So Long 2015 and Happy 2016

                                      

                    I don’t know about you but this past year has just flown by for me.

Last winter I was in Santa Cruz and was anxious to get back to camp hosting.  So early in March I moved back to J  D Grant in site 12 as the only camp host.  I met a lot of nice people. As usual Angel was a big hit.  I am so glad that she survived being bit by a rattle snake.  She is a joy to have around and loves to cuddle.

                                      

I was glad to finally get another car so that it didn’t take an hour to drive back up the mountain when it should have taken only 20 minutes.

                                        

                                                         Good Bye Subaru

                                        

                                                                 Hello Mini

Soon after, I made the move to China Camp in San Rafael just north of San Francisco.  I have been here since September 27th as the 2nd camp host.  The other camp hosts left the first week in November. I moved over to the other site which was a little bit bigger so that I could open my back compartments.  Then in mid November the new camp hosts, Jennie and Nick arrived.  We each are available for 30 hours a week. I work mornings and they work afternoons and evenings. It ends up that we just back each other up as needed and take time off when ever we need or want to do something during our scheduled on time.  We make a great team.  They will be here until the end of January and be heading home to southern California.  There will be a new couple that will come in February.

Every now and then something will happen in the park where emergency services are required.  In this case, a bicyclist became dehydrated and was unable to continue her ride.  They had to air lift her off the mountain to an ambulance here in our parking lot.  Nick talked to the CHP helicopter crew while Jennie and I stayed back and observed. There are a lot hikers and bikers coming and going here in the park and campground.  Most weekends, the campground has been full until Thanksgiving with open sites during the week, however, there has been fewer campers each week.  During the last two weeks there has been, maybe a half a dozen campers.  For nearly a week there were NO reservations at all, only and occasional walk-in.  Since there wasn’t anything happening,  Jennie and Nick took a week to go home to spend Christmas with their grandkids.        

The Saturday before they left, we went into San Rafael to the annual Lighted Boat Parade.  Below are just a sampling of the boats.  Most were just lighted, but many had music or carolers.

                

              

     

                                  We also enjoyed these lighted bikes.

The Sunday before Christmas, Ted invited me to Brunch with Mark, his roommate and friends to a Vegan restaurant in Oakland.  We had a great time.

                                 

                                               Mark, Leslie and Ted

Ted took a panoramic photo with my phone starting with me, Rochelle, (Mark’s girlfriend), James, (who works with Mark), Mark, Ted and Leslie, (Ted’s girlfriend).

Below are all Vegan dishes.  Sorry, I don’t remember what they were, but they were good.

With fewer people in the park,  Angel would let me know when the turkeys,squirrels and deer made their way across the parking lot. (For now pictured are just the turkeys)

                                         

Christmas came and went, although, Ranger Dan invited Lorraine and me for Christmas Dinner with his family.  We had a good time.  Ted and Leslie came over on Saturday, the day after to celebrate and exchange gifts after going out for lunch at an Italian restaurant in San Rafael.

Even Angel got in on the fun, opening her presents, dog treats and a new fleece jacket. She likes it , because she likes to stay warm.

 

This is what I woke up to discover this morning, ice in the parking lot, fog and the bird bath frozen.        

There will be  a lot of campers tonight celebrating the New Year.  They sure are made of a lot sturdier stuff than me.  It will be really cold, (upper 20*s) I like to stay warm.                    

                              

I’m hoping that my water doesn’t freeze. It almost did last weekend, but it warmed up fairly quick.

So, to all I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Thanks for visiting

It was soooooo     cold this morning, I snuggled into Mom’s sweater.

Susan and Angel

Happy Holidays

 

                          

                                      The Reason For The Season

I guess you could say that I really like to decorate for Christmas.  It usually begins on the day after Thanksgiving.  It is more fun than fighting the crowds in the stores and spending $$ that I really don’t have.

The tree has been in a couple of places, but I finally decided on the bench where there is room for a few presents.

                                      

Nick and Jenny (the other Hosts) gave me this tree.  Nick made it out of driftwood and I added the star, lights and skirt.  Thank you Nick, I love it.

                                         

I have created little vignettes all over the MH.  One of my daughters thinks that it is a lot of “stuff”.  It is, but it makes me happy.  The Rag Santa and Reindeer were made by a friend of mine back in Sacramento.  She has since “passed”, so this is one way to remember her.  The little doll in Santa’s lap was made by my mother many years ago.  I added the sweater and hat and will keep him with the Christmas decorations.

 

I am combining Swedish and Scottish themed things to go with the stuffed animals that share Angel’s space on the dashboard.                                      

 

I even hang the stockings below the virtual fireplace

                                        

and ornaments in the windows

                              

Going into the bedroom there is the poinsettia garland.

                           

There is even a tree in the bedroom.  This one has an Angel topper and Swedish Gnomes hanging out by the presents below it.

 

                                   

More ornaments in the window with dolls and another Santa.

                        

Yeah, I do get carried away at this time of the year, but that’s okay.  It would be more fun with family and friends to share it with.  I guess that’s what I’m doing with this post.  I miss you all, but if you’re in the area, stop by for some eggnog.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Holiday Season.

Thanks for visiting

I’m just enjoying Mom, the heater and last year’s ugly Christmas Sweater.

Susan and Angel

More Mods, King Tide And Crafting

Time really gets away when you get busy.  Once I decided that as long as I am going to stay in this MH, I might as well modify “My Spot II” to decorate it the way that I want it to reflect who I am.  I have always liked plaids and tartans and all things Scottish. Maybe it is because I’m half Scottish and half Swedish.  So that is what the decorating theme is.  The first thing that I changed was the bench that I modified out of the two chairs in front (driving and passenger), pictured in my last post.

Ted came over to help with the shelf under the window of the slide where the sofa/sleeper used to be. I later painted it the same as the little bistro set.  It all weighs a lot less than the sofa/sleeper. There’s even room under the shelves for a couple of plastic drawer units to store odds and ends that I use often.

Ever since I decided to retire, one of my main purchases was a Lazy Boy Recliner.  It has made the move from the double-wide to the 5th wheel and then to the MH.  I really liked it and spent a lot of time in it.  It was soooooo comfortable and sometimes I even slept in it.  The only problem with it was that it was too big for the MH.  Ted would joke and tell me that he would give it a good home.  Well I finally let him take it home after I found a replacement.  I did find an office chair that rocks and swivels. It really didn’t have to recline, because I can always put my feet up on something else.  As you can see, the print just doesn’t go with tartan or Swedish prints, so I just painted it.  I think that it turned out really nice.

                       

Another project was to paint the doors of the refrigerator/freezer.  I wanted to do it in chalkboard paint, but did it with chalk paint.  What a difference.  I can’t write on it with chalk, but that’s ok.  I still like it better than the wood finish.

                                           

Just before Thanksgiving there was a “King Tide”.  At least that was what the hype said.  All it was was an extra high tide.  That’s Nick and Jenny below on a hike to check it  out. The first two pictures are of the same place below the boardwalk on the trail taken about five minutes apart. 

                            

On the way back home I took this showing where the water goes over the road.  From all the hype I thought it would be more dramatic.  Oh well!

 

There wasn’t too much going on in the campground during the week, so I had plenty of time on my hands.  I ended up working on knitting Christmas Presents.  I was going to post a picture, but decided I didn’t want to let the proverbial cat out of the bag.  Last week I mailed them.  What a shock ($$$) for the postage.  It was even worse if I had sent them by UPS.  No wonder I don’t mail things more often.

In addition to making presents, I finally was able to replace the “hair” on this doll.  After searching the internet I found instructions on making yarn wig.  She previously had “hair” that was made out of some kind of curly string that had been glued on and had come loose.  I haven’t decided yet if I will trim it.

 

Things have been a bit hectic here, lots to do during the week and then on the weekends we have campers.  Fortunately the campground can almost run itself, so I can take off  any time I need to.  With it getting closer to Christmas, it seems that it is getting busier and busier. 

I hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday season and not getting too stressed. 

Thanks for visiting

I’m just hiding, while Mom decorates.

Susan and Angel