vacations 3 highlights

Well there are three highlights to this vacation.... and it goes like this... the tree... the bear.... and the out of fuel light.... well we pulled into the camp ground sunday evening around 5 passed by Joe 's camp # 26 looking for ours # 25..... spot it and proceeded to hit the turn around loop at the end of the camp.... well as i made the turn i see that i am very close to this tree.... well actually a whole lot closer than i found out... yes i missed the tree with the wheels but i failed to see the branch sticking out from the tree about 7 feet up and it proceeds to rip a hole into the door and smash the window out next to it.... i never heard a thing......nor felt it either... so needless to say the old role of duct tape, 200 mile an hour tape, came into use... your typical redneck repair... only with out using any wire...... so far.... i still continue to hear about it from the little woman.... and i am sure it will continue for at least the next 5 to 10 years... if i am lucky...
Well now later on that week it was late morning and i was stand at the camp site next to us talking with Kevan Woods, whom i had also grown up with. When all of the sudden i hear Joe say Hey why don't you go over to the Hale's camp Tammy hates bears.... well now i hear it but it just does not click then i hear the ear shattering sound of Tammy's air horn.. I next see this bear running away from our camp, I pick up some rocks and start throwing them at the bear to keep the fear going and keep it running... it went out about 20 yards and stopped and then started back towards the mountains... stopping to check out a fire pit just in case someone left some little tid bits...... ( the pic )
Finally the trip home... well to explain myself on this issue... let me give the facts.... i left home with almost a topped of fuel tank... stopped in the beautiful city of Mojave, half a tank used, filled up again.... stopped in Bishop to fuel up, used 2/3 rds of a tank and had a head wind all the way.... fueled up again and headed up to camp used 1/4 of a tank pulling a 6% grade at 55 mph.... so here is where my math comes in... if i top off the tank in Mammoth, altitude 7500 ft. and go to Mojave 2000 ft.. its all down hill and i should have at least a 1/4 to 1/8 left no problem... wrong.... well leaving camp going down hill to Bishop i only used a 1/8 if that of a tank..... no worries... crusing along no problem... well i pass the last gas station i have a 1/3 tank head up a terrible hill with bad head winds and at the top is see a sign that says Mojave 46 miles and i only have 1/4 tank and i have been averaging 8 miles to the gallon, i now realize i am not going to make it... well after going down hill through red rock canyon trying to make miles and conserve when the fuel light comes on... i am now on reserves i see a sigh for some little town to the left so i quickly take it only to see a town out in the middle of the desert with absolutely now services... great....just great... Tammy is just livid... i turn around in some guys lot as he is watching us from across the street and he was not happy.... i head back the way i came because i saw a tow truck in this guys yard... i stop on the highway and walk up to the place ask the guy for some fuel he says i do not have any gas and i said i am looking for some diesel... he asks how much do i need.. i tell him 3 gallons will get me to Mojave... he says i can have one, the town of California City is 10.5 miles to the south and there is a gas station there... well i have a empty gas can and he has no way of getting it in so i go back to the trailer to cut off 3 feet of hose from the drain line and now proceed to siphon out a gallon of fuel with out getting a mouthfull of it.... done... i thank the man ask him what i owe him and he says nothing so off i go.. into the tank i put it... and start it up... i now have a 1/8 of a tank... i now have to find a place to turn around and head to town... of course its next to some railroad tracks.. again Tammy is on edge... about 7 miles later the light comes on again.. i motor into the gas station and take on 23 1/2 gallons.. my capacity is 26... too close for comfort... well camping with me can be exciting so next time i am going for a more low key trip but then again maybe not........