Can Cows Fly?

With the Holiday season winding down, we wondered if Bessie could take flight and act like a snow bird?  Like can a cow fly?

Indeed we were wrapping up the holidays -- a New Year's Eve spent watching a movie & then a final visit with Bryan.  We saw the movie Philomena and recommend it for the great screen play, acting of Judi Dench, and the poignant mix of humor and sadness in this true story.  (Also saw Frozen and thrilled to the music and graphics!)

But then it was time to test the question??  Could Bessie make like a snow bird??

And indeed, the slides came in and the hydraulic jacks came up.  Slowly Bessie pulled out of her Sacramento pad and headed south.  We drove in tandem and bored our way down I-5 through the central valley.  We decided to take the Montaro along as it would be useful for those months ahead where we pretty much are staying "put."  Since we aren't set up to tow her -- it meant we both had to drive.

Our current destination is Tucson, Arizona via the deserts of southern California.  To avoid the LA Basin we drove for Barstow and then south.  Our first night we pulled in after dark to America's favorite parking lot campground:  Walmart.  Oh yeah, adventure!  But our second day found us in Desert Hot Springs at Sam's Family Spa and Hot Water Resort.  Soaking in the mineral pools, gazing at the mountains, putting sunscreen on, and thinking about exploring the local attractions.

We will be here for a week and then keep on our slow migration!

Dry Camping on Night #1-- 

Settled into Sam's in Desert Hot Springs.  We had coffee outside this morning! 

Christmas in Davis

A wonderful day -- a beautiful tree, fine food (white seafood lasagna), and many laughs.  Bryan did receive a remote controlled helicopter so he is practicing up his skills for getting a personal drone!  Watch out!

Hot Lips!  The latest in mistletoe decorations -- add a few red hot chilis!

Our tree with almost all the ornaments displayed.  

Almost Christmas...

Christmas is almost upon us...and we are in the thick of preparations.  Baking cookies and decorating the tree and wrapping gifts and keeping secrets and wandering the malls of America looking for that perfect gift.

Crab lunch with Michelle and Bryan to celebrate the end of finals!

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree on the windiest day EVER!

WHAT?!  Christmas is coming?!  WHEN?!
Taken at the Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

Loving It!

Loving what you ask?  Well.....for starters...

We are loving it that Bessie has 4 heaters.  So we are snug with this arctic weather, perhaps a practice run for Alaska?  The heaters are:  electric, electric heat pump, propane, and now a little room floor fan.  The electric roof heater won't work below outside temps of 32 (which we discovered in the middle of the night when the heat pump started rumbling along)--so we bought a little room floor fan at Home Depot and wow it puts out some heat.  Since we are in an RV Park we are using the electric hook up saving propane for days down the road.

We are loving the free TV that comes with the RV Park.  Gosh, we can watch the NFL highlights and be grateful we only have frigid temps and not that white stuff.

And, I must say, Obamacare.  I am loving it!  I know this is not a blog for political comments but this is personal.  I am grateful to have insurance effective January 1, 2014.  Today, I signed up through the Washington Health Plan Finder (thus spared the healthcare.gov experience) and found multiple options from multiple health plans at reasonable prices.

In 2011 (post COBRA),  I had checked out my options in the individual insurance market.  It was ugly:  all sorts of pre-existing clauses, limited benefits, high copays, and really high premiums.  I gambled I could do without insurance...and so far, so good.

So with Obamacare...I will have comprehensive benefits through a premier HMO.  All for about 55% of what I would have paid 3 years ago for insurance in name only....

Duck, Duck, Goose

We headed north from Davis to explore the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  The Refuge is a complex of multiple locations and all that remain of the vast seasonal wetlands and grasslands that once existed in the Sacramento Valley.

Millions of waterfowl migrate down the Pacific Flyway to winter in the Central Valley--including wigeons, pintails, shovelers, teals, and mallards.  Snow & Ross geese, white fronted geese, and tundra swans.  Shore birds.  Birds by the tens of thousands.  Sand hill cranes by the hundreds and hundreds.  We drove slowly through several complexes -- lots of honking for sure.  At sunset the birds all depart at once in "the fly off" as they head to nearby fields for easy grazing under cover of night.

A fun couple of days while we figure out our December plans.  Mostly to try and keep warm till we head south to the desert.