17.08.14-21 Solar Eclipse

After I left home base I had a leisurely week to get to my next activity - attending a Solar Eclipse party near Bend Oregon.

My first day on the road was a short drive north from Thunder Valley to Redding where I stopped for groceries and a coffee shop to spend some time on my travel logistics.  I noticed there was an Elks Lodge with RV parking facilities in Redding, ( I joined the Elks Lodge last year primarily because the Elks Lodge RV facilities had been recommended by several fellow RV'ers as a convenient layover while traveling).  I was ready for an easy day, and had already driven 150 miles, so decided to stay in Redding.  I have stayed in several other Elks RV lots since becoming a member, but this one earns the top review so far - right on the Sacramento river with a really nice bike trail that I rode once at sunset upon check-in and again the next morning.......

before a swim in their really big pool. 

 Then I headed out for another 150 mile drive before it got too hot. The second day of travel took me in to Oregon, just north of Klamath Falls where I stopped in the late afternoon at a casino parking lot and had a peaceful evening at home with a nice view of the Oregon forests in the distance.

Day three of travel took me to central Oregon and LaPine State Park about 30 minutes south of Bend because I had one night to fill before checking in to my Thousand Trails reservations nearby.  I had another riverside bike ride - this time along the Deschutes River and in the Deschutes National Forest.  The excitement related to the upcoming solar eclipse was evident here - people from far away places and talk of where they would watch the eclipse on the 21st.

Next day I moved a short 10 miles to the Thousand Trails campground just south of Bend where I will be for a week. I was very happy to have made contact with Denny, my 2nd cousin from my mom's Iowa family who lives in the area now and was very happy to connect with me as well.  He took me to Paulina Peak in the Newberry National Monument area for a birds eye view of the recreational wonderland he calls his neighborhood,

then to his house to meet his wife, Shirley who took this picture of newly acquainted cousins.

I had one day of rest at home before heading out on Saturday Aug 19 toward my camp hosting friends Rod and Kathy's house in Camp Sherman where I would stay in their cowboy guest room for three nights to enjoy the eclipse experience safe and sound, away from the crowds that descended on the area.

Others braved traffic jams and paid big bucks to camp in a field with thousands of others, but Rod and Kathy live inside the band of solar eclipse totality, so once I arrived, the only travel I did was by bike with Rod and his son Tim - a 10 mile bike ride in their neighborhood.

Mike and I always said it is good to live where other people vacation, and they do! 

On the way to their house, I passed this forest fire which was causing some local evacuations, and creating concern about good viewing of the eclipse,

Mike and I always said it is good to live where other people vacation, and they do! 

On the way to their house the first day, I passed the forest fire near Sisters, OR which was causing some evacuations and concern over clear viewing of the eclipse,

but on the day of the eclipse, the sky was clear.  There were ten humans and three dogs at their house: Rod and Kathy with their two sons, me and two others for overnight lodging and three who came in by car from inside the neighborhood for dinner the night before and for breakfast on eclipse day.  

We had eclipse branded wine, moon pies and eclipse related music from pre-designed sound playlists the night before.  Then on eclipse morning, we had an early breakfast with champagne mimosas to get us in the mood.

The eclipse started right on time as predicted, and we moved our chairs to the front lawn to watch the moon cover a larger slice of the sun minute by minute.  We enjoyed a little more than an hour of cooling temperatures, dimming daylight and crazy conversation and pictures.

Here we are in anticipation of the big moment at 10:17AM

and here were are during the total eclipse at 10:19 AM

Just like you saw on TV, but in person, it was indeed an unforgettable experience!

More eating continued after the sun came back out, and later in the afternoon,

we took a hike to the headwaters of Jack Creek in the neighborhood to enjoy the sun and the beautiful world we live in. 

17.08.08-13. Until we meet again!

Murphy's law.  Fix one thing, and something else goes bad.  When I picked up MT (aka: the Motorhome) from my favorite chassis repair shop in Newcastle last week, the original engine work was perfect, but now the back-up camera had no power. So after the relaxing break in the mountains I returned MT to the shop for five more nights while they returned my back-up camera to working order. But all I is well, because I still had people to catch up with....

Remember the four crowns I had installed with mi dentista muy guapo in Cancun?
I was feeling a bit unfaithful to Dr. Dave, my Auburn dentist ( he laughed when I told him that )

so I went in to let him see the crown work, and file down one high spot so my chomping action was perfectly aligned.  

I had lunch with Penny near my Auburn dentist. Penny was the last person to work with Mike professionally, when none of us realized that Mike was sick and would not be able to use the LinkedIn skills that Penny was coaching.  She is also a good friend and listener. 

My family sleepover connection for the first night out cancelled due to their health, so I made a last minute call to Deb and Ed who welcomed me to dinner and sleepover in Lake of the Pines. I hope we can enjoy a Motorhome trip together - how does a back east caravan sound, Deb?

After some annual-checkup doctor appointments the next day I had a first time ( but definitely not the last time) visit with Steve and Rochelle. I melted into a puddle when unbeknownst to either Rochelle or me, she opened a bottle of Double Oak Chardonnay for dinner.  Coincidence?  I think not!  Mike and I were wine club members there and Double Oak was our favorite vineyard to visit in Nevada County. We toasted to him through my happy memory tears and enjoyed a pleasant dinner on the deck. 

Thursday was my day to reconnect with Mike's clients who became Mike and my friends....

Here we are visiting with Dean and Joelle in 2013 like we did regularly after we started on our motor home travels. 

 

This time it was only me for lunch, but Joelle cooked a gourmet meal as usual.  I brought in some Double Oak wine, in honor of Mike, for our French friends to try, but today we drank the champagne that Dean had chilled and ready. 

Later that day,  for dinner and a sleepover, I returned to Jeff and Becky's house where Mike and I have stayed before. Jeff was Mike's partner at his last corporate-world job. Here is Mike looking dapper with Jeff and Becky at a Louis Vuitton function in 2003 in Paris. I was there, too - taking this picture of course:)

Jeff cooked dinner tonight and we enjoyed another bottle of Double Oak Chardonnay and good conversation about our travels through work and life together. 

My visit the next day was unusual in that I had never met my lunch date in person until this day.  Pam and I have been talking via phone, email and Facebook since last fall when I was hoping to rent her house for our Thanksgiving holiday season with our family.  Today we met as grieving widows since she lost her husband in March after an extended illness.  We hugged and cried and discussed our similar yet different experiences and felt joy at the connection and being understood by another member of a club neither of us wanted to join.

Thumbs up to moving on while embracing our grief as we go. 

Then on a lighter note, I went with Glenda to an outdoor concert at Thunder Valley to see Huey Lewis and the News. "You know the heart of rock and roll is still beatin" but due to Mike's illness, I am no longer "workin for a livin". Instead I am taking my days "Step by Step, One by One". This was an excellent concert for me as I relived the joy of moving to San Francisco with Mike on our first year together in 1982 at exactly the same time Huey Lewis, a Bay Area musician hit the national stage.  We saw him perform several times back in the day.  

Next day Mike's favorite admin staff support person came to see me at MT parked in the Thunder Valley parking 
lot. We hugged and cried over the loss of Mike, and enjoyed the reconnection. Their adoration for each other is well know by those who know both Mike and Joycelyn. 

By this point in my travels through Auburn, I was very comfortable embracing my grief with those who knew Mike and me. The conversations have been very healing for me and connected me to those who listened to me cry. This experience is what I was hoping for and I am grateful to all who helped me heal during my pass through our hometown. 

The last two folks I stayed with are in the same category.... I've stayed with them both numerous times before since Mike and I sold the house and started on this motor home journey.  There are no current pictures since the visit was about the conversation rather than an experience to photograph. But we will all remember the deep connection we shared by expressing grief and supporting the griever. 

John and Chris..... 

Laurie and Bob....

 

Thank you all for being there for me.

That goes for all I visited with during my 4 week pass through our home base visiting family and friends. 

This is a big hug, but not goodbye. 

Until we meet again!

17.08.02 - 08.07 Bring on the mountains

I've been in the mountains near Truckee for 5 nights. It really feels good to walk in the mountain forest and remember the good times. Mike and I went on many hikes together and we loved them. 

This is the first place I've been since returning to our Northern California neighborhood that I've been weepy daily - but to cry is to heal and the memories are good. 

I don't know when I'll feel like I'm ready to move to the next phase ( whatever that is) but I am certain now is not the time!  

Here is me at the destination of a 3 mile round trip hike I took with Jacquie. 

I really like this picture because of three meaningful elements. 

1:  Me being me ( I swam to the granite boulders across the lake in the center of the picture)

2:  Me being a part of "us" ( the Giants TShirt I got on a spring training excursion in the Motorhome to Phoenix in about 2006. Mike and I like baseball)

3:  Me reflecting Mike's positive attitude ( he was famous at the end for giving thumbs up)

Here is me on a Truckee River bike trail bike ride 

It was cloudy but the river rafters were in full attendance. I can't remember the last year we niked this trail together, but we did it many times. 

And here is one of my favorite pictures of Mike - in the mountains.  It is a different season than now, but we were hiking, none-the-less!

Those were the good ol days!  Bring on the mountains!

17.07.25-31 Curve ball to Gumby

Mike always used to say "I'm Gumby" while holding out his loose arm to me to confirm that Yes, Indeed, he is very flexible. Usually this happened when we were discussing two alternative activities and he was letting my choice prevail. Good man!

Well, now it is my turn to be Gumby because 

my finely designed calendar got knocked for a loop when the truck repair shop service manager informed me (the day before I was planning on picking up MT and driving up to the mountains for a few days of R&R by myself) that there had been a mishap in the parking lot. My drivers side rear view mirror was knocked off by another vehicle moving around in the lot, and he could not find the replacement mirror. Dang!  I had two thoughts:

1:  Don't get upset about the mirror - they are going to fix it and I am really happy to have had the free RV storage while getting work done.  If I make a ruckus, then he will be less likely to agree to let me leave MT for storage next time I'm in town and in need of engine maintenance.

2:  It couldn't have happened in a better place.  

So I had five extra nights - unscheduled - in my hometown! It is good to be flexible!

A big hug to sister Kelly, Jim and Glenda for welcoming me into their home for the nights I was stranded without MT ( aka: the Motorhome). I stayed with them four nights total during this spell and was always comfortable and happy to be visiting and relaxing with them. We watched the second half of the 4 hour version of Pride and Predjuice that we started in San Jose, and spent a lot of time dream building about where we all want to live eventually. 

One of my extra nights was spent with Marian.  Here I am on her front porch where Mike and I made out five year housing plan in the summer of 2015 after we learned of his disease. 

Little did we know his "progression" was moving much faster than we planned and he would only get to enjoy another 18 months. Now I have this cute reminder of him - a gift from my PEO sisters made from two of his favorite shirts. 

Marian and I traded car repair transportation assistance - initially she helped me manage my car camping baggage and transportation during a routine oil change for the  which turned into an unscheduled overnight for the Jeep at my favorite service station and mechanic Russ at Auburn Autohaus.  

Then a couple days later when I spent the extra night at her house I helped her shuttle her new (used) Toyota 4Rinner in to the tire store to switch out tires and rims so the best of each are on her new black 4Runner, Thunder.

I had two restful nights at Laurie and Bob's house in Citrus Heights. Bob is a big fan of baseball in general and the Giants in particular, so that makes me smile. He is also a big fan of fresh Maine lobster - a good childhood memory that he is keeping alive by serving it to guests - Me gusta langosta! 

Bob served it once before to Mike and me when we stayed for a few days in November 2015. 

Another good memory!

One day I took a road trip up to Tahoe City to attend the live music concert at Tahoe Commons with Diane, a friend who I called to reconnect with on just the right weekend. 

Mike and I have spent a nice part of the last three summers at Lake Tahoe and we really enjoyed these Sunday afternoons listening to music and enjoying the lake views. This year the lake is very high, and my partner is missing. 

But Diane and I enjoyed reconnecting. Her husband, Doug worked with Mike for several years and we still have a lot in common because she lost Doug six years ago.  

It is not a club I wanted to join, but now that I have I'm learning how helpful and comforting it can be to visit with another woman who loved and lost her husband.