A Lake and an Ocean

SATURDAY, MARCH 10

Having decided to stay at the Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno for a second day, I took my time getting up this morning and then got around to finish writing my second blog and posting it.  There’s nothing spectacular about this RV Park but I was glad for the opportunity to take a driving break and post the blog.

SUNDAY, MARCH 11

It’s a good thing I did an online check a few days ago and so I remembered the time change today.  It was an overcast morning but I was soon on my way to the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, near Friant.  It’s Sunday, the end of a weekend, and I was certain I’d find a decent site at the lake.  As soon as I got on Rt. 145 E from Hwy 41 N I was amazed at how the terrain instantly morphed from flat to a wide open expanse of rolling green hills.  This narrow and curvy two-lane road all the way to the lake is just one of California’s many natural and scenic drives.

At the park entrance the fellow on duty showed me a map of available sites along both the hookup and no-hookup sections.  Deciding to go without hookups this time I selected a site with a west view of the lake.  First things first, though – time to visit the park’s sanitary disposal area and dump the black/grey tanks.  That took all of ten minutes or so and then I arrived at my site.

I sure did pick a great spot – perhaps even the best one!  There was hardly anybody else around and I had this 180 degree view of the lake and, off to my right, some of those lovely rolling hills.  The sun came out around 1:00 pm and I took a walk down to the water’s edge, wading in up to my ankles.  The air was warm, the water cold!  Sitting on the sand to dry out a bit, I observed this group of small black waterfowl swim towards a nearby shoreline.  There were no other birds that I could see on or around the lake.

Millerton Lake SRA, west view of the lake.

Millerton Lake SRA, view of the hills.

Back at my camper I pulled out my camp chair and finally sat down, facing the lake and the sun, to read a book – Deaf in Delhi, a memoir written by Madan Vasishta, my Gallaudet classmate.  About 20 pages later, I detected motion directly ahead and, looking up, saw this big bird swooping down on those black ducks in the water.  Since I’d brought my binoculars outside with me, I reached for them and watched, what appeared to be a hawk, continue to swoop down and as he did that, the ducks ducked in the water.  The hawk flew to the shoreline closest to me, to rest or strategize, or both.  About five minutes later, apparently spotting this duck that I had also noticed was by itself, the hawk took off, swooped down once, the duck ducked and stayed under, the hawk made one turn, flew low and with his talons outstretched, grabbed the duck and returned to the shoreline.

I felt bad for the duck, but this was “nature in action” and I continued to observe through my binocs.  Due to a slight sandy bump at the water’s edge I couldn’t really see the duck, except for its feet, but I could see the hawk pluck at the duck’s feathers and, for a good hour or so, everything was a methodical pluck-pluck-pluck-tug-tug-swallow, again and again.  The hawk didn’t seem the least bit perturbed when two ravens showed up.  I don’t think they got more than a morsel or two – they obviously knew the bigger fella had the hooked beak and the sharp talons.

Around 6:00 p.m., and not being hooked up to shore power, I decided this was a good time to activate my camper’s generator.  “You should run your generator more often,” was the advice I got from David Yavelak the day I picked up my camper.  The clock on my microwave came on the second I felt the generator’s vibrations.  I set the time and then proceeded to heat up some supper in the microwave.  After close to an hour, and adhering to the park’s 8:00 p.m. “no generator” rule, I turned it off and watched the sun set. 

Sunset, Millerton Lake.

MONDAY, MARCH 12

But for a 3:00 a.m. trip to the toilet, I slept very well and woke up to a clear, blue, sun-kissed lake.  I sat outside to enjoy an hour of both the morning sun and the view.  Glancing around to see what other amenities surrounded me, I observed through my binocs – sparrows and a species of small bird that had a touch of yellow on its wings and chest; a pair of Canadian Geese strolling on the beach while a flock of their cousins flew overhead; and several rabbits.  And, oh yes, I checked the hills at my right and there were several black cows on the gentle slopes.  This is a beautiful lake, so serene and quiet this time of year.  I can just imagine what it must be like during the summer months.

A morning view of Millerton Lake.

A Millerton Lake selfie!

Getting back on Rt. 145 I headed west for 99 N and, driving through Madera and Merced, I soon arrived at the Merced River RV Resort, near Delhi.  After paying for my site [for tonight and tomorrow] I asked the lady if there was something like a Staples in the area.  She gave me directions to a Staples in Turlock, a bigger town about 10 miles north.  The young woman who assisted me in the store knew sign language (and very well, too) and was so happy that I understood her and she me.  Before leaving, and still signing to her, I asked where the nearest Post Office was.  She printed out the locations of several in town and encircled one of them.  That one I headed for but couldn’t find it!  I drove up and then back down the street, noting the street names as indicated on the diagram but to no avail.  There’s a Dollar Store.  Lemme stop there.  The cashier had a line of customers but with the printout in my hand and a confused look on my face, she locked eyes and mouthed something that looked like “…help you?”  I accepted her invitation immediately, showed her the circle on the printout, and asked where’s this?  The cashier and the customer at the head of the line and the lady in a scooter next in line all said – the printout is wrong… there’s no Post Office around here…there’s one downtown…it’s on something-something street…do you know where something-something street is…just go there and turn on this curve and then…

Awwww, they were all so very helpful!  I said I didn’t live here, I’m traveling in my truck camper.  I’m pretty sure everybody in the line all let out a collective “Ohhhh...” and then the lady at the head of the line said for me to follow her, she’ll take me there.  I saw it just as she stuck her finger out the window and, sticking my hand out, waved my thanks to her.  The Post Office, located right in the heart of Turlock’s historic downtown, has a small parking lot with nose-in parking spaces.  With my truck being as big as it is, and even bigger with the camper on it, I generally avoid such tight parking spaces.  Finding a section with a row of four empty spaces I took a chance and parked in one of them.  Returning to my truck about ten minutes later, those empty spaces were, but of course, now occupied.  It took me several back-and-forth, check the exterior mirrors, turn the wheel this way and that way attempts before I could weasel my way out of my space without hitting anything.  It sure would have been a lot easier for me if the driver of one of the cars next to me had showed up and backed out.  No such luck but got out I did.

It goes without saying, my “camper adventures” also includes the challenges of communicating with non-signing hearing people and finding my way around a strange town.

TUESDAY, MARCH 13

It’s been a wet day, brief rains off and on.  Good thing I decided yesterday to stay here today.  Do some writing and reading and I’ve got Wi-Fi and cable, too.

There’s a young fellow across the way who’s been lifting weights right outside his trailer.  He also has a punching bag and since he’s been working out in full view of everybody I’ve assailed myself of my binoculars to check out his grimaces. There are, happily, more pleasant things here to observe, most notably these handsome jay-like birds that are constantly flying around my camper.  Googling a description of the bird to find a picture – blue-black body, yellow bill, long tail, white wings -- they are Yellow-billed Magpies and are “restricted to the Central Valley of California,” which is where I am right now.

Yellow-bill Magpie, outside my camper.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14

Raindrops and condensation on my cabover window indicated to me that it rained during the night.  A peek out another window confirmed that.  Good!  Rain is good!  Those almond trees need it!  As does every other crop that has been, and will be, planted.

I made a decision the other day -- this area is the furthest north I will travel on this trip.  Time now to turn south.  I got on Rt. 165 S, which took me right through the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, an area of “…26,800 acres of wetlands, riparian forests, native grasslands, and vernal pools.”  The only wildlife I saw along this 55-mph road were a number of white egrets and, at one spot, a miniature version of the white egrets.  Were they juveniles?  Or a different species --- maybe cattle egrets?  I soon connected to Hwy 33 W and made my way to the Santa Nella RV Park, near Los Banos.

Because of the rainy weather these past couple of days my planned route over the mountains to the coast doesn’t seem like a good idea at this juncture.  I absolutely do not want to deal with any potential snowy conditions at the higher elevations!  The early afternoon stop at this RV Park will give me the time I need to review my maps and consider a more southern route to the coast.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

There was nary a cloud in the sky when I woke up this morning.  My destination today is the Castaic Lake RV Resort in Castaic.  I’d exchanged emails yesterday evening with “Eugene” and he said he would hold a space for me.  Whew, these reservation arrangements can be challenging, considering that I can’t call ahead to make one.

I initially wanted to drive on the more scenic Hwy 33 S for a little while and then connect to I-5 S for the rest of the way.  As I headed out this morning, something told me to “forget 33 and just get on I-5” – and I’m glad for that!  I completely forgot last night to check the mileage between Los Banos and Castaic and when I noted the decreasing exit numbers on I-5 I realized I would be driving for a little over 200 miles!  That’s four hours, give or take.

For most of this trip thus far I’ve been hanging out in the Joaquin Valley, California’s prime agricultural region.  As I traveled north in the beginning, the west side of the Sierras was to my right.  Now that I’m going south, the Diablo Range is to my right.  Beyond that range are the mountains that end at the coast.  As happens when I travel in the truck camper, my mind wanders sometimes and I thought of how beautiful this expansive valley must have appeared to the pioneers who made it across the Sierras.  So much has changed this valley since then…

I made good time and arrived at the Castaic Lake RV Resort at 1:00 p.m.  The facility was quite full but, as Eugene had promised, they saved a spot for me at one of their 20-volt “overflow” sites.  I used my adapter to plug my 30-amp cord to the 20-volt outlet and got myself set up for the afternoon/evening.  I sat outside in the sun for about an hour, reading my Deaf in Delhi book, after which all attempts to do some online research on my laptop proved fruitless because of a very fickle internet connection here.  It happens.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16

I was back on I-5 S for just a few miles before connecting to Rt. 126 W down to the coast.  This was a lovely drive through many orchards of fruit trees and nurseries. Obviously the soil and climate here is ideal for these variations of trees and plants.

Reaching Ventura I turned north on Hwy 101 and soon arrived at the Emma Wood State Beach.  I had my pick of a spot and since I’d arrived on a Friday morning I found plenty of available spaces.  There are no hookups here so I’ll be boondocking for the second time on this trip, again in front of water but a massive one this time – the Pacific Ocean!

There were clouds overhead but the sun stuck it out for about two hours, allowing me to sit outside, read my book, watch the waves, and observe some of the loons in the water and, every now and then, a passing seagull.  The pelican is my favorite seabird but I saw only two.

Around mid-afternoon the sun lost to the increasingly heavy clouds and the temperature dropped a little bit.  The slope down to the water is very rocky and since I’m not so sure-footed anymore – and certainly not foolhardy – I took a walk along the road instead, checking out the other boondocking RVs.

Emma Wood State Beach, Ventura - the morning I arrived.

Reading "Deaf in Delhi" just outside my camper.

Back at my camper after my brief walk I went inside and reviewed my maps and resource materials.  Towards evening the atmosphere had become so gray the horizon disappeared, leaving sky and sea the exact same color.  It also started to drizzle a little bit.  No sunset show for me tonight.  Once again I activated the generator, warmed up some leftovers for supper, and cut it off before 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

I woke up just as the sun was rising and, through the side window next to the bed, watched the sea and the sky gradually turn to their respective hues of blue.  Noticing that the waves crashing at the shoreline seemed closer than yesterday I realized that the tide had come in.  About an hour or so later, a glint in the water got my attention – ah, two dolphins, passing by ever so gracefully, going somewhere south.

Emma Wood SB, the morning of my departure.  The Channel Islands can be
seen in the distance.

Emma Wood SB - a very nice ocean view place to boondock!

Needing electricity and Wi-Fi today so I can catch up on my writing, I decided to take a chance and see about getting a site at the Evergreen RV Park in Oxnard, about 15 miles south of Ventura, off Hwy 101.  When I got there I could immediately tell that this was not your typical Park for traveling RVers.  The folks here are either full-time residents or are leasing spaces on a monthly basis.  The office is closed on Saturday and Sunday – and today is Saturday.  Fortunately, a very nice lady who lives several spaces down was happy to call the manager for me.  When she asked and I replied that, yes, I’m looking to stay just one night, we worked it out that I would take a parking space directly in front of the office.  I just had to wait for the current occupant of that space, a huge motorhome, to move to another space in the Park that he had been waiting for.

Finally, he drove out and as I started backing in, I stopped.  Hey, where exactly is the outlet for my 30-amp cord?  I got out of the truck and saw that from a back-in position my cord would not reach the outlet.  The cord was still short even when I parked nose-in so I retrieved my orange extension cord and my adapter and plugged into the 20-volt outlet.  All’s well!  And it’s becoming cloudy again…and windy…