Still watching the weather, we got up yesterday morning in Tonopah and decided to go all the way home and try and beat the storm. We discussed parking in a parking lot, on the street around the corner from the house, where ever we could safely park it. I got to thinking about cancellations as I, again, cancelled reservations I had made for Fernley. I called the Sparks Marina RV Park and they had a cancellation and were able to put us in a spot where we didn't have to move for the three nights. It all worked out well.
We hit light rain just north of Walker Lake and had rain all the way home - about 120 miles. Nothing heavy, just rain. No wind. We got in around 3pm and set up the RV, grabbed some clean underwear and our toothbrushes along with some milk and eggs. We figured we would be back today for some stuff and then tomorrow Mike and Erica will be helping us with all the heavy lifting of clothes and food.
Everything at home looked good except for a couple of plants in the yard that looked as if they had been frozen. Our neighbor had the yard clean of leaves (the trees hadn't dropped when we left) and the mail was on the dining room table. It's being forwarded already from Arizona, so everything looked good.
Maggie walked in the front door and then took off like a shot about 50 mph. She ran up and down the stairs, around the dining room, around the living room, and kept at it for a good 15 minutes. I opened the back door and she ran out and checked her yard even though it was raining. (She hates going out in the rain.) Last night, though, she wanted out when we sat down to watch the movie and an hour later we remembered she was out there. She was sitting at the back door just waiting for someone to let her in. During the night she woke Roger up three times so she could go check out her yard. Hopefully, that will stop. She's very happy to be home. And we are very happy not to have to leash her up so she can go outside.
We had scrambled eggs and toast for dinner and watched a movie once Rog got the wifi and roku hooked back up. It was a relaxing evening after three days on the road while worrying about beating the storm home.
This morning I made some oatmeal and went to the fridge to get the milk. It was warm. I had turned the fridge back up yesterday after having set it on low while we were gone. Rog tried his best to figure out what was wrong, took the back off, vacuumed out the dust, checked everything he could think of. I called repair people - they are booked out a week. Well, we can't be without for that long, so down to Lowe's we went this morning. In the meantime we are leaving the food in the RV!
It's a real bummer shopping for a major appliance when you need it delivered the next day. We told the lady who was helping us the issue, and she went to the computer to pull up the models she could sell us and deliver tomorrow. Not much choice at all. (Because Lowe's gives us a 10% military discount and because our future grandson works for them, we try to spend our money there.) As we were trying to decide between models we didn't really care for, Rog walked around the display again and spotted a floor model that had been dented and was on sale. It's got two dents on the front - very small. It could be delivered tomorrow. So, we got a top of the line fancy fridge at a drastically reduced price plus got the 10% discount. Except for the inconvenience and spending money we hadn't planned on right now, it all worked out.
Today I'm washing bed clothes and towels from the RV to return tomorrow along with the dirty clothes we had in the hamper. I'm catching up on mail. I got my desktop computer back up and running with latest updates. Rog has the car out of the garage and is airing the tires. He'll probably start putting his shop back together now.
We are all glad to be home. It was a fun winter and we got lots accomplished, but we were more than ready to change venues!
No more postings now for a while. We aren't sure when we will be out roaming the country again this summer. We do have a date in Boise the first weekend in May for our grandson's college graduation but otherwise no plans for the summer.
I'll close now and get the winter adventures printed out into a book for future reading when we are bored or want to remember what we did and when we did it!
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Day 2 - Closer To Home
It started out being a good day but this afternoon we got a little stressed out. We learned a couple of lessons, too!
We left Kingman at our usual 9am departure time and headed northwest on US93 towards Las Vegas. We crossed into Nevada at Hoover Dam and because Arizona doesn't change times, we didn't have to either.
We found a parking area for a hiking trail just south of Boulder City and pulled in for lunch. We were a little early for lunch, but wanted to eat and use the facilities before hitting Las Vegas traffic. It had a nice view of Lake Mead (well, it would be without the high tension electrical wires coming from the dam). We parked and started to put out our chairs and this guy pulled up and asked what we were doing. He lived in the neighborhood that overlooks the parking lot. We told him we had just stopped for lunch and he said that was fine. He apparently is from the neighborhood watch and they want RVs parking there overnight or dumping their grey water. After a nice conversation he said we could stay. It was a good thing we did, though, because the spare tire which is stored under the RV had worked it's way loose and was dangling. Rog got it cranked back up tightly and now that is another thing we need to check on regularly.
Las Vegas traffic wasn't too awful, but there was construction and congestion at the intersection of 215 and 15. A real mess!
We realized that we were going to get into Beatty really early today and thought maybe we should go further. We started talking about weather and Saturday's storm and stops, etc. We stopped in Aramagosa Valley for fuel so we could make it to Tonopah for the night.
While we were at the pump a young man came up to Roger and I thought he was looking for a handout but it turns out he was asking for advice. He was hauling a big 5th wheel for the first time and asked Roger about the engine brake and going up and down inclines. He'd never done it before and so figured Rog might know. Nice young man from Texas headed to Reno. We also met a couple from Oregon who wintered in Arizona and were hauling the same model RV as ours and stopped to chat.
We got back on the road and we decided to cancel our reservations in Beatty and go further. This would result in having to cancel Hawthorne, as well. The plan was to try to get to Sparks on Friday before the storm. No prob. Just call Sparks RV park and move reservations back one day. So, I called Beatty and Hawthorne and cancelled. Then I called Sparks to change dates. Problem. Nothing available on Friday. Lesson learned - make the calls in the opposite order!!
New plan - stop in Tonopah and then Fallon at the Navy base. No room in Fallon. Now we have reservations in Fernley for Friday night. It's so close to home - only 30 miles - so the question will be whether the wind will be so bad in the Truckee River Canyon between Fernley and home that we can't go in on Saturday? If so, we just stay there and go on Sunday - hoping to be able to shift our two night stay the opposite way. If not, we forfeit a night there. It'll all work out and we will have a nice day Sunday with help from Mike and Erica to move out of the RV and into home.
So, we are in an RV park on the side of the road in Tonopah. It's basically a gravel parking lot in front of some modular housing for temporary workers. Definitely not one of the nicest places we've stayed, but all hookups. Cable tv but no wifi. (no photos tonight) I had called to hold a site - it's a good thing I did. We got the last one open and when I took the dog out after dinner I saw three motorhomes parked in the driveway area dry camping. There's just not many places to stay between Las Vegas and Reno and the snowbird traffic is filling up the few that are fast.
We did see wild horses outside of Goldfield and wind burros outside of Beatty today. No desert blooms yet this far north. Tonopah is at 6,100 feet so it's cool tonight. We are back to long pants and sweatshirts!
In all the craziness of being on the phone and checking weather and rv parks, I knocked Maggie's water dish over into her bed. She didn't like it one bit, jumped in Roger's lap with wet feet and wet butt. He shoed her off and she leaped over her bed and into my lap. She stayed there until her bed got dry enough that I could coax her into it with a cookie. She's been a good dog so far this trip and settles right down once we get going. She just doesn't like a wet bed!
We left Kingman at our usual 9am departure time and headed northwest on US93 towards Las Vegas. We crossed into Nevada at Hoover Dam and because Arizona doesn't change times, we didn't have to either.
We found a parking area for a hiking trail just south of Boulder City and pulled in for lunch. We were a little early for lunch, but wanted to eat and use the facilities before hitting Las Vegas traffic. It had a nice view of Lake Mead (well, it would be without the high tension electrical wires coming from the dam). We parked and started to put out our chairs and this guy pulled up and asked what we were doing. He lived in the neighborhood that overlooks the parking lot. We told him we had just stopped for lunch and he said that was fine. He apparently is from the neighborhood watch and they want RVs parking there overnight or dumping their grey water. After a nice conversation he said we could stay. It was a good thing we did, though, because the spare tire which is stored under the RV had worked it's way loose and was dangling. Rog got it cranked back up tightly and now that is another thing we need to check on regularly.
Las Vegas traffic wasn't too awful, but there was construction and congestion at the intersection of 215 and 15. A real mess!
We realized that we were going to get into Beatty really early today and thought maybe we should go further. We started talking about weather and Saturday's storm and stops, etc. We stopped in Aramagosa Valley for fuel so we could make it to Tonopah for the night.
While we were at the pump a young man came up to Roger and I thought he was looking for a handout but it turns out he was asking for advice. He was hauling a big 5th wheel for the first time and asked Roger about the engine brake and going up and down inclines. He'd never done it before and so figured Rog might know. Nice young man from Texas headed to Reno. We also met a couple from Oregon who wintered in Arizona and were hauling the same model RV as ours and stopped to chat.
We got back on the road and we decided to cancel our reservations in Beatty and go further. This would result in having to cancel Hawthorne, as well. The plan was to try to get to Sparks on Friday before the storm. No prob. Just call Sparks RV park and move reservations back one day. So, I called Beatty and Hawthorne and cancelled. Then I called Sparks to change dates. Problem. Nothing available on Friday. Lesson learned - make the calls in the opposite order!!
New plan - stop in Tonopah and then Fallon at the Navy base. No room in Fallon. Now we have reservations in Fernley for Friday night. It's so close to home - only 30 miles - so the question will be whether the wind will be so bad in the Truckee River Canyon between Fernley and home that we can't go in on Saturday? If so, we just stay there and go on Sunday - hoping to be able to shift our two night stay the opposite way. If not, we forfeit a night there. It'll all work out and we will have a nice day Sunday with help from Mike and Erica to move out of the RV and into home.
So, we are in an RV park on the side of the road in Tonopah. It's basically a gravel parking lot in front of some modular housing for temporary workers. Definitely not one of the nicest places we've stayed, but all hookups. Cable tv but no wifi. (no photos tonight) I had called to hold a site - it's a good thing I did. We got the last one open and when I took the dog out after dinner I saw three motorhomes parked in the driveway area dry camping. There's just not many places to stay between Las Vegas and Reno and the snowbird traffic is filling up the few that are fast.
We did see wild horses outside of Goldfield and wind burros outside of Beatty today. No desert blooms yet this far north. Tonopah is at 6,100 feet so it's cool tonight. We are back to long pants and sweatshirts!
In all the craziness of being on the phone and checking weather and rv parks, I knocked Maggie's water dish over into her bed. She didn't like it one bit, jumped in Roger's lap with wet feet and wet butt. He shoed her off and she leaped over her bed and into my lap. She stayed there until her bed got dry enough that I could coax her into it with a cookie. She's been a good dog so far this trip and settles right down once we get going. She just doesn't like a wet bed!
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Day 1 Heading Home
We left around 9am today after goodbyes from the neighbors. Our route took us north to Mesa and then on the ring roads around Phoenix and Scottsdale. We headed west to Wickenberg and then northwest to I-40 and Kingman. The drive was not bad. I was very disappointed that there were no wildflowers. Last year when we went this way in April the desert was ablaze with them. Not enough rain this year, I guess.
Getting ready to go after sitting for five months was a little crazy. You would think we had never hooked up before or didn't have a routine. Rog ended up raising the stabilizers manually because he couldn't remember how to do the auto level. Little things like that in the routine had to be dredged from the memory banks.
Shortly after leaving Florence we got into some heavy duty stop and go RV traffic. Fortunately not for long, as the turn off for Country Thunder Music Festival was a few miles outside of town. But, the traffic coming south was simply amazing. It was over six miles before we didn't see any more RVs. We were so happy we were going in the opposite direction! And the concert doesn't start until tomorrow!
We stopped on the side of the road for lunch in a truck area just after we left I-17. We've stopped in uglier places, but not by much. We just put out the awning and got out our chairs and watched the traffic go by.
In a little town called Wikiup, just before we reached I-40, there is a place called Luchia's. According to the billboards, it specializes in Indian jewelry and homemade pie! We made a pit stop there and bought a slice of pie each for tonight's dessert. It was pretty good. I was a bit leary - the last time I stopped for homemade pie was in Montana and I wanted huckleberry pie. The crust was awful and inedible. This pie today, however, was good. Rog even went to the little store in the campground and got some vanilla ice cream to top it with. (Diets commence when we get home - all three of us!)
We are about 16 miles east of Kingman at about 4,250 ft in altitude - close to what we are at home. Having climbed from about 1,500 ft, we forgot about the pressure changes and when Roger opened his ranch dressing tonight he got a lot more than he wanted! It just kept coming out of the bottle.
The inside of the RV took a little beating on the rough roads today. I opened the pantry door and a can of tuna fell on my foot. A few things fell out of the fridge when I opened the door. The pole lamp had fallen against the kitchen island but didn't break. The lid for my tea mug came from out of somewhere and smashed on the floor. Rog has it superglued together but I'm guessing once the hot steam from the tea hits it the glue will let go. No major disasters, though.
We are in Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel. It's a nice park for an overnighter. Paved roads, pea gravel sites, fairly large pull-thru sites. We have no one on our door side, so that makes it nice. There's a big dog run, but it is dirt and gravel, too. We do have a little traffic noise as we aren't very far off the interstate. Rog didn't have far to go for fuel as there is a Petro station at the exit. We will stay here again, I'm sure. Staff is friendly. When Rog got the ice cream he told them that the cable hookup wire was stripped so they came right out and fixed it. Didn't help much - still a lousy signal. It'll be a no tv night. Wifi not strong enough for streaming. One thing we don't miss at Desert Gardens - screaming little ones chasing each other around after a long day on the road. It'll be dark soon and maybe they will go inside.
I didn't get a chance to edit the photos of the park. I just pulled them from my phone because the wifi is a little iffy tonight.
We are going to Beatty, NV tomorrow. Still watching the weather closer to home, though. We may be delayed a day if the storm that is predicted actually happens. Not making any decisions on that quite yet.
Now I'm going to try to load some photos.
Getting ready to go after sitting for five months was a little crazy. You would think we had never hooked up before or didn't have a routine. Rog ended up raising the stabilizers manually because he couldn't remember how to do the auto level. Little things like that in the routine had to be dredged from the memory banks.
Shortly after leaving Florence we got into some heavy duty stop and go RV traffic. Fortunately not for long, as the turn off for Country Thunder Music Festival was a few miles outside of town. But, the traffic coming south was simply amazing. It was over six miles before we didn't see any more RVs. We were so happy we were going in the opposite direction! And the concert doesn't start until tomorrow!We stopped on the side of the road for lunch in a truck area just after we left I-17. We've stopped in uglier places, but not by much. We just put out the awning and got out our chairs and watched the traffic go by.
In a little town called Wikiup, just before we reached I-40, there is a place called Luchia's. According to the billboards, it specializes in Indian jewelry and homemade pie! We made a pit stop there and bought a slice of pie each for tonight's dessert. It was pretty good. I was a bit leary - the last time I stopped for homemade pie was in Montana and I wanted huckleberry pie. The crust was awful and inedible. This pie today, however, was good. Rog even went to the little store in the campground and got some vanilla ice cream to top it with. (Diets commence when we get home - all three of us!)
We are about 16 miles east of Kingman at about 4,250 ft in altitude - close to what we are at home. Having climbed from about 1,500 ft, we forgot about the pressure changes and when Roger opened his ranch dressing tonight he got a lot more than he wanted! It just kept coming out of the bottle.
The inside of the RV took a little beating on the rough roads today. I opened the pantry door and a can of tuna fell on my foot. A few things fell out of the fridge when I opened the door. The pole lamp had fallen against the kitchen island but didn't break. The lid for my tea mug came from out of somewhere and smashed on the floor. Rog has it superglued together but I'm guessing once the hot steam from the tea hits it the glue will let go. No major disasters, though.
We are in Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel. It's a nice park for an overnighter. Paved roads, pea gravel sites, fairly large pull-thru sites. We have no one on our door side, so that makes it nice. There's a big dog run, but it is dirt and gravel, too. We do have a little traffic noise as we aren't very far off the interstate. Rog didn't have far to go for fuel as there is a Petro station at the exit. We will stay here again, I'm sure. Staff is friendly. When Rog got the ice cream he told them that the cable hookup wire was stripped so they came right out and fixed it. Didn't help much - still a lousy signal. It'll be a no tv night. Wifi not strong enough for streaming. One thing we don't miss at Desert Gardens - screaming little ones chasing each other around after a long day on the road. It'll be dark soon and maybe they will go inside.
I didn't get a chance to edit the photos of the park. I just pulled them from my phone because the wifi is a little iffy tonight.
We are going to Beatty, NV tomorrow. Still watching the weather closer to home, though. We may be delayed a day if the storm that is predicted actually happens. Not making any decisions on that quite yet.
Now I'm going to try to load some photos.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Last Arizona Sunset For a While
We have some incredible sunsets at home, but not every night like here. We will miss them.
We are all packed up - all the outside stuff is in the shed - with room to spare. I've deep cleaned inside and am ready to go.
Maggie, of course, knows something is happening and has been a velcro dog all day. We went out for dinner and when we got back she went nuts. She apparently had a bit of separation anxiety. She didn't even want to go for a walk after her dinner. She wanted both of us with her.
Our friends, Lert and Lona, took us out for supper as they say in Minnesota. We had a very nice Chinese meal and brought home leftovers for a meal on the road. Maggie and I will miss our walks with Lona in the morning and evening. I told her I was going to text her when Maggie and I walked so she could go walking, too!!
Our destination tomorrow is Blake Ranch RV Park just east of Kingman, AZ. We are watching the weather and it looks like we may have to delay our arrival by a day due to rain and high winds We are thinking we might try to stay at Nellis AFB while we wait for the storm to pass. I'll have to get on the phone tomorrow and move reservations around. Stay tuned to see what happens.
Monday, April 2, 2018
A Productive Day All Around
At 8:30 this morning it was already warming up. What was noticeable, though, was the relative humidity - 1%. Now that's dry heat for sure! Nasal passages are noticing it, too. We topped out today at 87 degrees and the last I looked it was 5% humidity. Needless to say, we ran the AC again this afternoon.
Roger started prepping the RV. He dumped the fresh water tank which no longer had fresh water in it. He aired the tires, lubed the wheels, and torqued down the lug nuts. He started organizing the basement for the items we have to take back. This is the first time we have wintered that we don't have to haul everything home - just stuff it in the shed!
Nothing from the landscapers. The only negative today.
I went to the post office again, but got a different clerk and had better luck. The box was closed as it should have been since I started the forwarding order for last Saturday. I was able to pay for the PO Box, as well! Apparently it showed up in the computer today that the fee was due. Amazing. The post office trip was a success.
While Rog was doing all the outside prep work, I did the laundry. While I was there I called the storage place in Reno where we had parked the RV last summer. Not only did they have a place for us, they are giving us the same spot. That worked out well.
Tomorrow I clean inside the RV and we put away the lawn furniture on the patio and start putting stuff in the truck. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Our dusty, dirty dog got a bath today. I wanted to get her bath done while we were here and it was warm instead of waiting until we got home. She wasn't happy about it but didn't fight us at all. Her look of tolerance, though, is a heartbreaker. Her favorite part of bath time is afterwards when I brush her. She loves it and would let me do it for hours! It's so nice - she doesn't smell like dust and dirt from our trail walks. Of course her beds do, but they will have to wait until we get home to be washed.
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| I washed my hair today and can't do a thing with it! |
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Mixed Feelings With Two Days To Go
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| Happy Bunny Day! (My friend, Lona, does beautiful crochet work!) |
Another week has passed since I posted last. We have been having very warm weather and lots of wind, so we haven't been able to be outside a whole lot. This has made us more anxious to move on and is helping us motivate our thoughts toward home. We do like it down here, but we are ready for a change of scenery.
We had lunch on Tuesday with our friends, the Morlans, in Casa Grande and then Roger patiently waited in the truck while I searched the Kohl's clearance racks with 30% off coupon in hand. As I suspected they had winter stuff on clearance, which is what I as looking for. Found a pair of jeans and two long sleeved shirts for when we get home.
Thursday we went out for pizza lunch with Lona and Lert. This time we actually got some good pizza. The last place we tried was awful.
Today was groceries - got just enough to get us home - and the bill still was over $100. I just shake my head every time we go. How do families afford to feed their kids? Granted we are buying fresh produce and mostly organic stuff, but still. I was a bit upset today, though - no berries. I'm a berry freak. I looked at melons, but they didn't look very ripe yet. I can never pick good ones anyway. I settled for bananas, grapes, and canned peaches for breakfast fruit. As always, apples and oranges for lunch fruit.
We are seeing more and more flowers and signs of spring, but when we get home we will get to experience it all over again! Unfortunately none of the blooms are on our plants, but they do seem to be doing OK and maybe next year they will be old enough to flower. Still no word from the landscaper as to an install date. Lert and Lona will be putting their rig on our site when we leave so that they can get a cement pad poured for theirs for next year. They will be here another week after we leave, so they have agreed to water the plants for us if the landscaper dude doesn't show up. 
Maggie even helps look for flowers. She just doesn't seem to understand that those things are prickly! She is still stuffing her nose down holes everywhere. Today she encountered a spider web and it startled her. She must have jumped back a foot and then slowly creeped back up to the hole. I keep telling her she is going to be in for a surprise one of these times - and maybe not a pleasant one. I do try to keep her on the path and away from them, but I do have a tendency to be running my mouth in conversation and not pay attention to what she is doing.
We have been getting out to walk before it gets too hot and then we wait until just before sunset for our evening walk. Today will be two days with the AC on in the afternoon - set at 80 - to make it bearable to make dinner. It really isn't fun in the heat, so I guess it is time to pack up. Of course the post office is being annoying as usual. I put in a change of address and we haven't received confirmation yet. We paid for our PO box in March last year, so I have been trying for the last two weeks to pay for the next year. They won't take my money because it isn't showing up in the computer yet that it's due. "You'll get a notice in your mailbox." But my mail is being forwarded. "Have you gotten a confirmation on that?" No. "Just wait until you get a notice." Why can't I do it on line? I've done that in the past with my PO box at home. The system won't let me link this box to my account. "I don't know - I don't use that system." So, tomorrow, hopefully, we will show up in their computer and we can pay for the stupid box before we leave.
There is talk by the co-op board of directors here of installing mailboxes at the front of the park but the Phoenix PO hasn't approved it and the membership still has to vote on it as it will entail a special assessment to pay for the cluster boxes. Only about 3/4 of the membership want mail delivered here - the others don't care. So, we shall see.
I've made reservations for our overnights on the way home, Rog fueled up the truck this morning, so we are prepping. We still need to put away all the outside furniture and do a good cleaning job inside. Maggie needs a bath while it is warm, so we will be busy the next couple of days.
In the meantime, Maggie says, "hi."
She can't wait to get home and get that harness off.
Monday, March 26, 2018
A Woman Possessed
After five months of whining about the inconvenience of where the pots/pans and lids are stored I finally did something about it today. They have been in a small bottom cupboard next to the stove. Sounds convenient, but they have been hard to get in and out being down so far. It's a big empty space and we have just tossed the pans in there - no semblance of order. My back doesn't like retrieving things from that low. I'm not supposed to bend over to get them out, but if I squat or kneel, then I can't get back up easily. Well, this morning I had to dig something out of there and that was the tipping point. So, like a woman possessed, I sat down on the floor and pulled them all out. Now, where to put them??? I started shifting stuff in drawers and cupboards. The domino effect takes place once you remove something from one and have to find a place to put things. Somehow I even ended up in the bottom of the bedroom closet rearranging stuff - oh, yes, there was a little shelf down there I thought would fit in the former pan space, but didn't. But that put everything in the bottom of the closet was out of kilter because I pulled out the shelf. The rearranging kept me busy for an hour or so!
One of our rebate checks for the phones showed up today!! Yay!! Fingers crossed the other isn't far behind. It's been eight weeks since we submitted the forms - which is when they are supposed to arrive. Our mail will be stopped here at the end of the week to begin forwarding to home, and knowing the post office, it could end up anywhere.
Maggie's been "working" on her right rear paw this evening. We couldn't find anything wrong, but her toenails are getting quite long. Maybe she was just chewing them. We do have a vet appointment soon after we get home and nail clipping is on the agenda.
I got an email today from someone in Germany who wants to connect regarding geneology. I replied that we would be home in a few weeks and I'll be back on my websites and will get back with him. He's mentioned a name in an ancestor line of mine that I have hit a brick wall on. I sure hope he has some info for me so I can move on. Usually when someone contacts me I'm the one giving the info instead of getting it. I hope this time it's reversed.
I have a couple of photos of cactus in bloom to post but can't seem to get them to come in from my phone. I'll work on it and see if I can get them pulled in tomorrow. The desert is really looking like spring time. Today it was a high of 70 and we had high winds again. Sun was in and out.
Tomorrow we go into Casa Grande to have lunch with our friends the Morlans. I've got a 30% off coupon for Kohls and they are having their winter clearance. I'm going to need to stop and check if there's anything I need for when I get home and it's still chilly.
The sun is setting and we are having another gorgeous Arizona sunset.
One of our rebate checks for the phones showed up today!! Yay!! Fingers crossed the other isn't far behind. It's been eight weeks since we submitted the forms - which is when they are supposed to arrive. Our mail will be stopped here at the end of the week to begin forwarding to home, and knowing the post office, it could end up anywhere.
Maggie's been "working" on her right rear paw this evening. We couldn't find anything wrong, but her toenails are getting quite long. Maybe she was just chewing them. We do have a vet appointment soon after we get home and nail clipping is on the agenda.
I got an email today from someone in Germany who wants to connect regarding geneology. I replied that we would be home in a few weeks and I'll be back on my websites and will get back with him. He's mentioned a name in an ancestor line of mine that I have hit a brick wall on. I sure hope he has some info for me so I can move on. Usually when someone contacts me I'm the one giving the info instead of getting it. I hope this time it's reversed.
I have a couple of photos of cactus in bloom to post but can't seem to get them to come in from my phone. I'll work on it and see if I can get them pulled in tomorrow. The desert is really looking like spring time. Today it was a high of 70 and we had high winds again. Sun was in and out.
Tomorrow we go into Casa Grande to have lunch with our friends the Morlans. I've got a 30% off coupon for Kohls and they are having their winter clearance. I'm going to need to stop and check if there's anything I need for when I get home and it's still chilly.
The sun is setting and we are having another gorgeous Arizona sunset.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Sunday, Again.....
With only one more Sunday to go before we head home.
The week went by really fast. Rog got the outside of the RV washed and a good coat of wax on the front end cap. I haven’t done a whole lot but sit and knit and walk the dog. I did get a haircut and we did make that trip to Costco on Wednesday, but that’s been about it.
Although a family member contacted us and we started talking about Geneology and descendants, etc., so that got me started. I am so addicted. I will be turning on my websites when I get back. I spent a couple hours updating the family tree software, downloading the latest version of the tree from Ancestry, and thinking about what my next step is. I left an unfinished project at home so I have to work on that.
Today I was contacted by someone in Germany who is looking for info - or has some - I’m not sure which. The email came through one of the websites that I can’t get into at the moment, but his email was there, so I’m thinking while I sit here watching the clothes tumble in the dryer I’ll write to him and get more info. Could be something interesting.
Rog and I signed up for the Nevada Health Initiative - a study being done by the local medical group, Renown, in association with the Desert Research Institute (part of the University of Nevada). When we get home we will fill out some questionnaires and give a saliva sample for DNA processing. They will be looking at all kinds of health things but the bonus is that at the end they will give you, not only your DNA data, but the ancestor information as well - such as what ethnic group and where your ancestors came from. We are looking forward to participating.
We are watching the weather forecast carefully and preparing ourselves for the trip home. We will take three days. First night to Kingman, AZ, then Beatty, NV, then Hawthorne, NV and then home on the 7th. I talked with my neighbor yesterday and she will turn the heat up for us!!!
The week went by really fast. Rog got the outside of the RV washed and a good coat of wax on the front end cap. I haven’t done a whole lot but sit and knit and walk the dog. I did get a haircut and we did make that trip to Costco on Wednesday, but that’s been about it.
Although a family member contacted us and we started talking about Geneology and descendants, etc., so that got me started. I am so addicted. I will be turning on my websites when I get back. I spent a couple hours updating the family tree software, downloading the latest version of the tree from Ancestry, and thinking about what my next step is. I left an unfinished project at home so I have to work on that.
Today I was contacted by someone in Germany who is looking for info - or has some - I’m not sure which. The email came through one of the websites that I can’t get into at the moment, but his email was there, so I’m thinking while I sit here watching the clothes tumble in the dryer I’ll write to him and get more info. Could be something interesting.
Rog and I signed up for the Nevada Health Initiative - a study being done by the local medical group, Renown, in association with the Desert Research Institute (part of the University of Nevada). When we get home we will fill out some questionnaires and give a saliva sample for DNA processing. They will be looking at all kinds of health things but the bonus is that at the end they will give you, not only your DNA data, but the ancestor information as well - such as what ethnic group and where your ancestors came from. We are looking forward to participating.
We are watching the weather forecast carefully and preparing ourselves for the trip home. We will take three days. First night to Kingman, AZ, then Beatty, NV, then Hawthorne, NV and then home on the 7th. I talked with my neighbor yesterday and she will turn the heat up for us!!!
Thursday, March 22, 2018
The Cheapest Costco Run Ever!
We've just been hanging out not doing much of anything but enjoying being warm. Today, though, it's a bit too warm and windy and we are inside with the AC on. Normal temps to return tomorrow, thank goodness. The AC noise is awful. I know - the rest of the country is having horrible weather and we are grateful we are here.
We are both getting "going home itis" despite the fact we will be returning to cool, unsettled weather and will have to winterize the RV. We have two weeks before we leave - maybe Spring just might show up at home in that time??? Rog has started waxing the RV (it's a multi day project), he hung the bike up in the shop, and cleaned out the shop getting it ready to pack up with lawn furniture and yard art when we leave. I'm at the stage where I look at something in the fridge or pantry and wondering, "do we have enough to get us home?" I'm starting to put things in cupboards that stay with the RV and things that go to the house in others. Will wait to do a deep clean just before we leave. Why do it twice, right? Just keep the dog hair vacuumed up as we go :-)
We are pestering the landscaper to get out here and put in our drip system before we leave, but according to him "everyone wants one right now." Well, we are ok if he does it after we leave as long as he is ok with trusting us to pay him. We just don't want to come back to dead plants. (Hindsight is always 20/20 - should have done it when they put in the plants. Duh!) Actually, we were told that there were folks who stay that would water for a price and we were going to hire someone, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year. Some of the neighbors are going to try and hire a landscape company to water and split the cost. They don't seem to be making much headway on that deal - so, we will continue to hope we get it done in the next two weeks. Rog and I took pictures of each plant with a tape measure next to it so we can compare growth or not over the summer.
The RV park is now completely sold out. No lots left of the original construction. There are a few, though, for sale by the owners - mostly park models. It's a community of older folks here, so it's not surprising when one comes up for sale. Mostly, though, people who have bought here are staying. There is one disgruntled neighbor who won't abide by the rules of keeping his RV and patio extension (it's a toy hauler) within the property lines. He won't move it up five feet to keep in the line, so he's been given some hassle by the management. He decided he'd sell instead of having to follow the rules like everyone else. Oh, well. So, back to the park being sold out - we are hoping now that our investment will pay off if we decide to or have to sell. The outside lots are premium. Hopefully, that won't be for many more years.
We bought a power washer last month. I insisted that Rog get it for doing the RV. He then read that you aren't supposed to use power washers on RVs or motor homes because it takes off the gel coats and decals. Hmmm.... probably one of the reasons our last one looked so bad - we hired out detailers to do it and they used power washers. Anyway, we took it back to Costco yesterday. We had very little to buy - some salmon and some bagels. We walked out of there with a credit of $130 instead of a debit of $130. It was weird. Fastest in and out and cheapest Costco visit we've ever made!
Maggie has decided if she's not hooked up when the door is open it's time to go running out in the desert. She takes off like a shot, runs around the berm area onto the path, sticking her nose in holes as she goes. Then, even when we call her, when she decides it time to come home, she does. She runs full speed for about 10 minutes and then starts heading back. She's gonna get us in trouble one of these days - speaking of following the rules.
Hopefully we will find something to do to write about!
We are both getting "going home itis" despite the fact we will be returning to cool, unsettled weather and will have to winterize the RV. We have two weeks before we leave - maybe Spring just might show up at home in that time??? Rog has started waxing the RV (it's a multi day project), he hung the bike up in the shop, and cleaned out the shop getting it ready to pack up with lawn furniture and yard art when we leave. I'm at the stage where I look at something in the fridge or pantry and wondering, "do we have enough to get us home?" I'm starting to put things in cupboards that stay with the RV and things that go to the house in others. Will wait to do a deep clean just before we leave. Why do it twice, right? Just keep the dog hair vacuumed up as we go :-)
We are pestering the landscaper to get out here and put in our drip system before we leave, but according to him "everyone wants one right now." Well, we are ok if he does it after we leave as long as he is ok with trusting us to pay him. We just don't want to come back to dead plants. (Hindsight is always 20/20 - should have done it when they put in the plants. Duh!) Actually, we were told that there were folks who stay that would water for a price and we were going to hire someone, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year. Some of the neighbors are going to try and hire a landscape company to water and split the cost. They don't seem to be making much headway on that deal - so, we will continue to hope we get it done in the next two weeks. Rog and I took pictures of each plant with a tape measure next to it so we can compare growth or not over the summer.
The RV park is now completely sold out. No lots left of the original construction. There are a few, though, for sale by the owners - mostly park models. It's a community of older folks here, so it's not surprising when one comes up for sale. Mostly, though, people who have bought here are staying. There is one disgruntled neighbor who won't abide by the rules of keeping his RV and patio extension (it's a toy hauler) within the property lines. He won't move it up five feet to keep in the line, so he's been given some hassle by the management. He decided he'd sell instead of having to follow the rules like everyone else. Oh, well. So, back to the park being sold out - we are hoping now that our investment will pay off if we decide to or have to sell. The outside lots are premium. Hopefully, that won't be for many more years.
We bought a power washer last month. I insisted that Rog get it for doing the RV. He then read that you aren't supposed to use power washers on RVs or motor homes because it takes off the gel coats and decals. Hmmm.... probably one of the reasons our last one looked so bad - we hired out detailers to do it and they used power washers. Anyway, we took it back to Costco yesterday. We had very little to buy - some salmon and some bagels. We walked out of there with a credit of $130 instead of a debit of $130. It was weird. Fastest in and out and cheapest Costco visit we've ever made!
Maggie has decided if she's not hooked up when the door is open it's time to go running out in the desert. She takes off like a shot, runs around the berm area onto the path, sticking her nose in holes as she goes. Then, even when we call her, when she decides it time to come home, she does. She runs full speed for about 10 minutes and then starts heading back. She's gonna get us in trouble one of these days - speaking of following the rules.
Hopefully we will find something to do to write about!
Friday, March 16, 2018
Photos
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| Watching for squirrels is tiring! |
These were all in one pot when I bought them just before Christmas. All the little buds fell off two days after I got them. I've been babying them and voilà - Easter Cactus!
A beautiful sky for this evening's walk. The air was crisp and clean. After that last rain the desert is turning green and buds are starting on the different cactus.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Oops - Five Days Since We Posted Anything
Oh dear, where has the time gone and what did we do? I don't believe it has been anything exciting or I would have noted it.
Roger finished his project - well, it's about 98% done. He's waiting for one piece of hardware and the rest he will finish at home. This leaves a huge void in his day and the last two days he's been a bit at loose ends. He's thinking about "what to do next."
I finished my crochet project and will put it in the mail to Stephanie tomorrow. It's a poncho. I've never made one before and it looks pretty good for a beginner. Hope she likes it.
We went to Casa Grande yesterday for an oil change for the truck. That was quite exciting - not.
We love it down here but we are seeing the negative of being so far out in the boonies. To get anything done or do any shopping it's a minimum of a 30 mile drive round trip. We are trying to work out how we can bring the car down here next year instead of putting the miles on the truck. We have logged over 4K miles since we left home and it's about 850 miles to home. Lots of driving to get anywhere.
We are trying to get a date from the landscaper as to when he can do the drip system. Time's running out.
It was very warm yesterday - the warmest day so far - and the RV got quite hot inside. We opted not to turn on the AC because of the noise, so we went out for pizza with Lona and Lert. Pizza was horrible, the restaurant was noisy, but the place was cool. We won't be going back to that place again - everyone agreed.
We've had a lovely week of 80 degree weather - until today. It was cool and windy. Looks like mid 70s for the next week. We can deal with that!
Lona came over this afternoon to bring me something and Maggie greeted her like she does us when we come home, including bringing "Bear" to her to see. I guess the two times Lona has watched Maggie and walking with her every day (twice) has allowed Maggs to feel like Lona is part of her family. Lona is not a dog person so it is really nice to see.
Friday tomorrow and no plans at the moment.
Roger finished his project - well, it's about 98% done. He's waiting for one piece of hardware and the rest he will finish at home. This leaves a huge void in his day and the last two days he's been a bit at loose ends. He's thinking about "what to do next."
I finished my crochet project and will put it in the mail to Stephanie tomorrow. It's a poncho. I've never made one before and it looks pretty good for a beginner. Hope she likes it.
We went to Casa Grande yesterday for an oil change for the truck. That was quite exciting - not.
We love it down here but we are seeing the negative of being so far out in the boonies. To get anything done or do any shopping it's a minimum of a 30 mile drive round trip. We are trying to work out how we can bring the car down here next year instead of putting the miles on the truck. We have logged over 4K miles since we left home and it's about 850 miles to home. Lots of driving to get anywhere.
We are trying to get a date from the landscaper as to when he can do the drip system. Time's running out.
It was very warm yesterday - the warmest day so far - and the RV got quite hot inside. We opted not to turn on the AC because of the noise, so we went out for pizza with Lona and Lert. Pizza was horrible, the restaurant was noisy, but the place was cool. We won't be going back to that place again - everyone agreed.
We've had a lovely week of 80 degree weather - until today. It was cool and windy. Looks like mid 70s for the next week. We can deal with that!
Lona came over this afternoon to bring me something and Maggie greeted her like she does us when we come home, including bringing "Bear" to her to see. I guess the two times Lona has watched Maggie and walking with her every day (twice) has allowed Maggs to feel like Lona is part of her family. Lona is not a dog person so it is really nice to see.
Friday tomorrow and no plans at the moment.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
A Great Lunch and Some Horse Racing
We headed south to Tucson around 10:30 so we could find a place to eat before we went to the racetrack. I felt totally overwhelmed once we hit civilization with the strip malls full of food places. I was amazing! We've been out in the sticks too long, I'm thinking!
We found a shopping center looking for a place I googled and when we pulled in we spotted an Indian restaurant! We headed straight there instead of to the one we had found on the google machine. Tablecloths, cloth napkins, a wonderful buffet filled with a half dozen vegetarian dishes, and a basket of garlic naan - it was wonderful! Unfortunately Roger's nose was stuffed up and so his taste buds dulled, but I really enjoyed the meal. We had rice pudding for dessert and our tummies were so happy.
The racetrack is in the northeast foothills of Tucson. Wow, what a beautiful area but so many subdivisions and so much traffic. The area was unrecognizable from the last time we were there. The racetrack itself has deteriorated and become run down despite a funding campaign to save it as a historical site. It is the first place in the US where they raced quarter horses and it is supposedly famous. It's pretty much a dump now, though.
Today wasn't as much fun as we remembered from before, although, if I had placed a bet on my choice for the first race I would have had enough money to pay for the day's outing! We left after three races. I had forgotten that they have a race every half hour and it only lasts for 30 seconds or so and the rest of the time is just waiting. It got a bit boring. People watching wasn't that great, but the horses were absolutely beautiful. Rog got a few pictures. The Mariachi band played the National Anthem as it was Hispanic Heritage Day.
We found a shopping center looking for a place I googled and when we pulled in we spotted an Indian restaurant! We headed straight there instead of to the one we had found on the google machine. Tablecloths, cloth napkins, a wonderful buffet filled with a half dozen vegetarian dishes, and a basket of garlic naan - it was wonderful! Unfortunately Roger's nose was stuffed up and so his taste buds dulled, but I really enjoyed the meal. We had rice pudding for dessert and our tummies were so happy.
The racetrack is in the northeast foothills of Tucson. Wow, what a beautiful area but so many subdivisions and so much traffic. The area was unrecognizable from the last time we were there. The racetrack itself has deteriorated and become run down despite a funding campaign to save it as a historical site. It is the first place in the US where they raced quarter horses and it is supposedly famous. It's pretty much a dump now, though.
Today wasn't as much fun as we remembered from before, although, if I had placed a bet on my choice for the first race I would have had enough money to pay for the day's outing! We left after three races. I had forgotten that they have a race every half hour and it only lasts for 30 seconds or so and the rest of the time is just waiting. It got a bit boring. People watching wasn't that great, but the horses were absolutely beautiful. Rog got a few pictures. The Mariachi band played the National Anthem as it was Hispanic Heritage Day.
Friday, March 9, 2018
A Whiskey Barrel Harley, Tile Painting, and Spring Blooms
We saw this Harley on the way to the post office yesterday. (sorry about the glare from the windshield) I've never seen a Harley decked out like this before - it is quite unique.
Yesterday was a tile painting class in the activities center. Well, I can't paint, I am not artistic in any sense, but it looked like it might be fun. Wine and snacks to be provided and a room full of women making art. It was fun once I relaxed and decided it didn't matter what I produced. There were some weird ones, some ugly ones, and there were some actual works of art at the end of the afternoon. The medium was alcohol paint on a white floor tile. Weird stuff. The paint is thin and runny and if you put a drop of alcohol on it, even more so. You swirl it around and make colors. Once you're done, then you stare at it and see if you can see any images and then you outline them with a gold or silver sharpie. The instructor told us some people make thousands of dollars for their alcohol artwork. Yeah, right! It was messy, good for lots of laughs, and for meeting people. So, here are my feeble attempts at art. Rog thought my prickly pear was a strawberry when I brought it home. Just now, looking at my photo of the tile, he recognized my cactus! Even said it was "modernistic art."
Speaking of flowers in bloom, I spotted this little cactus on my walk this evening. Spring is coming!
Rog had a frustrating day today - could find no where in Coolidge or Florence that can do an oil change on a diesel. Looks like we will have to make a trip to Casa Grande next week.
Tomorrow we are off to the races! Really - quarter horse races in Tucson. We went years ago when we were in the area and it was lots of fun. Bright colors on the jockeys and horses, beautiful horses, and a fun day out. I'll take my $20 and make some $2 bets and just have a good time! Lona is checking on Maggie so we don't have to worry about hurrying home.
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| Prickly Pear in Bloom |
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| Whatever You See - That's What It Is! |
Speaking of flowers in bloom, I spotted this little cactus on my walk this evening. Spring is coming!
Rog had a frustrating day today - could find no where in Coolidge or Florence that can do an oil change on a diesel. Looks like we will have to make a trip to Casa Grande next week.
Tomorrow we are off to the races! Really - quarter horse races in Tucson. We went years ago when we were in the area and it was lots of fun. Bright colors on the jockeys and horses, beautiful horses, and a fun day out. I'll take my $20 and make some $2 bets and just have a good time! Lona is checking on Maggie so we don't have to worry about hurrying home.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
McDonalds, a Drip System, and Spring Break
It was a perfect, warm, lazy afternoon (for me - Rog was working hard in his shop) and I had a hankering for ice cream. Rog was going into Florence to the hardware store so I tagged along because there is a small restaurant next door that serves real ice cream. CLOSED. Bummer. Seems their cook has left, according to the sign. Apparently they can't function without him, so the place closed until they find someone else. It occurred to Roger that Mickey D's has ice cream - well, sort of ice cream - chemicals designed to taste like ice cream. We went anyway and with hot fudge, nuts, and strawberries on it, we pretended. It hit the spot, though. We realized that it has been a VERY long time since we had been inside one of their establishments and things have changed! You can place your order and pay at a kiosk and they bring your food to the table. Very weird.
After a great deal of deliberation we have decided to hire the landscaping people to come back and install an irrigation/drip system so that we don't lose our plants this summer. Several of the neighbors are talking about getting together and hiring another landscaping crew to come and water for them. We thought about it, but that particular crew doesn't have a reputation for reliability. The woman who watered our tree last year is a year-round resident but she doesn't water anything but trees because that's all the time she has for. We had to put in a formal request, with a drawing, to the architectural committee and should have it back, approved, by week end. We are now waiting to hear from the owner of the landscape company to give us an install date. He gave us a rough estimate over the phone this morning and we will trust him on that. He did the patio, landscaping, and rocks and we trust him to do a good job. In fact, when Rog handed in our request our section rep said that he was glad to see we were using this particular company.
It must be Spring Break somewhere as we are seeing young people on the streets and the walking paths. Grandparents, parents and grandkids together or sometimes just the "grands."
We are starting to crave food we can't get here. We want Thai from Sawsadee, a veggie burger and fries from Great Basin Brewery, and Chinese from Chin Chin. We haven't found a Thai place anywhere near. There is one decent Chinese place next to the Safeway 13 miles away. As for a veggie burger - forget it. We can't even get Mexican locally that is remotely vegetarian. We tried one place and it had vegetarian tacos on the menu. When it came it was a corn tortilla with shredded lettuce, tomato and guacamole. The beans had lard and who knows what the rice was cooked in. I imagine if we went into the big cities - Phoenix and suburbs - we could find something but it is at least an hour's drive. A bit much for lunch or dinner unless we have other business to take us there. Oh, well. Our eating out food bill is small when we are here - that should count for something, I guess.
After a great deal of deliberation we have decided to hire the landscaping people to come back and install an irrigation/drip system so that we don't lose our plants this summer. Several of the neighbors are talking about getting together and hiring another landscaping crew to come and water for them. We thought about it, but that particular crew doesn't have a reputation for reliability. The woman who watered our tree last year is a year-round resident but she doesn't water anything but trees because that's all the time she has for. We had to put in a formal request, with a drawing, to the architectural committee and should have it back, approved, by week end. We are now waiting to hear from the owner of the landscape company to give us an install date. He gave us a rough estimate over the phone this morning and we will trust him on that. He did the patio, landscaping, and rocks and we trust him to do a good job. In fact, when Rog handed in our request our section rep said that he was glad to see we were using this particular company.
It must be Spring Break somewhere as we are seeing young people on the streets and the walking paths. Grandparents, parents and grandkids together or sometimes just the "grands."
We are starting to crave food we can't get here. We want Thai from Sawsadee, a veggie burger and fries from Great Basin Brewery, and Chinese from Chin Chin. We haven't found a Thai place anywhere near. There is one decent Chinese place next to the Safeway 13 miles away. As for a veggie burger - forget it. We can't even get Mexican locally that is remotely vegetarian. We tried one place and it had vegetarian tacos on the menu. When it came it was a corn tortilla with shredded lettuce, tomato and guacamole. The beans had lard and who knows what the rice was cooked in. I imagine if we went into the big cities - Phoenix and suburbs - we could find something but it is at least an hour's drive. A bit much for lunch or dinner unless we have other business to take us there. Oh, well. Our eating out food bill is small when we are here - that should count for something, I guess.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Allergies Have Calmed Down
That was a tough day on Saturday and Saturday night. Once I got enough antihistamine in my system and used the Flonase, by Sunday morning my allergy symptoms were pretty much gone. Today Roger started sneezing and my walking partner woke up stuffy, but I'm good to go - I hope.
Sunday was the usual - groceries and laundry. I've started taking the iPad and keyboard with me and using the time to catch up on long emails. Today was paying bills and writing a long letter to a cousin who doesn't use a computer. We communicate by snail mail, believe it or not!!!
I'm still doing short walks and my back seems to be tolerating it better. I was most likely just overdoing it. Sometimes I'm like Roger - if the doc says walking one mile is good for you, then 2 miles has to be better!! Apparently not in this scenario. I asked Roger yesterday at what age we could stop paying attention to doctors and advice about eating right, exercising, etc and just let ourselves enjoy goodies and being lazy. He said, "never." What a spoil sport.
I'm working on a crochet project now - a poncho for me - using up some yarn I bought for an afghan but didn't like the way it turned out. I ripped it out and have several balls of yarn to use. Unfortunately I lost my crochet hook for about 24 hours, so I lost some time working on it. Rog found it under the recliners this morning. I just got two books on knitting in hopes that I can do some more of it and feel more confident. I looked at some of the projects, though, and they are intimidating even if they are "one skein wonders."
Rog was raking the "straw" from the palo verde tree and caught the golden prickly pear with the rake. It broke off two segments. I've been told you can just stick them in the ground and they will grow. So, why not try? I dug a hole, put in some potting soil and grabbed the piece with my bare hands. Now, with this particular cactus you can't see any spines. But, trust me, they are there! Little teeny tiny things - like tiny slivers in your fingers. Next time - gloves. So, it's in the ground and Roger has watered it and we will see if it grows. Do cactus need fertilizer? I need to look that up.
One of the women from the book club here that I met the one time I went has been friendly and we are sharing book lists. She brought one over today of books she's read and wants to read. I've read a lot of them on her list, but she's got some that I would like to read eventually. So little time...... Can't wait to get back to my Sparks book group - I've really missed them. I've been reading the books, but it's not as much fun if you don't get to discuss them. Sometimes I need someone to tell me what I'm missing or give me a different perspective to help me understand why a book has great reviews. Sometimes "I just don't get it."
Nice weather this week - supposed to be in the 80s by Wednesday for a few days before dropping back down to low 70s. I'll take it!!
Sunday was the usual - groceries and laundry. I've started taking the iPad and keyboard with me and using the time to catch up on long emails. Today was paying bills and writing a long letter to a cousin who doesn't use a computer. We communicate by snail mail, believe it or not!!!
I'm still doing short walks and my back seems to be tolerating it better. I was most likely just overdoing it. Sometimes I'm like Roger - if the doc says walking one mile is good for you, then 2 miles has to be better!! Apparently not in this scenario. I asked Roger yesterday at what age we could stop paying attention to doctors and advice about eating right, exercising, etc and just let ourselves enjoy goodies and being lazy. He said, "never." What a spoil sport.
I'm working on a crochet project now - a poncho for me - using up some yarn I bought for an afghan but didn't like the way it turned out. I ripped it out and have several balls of yarn to use. Unfortunately I lost my crochet hook for about 24 hours, so I lost some time working on it. Rog found it under the recliners this morning. I just got two books on knitting in hopes that I can do some more of it and feel more confident. I looked at some of the projects, though, and they are intimidating even if they are "one skein wonders."
Rog was raking the "straw" from the palo verde tree and caught the golden prickly pear with the rake. It broke off two segments. I've been told you can just stick them in the ground and they will grow. So, why not try? I dug a hole, put in some potting soil and grabbed the piece with my bare hands. Now, with this particular cactus you can't see any spines. But, trust me, they are there! Little teeny tiny things - like tiny slivers in your fingers. Next time - gloves. So, it's in the ground and Roger has watered it and we will see if it grows. Do cactus need fertilizer? I need to look that up.
One of the women from the book club here that I met the one time I went has been friendly and we are sharing book lists. She brought one over today of books she's read and wants to read. I've read a lot of them on her list, but she's got some that I would like to read eventually. So little time...... Can't wait to get back to my Sparks book group - I've really missed them. I've been reading the books, but it's not as much fun if you don't get to discuss them. Sometimes I need someone to tell me what I'm missing or give me a different perspective to help me understand why a book has great reviews. Sometimes "I just don't get it."
Nice weather this week - supposed to be in the 80s by Wednesday for a few days before dropping back down to low 70s. I'll take it!!
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Spring Has Sprung?
Looks as if we might be done with our "winter." Hopefully. Warms temps the last couple of days and for the near future. No rain in sight.
With spring comes pollen. I'm down for the count today. Started sneezing at about 0430 and I've got all the usual symptoms - watery eyes, drippy nose, lethargy and sneezing. Oh yes, don't forget the red nose.
I took a short walk this morning and a nap this afternoon.
That's it from here.
With spring comes pollen. I'm down for the count today. Started sneezing at about 0430 and I've got all the usual symptoms - watery eyes, drippy nose, lethargy and sneezing. Oh yes, don't forget the red nose.
I took a short walk this morning and a nap this afternoon.
That's it from here.
Friday, March 2, 2018
A Bargain Deal!
Finally, a day to sit in the sun without getting blown away! It made it up into the low 70s today, too. Maggie and I sat outside most of the afternoon. I finished my knitting project and just enjoyed being out there watching the hummingbirds. I gave them fresh nectar today and they spent a long time at the feeders. Maggie sat and watched for critters and Roger worked in the shop. 
Yesterday I had Rog take me back to that antique store and look at those prints I liked. They are reproductions and in beat up frames, but they do have a print number on the back and I like them, so I bought them. (They are definitely not Antique Roadshow finds, unfortunately.) Each was marked $58. After researching the artist I thought it was a pretty steep price, but I did want them. When we went in her dog was wandering around and we played with her for a while, then she and Roger got in a conversation about hemp oil which she sells. She was pretty distracted. When I got to the counter I said "Too bad there's not a pink dot on them." (She had a sign - pink dot - 50% off). She looked at them, and said, "Oh, they should have." So I got them both for $58. Except I think I only gave her $53. She told me if I paid in cash she would not charge sales tax. So I plopped down two 20s, two 5s, and three 1s. I counted it out as $58, she picked it up and counted it and put it in her pocket. On the way home I could picture the bills on the counter and I realized I had only given her $53. Today I went back and offered her the other $5 and told her what I think happened. Her responses were, "Well, I counted it the same way," and "because you are so honest you don't owe me any more." So, I got the two framed reproduction prints for even less than half price. I'll clean up the frames when I get home and they'll look good in the living room.
My back is improving a bit but I've been taking ibuprofen for three days now so the inflammation is not as bad. I managed two short walks today - one this morning and one after dinner. Something is better than nothing which is what I got the two days before. I was hurting by the time I got back from each, so any more would have been miserable. Baby steps... I'll be back to the long walk before we leave - I hope.
Rog got the part to replace the handle on the passenger side of the truck that I need to pull myself into my seat. It's been broken for quite some time but he found the part while cruising other stuff on Amazon last week. I've been having trouble getting in but use other things to hold onto. It's great having that handle back!
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Achy Back and a Trip to Town
When I said that I cleaned the inside of the RV like a woman possessed I didn't think about what it was doing to my back. So, on Saturday I cleaned, on Sunday I lifted grocery bags and laundry baskets, and for several days we had been walking the path twice a day (3 miles total). By Monday evening I was hurting like crazy, so yesterday and today I took the day off. I've been taking muscle relaxers and ibuprofen and now I'm starting to feel better. I spent both days mostly sitting - either doing computer work or knitting but getting up once an hour to walk around a bit. I plan on trying to walk tomorrow. Shall see how it goes.
I haven't done much of anything with the geneology stuff so far this winter despite my intentions to get a lot done. My subscription to Ancestry ends next week and I probably won't renew it until May after we get settled back in. On Monday afternoon I decided that I needed to get everything downloaded from Ancestry to the computer. First I had to load the Family Tree Maker onto this computer, then tell it to import my tree. That didn't take long, but when it came time to import all the photos and source documents it was forever. Really. I started the download after dinner on Monday and it took until 0638 Tuesday morning for it to complete. But, I have everything and feel comfortable that it's all there.
I made reservations for us at the Sparks Marina RV park for the 7th and 8th of April - our target date for getting home.
Several emails and phone calls later, I finally made progress with the PA for my neurologist. They've pushed back my appointment twice now and I realized I didn't have enough meds. It took a while to get her to understand that we were not at home and wouldn't be until the beginning of April. She kept trying to give me an appointment in March. Finally, we got it straightened out and she will renew my current prescription for just enough to get me to my appointment. Whew!
Today Lona and I went into Florence and hit the thrift and consignment shops along Main Street. There are three plus a small shop that does custom embroidery and t-shirts. We found an antique store we wandered through, too. It was fun and we stopped in a little place that advertises fudge but also serves sandwiches and salads. We had a nice lunch there - no fudge. The antique store has a couple of prints by a Native American artist. I want to go back tomorrow and check them out - to see if they are prints or copies of prints. The artist is R.C. Gorman. For the price I'm sure they aren't original prints, but I'm going to check them out anyway. I really liked them and they would be a good addition to our living room decor at home.
It rained most of the night last night and today was cold (55 hight) and windy. It's 6pm and it's warmer now than it has been all day and there is no wind. It's really quite nice outside. The sun is about to set and there's not a cloud in the sky to make the usual incredible sunset.
A new month tomorrow. It's hard to believe we've been here four months now.
I haven't done much of anything with the geneology stuff so far this winter despite my intentions to get a lot done. My subscription to Ancestry ends next week and I probably won't renew it until May after we get settled back in. On Monday afternoon I decided that I needed to get everything downloaded from Ancestry to the computer. First I had to load the Family Tree Maker onto this computer, then tell it to import my tree. That didn't take long, but when it came time to import all the photos and source documents it was forever. Really. I started the download after dinner on Monday and it took until 0638 Tuesday morning for it to complete. But, I have everything and feel comfortable that it's all there.
I made reservations for us at the Sparks Marina RV park for the 7th and 8th of April - our target date for getting home.
Several emails and phone calls later, I finally made progress with the PA for my neurologist. They've pushed back my appointment twice now and I realized I didn't have enough meds. It took a while to get her to understand that we were not at home and wouldn't be until the beginning of April. She kept trying to give me an appointment in March. Finally, we got it straightened out and she will renew my current prescription for just enough to get me to my appointment. Whew!
Today Lona and I went into Florence and hit the thrift and consignment shops along Main Street. There are three plus a small shop that does custom embroidery and t-shirts. We found an antique store we wandered through, too. It was fun and we stopped in a little place that advertises fudge but also serves sandwiches and salads. We had a nice lunch there - no fudge. The antique store has a couple of prints by a Native American artist. I want to go back tomorrow and check them out - to see if they are prints or copies of prints. The artist is R.C. Gorman. For the price I'm sure they aren't original prints, but I'm going to check them out anyway. I really liked them and they would be a good addition to our living room decor at home.
It rained most of the night last night and today was cold (55 hight) and windy. It's 6pm and it's warmer now than it has been all day and there is no wind. It's really quite nice outside. The sun is about to set and there's not a cloud in the sky to make the usual incredible sunset.
A new month tomorrow. It's hard to believe we've been here four months now.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Mystery Solved and Other Things
We've now had two people tell us that the steam/heat from the shower will set off a smoke alarm. Since it is right outside the bathroom door that would explain it. Learned something new.
Saturday was a day where we didn't do much sitting around. After the walk and showers (no smoke alarms) I started cleaning inside the RV and Rog started on the outside. I ended up doing a "deep clean" and even polishing all the woodwork. Don't ask what got into me - it was like I was possessed or something. I was even ready to take the vacuum to Maggie. Roger got the front and the side of the RV with the windows washed. It was so dirty he had to go over it twice. It was great being able to see out the windows again without looking at mud splatter.
Sunday we did the usual - groceries and laundry. In addition we had to visit the Walmart for RV necessities - toilet paper and digester for the black tank. While I was doing laundry Rog washed the back end and other side of the RV. We are all set for the next rain - tomorrow night.
Two long days and we were pooped last night. Fortunately the PBS station here airs the shows an hour earlier than the regular time so I got to watch the final episode of Victoria and still be in bed by 9:30.
Laundry story - a woman came in with two cushions that looked as if they were dining chair cushions. She put them in the washer that is set aside for rugs/pet bedding. She left. Towards the end of the cycle the washer started going berserk and making all kinds of noises. There was another woman in the laundry room and we just looked at each other. We decided one of us should open the washer and redistribute the load. I went over and opened it to find that the two cushions had pretty much disintegrated and the washer was full of polyester stuffing. It was ugly. We agreed that we hoped we were done and out of there before the woman came back to ger her cushions. Luckily we were and so have no tales of the reaction when she opened up the washer.
All's well here - glad we aren't at home for all the snow they are getting.
Saturday was a day where we didn't do much sitting around. After the walk and showers (no smoke alarms) I started cleaning inside the RV and Rog started on the outside. I ended up doing a "deep clean" and even polishing all the woodwork. Don't ask what got into me - it was like I was possessed or something. I was even ready to take the vacuum to Maggie. Roger got the front and the side of the RV with the windows washed. It was so dirty he had to go over it twice. It was great being able to see out the windows again without looking at mud splatter.
Sunday we did the usual - groceries and laundry. In addition we had to visit the Walmart for RV necessities - toilet paper and digester for the black tank. While I was doing laundry Rog washed the back end and other side of the RV. We are all set for the next rain - tomorrow night.
Two long days and we were pooped last night. Fortunately the PBS station here airs the shows an hour earlier than the regular time so I got to watch the final episode of Victoria and still be in bed by 9:30.
Laundry story - a woman came in with two cushions that looked as if they were dining chair cushions. She put them in the washer that is set aside for rugs/pet bedding. She left. Towards the end of the cycle the washer started going berserk and making all kinds of noises. There was another woman in the laundry room and we just looked at each other. We decided one of us should open the washer and redistribute the load. I went over and opened it to find that the two cushions had pretty much disintegrated and the washer was full of polyester stuffing. It was ugly. We agreed that we hoped we were done and out of there before the woman came back to ger her cushions. Luckily we were and so have no tales of the reaction when she opened up the washer.
All's well here - glad we aren't at home for all the snow they are getting.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Another Wild Goose Chase and a Silent Auction
Yesterday involved an unplanned, very long drive down to the base south of Tucson and back. It's a round trip of over 100 miles. Mostly it was a waste of time. The day before, when we got back from our trip to Costco, I was getting stuff out of the truck and I dropped Roger's new phone in the gravel. He had liquid protective cover put on it when he bought it, which I think saved the screen, but it did put a small divot in the protective cover. Oh, dear.
I called the people at the base exchange who had sold us the phone and asked if they might be able to repair it. "Well, maybe, but we need to see it." In the meantime I realized I had not registered the product nor had we purchased insurance on the phones. With the way I've been a fumble fingers lately, I thought it might be prudent. We went on line and added the insurance, but since I'd thrown away the packaging we couldn't register the screen protector. We had 3 days left of our 30 days before we had to do both.
We got down to the base exchange and it was determined that they couldn't repair the scratch. I explained about not registering the product. They took pity on us and the manager took a new package and gave me the code from it so I could register it so we can make a claim in the future to get it fixed. So, the trip wasn't entirely wasted. We grabbed a frozen yogurt from the food court and headed back to the truck. Maggie was with us and really was a good dog. When we left her in the truck we told her we were "going to the store" just like we do when we go out. She curled up in her bed and waited. We were only gone maybe 20 minutes so she didn't have a long wait. We ate our treat in the truck - gave her some dog treats and then headed back. It was a very long afternoon.
Today the Activities Club held a silent auction and then an open dessert auction to raise money for the Club. I'd never been to one before and it was fun. I managed to get one of the handmade baskets and a small purse for carrying only phone/wallet.
The woman who donated the purse also donated 6 others - all in different fabrics. I bid on all of them hoping for one. I ended up with the one that had my least favorite colors. Rog says it must have been everyone's least favorite colors or I wouldn't have got it. It's ok, though, I'll use it for when I don't need anything but the phone and wallet.
I was beaten out on a nice red one by $1 at the last minute! I almost had two! There were so many nice things - hand made items mostly, and some gift certificates. Rog is thinking about making a couple of segmented bowls this summer to donate for next year. I think they would go for a lot of money!
Then they started auctioning the desserts. Wow! Pies going for an average of $60 and some even got to $110. One pie that went for $100 was bought by the husband of the baker! People even bid on an item, paid for it, then donated it for a second round. One batch of cookies got auctioned three times and made about $60 each time. They raised a lot of money today - they served free nachos and margaritas and everyone had a fun time. I am sure the margaritas were on purpose to loosen up the wallets!!! I really enjoyed it!
Cold and windy this afternoon, but it was nice for our morning walk. Our walking partner is back from her travels. Maggie was very happy to see her. A couple times while she was gone Maggie headed to her RV and would sit down and wait. I'd have to pull her to get her going.
We put the potted plants in the shop for the night - expecting freezing temperatures for the next couple of nights.
I called the people at the base exchange who had sold us the phone and asked if they might be able to repair it. "Well, maybe, but we need to see it." In the meantime I realized I had not registered the product nor had we purchased insurance on the phones. With the way I've been a fumble fingers lately, I thought it might be prudent. We went on line and added the insurance, but since I'd thrown away the packaging we couldn't register the screen protector. We had 3 days left of our 30 days before we had to do both.
We got down to the base exchange and it was determined that they couldn't repair the scratch. I explained about not registering the product. They took pity on us and the manager took a new package and gave me the code from it so I could register it so we can make a claim in the future to get it fixed. So, the trip wasn't entirely wasted. We grabbed a frozen yogurt from the food court and headed back to the truck. Maggie was with us and really was a good dog. When we left her in the truck we told her we were "going to the store" just like we do when we go out. She curled up in her bed and waited. We were only gone maybe 20 minutes so she didn't have a long wait. We ate our treat in the truck - gave her some dog treats and then headed back. It was a very long afternoon.
Today the Activities Club held a silent auction and then an open dessert auction to raise money for the Club. I'd never been to one before and it was fun. I managed to get one of the handmade baskets and a small purse for carrying only phone/wallet. 
The woman who donated the purse also donated 6 others - all in different fabrics. I bid on all of them hoping for one. I ended up with the one that had my least favorite colors. Rog says it must have been everyone's least favorite colors or I wouldn't have got it. It's ok, though, I'll use it for when I don't need anything but the phone and wallet.
I was beaten out on a nice red one by $1 at the last minute! I almost had two! There were so many nice things - hand made items mostly, and some gift certificates. Rog is thinking about making a couple of segmented bowls this summer to donate for next year. I think they would go for a lot of money! Then they started auctioning the desserts. Wow! Pies going for an average of $60 and some even got to $110. One pie that went for $100 was bought by the husband of the baker! People even bid on an item, paid for it, then donated it for a second round. One batch of cookies got auctioned three times and made about $60 each time. They raised a lot of money today - they served free nachos and margaritas and everyone had a fun time. I am sure the margaritas were on purpose to loosen up the wallets!!! I really enjoyed it!
Cold and windy this afternoon, but it was nice for our morning walk. Our walking partner is back from her travels. Maggie was very happy to see her. A couple times while she was gone Maggie headed to her RV and would sit down and wait. I'd have to pull her to get her going.
We put the potted plants in the shop for the night - expecting freezing temperatures for the next couple of nights.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Weird Storm and Costco Run
Day before yesterday when we had the rain and wind it turned out to be a very weird storm. Watching the wall of rain coming I had thought to myself, " that looks a weird color. It's not gray but brown." Apparently the wind (35 mph gusting higher) had picked up a lot of sand and dirt. Then the rain brought it down. When we got up yesterday morning EVERYTHING was coated in a layer of dirt/sand. Not wet as one would expect, but dirty - very dirty. Rog got out and washed down the truck before I could get pictures. He did go up (reluctantly) on the RV roof with a hose and bucket of soapy water and clean it off. The water coming off looked like dirty river water. The windows on the RV are hard to see through there is so much dirt on them. Tomorrow he will tackle the rest of the RV. The patio furniture had to be scrubbed with soapy water - hosing it down just made it worse. I've never seen so much dirt in rain water. It was astounding.
Yesterday was haircut day for the both of us.
I've been on a book buying kick. Seems every one I see or is recommended to me I have to get. I need to stop. I've more than I can read at the rate I'm going.
It's been cold - highs of 50s lows in the 30s. When he finished with the truck yesterday Rog headed to his shop and I spent the day inside finishing a knitting project and downloading the latest geneology update. Maybe I'll get back to doing some research for something different to do the next windy/rainy day. I haven't done any since we've been here. If it's warm I can sit outside and knit or crochet but can't do computer stuff. I save that for inside days. I am still feeling the effects of my stupid move the other day with the email :-(
Today we went to Chandler (south western suburb of Phoenix) and had lunch and went to Costco. It wasn't nearly as crowded as the one we've been to in Mesa. We did buy a power washer for Roger to do the rest of the RV. He can leave it here as we have a small one at home for doing the vehicles. Hopefully it will be a bit easier on him. It's an awful lot of work and the mobile guys charge a fortune.
We asked a friend across the street to check on Maggs while we were gone and to take her out to pee. Maggie refused to go with her. She said she tried a couple of times but Maggie wouldn't leave her little bed. Rog has posited that before we got Maggie her owners would put her in a crate/kennel when they went out. That's why when we tell her we are "going to the store" she goes immediately to her bed and stays there. She doesn't drink her water, or eat any food we leave while we are gone. I am amazed that Lona was able to get her out a few weeks ago when we went to Tucson, but Maggie sees her twice a day for a walk, so that's probably the reason she did - reluctantly - but she did.
No more critter encounters for Maggie, but the hummingbirds are out in force now that the winds have died down. Today we watched three of them for about 15 minutes. They were each chasing the others off and trying to get a drink for themselves. Rog said it was like watching an aerial dogfight. It was a lot of fun to watch.
No plans for tomorrow. Forecast is cold and windy again. It'll be a nice quiet day inside!
Yesterday was haircut day for the both of us.
I've been on a book buying kick. Seems every one I see or is recommended to me I have to get. I need to stop. I've more than I can read at the rate I'm going.
It's been cold - highs of 50s lows in the 30s. When he finished with the truck yesterday Rog headed to his shop and I spent the day inside finishing a knitting project and downloading the latest geneology update. Maybe I'll get back to doing some research for something different to do the next windy/rainy day. I haven't done any since we've been here. If it's warm I can sit outside and knit or crochet but can't do computer stuff. I save that for inside days. I am still feeling the effects of my stupid move the other day with the email :-(
Today we went to Chandler (south western suburb of Phoenix) and had lunch and went to Costco. It wasn't nearly as crowded as the one we've been to in Mesa. We did buy a power washer for Roger to do the rest of the RV. He can leave it here as we have a small one at home for doing the vehicles. Hopefully it will be a bit easier on him. It's an awful lot of work and the mobile guys charge a fortune.
We asked a friend across the street to check on Maggs while we were gone and to take her out to pee. Maggie refused to go with her. She said she tried a couple of times but Maggie wouldn't leave her little bed. Rog has posited that before we got Maggie her owners would put her in a crate/kennel when they went out. That's why when we tell her we are "going to the store" she goes immediately to her bed and stays there. She doesn't drink her water, or eat any food we leave while we are gone. I am amazed that Lona was able to get her out a few weeks ago when we went to Tucson, but Maggie sees her twice a day for a walk, so that's probably the reason she did - reluctantly - but she did.
No more critter encounters for Maggie, but the hummingbirds are out in force now that the winds have died down. Today we watched three of them for about 15 minutes. They were each chasing the others off and trying to get a drink for themselves. Rog said it was like watching an aerial dogfight. It was a lot of fun to watch.
No plans for tomorrow. Forecast is cold and windy again. It'll be a nice quiet day inside!
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