Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Northern California - Amazing!

Welcome to California!
Kim wanted to stop and see the black sand. She is like a little kid sometimes and quirky things excite her. I wouldn't have her any other way!
Lots of pretty coastline.
The power of the waves is just overwhelming.
In the foreground is a freshwater lagoon and just behind it is the ocean (where the waves are). Fresh water and salt water next to each other - interesting and unique.
Today (Oct 23rd) is our son Silas and my dad Bud’s birthday. Happy Birthday!

These are some photos of northern California. The people in Montana were great. The folks in Washington and Oregon were friendly and more relaxed than other places. So far our experience has been that California seems to have two kinds of people. The first kind is very friendly. They want to tell you about their state and all there is to see. They have a diverse state and they are proud of it and that is pretty neat. These people are great to be around. We have also met another type of people here. They are the panhandlers or professional askers of money. We haven’t had that on the trip until now. I have a big heart and it is hard for me to say no when they ask for money. I’m glad I spoke with a lady named Gale. She is a fellow RV’er who lives in CA. She explained that many of them make a very good living asking for money. She knew of a man who watched a panhandler all day and estimated he collected $750.00. She also told of a policeman who watched a man who was collecting at an intersection. When he got done he walked over to his Cadillac and drove away. She said many of the people have just burned themselves out on drugs and this is how they choose to live and that the money may very well go toward drugs. She also said that California is a very liberal state to draw welfare so it attracts people who want it. She has a friend who works at the welfare office and she sees people come in with the right paperwork and draw welfare and go out and get into their Mercedes. Yesterday morning at the campground we were at a young girl asked us for money to call her mom. As I was handing her two dollars she stuck out her hand for the bills and she had just rolled a joint and it was in her hand.

We are very appreciative of the beauty here and looking forward to seeing more of California. We’ve never been here before and plan to spend five weeks here. We’re also looking forward to seeing the kids next month in San Diego. We really miss them.

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