Thanksgiving 2 (2009)

11-24-09
We arrived at Peg Leg Smith Monument at about 11:00 AM. There were a lot of WIN motorhomes and trailers, but everybody was gone. Finally we saw Lois. She had arrived an hour earlier and informed us that the group had gone to Julian for apple pie.
After lunch I went to the host's motorhome and checked the bulletin board for the coming activities, and signed up for food to bring and for a work assignment.
Just before 3:00 PM the apple pie filled people came back, just in time for the live music entertainment.
At 4:00 PM we had our daily circle meeting. Announcements were made for the activities for tomorrow.
I also signed in, we were rig number 59.
We had a lively campfire tonight. It started with a lot of laughter and ended with a serious discussion.
Randy was at the receiving end. He had interrupted one member of the group and Karen led him have it.
Other people jumped on Randy too. He told us that Sharon, the WIN president, had taken him behind the wood shed recently for the same reason. I have a feeling that he will not say: " Your five minutes are up" during future discussions.

11-25-09
After Hugs and Mugs we took Lois to the Farmers Market at the Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs. We had hoped to find some other WIN to take her back to Peg Leg Smith Monument.
When we did not find anybody with room in their car, she came along to Ron Carlson’s house. He was not at home so we took off for his ranch, which is located seven miles south of Borrego Springs.
He saw us on the road, while he came from the ranch, and made a U-turn. He caught up with us at a stop sign.
We told him that we would go to the ranch and see him later at the house. I had to climb on his motorhome and check out the solar panel connection from one panel to the other. The one solar panel on my motorhome has diodes and I did not know how to properly make the connection.
After I was finished with this task we went to see Rudi. He also has his motorhome on ten acres. Besides his Airstream trailer, he has three steel containers on his property. Two of them are welded together, with the center walls removed. It makes a large living room. He has sliding glass doors on two sides and a great view of the mountains.
Back at the gathering area the turkeys were carved up for tomorrow’s meal.













11-26-09
I had signed up for the set up crew.
After Hugs and Mugs we set up the serving tables and the tables for the cold food and dessert.
At 2:00 PM food was served. Donna and Bob, the hosts, had the whole affair organized very well. The food was hot and the 65 WINs had a choice of turkey and ham and all the trimmings.
There was pumpkin pie, apple pie and several kind of cakes and fruit salads.
Nobody walked away hungry. The weather was about 75 degrees F.
This was another super WIN Thanksgiving.

















We are 65 people, that means about 59 trailers and motorhomes. I think there are three rigs with two people in them.












Our neighbor, Lois, is 81 years old. She follows the group all over the country. I hope I can do this when I am that old.

11-27-09
In the morning I walked up my favorite mountain at Peg Leg Smith. From there I can see all the WIN motorhomes and trailers. On the other side is Borrego Springs. Somebody built something like the remains of an Indian dwelling on the top of the mountain.












After Hugs and Mugs Doreen and I went to Julian.
Doreen had fun walking through the stores.













At 3:00 PM we ate more turkey. Today we had a cloudy sky and did not have to worry about shade.
Diana and Phil invited us yesterday to sit with them on their table, since our table was in the sun. We sat with them again today.
At the camp fire, Randy entertained as with a very interesting poem.

11-28-09
During the night the wind came up. The five flags on the side of the motorhome made a lot of noise. At 5:30 AM I got up and took them down.
At 8:00 AM Doreen went home. She took along three large bags with garbage. Austin did the same a couple of days ago. This way the group does not have to bring it to the dump and pay a fee.
Doreen is going to attend the birthday party for the son of her niece.
It just started to rain when she left, and it rained all the way home.
Here in the desert we had some rain. It was nasty until noon, and then the sun came out. It was pleasant when we got together, at 1:30 PM, for turkey soup. We had six different soups.
At 3:30 PM we had an ice cream social, and the sun was still shining. By 4:30 PM the weather was nasty again. The wind came up and it got cool. I lowered the solar panels and took the outdoor carpet, and chairs in.
This was again a wonderful WIN, desert Thanksgiving.
For more pictures click on "Life on the open Road", it is under Diana's Travels, on the left side.

11-29-09
This was a relaxing day. Some members of the group went by bicycle to the steel statues, other people went geo cacheing. I did two walks today and then just relaxed.
At the circle meeting, Randy presented a poem he had written for Nelda. Sharon gave her a dozen roses.
We all enjoy Nelda’s cakes, and this was a wonderful thing to do for her.

11-30-09
I am on my way home. I would like to stay with the group, but I have my eyes and hearing checked, and we have two Christmas luncheons coming, and a Christmas dance.
We get together again in Quartzsite.