Mom's 70th Birthday and Other Family Fun

Sunland RV Park & Resort    08/1-09/1, 2020

We can certainly attest to the fact that the middle eastern portion of California consists of golden desert valleys between bluish tinged mountain ranges, much like Arizona. 

Where we see agriculture, they have built drainage canals or some other watering system to make it work. Interestingly, we are being buffeted by strong winds, as we travel through here. Me, I enjoy the slight swaying, it’s like being rocked in my favorite chair at home. We are down to 1000’ elevation and a 103 temp at 10 AM...Looking forward to cooler temperatures!!!

When we stopped in Hotsprings, CA, mom had to take this photo. There is NO question whether MJ is legalized here. Huge billboards everywhere like the old Burma Shave for those old enough to remember them??? Sometimes, I just have no clue what she is telling me?!

M & D’s phone started thrilling with an Emergency Alert. It turns out, Big Brother knew we were passing by a large fire in one of the canyons...scary looking!

Mom was telling us that she was in Riverside visiting a family friend when she was 16. It was quite an exciting trip for a 60’s Midwest girl. Very Hip, I’m told! 

We just changed Interstates here. As we passed Marchfield Air Museum and a large Reserve Base, we were looking at the same fire or a different one. Yikes!!!

As it turns out, the Apple fire was just the beginning of many fires out here, a number of them caused by lightning. M & D told me this month has been the hottest that they have ever experienced out here...It was so uncomfortable that if we played outside, it was early in the morning or later in the evening. 

Although C.Mike, my human brother would take Clara out for walks, with a fan blowing on her to keep her from getting overheated...not sure how he survived...but he is definitely losing weight from all these hot workouts. 

It's hard for me to put into words how much fun that I have been having with CaliBear, Elle Belle, Brenda and now, Celeste, their Mexican au pair and even 6 month old, Clara...

Mom or dad try to wear me out a bit first at the Dog Park attached to our RV Resort before bringing me over to their house, so I'm not quite so rambunctious...I have no idea why they should think that is necessary, but I do enjoy my morning walk and ball playing!!!  

We came here one morning and there was all kinds of funny looking skinny pink birds all over their front lawn. It turns out it was mom's 70th birthday, so we spent the day  celebrating...starting with something called a High Tea for lunch. I was very disappointed because no one left any for CaliBear or me to try...BOOO! Mom enjoyed it all though...

Is there anything better than the beach??? I had the best time going to the Del Mar beach with all of them...Mom had a hard time getting me to rest. I just wanted to play ball on the sand or in the water...I was deliriously happy! 

However, when we got home that night, I made a mess all over the Resort roads. UGH! It seems I had accidently drank too much saltwater. My explosion even scared me!!! Don't want to do that again anytime soon...YIKES!

It seems Katie and Mike keeps finding one cute au pair after another...presenting Brenda. Another darling, adopted family member...she was not only loved by all, but a talented photographer.

It was good for me to know that dad still can assemble kid's toys. Here he is putting together the car Elise requested from us for her fourth birthday...Honk! Honk! Beep! Beep!

 

All too soon we had to say Goodbye to Brenda because her Visa was up...It was really hard for all...

Cali Bear and I really loved laying under the tables waiting for the food scraps to drop from Elise or mostly Clara. She was just starting to eat solid food...some she liked better than others...Loved the funny photo of her eating applesauce...

There is so much to do at my other family's house. Lots of balls, dog toys and other toys to get into...not to mention, Cali Bear seems to love to wrestle with me. Oh, did I mention they have a backyard with really, gorgeous, lush green grass! Much to my disappointment they don't like Cali Bear or I using it, but sometimes we just can't resist!!! SORRY!!!

Don't know where a month went, but I blinked and Elise Charlotte's fourth birthday was here...What  a four year old's birthday looks like in the age of Covid-19 

Besides, having Katie's van painted announcing her birthday and a flock of flamingos landing in the front yard, you safely hand out cupcakes to your best buddies and their families...They in turn give you their handmade darling cards...mom show them to me...So cute!

Granbear arrived with a new unicorn for her birthday...

It was fun to see their friends and families, if only for a few short minutes and from a safe distance...

Here is Celeste, the kid's latest au pair and adopted family member...I thought the other two were adorable and they are, but this one looks like she is barely 16 and is Moana's doppelganger.

CHOCOLATE!!!!

Elise had two birthday celebrations; the first with a chocolate cake, and the second with chocolate cupcakes both made by Katie with Elle Belle's help. She really is my mom's granddaughter!!! 

Two more Sage beauties...

Elise's current love is Dr Mc Stuffins, so she is into all things medical... Her mom and dad obliged with a real otoscope...she was ecstatic!!! Thankfully, all our ears were in good shape!

 

Elle Belle requested her grandmother Barbara's delicious Norwegian meatballs for her Fourth Birthday, so Mike and Katie teamed up to make them...

Clara approved them!!!

We got to spend a bit of safe time with our outlaws, Grandma Barbara and Bill. They brought Elle Belle's birthday gift...

She decided it had to be her first day of school outfit...

Praying for a healthy, safe, productive and creative  school year...Elle Belle looked adorable in her new birthday outfit! 

We weren't there, since we were trying to get repacked to leave today...Not sure, when we will return, but we miss them already...

Normally, we would be here for the holidays, but with Covid-19, it doesn't look so possible...maybe we can be here for Clara's First Birthday in February, only time will tell...

This RV resort had everyone tight together and no place for me to go except the dog park on the hill above us, but the landscaping was lovely...Look at the tree blooming with the big purple, grape like clusters...gorgeous!

"On the road again...Just got to get on the road again..."

This morning we are off to start our Route 66 journey in Barstow, CA. Route 66 actually began in LA or Chicago depending on where you started? It's only suppose to be 100 there today...UGH!

Along with my family out here, I'm really going to miss this dog park where I could run around at top speed and no one yelled at me...And, I got to make new doggie friends...That's what life is all about...