Palomar Observatory

Craig has always been a bit of a star-watcher.  His first semester in college he thought he might want to major in astronomy, but then   he encountered his first computer!  Over the years we have enjoyed(?) getting up at odd hours to see meteor showers or other celestial events many times. So, when we realized our present location was fairly close to the Palomar Observatory, we knew we had to go up for a tour.

I checked Mapquest for the location of the observatory, and it showed a route that was only 17 miles from our location.  However when I checked the observatory's website for tour details, I was warned that some GPS systems gave false information. 

Good thing I checked! The 17 mile route may have worked for a crow or a Jeep, but we needed to go around the mountain to get there, not up it! Following the driving directions on their web site took us there in a little over an hour.

The day was cool and sunny. The scenery on the way up was wonderful.

The Hale telescope at Palomar was the largest  in the world for many years.  It is now 19th largest. We have also toured Mt. Hamilton Observatory above San Jose. That was interesting, but we really felt the essence of history here. 

Many significant cosmic discoveries have been made using this telescope.

We could have taken a nice hike around the area, but felt a bit lazy.
We settled for a pleasant stroll around the grounds.

 This huge tree next to the visitors center caught our eye.

It had a very large base.

We decided to go back to Jojoba Hills around the west end of the mountains, since we were almost half way around and the distance would be about the same as if we had retraced our drive up.  Different, but just as spetacular scenic views.

All in all it was a very relaxing day and it reminded me of summer Sundays when I was a child. We would occasionally just go for a drive.  I was the youngest of five, and the drives I remember liking the most were when I was the only child along. This was because there were no fights over who got to sit where, or who was crowding who. When it was just me I felt very special.  Dad would drive around the back roads of Wisconsin farmland, stopping at farmer stands for the best fresh produce, and there was always an ice cream stop before we got home. 

The older kids had their own things to do, or prefered to just stay home.

Sometimes the simple things we did were the best, and still are.

I wonder if families just go for drives anymore.  If they do, the kids are probably watching DVDs in the back seat or playing video games on their tablets.  Little ones are strapped into their car seats instead of snuggled between Mom and Dad in the front seat.  Much safer I know, and that is better. Different times.

Back to the House, RV Budget

Well, we are back at the house and parked up in Camp Driveway again.  

Not counting the repairs both expected and unexpected, our budget numbers came pretty close to what I expect for full time living. 

I've never been one for making and keeping day to day budgets, and Craig isn't either, but we both try not to spend more than we have, and keep track of the big things in life.  This has worked fairly well for us because we have always had a pretty good income.

But I wanted to get a better picture of our day to day expenses in this new lifestyle we are planning.  During the last few trips we have taken, I have been developing an Excel workbook to keep track of everything.  Craig has been very good about keeping receipts and or telling me the amounts of each purchase. 

Once the house sells, I want to set things up so that we have a set amount per month for all of our regular expenses, and a fund with starting "large" lump for future repairs, maintenance, and dental or medical expenses, and as well as annual expenses like registration or insurance. For example I know we will buy four new RV tires in the next year or so. If I start with a nice lump sum at the sale of the house, I hope to be able to add some to it each month so the repairs and maintenance are not a burden. 

I know a lot of you keep financial records and share your budget. I have found them interesting and helpful for me to get a rough idea of what to expect.  But each couple or individual has different priorities. For some, eating out is a big part of your life. For some boondocking as often as possible is a must. A small class C is going to use less fuel. 

If RV plans are written in JELLO, financial plans must be set in Ice.  They seem to melt away in nothing flat!

At this point, I do not feel our numbers would be helpful to anyone, and my Excel template still needs some tweaking.

I remember being a 19 year old new bride trying to figure out how to make the dollars and the days match up.  Keeping track of every penny for the first few years really helped. I've been amused looking at my record books from those days.  Our first rent was  $75, including utilities. Several years later, I was saving up at the rate of $2.50 a month,  to buy a snowsuit for my child. We didn't have savings or a buffer amount for many years.  "Pay check to pay check" was a way of life.  

We are so much better off now!  Or at least we will be after the house sells.

Speaking of which, nothing much is happening with the house. The realtor says there are very few people looking right now. I hope it is because of the government problems, and once that gets straightened out we will get some action.  

Our next trip is planned for Thanksgiving through Christmas. I've booked a month at an RV park down in San Diego near our daughter and grandsons. 

Until then it is "Camp Driveway" in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.