Not Norman Rockwell

Well, we had a decidedly NOT Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving.  But, it was a fun, festive one just the same.

The desert just east of the San Diego county line is nothing like where the Pilgrims gathered for the first Thanksgiving.   But our neighbors and 40 or so of their friends have been gathering there every Thanksgiving for 30 plus years for a long weekend of dune buggies, quads, dirt bikes, jeeps and other sand toys, and they invited us to join them this year.

In the early years, the women prepared Thanksgiving dinner under less-than-ideal conditions in the tiny kitchens of cab-over-campers, trailers and campfires.  Now, most of the motorhomes are big enough to need mortgages and their kitchens are not a whole lot smaller than mine!  The fenced property, owned by two families, now boasts a rec-room with inside seating for 50 or more and 20 or more motorhome pads complete with electricity, septic hookups, concrete pads and stationary BBQ grills.  One of the best features to my way of thinking (beside electricity -- I like not-so-roughing it!)  is a giant fire ring big enough for entire tree STUMPS!  No need for a log splitter there!

The dog-girls didn't join us this year, but if we're invited back next year I think we'll bring them along. We rewarded both of them with turkey leftovers for staying home and "guarding" the house. 

Some very southern, eastern Southern California Fall color.  Such as it is.

 

Sounds like everything west of the mountains stayed pretty cloudy most of the day. 

The farther east we drove, the clearer -- and drier and rockier! -- it got.

Controversial wind farm.  Those blades were spinning!

These photos don't capture the winding, steepness of these roads, but trust me--those runaway truck ramps are there for a reason!

The desert.

So, as I said, it wasn't a Normal Rockwell Thanksgiving, but it was fun to do something VERY different this Thanksgiving and we're thankful our good-friend neighbors invited us to join them.