Life in the camper

We thought that Rusty would be a – to put it bluntly- huge pain in the ass on this trip.  But he is actually settling in quite well- doesn’t bark as much- really only at other dogs or if someone walks into our camp- which is good.   He seems to be having a great time actually- hanging out with us and going for lots of hikes and walks.     His camouflage works in the desert too and I am more and more convinced that he is part coyote. 

 

 

Tilly is having a harder time- she was on a hunger strike earlier in the trip but is eating again now.  She was used to at home sleeping a lot!   She is really tired- but doesn’t seem to mind being left with her bed in the camper while the rest of us go.   We just need to watch the temperatures for her.  

The trailer- that we still need a name for – seems really spacious-  we each have our own little space-  choosing the model with the double bunks for the kids was a great decision as they each have their own little room.   We spend most of our time outside of course- but inside only one person uses the sink/bathroom at a time- and the dogs have to be outside for me to use the kitchen which I’m still figuring out a system of storage for.   Good thing I bought a step stool as most cupboards are too high- as usual.    Compared to our backcountry-canoeing system this is luxury!  A fridge- freezer- three burner stove-oven, sink, bathroom, shower (that we only use if we are hooked up to water)  A water tank, our own mattress and duvet!   Pretty comfy.   One of the things we just bought that is helping with all the little miscellaneous things like maps, sunglasses, bandanas, charger cords, flashlight, sunscreen is a canvas shoe bag with mesh pockets that hangs on the outside of the bathroom door.   Very handy.   A few double wide pockets would make it even better.  

We seem to be settling in, relaxing, reconnecting with each other and with nature....just what we all needed. 

Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall area of the Mojave National Preserve is an amazing landscape full of spires, plants, animals,  birds, and rocks with holes.  

The desert was filled with blooms, but you needed to be down on the ground to see them.  

 

 

 We all climbed up Mt.  Barstow.  Greg took the rope but we didn’t need it.  

 

Leland was in his element climbing up everything.  Next time he’ll have to carry more water!  Anna was right behind with Greg spotting. 

 I sometimes took an easier route but made it all the way to the top, huffing and puffing!

 

 

Under a rock....

Those big rocks look perfect to camp next to. ...we’d already been there a day and a night and most of another day when I spotted the snake!   This particular rock was about 8 feet from our trailer and about 15 feet from the door.  

As near as we could tell with numerous photos and looking at it through the binoculars it was a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake!  The hair on the back of my neck stood up and then I thought about us all running around in bare feet the day before.   Then it moved!

This snake and probably all of her friends can climb rocks.  

She travelled up and over the rock, through a shrub into a new den where we could see very little of her.   Needless to say we were very cautious of where we walked and stepped.   Meanwhile the Scout troop next door was crashing around in the dark playing capture the flag.   Apparently none of them had had a snake encounter...yet.  

We saw but didn’t hear the rattle- that’s a good thing.   In the Rockies at least the bears leave tracks!   It was great for us to have a non -drastic reminder that we are guests in the desert. 

 

Anna's Moth Incident

April 22th 2013 Monday

by Anna

I am going to tell an amazing incident that includes two totally different places.

One at ‘Hole in the wall’’ and one at ‘Kelso dunes’. The only thing these places have in common is they both are in California!



purple salvia

My brother Leland, Mom and I were going for a walk and Salvia bushes were everywhere. In one Salvia bush there was the most beautiful moth I had ever seen.

It had a pink stripe on either side of its wings and a little brown, white and black stripe pattern on the back.

We stopped in our tracks not daring to speak; it was Mom who broke the spell, she said with excitement, “Look at that!!” Leland managed to say, “WOW!” We watched it for about four or five minutes, then I said, “I am going to go and get the camera!” “Do you know where it is?” Mom asked me, “Yes! It is at the camper. I can run and get it and run back.” “Okay, if you want to.” Mom says. “You guys stay here so I know where the moth is.” I say as I start running to the camper.

You are probably wondering if I made it to the camper, well, I did, but when I got back something happened. I was running to my Mom and Leland, and I just tuned the camera on when the darn thing flue a way right then!

You know it was only one moth that time. But why waste time not hearing about the “Kelso dunes”.

One evening we were eating supper, when Rusty barked at something. Dad went to say be quite it to him, when he saw an amazing site. It was five or six of these moths flying everywhere! They were going to these Desert Primrose flowers that were just blooming! There was lots of ooooos and ahhhhhhs for a long time.

 

This time I got lots and lots of pictures. We watched them for about an hour. It was quite a site.

I hope you enjoyed my story. J

P.S.  We found out the moth’s we saw were called a ‘White Lined Sphinx Moth.’

 

Kelso Dunes

- by Leland

Me and Anna and Mom and Rusty went up to the top of a sand dune.   It was ginormous.  Me and Dad had hiked up the top the day before and watching Dad running down the sand dunes is what inspired me to go again.   We didn't have the camera at the time but if we did you would have seen a picture of Dad running down the dunes.   Me and Anna and Mom discovered that Rusty could get tired.  There are a bunch of beetle tracks in the sand and it was really cool to see how far up they went.    

We saw lots of burrows and tracks on the way up the dune.  Lizards and road runner tracks.  I was absolutely fascinated by the sand and the way it moved through my fingers and across my body.  Unfortunately this fascination caused me to come back with three cups of sand in every nook and cranny possible.  I found my pockets full of sand too late after I took my pants off in my bed-  it was extremely uncomfortable that night.  

 

Running down the sand dunes was extremely fun- it made me feel like the Flash.

 

 

 

It was really funny watching Anna run down. 

 

 

The Mojave Desert

When we started talking about this trip one goal (almost the only concrete one) was to see the desert bloom.   So we headed to the Mojave National Preserve which is between Las Vegas and LA.    Our good friend Sandra recommended it because she knows how much we like places without many people.  So we got here April 7th and really had no information and no detailed map and just spent a night at the side of the road and went for an amazing walk that turned out to be the main area of Joshua trees in the preserve. 



The yuccas and Joshua Trees were blooming there were cactus and prickles everywhere- spiders and holes and burrows, flowers and prickly trees and sand and rocks and big, big sky-  we had gone to a foreign world.   One of my favourite quotes for the day was from Leland,  "The earth is amazing from a different perspective..."   Yes my son it is.  
 

 

 

And did I mention the prickles?

lesson

Do laundry any time the opportunity presents itself.   I will be getting myself a roll of quarters....

Creston South

So to all of you who were worried about us crossing the border.....we crossed on April 1st with a few questions, a brief look in our trailer and we were good to go.   Not an issue which is great.  We took a week to drive south- first afternoon was  Kooteny Falls where Tilly was a very brave animal on the stairs....

Kooteny Falls in Idaho



We took our time with stops for groceries, RV repair parts, walks, and sleeping.   We met an awesome young man named Rob in Pocatello, Idaho,  who helped (above and beyond actually)  us with a charge controller for the solar panel so now we can charge the batteries with the sun. 

 

We also learned that diesel in the States is the green handled pump not the yellow- good to know that, on advice from a trucker, if by chance someone put in a bit of gas by accident that you can add engine oil to counteract it.   Big white is fine- heart rates are back to normal.  There was a loose clamp on the air intake of the truck- causes loud bang and loss of power- now fixed.   Greg has his handy ratchet set at the ready and is teaching Leland and Anna too. 

 

Stopped north of Salt Lake City at a place called Willard Bay that is a large irrigation reservoir.   Also a major bird sanctuary under the main migratory fly way.    The sky is big here!  Saw some cool birds, amazing landscape and were inside a hatch of midges. (they don't bite).

 

Everywhere we go people are generally nice, helpful and kind.   We had our first real boondocking (legally camping in an undeveloped spot)  experience between Salt Lake City and Vegas when we drove to a state park that wasn't open yet....so we found a spot off the road where there was a fire pit and pulled off. We have our house with us- propane, water, stove, fridge, food, us, dog food- all right there wherever we stop.     Had a fire, roasted hot dogs, and paid by cleaning up the garbage that was left behind by others.  We've decide we need to stop driving for a bit and so put in a long day to bolt straight through Las Vegas- do not pass go, do not collect $200.    We are headed for the Mojave Desert.