End of the Month - Thank Goodness

We are hoping that February, and forward, will be more positive months for us.  January was not fun.  Not as much rain.  No illnesses.  No stressing.  We can now enjoy ourselves. That's the plan.  

We made a Costco run today but other than that we hung out here in the sunshine.  We talked about where we want to go from here in March, about our plans for May's trip to Pensacola and what our choices for routes are.  It was fun, actually.  

Maggs and I had a nice long walk. After the zoo yesterday and all that walking, today's doggie walk was tiring.  Maggie didn't want to quit, though.  

I spent some time closing out "the books" for January, paying the bills, and going over February's budget.  

Alice called and we made plans for her and her husband, Michael, to visit us while we are in Pensacola.  That will be fun.

Rog is hurting a bit today from so much walking yesterday.  He needed a day (at least) to recuperate.   

Sunshine and mid 70s today.  It was wonderful.  Cold start to the morning, but the rest of the day was perfect. 

Zoo Trip Today

The last couple of days have been pretty quiet.  Nothing to "blog" about.  The sun has been out, it has been warm, and we've been working on attitude readjustment.  The long haul with the bad weather and both of us with colds over the last month really was working on our psyche - and not in a good way.  Sitting in the sun and enjoying being outside has worked wonders for our moods.

Today we went to the "famous" San Diego Zoo.  It's less than half an hour away, we have annual passes, and we try to go as many times as we can while we are here.  The weather just hasn't been conducive for the trip up til now.  Our neighbors, David and Eileen spoiled our Maggie while we were gone today. She doesn't normally come out of the RV for people, but apparently David drove up in his wheelchair, called to her and she went running out and jumped in his lap.  He took her back to their motorhome and she made herself at home as if she were queen of the hop.  When we got back, Eileen was sitting in our patio area with the two Maggies - she had just taken them out for a walk.  We couldn't ask for anyone nicer than them to watch her.  They love her and she loves them.

Checking the map.  Where to next?

We spent about three hours at the zoo which was enough. Roger's hip started hurting and quite a bit of the zoo was behind construction fences. They are really doing a huge make over.  We missed the big cats, bears, eagles, and pandas.  They were all behind the construction zones.  It's going to be fantastic when they finish.  Because we have the annual pass we can go as many times as we want so we don't feel bad if we only see part of the zoo on each trip.  Easier on the old folks that way instead of trying to cram it all in at once.  The pass just about pays for itself after one visit of the two of us.  The cost of entry is so high these days.  I think if I had just paid about $50 to get in and couldn't see all the animals I'd be pretty bummed. 

The gardens and plants around the zoo are fabulous. Such a variety but not much blooming today.  It was tropical forest, Japanese gardens, and Hawaiian plants. 





















We met a young woman and her toddler son at a "rest area" near the polar bears.  They were from Michigan.  I spotted the mid-West accent right away.  The kid was funny and she was very nice. Her husband is here for a week for work and she and the son are sightseeing.  She is in no hurry to go back to the snow and cold.  

The polar bears were fun to watch today. The big male was really giving the female a talking to. He was quite vocal and she was quite submissive. He was giving her the what for about something.  





The other male was staying out of it.  









Normally, when we go to the zoo, we pack our lunch, leave it in the truck, walk around for an hour or so, go back to the truck, eat, and return to the zoo.  We didn't do that today.  Roger's hip was a consideration when it came to all that walking - especially since he parks as far away from the entrance as he can find and we would be doing plenty of walking in the park.   We ate at one of the vendors in the zoo - it was pricey, but the veggie sandwich was surprisingly excellent.  We sat outside and people watched while we had lunch.  It was so nice.  

People watching at the zoo - amazing.  Today it seemed there was a gaggle of young women with kids in strollers all dressed in their gym clothes.  You know - the tight, tight pants and t-shirts.  Some of them should not have been dressed that way, for sure.  We saw and heard people from lots of countries.  It's always nice to see and enjoy the variety and diversity of the crowd.  

Here's a few pictures Roger took today.  I let him do all the photo work for a change.  

Loving the sunshine

It's nice to be out of the rain!

This gazelle has the longest skinniest
legs I've ever seen

Tomorrow I believe we are lunching with friends and then I have a phone call scheduled with my friend, Alice, in Reno.  She and her husband are coming to Pensacola to see the Naval Aviation Museum and other sites when we are there in May and we need to do some planning!  I'm looking forward to talking with her.  

Forty Nine Years

Saturday, January 27, 1968 - 49 years ago - we were married in Arlington, Virginia.  Seems like yesterday but also a lifetime ago!  We did nothing special to celebrate today but just remember when we were young!

Sun was out.  Wind was blowing hard.  Had to take the gazebo roof off as it was trying to rip apart and fly off.   Rog worked on his puzzle and I worked on my "book."  A quiet day.  

An Errand Kind of Day

Nothing exciting to write about today.  We spent several hours this afternoon running errands.  Other than our walks that was about it for entertainment. 

Roger is insisting that I carry a "stick" with me on my walks with Maggie.  He heard some coyote tales when he was out with her this morning that made him nervous. He's given me an aluminum pole that used to be the ice scraper for the truck to take with me to beat the varmints off if they go after Maggie. Hopefully it will go unused.

No response to my inquiry to the window blind people that were recommended so it may be nothing is going to happen.  Maybe I'll start looking elsewhere.

It was freezing when we got up, but warmed up to about 60 today.  Sun was shining.  Sitting here tonight with the space heater on as we have almost every night.  I'm wondering if we are ever going to not need it in the evenings.  

Poor Maggie

We all had a rough night last night.  Maggie woke up around 4:30ish, I think, and hopped off the bed.  This woke us up and I went to see what she was up to.  She rarely (since we have been in RV and she's allowed on the bed) gets up during the night.  She sat at the top of the landing for a while and I thought she was going for a drink of water, but then I found her sitting in front of the door.  I was hearing coyotes outside, it was pitch black and freezing - literally.  I didn't want to go out or put her harness on, etc.  I figured she had heard the critters, too, and that what was disturbing her.  I couldn't get her back to bed, so put her bed on the floor and I climbed back in bed.  I heard her crying at the door.  Still, I'm not going out there in case I run into a coyote.  Eventually she came over to my side of the bed pawing at the covers.  I put her bed up on ours, Roger put her in it and she was fine.  She curled right up and went to sleep. Then, as I'm trying to go back to sleep, the smell wafts into the bedroom.  She had made two dumps - both  way under the kitchen table. Fortunately they were solid and it was an easy cleanup.  (Of course we are wide awake by this time.) Poor thing.  She tried to tell me she needed to go out.   She did have some intestinal distress later in the day - must have picked up something on our walk yesterday that I didn't see. She's good tonight and I hope we don't have a repeat.  I do feel bad, though, for not taking her outside when she needed to go.

Coyotes all over the park today - they must have been enjoying the sunshine and no rain as much as the humans were.  In fact we heard a story of one guy who was taking his little dog out for her morning business and his encounter with one.  He was on his wheelchair (not our friend who is wheelchair bound) and a coyote came right at him trying to get the dog. He shooed it off, yelling and screaming at it, and then turned away from it to go get help from one of the rangers and the coyote followed him at a distance way too close for comfort.  The ranger had to chase after it.  Pretty scary.  

It was nippy, but sunny today!  At last!  Rog sat outside most of the afternoon.  Too chilly for me.  I sat in the sunshine inside with windows and the door open to clear the air.  We are expecting another below freezing night and high winds tomorrow through Friday.  But the sun's gonna shine!!!

Our friends are selling their motorhome.  It is a pretty high end one and they've had some remodeling done to the inside.  Rog wanted to check it out, so we went over there this afternoon. I've been in it, but he hadn't.  After deliberating all afternoon, Rog decided the con list for buying their rig was way longer than the pro list - thank goodness.  

They had some really classy window coverings put in when they remodeled and I decided I need an estimate on replacing our venetian blinds (which I hate).  It would be a lot cheaper than a new rig. The folks who did their remodel are local, so......  

We went out for Thai for dinner tonight.  Now we have leftovers!

Lunch Out and Groceries

The last of the rain came around 10:30 this morning and it wasn't very much.  The sun was in and out all day, mostly out. It was pretty cloudy and only got up to about 50, so it was a bit chilly.  We are promised sunshine tomorrow  Can't wait.  

We had a pleasant lunch out with our friends from Michigan and then we went to the Sprouts for a few grocery items.  It felt good to be out and about and not get drenched.

Maggie and I got our long walk this morning between the rain drops and that, too, felt good.  She really enjoyed being out and didn't once try to steer me back home.  

It was a lot quieter last night without hearing the rain right over our heads and the carpet didn't get any wetter than it already was. Pulling the slider in was a good idea.  We've done it before, but for wind.  We've been in storms where the wind rocked the RV enough for me to take dramamine.  We pulled all the sliders in to stabilize the RV's center of gravity so wind wouldn't get under the slider and lift us up and over.  I can't figure out why it took so long for us to realize we could do the same for the rain.  
I think Roger plans to plant himself in his chair outside in the sun tomorrow and Maggie and I should have no issues getting our walk.  It should be a nice day but tonight we have a frost warning.  Rog filled the propane tank this morning so the furnace can run all it wants tonight.  

We are starting to make plans for some day trips around the area soon.  Since we are planning on leaving the first week of March, we are now running out of time to visit the zoo, museums, etc.  We need to get busy.  

We Had a Bit of a "DUH" Moment Today

It's been what now, about two weeks going on two months of rain?  The bedroom slider still leaks and the rain continues to wake us up as it pounds the slide out roof which is about 12 inches over our heads when we are in bed.  Roger had a light bulb moment when he took the wet towel from the corner of the slider and was getting ready to replace it.  All we need do is close the slider. DUH!  Bring it in all the way in once we get our clothes for the day out of the closet and dresser.  It won't leak with all the rain expected today.   And, bonus - if we leave it pulled in tonight, no pounding rain over our heads!  A two-fer!!   Why it took us so long to figure this out is but a mystery.  I'll just have to climb over him and Maggie when my bladder calls in the middle of the night.  


We did have about 15 minutes of sunshine today.  Just look at it streaming in the windows!   Notice the progress on the puzzle!  It's a hard one - very weird shaped pieces.  It's been a good distraction for both of us.


I received emails and texts today from friends at home reminding me that I only have rain while they are getting inundated with snow and cold.  I may be soggy, but they are slipping and sliding all over the roads.  We're happy to be here and not there, despite our whining. 

I messed about with the computer and the new printer today while making sure the wifi connections worked with all the devices and downloading and installing the scanner software for it.  It kept me busy for a couple of hours.  Now Roger can take the box the new printer came in to the recycle bin.  I'm finishing up my mystery book club book and waiting for my book group to tell me what they are reading next.  

I'm ready for bed, what's taking you two so long?

More of the Same

Cold (well, in the low 50s), windy (25-30mph) and rain (lots). 

Another day of reading and working on the puzzle, although we got a walk before the rain started. 

Welcome to sunny Southern California!

The Saga of the Yarn is Over

I still don't have the yarn, but the saga has ended.  Last I reported here, the package was in LA.  The next time I looked a couple days later it was back in Grand Rapids, MI at the warehouse.  The post office did not forward the parcel but returned it to the sender.  Remember that if you ever do mail forwarding.  After two emails to JoAnn Fabrics and two partial refunds, I finally have received a total refund and will not be reordering.  I've been kind of put off the whole project right now. I'll figure out something else for the bathroom rug.

We had a respite from the rain today with sunshine off and on all day.  It was cool - mid 50s - and breezy, but it certainly was nice.  We spent some time outside and Maggie got a good walk today.  

We tried to do laundry this afternoon.  So did half the park.  Forecast is for two days of rain starting at noon tomorrow, so everyone had the same idea.  We just took ours up to the laundry room a few minutes ago - while everyone else is eating dinner.  All the washers were available!

No other news from Santee Lakes.

Yep, It's Raining!

This is day two of rain.  We had a few hour break late yesterday, but right now it's been raining for over 24 hours. Things are getting a bit soggy.  

Rog checking the back yard puddles

Front yard

I couldn't get close to the poo bag station because
 of the river of water in front of it.

We kept fairly busy today considering the only times we got outside were to take Maggie out to do her business. She knew what she was out there for, performed, and headed straight back to the RV!  No messing about sniffing for coyotes, but no walks either.  She spent her day napping and trying to talk Roger into playing ball.  See how excited he is about it. 

We both worked on the puzzle.  I put on a pot of soup for dinner (oh, it is good!), and baked a small cake (it's OK).  We stayed away from the TV and the news apps all day (our little protest).  I played WORD and did a little reading between outings with Maggie.  It turned out to be an OK day despite the constant rain.  Tonight will be an episode of Homeland on DVD and DCI Banks recorded from PBS last night.  Not sure what we will do tomorrow - more of the same, I suppose.






Maggie wanted to help with the blog tonight. She's telling me what stories to tell and begging me not to put in another photo of her in her raincoat!

More rain tomorrow through Tuesday.  Oh, joy!  We thought last year was supposed to be the El Nińo winter so we stayed away. It waited for us to return this year.  We are so lucky.  

A Day of Errands

 After our morning ritual of tea, news apps, breakfast, a Maggie walk, and then lunch, Roger and I spent a couple of hours running errands. We had to get out and get things done before the storms start tonight.  (It just started raining in the last ten minutes.) 

We are now ready for the five days of anticipated storms as we have two new puzzles, fruit, veggies, eggs, chocolate and toilet paper.  We are all set!  

Last week's rain has left the ground quite saturated.  No telling what things are going to look like by Tuesday when the four storms that are lined up in the Pacific are finished with us.  I found this mushroom this morning on my walk. It's about 2 inches tall. I'm guessing that by next week it'll be waist high!  

A Trolley Ride to Old Town San Diego

We took advantage of an absolutely gorgeous sunny day and went with our neighbors to Old Town San Diego today.  I wanted to get a photo of the trolley, but kept forgetting. Roger and I managed to capture the rest of the day for the blog.

We caught the trolley in Santee and it's a little over an hour ride to Old Town Station.  The first thing on our agenda was lunch. Roger and I have eaten here many times in the past, but, like everything else, times have changed.  The menu was expanded as were the prices.  Food was good, though, and eating outside was very nice.  





We then went into the historical district preserved by the California State Parks and played tourist.  

This hacienda which was first built in 1837 and started with only two rooms and was expanded over a couple decades. They've done a great job of preservation and the rooms are exhibited as they would have been when occupied. We got a chuckle out of the fact that they had period pieces, textiles, etc., but up on the ceilings were big red smoke alarms!!  

Roger enjoyed the outdoor furniture while he waited for the rest of us to explore the many rooms of the hacienda.




Next we found ourselves wandering through the shops.  I found the outdoor "art" place.  The colors of everything were so brilliant and just made us smile.

  


The Old Town plaza area with shopping and restaurants had some pretty unique decorations.  The Tres Amigos and topiaries greet the visitors and add an element of fun to the whole area.

On the way home we met "Shorty" who rides in a basket on the back of his owner's bike.  Apparently he rides all over town and loves the trolley.  He was content to just stay in his basket and even snoozed part of the way. What a lucky dog!


It was fun day out and we hope the weather holds so we get another day trip soon.

Relaxing, Sunny Day

We spent the majority of the day sitting outside and visiting with neighbors.  It was nice.  

One couple (Cathy and Larry) that we met two years ago when we were here, are back again for this winter.  They are from Michigan, grew up and lived near where Roger did, but live in a rural area now near Grand Rapids.  Their daughter and son-in-law are here - he's a Marine helicopter pilot stationed at Miramar.  Cathy and Larry spend the winters here helping out with grandkids and visiting with the family.  (She's the one who helped me with the DAR geneology stuff.) Anyway, the son-in-law just got orders today to Pensacola!  We had lots to talk about and share with them. Cathy walks with me often when I take Maggs out for her morning long walk. 

Tomorrow we are going to show them how to catch the trolley and go into Old Town San Diego, have lunch and stroll around, and then come back. Should be a fun day.  It's the last day of sun scheduled for over a week so we are all eager to make the most of it.  I might even have some photos to post.

I got a haircut this afternoon and that was the grand total of activity for the day excluding walks with the dog.  

It's been quite refreshing being outside, the sun feels good, and every day I feel better.

We have some episodes of "Homeland" to binge watch over the next two days before they are due back at the library, so that will be our evening entertainment.  

Postal holiday today - no yarn delivered.  

Intermittent Sunshine Today

Cool and breezy today with intermittent sun.  Some is better than none!  We are looking at three more days of sun, then six days of rain :-(    Hope they are wrong.

We went out for lunch at the Thai place.  They still have their nice Christmas decorations up.  Maybe they are just getting an early start for next year?  

Roger did some more home repair today on the door frame. The molding keeps popping off.  He then braved the cool breeze just so he could be outside and work on his puzzle.  He should be finished with this one by the next rain so will need a new one to do inside.

Maggie and I got our normal two mile walk in this morning. There wasn't a lot new to see.  As I said yesterday, lots of folks here this weekend.  

I spent the afternoon trying to figure out the new geneology software  I bought the first of the month and how to get it to talk to the new website  I joined.  A little frustrating.  Certainly not as user friendly yet as Ancestry had become.  It's forcing me to learn something new - good for "the little grey cells."  

We met another neighbor today - also a retired Navy master chief.  He and Rog will have stuff to talk about.  He's having issues with his big fancy motorhome.  Just got it back from a week in the shop and now his bedroom slider won't move and his bed is stuck in the upright position.  He's not a happy camper this week. Something to be said for RVs with fewer moving parts! 

The yarn was last spotted somewhere in the LA area.  Maybe this week sometime I'll have it?????  I ordered it on the 28th of December but lots of complications, including weather, has made it quite a journey for it to get here. 

A Very Therapuetic Day

Sunshine is so awesome!  How different the world looks when the sun is shining!!  Not just to us, but to everyone we encountered today.  

Maggie and I did a half-walk this morning - I'm still not up to the whole thing.  Everyone was outside.  Seriously!  Dogs, kids, parents, old folks, teenagers, everyone.  One neighbor said she was sitting in the sun to kill the "mold" from being inside. Another neighbor told me he is now sure that his GPS gave him bum advice and instead of pointing the way to San Diego sent him to Seattle.  Kids were in their galoshes splashing in the puddles and playing in the mud and parents just let them.  I'm sure it was ok since the alternative was having them inside another day.   There was a cacophony of voices coming from everywhere.  Everyone talking to someone, kids playing,  dogs barking,  and music playing.  A busy beehive of a park today. People and cars coming and going non stop.  It being a three day weekend, the place is packed.  I'm just glad the weekenders will get some nice weather for their stay.  

After our walk, I threw caution to the wind and just sat in the sun for half an hour with no hat, no sunscreen, no sunglasses.  I figured maybe if the sun could kill the neighbor's "mold" it would really work on my virus germs.  Maggie joined me and stretched out in her "flat dog" pose enjoying being outside.  It felt soooo good.  

We changed the bedding, wiped down surfaces with Lysol wipes, opened the windows and just let the cool breeze blow through the RV.  We swept up the little stones and gravel that have been coming in on shoes and little paws, and it just made the whole place seem so much nicer.  

I gave Roger a haircut outside in the sun.  I made three meals today (Rog did the cleanup) and we went to the library to return movies and pick up two books I had on hold that came in at the same time.  (I'm going to  have to do some speed reading.) I'm on the mend for sure.

Roger worked on our one leak in the RV.  There is one spot at the base of the bedroom slider on my side of the bed that seems to let the water in. We stuff it with a towel but still the carpet and underfloor get wet.  He's been trying to fix this leak since we got this RV.  Maybe today's efforts worked as he went after the problem from a different perspective. We just can't figure out how the water gets in - it's not obvious at all.   We'll find out soon if his effort paid off, as by the end of next week we are expecting three or four more days of rain.  :-(

Spotted a coyote running through our site about dinner time. Maggs didn't see it, thank goodness.  She would have gone ballistic. 

Still no yarn.  

We're Back

It's been a rough week.  The cold has really hammered me and I was down for the count for a couple of days.  Fever, etc.  I couldn't even play "WORDS" because I couldn't spell anything, let alone put two sentences together to write a blog entry.  The fever had me pretty out of it and I slept for a day and a half. Today I'm slowly climbing out of the hole.  Not often I am sick, but when I am I don't mess about.

Roger's feeling better, physically, but being in the RV for four days in the rain with me sick and Maggie needing attention has been tough on him.  He's been making meals, cleaning up, running errands, and walking the dog.  Today he did laundry. Poor guy just can't get a break.  If he doesn't see the sun soon he might go stark raving mad!  

When Roger goes to the store with a list - that's what he buys. Not one thing more.  How does he do that?  

We've been watching movies and recorded PBS shows in the afternoons.  So unlike us, but we have been desperate for entertainment.

Tomorrow the rain is supposed to be non-existent and by Monday we are supposed to see the sun.  We'll believe it when we see it.  

Still no yarn delivery.  Wonder where it is?  The last tracking notice said it was diverted or something like that.   I'm hoping it means the post office has forwarded it here. 

That's the news from Santee.  

Quick Note

Both of us sick today.  If we had jobs we would have called in.  

I'm hoping today was the peak of the cold cycle and tomorrow will show an improvement in symptoms.

Roger's cold is just about totally gone, but he spent a couple hours at urgent care today so he could get some antibiotics for a UTI.  (First one he's ever had.)  

I found a wireless printer on-line that was cheaper than replacing the cartridges in the 10 year old HP we've been hauling around.  It's an all-in-one Canon and we spent the afternoon setting it up. (Slow downloads on WIFI)  We can now print from any of our devices!!!  So techy for old people, but we figured it out.  

Sun was in and out today after a full day of rain yesterday but cool and windy, so no sitting in the sun.  Had hoped to sit out there and clear out the germs.  Oh, well.  Tomorrow and Friday we are supposed to have rain all day, then a week of nice weather is predicted.  Can't wait.

I Didn't Escape

We figured out that if showed no cold symptoms by the end of today I was home free.  Woke up this morning all plugged up and have been getting progressively worse all day.  Oh, well. Almost escaped it.

We've had a couple of nice days but expect rain again tomorrow.  Perfect for staying in and resting, right?  We have plans for Tuesday with some neighbors to go to Old Town via the trolley.  Will probably have to postpone.  It's the only good weather day in the near future and I'm not sure I'll be up to it.

I have found accommodations for a few nights in Yuma when we leave here in March, with the idea of doing recon work looking for places.  Haven't got any further on those plans.  

Roger's making some scrambled eggs and toast for me for dinner, so will close.  

Sunshine and Laundry

The sun came out today - the sky was cloudless.  It was fantastic.  A bit cool, but, hey, that's ok.  No rain!

We weren't the only ones who were happy.  When Maggie and I went for our walk around 10am, I think everyone was outside. I've not encountered so many people and dogs on one walk since we've been here.  Everyone had a smile on their face. Maggie just kept going today.  We ended up doing an extra half mile!  She was so happy to be out and about. 

Laundry day, again.  Easy in and easy out.  No lines. Roger put the laundry in the truck, leaving the door to the RV and the truck door open while he loaded.  Maggie decided she didn't want to be left, I guess, because we found her sitting on the console between the two front seats.  

We are monitoring the weather info for home as it's been snowing for a few days, now heavy rain is expected.  Flooding is a major issue.  We hope all our family and friends stay high and dry!

Nothing else going on.  We hope for another non-rainy day tomorrow.   Roger's cold is improving - hardly any coughing today.  We figure if I make it past Sunday without symptoms, then I escaped from this one.  

As our neighbor said yesterday, "it's a glorious day."  It was - the sun was shining and we could all come out of our caves!  

Despite Roger still feeling yucky, we did go get groceries.  It required a nap when he got back, though.   We think today is the "peak" of his cold and improvement is eminent.  

It rained today.  ALL day.  Need I say more?

I put a pot of chili in the crockpot - rainy days make me want to cook soup or bake or both.  Since we are refraining from sweets, soup won out.  

I did finish a very good book (Jo Nesbo - Headhunters) while Roger and Maggie napped.  At the same time I got lots of turns playing "WORDS" with my friend in Reno.  She was inside today because of five inches of snow there (with more coming down). We did go back and forth all afternoon and it was fun.  I thought I had lost the ability to multitask once I retired, but I did pretty good this afternoon.  

We are hoping for no rain tomorrow and for Roger to feel better.  

Coyotes and a Cold

Well, Rog was right, again.  It's a cold and not allergies.  He's been feeling pretty run down the last two days.  He's not sleeping well because he can't breathe and has a cough - the whole cold thing. Unfortunately, he can't take decongestants, so he just suffers through it.  Fortunately, he only gets a cold maybe once every five years or so.  I'm hoping he doesn't share. 

I'm having some back/sciatic pain that had me a bit slow yesterday.  Between Roger's cold and my aches and pains, the weather captured our moods.  (I'm thinking the fall down the stairs might have irritated the nerve bundle a bit. It's been testy ever since.)  

Yesterday we stuck around home.  It was cool and cloudy and not much fun to be outside.  We did take a few short walks around the immediate neighborhood with Maggie.  No long walks.  The coyotes had invaded the park in the daylight.  We hear them at night, but we don't usually see or hear them during the day.  Yesterday they decided that running around the RVs and up and down the streets was the thing to do.  Park security tried chasing them off, but they kept coming back.  I saw two cruising around and talked to other people who saw, either the same ones or others.  One guy said he saw a "pack." Little dogs make nice snacks, so we were told to stay close to the RV with Maggie.  Some people, though, are so stupid.  Yes, I know, I hate that word, but they are.  One woman was outside with her small child and they were chasing the coyotes trying to keep up.  "They're so cute."  Geez, woman, what is wrong with you?  

What seems to be happening is that on the west side of Santee Lakes, up on the hillside, they are clearing land for about 400 homes.  It's displacing critters of all sizes.  The coyotes have pups and they have no food, so they come down into the park. They get chased off, but they really have no where else to go. You see scat all over the park in the mornings when you walk, but this brazen invasion during the daytime is unusual.  We didn't see any today and they are awfully quiet tonight.

The weather today was not much nicer than the last few days. Gloomy, cool, and felt like rain any minute.  I had a nice long walk with Maggie, who was raring to go after  being cooped up yesterday and kept up a pretty good pace as we walked all the way to the lakes. She did not once do her "I'm not going there" routine.  It did feel good to get out and stretch and look at the birds. This egret was gorgeous and let us just walk right by, although it kept a wary eye on us.  It didn't phase Maggie at all - she just kept going.

We did go into town today for lunch at a local deli, stop at the library on the way back, and stop at the office to pay rent for the next month. Rog took a nap, after we got back, and I spent the time researching RV parks in Arizona. Nothing appealed to me.  I'll keep looking. Friends are texting and emailing suggestions, so that helps a lot. 

I told the ladies in the office about my goof up regarding the shipment of the yarn I ordered.  I asked if they would pretty please accept the package if/when it arrives.  I say, if, because I have no idea if the post office will forward it.  Right now it is sitting in Bakersfield.  I could go up there and get it faster than it will take to get here.  The ladies were nice and said that I just need to make sure it doesn't sit down there for days on end. (Of course I was admonished not to do it again.)  So, maybe I'll have some yarn to crochet here within a week or so.  

Roger's such a good Mr. Fixit - he got that old DVD recorder working and hooked up to the park's cable and we were able to record Sherlock on Sunday (9:00-10:30 - past our bedtime) and watch it last night.  The reception on the cable is less than satisfactory, but we can't have everything, right?  

Happy New Year's Day!

Not much excitement here today.  There were lots of RVs pulling out, changing sites, and coming in so we were entertained watching them.  We were surprised at the number of people who spent the week here celebrating Christmas and then New Year's Eve.  The guys across the way who helped us with our mattress were among those families who came here for Christmas "vacation."  It was nice to see everyone having a low key holiday and having fun as a family.   There were a few die-hards last night, sitting under their awnings or portable gazebos with a fire going despite the off and on rain.  Everyone making the most of the situation.  Us?  Well, in bed at our usual 9pm, lights out at 10!  

Rog didn't sleep well last night.  He thinks he might be coming down with a cold but I'm thinking it's allergies as mine are acting up, too. He took a nap this afternoon, which made him feel better, but still not 100%.  He did one of the long walks with Maggie and me today - I think just to get outside and be in the fresh air.  It was too chilly for sitting outside and there was only intermittent sunshine today.  We expect more rain tonight and tomorrow.  We made it here in time for monsoon season!

I spent the afternoon surfing the web looking at RV parks in Arizona.  Thanks to friends' suggestions I had a list of parks to look at.  We are seriously looking at leaving here for March and going to the Phoenix/Tucson area to look around.  I found what looks like a nice place between Phoenix and Tucson outside of Casa Grande.  I'll make reservations tomorrow when they are open.  

Finally, PBS is no longer "begging" and a new Masterpiece Mystery (our favorite show) is scheduled for tonight - Sherlock. But, it's on past our bedtime, so Roger spent a bunch of time today trying to get a very old recorder that we bought years ago to work.  When we ditched the box for Dish, we didn't even think about the recording issues. He wasn't having much luck so we went to Best Buy to get a new recorder that would work with the TV. Well, we found out that you aren't allowed to record over the air programs - something about piracy laws - so they don't sell recorders anymore.  Bummer. Looks like a late night on Sundays and a sleep-in on Monday mornings!  But Roger is not one to give up - so he's still messing about with the old recorder as I write this and is determined to make it work despite the fact it isn't supposed to.   

We have a lot of travel planned for 2017.  It better be a good year!