01-25-2019 A Day or Two in the Desert

Current Location: Catalina Spa and RV Resort Desert Hot Springs California

75 Degrees F and brilliant sunshine!

We last visited with the brothers at a wide spot in the road along Highway 247.  Hugs all around, a walk for the dogs and directions to the Pilot on I-10, not far from our destination at Catalina Spa. We continued south with them to fuel up, and then waved goodbye as they continued west on I-10 and we drove back north along Indian Canyon Road toward Dillon Road.

Once again, the Tracker was dead, after two days of being towed, even though Mo started it up in Lodi.  Not sure why this is happening, but an easy fix.  We unhooked at a wide space along Dillon Road, turned the MoHo around and jump started the Tracker without any problems.  Mo left it running for some time after we got settled into our campsite, and today it started up just fine.

It felt great to head east on Dillon Road toward our destination.  We have been coming to this part of the Mojave desert for several years, choosing the luxury of hookups and hot pools before we wander off in one direction or another into wilder places.  New places are wonderful but familiarity also triggers good feelings. I like both for different reasons.

Catalina Spa certainly doesn’t stay the same from year to year.  We knew things were changing two years ago, and last year was proof of that.  This year, even more so.  The park looks different, and I haven’t quite figured out if it is the new landscaping, the heavily pruned trees and shrubs, or the fact that it is wall to wall, bumper to bumper full of a LOT of RV’s. 

We had requested a spot on the back row where we have spent many good days, but it wasn’t to be.  Like last year, once again we were assigned to a middle site with rigs right behind us.  So far it isn’t a problem, and I was told when I asked about it that the park has to be flexible about assigning sites no matter how far in advance we made our reservation.  They have to consider all the long term folks and do a lot of juggling of spaces.  Also, cable is now 2.50 USD per day, which I only found out when our cable wouldn’t turn on.  I asked what the problem was, and was told, “We need a credit card”.  Ah well then.  Internet was an additional $5.00 per day, with specific directions that it was not to be used for uploading, downloading, You Tube videos, or any kind of streaming.  So much for that.  I thought I might save some bandwidth by paying the extra, but certainly not worth it if I couldn’t use it.  So we simply hooked up the Verizon again and will find out at the end of our billing cycle just how much bandwidth we will use as we go along.

Of course, these little changes were minor compared to the best change of all.  After a year of limiting pool hours, once again the lower pool near our site is open 24 hours a day.  Anyone who has read this blog for any time at all knows about my love affair with crack of dawn swimming under a starlit sky.  I was so happy that they reverted to the old policy.

After settling in last night, we ate an easy reheated supper and enjoyed relaxing.  I thought about waiting until this morning to swim, but my body was tired and sore from all the riding and driving, and the pool and hot tub was beckoning.  I swam laps in between a bunch of people bobbing around on their noodles.  It felt great and I do love swimming at night in the dark.

We woke up at 5 or so this morning, and this time Mo decided to go to the pool with me.  Such a lovely perfect time to swim.  We had the pool almost completely to ourselves, except for one dedicated lap swimmer who managed to stir up a lot of waves.  The pool maintenance man, Jesus, showed up at 6 saying the pool would be closed until 7 for cleaning. Not a problem, it was getting lighter out and we picked up a free cup of coffee in the game room and sat out on the covered porch to watch the morning light brighten.

I took Mattie for her early morning walk into the desert and then we came back and made a tasty breakfast.  It was cleaning day, after three days of travel, and within an hour we had shiny mirrors, clean floors and well shaken rugs.  Always feels great when things get cleaned up and organized.

We then decided to take Mattie to the little dog park, another place of big changes.  They have removed all the grass and now the park is all sandy, but they added play toys and a dog pool.  I miss the grass, but not the muddy puddles that would happen after they watered the grass.  Our timing was perfect, as there was a little dog just about Mattie’s size who matched her energy perfectly.  They had a great time chasing each other and playing and by the time we left, Mattie was pretty darn tired.

Perfect for us, since we had to drive into Cathedral City and Palm Desert for my annual visits to the two great quilt shops that I love.  I did well at the first one, and didn’t buy a thing.  The second store caught me, however, with fabric that was the perfect choice for the next big quilt I will be doing for Daughter Deborah.  She has some specific color requests, and while yellow and blue is easy to find, yellow and lavender is a bit harder.  I was thrilled to find the perfect little print to be the focal point for her someday quilt.

We did a Costco run, including the perfect lunch, a Costco hot dog, something we only manage a couple of times a year. Home along the back road yielded gorgeous vistas of wildflowers blooming all over the sandy hills between the interstate and the back roads of Desert Hot Springs.

This afternoon is all about relaxing, writing and reading a bit, grilling some chicken breasts for supper, and waiting for darkness so we can go back to the pools.  So much nicer under moonlight than the bright sun. 

The next few days will be simple, with a special treat tomorrow at the College of the Desert where we will see the “Singing of the Birds” celebration by the local tribes.  On Sunday the brothers and wives will arrive after their three day stint in Quartzsite, and we will have some more time to share with them here at Catalina before we continue eastward on our own.