I have been devouring the book on the Pacific Crest Trail that I am reading. It is full of personal stories. Some of them are tragic and devastating. It is so fascinating to read about all of the hikers who have traveled through that area. I really resonate with them.
Today Lula and I returned, and we saw a little marker at the side of the trail. Someone from Europe had left a couple of ceramic hiking boots with a little hand carved wooden sign. There were three small pine cones nestled next to it. It was a surprising find. Generally, there is nothing out there but trees and nature-no sign of humans. People are very conscientious about carrying out their trash. It's such a pristine environment. It makes me so thankful to be a California native.
Last night I was woken up at 11:11 p.m. by a call from the power company telling me that the electricity would be cut off at the cottage again. I am very grateful to have the cabin. We consistently have power, water, and gas heat. I also have a huge stack of firewood. My cell phone has been acting very strange. It won't hold a charge, and even when I charge it, it drops down to 30%. I ordered a new one, but UPS couldn't find my new address, and sent it back to Great Call.
I may just go replace it at Best Buy. It's so important to have a phone, and I don't have a land line. My old one is several years old, and I think it's wearing out. I wasn't able to get a signal in Canyon Country for almost two weeks. I think with the power outages the towers were affected. I am careful not to drive at night, and make sure to choose highways that have call boxes at the side of the road.
I am glad that I still have an old fashioned address book, because if I were dependent on my phone, I would have been out of luck. What is your phone situation?
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It looks very beautiful, up there. I wonder what the marker was about or for whom it was set up.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you need a new phone. Or, at the very least, a new battery, although, I don't know if they do that. I had to buy a new phone when my old phone wouldn't hold a charge. I have both a cell phone and a land line, although my land line is a fiber optics line.
Hi Bless, I think it was just for the other hikers that are doing the entire trail. My new phone is on the way. Thank goodness this one is still working. It's holding a charge better now. Glad you got a new one.
DeleteI really must transfer the phone numbers in my mobile to a little address book. I would have no way contacting people if my phone died. Funny really as when I only relied on the house phone I remembered everyone's number
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic, Cherie. You have an excellent memory.
DeleteWhen I was working my cell phone was essential for business. Emails came all the time and phone calls needed to be answered and issued addressed while I was on the road. I hated the cell phone with a passion. I did have rules at home though that made life bearable-phone never, ever went upstairs. Now that I am retired-I have very little to do with the cell phone except texting. Here at the house our cell phone reception is not very reliable because of the hilly terrain. We have a land line. My cell phone is now 5 years old and seems to work fine except for the crack across the screen (the protective glass cover, not the phone itself). Good luck with your new phone. Let's hope this will be the last of the power cuts.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about the hilly terrain, Anita. I have to turn mine off when I'm hiking in the mountains. It goes dead super quickly, even if it's fully charged. I think the power cuts are finished. Phew!
DeleteMy old phone used to do that. I even got the battery tested, but it wouldn’t hold charge. So I finally bought a new one. If you have Costco or Sam’s Club membership, see if have deals for new phones. That’s how I bought my new one. It’s a lot cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI also don’t have a land line.
Hi Nil, They gave me an excellent deal at Great Call. $49.99 for a new phone. It's just a flip phone, though. I decided not to buy the Smart Phone.
DeleteI cleaned out some of the holes inside of the phone, under the battery. It's working much better now. Still, it's very old.
When I hear about all of the wildfire issues you have each year, I am very pleased that I moved out of California in the late 1970s. We always had fires (they zipped over a mountain/hill several times to within a few yards of our property line), but over-development and lack of forest and utilities management have created periodic nightmare issues for the residents. Glad you have the cabin as an alternative home. I think your parents would be pleased with your choice. BTW, I live in Arizona--and it is far from perfect! I just deal with most of the issues a bit better. ;-)
ReplyDeletePhone issues: If I am not the queen of redundency, I am close to it! lol I still have my old cell phone--no camera, not even a flip phone!--on a legacy plan with one carrier. I add $10 to $50 annually to maintain its availability. Unused minutes accumulate indefinitely. Calendar ended in 2016! Phone still works and I have needed it a few times when updates did not install properly on my smartphone (different carrier). Smartphone is turned off when not in use. I view it as a very useful electronic device rather than an appendage!
Appointments are entered into my smartphone, which is synchronized with my laptop periodically. They also are added to a manual planner--just in case! An Excel spreadsheet is used as a backup for contacts. It is copied to a USB drive and three copies are printed: Important documents binder, one for my car, and the last one with just names and phone numbers for my bag.
Now, if I could manage to memorize newer phone numbers and eradicate the old ones, I would be in business! Only one of the old numbers is valid now--BFF's landline. She has had it since age 16!
Fingers crossed that your life--and utilities--are back to normal.☺
Hi Taja,
DeleteHi Taja, Glad to hear you are happy in Arizona. Yes, things are more relaxed again, thanks. The fires have increased since they have been doing so much development here. I am so relieved to have the cabin. It feels like going back in time. I still do love this area, though.