Bee Is For Bakersfield

Monday: (04/26) After our showers we were on our way toward Mojave, Tehachapi, and Bakersfield. We gassed up in Mojave then stopped in Tehachapi for lunch at the Apple Shed. I had twice baked potato soup while Lou had a slice of apple pie. I followed my soup with a slice of pie as well. We then walked around downtown checking the antique and thrift stores. Lou found a couple of puzzles at one thrift store and another featherweight sewing machine at an antique store, that wasn't even open, for a great price. We also stopped by the local Ace Hardware store and they had some new lounge chairs for $36 each. We can't restring our existing for that price. Finally we had to leave and were off to Bakersfield.

We arrived at Aunt Helen's about 4:45. Lou and Helen went off to get a couple of pails of strawberries to make jam with. They were busy all evening preparing them.

We went out to Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks Restaurant for dinner. The usual Cantonese Chinese fare with their family dinner #1.

Tuesday: (04/27) Breakfast was strawberry pancakes and eggs.

Today was chore day. I worked at some brush trimming in the yard, got Helen's motorhome started and exercised and other miscellaneous tasks. While we were out in the front yard, Lou noticed the air was full of bees. They were everywhere in the front yard and street. They found a place to settle in, Helen's backyard.


We also had a swarm of bees arrive in the yard so we got to watch as a beekeeper removed them. The large swarm was about the size of two basketballs. The small swarm on the ground about the size of a baseball. The small swarm contained a queen bee. There may have been a queen in the large swarm as well?


The beekeeper carted away about 3 gallows of bees. Good ridence. The aren't a good pet.

Dinner was spaghetti with a green salad.

Wednesday: (04/28) Cereal for breakfast. After breakfast, Lou and I went downtown to the new Central Park for a walk. They have turned an old park with a fenced canal through it into a nice park with a nice water feature in it. Unfortunately there is a duckling trap in it. The little ducks get swept over a weir into some fast water with no place to climb out or rest. Hopefully they fix it.

We also looked around downtown and in the Westchester area. While Lou concentrated on looking around Beverly's Fabric store, I took a walk around and found a place to get the RV oil changed and browsed at motorcycles.

For lunch we went to Donna Kay's Cafe on Oak Street. After lunch we all went our separate ways. I took the RV out to get gas, empty the holding tanks and get an oil change. Among other things, Lou visited some thrift stores.

Thursday: (04/29) Strawberry waffles for breakfast. I finished up posting the recent photos onto this blog. Lou and I will be out on the town today shopping and looking. Lou and Helen were busy finishing the strawberry jam. Lou went out thrifting while Helen and I move her RV to her son's house for storage.

For lunch we went out to Spenser's Restaurant on Rosedale Highway for chicken tortilla soup. We then did some shopping at Lowe's for light switches and OSH for a descent piece of plywood. When we got home, I replaced all Helen's light switches with newer Decor style switches.

Dinner was leftovers, spaghetti, rice, chicken, beans, and other stuff.

Friday: (04/30) Lou and I were off early to the Ranch Market in South Bakersfield for breakfast. Huevos Rancheros for $1.99. We went on a shopping excursion all around town. We got son odd bolts for Lou's sewing machine. We visited Harbor Freight Tools which is always interesting. Lou visited Hancock Fabric next door. We also visited Costco. I stopped by another motorcycle shop, just looking. We drove by my childhood home location which is now a warehouse district and drove by our former house to see how the neighborhood is doing. Our final stop was at the Winco market for some groceries to resupply the RV. So we wasted the entire day out having fun.

Lou's roommate from 35 years ago, Anita, dropped by for a visit. She and Lou went out to dinner at Applebee's.

I cut a piece of plywood to make an attic access door for Helen's garage and installed it.

Helen and I went to dinner at the Casa Mexico restaurant on Rosedale Highway. I had a fish taco and chili relleno and Helen had a chile verde burrito. We then stopped by and picked up the missing switch for Helen's switch conversion project. I miscounted the number of switches I'd need. I had just enough daylight to get the last switch installed.

Saturday: (05/01) Breakfast was oatmeal or grits. Lou and I had a couple of errands before we left. Another stop at the Pioneer Mercantile hardware store for some nylon web strapping and buckles for our chair cover that Lou is making. A stop at Walmart for some items and we were ready to go.

We made it away about 11:30 heading East on Highway 178 through the Kern River Canyon. We had a nice visit here in Bakersfield, made much nicer by the unusually nice cooler weather. We stopped in Lake Isabella at the Von's market for lunch. Baked potato soup and a pastrami sandwich.

We continued on highway 178 to highway 14 then North to highway 395 stopping at Coso Junction for a nap and walk before continuing on to Lone Pine.

Note: We left Bakersfield headed back North along the Eastern Sierra mountains. We'll be without Internet most of the time so posts will be sporadic.