We may have been dreaming, but last week our Airstream Safari landed in fair weather in the Anza-Borrego Desert just a day after San Diego got more rain in one day than it usually does for the whole month of November, and for the next five days we enjoyed sunny days with temperatures in the 70′s and cool, clear starry nights.

Just after dinner, a beautiful moon rose over a mountain to the east of our campsite.

Our favorite campsite at Agua Caliente County Park has panoramic views.  We enjoy camping there on weekdays to avoid weekend crowds.  Although the campground was nearly empty during our latest stay, we did have an adjacent neighbor with a large fifth wheel RV.

Our neighbors enjoyed evening campfires.  Unfortunately, due to the proximity of their fire ring and the direction of the wind, smoke and sparks flew over and around our trailer, requiring the closure of all vents, windows and awnings.

We enjoyed reading, relaxing, and hiking the Moonlight Canyon Trail, while keeping on eye out for Bighorn sheep that I had photographed there last January.

Larry enjoyed reviewing and highlighting recipes in a new cookbook, The Airstreamer’s Cookbook, a collection of recipes submitted by members of the Four Corners Unit of New Mexico, of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI).  The dishes included have been prepared in members’ Airstreams for happy hours and potlucks at Four Corners Unit Rallies.  The design, illustration and layout were done by Terry Rich and Greg Schmuker/TBRich Design.  Terry says, “This cookbook was designed, printed and produced completely 100% gratis by members of the Four Corners Unit of the WBCCI.”  This cookbook can be purchased by contacting www.fourcorners.wbcci.net.

Larry enjoys discovering and trying out new recipes, with the intention of preparing interesting and tasty dishes for our trips.  On this trip Larry prepared an “International Feast” menu, consisting of precooked entrées that included Cajun Pork Stew with Yukon Gold potatoes, Kalua Pork (Hawaiian pulled pork) tacos, Koresh Fesenjan (Persian chicken pomegranate stew), adas polow (Persian lentil-basmati rice pilaf), and Tortas ahogadas con guisado de pollo y costillas de cerdo en salsa de chille colorado (drowned Mexican sandwich filled and covered with a chicken and pork sparerib chili).

Evening meals were followed by watching a model plane enthusiast fly radio controlled planes (including a Discus Launch Glider), walking our dogs, and star gazing, followed by relaxing in the trailer as I continued reading out loud another chapter of the Harry Potter saga, this time from the 5th book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by author J. K. Rowling.

During afternoons, I continued reading Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson.  I am now halfway through this compelling 630-page biography.  I see interesting parallelisms of the Steve Jobs and Harry Potter characters as early as the first chapter, “Childhood – Abandoned and Chosen.”  According to Isaacson, one of Jobs’ personal heroes was Muppeteer Jim Henson, seen in the tone poem commercial, “Here’s to the Crazy Ones – Think Different.”  On Wednesday evening (November 16), we delighted in listening to the CBC Radio program Q, as Jian Ghomeshi chatted with Kermit the Frog, Henson’s most famous character.

Steve Jobs has been described as a creative entrepreneur, perfectionist, innovator, visionary, artist, and genius… he also was a dreamer.

Here’s to the Dreamers

We might have been crazy ones, spending a significant chunk of our retirement savings for a relatively expensive recreational vehicle, but upon seeing our custom-ordered 2007 Airstream Safari travel trailer shining in the sun as flags waved festively overhead at the dealership, I felt that ‘OH WOW’ experience.

For us, the Airstream trailer with its iconic shape, clean lines, beauty and functionality, made us feel good, and was well worth the investment.

Our decision to buy this was based on much research, and once it had been acquired, I began researching a replacement for our 9 year old PC.  For me, having a PC had been a love-hate relationship and I wanted our next computer to be enjoyable, functional, beautiful, intuitive, and relatively trouble-free.  I noticed that several people were fulltiming in their Airstream trailers (Rich L. and Rich C.) while happily blogging away on their Mac laptops.  The Mac vs PC research led me to buy an iMac and a MacBook Pro.

Needless to say, it was another ‘OH WOW’ experience and love at first sight and use, and continues to be so… the beauty of aluminum in form and function.

As I write this, I am using the MacBook Pro made by Apple. Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was its co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer.  For three hours on October 19, Apple closed all of its retail stores worldwide for “A celebration of Steve’s life.”  Earlier this week, PBS presented “Steve Jobs: One Last Thing – An inside look at the man and the major influences that helped shape his life and career.”

On October 24, 2011, Simon & Schuster released the authorized biography, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson, now the top-selling book in the country.  As I read this fascinating story, which includes his faults as well as his achievements, I found it interesting that he was influenced by some of the people that influenced me when I was in college, such as Bob Dylan (“It’s Alright Ma“), Timothy Leary (“Legend of a Mind ~ Moody Blues“, The Beatles (“Two of Us“), and Joan Baez (“Forever Young“).

Earlier this week, we celebrated Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, a day of celebrating and honoring those who have gone before us.  Larry made Pan de Muerto, a sugar-topped sweet egg bread traditionally shaped into skulls or round loaves.

On October 16, a memorial service was held for Steve Jobs at Standford University’s Memorial Church, where Steve’s biological sister, Mona Simpson, delivered a moving eulogy, and revealed his last words: ‘OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.’

Here’s To The Crazy Ones

Upon return from our beachside camping last May, the trailer got a thorough rising off of salt deposits, and the awnings got their annual washing.  I opened the awnings and flushed off large amounts of dirt and debris that especially like to accumulate where the fabric attaches to the trailer.  I then followed the recommended method of washing the fabric as mentioned in my article, “Trailer awnings“.

This past summer I broke with tradition and waited two weeks before the start of our fall camping season to do our annual wash, wax and treat job.

I avoid getting onto the roof by using a step ladder and tools with an extended arm for both washing and waxing the trailer, including the roof.

This is also a time when I inspect for filiform corrosion and take appropriate protective and treatment measures.  Protective measures include using good quality wash and wax materials.  I particularly like Meguiar’s products, especially their Mirror Glaze Polymer Sealant #20, which I have applied every summer.  Since using this sealant, the filiform growth found on the edges of some of my aluminum panels and rivets has been stopped in its tracks.  The below photo of my “dragon” filiform corrosion was taken last month and shows no growth from its original photo taken in 2008.

Treatment measures that have worked well for me (with the exception of the taillight bezel housings) include Boeshield T-9 Rust and Corrosion Protection and CorrosionX.  I also apply 303 Aerospace Protectant to rubber seals such as those around windows and the FanTastic Fan Vents (protects and keeps them from sticking).  These products are currently available at the Airstream Store.

The taillight bezel housing fixtures presented a more difficult problem. Even with the treatments mentioned above, filiform growth continued unchecked until I stopped it last week, using more drastic measures.  My guess is that the clear coat on these fixtures is thinner and more fragile, so when filiform starts to grow here, it appears to lift and break the clear coat, allowing the filiform to be nurtured with more air, moisture and salts.  Filiform lesions on the taillight bezel that once looked like this in 2008, now looked like my mom having a bad hair day.

Up until now I have believed that it is best not to disturb clear coat finishes on the trailer, but these taillight housing filiform lesions needed to be excised.  I adapted a method of filiform removal devised by a member of AirForums.com.  Instead of a Dremel, I used a small screwdriver to gently scrape away the crumbly clear coat and filiform lesions.  I then used wet sandpaper in incrementally finer grits from 320 to 600, along with mineral spirits, to smooth the lesions.  (I eventually found even finer grit of 1000 to 1500 at a local auto parts store.)  After cleaning once more with mineral spirits, I applied two coats of a good quality clear nail polish.

The “bad hair day” lesion is gone, only its ghost is seen, along with a few diagonal scratches from a Dremel tool, which I quickly stopped using.  I cleaned up all of the other lesions on the taillight housings in the same manner.

Nothing is permanent in life, and as time passes, it is good to enjoy and savor every moment… Just ask Andy Rooney about time… and passages… but not while he’s eating!

Last Sunday we arrived at Agua Caliente as temperatures soared in the 90s, requiring air conditioning that first night, but by the next night I was wearing long johns as a rare early October storm from the Gulf of Alaska began moving into the area, bringing rain to the San Diego coast and high winds and unseasonably cool temperatures to the desert.

We came prepared to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Larry brought items prepared at home such as Jäger-Schnitzel (American version: Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup simmered with pork chops), Würzfleisch (East German chicken stew), and Kartoffelsalat (German potato salad).  We also brought leberwurst (liverwurst), bratwurst on skewers made of rosemary branches from our backyard, Beck’s Oktoberfest Lager, and German steins.  Additional items such as corn beef, corn on the cob, and pita bread provided meal flexibility depending on the weather and how we felt at the time.

By Tuesday, cool breezes made for a comfortable hike through Moonlight Canyon Trail, where I had a close encounter with Bighorn Sheep last January.  (The park rangers were impressed with my photo journal of this event made with iPhoto’s book-creation tool.)  I saw no sheep, but I was impressed with a large California Fuchsia, a.k.a. Firechalice, on the trail with a profuse display of scarlet flowers that we have not seen before because it blooms August to October, when we usually are not here.  A Rufous Hummingbird was seen nearby.  The flowers supply hummingbirds with food for the start of their southward migration.

I discovered a scorpion in the park restroom sink as I was about to take a shower.  I helped it out with some tissue paper and coaxed it out the door, but it quickly darted back under the door, so I chose another shower and now keep a closer eye out for creatures in restrooms (and those that like to take shelter in our trailer tire covers).

After the shower, I enjoyed Larry’s corn beef – Swiss cheese pita wrap served with chips, tomatoes, and Beck’s Beer.

This was usually followed by afternoon reading or napping.  At bedtime, I continued reading out loud Harry Potter.  We are currently reading Book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Before the gusty winds arrived, we enjoyed mellow evenings under the moon and stars.

On Thursday, we listened with sadness to a BBC tribute to Steve Jobs, which included his words of wisdom spoken during his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… Have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

Midsummer nights are here and on most evenings we can hear fireworks rumble from San Diego’s Seaport Village.  Our Airstream Safari quietly rested in its homeport under the midsummer stars as I took the dogs out for a late night break in the cool air of the backyard patio.

As I passed by hanging plants on one side, I noticed a sensual fragrance and, looking more closely, I noticed many large, white blooms of the Nightblooming Cereus, the Queen of the Night, had just fully opened.

This is a magical moment because these flowers bloom at night and wilt by dawn.  Their blossoms are enchantingly alluring.

Even the nearby and playful Green Man seemed to take notice.

Meanwhile across town, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was playing.  Before I delve into this finale, I thought it best to read and understand the magic and character of Harry Potter, as written and developed by J. K. Rowling, author of the seven Harry Potter books.  So I have begun reading (out loud) each evening a chapter or so, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

During the day, we visited the first inaugural San Diego Ukulele Festival.

We went on Friday afternoon as booths were just being set up and performers were testing the sound equipment. Seen below is Ukulele Bartt, Bartt Warburton, animatedly singing and playing his ukulele like a wizard.  This 3-day festival at Liberty Station opened last Thursday with a concert by ukulele grand wizard, Jake Shimabukuro.

More information about the history of the ukulele and the ukulele – Airstream connection is found in my article, “Ukulele Strumming and Airstreaming.”

Ukuleles glowed in the warm afternoon sun.

We took in more magic Saturday by attending the San Diego Gay Pride Parade, where approximately 300 active and inactive military service-members marched for the first time.

Yes, wouldn’t this be a good time for a piece of rhubarb pie… and listen to Jake Shimabukuro perform his “Crazy G” encore.

As we meandered our way through the campground, we discussed our usual plan upon arrival at our site.  We approached our campsite and Larry got out and walked ahead and into the site, especially looking for nails, screws and any other potential hazards.  I saw him reach down and pick up an object.  “Found a nail,” he said over the two-way radio, “OK, you can back in now.”

As Rich mentioned in “Something screwy in campgrounds” in his Tour of America blog, “… all the flats we’ve gotten, all of them have been from debris we ran over in campgrounds.  We’ve never had a blowout or flat on the road.  This is because campgrounds are often full of debris left by previous campers, hidden in the gravel.”

I carefully backed the trailer into the site, unhitched and set up camp.

I have written about the importance of having TPMS, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and recently, why I have two TPMS systems.  Another benefit of having TPMS is that tire pressures can be quickly and easily checked even though the tires are covered and have folding chairs and coolers in front of them.  It is reassuring to check the tires a day or two after pulling in to make sure they are maintaining the proper pressure.  I could also see how the pressure fluctuated depending on the air temperature.  Here in the desert the tire pressures increased 2-3 pounds per square inch from morning to noon.

This week at Agua Caliente County Park the wildflowers were blooming and the nails were proliferating, especially in our fire ring.

Nails!  So that’s why there are so many nails and screws at campsites.  Campers bring in lumber with nails and screws and use it as firewood!  And as this lumber is cut or broken to fit the fire ring, nails and screws are set adrift.  Those nails and screws that make it into the fire ring don’t always stay there.  The base of our ring did not make continuous contact with the ground and I could see nails escaping, some seemed to be actively crawling toward our truck’s bare tires!

One nail came close… and met its master… the heavy duty tire equipped with TPMS.

A tire losing air and going flat can often be felt in the primary vehicle, but if this happens while towing a trailer you might not become aware of it until expensive and possibly catastrophic damage occurs to the trailer tire, rim and trailer.  I purchased the Doran Tire Pressure Monitoring System and began using it in November, 2008.  See my comprehensive article, “Tire pressure monitoring system“, which shows how I set up the monitor in our F-250 Super Duty truck.

The system has performed flawlessly for over two years.  A few months ago, I began to notice an occasional loss of signal from one of the sensors.  I contacted Doran Mfg., LLC and received excellent customer service.  Per their instructions, I sent back the sensor for evaluation.  I was told the processing time would be about three weeks.  In the meantime, we already had camping reservations for an upcoming Agua Caliente Park trip and would not think of leaving home without a TPMS, which gave me an opportunity to purchase and try another popular brand, Pressure Pro, during the interim.  The Pressure Pro monitor and 4 sensors arrived quickly, were easy to program and install, and performed well.

Shortly after I returned from this trip, I received a new sensor from Doran.  See their YouTube video, “Doran Mfg. WTS Outdoor Adventure“.  Additional sensors can be purchased so that both the truck and trailer tire sensors can be monitored on one monitor.  But since I now have two separate monitoring systems (one for the truck tires and one for the trailer tires), I have the peace of mind knowing that should one fail, I can always use the other for those crucial trailer tires.  The two systems mount nicely in the truck as seen below.

Earlier this week, I used both systems for our return to Borrego Springs, California, for camping during the beginning of the desert wildflower displays.  Whether we go over or around the mountains to this location, there are often few turnouts, so it is important to know if a tire is losing air before damage occurs.

Over the phone, Doran Sales Representative, Debbi Gerdes (seen in the video mentioned above), told me that people tend to over-tighten the sensors when screwing them on the tire valve stem, which can cause the inner O-ring to bulge out or become loose and can lead to failure of the unit.  Debbie advised to just get them barely tight enough to seal.  She also said that the seal is not normally visible on the sensor, but if it is seen, it could be gently pressed back in place with a dental pick.

So even if a trailer tire blows out, I’ll know about it immediately. Both monitors emit an audible alert if tire pressure goes out of normal range, so I can keep my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel and enjoy getting there.

Last week we hopped back out to one of our favorite desert camping spots, Agua Caliente, where I previously photographed up-close Bighorn Sheep.  We docked our Airstream Safari at the foot of the Tierra Blanca Mountains and put out a red (auspicious Chinese color for life and prosperity) tablecloth as we made preparations to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2011, The Year of the Rabbit.

According to Wikipedia, Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after winter solstice and in China it is known as “Spring Festival“.  This year Chinese New Year’s Eve fell on Groundhog Day and even Punxsutawney Phil gave his nod that spring is near!  Although we had chilly weather at night, we did have beautifully sunny days and saw beginnings of spring wildflowers, such as the Ghost Flower.

The Ghost Flower, Mohavea confertiflora, is a native annual with beautiful, delicate, translucent cream flowers.  This one wilted the following day after our lowest night temperature of 29°.

For our Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, Larry pulled out our rolling dinette table from under the credenza and made Chinese dumplings.

Seen next to the tray of dumplings is a round tray of Chinese sweets.

Seen on the dumplings tray are chunky peanut butter dumplings (with a pleated edge) and pork-Shiitake mushroom dumplings (with a smooth, flat edge).  These were cooked on our Volcano stove.  First the peanut butter dumplings were deep-fried.

These dumplings look like small gold ingots and seen nearby are two rabbits holding a gold coin, symbol for wealth and prosperity.

The pork-Shiitake mushroom dumplings were browned on one side with a small amount of oil.  Then a quarter cup of broth or water is added and the dumplings are covered with a lid and steamed for 3 minutes.

This results in dumplings that are crispy and chewy.

The peanut butter dumplings were then sprinkled with powdered sugar.

As you can tell by Larry’s Russian rabbit fur hat and layers of clothing, the weather got chilly in the late afternoons, especially when the sun dipped behind the nearby mountain ridge.

Gusty winds increased the chill factor.

Our outside dog water bowl had an inch of ice the next morning.

Our friends in Tucson had temperatures dip to 17° that night and considered winterizing their trailers for the first time.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that Tucson’s freezing weather caused ‘astronomical’ frozen-water-pipe damage.

Larry served hot soup (made with asparagus, ham, onion, cilantro, and chicken broth along with the dumplings, which warmed us as we welcomed the Year of the Rabbit 2011 and Punxsutawney Phil’s indication that an early spring it will be!

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park‘s Borrego Palm Canyon Campground is 2.5 miles from the Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, California, and is a wonderful place to relax and soak in the sun while celebrating the winter holidays.  The snowbirds are arriving, but it is still relatively quiet and peaceful during the weekdays.  So we spent five wonderfully sunny, balmy days enjoying the ambiance of this special place.

I savored my hot cup of joe as our docked Safari and San Ysidro Mountains glowed in the early morning sun.

A Blue Palo Verde tree, Indigo bush, chollas, and Creosote bushes were seen through our Vista View windows.

We came ready to celebrate the holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas, while avoiding the frenzied crowds at shopping centers.

Our dogs came ready to enjoy walks (on a 6′ leash) about the campground and the 0.6 mile paved trail from the campground to the visitor center.

This ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) trail is handicapped accessible and bikes and dogs are permitted.

Along the trail are interpretive signs about the area’s plant and animal life.

We heard and spotted a nearby coyote as we took our mid-morning walk.

Along the way we saw ocotillo that have turned bronze from a recent frost.

Once we reached the visitor center, our dogs enjoyed drinking water and resting in the shade, while we each took turns visiting the center.  I usually can’t resist buying something here each year, so this time I bought Road Trip With Huell Howser #148 Anza Borrego DVD and San Diego County Native Plants, by James Lightner.

By midweek it was time to light the candles of the Menorah for the eighth day of Hanukkah, while the waxing crescent moon slowly passed overhead.

I continued to revel in the holiday spirits while reading about “Technomads”, a mobile technology article by RG Coleman in the Winter Issue of Airstream Life Magazine.

During our stay, we remained unshaken by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake 9 miles from Borrego Springs and braved Southern California’s wintry nights because sometimes “Baby It’s Cold Outside“.

Spikes of Ocotillo were silhouetted by glowing and changing pastel colors of red, orange and finally yellow under the deep blue sky as the sun began to rise on the southeastern horizon each morning during our stay at Agua Caliente County Park, 111 miles from San Diego in the Anza-Borrego Desert region.

Distant Vallecito Mountains to the north began to bask in the warmth of the sun while the trailer still rested in the chilly shade.

Finally, glorious rays of golden sunlight streamed into the trailer while I savored my first cup of freshly brewed joe, nice, hot refreshment perfect for waking up on a chilly morning… almost as good as hot, hot… hot chocolate!

We start the days by walking the dogs and taking turns hiking the trails.  Since dogs are not permitted on the trails, one of us stayed with the dogs while the other one hiked.  For safety, we have our two-way radios turned on.  Starting before it got too hot, I explored the Moonlight Canyon Trail.  I started at the eastern side of the park, where the trail heads east before looping southward below the campground and through a canyon.  I saw wonderful vista views and many ocotillo as I headed east.

This part of the trail is wide enough for a golf cart to travel on and gradually increases in elevation as it turns south.  The southern portion the trail narrows to a footpath as it leaves the warm sunlight and enters the shade where cool morning air pours down from the steep granite canyon walls.

Water seeps down into this canyon from the Tierra Blanca Mountains promoting lush growth of plants that need to be hacked back periodically by volunteers and park staff to keep the trail open.

I could hear water trickling and frogs at times, but a swarm of bees seemed to claim a portion of the trail ahead as I rounded a bend, convincing me to turn back.  I obliged and went back to the campground the way I came and explored this trail at its official beginning in the southern part of the campground, where it steeply and unpleasantly goes uphill and into the sun by mid-morning.

On other days, I explored more features of this campground area, including its water features, store, wildlife, and other trails.  But that is another story.  After a morning hike, I enjoyed the park’s hot showers that cost 1 quarter per 2 minutes.  Afternoons were spent reading and relaxing.  The sun disappeared behind a nearby mountain by 3:15 pm and the temperatures quickly dropped.

Coyotes, the children of the desert night, could be heard as the waxing moon rose and the bright stars reappeared as we enjoyed listening to classical music such as this while watching the moon traverse the sky through the Safari’s Vista View windows.