Journeying On

The first raccoon of our 2022-2023 Camp Host Season at Samuel P Taylor State Park Last year we rescued these little guys daily from the dumpsters, but so far we haven't seen many. This one was in the dumpster close to us and we heard him pounding on the walls as we walked by. Our campsite ready for Christmas. Notice the garland on the tent? There are also some lights on the RV and behind the tent and car.     The day after (December 8) saying goodbye to granddaughters Katie and Helen at the airport I headed north to Eureka to say goodbye to four dear ones from the Eureka First UMC Church where I was the pastor for the eight years prior to my retirement 2 1/2 years ago. All of them were in their 90s, and all close to the end of their journey on this earth. One died the night before I headed north, but I got to see the other three, two of whom died less than 24 hours after my visits. Though it was a sad mission, it was also a journey of blessings, including spending the night wi...

Katie (17), Me, and Helen (14) on top of Barnabe Peak.     We arrived at South Carlsbad State Beach on Saturday, November 19, 2022 and would stay there one night before picking up Katie, age 17 and Helen, age 14, on Sunday afternoon. This was Katie and Helen's first visit to the U.S. without their parents. They visited with friends for two days in Orange, California before we picked them up to take them north to visit their California family. They had looked forward to doing some travel with us in the RV, so they joined us for the rather monotonous journey north on I-5. Early morning eastern sky at South Carlsbad Beach. See the waning crescent moon in the top right corner? Sun reflecting on the Pacific waves. A Pelican fly by. Our beach front property.          After picking up the girls we were eager to get over the Tejon Pass, the area we've always called the "Grapevine," before dark. It was strange to me that the parents of the family Katie and Hele...