Friday, November 23, 2018

Settled In


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We’ve been back at Jojoba Hills for three weeks now, and although we’ve been busy there hasn’t been much going on that is blog worthy. We managed to get the car and Lazy Daze washed and polished, and cleaned the inside of both, which were filthy after being in blowing dust in Virgin and Yuma. We’ve also done some RV maintenance, like flushing the hot water heater and restringing a couple window blinds. We’ve also ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon. It’s so nice to have a place to get things delivered, which is always a challenge on the road. We also got new batteries in the golf cart we acquired with the lot. Before we left for the summer it would barely get up a hill but we didn’t want to replace the batteries and then let it sit for 4 or 5 months. It’s now running great with the new batteries. We didn’t think we would make much use of a golf cart but it’s handy for running up to the laundry, showers, etc.

Jim has been working out at EOS Fitness in Temecula a few times a week since he doesn’t care for the exercise room here, which is small and lacking in equipment. It’s free for him with Silver Sneakers and is a beautiful, huge new gym. His knees are really bothering him playing pickleball so he’s laying off for a while. I’ve been playing quite a bit and feel like I’m finally getting a little better, but it’s fun no matter how badly I play. We are still playing ping pong 2-3 nights a week. It’s really popular, with usually at least 15-20 or more people showing up. They bought a new table recently which gives us four, so with playing doubles nobody has to wait very long between games.

Part of being a member here is that you are expected to volunteer, so I’m back working with the Landscape Committee and Jim is doing meter reading. We are both helping clean the fitness room once a month and Jim and another member replaced the TV in that room last week. You can get involved in as little or as much as you want and nobody really pressures you but it’s amazing what gets done around here with all the members helping to keep the place running and looking good. I’ve been doing Zumba once a week and decided to try the yoga class the other day. Not sure it’s my thing, but I may give it another shot before I give up.

One day we went on a group hike, which turned out to be only 5 of us. Did a trail we hadn’t hiked before near Julian, the Upper Santa Ysabel Creek trail. It was a good 7.5 mile loop with about 1,000’ of climbing, and would be more scenic with some rain to green things up a bit. After spending time in the red rocks of southern Utah last month, the scenery here is a little lacking in color.

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We saw neither one of these.

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But saw many of these.

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Jim, Nancy, Jean, and one of our bovine buddies.

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John, Jim, me and Nancy.

Jojoba hikers

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Saw a flock of wild turkeys as we were leaving. Hope they survived Thanksgiving.

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Our lot looked surprisingly good when we returned. Of course there is a timer on the sprinkler so the plants get watered, but other than the succulent garden it is mostly gravel, so there isn’t much that needs to be done. The leaves on our liquid amber tree were green when we got back, but their autumn colors have been coming out over the past couple weeks. We’re hoping when they fall off we will get a big windstorm that will blow them all to our neighbors. Just kidding Terry and LuAnn. Smile

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The oranges on Terry and LuAnn’s trees are actually turning orange.

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Ours are a different type, and are still very green although the same size. Fruit trees are no longer allowed to be planted in the park due to the fact that they require so much water.

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The weather has been great, mostly highs in the upper 60s and 70s with clear skies, but we woke up yesterday to light rain, which is very much needed here in southern California. We took a little hike on the trails behind the park late yesterday afternoon and as we were coming back I spotted what looked like a cat crossing the road in front of us. As we watched we realized it was a bobcat kitten, and soon 3 more kittens, then the mother, strolled across into a site.

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We only had our phones so the photos aren’t great, but it was fun watching them. Mom brought up the rear.

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They’ve been spotted wandering all over the park.

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That’s about all that’s going on in our world. We’ll be here for another month doing much of the same, so posts will likely be few and far between unless something exciting happens.

28 comments:

  1. Glad to hear that things are going fairly well. Relax and enjoy it.

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    1. After so much traveling during the summer it feels good to stay put for a while.

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  2. Beautiful Kittie!!! Love the beautiful markings.

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    1. They are very handsome cats. Hope we get to see them again.

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  3. I love Silver Sneakers, too!😊

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    1. Only 13 months till I join Jim on Medicare and get the benefit of Silver Sneakers. Something to look forward to!

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  4. You guys come up with the most amazing wild life photography.

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    1. We wished we had the "real" camera with us when we saw those bobcats. It has Jim researching a new phone with a better camera.

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  5. Wow, you have bobcats in the park! They're such beautiful creatures.
    I'm sorry we won't be traveling far enough south to meet up with you at Jojoba. We're heading directly to Death Valley next week after a few days in Morro Bay.
    Enjoy your "at home" time!

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    1. I was surprised that bobcats live around here.
      Sorry you won't be heading this direction. You will love Death Valley. So much to see and so many great hikes. Enjoy!

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  6. Love the bobcat family!

    I have pretty much stopped playing pickleball because of my feet and knees and now Hans has had a problem with one of his heels so he's been on hiatus too. Pickleball is pretty hard on the body!

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    1. It's such a fun sport, and so hard to give it up. I'm hanging in there until I can't!

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    2. I sum up aging in two words, gradually decomposing. I'm pretty sick of it but there aren't any good alternatives. So far, my knees are ending my biking and pickleball.

      Jim

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  7. Settled in , and relaxing isa nice thing and getting things done as well.

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    1. We don't seem to take the time to get chores done unless we stay in one place for a while.

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  8. So glad there was at least a little rain - it looks so dry again. Love seeing the Bobcat and her babies! Liquid Ambers are my favorite tree, how wonderful to have one on your lot.

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    1. More rain predicted this week. The liquid amber is a pretty tree, but I'm afraid it's going to be messy with all the leaves.

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  9. I love the colors of your liquid amber tree and would rather see them on the tree than in your neighbor's yard. ;) Glad to see that the bobcat family is still around the park. Hope to see them and the two of you soon.

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    1. I'm sure Jim will be right out there with a blower!

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  10. After reading your post and Lisa's comment about pickle ball, I now know why we don't play pickle ball!! Haha! Love you beautiful fall tree. Your oranges look like honeybells from the shape. That would be awesome if it is. The bobcat family is so cute. What luck to be in the right place at the right time.

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    1. There are a couple people in their late 70s and 80s still playing pickleball here. Gives me hope@

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  11. Sounds like a nice park. The views and landscape are radically different than UT. So awesome to see the Bobcat family. It is nice to have a home-base to be.

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    1. It is nice having a home base that we can come to whenever we want. Just wish it wasn't in southern CA!

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  12. Replies
    1. Yes, we wonder what the kittens will do when they grow up. Hope they stick around.

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  13. Very cool bobcat sighting! Probably looking for a quail dinner?

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    1. Quail or rabbits. Several people have seen bobcats with bunnies in their mouths walking through the park.

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  14. Jojoba Hills looks like a great place to call home. Really nice neighbors including the bobcats. That alone is enough to entice me. Hope you'll keep posting and showing me your life there.

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