We're staying in the middle of an orange grove. Strangely enough, it's called the Orange Grove RV Park, and each site has its very own orange trees (for free picking, but they aren't quite ripe yet).
At the front of the park, they've even topiaried a couple of orange tree to represent artistic oranges... (the mind boggles)
When we arrived, the jacks on the left side wouldn't extend, but luckily my site is pretty level so I didn't need them. However, it took a couple of hours of messing around on the phone to finally find a place to look at the problem. Nobody here can look at it with a day's notice, so I found a place near 29 Palms, our next stop, and I'm hoping that park has a good level site too. After all the issues with the hydraulic levelers last year, I'm getting so I'm thinking of removing them and installing mechanical. At least with them you can crank 'em if needs be.
It's also time for the truck's maintenance, and that turned into a time waster also. One of the service requirements can't be done by your everyday no-appointment Jiffy Lube, so I need a Dodge dealer. I had an appointment booked on with the local shop for our first day at 8:00AM, so I showed up only to be told that they were"backed up" for diesels, and it'd take 2-3 days. Fugedaboutit. Whoever booked the appointment should have asked if it was diesel, or maybe I was supposed to know that I had to specify...? Anyway, I now have a truck appointment in Hemet next week (specifically told them it's a diesel, and read my shopping list of service items).
I also had to get my RV GPS replaced, which has been another litany of phone screwups and false starts (one Camping World in Sacramento took 1/2 hour to finally fill in all the paper and decide they didn't have a replacement). In the end I decided to trade up to the next model, so had an appointment with the Camping World here and actually got the job done. Among all the above issues and the associated screwing around, though, it cost me much of the first day, and most of my Koodo roaming minutes. <grrrr>
I managed to get a few caches the first day in the downtown (such as it is) anyway, and today (yes, I'm actually posting this in real time) I had another fine little bike ride to pick up some more right around the RV park.
Along the way, I came across this interesting sign in an orange grove, which has to be called...
..."they shoot oranges, don't they?"
Also came across this abandoned castle in the groves, it seems it used to be a Christmas tree farm.
The orange groves are being invaded by donkeys. Drilling donkeys.
I guess it's now black gold in them thar hills. Some areas have been completely razed, looking more like Texas.
I went to the cache that bills itself as "voted Bakersfield's best cache" (it's debatable), and got a shot of the other major threat to the groves...
home invaders
So tomorrow we head to our resting place for November... 29 Palms. It'll be nice to not have to raise anchor every couple of days, and get to know a place.
Here I am, finally commenting. I love your photos, Tony. Keep up the good work! Your misadventures with your GPS and your automotive repairs sound discouraging; I am impressed at the good cheer with which you seem to have survived them. Anyway, I look forward to your entry from 29 Palms.
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