The past week was spent quietly hanging around the coach.
As the holiday weekend drew to a close, the campground slowly emptied. By Monday afternoon, most of the tent campers were packed up and gone, followed shortly thereafter by trailers, fifth-wheels and motorhomes. Our life was back to normal on Tuesday, living a quiet life on the road.
We met some great people who camped next to us, Bennie and Carole from Texas. We spent one evening visiting while sipping wine and solving the world’s problems. The conversation went long into the evening and we very much enjoyed the hospitality and friendship. This was their first long trip in their brand new motorhome and they were just getting the hang of using all the systems. They were sincere and I’m sure they will have fun on the road.
Jeanne caught a flu and was off her feet for a few days, which kept us close to the coach. I continued my every-other-day workout at the gym that is getting marginally easier despite the altitude. I’ll start running again when we return to a lower altitude. When we took the train ride into Royal Gorge, it was right in the middle of the summer vacation season and the train was packed with families. After the train pulled into the station, I remember watching a young kid run the length of the train toward the station. He only made about 75 yards before he stopped, red-faced and gasping for air. I must look the same after 20 minutes on the treadmill.
One day, we wandered into a used bookstore and for $5, I walked out with a dog-eared textbook on electronics. The book was surprisingly well written for a college text and soon had me engrossed in DC circuits. Interesting stuff. In the one-thing-leads-to-another department, I bought a learning lab at the local Radio Shack and I’m sure our neighbors are wondering about the clicking, buzzing and blinking lights coming from our coach. Learning something useful is a good way to pass the time while waiting for Jeanne to recover. On second thought, maybe this is what retired people do to stay busy.
We have enjoyed the mild weather. Generally, the mornings are clear but close to the mountains, a thunderstorm can boil up in the afternoon. When the showers stop, the dry air quickly erases any evidence of rain. The daytime temperatures are in the mid-70s while the nighttime lows drop into the 40s. Perfect for sleeping.
We are pretty much decided on moving to Grand Junction when we pull out next week. The route takes us through Gunnison, Colorado, where we plan to spend two nights. The long-range weather looks good and we should have a nice trip.
Contemporary Note: Buying the electronics book set off a chain reaction of sorts. I always had an interest in electricity, electronics and how ‘things’ worked and that old dog-eared textbook piqued my interest. In fall 2006, I began to take some electronics classes at the local junior college in Grand Junction, Western Colorado Community College (WCCC). One thing led to another and I ended up with earning an AAS in electronics technology, a certification in Industrial Electronics from the Electronics Technicians Association, a post-secondary teaching credential and a five-year, part-time teaching assignment at WCCC.