Until this past week of March 10th we have been plagued with rain and cloudy skies. I should say really dark skies ! It would get so dark that I felt we were going to get hit with the mother of all storms. The rain would come down , create waterfalls along the highway and the mother of all storms never came to fruition !
KitKat has enjoyed her time in camp- she is officially the camp host guard dog. She barks while she frantically wags her tail so she doesn’t scare anyone off ! Everyone is giving her so much love and attention it’s wearing her out. You can see her doing her daily exercises below. Ha ha.
We are also lucky to be in a spot where we are entertained by the climbers. There is a tower called the Lighthouse and the climbers love it. I really admire them but that is not a sport that has ever made me think, hmm I would like to try that ! One day we had two base jumpers (of course my camera wasn’t handy). They made the long climb up to the top of the cliffs, jumped off and opened their parachutes. They only reason I knew they jumped was I heard two people screaming with delight and when I looked up, there they were.
Now that the weather has cleared up we can cook and eat outside. How would you like some rigatoni with parmesan cheese and Trader Joe’s Tuscano Marinara sauce ? My favorite canned sauce ever !
We have met so many wonderful people and the college kids who have been here on Spring Break have inspired us with their positive attitudes, their politeness and their willingness to spend some time with us “older folks”. When you sit at home and see so much negative news you forget that there is a generation coming up behind us and from what we have seen we feel pretty good about them taking over the reigns !
One day while sitting in camp we had a white car drive by and behind the wheel was a sweet silver haired Texan. She pulled over into the day use area and walked up to our campsite. She said our smiles made her want to stop-sweet. Betty, a 6th generation Texan spent some time with us sharing her story, her fears and her new found love for exploring.
She told us the story of how unheard it was to be a 6th generation Texan and actually move from the state but she did. She originally headed to California then followed her son to Colorado. Betty eventually ended up settling in Grand Junction. She is 77 years old and just as cute as a button. I’m so regretting not taking any photos of her but I feel certain our paths are going to cross again. Just imagine Betty White but cuter and with a better hair cut. She’s about 5′ 3 , slim build, beautiful shiny silver white hair cut in a bob. Her makeup was light but perfect. And the red jacket she had on brought out a blush on her cheeks; and the red suede clogs made me think this lady is going to be fun. She is one of those people you just want to hug to pieces.
Betty told us she was checking out “the camping life”. She had been divorced for 13 years, lived alone and recently lost her son to cancer. I can’t imagine losing a child . Her son passed away 4 years ago-tears came to her eyes as she talked about him. She was so open and honest with us in sharing her loneliness and vulnerability. But yet here she was on a road trip that her friends in Grand Junction couldn’t believe she was making on her own. She has decided she wants to figure out a way to buy a little van or camper for herself that wouldn’t need any work and would be easy for her to handle. Everyone has convinced her she needs a man for that and we worked very hard to convince her that in the short time we had talked with her that she could do anything she wanted to do-on her own !
We exchanged emails and phone numbers and gave her some referrals for things she could do now to travel without a camper-you know Trusted Housesitters and Airbnb. We also promised to keep our eyes open for a little van for her. So if any of you know of a van that could be purchased for $6000.00 or less and is in good shape let me know and I’ll pass it onto Betty.
We were sad to say good bye to our new friend and there hasn’t been a day that I haven’t thought about her since she left-wondering what she is doing and how she is doing. This is really one of the absolute positives about being on the road-the wonderful people who come into your life and touch you in a very special way.
Happy Trails my friends, safe travels and keep a smile on your face-you never know what sweet soul is going to be cheered up by that smile.
Wandering Under the Stars 