FUNNY GOINGS-ON WITH THE NEIGHBORS

We've been here at Thousand Trails in Morgan Hill about 10 days, with this elegant site, #214. The grassy area is about 25 feet between us and the neighboring site, lots of room, plenty of shade for us.

We came into this site backward in order to be able to use the grassy area, which would otherwise have been devoted solely to the neighbor  on #213, and we'd have had a tiny plot of dirt. Since the sites here do not have sewers, it was easy enough to stretch our water hose and 30amp electrical cable underneath Rosie and hook up to the pedestal "out front."

The neighboring site is pretty nice, sharing "our" yard. It is open to the sky for satellite reception for those that want that. There's not much shade, but the weather has been cool for the most part.

We've had a succession of neighbors, none that stayed very long. One couple hauled their picnic table up under their awning, no big deal. Then they set up their lawn chairs close to the table, and turned their backs to us, with hardly a hello. They stayed that way for a couple of days, then pulled out. Others came and went.

Then came in the BIG rig. I went out to greet the new neighbors, as I like to do. The fellow (call him Mr. Smith) told me that they had family, daughters and grandchildren, coming to join them, and asked whether we would mind if they set up a couple of tents in the grassy yard. That's fine, I told Mr. Smith, we'll try not to make too much noise and keep them up at night. Mr. Smith explained that this is an annual affair, and the youngest grandkid was 17, so there wouldn't be little ones running and yelling. Now we don't mind kids, used to be kids ourselves, but the news was welcome indeed, and I promptly slid our picnic table closer to Rosie, and moved a couple of other items as well.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith proceeded to unload scads of stuff: a  barbecue grill and a camp stove, each with it's own stand and side table; folding chairs, a colorful banner; colorful spinning gizmos to catch the errant breeze; a sun screen hanging from their awning and tied to ground stakes.  Next they got the park maintenance staff to bring them a second picnic table, which they placed adjacent to the first. Out came the measuring tape, to see the total width of the two tables. After some table movement, out came a screen pavilion, which they spread above the tables and staked to the ground. They took absolutely hours making sure everything was picture perfect.

Once the Smiths were fully set up, we admired their array. But during the next day, we noticed them surreptitiously glancing over at the rest of the grassy area, that part that we had shrunk our stuff into. We did not budge another inch.

Two mornings after Mr. and Mrs. Smith had labored over their set up, we noticed their BIG motorhome drive slowly away, followed by their toad. Half an hour later, they returned in the car, and began tearing things down, loading them into the car! Being a nosy neighbor I walked over and commented, "You're leaving us so soon?" "Yes," came the reply. "There's not really enough room here for two more tents, and we found a larger site over by the big ditch. We'll put the tents in the ditch." My Arizona training immediately took note (stay out of the washes; you never know when there could be a flash flood, especially in summer), but Mr. Smith said the ranger (that's what we call them here at Thousand Trails, or we used to call them that, anyway) told him there's no chance of rain.

The next day, we wandered past their new location. Every single item was back in place; must have taken them another two or three hours.

Next morning, guess who showed up right across the road from us. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, once again painstakingly establishing base camp #3. They explained that their site by the ditch was too noisy (after all, that's where the families with young kids want to camp, right near the big swimming pool). In addition, a huge fifth wheel had just pulled in next to them, crowding their site.

This will have to be it, however, as the young families will be arriving, one today, the other tomorrow. This is the Smiths' set up as it stands right now -- the pile at left is one of the tents laid out and held in place by lawn chairs.

And across from them sits this 1972 travel trailer done fetchingly in dull blue. I chatted with its owner briefly, then took this picture.

The Smiths aren't the only ones having family company today. Daughter Deb and her pal Albert will be here this afternoon, itching to play a game of Mexican Train. After they unceremoniously beat me, as I'm certain they will, I will graciously grill a fine dinner for them. Not gonna tell you what it will be, as I've spent too many words on food recently, writing about ... Our Life on Wheels.