Mammoth

Chided by both my daughter and a Bible study friend (a blog lurker) about my lack of recent posts, I succumb to the brow beating and pull myself up to my keyboard.

Two weeks ago, Chris and Pattie Brown invited us up to their Mammoth cabin/house for a long weekend. Bringing Carolyn along, they arrived at my office in Upland around 4:30 on Thursday afternoon to begin our trip up 395. Traveling through the upper desert community of Adelanto, I tried to figure out where or why Lewis Corp. has purchased or controls hundreds or thousands of acres. It is easy to understand why I'm not in marketing, as I have difficulty in imagining either the demand or appeal of living in that wasteland of sand, heat and Joshua trees. We make a short stop at Bravo Burgers beside the stadium for burgers, sandwiches and onion rings.

Chris drove and I sat shotgun while Pattie and Carolyn talked and knitted in the back seat. Another short stop for gas and we made it to the house around 11 pm. Stopping at the market for a few needed morning supplies, the temps were quite cool for a summer night considering the highs we had been experiencing in Lake Forest. The Browns gave us the larger of the two downstairs bedrooms and soon we tucked under several blankets (!) and off to a lengthy slumber.

On Friday, we hiked up to a small lake, taking the scenic stream trail, and while Carolyn walked and sketched, she was devoured by mosquitoes (she is really sweet!) while they hardly bothered me. The water was running quite strong for a late summer hike because of all the snow this past season. Probably, a reason for the number of mosquitoes as well.




We ate out that evening at the Mogul on delicious steaks and I had a baked potato with everything. Of course, then we had to share desserts so as to not be too piggish. The next day we took it easy again with just a hike up to a new development that overlooks the golf course and out to Lake Crowley. I checked my wallet, but I didn't quite have enough for any of the few houses for sale as they were over $3 million.

We cooked tacos on Saturday and followed up with a raucous game of Balderdash. I was leading until Chris suckered me into about four straight 'Chris definitions' and surged past me for the win. That evening, he just had a better BS quotient than the rest of us.

Sunday morning, we all worked to get the house spic and span, cleaning bathrooms and the kitchen, taking out trash, washing linens, vacuuming, etc. I think we were good enough 'tenants' that we're likely to be asked back sometime. It's a fun place any season of the year.

The trip home was uneventful except for the long lines in Bishop at Schat's Bakery and the car that overturned on the north bound side of 395 about two minutes before we got there (dozens had stopped to aid and assist). We got home around 6 to find our house in order and a cat who was definitely missing human contact.

A Long Week and a Half

After getting home on 7/14, I tried to readjust my mental clock to Pacific Daylight Time by just taking it easy over the weekend. It was hot and the AC seemed to be keeping up until Sunday morning when I heard the air blowing through the vents but it didn't seem to be cool. I checked the compressor to find that it wasn't working - dang!

I went up to Ace Hardware and picked up two new fuses for the unit hoping that was the issue, but to no avail. So, while the temperature climbed within our house (especially in our bedroom), I left a message for an AC repairman on Sunday and was able to talk to him Monday. The first available appointment was Wednesday so I knew I was in for several days of hot weather.

Wednesday, the repair was made, and, thankfully, it was only a bug which had died across the contact points, so it was just a service call, rather than a new compressor. All went well, except for the realization that without Carolyn around, I don't eat that healthy, preferring the ease of fast food to the planning and effort required to cook for myself.

On Monday, July 24, the day before Carolyn's return, I came home from work to find that the electricity was totally off in my house and those of my immediate neighbors. So, no AC, lights, television, electricity - nothing. I wandered around with a flashlight in hand and tried to balance it on my shoulder while attempting to read. That night, the heat drove me downstairs to sleep on the couch in relative coolness.

When I awoke, the electricity was still out and I thought about reserving a hotel room to welcome Carolyn home as opposed to the hot, dark house on Islamare. As it turned out, Carolyn was supposed to arrive at 7 pm, but an engine warning light caused a four hour delay in her arrival which allowed me to go home and check on the house before leaving for LAX. At 6, the electricity was still off, but a crew was across the street removing and reinstalling a new transformer. Thankfully, we were connected by 7 and I was able to crank on the AC before driving up to LAX.

Carolyn appeared from the Customs area at around 11:30, tuckered and tired from her 18 hour trip from Edinburgh hauling her suitcases packed with her clothes and Ashley and Bryce's books. We were home by 12:30 am - tired and thankful to find the AC pumping cool air out like crazy.