Thanksgiving Family Gathering, 2021

…And I missed it!

Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving Day – Family Time!

The big day finally arrived, when we could actually board Big Blue and go someplace, although not nearly far enough. We would drive to Stockton, about a 20 mile drive, and spend the day and the next, and return home Saturday.

As usual, I had to have the coach just so, due to my acute case of vanity. I washed the roof with soap and brush on Monday, the rear cap and one side on Tuesday, and finished on Wednesday. I spent about two hours each day, which, in my old age, is about the extent of my work endurance for a day.

On Thursday, we loaded our stuff for a couple nights aboard, and headed for Craig’s Castle. Dinner would be served about 1700 hours, which likely meant about 1800 hours. When this lovely family gets together, time is a very fluid thing, and designated times have little real meaning. The big dinner did begin about 1800, but I wasn’t there. Nope. I stayed in the coach as everyone met at Laura’s home, a couple miles from Craig’s. Laura is Craig’s significant other.

In the process of washing the coach roof, I managed to trip over a part of the TV antenna (which is folded flat on the roof), and fell. I’m lucky I didn’t fall off the roof, which is 12 feet from the asphalt RV lot! I managed to bruise my ribs, and they were very sore for a few days. Added to that is my bum knee that is due for another cortisone shot, and is also pretty painful. So, after all the washing the prior days, and the big job (for an old man) of loading the coach, I was feeling pretty poorly and opted to stay in the coach while everyone else headed to the Thanksgiving feast.

Big Blue parked for Thanksgiving at Craig’s Castle in Stockton.

I don’t mind being alone, and certainly enjoyed the evening solitude a lot more than if I’d been with 16 other people while feeling so sore. Still, I didn’t miss out entirely; my dear Lavonne brought home a huge portion for me. I feasted on wonderful Thanksgiving fare the next day, and was more than well fed.

Photos from the family gathering for Thanksgiving at Laura’s home. Above (L-R) Craig, Lavonne, Jeremy, Laura, Alexandra, Carley, Michael, Ashley, and Darren.

Also in attendance at the big dinner, and were missing in the photo above, was (below) the newest family member, Sammy, along with momma, Stephanie, and daddy, Sam.

Craig visited us in the coach Thanksgiving evening when they returned, and we had a nice visit. After he returned to the house, Lavonne headed for bed around 2330 hours, and I joined her about midnight. It was good to be aboard Big Blue again – even if just 20 miles from home, and only for a couple of nights. Still, I was waaay overdue for some bummin’ around the country, and another annual Search for Sunshine adventure was planned, as usual, for January!

Day 2, Friday, November 26, Jacks down at Craig’s Castle

It was a cool night, naturally, at least for this Central Valley sissy. I had changed the bed to flannel sheets for the coming cooler weather, and we stayed cozy and warm aboard Big Blue.

However, the bedroom heater, known locally as Zone 2, quit working. It wasn’t a big deal, as we dug out the little electric heater and plugged it in. But that wouldn’t work on most of our adventures as we nearly always dry camp at Walmart lots. It’s another item to have repaired – or to repair myself if I can figure it out.

Speaking of repairs, on the last trip the generator still smoked after having it “repaired” – they replaced the glow plugs, but the smoking continued. That wasn’t enough – the alternator also quit, and needed repair. Those two items, including much work on the little Kubota diesel that runs the generator, came to over $3,000. Ouch! Now, it’s the bedroom heater. It’s always something, but lately it has been too much! I’m due for a few trips when Big Blue and her many components run trouble free and I’m not having to fix things or have things fixed. But my old adage about motorhomes remains true… It’s always something!

We had nothing planned for the day except hanging around the coach while parked at Craig’s Castle. Craig busied himself with a few projects he had, and even helped me by applying some Liquid Nails to the base of the cabinet I recently put back it place. (That was another repair from the last trip.)

We enjoyed Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch. It was splendid with turkey, dressing, potatoes, a couple casseroles, and more. My low calorie diet had gone missing, as it always does during Thanksgiving. From after Thanksgiving ’til Christmas, I’d have to walk the straight and narrow and stay true to my diet. That can be hard to do when goodies are so often offered.

For dinner, Craig brought in Chinese food from Dave Wong’s very popular restaurant in  Stockton. It was yet another feast and I didn’t even take my walk that day. Not that I could, as my aching knee and sore ribs were enough reason to stay put.

We enjoyed another evening aboard, and spent our time on the computers as Lavonne perused her favorite sites, and I continued writing this entry about our Thanksgiving 2021.

We were in bed by midnight, and slept well there on the driveway of Craig’s Castle in Stockton.

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Day 3, Saturday, November 27, Stockton, CA to home via I-5, CA99: 42 miles total trip.

I was up around 0630 to turn up the heaters and returned to bed ’til things warmed up. Lavonne was up about an hour later, and we spent our morning aboard the coach with our coffee and computers. I added a bit more to this travelogue, and wished I had more photos to post. The lack of photos was my fault for not going to the the big Thanksgiving dinner.

We joined Craig in the house for breakfast sometime around 0900 hours. It was a simple breakfast of cereal and milk, and a frozen breakfast sandwich I zapped for myself.

Lavonne, Craig, and me, aka Dale, the morning of our departure for home. It had been a grand family Thanksgiving. 

Craig had projects for himself that day, and we wanted to head home after the good times with him and the family. After we ate, we bid Craig goodbye with many thanks. I set the coach up for the short trip home, and we pulled out of Craig’s driveway about 1000.

Back home, I unloaded the coach, no small job for an old man with sore ribs and knee. Lavonne put things away, and I idled the coach down to the RV lot. After dumping the tanks and topping off the fresh water tank, I parked Big Blue in her covered space, and Thanksgiving 2021 was complete. We now had plans to repeat the whole process, with a few more days added to the trip, for Christmas.

When Christmas arrives, in less than a month, our son Allen and wife Nancy will fly out to join us at Craig’s for a wonderful Christmas with family. We’re certainly looking forward to another grand family gathering. Stay tuned!

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