Hello From Redding, California

Welcome to Redding, CA - a big little city
right off I-5 in Northern California

Redding City Hall

Need I apologize for not posting?  If so, here it is - I'm sorry I've kind of gotten myself wrapped up with family and friends and haven't been keeping up on writing / reading posts.  I hope all my readers are well and happy this summer of 2014.

A sunrise shot taken earlier this year by a 
Redding resident - notice the Spring green and 
flowers - it's golden brown now!

Because of recovery from my knew surgery - it's 3 months ago this week - and family commitments and fun, I've not been spending much time on my computer for any reason at all.  I'd given myself lots of recovery time, which, thank you Lord, I haven't needed.  After having done lots of total knees during my many years working in the operating room, I thought I knew all there was to know.  Not!!!  Yes, I knew about the surgical procedure, but really very little about the recovery.  So, when I met with the surgeon and physical therapists before surgery I took  their advice and didn't plan anything for this [about] six-month post op period.  Well, what I've found is that this total knee surgery has been a piece of cake!  I cannot believe how easy (and pain-free to boot) this experience has been.  

Currently I'm in Redding house-sitting for my sister-in-law, Barb, and her partner, who are out on their first RV trip in their new (to them) RV.  It's a Class C, but a few feet longer than their previous rig.  They went from here to Santa Cruz for over a week; now they're in the Monterey area.  They asked if I'd stay in the house, so I left my RV at my son's house and am living in their stix and stone house with Lacy, Eleanor and their kitty, Mr. Tibbs.  

Floribunda parked at Jeff's house in Cottonwood, CA (about
25 miles south of Redding)

I started walking for exercise about a month ago and have not had a twinge of discomfort.  Since I'm going to be here for at least a few more weeks, I joined the Shasta Family YMCA and have made it there almost every single day for walking on the treadmill, riding a bike,rowing a little and swimming in one of their two pools - one is indoors and is great for summer in this heat!  As I've often repeated, I'd had such a bad time with my bum knee I'd completely stopped exercising for most of the past three years; and, once I started again, I am just loving it.  Barb made sure I met some of her exercise buddies, so we have coffee almost everyday after getting our aerobic work done for the day.  It's been lots of fun to meet new and interesting people and to get back on the path of some kind of healthy shape at the same time.

Barb and Fred have a great Sony flat screen TV I thought I'd really love after not having watched TV for more than a few minutes since I retired and started traveling three years ago.  Well, I've surfed through channels at several different times of the day and have decided that reading, cooking, exercising - even doing chores in the house - are all more beneficial than spending time watching TV.  Maybe it's just me but it seems like there are hunions of channels with no more selection than I had when there were three - ABC, NBC and CBS!  The bottom line is I'm not going to bother getting my solar up and running in Floribunda - unless I come across several programs I just can't live without, and that doesn't seem likely.  I did watch some of the  'Futból' World Cup from Brazil; I have to say it's nice to see that the US is catching up with the most popular sport in the World.  When I lived in Antigua, Guatemala it was impressive to see literally hundreds of people crowding the streets and sidewalks outside the local Sports Bar to watch futból.  Only the fans right outside the door (lots of folks can't afford to go into the bar) could see any action, but the play-by-play news rallied through the crowd - and everybody was happy to be a part of the excitement.

As the heat and dry conditions continue in this part of the country, we are, of course, having a rash of forest fires.  In this area the Bully fire (in Igo-Ono) was ignited on July 11th by a marajuana grower who was driving a pickup truck load of supplies to his remote growing patch and started large grass fire.  At this time it's about 95% contained - having had tons of equipment and over 2200 firefighters working constantly for 12 days now.  My nephew and his family live in Igo, fortunately not too close to the fire area, but the smoke-laden skies, high winds and thunder and lightening strikes have certainly worried them.  It's bad enough when weather and natural disasters start forest fires; but, when it's human error / carelessness it's even worse.  Many of my blog-writing and reading friends are so concerned with the natural wonders of our homeland.  

Let's all be extra careful this year - and always! 

Floribunda back in Operation . . .

I've been 8th Grade Graduation inundated.  Not too many grandmothers or grandfathers have 5 grand kids graduating from 8th grade in the same year!  And, it's not only the graduation ceremonies, but also Honor's Awards ceremonies and parties and . . .

I moved back into my RV on May 31st, about 5+ weeks after my knee surgery.  I can hardly believe how easy this recovery has been.  Other than a little soreness after exercise and some UGH during the flexibility exercises I've been doing 2-3 times a day, recovery has essentially been pain-free!  It's now 7+ weeks and at a recent physical therapy appointment the therapist announced that I've reached the flexibility goals for recovery.  Now, that doesn't mean I don't have more recovery to do.  Oh, no.  It's a major accomplishment because the flexibility component of recovery has some time limits for success.  She said I can still keep up with my exercises; but, I can also start on the road of recovering strength.  I feel sort of like I'm at a good and healthy weight for myself - but there's just so much FLAB from muscle atrophy and disuse syndrome!  Strength can be increased as I go along; there's no time limit (within age and ability limitations!) to get back into at least hiking, biking, walking, swimming, etc. shape.

Earlier this week I battened the hatches in Floribunda and hitched Petunia up behind and headed out of Judy and Bob's ranch / private RV park(!) about 175 north to my son's in Cottonwood; Jeff and Alice are the proud parents of my twin granddaughters, Malia and Samantha - the last two to graduate - yesterday.  Hooray or ???  I now have five grand kids who are all Freshmen i high school; is that a positive or a negative?  We'll see!  Actually,  I'm very proud of all of them - several honor students, great athletes, and good, healthy, friendly, caring and fun kids.

There's been so much going on all at the same time.  Samantha and I continue our respective quests to get right leg health back.  Sadly, Alice's 92- year old mom passed away; of course, it wasn't unexpected, but that's not to say it isn't a trying time for Alice and her siblings.  The Filipino traditions were in full force and boy, there are a lot of people who thought Soledad was a wonderful person.  She will be missed and is still loved dearly.

Bob and Judy were out driving around a few weeks ago and found a 2-acre ranch with "everything we want" to downsize and also get a newer house with a pool.  They made an offer and were accepted almost on the spot!  Then they put their place the I've taken so many photos of, on the market and it sold for fifty thousand dollars over the asking price in about ten days!  So, for me, I'll lose my wonderfully generous RV site in Loomis; however, they've shared that "there's one ready" for me at the new ranch in Granite Bay - only about four miles away - actually closer to town than the present ranch.

I don't have any plans to move onto new territories just yet.  I'm going to spend some quality time with Jeff and family and hope to make some improvements to my RV site on their property.  I'm sure you'll remember that this is HOT country.  Shade is a premium and I've asked my nephew, a licensed electrician, to install a 30-amp outlet for me to be able to get my AC working properly.  The last few days have been cool, only about 92-96F!

I only intended to jot a few thoughts today.  When I get graduation photos ready I'll post them.  Hope everybody is well and enjoying Summer wherever you are!

Tate, Avery, Malia and Samantha using my camera to take their own shots of the famous Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay over the Sacramento River in Redding, CA - about 20 miles north of here.  I opted to stay home and write this post.

The Sundial Bridge was completed and opened in 2004 at a cost of about $23M. It's really gorgeous; be sure to take a very short detour off I-5 when heading north or south on I-5.  It's about one minute from the freeway and beautiful to behold.