About Two Puffs

Having nowhere to be until August 5th, at first we decided just to head toward Sacramento and see what happens. I had been trying to get internet service for some time, without luck. Then we decided to just call RPI and see what they could do for us, since we are members.

I told the RPI specialist that we did not have an internet connection, so I could not find a park on my own. Could she please find something between Redding and Sacramento for us? After tossing around a few ideas and her making some side inquiries, we had to widen our search both toward the coast and toward Nevada. There just wasn’t anything available along the I-5 corridor.

We termed this new way of deciding where to go, “RV roulette.” Letting someone else or fate or whatever decide where we will go next. Another way to play would be to lay a map out flat, close your eyes, and point.

The roulette way of life isn’t new to us. When Ken and I were first together, he worked two jobs, while I worked one and was raising two kids as a single mom. We often played movie roulette by showing up at a theatre and seeing whatever was playing next. Sometimes we saw some really bad movies, a few times we walked out they were so bad, but mostly we had a great time and saw some good movies we otherwise would not have chosen.

The RPI specialist gave us two choices: One toward the coast and one toward Nevada. Since the fires have been especially bad this year, and it definitely looked worse to the west, we decided that heading east was the better option.

We got general directions and headed for Snowflower RV Resort, with optimism in our hearts and not a sign of anxiety in mine (see post from a few days ago). Little did we know how far it would be or that we would be climbing to over 6,000 feet before we got there, well after dark. Maybe we should have asked a few more questions, but then we would have changed our minds, and I am very glad to be here. It is overwhelmingly beautiful and peaceful amongst the trees, and we have a spot right on the lake. Being in a high fire risk area, campfires are not allowed. Plus none of the smoke from all the forest fires has reached this far, so the air is crisp and clean.

The view from our door.

Since I’ve been able to log on to the internet, I’ve since found out that a bad fire started along the I-5 corridor, where we had just come from, in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The area has been choked with smoke. Maybe that’s why God directed us away from Bushytail.

Speaking of the forest fires, our last day in Yreka, we had breakfast at Black Bear Diner. On our way out, an older gentleman saw that our truck had Oregon plates, so he asked, “Are you coming from the north? How far until the end of the smoke?”

“About two puffs,” Ken replied.

As the gentleman walked away chuckling, he said, “There’s always one in every crowd.”

Peace and love,

Jenni