We had a visit from the Park Ranger today just to check out our site and make sure we had everything hooked up properly. We had to get another connector for our sewer hose because they want to make sure it is screwed on tightly to the sewer thing in the ground. We don't like to leave it hooked up all the time anyway, but it is a requirement. Whatever, sewer is sewer - inevitable.

We had to be at Campground School at ten o'clock - early for us. There were eleven others there besides ourselves. There were about 20 rules and we had to check each off as the Campground Ranger went through things. It took about half an hour and then it was done. I thought we were supposed to go this afternoon but Bernie wanted to go in the morning because there is a football game on that he wants to watch.

During "question period" I asked about the cats that wander at will throughout the campground. The lady living behind us told me she feeds the feral cats. That gave me a nice warm feeling. So I asked about the cats and if they were feral cats. I guess some are and some aren't - that was the answer. They make sure that the feral cats are neutered and free of disease and that's about it, they just go wherever they want. Yesterday one tried to get in the trailer and I gave it the boot. The ducks wander around all over the place too and we had to clean up duck poop from our outside rug this morning. I guess that's roughing it. ha ha

The guy next door has a huge dog, friendly, but huge. Every time Duke goes outside he drools all over the place. I think the big dog makes him nervous. He is slowly getting used to this new place, but I think he misses Chula Vista. He'll get over it.

When we were at Chula Vista we would walk from the campground to the nearest strip mall; or we would go on a longer walk between freeways along bike and walking paths. There were always homeless people strolling along the way. They sleep under the freeway. I am kind of glad not to have to navigate around them anymore when we go for a walk. Now we have to dodge ducks and cats.

So we moved to a new camp ground yesterday and it is definitely quieter at night anyway! I guess we can't get away from noise unless we camp in our back yard.

We pulled in here yesterday afternoon, registered and then drove to our site. Oh dear, it was not a pull through (Bernie's favorite for obvious reasons), but he managed and he got it backed in like a pro. It didn't hurt that the two directly across from us were unoccupied. We met the neighbour right away. Of course he told at least half his life story in the first five minutes. I seem to have that effect on people, I don't know what it is but they want to talk to me! Oh well, he seems nice enough and he was embarassed that one of the vehicles in his site was partially parked on our "property". We were good little Canadians and said that we didn't mind, "no problem", "don't worry about it".......yeah, you know the drill!

I had a wicked headache all day and I sure wasn't much help setting up. My head finally felt better about eight o'clock last evening.

We are very close to the water here and the beach. There are two swimming pools, hot tubs, all the other amenities like a store, laundromat and even a restaurant. I haven't checked all that out yet but I will today. Of course there is a marina; something which I do not understand since we are land lubbers.

We are staying here for a month so that means we have to go to "orientation" on Saturday. I am not sure what they are going to do with us but it is a rule and of course one has to follow the rules! We had to make copies of vehicle registrations and insurance and our driver's licenses. We also had to fill out a form and sign a declaration stating that we read all the rules. It is supposed to be a very hot day on Saturday and I would like to enjoy it so I hope "camp ground school" does not take all afternoon!

This place is crowded, I guess it is popular. Sea World is across the Bay and we are on Pacific Beach. There is a wild life sanctuary bordering the campground and I would like to check that out as well. Duke doesn't want to be outside, just to do his business and then he hops right back in the trailer. I guess that is a good thing because when we go for walks on the beach we can't take him because no dogs are allowed and we also would like to go and do things that require leaving him behind. The neighbours have dogs and he has met at least two of them.

We get more sun here than we did at the previous campground and I plan on taking full advantage of that.

We are moving to Campland on the Bay tomorrow. On Monday we went to check it out and then reserved for a month. It is cheaper than this place and hopefully not as noisy.

We are right beside the freeway and there is constant noise. Then there is noise in the campground what with the maintenance workers blowing leaves, cutting grass and putting the finishing touches on the playground. My ears can't take anymore!!

I am looking forward to a different view even though this place is nice and we have grass and trees right beside us. It will be that way there too and hopefully we won't be as shaded because it does get cool. I guess you can't have it all and at least it is not thirty below.

We decided to stay in San Diego because it is warm here. This is really the only place besides southern Arizona, which is experiencing warm temperatures. The rest of the country has had cold, snow, storms and rain. So we are congratulating ourselves on choosing the right place at the right time.

I am struggling a little bit with the size of our trailer. When we bought it we had a smaller truck and so that was a big consideration. Now that we have a bigger truck we could pull a heavier trailer. We bump into one another a lot and some days it drives me nuts with the stuff laying around (just like at home). Bernie was laughing at me the other day when I cleared a path on the table. He was wondering when I would "break". He likes his stuff all around him and he likes lots of stuff. I could live without much and it wouldn't bother me, but not him. I just go outside when I can't take being cooped up or when I can't look at the clutter one more minute.

The one good thing is that it doesn't take long to clean the place up. Not that I am obsessive about cleanliness but I do like things to be clean, neat and tidy most of the time.

We bought a few things for the trailer yesterday and today we got some supplies like water and beer. Bernie dropped the case of beer right beside the truck. One can rolled out and the lady who parked beside us ran over it. It was 17 for us and 1 for the parking lot.

We went to a San Diego Chargers game today. The Washington Red Skins were in town for the game. There were a few Washington fans there but it was mostly blue. It was quite an experience attending an NFL game what with the tail gate parties in the parking lot and the exuberant fans. We had seats on the fifty yard line, field level, five rows up. They were right behind the home team, nice but the view was obstructed......We basically stood for the entire game which was an experience in itself. Everybody stands, all the time no matter where they sit.

For twenty bucks we rode a MTS (Metro Transit System) bus that left from the Chula Vista High School, not far from here, and took us right to Qualcomm Stadium. We were glad that we found that bus because we didn't have to drive and we didn't have to take the trolley which would have meant transferring. It is probably easy but when you don't know where you're going nothing is easy!

It was 23 C when we left for the game and it stayed hot and sunny throughout the afternoon.

This was a nothing game for the Chargers because they are already in the playoffs but I really thought the fans deserved a lot better than they got. The second stringers played the last three quarters of the game and just about lost it to boot. We didn't see the end because we were nervous about getting out of there in time to get on the bus (the place holds about ninety thousand people), so we left with about three minutes left in the game and the Chargers were down by four points. They ended up scoring a touchdown to give them the win with 39 seconds left. That was nice for the fans but it still sucked that they didn't get to see the best players play the game.

Duke was a good boy and stayed "home" in the trailer for the day. We left the blinds open a bit on the window by the table so he could perch on the bench seat and look out if he wanted to. I think that is where he chose to stay and sleep and keep guard because the pillow I left there for him was very warm to the touch when we got home!! He is getting used to his surroundings and I am glad because there is nothing worse than a nervous dog. Well......I guess a nervous Bonnie is pretty bad too. lol

We are trying to decide where to spend the remainder of our time away from home. I kind of like it here in southern California mainly because the weather is so nice. Bernie is getting restless and wants to see different things and go different places. We will decide before Jan. 7th since we are paid up at this campground until then.

So that was our day today. Bernie is happy because he finally got to see a NFL game in person. He loves his football. I'm happy that we went but it is not something I could really get into. I like my CFL and my Riders and that is about as far as I go.

Tomorrow and in the next couple of days we will go to Balboa Park to use our pass to see all the sights there.

I forgot to say "Happy New Year everybody" yesterday, so I will say it today. We didn't do anything special for New Year's Eve, in fact we were in bed and sleeping before midnight (as usual).

I did wake up to the sounds of fireworks but I didn't bother to get up and investigate. I'm sure they were spectacular with or without me seeing them.

We are enjoying our time in sunny California. Today, January 2, it was 70 degrees. I spent part of the morning soaking up the sun by the pool. I went for a quick dip but the water seemed kind of cold.....I guess that's why there is a hot tub.

The day after we arrived here I bought a swim suit. I didn't even have one anymore and I can't remember the last time I went swimming. I think it was in 1988, no kidding. My how the time goes by. Yes, it was the summer of 1988 when we went on a fabulous driving holiday through North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana. We went to two Blue Jays games in the Metrodome and then toured through the Black Hills taking in all the tourist attractions. Almost every motel we stayed in had a pool and that was one of the hottest summers on record I think. I am sure that was the last time I went swimming. I can't believe it.

Anyway, I digress.

We went to the San Diego Zoo on the 30th and we have a week long pass to go to Balboa Park which is a lot of museums and things to see.

Duke is good and really likes staying in the trailer and keeping an eye on things. He doesn't even bark anymore when people walk by. I would hazard a guess that almost 75 percent of the campers here have dogs.

It rained on Tuesday evening but other than that the weather is perfect. It is nice and green here. We walked about three miles on the 31st. There is a farmer's market near here every Thursday so we walked to the downtown area. Not many vendors there because it is New year's Eve, but we had a look anyway.

Yesterday we took a drive along Harbour Drive and enjoyed the sailing vessels and big ships. We continued on a scenic drive and ended up at Point Loma which was discovered by Cabrillo in 1542. The lighthouse there has been restored. It was used in the eighteen hundreds for about forty years.

We stopped at a Pizza Hut, which is in a strip mall close to where we are staying, on the way back and I went in and ordered up a large pizza to have for supper back at the campground. It seemed to take forever and I was starving (as usual). When we got back to the campground there were five police cars at the entrance with cops all over the place. They let us in without an explanation. There is a security gate which closes at eight o'clock so we feel safe here anyway.
Today they were still around although not as many of them. When I asked at the store why the police were around I was told that there was a robbery at the strip mall yesterday and the police were looking for somebody. Well, I guess it wasn't the Pizza Hut they robbed at any rate.

Today we went to a shopping mall. Not my favorite thing to do but we were looking for a camera store or at least a department store that sold cameras. We wanted to look at getting a zoom lens for our camera and we really needed a new lens cap with a little elastic thingy on it so I don't drop it every time I take it off. We were unsuccessful in our quest.

I could just stay here and not go anywhere else. We are paid up until Jan. 7th so I guess we have to decide what to do before then.

I see there have been wind chill warnings for Coronation.......I hope the nasty stuff doesn't last too long. And I hope that the weather smartens up to be a lot milder by the time we get home.

Today would be a shorter drive since we were going to stay in Salt Lake City a 336 km drive.

We slept in a little later than usual and were on the road by 9:30 a.m.

It was still pretty cold in the trailer. I was glad that Bernie threw in the little electric space heater at the last minute. I finally ditched my boots and found my runners!

The day was basically uneventful and we arrived in Salt Lake City and found the campground without too much trouble. We arrived about 1:30 p.m. which was nice. Bernie could get a rest since so far he has done all the driving.

The KOA had a code for the bathrooms and showers. Once again we were close to the facilities.

The fog came and went and there were also a few snow flurries, but nothing to get excited about.

On Monday December 21 we were up very early and on the road by 7:25 a.m. It was -4 C.

This would be the last leg for a while since our destination was Las Vegas. I drove a short leg of the journey until we got to Cedar City where we stopped for gas. We also found a Wal Mart Super Centre and shopped for groceries and dog food (of course). We grabbed a bite to eat at the McDonalds. The store was very crowded with Christmas shoppers.

All went well on this journey even though there were a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns through the mountain passes.

"Betty" got us straight to the KOA on Circus Circus Drive right on the Strip. We made it without taking any wrong turns.

The "campground" was a huge parking lot. We got a site with a little grass strip and a table and chairs. There was a swimming pool and hot tub which nobody used and of course the store.

The most important thing was that there was no snow and that was why we came. We planned to stay in this campground until December 27th.

It was windy and kind of cool for a couple of days in Vegas. In fact it was so windy one night that I was afraid it would blow the trailer over, or at least blow our t.v. antennae off the trailer.

It was here that the snow finally melted for good from the back of our truck!

We went for many walks on the strip and took in the sights. Our site was right behind Circus Circus. It was also right next to the freeway so there was a lot of noise from the traffic day and night. The airport was very close as well so lots of planes and helicopters went over all the time.

We decorated for Christmas with some lights outside. Bernie took a small branch from a tree in Idaho and we put it in a jug of water and wrapped tinsel around the whole thing. We wore Santa hats and took our picture with our tree!

On Christmas Eve we left Duke behind for a while and we walked the Strip. We ended up in a shopping mall and brought home chicken for Christmas dinner the next day.

It was nice - sunny and warm on Christmas Day and the wind went down considerably. We called my sister's place and talked to Carol and Gord and Tracy and my mom. Bernie tried calling his mom and sister but they were not answering their phone.

We packed up the truck and drove to the Hoover Dam. It was not very far and easy to find. There was a huge line up of vehicles just to get to the parking lot. Since it was Christmas Day the visitor's centre was not open, nor were the bathrooms. There were a LOT of people there. We just parked the truck in the first spot we found and we walked and walked and walked some more. The funniest thing I heard was a little girl about nine years old saying to her dad, "We came all this way to look at some water. That's not very interesting." LOL

Once we got back to our little home on wheels we were ready for our Christmas feast of chicken.

On Boxing Day we found a Wal Mart and did a little shopping and we also stopped on the way back at a car wash. The truck was very dirty and it looked a whole lot better once it was clean. When we drive in the winter time at home we never wash the vehicle and everybody's looks the same with a lot of road dirt on it all the time. Then we come to a place where the weather conditions are very mild and warm and everybody's vehicles shine........don't want to be too different! Our trailer was kind of dirty as well and we would need to find an R.V. or truck wash to get it clean again.

December 27th saw us heading further south to even warmer climates. We got off to an early start for the 538 km drive. Of course we had to head through more mountain passes, but not nearly as bad as on the way to Vegas from Salt Lake.

We kept on watching the temperature gauge in the truck go higher and higher and we got more excited as the day went on!! Hurray! Warmer temperatures ahead!

We didn't stop much, just for gas and we ate lunch in the trailer in a Home Depot parking lot in Barstow.

We arrived in San Diego about 4:00 p.m. at the Metro San Diego KOA in Chula Vista. The temperature was about 20 C. at that time.

The campground is very nice with palm and cedar trees all over the place. Our site is very close to the store and the showers, etc. It is rather noisy because we are right beside a freeway, but I don't care, it's warm.

We were on the road early in the morning on December 19th, headed to Pocatello, Idaho. Surely the campground there wouldn't be full of snow and ice!! We were confident now that nothing else could go wrong and if it did we could handle it.

The further south we went the foggier it got and we travelled almost all the way in a low cloud. We travelled on Interstate 15 all the way and it was clear without a lot of traffic. It is a divided highway anyway so it is a lot easier to travel than one that isn't, especially pulling a trailer. Bernie took a picture of the snow in the back of the truck and was hopeful that it would melt a lot on this day!

Speaking of snow, it came and went. We were constantly scanning the countryside for signs that we were far enough south that it did not know how to snow!! I was still wearing my boots.

We stopped in Helena for gas and since IHOP was close by we went there for a good feed of pancakes. The waitress wished us a "Happy Holiday", and we both responded with, "Merry Christmas!". There is a reason for the season.

We arrived at the KOA in Pocatello about 6:00 p.m. We got turned around a bit but Betty, our GPS, came through and got us on the right track.

The campground had a little bit of snow but nothing to get excited about. All I cared about was that we were close to the bathrooms and showers. We were pretty comfortable with cable t.v., internet access and heat. What more do you need??