Aging gracefully – Santee, CA

No, this isn’t about us! Back in the winter of ’09-’10, we were camped next to a Canadian couple from Calgary, Alberta. They had a small Yorkie mix named Jake. When we took Karma for walks, she could see directly into the part of their site that Jake liked to pace. Karma wanted to meet Jake and maybe play even though she out-sized / out-weighed him about 5 times.
Eventually, we introduced ourselves to the couple and let the dogs meet. While Jake was nervous at first, he did like Karma and want to play with her. Jake got used to her enthusiasm and didn’t panic as much when Karma came by to say ”hi”.

The couple, Jim/Merle, were “snow birds” enjoying the sun for 5 months; 1 month to get to San Diego, 3 months at this park, and then 1 month to return to their home. They had been campers for years, starting with tents and then a small pull trailer when their kids were small. They worked up to larger trailers and then the kids left to go out on their own. Jim/Merle started down-sizing the rigs to their current 25’ Zinger. When we met them, ty are in their late 70’s and had traveled all over Canada and the US in their trailers. Up until ’05, they had flown and taken various cruises all around the world.

For the winter of ’10-’11, they returned but were a couple of sites away. Both of us had made reservations for different sites now that we’d had time last year to check them out. We spent more time with them that year, doing dinner out at a local buffet at least once every 2 weeks. Again the dogs got along and “played” sort of. We talked about going to Texas for the winter of ’11-’12 to check it out. Even though they had been there a number of times, they decided to go there too.

We did indeed go to the coast of Texas for that winter. We met Jim/Merle at a Golden Corral Buffet half way between our campground in Galveston and theirs North of Houston. The dogs had to do without much contact that year.

Last year ’12-’13, we could see each other from our respective sites during the week. But as the week-enders filled up the campground our view was blocked. Again, Jake and Karma played together and the humans enjoyed dinner out at the buffet or sometimes at the Sizzler over in El Cajon. About mid-way into their stay, Merle had a heart attack and was hospitalized. She woke Jim up in the middle of the night and he had an ambulance come into the park to take her. The first hospital she went to was less than helpful in explaining the situation to them. While Boots stayed home with Karma and Jake, Ruthi went to the hospital with Jim and helped them both to understand what was being told to them and ask more questions about the prognosis and treatment plan. As Canadians, they are covered by their national health care system. But when they were here in the states, all costs were their responsibility. Merle recovered and came back to the trailer but she was never back up to her previous self. She was weaker and sometimes a bit fuzzy. But her sense of humor and joy at being in the sun for the winter stayed full force!

This year ’13-’14, they returned to the same site as the year before. Merle seemed to have a bit more energy but still tired easily. The day they were starting their trek to Borrego Springs to see all of the spring desert blooms, she fell. No one is sure if she was weak and fell or had a heart attack and fell. Either way, she broke her left knee cap and a bone in her right ankle. Off to the hospital again.

While they addressed the breaks, the discomfort and effort for simple movement in/out of the bed caused her to have heart episodes. So, she remained hospitalized. Adding to all of this trauma, Merle is a type 1 insulin-based diabetic and has been for almost 60 years. She had managed her insulin through 2 pregnancies, still had her sight (weaken with age but not from diabetes), and all of her toes and fingers. The American insulin/sugar charts are different from the Canadians. So each time she is hospitalized here, there are discussions about what the differences are and what are “normal” numbers for her. This year, unlike last year, the medical staff had a conversion chart printed out and taped to her bedside table so both the medical team and Merle could talk to each other on the same wave length.

It was decided that she needed to be medi-vaced back home to Calgary. Luckily, They had insurance through SkyMed that provided: a flight for the patient, partner and dog and a driver to take their truck/RV back. So, that’s what they decided to do. We helped Jim get his rig ready and agreed to meet the driver and turn over the keys. Jim, Jake and Merle took a prop jet non-stop back to cold snowy Calgary. A couple of days later a driver picked up the truck/RV and drove it to Canada.

We’d like to say there is a happy ending to this saga but no – Merle died a couple of week later quietly in her sleep. She never left the hospital. She lived a full life and didn’t let her diabetes, previous heart attacks, open heart surgery, etc. etc. etc. stop her from spending the Canadian winters somewhere warm like the southern states in the US or on cruises in warm waters. They had even done a 100-day cruise around the world. They lived their last 20 years of retirement to the fullest!!! They brought their son and daughter down from the cold for a week of sunshine while Jim/Merle were on their trips. We loved her and Jim and hope that he will be able to return next winter year.

Ruthi Gets a Job – Santee, CA

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve has Camphosts that complete various activities: provide information, clean restrooms, maintain individual camp sites, collect trash, clean up day use areas, collect fees, coordinate activities at Club House, prepare/serve BBQ foods, etc. Ruthi has often wondered exactly what it paid and how hard would it be. Most of the RV parks we have been to require a fairly long term commitment (4 to 6 months).

Well, Santee Lakes Recreational Park had a short-term (6-8 weeks) need here for the Laundry and Clubhouse Camphost position for 5 days a week (20 hours). Ruthi decided to try it. Well, it is very physical and tiring! The set-ups for events in the Clubhouse are interesting. She finally learned how to make coffee, a skill she had successfully avoided for a lifetime.
The reward for camphosting is that we got our rent free and didn’t have to move to a “labeled” site – so no one would be knocking on our door (and setting Karma to protection mode) in the middle of our sleep. Boots did not think it was a good idea and is now pointing that out on a regular basis.

Ruthi did the cleaning at night for the 1st week and then moved to mornings the second week. A routine settled in with Laundry cleaning at night (with a little help from Boots). Then opening the Laundry in the morning worked well with Karma’s usual morning walk to get the paper. The Clubhouse required hosting a evening potluck and a mid-morning coffee for the campers. Cleaning the Clubhouse was a chore involving the restrooms and hot mopping the floors (once a week). For private parties renting the Clubhouse, Ruthi needed to open, review the cleanliness requirements. Then at the end of the event inspect cleanliness, clean restrooms, dry mop the floor and lock up the facility.

The physical effort mellowed out and the pain in the lower back and fingers seemed to abate some by the end of week 3. But it was tiring and upsetting to our “retired” routine. That is, we had none and now Ruthi needed to be places at a certain time day after day, week after week. Working is really for the YOUNG!

The cleanup was dust/wipe, sweep, mop – again and again! Reminded Ruthi of her childhood on her knees cleaning stuff for her working mother. There are only 2 toilets in the women’s room and 1 toilet/1 urinal in the men’s. Anyway, it’s a short stint. Ruthi thinks she’ll look for an office opportunity in the future!

The plus about Camphosting is the free rent and the negative is the requirement of having to be somewhere at some particular time.

Drought / Rains – Santee, CA

While the Polar Vortex beats the Mid-West and East Coast, here in California a drought is devastating the crops across the central valley. California needs rain, rain, rain, or snow, snow, snow (Spring melt). Southern California is trying to do its part with the current 4 days of projected rains. There will be flooding and mud slides but still they need more moisture.

Due to high winds we had to put up the awning in the rain yesterday. Below are some pictures of our contribution to the effort. We awoke to the newly formed Lake OM (for OBrien and Muffler) right outside our door. We even have a couple of duck visitors; though we are pretty sure there aren’t any fish in this lake (depth is 3-4 inches). Luckily, the rig is a good 14-16 inches off the ground so only the rugs, mats and chairs got wet. We have our bikes under the 5th wheel overhang so only the tires got wet.

Our Camp Host came by and we discussed how to move the water. We are surrounded by higher ground (repeated use has packed down the general area that is available for our RV) and short of drilling holes or digging trenches we are stuck. The good news is that we only wear flip flops anyway so a little water on our feet is no big deal. Karma is part lab/poodle and loves water. When she comes back she has a routine on the towel to dry off her feet. When she gets rained on, toweling off is one of her favorite activities – really. She gets excited and digs her head/body into the hanging towel to get wiped dry. If we forget to get the bedroom door shut, that’s her next stop to ensure she is completely drive and we have more laundry to do.

The water did soak in by 3ish in the afternoon Just in time for more down pours scheduled for tonight.