It is now past the middle of February but the weather here in San Diego seems to not recognize historical patterns this year. We have been moving back and forth between our home park, Thousand Trails Pio Pico, and a very nice San Diego County Park called Sweetwater Summit but the 10 miles between them does not put us into a different weather pattern. It has been raining an extraordinary amount for this local desert environment. Long-dry stony creek beds are now full, and sometimes overfull, since November. The surrounding countryside in most recent years has been either a light brown or flame-colored but this year all the grasses, trees and bushes are a brilliant emerald green. Just a few days ago, we were obliged to remain in the Pio Pico campground area for two days because the roads both ways from the park were flooded. A large contingent of Thousand Trails members had gathered near the entrance from the east to the park to watch motorists who thought their small, low cars would pass through the raging torrent exiting the creek in the park and crossing the highway. Some of the motorists were correct, some were mistaken but the smart ones turned around to take the 45 minute drive around on rural roads. Unfortunately for them, the road was also flooded west of the park so they should have considered traveling another day. Peggy had convinced me to go shopping the day before all the flooding started so we were just as happy as could be while malingering close to our fifth wheel for the duration of the temporary road closures.

So far this winter we have been here for some four months and, considering the El Nino weather freezing out almost the entire remainder of the country, we appear to have guessed right when scheduling a long stay this season. We have completed some onerous tasks while here, including some truck service, considerable trailer repair from our two unfortunate trailer tire blowouts which tore up quite a bit of trailer wiring and undercarriage components, not less than seven forays into Tecate, MX, to get our old teeth fixed by the reasonably-priced female dentist we have found there. We both got a nasty cold or flu and were mutually required to cough up many things resembling yellow jellyfish.

I purchased and have been operating an eraser wheel to slowly remove the funky decals that were ugly when we bought our traveling home and have gotten more scroungy since. It is very slow work because the adhesives used to bond the infernal decals to the gelcoat trailer walls are very tenacious and resist all efforts to remove them.

We got to spend Xmas and New Year’s with our kiddos Dana, Sam and Kate, Sam’s wife. We got in contact with a few of our friends. I received a cell phone from the kids for Xmas, a brutal deed that I may never forget. I am quite stupid regarding my new smart phone but I can sometimes get help from children to make the confusing device operate consistent with my wishes. I am almost up to idiot status after a month and a half of near-total confusion.

We have some medical visits to the doctor, a bit of Medicare stuff and a final service on the truck before we leave the San Diego area for this year’s adventure. We also are going to make another trip to Cabo with my sister, Julie, before departure. We don’t generally go to Cabo twice in one year but Julie won a free week at our timeshare and was sweet enough to have us accompany her. We thought refusing would be rude, if not moronic, so we are going.