We found a fairly new updated trailer park to park the trailer in. Updated means paved streets, concrete platform for the trailer to sit on, paved parking space, with a concrete patio area. In other words very little grass or dirt areas. There were only a few spots left. We got the trailer parked and leveled easily. I had to sit outside on the concrete patio to watch the kids while they played outside. Since there was no shade we installed a metal porch roof over the patio area approximately 12' wide and 20' +/- long. Then came the winds! They shook the trailer. The porch roof was trying to fly away. I chained 2 of the 3 posts down to our vehicle wheels and just held on to the third post as the winds whipped around us. Very frightening. Bob got home from work and seeing the scene was startled. He scrambled around and got the third post tied to his pickup. The winds continued thru the night. The kids missed playmates since there were no other children in this trailer park for the kids to play with. We discussed the situation and came up with a plan to use his Korean Veterans assistance to purchase a house and sell the trailer. We were in the trailer there maybe only 2 months?
We found a new house on a corner lot in a new subdivision and moved in. There was an orange orchard across the street. At his job site they had torn down a 3' chain link fence. He brought it home and we installed it around the back yard area for a play area for the kids. We planted grass, hung a clothes line, got a play tub for the kids to splash around in, etc etc. I planted geraniums all along the street between it and the sidewalk. Evidently we attracted kids to come play with ours. Each morning extra kids just showed up. One little girl showed up each morning. At lunch time I offered her a bit to eat; she refused. In the evening her mom would show up to pick her up. I soon discovered I was baby sitting her girl for free; I told the mother off for sure. I began having a foster boy live with us. He was one angry kid. He would take his fesses and smear it along the garage wall when I disciplined him for something. Yuck. After a couple of months he was returned to some family member by the state. I was hanging out laundry one Saturday morning. A neighbor across the street yelled to another neighbor "If there is anyone around here that needs a solid concrete block wall, it's those people over there!" and pointed to me. I laughed at him but from then on when Cary took his diaper off and ran around naked I didn't fuss at him. We had tricycles and various toys all around the yard. That is an annoyance to some I guess. We then took in 2 other foster kids. Lots of playing, reading, naps, laughing, noise etc for sure. The Weimaraner dog would get loose occasionally and just take off running to the orchard. We would have to go chase her. I decided to take a dog training class. At the class I parked the vehicle where the kids could see me and I could see them while I was training the dog. After working with the dog a bit the kids wanted to walk her too. We began taking her to dog shows. The kids would enter the events and had so much fun showing her. Bad things began happening. Since they were doing so good in the shows other contestants started saying yucky things to both Rendy and Cary. They would start crying. I ended up quitting dog shows over this.
It turned out one of Bob's uncles lived fairly near by. Uncle Carlton and Aunt ?? would invite us over occasionally for a barbecue. One Saturday afternoon I arrived on time. Bob was still at work. Uncle Carlton offered me a drink. I declined since I do not get along with alcohol. He insisted; I took a sip then passed out. Evidently I was unconscious for at least 3 days (it takes 3 days to come across country on a train); when I came to, Tedi was at the house watching the kids. I was in a hospital. The 2 foster kids had been returned to the state. Bob picked me up and we came home. That was the very last drink I ever had. At that point I had to be very careful of what I eat also. I don't remember visiting Uncle Carlton's house again either.
I remember playing around with the kids on the front lawn with Tedi, then we went inside. I had a very eerie feeling; hair stood up on my arms. I told Tedi something has happened to Bruce. I sat down and prayed for him. At the time Bruce was stationed in Berlin, Germany. From CA to Germany is half around the world. I wrote the date down on the calendar. When Bruce returned to the States, I ask him what happened and the date. He had been in a wreck and admitted to the hospital with a broken bone. The date matched the calendar date. Isn't it amazing that communication from dear people can happen around the world.
I also remember one time there I knew something bad had happened to Bob. I sat down and prayed. When he got home, I was still shaky and ask him loudly. WHAT HAPPENED? He looked at me very surprised, then told me that as he was driving home he was going to turn left. Something made him pull over to the right off the road and stop. He looked in the rear view mirror as a car sped fast past him. If he had turned he would have been hit and killed. For sure we are protected if we listen to God.
Two different times while we were there, the Santa Ana Winds blew. I would have to open both the big glass door on the east side of the house and the front door to let the winds blow thru. Then after the winds quit I would have to clean the house of the dust.
Rendy use to get bad ear infections. She was crying hard one time while I called 56 different doctors. They were all too busy to see her. One nurse heard her crying and said bring her in immediately. They punctured her ear to relieve the pressure. She finally stopped crying. He turned out to be a good doctor for us several times.
I ended up getting a horse and boarding it near where we lived. When Bob got home from work I would go ride her for a bit of time for myself away from all the daily life of raising children. By then we knew we would soon be moving to the Mojave Desert for another job.
We had to sell the house, pack all our stuff and move again. After a dog show I drove over the mountains to the Mojave Desert. The winds were blowing up a terrible dust storm. We normally camped, but that night we cooked then slept in the back of the pickup. We never saw a dust storm like that while living there. I found a house half way between Ridgecrest and Inyokern Ca. It was fenced for stock too. I had someone move the horse for me. Yea!!!! We were in the country again finally. Wide open views.