a trip to get a kiln

Last month Jim and I set out on a trip to California to retrieve a kiln we had purchased on ebay.

We decided since we hadn't been to this area of California to take a week and do a little site seeing along the way. Our trip began on Christmas night about 6:30pm after the sun had gone down so it wouldn't be in our eyes since we were heading west. About 8 we stopped for a bit to visit a friend, Dave Huber, who lives at Pipe Springs. Then we headed on, trading driving until just north of Bakersfield where we pulled into a Flying J and bedded down for the night in the back of our van.

The next morning we got up and enjoyed a great buffet breakfast there before proceeding on north. Our trip took us across California by a resevour and on to the west side to come in just south of San Jose. Then we headed north to Stanford University Hospital where some friends were keeping watch over a relative who had undergone heart surgery. We then traveled back across to Madesto where we spent the night. The next morning we headed into Ceres where we picked up the kiln. From there we headed south, stopping at Castle Air Force Museum where we wondered among some gorgeous old planes until the wind, rain, and cold drove us on.

We headed back into Bakerfield where we spent the night. The next day we headed south stopping to buy some oranges. We had hoped to visit Edwards Air Force Base, but were turned around at the gate so continued on toward Apple Valley where we would spend the next 2 days visiting friends, Liz and Lee.

We had met them 2 years before at our Balloon Festival here in Page, and last year sponsored their balloon for the Festival. We got in to Apple Valley in time for a quick tour of the town and campus where Liz teaches before meeting Lee and Liz's mother for dinner at a great Italian restaurant that is a weekly event for them. The meal was wonderful and the place quite interesting as it is decorated with all sorts of fire fighting equipment and the walls are painted like a street with all sorts of actors depicted in the windows, etc.

The next morning we got up early and met up with some of thier other friends for some ballooning.

During our stay with them we were also able to try out their softtub, further convencing us that we want to try to obtain one. It really helped Jim's shoulders.

We plan to have our's enclosed making a room next to our bedroom and kitchen.

Our visit with them was very enjoyable. Jim helped Liz and Lee do some updating on their computers, and I enjoyed sitting in the sun reading. We also had some great meals and they learned how to play Mexican Train. A domino game we enjoy.

On Sunday we reluctantly headed home getting in in the late afternoon. We were greeted by our 5 cats who were very glad to see us. Fortunately we had been able to have a friend check in on them while we were gone so they had not been totally neglected, but they made it known in their own way that they felt they had been.

Over all it was a great trip, but it was nice to be home again.