Meandering to Mesquite

 We are making progress toward our next destination. We have bid farewell to friends and family (which is difficult to say the least) and in 2 days we will be in Mesquite. We received our second Covid vaccine. Our RV has proven it is ready for full time living. The new adventure is officially afoot!

Home Progress: Foundation

Every other Sunday our agent at our new house, sends pictures showing building progress. Today I received 2 more pictures, showing that the slab foundation has been poured. 

I believe this is the front of the house.

I think this is the west side of the house showing the electric panel.

We'll be onsite in a few days and then we'll show regular progress. 

This is very exciting.

This is the second time we've had a home with a slab foundation. When we built our first home, our builder said it did not matter what form the foundation took--raised or slab--as they worked the same. Our home in Texas was on a slab. Our home in Wyoming has a raised foundation. We will be able to compare the feel of them as time goes by.

Winter Booties

 We might have blossoms on trees, yet it gets cold at night. To that end, I've been making booties for big people. Here are two of my latest creations.

The yarn is soft and cozy and super cuddly...and I know who is going to get them. Surprise!

Mid-February

There's a huge blast of arctic air freezing much of the USA. Texans are suffering from the catastrophic cold weather. New York City is bracing for yet another snowy blast too. Given that, I have to post these pictures of took of downtown Chico, in northern CA.

The trees lining the streets of downtown Chico

...are blooming. It's a minor miracle amidst all the cold weather the nation is experiencing.

It's a joy to see, but one we are relatively used to around here. This part of northern CA gets a "long spring" as trees will start to bloom as early as the first week in February. This cold winter is no exception.

A Little Late

 50 years ago on February 14, we became engaged to be married. Happy Valentine's Day!

Red Fred and the Kitty

I made "Red Fred" for my friend Bernice, but her Kitty adopted him. 

That's the way it goes! He looks happy with his Kitty.

 

Groundbreaking

It's official...our new home is underway. The ground was "broken" on February 4

It might not look like a lot, but it's the beginning.

Every house has to begin somewhere...and this is how our new house is beginning. It's exciting to see  progress. Our agent will be taking pictures of the property as the structure grows. 

Milestone

As of today, we no longer own property in California. Escrow closed on our home at 10:30 this morning. Our real estate agent said it was time to cancel the fire insurance on the house, so that was done. 

We are now full timing in our fifth wheel trailer,,,

...while our new winter home in eastern Nevada is being built. We plan to get to the summer home in WY as soon as it begins to thaw out. The DrCs like adventures, and we are embarking upon a big one. Watch this space to see what unfolds.

Chinese Temple in Oroville

Oroville, CA has a "rich" history, no pun intended. The name of the town explains a lot...ORO is the Spanish word for gold and VILLE is the French word for town. Oroville is literally "gold town, USA." Gold was found along the banks of the Feather River--millions of dollars of gold was found. The news spread rapidly and people from all over the world came to get rich. A few of them did get rich, such as John Bidwell, the founder of Chico, CA. Among the miners, were about 10,000 Chinese men. They were not allowed to bring their wives, so they came alone. By the 1850s they requested artifacts from the Emperor and Empress of China to build a Temple. After the first two wooden Temples burned, a third was built of local brick (from Palermo, CA) in 1863.

That Temple is still standing, and during normal times, it's open to the public as a museum. (Due to Covid restrictions, it's not open right now.) Don't let that stop you from walking around the Temple to see the 3 main buildings and enjoy the beauty. 

A bright red Moon Gate leads into one of the 3 parts of the Temple which houses tapestries and carvings from ancient China. As a treat, the redbud tree beside the gate is starting to bloom.

Sadly, the Temple has had hard times. It is located near the Feather River and in 1907 the river flooded not only the Temple, but Oroville too. Lots of work was done to restore the Temple, but the Chinese community was getting smaller and smaller. Remember, only single men came from China and by 1907 they were not young any more. The remaining Chinese restored the Temple and by 1935 they knew they could not keep it so they donated it to the City of Oroville with 3 provisions: 1) the Temple would be a museum to house their artifacts 2) The Temple would be available for worship and 3) that volunteers would teach about the importance of the Chinese culture in the area.  

The Temple is a California Historical Landmark and as Huell Howser (of PBS Fame) would say, "Part of California's Gold." If you have some time, follow the green line in Oroville to discover more of the history of the town.