Life In the Creek - Part 4 - Tim and Blondie

This Tim is technically Tim #1. He's lived there longer but he's a few decades younger than Tim #2. He lives with a cute and sweet woman named we all call Blondie. To have lived in the creek for so long, it's kind of amazing that she seems to have a dye job!

While Blondie is a good old timer, Tim #1 is a Bad Homeless. My encounters with him are rarely pleasant. Both are tweakers - meth addicts. Blondie only seems sweeter when high. Tim gets meaner.

I've had shouting matches with him and basically stand my ground, ever grateful that I'm hiking with a rottweiler. I realized after my last trip to their area of the creek a few weeks ago, that he's really just afraid I'm going to steal his stuff.

Tim and Blondie go out into the neighborhood on trash night and collect junk: wagons, bike parts and of course, cans and bottles to sell.

And some part of me admires them. They understand the number one rule of real estate: location, location, location.

They live further east than the rest of the homeless I know well. I sort of stumbled on their camp by accident. I used to park on the ridge, (for you locals, it's where Oro Vista dog legs back up the mountain to the gated community), jump the rail and hike east until I found the concrete wall. I found I needed a walking stick to get down the hill into the creek bottom. This was my normal route in for ages and I was aware their camp was off to the west of where I entered the creek.

Then, I got stronger post surgery and was finally able to go for a longer hike. I hiked up from the main levy, staying in the creek all the way. The water grew deep and still in this one area and two tributaries entered just above... small waterfalls making beautiful music. As I waded through this still pond, I realized I was standing smack in front of Tim and Blondie's tent. They weren't home so I stood there, resting in the shade and looked around.

From their front "door," there is no sign of humans save for a fence rail on a distant mountain to the west. No houses, you can barely hear the cars for the waterfalls that lead into the still pond a few feet from their tent. It is stunning. Every time I'm there with a camera, they are home so no photos of this magnificent view. It's truly the location of my dream house! Just not a tent!