Bakersfield, California: Attempting to slip out town between wind storms, we were actually on the road before 9a - practically a world-record for us.

We had to say goodbye to our beautiful campsite and our beautiful view up the canal.

A few more
tamaters and two lonely small jalapeno peppers were harvested from our garden before departuring.

It had been a while - 20 November 2015, to be exact - since our motorhome had moved. (DT starts the engine, runs the dash air, and gives the generator a whirl every few weeks while we are parked.) The
Magna Peregrinus started right up and seemed anxious to get going... meaning, the slide rooms retracted, the passenger steps retracted, satellite dishes stowed, and all systems worked. Truly a rare occurrence in the RV world!
Hey, get back there and help me back up this monster.

Back-up lights engaged

Do we have the only campsite in the Motorcoach Country Club without an angled driveway?

Goodbye, Sweet Winter Home.
Dave had to fight terrible winds going through the pass out of the Coachella Valley. The wind turbines in the pass were whirring, probably creating enough energy to power the entire State of California. He kept the bus between the stripes and we were soon (I-10, I-210, I-215, Highway 15, Highway 395 and finally Highway 58) dropping down into Bakersfield. We had some rain on-and-off, which is to be expected if your motorhome had just been waxed.
It's a rule.
Our only stop was at a rest area for lunch.

Lettuce, cucumbers and baby tomatoes (from Captain Jim and Mary's garden), radishes, ciliegine (little balls of fresh mozzarella), avocado, Italian tuna fillets and fried onions - dressed in lemon olive oil and balsamic vinegar (that Captain Jim and Mary brought to us from their recent trip to Paso Robles). Thanks for lunch, you two!
Sailing down the mountains into the San Joaquin Valley, we witnessed lightning and rain (and we assume thunder) ahead of us.

But by the time we arrived to our overnight stop, the sun was shining.

We quickly settled-in and went for a little walk to stretch our legs. Good thing we did this early because the sky turned dark and the rain has been falling all evening.

Smoked Chicken Enchiladas
Another easy meal for our dinner - shredded smoked chicken from Whole Foods (from our freezer), corn tortillas from Cardenas, a can of enchilada sauce and a little cheddar. Dinner is served. 30 minutes.
Until my next update, I remain, your Bakersfield correspondent.
RV PARK: Bakersfield RV Resort - Very nice resort. Pull-through and back-in full-service sites. Pool, spa, fitness center, restaurant, bar, gift shop with limited RV supplies. With Good Sam discount, we paid $44.10.