Delta and grant limbo and bears, oh my

We just returned from our first stint of camping in our Month of Camping. While the first two trips this year fell mostly flat, this was a good one. We stayed at Sandy Flat in the Kern River area, and it was really enjoyable. Despite extreme heat (99 degrees the whole stay), horrid fetid toilets, and a close encounter with a bear, it was a really terrific way to spend a holiday weekend. There was river access just feet away from our campsite, and the river was surprisingly just cold enough to be refreshing but not freezing. I spent the two full days enjoying the water (swimming in fresh water is so rare here), swimming to the other side of the river and basking on rocks and then jumping back in. Somehow I managed to have all of us avoid getting horribly sunburnt. On the 3rd we went to a fun fireworks show at Lake Isabella. Normally due to my noise issues, July 4th is a bit of a torment for me, but this year was a good one. Along with our very nice trip, I went to see Kool & the Gang at the Hollywood Bowl with my NY friend while the BF took the boys to a local firework show. The Bowl show was great, and reminded me how glad I am that concerts are back. 

The first morning at our campsite before anyone else had arrived, Theo pointed out a bear sitting on a rock about twenty feet from us behind my back. He said it so casually that I didn’t look because I was convinced he was trying to trick me. Bobby was in the tent and the BF was off fishing. We both just stared at it, me ready to grab Theo and jump in the car at any second, waiting to see what it would do. But it just trundled off. I wasn’t scared - I mean, the odds of this bear charging us was pretty small - but boy, I guess my plan to “never camp where there are bears” is no longer a thing-!

During the trip I got an email from the grant portal asking me to update my proposed budget to meet a new grant amount. I heard they had been lowering people’s grants and to just accept less now and sort it out later, so I clicked on with spotty reception in a supermarket parking lot, only to find it looked like they were offering me $10,000 more-? I added $10,000 to my budget and submitted it. I’m confused by it all, but glad that after all this time of no contact that at least something happened that wasn’t a decline. I can still be declined, however. I am now back in “under review” hell. Meanwhile, my friend who applied after me already has her money deposited. Sigh. 

Sign ups for the event remain slow. I, too, would be waiting at this point. Coronavirus numbers are ticking up in California for the first time in months. Everyone is waiting to see what will happen. I’m hoping if there is a minor surge here that it’ll be over by mid-August - that’s pretty much how it went last year. But nobody knows what’s going to happen, least of all me. It’s very hard knowing I now have to commit some serious money to this - with less than two months left, I must start buying many flights and products soon - and I’m very afraid to do so. What if I have to cancel? What if the people I buy flights for decide they don’t want to come? At some point I just have to bite the bullet and proceed “as if”. But right now I’m reluctant to really commit. 

In preparing for possible closures/crowds for our big trip in two weeks, I made some alternative plans. I booked a rappelling tour for one day and a Colorado River kayak trip for a second day. It’s costly but worth it if it means saving a potentially doomed trip. I’m currently looking for swimming holes in case getting in to Zion National park becomes impossible. There are stunning swimming holes in Utah...and they’re all several hours away from where we’re staying. Boo. I’m still afraid oppressive heat will make the entire trip untenable. I really never imagined we’d be seeing potentially 108 degree temperatures in Utah. Maybe I should have researched this a little better before booking it last winter. Either way at least we’re on the move to new spots every couple of days, and I’m trying to find lots of alternatives to pivot to in case of heat or crowds. I hope it all works out. That goes for so many things right now.