Rub a dub and Escape from Vegas

First off...  the knee is doing fine.

Thanks to everyone who asked.

I have to wear a brace now for 6 weeks while walking.

It just keeps the knee from bending while weight is on it - otherwise

the hard part is already over.

After the surgery I had to spend most of my time on the couch with the leg

elevated and iced for a week.

During this time - Gracie did not leave my side.

She sniffed my knee - knew it was injured somehow, and laid

right next to it - leaving only to eat, drink, or go outside.

As soon as she was back inside she would resume her post.

Before we left Las Vegas it was time for a Doodle wash.

I gave them a good brushing, combing, and then haircut.

Due to my knee I did not spend a lot of time trying to get it perfect..

Close was good enough.

Kate took them to a nearby pet store that had a self service dog wash with

these cool nozzles that mixed shampoo and water for you.

It was like a Doggy Power Washer!

Lucy in the tub...   just before the water started to flow.

Humm...  Are you sure its the same dog?

Gracie is ready for the dryer too!

Washed and blow dried - they are ready to go home.

This was a first for Kate.  I normally do all the grooming and we  give them a bath together.

I expected some funny stories out of this but it all went smoothly.

Then Sunday we left Vegas...   FINALLY!

We had been there 4 weeks.

Our original plan was one week.

It was good to be back on the road.

South of Vegas near the Ca/Nv border are these light towers that

intrigued us as we got closer...

Turns out they are part of a solar electric facility.

Unlike regular solar electric where light is converted to electricity however,

this plant concentrates light from about 350 mirrors - each the size of a garage door - onto

three towers.  These towers take the heat from the sun to create steam which powers

turbines like a conventional power plant.

This facility produces 400mw of power which is comparable to a normal power plant.

You can read more about it here.

Sunday we stopped at the good old Orange Grove - hoping to get some of the last

oranges of the season but the party is over for this year.   This years fruit had set

and no more picking till next winter.

On Monday we drove about 3 hrs north to Chowchilla, Ca to

The Lakes Golf & RV Resort.

This was a very nice find.  Another well manicured park where the sites are

privately owned and leased out thru the mgmt company.

A free round of golf comes with the nights stay.

The lake views are free too.

Tuesday we stopped at Speedco in Ripon, Ca to get Oil and Fuel filter changes,

then continued on to Napa to hook up with Ron & Maxine.

We've been here for 4 days.

We visited the Berringer Winery - the gardens there alone are worth the visit.

One day we drove over to Sonoma - the next valley to the West of Napa Valley.

Sonoma has a much more laid back feel to it.

The spanish architecture is evident everywhere.

A lovely park surrounds the city hall.

We had lunch in a lovely garden behind one of the establishments.

Driving back to Napa - scenery typical of the area.

The Napa/Sonoma area is only about 45 minutes north of San Francisco.

Its a great place for food lovers and there are foods and wines

to suit every taste.

Today we are going to head north, and slowly start working our way up

to Walla Walla, Washington for the spring wine release weekend where we will

hook up with Jim & Kristi.

More to come along the trail.