Beale Fam Camp

Fam Camps are campgrounds operated by the Air Force. All military branches operate recreation facilities - the Air Force seems to be the only one using this title. To keep down labels in the sidebar I am going to label all military campgrounds as Fam Camps.

Beale's Fam Camp is nestled in the rolling foothills next to Lower Blackwelder Lake. As this is year 3 of a drought in the area, the lake looks more like a small pond and the hills are golden....BUT the area has a wide-open beauty, there are fish in the lake and it's a nice place to land.

Beale hosts 44 30/50 amp paved full-hookups and a field for tent sites.  The sites are spacious and most (if not all) have their own grassy area.

Smoke from the Butte Fire turned the sky wild

There is a nice air conditioned lounge with TV, game closet,  fridge, oven and a book swap. Monthly events are held for those staying at Fam Camp. The bathroom/showers are clean and the laundry room is the best we've seen yet. There are only 2 washer/dryers but they are new and work well. It's $1.50 to wash and $1.00  to dry for 52 minutes.  Free Wi-fi is advertised. This is our 3rd stay  here and it seems to only work up by the lounge/laundry area - very fast there.  One of the best features of Beale's Fam Camp is the friendly and helpful host, Mike. I have enjoyed my conversations with him.  Another fun element of Beale Fam Camp is the sense of community. We are new enough at this that I'm not sure if it's because it's a fam camp or because of the full-timers on extended stays.  We had several kids asking us when we'd be back as we left.

Our Gherkins in the Fam Camp Lounge

Beale is near Sacramento, gold rush towns, Empire Mine,  rivers, lakes and within a day's drive to the Sierra Nevada's, the Bay Area and much more.  Beale, was a hopping place during WW2.  There are old ruins out by the Fam Camp. An interesting spot to stop on base is the old POW cell block - ask at the front desk for directions.

The advertised maximum length of stay is 120 days per calendar year.  Beyond 120 days you must have an extension from  a commander (FSS?). I was told they must keep that number at 25% or below.  This means, even with the full-time population, there never seems to be trouble getting a spot.  We have run into trouble at a couple of other Fam Camps. Reservations are accepted and can be made up to 45 days in advance. You can make a reservation at 530-634-3382.

Full hook-ups are $18 a day for Active Duty, Reservist, Retired Military, and  National Guard. They are $20 a day for DOD Civilians, Retired DOD and sponsored guests. Dry campsites are $8 a day. Visit Beale's Fam Camp website. 

 

God Writes Our Story

God writes our story. We rest in this. We do not feel like we are done with ministry. We know being missionaries is seeming unlikely. We only knew we had retired. He writes the story.

PLOT TWIST!!! (You saw that coming?)

I am trying to put this in civilian speak. Background - Michael had his retirement CEREMONY on 14 Aug. He is now on TERMINAL LEAVE (vacation time owed to us) and his RETIREMENT is to be administratively EFFECTIVE 1 NOV.

We saw Dr. Lee, a WONDERFUL, retired then rehired, military Christian doc. He wants the best for us. He said Michael's diagnosis on 31 Aug  of Parkinsonism (even if the diagnosis doesn't progress to Parkinson's Disease) is an automatic medical hold and "Medical Evaluation Board" (MEB).  It is OUR CHOICE to simply not say a word and retire on 1 Nov as planned.  However, if we do that, we have to "fight" the VA system to label Parkinson's a "Service connected" disability - this takes years.  It matters because of life-long income and medical care.

If, on the other hand, we allow him to submit the request for a medical hold/MEB, the DoD will determine Michael's disability, he'll be active duty when the diagnosis is finalized and they navigate the VA rather than us navigating the VA system alone. When pressed, he admitted he thinks this will be best for us. We agreed.

Dr. Lee is submitting the request to Randolph AFB. They will determine if they want us to retire 1 Nov or if they will place him on medical hold and have him face an MEB.  Until then, we are on TERMINAL LEAVE and we plan to go on leave and enjoy ourselves until we are notified we are on medical hold and need to get back to Beale - or that we are not facing an MEB and we can go fight the VA system.  Prayers appreciated for the process to work out as God intends.

Yes, we've moved into the Caboose and we plan to stay there. The man who coordinates records for the VA for those going through MEB boards says on average it takes 12 - 18 months to get a final decision. Dr. Lee thinks they'll move much faster.  

Our heads are spinning, but our souls and hearts are sure! I realized I wasn't putting much stock in "Parkinsonism" until hearing Dr. Lee's reaction and seeing how seriously the military takes this brought it all home.

Now - we are heading for the beach, the mountains - somewhere and will be in touch by Sunday.

Black Flag and Socializing

It's  107* in September. The "big voice" has been alerting us all day to weather conditions - because your melting limbs may not be enough for you to realize it's  HOT out there.  We have a new Air Conditioner in our 31 FT Keystone Outback 31RQS....but it simply doesn't cool down as far as we'd like in this type of heat.

How DO you deal with the heat when you live in a sardine can?

We met up with some of the kids' friends at the bowling alley - Air Conditioned fun.

Sydney, (ana)Stacia, Ana(stacia)

Jay and Alex

Xavier

Group

I cooked dinner in the lounge at the campground rather than turning on the oven in The Caboose. We grilled one night but it was BLAZING OUT there at grilling time.  

It only took 3 days for our site to become the "trailerhood" place for kids....and Stacia was thrilled. It reminded me a bit of our neighborhood in Misawa. 

 

Our camp host, Mike, loves to reminisce about his time in the special forces. I love to listen.

I spent some time visiting with a 65 yo couple who went on the road a week ago. He told me he wished they'd done it 10 years ago - "like I think you all are doing." Hmmm....we must have the "look."  I told him we'd been full-timing 11 days. We've both joined the same RV club - Escapees - a fun connection.  We also talked about the kids, how they felt, how we handled alone time, what they thought of homeschooling and such.

This evening I reconnected with Amy and Tegan. She showed me her beautifully redecorated 5er (Fifth Wheel) . I'm content. The Caboose is starting to feel like home. We are fitting everything in just fine and being "only 31 ft" long allows us to fit into state campgrounds and BLM slots....but WHOEEEE  those new rigs are BIG, SHINY and FANCY. I AM interested in her INTEX inflatable hot tub. Who knew? One CAN have an onsen on the road....and if we boondock on some BLM secluded land I may be able to do it right. ::wink::

 

I FINALLY noticed Michael was packing things up in preparation for our leaving in the morning (11 Sept). I left off the socializing and joined him. We let the kids keep playing. They've missed having a neighborhood of kids to play with since we left Japan. It's ironic we'd find community while being transient.  Many seem more open to chat on the road.  This is a good time to note we are exploring state campgrounds up in the mountains for a couple of days - expect internet silence.

Load master

 

Check out the wild sky caused by smoke from the Butte fire.

 

We will LEAVE this weather as soon as Michael is finished with his doctor's appointment tomorrow. We're heading north for a while and I'm not sure where we're going from there.

Other than trying to stay cool and socializing, we also washed our sheets and another load of laundry, and Michael finished our first knocking-things-out project today - the TV is set in place.

 

 

Nolan and I tried to stock up on a week's worth of food. We still can't get meat for a week in the freezer - but once I eat down some vegan stuff we should be fine. I am learning to shop and think in a new way in the kitchen. I'll have to share some cooking adventures when we are settled with more time to blog.

Doctors, Games and Repairs

The medical community smiled on us today. Michael has been trying for months (really - since March I believe) to get a CPAP. Two doctors  offices were fighting over the referral and who was supposed to do what etc. Michael spent quite a bit of time on the phone with both offices yesterday after hearing his appointment on base was also cancelled. They called today and he went immediately to get a CPAP.

We had planned a sight-seeing trip, but this appointment trumps all.

The kids and I changed courses; had lunch, worked on a project and spent the afternoon playing games in the AIR CONDITIONED Camp lounge. In a very odd twist of fate - I WON TICKET TO RIDE! We counted this as geography today.

Michael has been working on converting the entertainment center in The Caboose into something that will work for our flat screen t.v. It's just a bit too narrow.

We topped off the evening with a visit to one of our favorite Beale families - Rob, Cynthia and Daniel.  We will sure miss them. It's great to have Rob home. He brought me a beautiful black and RED cashmere scarf. I love it. Most of all I loved our visit. We hope to see them again in October before they move in November.

We surprised our first night with CPAP...surprisingly quiet though the deep breathing was a bit alarming throughout the night - no snoring.

An O.K. Day

It felt like a disappointing day. Michael was scheduled to see a base doc, only to discover the base doc is out until Friday and his appointment was rescheduled. We're comfortable, and in the big scheme of things it doesn't matter if the appointment is on Friday instead of Tuesday, but looking back on it - it colored our day.

I had the sense I didn't do a single thing right all day. Looking at photos to prepare a blog post, I realize it wasn't such a wash of a day. I woke up to all the stuff we'd stored at Matt and Rachel's in the trailer with me.... this mug reminded me it doesn't really matter where we are - we're still at home in Christ.

 

I got our bills taken care of, AND I ordered unlimited data and a mifi from a school district in AL. Praying it's the answer to our spotty internet. If it is legit, I'll share links later. LOL

Michael needed some tools to take care of repairs. The boys opted to go with him and they took off for the big city - or Yuba City.

Stacia and I chose to organize the food which was piled all over every surface of The Caboose. We did it. Next, we decorated her space a bit more....it's impossible to get a photo of the entire bunk at once.

 

Michael and the boys returned and began tackling jobs. The spot for the TV is almost ready - which will allow us to organize the final niche in The Caboose.  I have great hopes of being able to pull down reception for the debates on the 16th and a few football games. I put up a great quote in the bathroom.

Nolan began sifting through his tote to see WHY it is so heavy. Seems he brought mostly books. I think we'll tackle his spot next. He'd like a shelf of some sort....must think on this. He had a panda bank from Japan full of coins so sorted them all out and then rode up to the vending machines and got an ice-cold soda for all....this was a TREAT when you live in a sardine can in 104* heat. ::snort:: 

 

 It seems "we've" decided to get souvenir pennies, rather than magnets at each stop....so he pulled out all the ones he's been stealthily collecting all these years.  Our first coin is from the Abilene Zoo....which surfaced the tidbit that Stacia has not been to any stateside zoo. We need to fix that. She can't even imagine a "real zoo."

 

 The shopping trip was so rejuvenating for Michael, he suggested I make one to the BX. He specifically told me it would be a good time to go get a Vitamix. I didn't need to be told twice. I was disappointed they didn't have red....but they'd told me they didn't. I debated and finally, firmly concluded, "It's a tool - color doesn't matter," and took one home.  This was a HUGE moment of delighted surprise.

 

 No, I haven't used it. I want to read the start up guide and such first and haven't had time.

Stacia was a great help with preparing the veggie kabobs.

 

Nolan once again manned the grill like a champ.

 

 This little guy gave me a chance to play with the lens Michael got me as a retirement gift. I need to read up on IT too.

 

 

Rachel's Big Crazy Family



It's o.k. I can call them that - she does. People come in and out of your life fairly frequently in the military  ministry. There are always those you know will be life-time friends. Rachel and I began emailing before we left Japan. Matt and Rachel had us over for dinner before we'd attended our first chapel service - they attend The Home Church in Lodi.  Rachel and I "clicked." I'm a homeschooling Mom of nine - she's a daughter in a homeschooling family of 9. I arrived here missing BreAnne and Krista and Rachel was an adopted daughter - just the right age.  Note - of course I still miss BreAnne and Krista, witness the 8 hour trips to OR.

Matt and Rachel have invited us- three years in a row- to come to their home for Labor Day. She said we'd get to meet her big, crazy family. I think there were 56 people there today.  We've met some of them before when we went to Matt's ordination.  Matt is from a family of seven children, Rachel is from a family of nine children.  It was a glimpse of the future for us to spend the day surrounded by these siblings and their children.....and it was enjoyable spending time with Rachel's parents and Matt's mother.

Go Joy!

 Stephanie and kids were in attendance as well. It was fun for our kids to have a chance to connect again.

Nolan and Elise

Stacia and Clara

 Bonus - Eliana time after the real grandmas were ready to pass her on. I held her a long time, long enough to miss lunch - but it didn't matter. I took a photo of her long, long eyelashes (which have developed in the two weeks since I've seen her), but Rachel said it's a photo only a grandma would love. I cropped it to just the eye - but even I admit that was a freaky photo.  I did take a couple of Michael holding her - he was patient enough to wait through grandmas and me. LOL

Michael & Eliana

 I loved this moment with Elise, Joy and Clara....watching Elsa on the iphone.  

 In the absence of a photo of me with Eliana (and really that's a CRIME! We already have one of her with Michael ::snort::), I submit this one - taken the moment after I said, "Michael, I found the tables!" Note the domino effect.

 

We picked up the remainder of our things at Matt and Rachel's. It's all going to fit - just one more good organizing session and one more trip to either Airmen's Attic or St. Vinnie's with food we can't haul. I really need to be thinking of what we need for 3 - 4 days....I had hoped to shop once a week, but I am not sure I have enough room for a week....we shall see.  

It was a fun day. Stacia ran into one of her friends at Target. This brought the realization  she isn't going to see her friends very much when we're "in the trailer." I pointed out that she will see them more than she would have if we'd pcs'd.  Not much comfort - but all I had at 10:00 p.m. Being a military child has hard moments. It just does.

The Valley of the Rogue State Park

The Valley of the Rogue State Park is right off of I-5 in Oregon between Medford and Grants Pass. It sits along the shores of the Rogue River - known for its white waters.   We were looking for a spot with open sites for this weekend and landed here. It's a big park and there were two sites left when we reserved - side by side actually.

A  loop provides 14 tent sites and 6 yurts. B/C loops supply 49 full-hook up sites. We stayed in B loop (which is integrated with C loop). Sites are packed in fairly tightly. The D and E loop mirror the B/C loop and offer 46 full-hookup sites and 2 yurts. B/C loops contain the campgrounds' laundry facility. D/E loop sports a pet friendly facility. We never made it over to check this out.

 

Note the pull through spots  form a "ring" around the inner circle of sites. In the future we will select a back in site on the outer rim of B or D loop. E and C loops are tight circles surrounded by the outer rings of B and D.

 

The outer edges of both B and D loops give easy access to the self-guided River's Edge Trail and to the river itself.  If you can snag a spot on the far, outer side of either loop your site will back onto the trail. In the future we will try for D18,16,15  or  B21, 19, 18, 16, 15.  The second page of this brochure has a good map of the campground.

 

F Loop presents 55 water/electric sites only. We've stayed there with some dear camping buddies about a zillion years ago. The spaces are wider and you aren't packed in as closely. However, they are close to I5 and so there is much more road noise.

Valley of the Rogue offers free showers, nice bathrooms, JR ranger program, interpretive lectures, river access, River's Edge Trail and a laundry room - at a state park! Laundry is $1.25 to wash and .25 to dry (though I have no idea how long the cycle runs).

This is a nice park in a beautiful area. We visited on Labor Day weekend. Every spot was filled. It was a bit crowded for our taste - even so the park was surprisingly quiet.

You can reserve a campsite here. There is an $8 reservation fee. Tent sites are $19.00, water/electric sites are $26 and full-hookups are $29 a night. Yurts are available for $40-50 a night.