April 10, 2011 Sugar Barge Resort, Bethel Island, CA

After two weeks at the Contra Costa County Fairground, we moved  to Sugar Barge Resort--during a “knock you to the ground” rain and windstorm.  We picked a site with a gravel pad to avoid sinking slowly through their lawn into the underlying mud and just backed in and plugged in electricity to hunker down until the storm passed.

Here is our view out the door the next morning:

We decided to stay in this spot, # 113, next to the entrance gate because we can use the cell phones here—a miracle since they don’t work in other sites—and we receive regular digital stations on the TV—three different PBS stations, so I am a happy camper!  One even has CREATE TV—which is filled with the PBS craft, cooking, travel and wood shop programs we enjoy watching. Life is GOOD!

The weather hasn’t been good.  We have had a few days of beautiful spring weather up to the low 80s, but then winter returned in full force—rain with winds shaking us for hours.  Snow levels are the highest in over 40 years up in the Sierra Nevada mountains—with Interstate 80 closed days on end due to snow. Hurry up Spring, we are anxious to have you back!

I enjoyed a bit of drama the first few days.  The gate and old guard shack are visible through the side camper window.  I was looking out and noticed a pretty Siamese cat strut out the gate and peer down the road for a few minutes.  He looked and looked.  And then….

he took off down the above road like he was on his way to work—tail high in the air and headed straight down the road. The nest few mornings, he and another cat peered down the road and then trotted down the road.  I wondered what they saw and where they were going with such determined strides.

And then one morning, the fog descended all the way to the ground.  The Siamese and the black cat came out of the gate and stood about where the tree is in front of the photo—and looked down the road—and couldn’t see beyond the guard shack because the fog obscured everything.

They looked at each other—then down the road and kind of shook their heads and looked at each other as if to say:  Where did IT go???  What ever IT was—it couldn’t be seen that morning.  They waited and looked a few more minutes and kind of shrugged their shoulders and reversed direction and came back inside the park gate and wandered back to their homes.  It was a hoot to watch.  I know, I am easily amused with cheap entertainment!

Yesterday, Brentwood’s Farmer’s Market opened for the season.  It was an opportunity to get in a bit of walking as well as add some fresh veggies to our diet.

 

To Larry’s dismay, the tomatoes won’t be ripe until we leave the area, but we did buy some Brussels' sprouts and cauliflower from this booth.

With time to pass, we have been doing some cooking.  Arlene taught me how to bake a lemon meringue pie at Q. She uses the Argo cornstarch recipe with five eggs; I found it on the internet.  Oh, Oh, Oh!  It was sooo good, I am baking another one for Easter dinner!

The one thing we learned is that you need a mixer to make lemon meringue pies.  Luckily I was able to borrow my sister’s because you need a mixer to get the rich meringue topping with the toasty peaks!

We are staying here at Sugar Barge until the day after Easter when we return to the Fairground for our last few days in the Antioch area.  We would love to stay at Sugar Barge until May 5th, but the exorbitant diesel and gas prices are impacting our campground choices and we have to cut where we can.  

Gas prices topped $4 this past week and the diesel prices are quickly closing in on $4.50.  We will cut where we can in order to fund our travels.  Like the rest of the country, we will tighten our belts as well as count our blessings.  If we concentrate on the things we can still do, (instead of the “cant's”) we will feel rich and powerful.

So, take a moment to remember all the things you can still do—even when funds are short.  And then make your plans to fulfill your dreams!