back to Park Sierra

That's my daughter Katie and her husband Billy.Jeni and I can't thank them enough for getting up early Sunday morning and helping us load our stuff from our storage unit into the rental truck for our trek down to Park Sierra. After we were loaded up , we all went to "Suzies" (its a restaurant right down the street from Folsom lake) for breakfast. We said our goodbyes and Jeni and I were off. I drove the motor home towing the car, Jeni drove the 10' rental truck pulling a trailer with the golf cart in it. 4 hrs later we were in our site#419.Our site is a pull thru so both rigs fit with no problems.Monday morning we got to work unloading our stuff into our storage shed. Everything fit in nicely and we might even be able to fit the golf cart in when we leave the park for the summer.
everyone came by to congratulate us on getting in as a member. We saw old friends and made new friends.We are on the list to help out with Sat. nights BBQ dinner. All this week its "stage coach" days here at the park with all kinds of activities Thurs. thru Sat.
Wed morning I went down to the pole barn to help out with the maint. crew.
The road across the creek that the hayrides are on drains poorly so we regraded it to drain off to the side of the road.The creek usually doesn't run as high as it is this year,but with all the rain,its running above normal. The park is full as everyone is here for the festivities. Jeni and I have had fun getting in on the fun.
Saturday morning we reported to the kitchen to help our good friends Gary and Laverene with the BBQ for Sat. night. These two wonderful people have put in countless hours and stepped up to see that the park is a "Happening Place"with last yrs. "fall harvest festival",countless breakfasts,
dinners, and socials during the year, and the current "Stage Coach days" going on. I don't know how they do it!
Gary and I start cooking hamburger and sausage to put in the beans.thats 4 roasters of beans! remember we are feeding 250 people. Next we trim the fat off 71,yes I said 71 tri tips! that's over 160lbs of meat.Meanwhile, Laverne,Jeni and and the other ladies are preparing salads,dessert,bread and" god knows " what else for the BBQ.About 2pm Gary and the vols for BBQ started cooking the tri tips. 35 at a time.It kept Larry and Ron(the vol BBQers) hopping.
At 5pm,like clock work, dinner was served. And it was delicious.Our hats are off to Gary, Laverne, and their hard working helpers. Great job!
Jeni and I stayed for the play after dinner that the resident drama club volunteers put on. It was a hoot. But then we drug our tired bodies home for a good nights sleep.
Sunday morning we went to the final event of "Stage Coach Days", the" hitch up" breakfast.After that,we sat on our patio and watched the rigs head out. Finally, the park was getting back to normal.QUIET! We packed for our trip back to Sacramento to babysit for DJ while Dustin and Jackie go to Baja for their anniversary.
We love our new site and this is going to be our home base.So when we say home from now on we will be referring to site#419 at Park Sierra.

Baseball and BBQ's

That's my Daughter Jackie and me at the SF Giants Baseball game at Pac Bell Park. Her husband Dustin got the tickets and he had to go out of town so Jackie asked her "ole Daddy" to go.We had a great time.We had "club level" seats and even though the Giants didn't win, it was a great game. One thing Jackie and I found out,even though we had free tickets, we had to park($30),we had hot dogs and drinks($25),toll bridge coming and going($9),gas(180 miles $60). It wasn't free! But well worth it. Thanks Jackie and Dustin!
As I have said before, I love sports but my passion is baseball.I would go no matter the price or talent level. I always enjoy a good game.
Well this is our last week at Beals Point and we have a bad case of "hitch itch".We are stowing away for our Sunday departure.We played cards for the last time with the camp hosts Tues. night.Friday and Saturday are our last two days of work for us.
Sunday morning we will pick up the rental truck and trailer,go to our storage unit, load the trailer,go back to the park and load up the golf cart. Prep the motor home,hook the car up and caravan down to park sierra for a
month.One thing that is high on my list this week is giving my Grandson DJ one last ride on the gator. I will miss him when we leave. When the time comes to leave you always dread leaving the ones you love the most. But one thing I know ,our kids understand that Mom and Dad are living the dream of travel and support our dream.We know it is tough on all of them when we leave,but they never let on, they wish us well until next time not knowing when that might be. Jeni and I hope our kids get to follow their dreams like we have and enjoy life.

Last Saturday the parks dept. had a pancake breakfast for all its employees and volunteers. The rangers were the chefs and they put on a great feed.Sausage,bacon pancakes,eggs,and coffee and juice.Yummy! Everybody we have worked with this winter has been super and Jeni and I will miss all of them.
As we are sad to leave the people here at Folsom lake, we temper that with the happy prospect of seeing all of our friends at park sierra and our new home base.As one chapter closes,another chapter opens for us.Until next time,get out there and follow your dreams.

The train ride at "Old Sacramento

Last Friday morning Jeni and I scooped
up our grandson DJ and headed off to
"old Sacramento". Its the restored waterfront with shops,restaurants,museums, and a train that takes you on a scenic ride along the Sacramento river.
The train was our destination for this morning. We bought our tickets and were booked on the "silver Star" at 11am.
We strolled the streets awaiting our boarding call, checking out the various shops and boutiques.
Finally, we started boarding. You can ride inside in a restored Pullman car or you can ride outside in a covered
flat car that has bench seats. We chose riding outside to get the full experience.
The train takes you along the Sacramento river south to the free port marina. Then,the engine of the train unhooks and goes to the back of the train and hooks on and pulls us back to the station. In all, it is a 40 minute train ride on a real restored Santa Fe train. The price was very reasonable at $8 bucks a head and DJ was free. For $15 bucks you can ride in the luxury coach "the sierra car" where they serve snacks
and drinks.
As you ride along the river you see the Tower Bridge which spans the Sacramento river, The rice silos at the port of Sacramento and spectacular views of the river.
DJ loves trains so he loved the ride. He was ready to go again but I bribed him with hot dogs and candy. After our fantastic train ride we toured the California state railway museum which is right by the train station. If you are a train buff, this is the place for you. It has all sorts of restored locomotives and displays of all kinds of train cars. It also has one of the best railroad libraries in the west.
Back when we first moved to Sacramento,My mother came in for a visit. I took her the train museum as her dad,my grandfather,was an engineer on the train back in Nebraska. He was killed in a train wreck back in the 30's. She wanted to research the accident in the museum archives.I was amazed how much stuff she found on it. it is an impressive place to see.
Upstairs in the museum is displays of all kinds of model trains. And there is a section that is interactive so the little ones,like DJ can play with them.
All in all we had a great time in old Sac.I snapped a photo of DJ on the caboose. He really didn't want to leave the train.He was holding on to the rails hoping grandpa wouldn't come get him off the train.
Five minutes in the car,and DJ was sound asleep in his car seat.
Back at the park,after a day with our grandson,"We Got Nothin!" he wore us out and we were in bed early.
We were on duty Easter Sunday but since the state has hired park aides to work the weekends, our duties have declined.We don't work in the kiosk anymore.Just camp checks and cleanup.Poor Jeni, she enjoyed working the kiosk so there's little for her to do now.
Well we only have 2 weeks left here so were getting the rig" travel ready" for the trip south to park sierra for a month.We rented a truck and trailer to haul our stuff to our storage site on our site.The next two weeks will be hectic.
Last Wednesday morning the Rangers from our park had a pancake breakfast for their employees,and volunteers...us! There was about 150 people there. We had sausage,eggs,pancakes,bacon,and fresh fruit(if you like that stuff).
I have pictures but I will put them on the next blog. The people we volunteered for here are a great bunch of people and have treated Jeni and I very well.
You know that restless feeling you get sometimes.The dreaming of far away places,the open road,the rumble of 22000lbs under your control.....its "hitch itch!"When you get it the only thing you can to do to cure it is "hit the road!"Even though we are headed right back to where we came from in Dec.it is the feel of the open road...I can't wait.

DJ watching out the train

Rice Silos at the port of Sacramento

Jeni and DJ in front of the railroad museum

One of the many restored locomotives at the museum

A Rainbow Day

Being Irish, I believe there is a "pot of gold" at the end of every Rainbow. Unfortunately, This rainbow in the picture starts and ends in the lake!...No gold, no new RV for me. Oh well.
Spring weather at Folsom lake is 5 minutes of rain,5 minutes of sunshine and 5 minutes of thunder,lightning, and rainbows.
I was setting outside, in my favorite "Coleman" camp chair enjoying a "cold one"when this beautiful rainbow appeared. On the other side of that dirt levee is the lake and this rainbow was arced perfectly over the
lake. What a sight! Nature at its finest.
With the spring weather, I have been getting in some nice fishing time. Its hard work but somebody has to do it!
Jeni has been running the pay station in the morning so I can battle the "lunkers". The fishing has been slow but it will pick up pretty quick.
We heard from our "camphost "friends Stan and Diane,and Tim and Shirley. They will be up by us this summer in Oregon so we are planning a "get together"for some catching up and cards(NOOOO,not hand and foot!) It will be great to see everyone again. We all "camphosted together last winter at Agua Caliente County Park in the desert southwest. We all bonded like family. Jeni and I miss them.
Here at Folsom Lake we have had Tues. night cards with our "camphost friends Ken and Barb,and Jerry and Debra. We have been playing "Shang-hi rummy". We stop after an hour or so for food. What a feed! Jeni and I never eat dinner on "card night" as Deb and Barb always bring all kinds of home baked gourmet delights! I can see the calories just jump on my plump "pillsbury dough boy" body as I dine on these delights! Hey, I'm retired. I'm entitled.
Jeni and my youngest daughter,Katie took a road trip to Arizona last week for 3 days.They were going to stay at my brother Larry's place.I emailed my brother and told him Thelma and Louise was headed his way.(you know, the movie)He wasn't sure how to take that message.I'm sure he was mulling over his fate when they arrived! They did have a nice visit and when the girls got back they said they sure enjoyed visiting with Lar. Thanks Larry, your a good brother. I owe ya one!
Baseball season for me is a thrill.I love baseball.I also love football but not with a passion like baseball. I have been catching some of the spring training games on TV and the season is only 5 days away.Poor Jeni, she will be doing a lot of reading this season as I follow my SF Giants. But she will never try to change that channel. Shes too good to me. Shes a Baseball widow but never complains.
Well we have 18 days left here before we trek down to Park Sierra. We have a lot to do before we can pull out. So we better get started as time flies when your having fun! until next time, follow those rainbows.

the camping turkeys.

It is spring at last. And I for one am glad to see it here.
My grandson DJ and I love to go down to the lake and walk the dry lake bottom. We have found some interesting things. Swimming goggles, swim fins, bathing suits, anchors, fishing lures, you name it and we have found it.
This picture of DJ I took about 6:30 pm the other evening. Notice he is still in a t shirt. The weather has been in the high 70s all week and because of the time change, the sun doesn't go down until 7;30 or 8pm. This gives us more time to explore.
The lake is still kinda low for this time
of year. Only 51% full. Where DJ is standing, the water usually is covering this area well above his head.
Saturday, I even went fishing with my son in laws dad Roger. We took his boat out and although we didn't catch anything, it was great to just get out on the water.
Well, let me get to the gist of my title of this blog. "The Camping Turkeys." I was doing my morning rounds,this is where I check to see who came in the night before. I usually register them or get their reservation paperwork to them in the morning. I noticed that site#36 had not come in yesterday so I cruised by the site to see if they were in yet. To my surprise, there was a tent and supplies on the picnic table and......TURKEYS! I went back to the Kiosk and told Jeni that the Turkeys have checked into #36! She looked at the reservation tag and said "no, site #36 is the Hoffmans not the turkeys". I looked at her and said,"no site36 is the Turkeys," and I showed her the picture I took of the turkeys. We both got a good laugh out of that.
Speaking of Jeni, we had "date night" last Saturday night. I took her to a little theatre in "old Folsom called
Sutter Street Theatre. I can't remember the name of the play but it was about relationships between men and weman. Two couples were the whole cast, We really enjoyed it. I'm not a big theatre buff, but I really enjoyed this one. After the play we dined at....what else, Denny's. Its always open!
I took a picture of the campgrounds to show how green it is getting here,and the trees that are starting to bloom.It is really looking like spring. The little bunnies are scurrying around. The turkeys are doing their strutting and the squirrel's are darting here and there. I love this time of year.
We only have about a month left here but it is going to be a busy month. Last weekend the campground was full, and next week will be the same. Jeni and I have to work Easter and that is one of their busiest days of the year, but we will be up to it.
Like every place we have "camphosted" through the years, we have bonded with our fellow camphosts, and we are going to miss them when we leave. Our Tuesday night card games, building a deck with Ken and Bill, installing gates with Mark,Clint and Cherl, at peninsula campground. This is what makes it all worth it.
The kids are all doing great and we have spent quality time with DJ and Alyx while we have been here.With the nice weather,we are hoping to have a big barbecue at the park here for the family before we leave.
AH, spring is in the air. And I for one am a "happy camper" Baseball is starting,, the fish are biting, and I have a spring in my step. Well maybe not a spring but as my Grandson says "like a hurd of turtles!"Yea, that's how I move.

New job title and RV repairs

I'm an outdoor kinda guy. I've worked outdoors most of my life. Office type work is usually not for me, but our hours have been changed, and now we are working 8 hr. shifts 2 days a week. now Jeni and I are working 4 hr. shifts in the Kiosk(pay booth). That's me at the helm all by myself selling tickets,passes,and campsites. Jeni trained me on the computer and the procedures to make sure all the paperwork, and money balance. I have had to call her up to the Kiosk several times but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm doing my part but, Id rather be outdoors.
We have had some repairs on the RV that has needed to be fixed for awhile and these repairs are not in my "scope of work." I met a guy Jeff Cornett of Blue mountain RV repair. He gave us a great price on the repairs so we had him do it.
Both slideout toppers were ripped and retained rain water. We replaced both of them. Now they are nice and tight and not "flapping" in the breeze. We also had the ice maker in the fridge fixed(water leak). Lastly our awning wouldn't roll up. I have to get on the ladder and roll it up by hand.
Jeff found a broken spring so he installed a new one. I took a picture of the suspect spring. It is a one piece unit but ours broke in half.
I would recommend Jeff as he is very professional, and his prices are very reasonable.
If your ever in the Sacramento area and need repairs, check him out.
bluemountainrvrpr@sbcglobal.net

Our days here are numbered as we are here for seven more weeks. It will go fast so we are starting to get things ready for the move south. We went to our storage place and thinned out our stuff. We got everything into plastic totes for easy traveling when we head to our home base at Park Sierra to move in. We can't wait!
We will get settled in til mid May then were off to Oregon for the summer. We will be camphosting at Cape Blanco State Park in June. Then, were off to the Columbia river where it meets the Deshutes river to camphost at Deshutes state recreation area in July and August. We hope to spend Sept. and Oct. traveling up to Washington.

My brothers and I are sports nuts.Baseball,football,basketball,and hockey dominate our conversations.If we have somthing on our minds or news to pass along,sports always breaks the ice.A call or text to one of my brothers or my son usually starts with some sort of sports refrence about their favorite team and is really code for "how are you doing."A specific refrence to how their team is doing is code for "how is the family doing". A specific question about players on my son's favorite team is code for "how are the grandsons doing.Anyway,you see the pattern.The men in our family,well we are not a very emotional bunch.But we are a close knit bunch.We keep in touch the"Doran way",talking sports.

the awards!

No, the Ranger is not taking me into custody. No that is our volunteer coordinator Ranger Pam Wilson. and she is congratulating Jeni and I on our fine work for the state park where we camphost.
Saturday morning the Parks district had a Volunteer appreciation day for all of the volunteers in the district. They gave us a bag of items and a continental breakfast with some yummy pastries.
There were about twenty some odd volunteers present including 4 camphost couples including Jeni and I.
It was great just to be recognized for all the hard work the volunteers do for the park system. It was sure nice to be noticed.
They gave a special award away for the volunteer of the year. It went to Ken Carter and his wife Barbara.They are camphosting with us at Folsom lake.
Ken and Barb have been working winters at Folsom lake for 6 years and when Jeni and I first started camphosting,Ken and Barb were our mentors.They instilled the camphost work ethic that started us on our way to a new and great lifestyle. Thank you Ken&Barb, your the best!
I snapped a picture of all us camphosts,Ranger Pam Wilson ,and head Ranger Barry Smith. Ranger Smith was the volunteer coordinator back in 2005 our first year camphosting.He was a great guy.Jeni and I knew back then that Ranger Smith was destined to go to the top and he sure did.
This has been a great group to work with and it is amazing how we all get along so well, but we do.
The weather has turned rainy again so it is time to hunker down again. Tomorrow I have an RV guy coming by to get some repairs done on the
rig. The repairs have been mounting and most are beyond my"scope of work".I had another spring go out on the awning so I have to hand roll it up to close it,both slideout covers are totaled,and the pesky water leak in the icemaker in the fridge,that I have attempted to fix 3 or 4 times, is still leaking. So we will "bite the bullet"and get the the repairs done.
I was talking with one of our campers the other day,they are also fulltime RVers.I asked if it was hard traveling and not seeing alot of their kids and grand kids. They replied that they do not get along well with them so they seldom visit them. I asked why and they gave various reasons,didn't get along with their kid's spouses,grand kids too spoiled,and they didn't like the places where they lived. This made me think what great kids Jeni and I raised. We have imposed on them,had them conform to our traveling schedules and entertain us when we are in town, forward our mail,and no help with the Grand kids because we are always on the road. No matter what time of year we roll in, they are always glad to see us. Yes we are on the road alot but we always keep in touch and they know they can always count on us as we do them. Yes we have great kids and because we are not always there 24/7 for them,they know when the going gets tough for them,we will always be there for them.,Our kids Jackie,Dan,and Kate.We love you all.