December 8-11, 2015 Bakersfield to Lone Pine, California

We arrived in Bakersfield and it was 65 degrees. I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I had my hair cut and the stylist asked if I was cold. She said 65 degrees is cold here. Everyone was wearing coats. Just coming from the Pacific Northwest and the coast of California- this is really warm, very dry and sunny. Woo hoo.

Pastoral scene in the foot hills of the Sierras. Even with the drought it seems they are still planting new orchards in the Central Valley.

Our coach at the Orange Grove RV park outside of Bakersfield, Ca.  There smog is so thick the sky is white.  We spent the day stocking up at the grocery store and Costco. Also went to 3 thrift shops getting parts for our costumes for the Fruit Cake Festival this weekend. The theme is comic con. On the way to Lone Pine we passed the Indian Wells Brewing Co. The sign says Beer Tasting-Medicinal- Become Giddy, Blissful and    ???????? –can’t read that one   - Cures Amnesia and Black outs, get your lobotomy here! Then the huge orange drink stand. Too bad I got the sign in it too, oh well, Gateway to the Eastern Sierra-Yosemite, Mt Whitney and Little Lake and the perfect Christmas ornament for the bus named Penguin- a solar powered dancing penguin.

Owens lake near Lone Pine. It used to be a huge lake in a lush, beautiful, green fertile valley with orchards and farms, before the Los Angeles water wars, and LA took the water and turned the area in to a desert. Boo. Welcome to the Alabama Hills, where we are camped. It is just west of Lone Pine, by Mt Whitney. It is BLM dispersed camping.

The bus in the Alabama hills. It matches the rocks, we decided that it was meant to be in the desert. The thermometer in the bus said it was 71 degrees where the sun was shining, we sat out in lawn chairs in wonderful warm sun.

      Shadows as the sun goes down and beautiful clouds.

Sunset from the bus.

A storm is moving in-a little rain here today. These are the clouds in the sunrise over Mt Whitney. We are at about 4,000 feet here, Mt Whitney is over 14, 400, so it rises 10,000 feet above the plains here.

We met my sister  in Independence and helped do some decorating for the fruit cake festival. We made this shrine to the fruit cake man. It is so funky it came out looking good. It even has a blow up fruitcake on it.

      The rain did not materialize, but as the clouds cleared there is snow in the high Sierras. It was sunny, the thermometer said it was 75 in the sun-much cooler in the shade, but I put the lawn chair out in the sun and it was wonderful.

John adjusting the solar panels on the roof for maximum collection. Here is my costume for the Fruit cake festival. It is so stupid we can’t stop laughing. I am Electra! Super lightening bolt woman.