Tuesday at Painted Turtle Camp

Words and photos by JK

Sunday and Monday I was emailing and planning to set sail again for San Diego and beyond when I got word that the Hole in the Wall Gang camp up in Lake Hughes CA could receive me on Tuesday. It was a 200 mile, hot round trip and I was suffering one of my low-energy days so I want to apologise to the camp Director Jeremy for my slow wits and apparent low level of enthusiasm. Jeremy, his assistant April and Scott, who studied acting at the Globe Theatre in London amongst other places, showed me around and made sure I was braced with cold drink for the hot ride home. There are fine facilities to care for the kids and the basketball gymn donated by the Lakers was very impressive. One little touch I thought was very kind can be seen in the photo of the bedroom. Those traditional quilts are donated and then given to the visiting child as a memento of their week and their new-found friends. That is a lot of money and hard work and it just goes to show how many kind souls there really are in this world. Well done folks.

I also visited the Harley's Rock Inn as suggested by Robert Mersky and I spotted the old pick-up in the shade. I'll get one like that one day. The rock formations as you leave I15 onto Hwy 138 are amazing if quite small. I believe they are called the Mormon Rocks. I liked the frog one. The old collapsing cabin and the rusted western windmills seemed to epitomise the old west in many ways.

That evening we ate Thai in Riverside. Good food but BAD thai telly shows! Wednesday will be Hollywood photos.