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The Adventures of Me & My Shadow # 86 in CA,AZ,UT &
ID 5/16/2003 From Meridian ID, Hi Everyone! On the way from San Diego to Los Angeles I stopped at Temecula, CA to wait for the GMC Western States rally to start on 5/28/03. I had some time to kill to let the temps go higher and the price of gas to go lower. I wonder what happened with global warming? I haven't found many days where the temp was in my comfort zone and the nights have been cold with a brisk wind every afternoon. We had about 128 coaches at the rally, met a lot of old friends and made a lot of new ones. Had some interesting seminars and a lot of good chow. The temps were below normal the entire time. Manny & Deo Trovao arrived in the only GMC with a slide out and drivers side door. I showed you a picture of it a couple years ago. This time he has added a fold down flat wide screen TV and it is the only GMC I have seen that has one. I wonder what Manny will think of next? (Pic and another Pic  My new friend Garry Tollison, a first timer, arrived in a GMC School Bus. He had not had it very long. It looks like a GMC Motorhome but it has more windows, a lighted sign above the windshield and double doors. He had removed the handicapped hoist that would lift wheelchairs into it. He has big plans to make it into a motorhome. My old friend Loren Bates gave me a bag of home grown oranges so I can use the money I would have paid for oranges to help pay for this high priced gas. I also learned about something that happened to me 60 years ago. I always wondered why I was immune to the smallpox vaccine I got when I went into the Navy in 1942. Every one else got a scar from it but I did not. Doc, a retired doctor who drives a GMC motorhome gave a seminar on getting vaccinations for diseases that terrorists might spread. He was telling about the time before smallpox was eradicated and he said that the milk maids never got smallpox because they got milder cowpox from the cows they were milking and it gave them immunity to smallpox. Now I know why I was immune to smallpox. I wonder if Ann Ambroze is immune to smallpox. She was a sister to my best friend in my class at school and when my bosse’s wife had a baby she hired Ann to help her with the added work load that comes with a baby. One day Ann was complaining about washing dirty diapers and I was complaining about having to milk cows. She said she just "loves to milk cows" and I said I just "love to wash dirty diapers". So for a short time I washed the diapers and she milked the cows. It didn't last long and she decided she no longer loved to milk cows. After the rally I headed on up to Riverside and had a nice visit with Doug & Di, my nephew and his wife. Then it was on to West Covina to visit my cousin Bessie, she is older than I am and stays young by growing all kinds of flowers and plants in her backyard and around the house. Bessie gave me a bag of homegrown oranges just after I ate the last one that I received from Loren. I also had a nice visit with my nephew Bob & Terry and their two daughters and Bob's sister Michelle. I then headed north and east looking for warmer temps and a lower price for fuel. I thought I found a lower price for gas in Las Vegas. I paid $1.719 for it, I thought I did pretty good when the next price I saw was $1.849, I almost cried when the next one had it for $1.51, I could have made it. I did find the cheap gas in Salt Lake City I paid $1.47 and I am now in Meridian, ID and I haven't seen any cheaper gas. I also haven't found any warm weather, in fact, as I came up I-15 in UT the mountains were still snow capped and in one place the snow cap extended all the way down to the road. I was sure disappointed in CA this trip. Not only the higher prices for every thing and the below normal temps, the streets and roads as a rule were in need of maintenance. They are putting all the resources and money into adding more lanes to handle more traffic on the freeways and the other streets and roads are not getting the much needed maintenance. I believe I have made my last trip to CA. In fact I believe my traveling days are about over. My hearing is getting worse. My memory is fast going down the drain. The only thing I see improving is my eyesight, in the daytime now without my glasses I see double what I used to see only one of. At night, without my glasses I see triple. It sure gets my attention when the car ahead puts his brakes on and I see nine red lights where there used to be only three. On the way up here to ID one time I pulled into the wrong side of the pump, I forgot what side of the motorhome the filler cap is on. The high price of gas sure took all the fun out of driving the old motorhome, When I got here I called Sioux Falls and got an appointment to see Doc Olson and get my defibrillator checked on 28 May then it will be on to KY for the first GMCeast rally. I sure hope I find some warm temps in KY. Till next time, Dallas or Dad if it fits. |