This Is The BIG ONE Elizabeth!!!

Over the last few days I've been working on my reservations for this summer.  Being a Thousand Trails member, there are multiple rules to follow regarding WHEN you can make reservations as well as for how long.  It seems that every single membership has different rules and regulations, depending on where and from whom you purchased it, making them ridiculously complicated.  Reservations are a MUST however since they opened up to the public.

A few years ago they weren't doing so well, so they changed their rules from a membership only park to "anyone can stay here for a fee".  Unfortunately for us members, the parks are now swarming with loud, unruly weekend warriors and good spots are hard to find.  To make it even worse, MANY spots have been sold on a yearly basis, some simply as storage sites for boats and RV's not being used.  Entire sections have been taken out of the loop for us members.  Had I been able to see into the future a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have purchased a membership.

The good news is, except for the fee of $500 a year, I can stay for free 365 days if I wish.  Many memberships cost an additional $3 or $5 a night and the number of nights are limited.  There's a long story about how that came about for me.  Not a bad deal for sure, but it requires lots of planning, a big calendar and a BIGGER calculator.  Premium parks like Seaside do not allow me to make reservations more than 90 days out.  Other parks have 120 day requirements.  Some parks allow three week stays, some even more, and it's hard to know which is which!!

To make matters worse, someone just posted on Facebook about how the entire coast of Oregon will disappear in the BIG ONE that's coming SOON.  No one really knows when soon is, but I don't want to be there when that happens.  Everything West of Highway I-5 will be toast they say!  Good thing I live 40 miles EAST of I-5!!  Hmmmm maybe I should change my reservations and go further EAST!

At any rate, I'm a Happy Camper since I was able to make all four of my Thousand Trails reservations for the trip North.  Honestly, it might just be easier to stay in regular RV parks on the way back .... no stress about getting a place to park.

In between spending hours on the computer and phone, I'm still working on this cow needlepoint I picked up in Auburn last year.  It was a waiting game when I ran out of thread, as did the store.  I had to wait until someone in India made more and shipped it my direction.  

Cooper has certainly been a Happy Camper since getting his teeth cleaned and losing two bad ones.  He seems to be eating much better!!  These babies are never far from my side.  Miss Jessie sits behind me on my little office chair while I type ... yup, she's squished right in there ... and Cooper got a new ball.  

His old one was so torn up and ragged it wouldn't roll any more, so when he looked the other direction, it went in the trash.  Today he got a new squeaky one that he adores!!  He's like a little kid with a sackful of candy, and just as hyper!!  He's been playing with it for the last hour, before finally falling asleep at my feet .... with the ball two inches from his nose.  

With my reservations complete, I can move on up to that motorhome step recall, figuring out how to get a quilt to the show in Dixon (up by Sacramento) and working on yet another quilt.  I still have one plant left to put in the ground, but it's raining nicely this morning, so I think I'll just sit on my patio, breathe in the fresh air and listen to the roosters crow.  A report on the rowing machine will be forthcoming ... after I take a few Advil!!