Moments

When I was in the laundry room today I noticed the following saying on the clock over the door:  "We don't remember the days but we remember the moments."  

As we get older, and the time flies by so quickly, it IS hard to remember the days!  I think the wise person who wrote the above quote is our age - or older!!!    So, here are some moments from this week.  One of our fans has requested a blog post, as I've been neglectful this week, so here it is!  Thanks for reading and wondering what we are up to.

Mighty Mouser brought Roger a present!   They were outside sitting in the sun, Roger was tossing the ball for her when it went under the RV.  (We can't throw it too far as she is not supposed to be free roaming.)  She disappeared behind the wheels and didn't come out for a while.  Roger thought maybe she had gone to visit our neighbor (the other Maggie) when he noticed movement under the wheel covers.  Next thing he knew she was trotting out and came over to him and dropped a dead mouse at his feet.  She loves her Roger!

Deja Vu - watching dogs is like having your kids back when they were small.   I'm sure they (my kids) remember my saying, "You sit on one end of the couch and you sit on the other and I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you."  The Maggies (we were "sitting" our neighbor's dog who happens to be named Maggie, too) had just had a session of playing Tasmanian Devil as they chased each other around the RV.  They finally calmed down and had naps so I could relinquish my referee duties and I got to move to the other couch and knit.

The weather this week has been super.  We've been able (both of us) to get out for walks and see the ducks on the lake.  They are even enjoying it - perfect bath weather.

Well, until last night when the rain started.  We are having a rainy weekend again but it isn't too cold.  I've got a crockpot of what was supposed to be chili going.  It will be soup with some noodles or something - it's a bit watery - if I can salvage it.  Fortunately, Roger will eat most anything I fix if I wait long enough to feed him and he is hungry!  Besides the pseudo chile, I've got a southwest flavored cabbage salad.  It's going to be a 3 Beano meal so we don't have "moments" later we want to forget!  

 We've told you about our neighbor, David, the disabled Vietnam vet.  Dave was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his service.  He is a caring and generous person who spends a lot of time at the VA spinal cord injury unit cheering up other vets with injuries like his and the at VFW playing cards with the vets there.  One of the things he volunteers to do is be on the Honor Guard for military funerals.  He's the one who gives the flag to the family and it makes him (and them) feel proud.   He came by to show us his uniform and medals that he wears.   He and Maggie have a mutual admiration thing going!  She just loves him and jumps up in his lap every time she sees him.  They are quite the pair.

 

We have RV friends visiting this week.  We met them in Yuma last year and they live in Gardnerville, NV - only 40 miles south of where we live.  Small world.

I've been working on cleaning out photo duplicates today.  I downloaded an app that really made it simple.  I went from almost 10,000 photos to 9,046!  It's going to help me get more organized - I hope.

We met a couple named Sandy and Darleen Keith yesterday.  We had seen mail addressed to them in the same cubbyhole where our mail is sorted to and wondered about them. They are Canadian and live in Alberta Province.  His family is descended from the Keith Clan in Scotland (ours is from Ireland.).  It was interesting talking to him about his genealogy.  They are regulars here and will return next year in February - looking forward to more conversation with them. 

So, that's our exciting week of moments - unless you want to include grocery shopping, paying bills, laundry, and walks around the park. All of which you've read about ad nauseum.

We are always looking for clever license  plates
on RVs or tow cars.  Here's a good one -
very appropriate, I think.

It's Sunday Again

It's been a very long, quiet (read boring) day today.  Expected rain has not materialized (it's now 4pm), but it has been too cool and blustery to be outside.  We did get one lap around the upper RV  park with Maggs this morning, but it was no fun because of the weather.    Rog's been listening to his audio book and I've been knitting and playing "Words With Friends"  this afternoon.  Of course, being inside with not a lot to do makes us snack!  Oh, well.  

The fence at home is finished and looks good in the photos that the contractor sent.  We've received our check from the insurance company.  So, that little hiccup in our life is taken care of.  Yay!

This week has been busy doing normal everyday things and nothing very exciting.  We did spend one day doing a deep clean on the inside of the RV and doing the laundry.  That was a lot of fun - NOT. Household chores are tiring!   One afternoon was grocery shopping at the Marine base commissary. One afternoon was ice cream at the DQ.   I spent two afternoons with the woman who sold us the couch looking up ancestors that might be registered in the DAR data base.  There are a couple of possibilites on my side, but it would be so much work to prove.  On Roger's side we did find a "patriot" and now all I've got to do is prove 7 generations!   I'll probably do the work at some point as both our daughter, Pam, and her cousin Jenn might be interested, as well as granddaughters Stephanie and Kinsey (when she grows up).  Roger's sister would be a candidate for admission, as well.  It will be long hours and some $$ spent getting copies of records.  It might be worth it to someone, some day, who knows.  

Right now all family members seem to be either healthy or recovering well from surgeries, infections, and/or the flu, so that is good news.  It's about time.  Seems like it's been forever since everyone was well.  Our Sweetie in Reno will start her radiation this coming week, I believe, so in five weeks she should be well on her way to being cancer free.   Roger's sister and husband have escaped the arctic chill of Michigan and are having fun in Orlando for a few weeks.  

Sad news in the park again this year.  One of our neighbors awoke to find her husband had died in his sleep.  Last year a woman lost her husband to a heart attack.  We don't really know these people, but see them every day to say hello and stop and pass the time of day with when we are out walking Maggie.  I guess when the average age of the residents is over 60 that something like this is not an unexpected happenstance.  It sure makes  you think, though, and sort of plan for such contingencies even though It's not something you want to think about.  

We decided today we will leave here on Sunday, March 28th for home.  We like getting through the metropolitan areas on the weekends rather than the weekdays, so will cut our time here short by a couple of days.  We should be home in Sparks no later than April 1st.   

I see rain drops on the window.   Looks as if the forecast was about 24 hours off, as it is now saying it will rain all night and tomorrow.    

Photos

It's 10pm and the wifi seems to be a bit better, but I'm still having some issues.  Everyone must be done with their movies on Netflix but I think I've reached my bandwidth limit.   Here are the rest of the photos I wanted to show you. 

Maggie spent half the day on my lap for some reason.
That was fine until my bladder got full.  Nineteen
pounds of dog puts the pressure on!

Mono Lake view from our picnic

Out for a walk after lunch

Mt. Whitney from Manzanar site.

Streets of Manzanar

At Manznar
I love the blue of the sky out west!

Miles and miles of power poles.

I thought these power poles looked
like two people in sombreros dancing.
Do you see it?

Sunday lunch venue.  It was actually nice, but not as nice as
Saturday's.

Always looking for food.

OK - ready to navigate again - let's get home

Last Night's Posting Tonight!

The computer/wifi are not being nice again tonight.  I am beginning to wonder if it’s me or them.  I am writing this in the word processing app with the hopes of copying and pasting it into the blog and downloading the photos all at once.  It’s gonna be a bit tricky, but I think I can win this battle.   So, grab your beverage of choice, get comfy, and hopefully enjoy this entry - it’s going to be a long one.

Ok, I'm giving up tonight trying to upload photos. I'm going to work on it during the day tomorrow when there aren't as many people on the wifi here. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were returning to Santee and the RV last Saturday after being home for a week.  The fence work was nearly complete and we had a nice little vacation sleeping in our sleep number bed and showering in a continuous stream of water!  We set off early for the long drive down US395 along the eastern side of the Sierras.  It was a beautiful day weather-wise, there was little to no traffic, and the scenery was just awesome.

A park that doesn’t allow dogs.  Can you believe it?  Well, there’s one in Gardnerville, NV.  Maggie tends to be a bit anxious when we first start out on a trip and Saturday was no exception.  Our usual modus operandi is to stop about an hour after we start, let her out for a few minutes to do her doggie sniffing and business, and then she is much calmer.  So, we figured that the nice town park in Gardnerville was about the right timing for her.  Well, they don’t allow dogs!  Who ever heard of such a thing.  Shame on them.  

As we climbed into the mountains, following the Walker River, we encountered scenery worth photographing at every turn in the road.  I probably took a picture each time, too.  I ended up with close to a hundred shots - maybe a dozen good ones.  I was using Roger’s new camera to test it out, so settings got off a little but I think there are some good ones to share with you.  Since we weren’t in a huge hurry, the traffic was light, and I was hyped up about the drive, Roger stopped often for photo taking.  He was quite patient with me and I had a great day.  

We were surprised at the lack of snow pack.  At 7,000 feet there was no snow and at 8,000 feet there was just a little bit on the ground.  We were feeling sorry for those folks who had come to Mammoth Lakes to go skiing.  I’m sure there was man-made snow for them, but the awesome beauty of the area in winter just wasn’t there.  We saw lots of private planes at the airport as we passed and kept thinking how disappointing it must have been to plan a three day (and Valentine’s Day) weekend doing winter sports and it was 65 degrees with no snow on the ground.  I know I would have been upset - if I were a winter sports kind of person, that is.  

It’s not just that, though, we surely could see that there is a great water issue and this mega drought they are talking about is surely coming.  Mid February there should be lots of snow - it’s too bad they can’t trade with Boston!  It’s a real shame.  

View of Mono Lake from picnic area

When we dropped down from Mammoth Lakes into the Mono Lake basin, we stopped in the town of Lee Vining for lunch.  We were back at 7,000 ft. altitude.  We found a nice town park - that allowed dogs - a block off the main road.  The town is only one block wide, so it wasn’t hard to find.  We were alone in the park, had a super view of Mono Lake, it was quiet, and there was lots of grass for Maggie to run in.  It was probably the most peaceful on-the-road lunch we have had in ages.  Usually we stop at rest areas or truck stops and the noise of the trucks and the smell of diesel fuel is always there.  Saturday the sun was shining, the air was clean,  it was about 60 degrees, and we really had a relaxing lunch.  

Checking out what's for lunch

From there we dropped another 2,000 ft into Bishop and even warmer temps. South of there we started encountering more desert along the foot of the Sierras.   Just at the base of the area where Mt. Whitney is (the tallest point in the contiguous US), there is a memorial park marking the spot where we (the US) interred Japanese-Americans during WWII.  Manzanar Relocation Camp was out in the middle of no-where.  There is a museum, which we didn’t have time for, and remnants of some of the brick buildings and streets.  It was pretty surreal standing there looking around and thinking about what happened to these innocent people in our panic after Pearl Harbor.  What an uproar there would be today if we tried to do something similar - but those were different times.  

We stayed the night in Ridgecrest, CA just outside of China Lake Naval Weapons Station.  Now we are talking out in the middle of the desert!  We found a nice Mediterranean restaurant for dinner and since we we eat early we had no issues with the Valentine’s Day crowds - people were coming in as we were leaving.  

Sunday it was all desert, all the way to the San Bernardino Mountains.  Miles and miles of nothing but power poles!  Several power plants and a huge solar array produce lots and lots of power - all heading to the LA basin.  On the hill tops were lots of buildings that looked like military communications arrays as nearby Edwards AFB is home to lots of testing of military aircraft.  Think Chuck Yeager and Mach 1.  All of the first seven astronauts trained there.  

Lunch on Sunday was in a parking spot of an empty industrial park just south of Riverside.  We pulled up under a shade tree and had our picnic on the tool box in the bed of the truck.  Maggie wasn’t so sure she liked it there, but once she started getting food she was OK.  

We got into Santee Lakes mid afternoon to an RV that was 97 degrees inside!  It was 84 outside!   We got our stuff put away and sat outside while the AC cooled off the rig.  It was good to be off the road and back in Santee.

Yesterday we got back into our walking routine, I worked on the taxes, and Roger cleaned the truck.  Today I spent a couple of hours with the woman who sold us the sofa while she helped me with some genealogy work and is putting me on the right track to getting what I need to prove decendency from a Revolutionary War “Patriot.”  We did make some headway - one of the people I suspected might be a veteran of that war is listed in the DAR registry.  Now all I have to do is prove the lineage!  Something else to challenge me :-) .

I Messed Up - Sorry

I just spent an hour or more writing tonight's post with lots of pictures.  Then I accidentally deleted it and can't figure out how to recover it as my brain is fried.  (I did taxes today, also)

So, tomorrow when I'm in a better frame of mind I will try and recreate the post.  It was a good one!!   Sorry......

Maggie the Mighty Mouser

Maggie showed her terrier traits!

 It was gross!  It was sad!   

Yesterday morning we were in the back yard with Maggie, talking to the fence guy, when Maggie goes trotting past us with something hanging out of her mouth.  I immediately recognized it as a tail but Rog thought it was a stick.  He caught up to her, told her to "leave it" and then stuck his finger in her mouth to get it out.  Oh, cringe!   A little field mouse who wasn't quite dead, with his little feet flapping in the wind as it dropped to the deck.  Poor thing was pretty far gone but not quite there yet.  We disposed of it, Rog scrubbed his hands really good and long, and I looked all over for something to wash Maggs' mouth out with but never found anything.  No Maggie kisses for a while, that's for sure.

This has turned out to be a good week for us other than the nasty weather-related trip home.  The sun has been shining, the temps have been in the 50s and 60s during the day, and we feel like we are on a little vacation.   We've had a walk to the park every day. We are really enjoying having good internet - getting software updates and apps downloaded.  We had dinner last night with Mike and Erica.  It was a good visit. They are doing well. 

The fence is being repaired in a timely manner.  Yesterday they dug the post holes, today they set the posts and Monday they will reattach the fence.  We really lucked out with this contractor - he's done good by us.  Even better - the insurance is picking up the tab minus our deductible.   

As far as I know everyone is on the mend in Fairfield. Haven't pestered them with phone calls foe a couple of days. 

In the meantime, we got a call from a camper at Santee who ended up purchasing our two recliners that we had for sale once we bought the sofa.  Our neighbor was kind enough to meet with the buyer and collect the money for us; and, as she texted, "done deal."  Glad to be rid of them and the extra dollars will come in handy this month, for sure.  

Tomorrow we head back to Santee and the RV.  We will take the shortest route - straight down US395 along the eastern side of the Sierras. and meet I-15 in the Mohave Desert.  It's a pretty drive - we go past Topaz Lake on the NV/CA border, Bridgeport at the edge of some sawtooth mountains, Mammoth Lakes Ski Area, Mono Lake, and the eastern entrance to Yosemite.  We will see Mt. Whitney on one side and Death Valley on the other.  It's one of my favorite drives. (Not Roger's - it's a two lane road.) The weather promises to be nice and we will be in no particular hurry.  We have reservations in Ridgecrest, CA - at the end of the mountains just as you enter the Mohave Desert.  From there it's not such a pretty drive, but that will be Sunday of a three day weekend and we are hoping  the traffic once we hit San Bernadino and on into to Santee will be minimal.  

We are packing up this afternoon and will leave early in the morning.  We'll be back in six weeks with the RV.  Just having this nice week of weather here and seeing some plants peeking up out of the dirt, I am anxious to get back to play in the yard but it's still February and way too soon! Roger keeps going out in the garage and looking at his wood; so I think he will be more than ready to put his shop back together in April when we get back!!  

Progress

We are making some progress on the fence issue.  Yesterday, first thing in the morning as promised, our contractor was at the door and ready to help.  He suggested ways to fix the situation, we agreed on one and he has promised fence posts to be put in on Friday and the rest of the work to be finished on Monday.  In the meantime, he has strung a plastic mesh thing across the back for us/Maggie.  It's see through, but just having it up makes us feel less exposed - it's sort of like a Les Nessman wall (WKRP in Cincinnati) - but whatever it takes, yes?  We are glad we called him before we left Santee as he says he is inundated with calls for fence repairs and downed tree removal from the storm.  We were first on his list and he knows our situation, so he's working hard to help us out as quickly as possible.  Now, if the insurance company will pony up anything to help defray the costs, we will be all set.  We plan on leaving on Saturday and trust that the work is completed on Monday.  

One of the things about being at home is that it is so nice to be able to open the back door and let Maggie out to do her business or just hang out in the back yard.  With the fence down (until he strung up the plastic fence) we still had to go out with her.  What a pain.  She took off on me twice, so I keep her on a leash when I take her out.  She behaves when its Roger's turn.  The rest of the week we should be able to relax when she goes out there.  She checked the temporary barrier out, and could get under it if she really wanted to escape, but I don't think she will - the wind caught it and blew it in her face and she must have jumped back two feet!  It spooked her so I'm not worried she will even get close to it. It was quite cold this morning when she needed out and tomorrow I can just open the door!  

Yesterday we had to go out for groceries and we were reminded why we go go Santee for the winter - it was cloudy and blustery and cold.  This short trip up here in February will make us really appreciate what we have down south even more when we return.

We did get out for a walk to the park today - sunshine was abundant and there was no wind. It was cool - cold to us - but it was a nice walk.  Maggie got to go off-leash at the park and she just ran her little legs off, flapping her ears, and smiling her doggie smile the whole time.  I've never seen a dog who likes to run like she does.  

I met one of my book club friends for tea and conversation today.  It was so great getting together with her and I got a break from being with my loving husband.  As far as I know, Roger had no separation anxiety while I was gone.  Thursday we will have lunch with another friend and her husband.  It's nice to reconnect and to know that we will only be gone another six weeks or so and then be home for the summer and see our friends again and get into our routines.  

My sister's home from the hospital finally!  Yay!  Now my brother-in-law has the flu.  It was caught early, though, and he is already on meds for it, but is at home.  We will not be going back to the RV via their house!!!  

It's good to be in our house as being in the RV for an extended time makes us appreciate what we have here.

• Rog is loving the dishwasher
• I'm loving the shower and the garbage disposal
• Maggie is loving all the room to play ball inside

Although,

• I'm still trying to flush the toilet with a foot pedal that's not there
• I am having trouble remembering where we keep things - like the trash can in the kitchen
• I'm having to relearn to drive, but the Subie is nice and easy to park compared to the truck

Stay tuned but here's hoping there are no more adventures any time soon.

We Are At Home in Sparks - Temporarily

A lot can happen in a day - enough to warrant a road trip home!  

Our neighbor, who watches our house while we are gone, called on Friday morning and told us that the gale force winds that were blowing through the Truckee Meadows, (preceding a predicted severe winter storm) had blown over our back fence!    As I was finishing the conversation with her, my brother-in-law called and told me my sister was in the hospital again.  So, we packed Maggie, her stuff, and some of our stuff  into the backseat of the truck and headed north on Saturday morning, leaving the RV in Santee under the watchful eyes of several neighbors.    

It took us two and a half hours to get from Santee and sunshine through the LA basin into clouds and rain.  Once we got onto I-5 and headed north it was just a matter of weather to contend with as we had left all the crazy traffic behind us.  We drove through several areas of very heavy rain, but also had some areas with the sun peeking through.   That drive up the western side of the San Joaquin Valley has views of the coastal mountains on west side and agriculture to the east with the Sierras in the distance.  We couldn't see the Sierras for the rain and clouds but were amazed at how green the hills were leading up to the coastal range.  They are normally a golden brown when we go through there.  It looked strange.  We saw several pastures with sheep and cute little lambs and there were several orchards in bloom with lovely purple flowers - ah, Spring.  At least there, but not too many other places.

We stopped for dinner in Lodi where we then turned west to Fairfield on a road through the Sacramento River delta.  It was dusk as we started on the two lane road across the sloughs and islands that dot that area.  The fog was rising from the watery fields and it was a very surreal scene.  It was hard driving - Rog doesn't like driving at night any more as the headlights from on coming cards are brutal and after being on the road all day in weather, he was exhausted when we arrived in Fairfield at my sister's house around 7pm - it had been a very long day.    

My brother-in-law got out of the hospital and subsequent medical rehab facility on Thursday after lumbar fusion surgery.  My sister, who was still recovering from her aneurysm surgery in December, had gotten totally exhausted trying to take care of him and caught the flu (despite having the shot this year).  She apparently was so weak/dehydrated she collapsed Thursday night and, of course, he couldn't help get her up so he called 911.  She's still in the hospital getting care for a very bad case of the flu but hopes to go home mid-week.  In the meantime their son is helping out his dad on the home front.   Hopefully, everyone will be back in good health soon and neither Roger nor I caught the flu bug.

Today, after a brief stop to see my sister,  we journeyed over "the hill," as we call Donner Pass.  The rain was so hard all the way through the Sacramento Valley that, between it coming down and the water coming up off the road from vehicles, it was very difficult driving.  Once we started climbing up into the mountains the rain and traffic tapered off so it wasn't quite so horrific.  We did see three accidents - one major one - but fortunately they were on the west bound side of the interstate and we were going east!  It took a bit longer than usual for the trek from their place to ours.  We got home without incident by mid afternoon.  Maggie was a trooper and very well behaved despite all the confusion and hurry.  

Our son had come over earlier and turned on the heat for us so the house was cozy warm when we got here.  (Now, if he had just filled the fridge, too, we would be all set!)   We had pizza tonight and will have to make groceries (as they say in Louisiana)  tomorrow!  We had the internet turned back on so we could function while here - how nice it is to have internet that is working and fast!!  Such a treat.   It's nice being home and seeing our stuff and we are looking forward to a week of real showers and our sleep number bed!

Now we get to deal with the fence.  My neighbor was correct.  As you can see from the photos below - the fence fell down, alright!    I contacted the contractor who did our yard work this summer and he will be here tomorrow to assess the damage and give us an estimate for the insurance company.  If we are living right he will be able to do the repairs this week so we can head back to Santee and sunshine next weekend - weather permitting, of course.  

You aren't supposed to be able to see any of the
nursing home behind us but the roof!

We do feel a bit exposed.

WIFI ISSUES

We've had no WIFI for three days and don't expect anything for a couple more. For someone who spends a great deal of time connected, it's frustrating but I'm getting other things done. They are supposedly upgrading both hardware and software. There are nice new antennae all over the park but they aren't working yet. Soon, we hope. Then I can post photos again I've take any. Doing this on phone is a pain. 

Had the RV detailed yesterday.  It gets the spa treatment once a year :-)   No rain in forecast for two weeks. Let's see if we jinxed that!   They could sure use some here. 

Had to go out and buy a couple pair of Capri style pants today.  Despite having gained five pounds since we left home, my britches keep trying to fall down. Drives me crazy.  Crotch hanging to my knees is not the look I want at my age and suspenders are hard to find!  Must be all the walking.  My shirts are tighter across the torso but my pants are looser. Guess where the five pounds has landed!!

We now have footstools that are collapsible and can store stuff - an all around good solution to the problem.  Still no takers on the recliners, I'm afraid. 

Finished the stupid rug.  Finished as in I used all the yarn I had and I'm tired of looking at it. It doesn't fit the way I wanted. It's still too small but it's on the floor and we are using it.  Back to my Christmas list of projects.   Steph texted me today that one of her friends admired the purse/bag I made for her for her birthday. Her  friend wants one and asked Steph if she thought I'd make one for her.  That made me feel good.  

Nothing else happening. Will check in again in a couple of days. 

Miscelleny

We are slowly getting used to no chairs.  Seems a bit strange at first, but it's going to be good.  We are loving the spaciousness, though.  It's so much less cluttered in the living room now. 

We might have a buyer of the recliners.  Cross your fingers!  In the meantime we are sitting on them outside under the canopy.  The neighbors'  comment is "Now that's what retirement looks like,"  when she walked by and saw us sitting there this morning. 

We spent yesterday looking for ottomans/footstools here in town.  No luck.  Everything to big, too heavy, too ugly or too expensive.

Today our neighbor mentioned storage cubes.  I googled (I love that verb)  and then I ordered covered, collapsible, storage cubes to use as footstools. What a brilliant idea for a small space.  

Today we bought new throw pillows to add color and class the place up a little. 

I had a query from a faithful reader as to what I did with yarn basket that had been behind the chair.  Well, with a tray that Roger made and a nice placemat it is now our "coffee" table.  It sits on the floor register, but is light and moveable so we just slide it over when we go to bed.  

We are trying to figure out what the little "register" like things are in the front of the sofa.  It looks like air vents - but why?  Any ideas? 

On my walk this morning I took pictures of sites to send to an acquaintance who will be coming  to camp at the end of the month for a couple of days.  We met her and her partner last year in Yuma.  We connected because she was also a Navy Photomate at the same time I was and was stationed in DC at the same time.  We had the same instructors at photo school and remember a lot of the same people.  It turns out they live in Minden - about 40 miles south of our house in Sparks.  Nice ladies who do a lot of traveling in their motor home.  

The sad and stupid story for the day -  Last summer we put new tires on the truck.  Discount Tires had a deal - use their financing and get a good sale price and double gift cards as an incentive.  We did and I've been carrying them around in my wallet.  We used one for lunch when we took Steph and Pierce out in Long Beach last month.  I was going to use the other for the throw pillows and other RV stuff today.  Seems I cut up the wrong gift card.  The one I saved had $0 on it when I tried to use it today (embarrassing, BTW).  I must have got them switched somehow.  $75 down the drain - well, actually cut up and put in the trash.  I spent the afternoon kicking myself.  What a dumb thing to do and what a waste!  

Coyotes, mice, now what?   When we first got here we were occasionally awakened at night by a really strange sound all over the RV.  It turns out that the radio was on and the volume was up and we were getting static over the speaker system.  We turned down the volume button as far as it would go and forgot about it.  In the last month I've had a couple of restless nights and have gone out to the living room to read or just try to calm Maggie down because she was on what we call "high alert."  Three times now while I've been in the living room - generally between 11:30p and 12:30a the radio turns itself on.  It's a radio/cd/dvr player with lots of buttons and a clock.  They all light up a bright blue when they come on.  It is totally spooky.  I get up and turn it off and then sit there looking around for visitors.  It's weird. I want to know if it is only doing it while I am out there.  If it isn't how does it get turned off afterward?  It's always off when we get up in the morning.   One of these days Roger is going to have to check the wiring or we are going to have to call Ghostbusters.  

A teaser - this iteration (the last one, I hope) of the bathroom rug is coming along
 but still has a long way to go.  Here are the colors.