SPIRIT RISING & Shabbat Eve 2026; Castle Rock-WA

March 21st: I had been planning to visit Calvary Chapel fellowship in Centralia … but this morning I woke up with thoughts running through my head that convinced me Elohim had checked me in that. My feet hit the floor knowing that He wanted me to stay local - so, I shared what was revealed to me with Holland 🔑 and he had some revealing of his own, to share with me; the Ruach HaKo'desh is rising & renewing our spirits.

It is all good ✌️, with both of us 💕

Holland brought up getting a gym subscription 🏋️‍♀️ - I readily agreed 👏 He called 📱 and got the price of a Day Pass 💰 to the Planet Fitness workout gym, at the Mall. If we like it, we'll purchase a Pass that is interchangeable in other States 🗺️ This is a win-win 🤝: home routines are fine and good … but we really need to be walking more, so the treadmill will be a major plus: I've been wanting a fold-up treadmill I can use/store in Independence, but using one at the gym makes more sense to Holland. I like that we will be working out together to get healthier and more fit 👌

Planet Fitness.

He also brought up checking out a Couple's Wednesday Bible Study ⛪️📖  at the Community Church in Castle Rock - we aren't interested in separate studies, staggered throughout the week; so, if they have such an archaic thing anymore, this will be the better choice for us. We can study/be on the same vibe together & if one of my asthmatic coughs starts … or Holland's pain level spikes; and we have to leave the meet early, we won't be disturbing a Sunday gathering - and one of us can drive us back home, if one of us is not able to do so. Wednesday's are low-key gatherings that work better for our needs.

The Ruach HaKo'desh is renewing our spirits; and our spirits are rising to the Call.

Castle Rock Christian Church; Holland has attended here, in the past. This will be a new experience for me - I've fellowshipped for 3 decades with Messianic Believers … to Sunday people, it seems I speak a foreign language. And to an extent, I do. Holland is a Sunday person - I will have to relearn things I've gotten a little rusty on.

We both agreed that we need to get it together in focusing on building  US up 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Grace began our story … grace sustains it … and grace will bring it all to completion - we heard each other out, and came to an agreeable middle ground. I shared my concerns & was heard - he shared his overviews & was heard. WE are more important than anyone or anything pressing on our time & nerves. Time is short, we are no longer spring chickens, & our remaining time on Earth needs to be redeemed ⏳🪔. Holland has medical needs that need immediate attention ⚕️: this is my major concern 🧐 & the main reason I agreed to come back to WA State 🤨 Also, we understand that we (together & individually), have tasks to do - personal tasks that we have been called to attend to, that have been entrusted to us to uphold & fulfil ☝️ ✝️ = these things need to be front & center in our life; everyone, & everything else, can take a number and wait until we can get to them 🤞

The air cleared 😘, and understandings clearly clarified 📣, Holland suggested we get out of the house, do a little light grocery shopping 🛒 & go for a short drive 🚘, when the wash cycle ended.

I was game 😊

Spring was in full swing …

Clear, blue skies - pink flowering trees & Evergreens; Toutle River RV Park-WA

White blossoming Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree.

An abundance of flowering trees line the entire Park boundary …

Cascade Select Market, Castle Rock-WA from Toutle River RV Park, Castle Rock-WA; (4 mi) 8 mins via I-5 S

Red Twig Dogwood; Castle Rock-WA

A personal Spring 'thing' & not available in any State of the lower portion of the USA

Camelot, Castle Rock-WA; the Cook Ferry Park, is directly behind & runs along the Cowlitz River, tying into Westside Hwy, CR-WA

2 houses showing across the way, on clear-cut properties; we're thinking in t he vicinity if Headquarters Road-WA

The sturdy, sunny, daffodils, the serene duck couple, the tranquil setting of the fishing shack - and the surprise ashy sand extraction refueled our drained spirits.

The sunny drive was just what was needed to lift our spirits.

Sunny daffodils showing brightly in the midst of weedy deadfall.

A Mallard & his Hen swimming a ditch across the street from the daffodil cluster.

I never knew this road existed; & Bob & I had driven up & down Cook Ferry Road for decades.

Of course, Holland has lived in this region of WA for 3/4 of his life; off-on 40 years, between Vader & Kelso.

Cook Ferry Road, Castle Rock-WA

A bench in the middle of nowhere … fishermen don't sit anywhere but on river banks.

A Robin - we saw several; this 1 stood still long enough to show it's photogenic side.

A Killdeer

Horses! And Holland is right - it's a 'she' - not a 'he' - guiding them forward.

The Sand Pit was something new to both of us; it's actually ash residue from the 1981 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

The ash created & washed down from Mt. St. Helens,  changed the depth, width, and course of the Cowlitz River. He hadn't been down that end of the road in about 10 years, so the ashy sand pit was a surprised to him, too.

That was a fun excursion - I didn't know that road existed, so I was happy Holland drove out there to show me the fishing shack he always talks about - he was a fishing junkie ,🐟⚓️ and has fished wherever he could; all over the place: Vader, Castle Rock, Kelso, Longview, the Elochoman, Kalama, Woodland, Ridgefield, Vancouver & Rainier-OR … wherever there was water and fish. 

Holland talked so much about CA, that I always assumed that was his hometown; but I have learned over the past 6 months, that though he has worked in nearly every State in the Union … he has actually spent half of his life living in WA (32 yo) … and has lived in the Vader-Castle Rock-Kelso region of WA permanently, since 1994. He's pretty tethered to WA State.

It was a good Day 😁

Our flagging spirits are rising: the Day ended well 👍

Battery operated Taper Candle for Shabbat.

OCEAN PARK-WA to GUSTINE-CA

This journey to Arizona, will be good for us in several ways (1) we are seriously considering making Yuma our home; where we will begin forging community ties, and strengthening our marriage (2) Independence will still be put up for sale; something smaller will allow us more freedom for travel ease (3) the warming sun rays good for both of us; physically, mentally, and spiritually: this trip south is a good decision for US, all the way around, and we are trusting Elohim to work out the details :-D

Take time to enjoy the honeymoon that was sidelined with the continual Kelso interferences, all of last year.

Make it a point to spread our wings and forge a life for ourselves … for ourselves, so we can fulfil Elohim's purpose for His bringing us together.

Getting out and about to meet new people.

A sharing of common interests.

Focusing on a new start, with a refreshed heart, and a new frame of mind.

Letting Elohim hold the reins as He steers us in the direction that best suits us, our needs, and His intentions for our Life together: this mindset is how we started our Life together … it is our goal to finish with this mindset, together.

We know this accomplishment won't be as easy as sounds (we are both very independent individuals, with different viewpoints) - but we don't have to make it harder than it needs to be, either.

Ringo Starr - 'It Don't Come Easy' lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO-Yj7YG6ak)

Last evening, we packed up and pulled out of Ocean Park-WA, as the sun began to slide over the horizon … with a song in our heart, and excitement pulling us forward :-D

Bread - 'Hooked On You' Lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjniM6oGo5s)

Evening sky as we left Ocean Park-WA, last evening; 10-10-24

Holland drove all night long: he only stopped along the way, to diesel up.

Holland has driven this stretch of road for years; jetting from job site to job site, so he knows it very well … but it was new to me ;-)

For Independence's sake (and because we are hoping to sell her), we are sticking to freeway routes, this year. Freeway routes are easier on both the man, and the RV.

And I enjoyed Holland's stories of pastimes he spent in this region.

I napped off and on - waking and saying alert only when we passed through unfamiliar terrain.

He did pull over just shy of Williams-CA though, with the thought of grabbing some shut-eye for an hour, before pushing on to Los Angeles-CA; but the rising sun was so bright, and the sun visor to short … that those thoughts quickly dissipated.

So, he hauled the Road Atlas out, and retraced the road route he was considering for our forward momentum while waiting for his second wind to refresh him.

Sunrise coming into Williams-CA

Williams-CA from Ocean Park-WA; 10 hr 50 min (635.3 mi) via I-5 S

Pretty pink sunrise coming into Williams-CA. About 60 mi from Sacramento.

Sutter Buttes in the background; coming into Williams-CA

Sutter Buttes-CA: 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Buttes)

Glorious sunrise coming into Williams-CA, about 60 mi from Sacramento-CA

His inner battery was refreshed and holding a sufficient sputtering spark, we drove a bit further, keeping our eyes peeled for an RV Park off the I-5 thoroughfare.

TRUMP 2025~We both liked seeing this, as we rolled down  I-5 ;-)  7.40 AM

Sutter Buttes & rough Interstate roadway …

There were huge ravens darting everywhere as we approached 'Crow's Landing' - at first I thought they were immature buzzards, they were so large!

Crows aren't very liked throughout history because they are pretty much scavenger birds … so, I did a little background research when we hunkered down for the evening:

Walnut Farmer Talks Family's Founding of 'Crows Landing'-CA: 

(https://californiaagtoday.com/walnut-farmer-talks-familys-founding-crows-landing/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMy%20family%20began%20farming%20barley,was%20eventually%20named%20Crow's%20Landing.)

Being the month of October, which kinda centers around crows as well as scarecrows, pumpkins, black cats, and huge yellow moons hanging low in the harvest skies - I was a little disappointed the research wasn't a bit more nefarious ;-)

The crow is often associated with death (with good Historical reason), but they can also be winged harbingers that relate to the end of one life chapter - and the start of another: I choose the chapters interpretations ;-)

History of The Crow: (https://www.thestranger.com/features/2015/09/09/22814640/we-see-death-when-we-see-crows & https://johnrcammidge.com/history-of-crows/)

Ditto for raven symbolism: a raven can represent spiritual growth, transformation, and new opportunities - coming across raven conglomerations may indicate that even if one is going through a challenging phase, there's potential for growth, and new beginnings, ahead.

Plus … crows are favorably mentioned in the Scriptures:

'The Raven' - The Grace of God (https://truthfortoday.org.uk/transcripts/T0823#:~:text=Ravens%20are%20known%20to%20neglect,care%20for%20us%20in%20grace.)

We finally spotted an RV Park Sign, at quarter to eleven AM, and he quickly turned in.

He needed rest.

I was glad he was agreeable to halt the progress forward, until tomorrow morning.

The Santa Nella RV Park is an older park, but it's nicely maintained; the hostess is kind & friendly, and the atmosphere is quiet :-D

Santa Nella RV Park-CA from Williams-CA; 2 hr 50 min (170.8 mi) via I-5 S

Santa Nella RV Park, just off I-5.

Santa Nella RV Park: #13023 CA-33, Gustine, CA

Flowering shrub hedges at the RV Park entrance; Gustine-CA

White blossoming Oleander Privacy Hedge; & Hardy Red blossoming Oleander Privacy Hedge.

Today's weather ;-)

Nice place to hunk down, and I was glad Holland agreed to rest.

We were booked for 2 sites; but were only charged for 1 site. Very generous.

Independence was parked cattacorner in the first 2 spaces …

Hunkered down and relaxing, after our 10.5 hour drive. We left Betsy hooked to Independence, because we're leaving early tomorrow morning for Quartzsite-AZ.

Holland allowing the Sandman to do his thing …

I relaxed in my own way; knitted a preemie hat to match striped sleep sacque.

**Previous Post: SUNSHINE ON THE DOCKET :-); Ocean Park-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/10/sunshine-on-docket-ocean-park-wa.html)