~Friday, October 2, 2020
Day 110
Wow, does the scenery look different around here, during daylight. We’re at around 4,800 feet in a desert, rocky, sparsely vegetated area which looks beautiful at sunset, like so many things do.
With the wind fluctuation, sometimes you have the noise backdrop of Highway 70 but sometimes, it’s complete silence. Every campsite is occupied, but very, very spread out, which is a good thing since there are no trees to act as your curtain. You barely see your neighbor.
Since we’ve been without cell service/internet for some time, today was catch up time before the weekend to take care of a few phone calls/business before heading to Grand Junction. And you can get ‘er done in Grand Junction. The first stop of course was the tire repair. Ugh! He thought about taking it to a discount tire place, but after speaking with them, decided it would be better to bring it to a more reputable company….Firestone. Luckily, the bolt had gone straight into the tire instead of at an angle, so it was repairable. They had a backlog of a few hours so it was perfect for us to take care of our errands during that time. All the major things we needed were within a few miles of each other. We’re talkin’ Target, Liquor Barn, Best Buy, and a huge grocery store called City Market where I quickly became a “frequent shopper” member for more savings! Repaired tire in hand, we then needed to find potable water which can be a challenge, but not in a polite city such as Fruita. They have what’s called the Fruita Welcome Center where you’re able to walk your pet in a nice shaded grassy area, dump for free, fill water for free and with a nice picnic area, bathrooms and visitor center. A sweet spot for sure!
The evening got away from us, as we did some cleaning (which is a lost cause with all of the dust), and other chores. The highlight of the day was talking to our son and my mom. Much to catch up on. We heard all about how devastating the fires have been in Napa Valley. Shane said the air is so bad, he has headaches as a result, so of course he’s trying to limit any outdoor activity. This brought back so many memories for us as we had endured the same thing back in 2017. Shane thinks this fire, called the Glass Fire, is much worse. Wish we could scoop him up and take him with us to get him to cleaner air, and simply be with him. We miss our kiddo! My mom is doing much better as she recently came down with pneumonia for a second time (the first time was back in January). The California fires did not help with her situation either. So glad she has a wonderful doctor attentive to her needs. Of course all of the doctors and nurses can’t believe my mom is 80, with no reliance on prescriptions or any other health issues. She is amazing!