December 24, 2005

December 24, 2005

Yuma, Arizona

YEAR 2 DAY 190

 

I sadly remember my father, who died on Christmas Eve 10 years ago.

Today was intensely sunny, with temperature in the low 80's. Don't you hate when Christmas Eve is this stinking hot ? ! ? HA HA HA HA HA < SNORT SNORT > HA HA HA < SNORT > HA !

I had another lazy, slow start to a lazy, slow day. This morning after sleeping in, I drained the waste holding tanks and refilled the fresh water tank. This should have been done tomorrow, but I didn't want to do it on Christmas Day. Then I closed the awning, into the travel position. I reviewed yesterday's incoming e-mails, and composed responses. We spent some time doing trip planning, and researching RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas ( "The Valley" in RV'er parlance ) where we will likely spend a few weeks or a month. I bought a newspaper, and spent much of the day sitting outside reading it.

We took Bo for a long obedience training walk, and off leash play session in the fenced dog run area.. After an obedience walk in the hot sun, he was too hot to want to play much. I brought Teddy along in his sling carrier. We stopped to chat with a resident couple, and visit with their cat. I wanted to ask the man about his really interesting fifth wheel hauler truck bed insert. Teddy, hanging on my side in his sling carrier, hissed at their cat when the woman lifted her to be nose to nose with Teddy. Stupid cat ! Then Bo approached their cat, sniffing at her nose. Since she was declawed, I had no concern when she started batting Bo hard on his face with her front paw. Bo, likewise, had no concern. He just stood there continuing to sniff as this cat smacked him repeatedly across the nose. Stupid dog ! How do I end up raising such sweet but stupid animals ? ! ?

We had lunch, I wrapped Joanne's gifts, then we spent the afternoon sitting outside reading the newspaper, enjoying the wonderful weather. Teddy spent the afternoon in his little cat tent. Teddy and I both are becoming very enamoured of Yuma's climate. As the sun set, we took Bo for another long walk, followed by a tennis ball play session. Yesterday, luminaries ( small paper bags partially filled with sand, and a tea light candle on top of the sand ) were placed at the front corners of each site. Tonight at dusk they were lit, to burn throughout the evening. Apparently this is a Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve tradition at this park. Yesterday when I first noticed a luminary on the corner of our site, I shuddered with the memory of our first assignment at YMCA Of The Ozarks 14 months ago. For Hallowe'en we placed and lit a couple of hundred of these kinds of luminaries along the hilly road from Trout Lodge to Triangle Y Ranch.

While Joanne prepared our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of tourtiere, I did today's accounting and started today's journal entry. She had a bit of pie dough left over, and was going to throw it out. No way ! I made little Medjool date filled perogies with it. HA HA HA ! Well, not really perogies, I guess. More like puff pastries.

We had supper, then tried, unsuccessfully, to find something to watch on TV. I refuse to watch "It's A Wonderful Life", perhaps the worst movie ever made, in my humble opinion. While Joanne watched some other mindless Christmas movie, I brushed Bo. What a gorgeous looking fellow, for about 10 minutes.

DSK