One does not so much visit Naomi and Brian as one becomes a temporary part of their household, with its five sentient beings and retro/mod charm.

The first creature to greet one at the door goes by the name of Sully and responds to a stern command to go to his bed.  Second comes the extended hand of Brian (not spelled with a ‘y’, thank you very much) offering to relieve one of one’s burdens for the short climb into the 2017 Riverside Whitewater Retro 195 which this couple calls home.  He cradles Butternut, one of the two felines who round out the family.  A few seconds later, Butternut has been banished to the small bathroom with Malarkey, and Brian nurses a small fierce scratch in his trim beard.

“He does this from time to time,” Brian notes, shrugging off the injury and an offer of aid.  Naomi eyes the situation from the tea kettle and decides that panic will not be necessary.

The two started their wheel-life life with a 1973 Ideal which Brian refurbished.  With their furry friends, they headed from California to Minnesota, where Brian’s parents each live.  They could have bought new at the outset, but wanted to see if their transition from brick-and-mortar to mobile living would be successful.  It clearly has been.

They liked fall in beautiful Minnesota, but two days of hard-driving snow brought them to their senses.  They decided to head back to NORCAL for the warmer climate, family in both Concord and Sacramento, and jobs.  They had acquired their current rig from Roskopf RV in Wisconsin, for which their praise could not be higher.  “They made sure we had everything we needed before we pulled off their lot,” both proclaim.  “They price-matched accessories and out-fitted our vehicle for towing.”

Naomi currently works for UC-Davis as an analyst, a job she never previously has held but got from sheer force of conviction, if her account of the hiring process holds.  Brian spends two days each week in Concord working at a model train shop, with his specialist repair skills and keen salesmanship.  “I could sell twigs to a tree,” he admits.  He spends the rest of his time freelancing and writing.  He’s 3-1/2 volumes into a 4-volume mystery book series which Naomi, an avid reader, edits.  He uses an old MacBook with no capabilities other than word processing, to hone his focus.  When the last volume has been written, he’ll e-publish before looking for a traditional house for print.

The two met nearly five years ago through a dating app at a time when each worked more than full-time. Naomi was pursuing her MBA in business with a not-fot-profit emphasis.  They discovered the Delta when they tired of the I-80 trek between Concord and Sacramento.  When they decided to return to NORCAL and live full-time in their rig, they searched the Internet for Delta-area parks.  They called and talked to a friendly staff person, who invited them to visit.  “It had a high Google rating,” Naomi notes.  They love the Delta and intend to make the Park home-base as they explore options for their next full-time move.

The two agree on many things, including their mutual weirdness.  Their love for each other and for #deltalife shines from their faces as they sit in the comfortable banquette of their home.  Brian summarizes the perfectness of their life by saying that he can’t stand being around most people for even twenty-four hours, but that he “can barely stand to go without her — ” gesturing — “for more than eight or ten hours”.  I didn’t need to ask if the space ever got too small for the two of them.  They encourage each other.  Brian urges Naomi to tell me about her singing and guitar-playing.  She has a Fender, which Brian announces that she needs to get out and play more.  Naomi smiles from the kitchen.

Neither hesitated in offering advice to anyone considering RV life.  “Get a dehumidifer,” Naomi instructs, while Brian says that anyone intending to live in a rig has to be handy.  “Know your systems, and how to fix them,” he advises.  Both agree that the number one must-have feature is an equalizer hitch.  They patiently explain what that is, but the pen did not keep pace with the technological explanation.

They also agree on one regret about making the switch from a house to an RV.  “Clear out first,” they instruct.  “We’re paying storage.  Have an estate sale.  Sell everything.”

Naomi and Brian say goodbye as they said hello — at the door, together, with a cat at hand.  They’re about to go for a run on the levee.  One can’t help thinking that they’ve made a sweet life for themselves, here among the other RVs, on the east side of the Park.