A New Friend and Saying Goodbye to Family...

It was hard saying goodbye to Katie, Jackson, Becca and Davis, but it was good getting back to see Jack and the family. Jack had a little welcome home gift waiting for me...so pretty!

I made a friend on Facebook a couple of years ago who has the same RV we do and we've chatted quite a bit over that time. They started full time traveling six months ago and their itinerary included this area of California during our last week here so we made a plan to meet. Robyn's mentioned a few times that the Cast Iron Grill in Suisun City is nice, so I suggested that as our meeting place. We had a great visit, so much so that our late lunch stretched out to four hours! Hope we cross paths with Barb and Tom Wells again!

We only had ten days to visit with everyone and say goodbye before we started traveling again. 

We visited with Robyn and Melvin a couple of times then said our goodbyes after one last dinner out...at the Cast Iron Grill. Got used to our near weekly visits and saying goodbye was hard. We are really missing you guys! Keep the guest room ready for us! Meanwhile, come visit the East coast!

Our last time with the kids was the day before we left. We met at Round Table Pizza for a late lunch/early dinner then went back to Stacey's to hang out for a while. It's been great having them nearby and being able to get together whenever we wanted. Saying goodbye was hard, especially thinking about how much older Kayla, Chanoa, Sienna, and Kathy will be before we see them again. A few tears were shed during our goodbyes. We miss you already!

Grandpa Jack and Sienna

Candice, Jack and Kathy

Stacey and Brian

Chanoa and Kayla

Jack and I at the Round Table...

On the plus side, Brian and Stacey are in the process of buying a house and will have a guest room for us when we come West again! Congratulations on a great house, guys! Just get rid of those curtains...LOL!!!

Missing everyone but looking forward to some new adventures...

Back to Vacaville...

We enjoyed some beautiful scenery as we traveled back to Morro Bay from Hearst Castle and Jack stopped so I could get a few more ocean photos! Our last day in Morro Bay we enjoyed one more breakfast at Frankie and Lola's and I scored some delicious Salt Water Taffy in town...then it was time to leave.

On our way back north from Morro Bay we stopped in Fresno for a week to visit Jack's sister Mardell, brother-in-law Bart and brother Terry. We stayed at Blackstone North RV Park, the same place we stayed in 2014, only this time we reserved in advance and had a spacious pull thru site with a nice grassy area between campsites, It's a great urban RV Park and right across the street is Chubby's....good breakfasts, though not quite as good as Frankie and Lola's!! We had a great visit with Mardell, Bart and Terry and hated to say good bye, but they will come up to Vacaville to visit once more before we hit the road.

We returned to Vineyard RV Park for one last month. We were given a different site that was a lot tighter to back into than the first. Jack got too close to the tree at the edge and scraped up the roof. Thank goodness for Eternabond! Once we were settled in we realized the site had a better view and some nice shade. The weather was great most of the month and we were able to have the windows open a lot. So...a pretty good final month.

Kayla with Blue Bear and Red Bird

We were happy to see the rest of the family again. Dinner in Benicia with Robyn and Mel, dinner at BJ's with Stacey, Brian and Kayla and dinner at Stacey's with Jack, Candice and the girls. Stacey and I enjoyed another pedicure and Jack and son Jack went to the races! There was a World of Outlaws Sprint car race in nearby Stockton the weekend we returned and Jack was able to get tickets and enjoy the race with Jack! I'm glad they were able to grab some time together.

Then it was time for my getaway home...

Catching Up on Life in Vacaville...Chapter Two

Sienna, Kayla and Chanoa...beautiful!

It's been over a year since we last saw everyone and, while Brian, Stacey, Jack and Candice haven't aged a bit...as you can see...the girls have really grown. 

At thirteen, Kayla's a teenager and looks like one...a very beautiful one! She's still as sweet and smart as ever and still an awesome cheerleader! She's excited about her newest toy...a four wheeler! Be careful!!

Chanoa's ten...double digits...and still a sweetheart. She's gained some maturity and is prettier than ever. She's working hard in school making everyone proud of her.

Both girls make me feel like a loved grandma and I love it!



When we visited in 2014, Sienna was camera shy...now she's an adorable ham and loves posing for pictures! Though she remembers us, she understandably has taken a little time warming up but it's easy to see by the way she runs to greet Grandpa Jack that he's becoming her favorite.

Kathy is our newest grandbaby and she's a pretty little thing. She was not much more than a newborn when we arrived (two months old) but she's growing quickly, right before our eyes.

After Christmas, while everyone else was in a December 26th shopping frenzy, Stacey, Candice and I enjoyed a girls day out for pedicures and lunch at Panera's. It was fun to spend time together.

We didn't get to spend the time we wanted to with the kids over winter break since Jack was sick with a bad cold for all of it. Seemed like no sooner was he recovered than Jack and Candice's kids got sick...seriously. Baby Kathy was diagnosed with RSV...she spent at least one day in the ER but, fortunately, didn't have to be admitted. Sienna had similar symptoms and even Chanoa didn't escape without a bad cold. Happily, everyone is fully recovered now!


Once everyone was healthy, Jack and Jack got a chance for some father-son time and went to see the new Star Wars movie. They said it was really good. Hope they carve out some more guy time...maybe a Sprint Car Race in a couple of weeks?




Sienna turned four on February 18th. We all celebrated with a party at Round Table Pizza and she loved every minute of it...pizza, cake, presents, arcade games, blowing out the candles and hamming it up for the camera!

We've been enjoying our time with the kids.

Next up...fun with Robyn and Mel!

Catching Up on Life in Vacaville...Chapter One

Wow! Can't believe I haven't posted in over two months. Time just gets away from me sometimes...and other times I'm just plain lazy!

Let's see...how to catch up without writing a novel? Think I'll start with a quick outline...pictures will come later.

We arrived November 24th as planned and got settled in Vineyard Plantation RV Park...boy, the prices sure went up...$925/month plus electricity! Feels like highway robbery.

We've enjoyed many visits and dinners, at home and in restaurants, with all the family and look forward to more. Picture to come in Chapter Two...

The Sibs - Mel, Mardell. Terry, and Jack

Robyn arranged a "Sibling Dinner" in December. Jack and I...Mel and Robyn...Mardell and Bart...and Terry. It was a real treat...thanks for doing all that work Robyn! 

We've had several family gatherings with Stacey, Brian, Kayla, Jack, Candice, Chanoa, Sienna and Kathy at Brian and Stacey's...another thanks for all your hard work and great cooking (and grilling).

We spent both Thanksgiving (great turkey) and Christmas Day at Stacey and Brian's with Jack and Candice and all the grandkids. It was special to finally be able to be with them for these holidays.

Before Christmas we got to see Candice and Jack portray Mary and Joseph at a Christmas pageant at their church. It was wonderful to be able to be a part of this. 

Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve were spent at Robyn and Mel's along with Tim, Amanda, Tyler and other friends and relatives. Again, both the time and the food were great. Robyn even had hats and tiny champagne bottle bubbles to welcome in 2016.

Football season can not be ignored and it wasn't. We watched most of the games at Mel and Robyn's...including the Super Bowl. Jack and Mel even got to put the lights on the Christmas tree during one game and did a great job! I'm not a football fan but really enjoyed the company...and the snacks...they do awesome snacks! Unfortunately the Carolina Panthers lost the Super Bowl.

A few days before Christmas we rode around with Brian, Stacey, and Kayla looking at Christmas light displays, something I haven't done in a very long time. It was fun and I took lots of pictures!

I think I'll stop here and move on to Chapter Two...

Almost There...

We're on the last leg of our travels before we reach Vacaville. Spent two days in Needles, California for some R & R after losing Maggie. There's not much there but the weather was beautiful...daytime temps in the 70s, nights in the 50s, and lots of sunshine! It was restful and relaxing.

Parked outside Juicy's

We stayed at the Needles KOA. If you ever find yourself in Needles, I can highly recommend it. The sites are the usual gravel terrain, nice and wide, with Oleanders planted at every site. The streets are also wide making it easy to maneuver a large RV. They gave us a site at the front of a row near an area with a swing and fire pit. It is a public area, but there weren't a lot of people staying there so it felt like my own private yard. The only thing lacking was cable TV. We tried the two local restaurants...Wagon Wheel and Juicy's River Cafe. They're great for breakfast and lunch but not so great for dinner...but, then, this is Needles!

Our campsite in Needles and my "front yard"

  On the road to Bakersfield...

 

Orange groves on the way into Bakersfield

Left Needles and drove I-40 to its end in Barstow, picked up Hwy 58 and landed in Bakersfield. Staying a couple of days to clean house and catch up on laundry so that we can arrive in Vacaville ready to visit. We are parked in A Country RV Park...nice paved sites and great cable for Jack to watch the last NASCAR race of the season and for my Sunday evening with Madame Secretary and The Good Wife. Weather is nice and windows are open, but it will be chilly soon. We went out for Mexican when we arrived to a place called Mexicali. It had good reviews but we were very disappointed...wished we'd gone to In-N-Out Burger instead. Think we've been forever spoiled by the Mexican food in San Antonio, Texas and Mesilla, New Mexico!

Tuesday morning we'll be Vacaville bound and looking forward to seeing everyone!

Our First Anniversary and Saying Goodbye to Family...

I've let way too much time go since my last post...sometimes living life gets in the way of writing about it!

We got our new black tank installed the weekend of October 4th.  It took all day Friday and part of Saturday morning. It was a smelly job, the old tank was gross, and it took until Monday before the odor dissipated.  Total cost was about $1200. Tank, fittings and shipping were about $300 and labor was $900.  You couldn't pay either of us enough to do that job!  Thanks, Dave.

If anyone out there needs a good, honest Mobile RV Tech in the Vacaville/Solano County area, Dave Gelineau at Dave's Mobile Home & RV Repair is the one to call.  Message me in the comments for his number.

October 6th brought our first wedding anniversary.  A year ago, on Wrightsville Beach, under the Oceanic Pier,with sand between our toes, we got married.   It's hard to believe it's already been a year, yet it's been such a full year it sometimes feels that was so long ago.  We celebrated with dinner at Cattleman's...an old favorite of Jack's.

Our repairs done, it was time to leave Vacaville and hit the road.  We had a goodbye dinner at Chevy's Fresh Mex with Jack, Candice, Chanoa, Sienna, Stacey and Brian...Kayla had to cheer and couldn't make it :( so we had a goodbye phone call with her.

A few days before we left, we took a day trip with Robyn and Mel to Old Sacramento. We wandered around town, bought salt water taffy for us, t-shirts for Katie and Jackson, and had lunch and Joe's Crab Shack.   Then, the night before our departure, we had one last backyard BBQ at Melvin and Robyn''s.  We really enjoyed being close to everyone for two months...as Robyn said, we could get used to this.

We miss you all already and are looking forward to spending the holidays with you next year!

We said tearful goodbyes and headed south to Fresno, CA, where we visited Jack's sister Mardell, brother Terry and brother-in-law Bart.  We had a great, all too short visit...spaghetti dinner at Mardell's - a cook-out at Brandon and Michelle's, her son and daughter-in-law - dinner at Kylie's, Mardell's daughter, and Sunday Brunch with Mardell and Bart at Mimi's Cafe.  For some reason...I forgot to take any pictures!

We stayed at Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno.  The sites are paved and level, satellite TV was only so-so, picnic tables were old and cracked, but it was too hot to sit out anyway.  Most of the sites are a good size, but we got the last available site and it was a tiny back-in.  Next time we'll reserve more in advance.  We did meet some nice neighbors.  Jim and Barb were right behind us in their new 2015 Montana. They are full timers, originally from Placerville, CA.  We toured each other's places and they got some decorating idea from us.  Before we left, they had already bought Smart Tiles for their kitchen backsplash!

Melvin and Robyn make very cool lights out of wine bottles and, while we were still in Vacaville, they gave us a beautiful one.  I love the label which says "Por Que, No"  Why Not?  As it happens, we have been carting around two bottles from Richard Childress Winery...Jack liked them because of the racing connection and checkered flag label. They were old enough that the wine was no longer drinkable, so...Robyn and Mel turned them into lights too!  I love them!  Mardell loved the Childress bottles, so we gave her one before we left.  We still have one Childress and my Why Not bottle...don't they look pretty? 

We said some more sad goodbyes in Fresno and hit the road in mid-October.  Next stop...Vegas!

Ryan ~ RIP

Ryan was on his way to a shelter when Jack met him four years ago  He was a raggedy little 11 year old, anxious, fearful and afraid to trust...flinching when anyone reached out to pet him.

Jack rescued him and took him home.  He worked patiently to gain his trust, spoiled him and introduced him to the good life.  By the time I met Jack, Ryan was a friendly little boy who loved nothing better than being petted, chasing tennis balls and playing tug-of-war with an old sock.  He was okay with my becoming part of the family and would occasionally sit in my lap to be petted, but he and Jack always had a special bond.

In June 2013, Ryan, along with Maggie, joined us when we moved into our fifth wheel and started life on the road.  He traveled with us for almost fifteen months, through twenty states, before the effects of old age became too much.

Today we said goodby to our little guy...he was almost 16.  It was hard to lose him, but we know he's no longer struggling.

I hope he's playing with an old sock somewhere.

Black Tanks, Bikes and Bagpipes...

We're back in Vacaville...well, technically, we're in Dixon, but we're only seven miles farther out than the Vineyard RV Park in Vacaville was.

Our campsite

We're at the Dixon Fairgrounds...we don't have all the amenities we did before...no pool (but we only used it once), no cable TV (we're managing with over-the-air channels) and no laundry room (I have my new washer/dryer now!)...and it's half the price the Vineyard was, so we're happy. 

We have the place to ourselves; there is only one other RV here and, ironically, we recognize it as one that was parked near us a few weeks ago at the Vineyard RV Park...small world!

Bike Show

There was a Bike and Tattoo Show at the Fairgrounds this past Saturday and things were hopping for a couple of days, but everyone had cleared out by Sunday evening.  

In two weeks the Fairgrounds is hosting the Scottish Games...we've never been, so that will be interesting.  I imagine things will get lively for a couple of days...kilts, bagpipes and what all.

Dave, our RV Tech, came out to look at our black tank leak the day after we arrived and pronounced our black tank cracked...near a fitting and in a manner that can't safely be patched.

There's bad news and good news. The bad news is we need a new black tank.  The good news is that Dave can do the work here at our campsite on a weekend...we won't have to take it in to a repair shop.  The bad news is that it's an expensive job.  The good news is that Dave's labor rates are lower than the RV shop where he works during the week.

Also in the good news category, as mentioned above, I have my new washer/dryer!  After five months of laundromats, I am doing laundry in the tranquility of my own home.  No longer hesitating to wear a favorite item of clothing because it'll get dirty and I won't be able to wear it again until we get to the laundromat (I know, I'm a bit odd).  Anyway, I love having own my washer/dryer again!

So now we're in "wait mode' until the tank arrives.  He's also going order the piece needed and fix the body damage from our blow out.  Right now the plan is to be finished and leaving here before the first of October.

I won't say we're not stressed over the repair costs, but it's a relief to finally know what's wrong and that it can be fixed.

Tacos at Stacey's
Jack, Stacey and Jack

In the meantime, we're going to enjoy visiting everyone again! We started with tacos at Stacey's this past Sunday and have plans in the works for a day trip to Lake Tahoe with Robyn and Melvin as well as a family BBQ next weekend.  Tonight it's Melvin's world famous spaghetti! 

Family and Good Times...

Vacaville was a whirlwind of family visits!

Stacey and Brian had a cook out on our first weekend and on our last weekend so we could visit with them and Jack and Candice and all the grandgirls in one place, as our RV just isn't big enough for a crowd. Let me start by saying that Brian makes awesome grilled tri-tips...a cut of beef not seen on the East coast...and he made them for me several times! He also introduced us to a new BBQ sauce. Unfortunately, it's only available in California. Thanks, Brian!  

We had two cook outs at our place. One with Jack, Candice, Chanoa and Sienna and one with Stacey, Brian and Kayla. It was crowded in our tiny place...but fun!

Kayla

It's amazing how much the girls have grown. Kayla's 12 now and quite grown up. She's also a performer...always willing to demonstrate her gymnastic skills...and they ARE impressive. She does competitive cheerleading and is a flyer. I seriously think she's made of rubber! Jack and I had a great afternoon with her shopping for a first day of school outfit.

Chanoa

Chanoa's 9 and a bit shy, but warmed up quickly.  She really loved spending time with us. We had fun taking her to Barnes & Noble on a book expedition. I left her with quite a collection in the hope she will develop a love of reading. I am proud of her for finishing Ivy & Bean before we left...she said she loved it. I hope she's busy reading the others.

Sienna

The last time we saw Sienna she was about eight months old and didn't know who we were. Well, she's two and a half now and Jack and Candice obviously did a good job preparing her for our visit because she greeted us with a very enthusiastic "Papa Jack" and "Ga-Ma"!! I have a computer frame that runs a continual slideshow and I have about 300 family photos loaded into it; Sienna was enthralled.She loves looking at photos and identifying people in them...but hates having her picture taken. 

Stacey & Bryan with Jack

Jack & Candice

                     
We got to enjoy an adults only dinner out with Jack and Candice at Los Reyes and one with Stacey and Brian at Mary's Pizza Shack. We went out to dinner many times...probably too many for the budget, but who cares...it was fun! Besides Los Reyes and Mary's Pizza Shack, we went to Red Robin, Mel's Diner, Fenton's, Strings, Villa Corona, In and Out Burger, Cattleman's Steakhouse, Joe's Creekside Cafe, Black Oak Restaurant, Round Table Pizza, Black Bear Diner, Vasquez Deli and even McDonald's! 

 

Keeping cool in 100+ temps!

We also got in some great visits with Melvin and Robyn, including dinners out and some great meals at their house. I didn't get any pictures but I now have a new pot roast recipe!

We will be going back to Vacaville in a few weeks for one more visit before we leave the West Coast...it's going to be very hard saying good bye.