Have not posted in a while because I have not really had much of anything to post about. About the most exciting time I had last month was spending a few days at Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area, west of Bakersfield. I had stayed there before, but it was a couple of years ago and it was almost empty and fine. I needed a place to stay for a few days before heading to Napa, so I chose that place.
The first night I was there, it was Saturday, and the place was packed. A group of neighbors not too far from me had a big no-mask party, with maybe 20-25 people. I was happy when they left the next morning. However, by then I had discovered the nasty truth about this campground--flies, and lots of them!! Apparently, it is near several commercial dairy operations and summer and fall is horrible until the first freeze or at least almost freeze. There were flies all over the outside of my motorhome, all trying to sneak in somehow. And the ones that DID get in were the friendly kind--you know, the ones who like to land on your face or hands while you are typing. I was also having to keep wiping off counters and keeping food covered, also. I killed at least 80-100 the first day and then maybe 20 each morning and another 20 each night. Was driving me crazy.
Anyway, I was spending hours each day trying to use my electronic bug zapper wand to kill flies that made it in, I assume through cracks in the slides. I keep a pretty good supply of big and critter control stuff, so I sprayed outside along the slides and around windows. It helped, by even after I left there, I was still killing remnants of the fly population the first night or two in Napa.
I am now in Napa, enjoying my fly-less time. I intended to spend a few days here and then to to Borego Springs in southern California, than come back and spend 10 days just before and after Christmas. However, during this time of COVID-19, California's numbers have been shooting up like crazy, so the governor has proclaimed that if any of the areas that have been defined in the state have less than 15% available ICU beds gets even more shut down than already shut down. For me, that means that state park and county campgrounds are also shut down.
Southern California is already shut down, so that eliminated Borego Springs, so I made a reservation to just stay here until Dec 28. The only problem is that this park of the Bay Area is currently at 17.8, which means I could be given 4 hours to get out of here any day. Thought i might get the news today, but so far, not yet. If I get kicked out because they close this RV Park, I will have to head to Nevada, and miss spending Christmas with my son and his family.
Highs here in Napa have been from 55-69 degrees, with lows at night in the 30s and sometimes up to 50s. Overall, it has been sunny, but had a couple of days of rain, which they really need.
we were listening to the news from Las Vegas and they mentioned the campgrounds in CA being shut down. I wondered abo0ut you. What a stupid move. You are better off in an RV than a hotel or motel. hope you get lucky and get to stay there. Nevada has one of the highest rates of covid per capita in the states. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteWhile almost all of California has a stay at home order, so far only Southern California, San Joaquin Valley, and the Greater Sacramento areas are having a stricter shutdown order because their ICU availability went below 15%. Northern California is at 29%, so it is OK for now. Napa County is in the Bay Area, but several counties in that group voluntarily shutdown. Napa was at 16.7% last Friday, but was at 17.8% today, which is good.
ReplyDeleteThe shutdown means no indoor dining and shuts down several types of businesses. The campground rules apply to all state and county campgrounds, but not to "long-term" camping, I think meaning commercial campgrounds with long-termers. Napa County runs this campground, which is very nice, by the way, not the usual fairgrounds place. They are trying to argue that this is an RV park, not a campground because no tents or popups are allowed. There are restrooms and showers, but every camping unit has to be self-contained, and it is expensive, so no family get-togethers or big parties. In fact, I have never even seen a child here--mostly big rigs and people going wine tasting. They also do not allow local residents to stay here because they want the tourists who will buy wine and eat at restaurants, making money for the county!!
You are right that I am much better off in my motorhome hanging out alone than I would be in a hotel. Been going over to my son's and have had to stop at a couple of grocery stores and the post office today, but no restaurants or using public bathrooms. Rates of COVID-19 here are pretty equal to Nevada, but if they make me leave, that's where I will go. Going to be staying at Valley of Fire and Willow Beach, NOT in Las Vegas, where most of the disease it.
The really dumb thing is shutting down the little laundromat with two washers and two dryers here. This just sends us to commercial laundromats, which I will not go to, so been doing laundry at my son's house. Hoping I can stay at least until Christmas--28 day limit here.
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ReplyDeleteAlso, Carol, I have been following your blog. Sounds like the Mexicans are doing a lot better at following guidelines than Americans are!! Wish I could be there.
ReplyDeleteKeeping my fingers crossed that ICU availability rate stays where it is. If it goes below 15%, they will give everyone 48 hours notice before beginning the shutdown. We are assuming that means we will have 48 hours to leave. Have no idea where they expect us full-timers to leave to, but Oregon is too wet and cold, plus high snowy mountains to drive over to get there, so Nevada is still my best bet.