Riveting Rocks of Wonder

Before we took our Monday afternoon drive, we had some cleaning up to do from dinner last night. It's been windy since yesterday morning so it's keeping us inside (more than we're used to) it's a whole different world being self-contained. Last night, we had a little bit of a mess on our hands so we just filled our pan with water and stuck it outside to let it soak overnight. This morning, when I went to clean the pots and pans, we couldn't find our scrubbies (they are buried somewhere on top of Joon) so I had to resort to nature and use the sand and plants to do my scrubbing. Not a totally bad idea, I've done this before but I learned that this is not gritty sand out here, it's more like soft dirt...hence why I used some small plants. I got the job done and everything is shiny and clean again, that's what matters!

[caption id="attachment_2358" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Washing the Dishes[/caption]

We got on with our drive, down one of the many trail roads to see where it led. Why stay in one place when there are so many different roads, trails and other places to be? We got on one road that looked like it just kept going and going and going...maybe all the way into town!?

When we drive to find a new spot there are many things we are looking for and at. I have both the phone and wifi hotspot in hand watching the signal strength of both. We look for nice scenery, how close we are to the road and for anything that could make it difficult getting in or out of spots... and anything that could damage the vehicle. We drove around, down this road, that road and further back into the mountains. J' finally came around the bend of the road we were on and saw a hill...you know he's climbing that sucker!

[caption id="attachment_2360" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Comin' round the bend[/caption]

There would be a picture of the extremely slanted hill but 'someone' had her eyes closed! For some reason, I think if I close my eyes then no damage will be done if there ends up being a problem...haha

When we got all the way up the hill there was a plateau on the top! I think we found our new spot and the view here is much more incredible than the "Cross Spot". Wee hoo!

[caption id="attachment_2362" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The new view[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2363" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joon looks so little![/caption]

So very awesome that this is all at our fingertips and you just never know it until you live this lifestyle. We are here 100% Free and Legal...you can't get much better than that! The rest of the day we just messed around, the wind is getting worse as the day goes on, so we sit, chit chat with each other, laugh at the stupid things we come up with...and Savannah of course! haha And just chill. I think Savannah thought she was being abused today because we made her sleep on the floor...gasp, the insanity!! She looked so defeated all day, but there was no room for her to lay where she usually does because all of our stuff was in those places. Savannah, sometimes you gotta suck it up and take one for the team! haha

[caption id="attachment_2364" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ok, she still has a pillow![/caption]

I just went out and walked Nana, it was about 5:30 p.m. or so and everything outside was different. The sun changes the look of this place all the time, especially at sunset...WHOA!!! It only lasts about 10 minutes so you gotta be quick and precise with that camera!

[caption id="attachment_2365" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sunny side up[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2366" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Is that rock giving us the finger?[/caption]

I can't say that I've ever slept in a place like this. There is so much beauty around us, it's simply amazing to me. I always think it's so cool to wake up and be surrounded in the nature that's been here for thousands of years, but yet we are in our little spaceship of the Joon Van.

Amazing...Wonderful...Spectacular...Marvelous???

Those words don't even start to describe the sensation of being here and to be able to do what we are doing.

How neat is that!?

Now, go and play in your neck of the woods, build a sandcastle out of dirt or roll down a grassy hill. Do something you wouldn't normally do because what's the fun of doing the same thing over and over again if you're not getting any joy out of it!?

Go play!

PEACE 

 

Once you go Black, you walk out!

This morning, I felt like a real girl! I woke up, took a shower...yes again! I washed dishes and made breakfast and even put on a dress, all while J' worked and tinkered around with our new TV (in the voice of the announcer from The Price is Right...say it again). I, probably unlike most women, LOVE to do dishes, well now that I don't HAVE dishes to clean anymore. It's very soothing and almost zen-like, ahhh. I wanted to make sure that every single plate, spoon, knife and fork were clean as well as our cookware and anything else that needed soap and hot water!

After everything was spic and span, I made us another pancake breakfast, we used the rest of the box and each got three nice sized cakes. I uploaded more pictures to my picture sites (still didn't get all the pics uploaded, think I need a couple of days but I was able to get about 9 albums loaded). J' got our TV working and figured out and we were able to leave the box behind as garbage. Lil' Phil (our portable TV) was NOT working out for us, let me name off a few reasons why; the screen was too little only 9 inches, the volume control was on the TV only, could not access it with remote, when you plug it in...which you had to do if you wanted to watch TV for more than 15 minutes, it would pixelate so bad it was almost unbearable to watch TV, it would only charge when the TV was off, not while it was plugged in and on...I will keep it at that. We talked about getting another TV, just a regular TV and we've been looking at Wal-mart. We saw a TV that would fit perfectly in our space (we know because we went and got a tape measure from hardware...) so, we bought it. It's a Sansui 19 inch and it totally fits in the space we have for it....so perfect!

Check-out was at 11:00 a.m. (I think it's wrong that we have to wait until 3pm to get into the room but we get kicked out at 11am. I know, I know, I've worked in the hotel industry, but I still think it's just wrong). It didn't really matter because we had somewhere to be, yep the Hullabaloo wasn't over yet, we were gonna go get our slots on baby!! Table Mountain Casino here we come!! This place was just a small place in the middle of the mountains and a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. People did not give this place good reviews but we went anyway, the worst thing that could happen...we leave.

We spent a couple of hours here. Don't worry about the bug; covered parking and her A/C unit hooked up and working great and our check-ins on her, she was good to go. Now, you know that I am a picture girl (if you didn't know that, I am), I wanted to document our Anniversary/Birthday with a picture. I took a few pics of us, that didn't even come out good, in the elevator BEFORE getting to the casino.

 The doors of the elevator open, we walk out, walk past a 'security guard' and as we're walking past her she is hanging up a phone and says, "Excuse me miss, the men in the office just told me to tell you they saw you taking pictures in the elevator and you are not allowed to take pictures in the casino." I was like, Whoa!! They are fast. I said, "Oh okay thank you, it was just in the elevator though." Yeah, I got the evil eye! haha Geez take a chill pill. I get in trouble everywhere! We had a great time, though. J' played his games, I played mine and we got a free buffet because it was our first time there, oooo I even got a shirt! The food was good, the desserts were really good, I would know I had 3 or 4. And yes, I'm a law breaker, I took pictures of the food...so there evil eye-maker!

[caption id="attachment_366" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ...let me see that Turkey Roll![/caption]

Nutty Cheesecake & Brownie

[caption id="attachment_369" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Peach Cobbler & Ice Cream[/caption]

We even walked out 'up' from what we walked in with...woot woot! On our way home, we stopped at a little gas station. J' came out to the van and said, "Take your camera and go take a picture of the dog behind the counter." I didn't know why, but I trust he knows me all too well so off I go. I walked into the store and I saw no dog, no guy, no one. I waited and someone else walked in and I heard a dog bark...a big dog bark. I looked and looked but only saw a dogs' leg under the counter. Finally the owner came out and I told him, I was supposed to come in here to take a picture of his dog (and asked if he minded)...then his dog jumped up on the counter, well put his paws on the counter! It was the most beautiful Doberman I've ever seen, although he had just had his ears clipped (booo). He was gorgeous, 7 months old and his name was Homer! I'd have a Dobie in a minute if we had somewhere to put one.

[caption id="attachment_370" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet baby Homer[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Look at those paws...and that face...so sweet[/caption]

Since we didn't stop to get groceries, we stopped in Prather instead, just for bread, ice and drinks. Things are more expensive here too, not as bad as Shaver Lake, but still more than Fresno. I did get a free yo-yo out of the deal though, suckers!

[caption id="attachment_800" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yo-Yo-Yo[/caption]

From the store we just came home, set up camp and hung out for the night. We watched our new TV (I'll make-up a name soon enough, gimme a break!) and we still only get two channels (I know it's the antennae). We get FOX and This. This~ is a channel that plays the most awful movies ever, they're all from the 80's or earlier (and not the good ones, yes there were some) and I swear they play movies where the main character in the movie must have gotten their big break from that movie or something...they're really something else. The other night we watched a movie with Alec Baldwin in it, hold on let me see if I can find the name.... Wow, that took some time. It was called Miami Blues and it was a stinker, so I thought. Tonight we watched Stephen King's Silver Bullet with Corey Haim, they were having a 24/7 Stephen King Marathon for Friday the 13th. That was the best movie we've seen yet on that channel! J' was asleep before me and off I went right after him. Our celebrations may be over on 'paper' but the celebration for life will go on and on and on.

Happy life to us all!

PEACE