Cool Weather, Hot Springs

At Caliente Springs RV Park for the week

Repairs are all done and we're back at Caliente Springs to sort of finish up where we left off. The gate that put such a huge dent in our joy last month doesn't seem nearly as ominous in the daylight.

We have a very nice spot this time. It's not as secluded as the spot we had last time, but that building you see in the distance is the community center wherein lie the lovely hot pools we have come to love -- a very short walk. Being on a corner gives us more traffic noise, but it's not too bad. Old people live here and generally stop moving around after dark.

The ominous gate. Ha!

Since we had to be at Alfateers again to fix damages, we thought we'd get a few other problems fixed as well. We had them put in a new kitchen faucet, which took care of the leak under the sink. And we replaced the microwave/convection oven that was close to being completely unusable. The door handle was cracked to the point that it was causing the microwave door itself to separate in spots. With the condition it was in, I couldn't really be sure that microwaves were not leaking out during use. It was either replace the door or replace the oven (tough choice). The new one is beautiful, but I have to relearn how to use it. Time for cookies!

While we were at Alfateers, we met two very nice couples with whom we chatted on the last day as we waited for our coaches to be done-- the Millettes and the MacKennas. Merikay MacKenna and I swapped blog site addresses and I have posted hers in my sidebar for those of you interested in checking out the adventures of other RVers.

And Mark had some time to replace the bad closure on the pantry cupboard with a brass magnetic latch. We found these pretty cheap on Amazon and they work great.

It's very windy today and I doubt if it will hit 60 degrees. I was hoping for 70 degree weather, but it will be in the 50s and 60s the whole time we're here. We thought about taking the bikes out for  ride, but I'm a wimp and it's too cold for me. Maybe tomorrow. Instead, we went for a walk.

brass closures for cupboards and drawers

We're still in the planning stage for the next six weeks or so. Our next stop will be the Phoenix area for a few days and then east toward Mississippi, Georgia and Florida for more family visits. The order is still undecided, but we'll have a definitive itinerary before we leave California. Stay tuned.

And now it's time to check out the water in the hot tub...again.

...well somebody has to!

Memory Lane

What to do while we're waiting around for the motorhome to be fixed?... other than sitting on our bums thinking about the motorhome being fixed. That's been the challenge.

Most of the time, we've been sitting on our bums. But we've had a few distractions, some of which (like Magic Mountain) I've already related. Three weeks goes by incredibly slowly when things aren't really going your way.

There was the Superbowl. Steve and Al hosted a get-together with Katie and her family. We had superbowl food and watched the game. Nobody's favorite team was playing so the cheering was less than enthusiastic. Yay, Eagles. But it was another opportunity to spend time with the kids and bond with the grandbaby. That made it a great day.

The next day we popped Invincible into the VCR and watched Mark Wahlberg and Greg Kinnear make the Eagles look good.

Then, it occurred to me (finally) that Mark might enjoy Hart Park, since he likes historical monuments and museums, so we put that on our agenda for this week.

William S. Hart was a silent movie era star. He was a classically trained theater performer and an avid fan of the American West. He was an excellent horseman, friend to many native American tribes, and could speak several Native American languages. He was somewhat unhappy with the unrealistic way the "Western" movies portrayed cowboys and Indians, and so when the opportunity presented itself, he got involved and was instrumental in correcting that false impression with a more realistic one. When he retired from movie making, he purchased the thirty or so acres of land in Newhall that is now Hart Park and built himself a very nice home overlooking the Santa Clarita valley. Upon his death, he willed his estate to the State of California, with two caveats-- first, there would always be animals on the property (which there are); and second, no one would ever be charged a fee to visit.


Hart Park gives free tours of the home all year long. The tour was a half hour long, taking us all through the house, and we got a good walk in from the parking lot up the hill to the house and back down again on the "nature trail."

For about five years, I and my family lived just down the street from Hart Park. Steve and his friend (whose name I have long since forgotten) used to walk over in their free time and roam around the park, playing whatever boys play when they roam around parks. The place has changed a little since then. Our little old house is gone, along with all the other little old houses on Walnut Street, replaced by quaint shops and apartment buildings. Still, it was a nice walk down memory lane for me.

Yesterday we went to the movies and saw "15:17 To Paris," the movie about the three Americans who foiled the terrorist attack on a train headed for Paris. We both thought it was a very good movie and highly recommend it. The acting was a bit stiff, but bear in mind these were all novice actors playing themselves. We thought they did a pretty good job. Woven into the story were the events throughout their lives-- their long-time friendship, the twists and turns that ultimately made them who they were and prepared them for what they would do when they found themselves in the position to make a difference. Providence? Yep, I think so.

Back to reality.

As of today, we are still hoping for a Friday finish date on repairs, though we haven't received any confirmation as yet. It is, after all, only Tuesday.

In the meantime, there's the Olympics. (More bum time.)