeks at the Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center. So, as we begin this new year on our newest adventure we wish you all well and hope to keep in touch. If we're in your neck of the woods don't be surprised to get a call. We are looking forward to seeing many of y'all down the road!

Our Monday morning, December 5 started with a hearty breakfast then we were off to the equipment locker to get our scuba gear to the Andrea, our dive boat for the week. Because we were going to do three dives a day, Karen and I opted to use "enriched air" (Nitrox 30) during the week. We both were trained and certified to use this special air mixture which reduces the amount of residual nitrogen in the body over time. Our boat captain was Richard and our Divemaster was Hector. We experienced a variety of diving conditions, both good and not so great. The water temperature was 82ºF every day but the viz (visibility) was not so great at 40 to 60 feet, about normal for this time of year during the rainy season. The sea state varied from medium swells to relative calm, depending on our location. The maximum we dove was 105 feet, but most of our diving ranged from 80 to 40 feet where most of the life is located. I rated the dive sites between 4 and 8 out of ten in my dive log. I brought my underwater camera and lighting to capture some of the fascinating creatures we encountered. Roatan lived up to the hype and we saw some unusual and bizarre marine life. Creatures included some larger species like Sea Turtles, an Eagle Ray and Moray Eels. We also found small critters like seahorses, the Juvenile Spotted Drum Fish, Banded shrimp and Arrow Crabs. But my favorite was the Splendid Toad Fish (below). These ornate fish dig a hole at the base of the reef structure and back in to their home during the day. The are incredibly shy but I saw more on this trip than I have ever seen in all of my previous adventures. We ended our diving on Saturday, December 10 after a total of 16 separate dives during the week.

Today is Thursday, December 29, five days prior to our departure from Healdsburg, CA and the beginning of our 2023 adventure to the east coast of the United States. We are getting the truck and RV ready between the storms here in Sonoma County. According to the Press Democrat newspaper, "Sonoma County residents are anticipating another heavy round of rain starting Thursday and potential flooding leading into the weekend, according to officials. The new rainfall over this past week has brought the totals recorded at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport to 8.36 inches for the current water year, which started Oct. 1. That is about 2.7 inches below the long-term average for this time of year." Fortunately, here at the Herrick Vineyard RV pad, we are near the Russian River, but far enough away to not be affected by flooding.. As this year comes to a close, it has been great spending time with our good friends, neighbors and church family during the holidays. We are getting excited to be on the road again but this is a bittersweet time for us as we say our goodbyes. In planning for the lengthy trip away from the west coast, we opened up our storage trailer to pack the equipment and clothing we anticipate we'll be needing for the next year. We're 90% packed now and tweaking the list as Tuesday, January 3, 2023 approaches. Finally, two new things to share. One, we recently signed up to join HIPCAMP, an online booking platform where campers, glampers, RVers, and outdoor enthusiasts can find unique outdoor stays on private land. Landowners earn extra monthly income by hosting Hipcampers for overnight stays, and all you need is a flat piece of land and access to the great outdoors to start earning. We talked to our good friends Lorri and Greg Herrick about the platform and they recently joined. So if you're traveling to Sonoma County and need an RV site, look them up at Herrick Vineyards RV Pad. They are charging $55 a night with full hook ups. And two, we are excited to report that we received confirmation that our application to join Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service (RVICS) has been approved. According to their web page, "Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service (RVICS) is a volunteer non-denominational Christian ministry with a heart to serve the Lord during the years leading up to retirement and beyond. Our missionary teams provide a wide variety of maintenance, service, and construction assistance to needy non-profit Christian organizations. Our missionaries live in their own self-contained RV's serving on teams typically consisting of 4-6 couples. Project hosts commit to providing RV parking sites with electricity, water, and sewer, free of charge. The project schedule allows generous time for recreation and relaxation."

Since our return from Roatan we've been busy getting ready for Christmas and New Years. The rig is appropriately decorated for the season with garland, a card hanger and even a one foot high Christmas tree on the fireplace mantel. We've been invited to Art and Christina Cena's home for dinner before Christmas Eve services. Christmas Day dinner we will celebrate with our close friends Jeff and Dana Guidi. So we're looking forward to some cheerful celebrations with good food and great fellowship. Today, I wanted to share a Bible verse with you from Luke 2:11 to remind everyone the reason for the season. This verse says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” As Christmas is rapidly approaching, we hope that you will take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He came to this earth to die willing for our sins on the cross. That is right! He loved us that much! So amid the presents, cookie decorating, and Christmas parties, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season! Our prayer during this Holy Season is the following:: "Peace on Earth" and "Good Will to Everyone" Entering 2023 we are excited to travel and see many of you around the country. Our hope is to take more time visiting during this trip to the east coast and spend more than a day or two in any location. We'll be in touch!

Many of you may have noticed that on occasion we include in our travels a little figure of a character called "Gumby". I soon realized that many followers, especially the younger ones, have no idea who Gumby is and why he is featured in some of our photos along the way. First of all, who is Gumby? Gumby was the claymation creation of Art Clokey in the early 1950s after he finished film school at the University of Southern California (USC). Gumby, and his side kick Pokey, a pony, were stop-motion-animated clay figures in a children's show gentle enough for very young viewers, but weird enough for teens and adults. I remember watching the show on television during the sixties. Karen and I, early in our traveling adventures, decided to purchase a small figure from Amazon and he sits on our truck dashboard as a reminder of the term "Semper Gumby" to help us navigate through challenging situations and circumstances. I first heard the term from our son Erik while he served in the United States Marine Corps. Later, I again heard the term used by my shipmates in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Semper Gumby is an unofficial dog Latin motto meaning "Always Flexible", used by all of the branches of the US military. It is a play on the motto Semper Fidelis (which means "Always Faithful"), the official USMC motto. It is also a play on Semper Fortis which means "Always Strong", and the official motto of the US Coast Guard, Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready." (The real Latin phrase meaning "Always Flexible" would be Semper Flexibilis.) While the first use of Semper Gumby is often assigned to Captain Jay Farmer of HMM-264 in 1984 who actually flew with a Gumby character toy mounted on the standby compass on the instrument panel of his CH-46E nicknamed "Airwolf", the term was in use in 1977/78 in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton. Popular belief has it that the term was first referenced by the 1st Sgt TOW Co. 3rd Tank Battalion 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Ripper) prior to deployment of Operation Desert Shield from MCAGCC 29 Palms, Ca. on August 15, 1990 who said "Marines, my platoon commander in Nam used to tell us 'Semper Gumby, Always Flexible'." So when things get weird or stressful, we say, "Semper Gumby" to help us manage a challenging situation. It helps.

When we finished scuba diving Saturday morning, we still had the rest of the afternoon to schedule before our departure on Sunday. So what to do? Perhaps a leisurely afternoon on the beach relaxing, or kayaking around the resort? Maybe a massage at the Spa then cocktails around the pool? Nope, not this crazy group! And guess who floated the crazy idea for the afternoon? It was Karen who suggested we all go zip lining in the jungle canopy of Roatan before leaving. Yes, Karen! Karen explains it this way, "I try to do something out of my comfort zone every year. Zip lining was one of those things I was afraid of but wanted to "feel my fear and do it anyway. When I found out there was zip lining in Roatan, I was all in. Thankfully, my traveling buddies were up for the adventure also! To be honest, after getting all geared up in my safety equipment, I was almost in tears as I stood on the first platform ready to fly through the jungle! But once I got going, it was lots of fun. My heart was beating fast but I was screeching for joy and landed with a big smile on my face. After doing all 12 zip line stations through the jungle and landing at the beach, I was ready to do it again! Doing this with our group made it just that much more fun. And after we finished the Zip line, staff took a group photograph for the record." But wait, there's more! While we were at Gumbalimba Park, after zipping through the jungle, we were offered a tour of their animal exhibit as well. The tour included activities such as walking through trails, crossing on a suspended bridge of 237 feet long over a small lagoon, and visiting various animals in their natural state. The animals that you will see are the green and black iguanas, agoutis, white-faced monkeys, Scarlett and Green Macaws, parrots, and other species of fauna. Gumbalimba also provides a program that rescues and rehabilitates animals or are in need of an appropriate living environment. All in all, our Roatan trip was a great adventure. We made some new friends and plan on visiting Suzy in Houston, TX when we are there in February. And we look forward to connecting up with Steven in Maine during the summer.

On Saturday, December 3, 2022 Karen and I left with three other diving friends for a scuba trip to the island of Roatan. According to Scuba Diving magazine, "About 30 miles off the northern coast of Honduras lies a precious Caribbean gem: the island of Roatan. The island’s dazzling array of marine life can be found on both shallow reefs and plummeting walls. It is well-known as a destination for hunting macro critters but equally famous for encountering the largest fish in the sea: majestic whale sharks. Roatan is perfectly suited for new and veteran divers alike. With coral gardens, shipwrecks such as the Odyssey and Aguila, sand flats full of hidden delights, and action-packed shark dives, there’s never a dull moment underwater." We flew from San Francisco, CA to Houston, TX to meet up with the rest of our traveling companions before leaving the next day. We arrived on Roatan on Sunday morning, December 4. Our accommodations and all our diving was booked at Anthony's Key Resort. After clearing customs and immigration we were all picked up by their airport transportation and driven to the resort. After checking in we went to the resort's dive shack to get equipment lockers and a boat assignment. Because our group was large enough we were provided our own dive boat and crew for the week. From there we took the water taxi to the island where our bungalows were located. Our bungalow included a private deck over the water with hammocks to relax in. After unpacking we headed to the pool bar for happy hour and the "two for one" drinks to celebrate our arrival. At 6PM the restaurant at the resort opened for dinner and our party proceeded via the water taxi over for our first meal. The meal quality, selection and service were exceptional. All the initial signs pointed to a great week ahead so we couldn't help but anticipate a wonderful vacation!

After picking up Trinity at the dealership following the repairs, we traveled to Cal Expo RV Park for our week in the Sacramento area. It was so good to be back in our rig after our visit with Erik, Tori and the grandkids. I must admit, it feels much better sleeping in our own bed again. We were bare bone glamping without many of our stored supplies and an empty refrigerator/freezer. So we picked up some essentials for breakfast and lunch at the grocery store for the week. We spent Thanksgiving weekend with Nick, Lindsey and the girls so in two weeks we were fortunate to see two of our three kid's families. While in Sacramento we had a roof rack installed over the truck's crew cab and added a Thule storage box for some additional storage capacity. We now can carry all our scuba diving equipment and inflatable two-person kayak in the 11 cubic foot storage area. The drawback to this new accessory is the added height to the truck which is now 8 feet 6 inches tall so no more drive-thru fast food or car washes. We also need to be aware of low hanging entrances to parking garage structures in shopping malls. We headed back to Sonoma County on Monday, November 28. Returning to Sonoma County we arrived at the Herrick vineyard base for the duration of this year. Our plans for December include a recreational diving trip with some of my fellow members of the Sonoma County Sheriff's dive team to Roatan, Honduras (December 3-11). We will visit with friends and church family throughout the holidays before leaving for a year on the road. Our itinerary is still in development, but the first part of January 2023 is scheduled with 6 days at Del Mar Beach at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California then east to Anza Borrego State Park for two days in the desert.