Chocolate Mountains

Well, here’s a surprise.  We STILL haven’t left the states!    We mismanaged our days and thought today was Saturday (or Monday; who knows ) and we’d be able to post our packages.  Course, it doesn’t hurt that we’re right up against the Chocolate Mountains (which we can’t hike because the military is BOMBING them!!??!?!) with a view of the Salton Sea. All of us are absolutely enthralled with the mineral springs; the lovely slippery water and the location.  It is an RV park but only a couple paved roads; they have dry camping locations, people are tenting here and, OH YEAH! they have lovely mineral springs!!!  I found a gorge that the OHV/ATV/ORV people have turned into a cyclecross area and the boys enjoyed that a bit.  I’ve done 3 loads of laundry (yet another luxury) and only have one more that we may or may not do.  The sun is shining, it is shorts and t-shirt weather (it was COLD at Calico) but some people are wearing jackets and we have hookups. 

Life is good.  We just got back from the pool and are having lunch; then we head to El Centro and Costco to pick up some crap we don’t need.  I’ve got Internet access via a pay phone (I’ve GOT to get a photo of that!) and just posted a bunch of pictures.  I only have about 5000 more pictures to post! Here’s a pic out our "living/dining room" and out our door. 

Well, like good Americans, we dumped money into the local economy.  The $200 store (Costco) lived up to its name and we managed to spend $100 at Target.  We got Jamie a new espresso machine (electric) to replace the stove top that didn’t work (which I’m shipping back tomorrow).  Tomorrow we only need to get up at the butt-crack of dawn (that’s for you, Andrew), dump our tanks, feed the kids, try to keep Jamie’s new espresso machine from burning down the trailer (which he played with while I did dishes, loaded the van with bikes and extra food and cleaned out the car, but hey; *I’m* not complaining…), hitch up the van (unless I do that tonight - it’s only 11:30pm and all the kids are awake - should be a cinch), buy car parts, hit the Post Office and buy a new trailer brake cable.  Did I tell the story of how the girls absconded with the cable?  No?  It will have to wait til my blood settles…  The coyotes howl and I’m dialed up via a pay phone.