11 Jan 2013
Wal-Mart has an “open parking lot” policy for all
overnighting campers and RVs. They love
having an extra security force on their property and the RVers love having
security cameras all around them. Plus,
it’s so handy to pop in and buy whatever is needed for the journey. It’s a symbiotic relationship I embrace. However, each city can override Walmart’s
desires and force them to put up “no overnight parking” signs. Mostly this
comes from business people in the area that want the RVers to stay at their
particular campground. That’s why the
Walmart in our own hometown of Mount Vernon posts those sings, since there’s an
RV park just across the street. And in
our case last night, my home away from home spot all pre-picked out for our
journey, found a bump in the road when we happened upon the same sign in
Roseburg. Time for Plan B.
We ate dinner in the Walmart parking lot anyway as we were
sure no one would complain about the sound of our generator running so we could
heat up our leftovers. I made Kory a
“meatless” loaf, potatoes and gravy and he didn’t complain a bit about having
it two nights in a row. It was pretty
tasty.
So after dinner we used my handy-dandy smart phone and
checked out the lay of the land around us.
We saw there was a hospital about half a mile away. We discovered on our last big RV trip (that
lasted two years) that hospitals and cemeteries are very quiet places to
boondock and no one seems to care. I
guess they assume a person is visiting their loved ones – dead or alive. So we headed over to the hospital, which
happened to be a Veteran’s hospital with it’s own out of the way designated RV
parking lot. We were the only ones there
and there were no signs telling us we had to leave by any particular time. We discovered shortly thereafter that it’s a
hang out for the police as they turn out their lights and wait for
speeders. We felt safe and went right to
sleep.
The ability to check traffic cameras from the comfort of our
RV when we first wake up in the morning, is a pleasure I’m not sure I could
have ever even dreamed of. It was nice
to see the roads that lie ahead were mostly bare and dry, but the ones going
over the passes looked a bit more daunting to me. They didn’t phase Kory one bit, so we are now
heading south through southern Oregon and on into Northern California for the
night. I’m trusting God with this one
because Kory has some alter ego that loves a good challenge when the conditions
are dangerous and he’s behind the wheel of a vehicle.
We’ll be driving down McLean Road heading to church on a
Sunday morning with dry pavement and blue sky overhead, and Kory will be going
five to ten miles an hour UNDER the limit.
I remind him we are late for church and could he please at least go the
speed limit. He reminds me it’s the
“limit” – meaning we don’t have to go that fast – and on he drives at a snail’s
pace like an old man going to church on a Sunday morning.
But put him behind the wheel when there is snow, ice or hard
rain and wind, and he drives at least ten miles an hour OVER the limit. It’s like he’s 21 again and loving life on
the edge. The problem is, I don’t. I may drive a few miles an hour over the
limit on any given day, but when the conditions aren’t dangerous, but when they
are, I can easily go half speed and still be stressed. This day is directed by God and covered in
prayer and I promise not to yell at Kory as often as I am inclined to.
Later:
We stopped at a rest stop along the freeway and Kory engaged
in conversation with a trucker. He was
hoping to ask the guy how he could pray for him, but the guy just kept blabbing
on about all the homeless people at the rest stops, begging for food or
money. He said he keeps cases of stews
and other canned goods in his truck, just so he has something to give them, as
there are so many legitimately hurting people he encounters – not drug addicts
or alcoholics like are found in the cities begging – real people just hit hard
by the economy. So, so sad.
We stopped in Medford to gas up. Kaleb had gotten a $25 gift card to Old Navy
for Christmas and there just happened to be that store right next to Costco, so
Kory filled up the RV while Kaleb and I did some speed shopping at Old Navy –
tax free. We hit the clearance rack and
he got 3 long sleeved t-shirts, a sweater and a polo shirt all the next size up
– anticipating a growth spurt in his future - and I used the remaining few
dollars to buy two reusable shopping bags and 2 sets of gloves and hats – they
were 25 cents each! So in about ten
minutes we spent $25.01 and walked out of the store smiling big time. I love a good bargain.
The mountains passes in southern Oregon and northern
California were white with snow, but fortunately, only one time was the road
anything but bare and wet. I insisted
Kory not drive over 30mph as I reminded him that being a good driver also
includes making sure all the passengers are comfortable. And if I’m stressed out, he will be,
too. So we made is on over the mountains
in one piece and our marriage is still in tact.
We left the snowflakes behind and entered sunshine in California. Hallelujah for that.
We had to drive an hour south of our destination in order to
meet up with my friend Tracy for dinner in Chico. I haven’t seen her in at least six years and
she’s been through many sad events in all that time. It was good to see her smiling face and hear
how the power of forgiveness has allowed her to now be her ailing father’s
caretaker. She has an incredible
spirit. It was also nice to meet her
father and they brought us seven bags of citrus fruit from their garden, so
there won’t be any scurvy joining us on this journey, that’s for sure. We all stuffed ourselves at a Thai restaurant
then sat in the RV and chatted away until late in the evening.
Finally we are now spending the night in a Walmart parking
lot in Red Bluff. It’s quiet and out of
the way and they said they welcome the overnighters, so here we are. We just finished an electronic version of
Monopoly on Kaleb’s Nook, and it’s an understatement to say it left something
to be desired. Family game nights aren’t
quite as dramatic when the computer does all the thinking.
We are so thankful the cold weather is now behind us and we
have nothing but sunshine in the forecast.
Tomorrow we check out the prayer rooms at Bethel Church in Redding, and
on to have dinner with my best buddy, Dani south of Fresno. So excited for what the day will bring.
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