Our last stop before we head home (to granddaughter Jessica’s wedding) is at Ocean Mesa RV Resort in Goleta, about 16 miles north of Santa Barbara.
As the saying goes, in real estate the key factor is “location, location, location”, and this is the only really nice RV park near the ocean in the Santa Barbara area. Accordingly, it is very expensive: $115 per night. We are also visiting in peak Summer season, at a beach resort, etc.
It’s a pretty place. Lots of trees, nice amenities, and you can see the ocean from the rig.
However, the beach is actually about a half-mile away, down some asphalt paths and access streets. It’s a beautiful State beach. The dogs would love it, but they’re prohibited here, just like they are on most California beaches. Too bad.
Speaking of the dogs, it’s been a not so good week. Our nine-month old puppy, Baby, developed a fever and got very lethargic. I took her to the vet as soon as we got into the Santa Barbara area. They couldn’t figure out what caused it, but give her a big re-hydration injection and put her on some antibiotics. She seems to be doing fine now (two days later)…back to her Energizer Bunny level of craziness. In this photo, taken last week, she is working over a young French Bulldog named “Pete”.
By the way, I don’t know if I mentioned it already, but Baby is extremely quick and agile…more than even Booger in her prime. When I was visiting the vet the other day, I met a lady in the waiting room, and we chatted up our dogs. She noticed Baby’s lithe body and long legs and asked if she was a mixed or pure bred Boston. I said, “Pure Bred, at least that’s what the papers said!” She theorized that, maybe, there was some Whippet in Baby’s bloodlines. Could be…who knows for sure?
Here’s a baby Whippet:
I read up some facts on the Whippet…it has the quickest acceleration of any dog in the world. Well, that’s interesting. All I’ve got to say on the subject is…you should see Baby run…WOW! And, she looks like this Whippet when she gallops:
Maybe we have a Boston Whippet.
Booger, our loveable purebred Boston Terrorizer, sadly seems to have gone deaf. We have been noticing this coming on for the past several months. For the longest time, we have felt that she was just getting old and cranky, and perhaps just didn’t want to hear and obey. But, really, that is not Booger…she’s all about being a good dog and being obedient.
Booger’s tall, pointy ears used to pivot around, like a horse’s, when she heard something behind her. They don’t do that anymore. Also, when we take her for a walk, the normal “C’mon, Booger!” order doesn’t work anymore…I have to jerk her leash to get her attention. So, after doing that a lot, and getting annoyed at her, Charlie and I have finally gotten it…she’s deaf, or mostly so.
That doesn’t change her in our minds, but we are going to have to take measures to ensure that our special needs dog lives a happy life.
We are cutting our visit here in Goleta a bit short in order to get the rig back home where we can get the undermount two-burner range re-mounted to the Corian countertop. (The range got discombobulated on the bumpy ride through the Bay Area.)
Luckily, one of my wife’s clients, Segaar Company, does this type of work, and we can get it done at their shop in Perris. Then, we will be back in business for the 9-week stay in Oceanside, beginning on Aug 28th.
Coming back to home base a few days early will also enable me to visit my brother, Terry, and my Mom, who is being hospiced in Murrieta. I haven’t seen either one of them since late May.
Speaking of home base, this is probably going to the year (2018, actually) when we sell our Bear Creek home. It’s time to move on to a single-story home…somewhere. We haven’t decided where yet, but we will have plenty of time to decide once we find a buyer, because we can live in our RV until we find just the right house…to rent, not buy. We want to have flexibility in our Golden Years.
So, even though we are busy planning our 2018 Road Trip, we might have to modify or cancel some of the trip if the house sells in the late Spring or early Summer.