La Quinta, California: It seems we have been living in limbo. Unsure when our Cummins engine repair would be finished. Unsure if/when we would return to Eugene to fetch our much-loved bus. We have not been updated very often from Cummins since we left our motorhome with them on September 13th, but we just received word the engine repair had been finished, all was well, and we can fetch her anytime. $17,000. Really, really, really a lot of money, but really, really, really a lot less than most of our friends have had to shell-out after their engines failed (between $8,000 and $65,000.)
Only DT could win at not failing.
We will now begin planning another car trip north. We have a few things to finish-up here before we can head north, and maybe we should go see our grandchildren?
We SHOULD just fly, but we are so unsure of flying (COVID) and having to traverse the San Francisco airport (more COVID) to reach Eugene, especially when we have a perfect safe-house half-way-ish (Dave's brother's house) between here and there. That drive though. Ugh.
Our local farmers market opened for the season Sunday! So exciting. Just a few miles from our house. I don't think every vendor appeared on the first weekend, but we were able to find what we needed and it was nice to see our favorite vendors again.
Gorgeous passion fruit. Pavlova, anyone?
Luckily, we do not have a smoking dog! Too funny.
KNEE NOTES: My knee is still giving me fits, so I have taken to bicycling instead of walking/jogging. The major bummer with this mode of sport is I cannot earn steps on my (much addicted to) pedometer while on the bike. I have a work-around, that is kinda working: I put my fitbit on my shoe lace. I rode six miles this morning and earned nearly 4000 steps. I would have earned twice that walking six miles. Better than nothing.
While on my ride this morning, I saw something in the middle of the road. Slowing down to inspect, I discovered it was a turtle - heading towards the pond on the 8th hole. I stopped and carried the poor thing (about the size of cantaloupe) down to the pond. After hopping back on my bike, feeling like I had done a great mitzvah, I found another (baby-size watermelon-sized) turtle a few feet down the road... and could look down the lane to see several more turtles on the pavement. What were they doing? Mass exodus. Where were they all going? Some were heading west. Some were pointed north. Some towards water. Some towards desert. I am not a biologist; nor a zoologist; nor a reptologist. I pedaled to the guard gate and asked the attendant to phone the gardeners. Surely someone would know what to do? It would be so easy to not even notice the dark turtles from a car and flatten the poor things. Yuck. I cannot report on the outcome of this scenario, but I do know one little turtle is back in the pond.
More travel news as soon as we figure-out a plan.
Until my next update, I remain, your repaired correspondent.
You can bring those passion fruit here !
Hopefully you’ll get to enjoy a nice fall road trip in your bus!
The new engine should be great for a scenic mountain route!
Safe travels my friends
🎃👻☠️👹
$17,000 is way cheaper than a new bus so you got away cheap! That’s what we say about our “old girl”, any thing she needs will be less expensive than a new one and….we love her, she fits our needs perfectly!