This morning we did a fun Bo-gility session. We went to the storage area of our RV park to replace the bathroom faucet in Elsie the truck camper. I removed the old faucet and installed the new one. It leaked. I fiddled and fussed with it. It continued to leak ! I finally discovered that a special type of RV faucet washer was missing. < sigh > I'll have to go buy some tomorrow.
Much of the afternoon was taken up with a meeting of the Welcome Committee. Ideas were tossed around and "welcome packages" were prepared. Back at home I polished Joanne's new SAS sandals, then we went on the daily pack walk in the dog park. Today the pack was four dogs ; Bo, Sammy, Riley, and Chester. After the pack walk it was time for Sunday evening ice cream social.
Big turnout for tonight's ice cream social. Afterwards we chatted with friends until it was time to go home for supper and Downton Abbey. Late in the evening I reconciled January's investment statements. HMPH ... fairly decent month in the stock markets !
Monday ; Happy 11th Birthday to Bo
Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a pot roast in the Sun Oven today. It was so good !
This morning we said goodbye to our new Quebecois friends André and Christiane as they departed for a day of adventures on their way to Palm Springs. We helped them plan their day, with stops for fuel and groceries at Fry's, date shakes at Bard, burritos at Holtville, "The Slabs" near Niland on the Salton Sea, and finally, arriving in Palm Springs to boondock at a casino overnight before heading on to Joshua Tree National Park tomorrow. Bonne journée, mes amis !
We loaded up all our recycling and we took it to the recycling place. We went shopping for an RV part that I needed to finish the installation of the new bathroom faucet in Elsie. The first RV parts store that I went to didn't have what I needed. Well ... that's probably not correct. They likely had it. But the two "knowledgeable" sales people on duty were "too busy" to help the untrained sales person that was serving me, and she didn't know where to find it. Typical of that particular business ! And why I vowed years ago to stop shopping there. And yet ... almost every year I return there once, when
I need something small, and cheap, and I need it quickly. Because they are close to Kofa Ko-op RV Park. So ... once each year I go there ... just to get myself aggravated,
I guess ! We drove all the way out to The Foothills. To buy what I needed at Al's RV Service & Supply, of course. < shaking my head in despair > I really need to stop going to "the other place" !
We returned home. I went to finish the work on Elsie. Joanne went shopping by herself. I had lunch and napped briefly with Sully. I caulked the exterior trim on the Arizona room now that Joanne had finished painting it. And so that project is now complete. Joanne retuned home and we took Bo for the daily pack walk, then washed the truck. Road grime from the recent Palm Springs trip !
We had that wonderful pot roast for supper, then watched Celebrity Apprentice. Isn't Geraldo obnoxious ? Sure hope he doesn't win next week !
Tuesday ; Happy 66th Birthday to my sister Sharon
Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked Succotash in the Sun Oven today.
This morning I did a minor repair on Lanoire the truck, and some minor maintenance on Elsie the truck camper. I strongly believe that preventive maintenance prevents a lot of problems, and prompt repairs keep small problems from becoming big problems. This afternoon we did our regular Tuesday afternoon shift at the Humane Society. Joanne "cuddled" cats. I walked dogs. On the way home we passed a dead cat on the side of the road. It had been there for about three days and I was tired of seeing it there.
I picked it up and we returned to the Humane Society where I "disposed" of it. Rest in peace, little kitty. Too bad your owners were too stupid or too lazy to keep you safe !
Back at home we went on the daily pack walk, then had new friends visit with us in our Arizona room. We bumped into old friends who were here visiting briefly when we went to the clubhouse to check our mailbox. I phoned my sister to wish her Happy Birthday.
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne baked a butter tart loaf and cookies in the Sun Oven today.
This morning I placed a bid on a trailer transport job in B.C., to be done on April 30 and May 1. I placed my bid in the last half hour of a week long bidding auction. My bid was the second lowest, and was the only bid agreeable to those exact dates. Wish me luck.
I did an obedience session with Bo. We trimmed Bo's and Sully's nails. We gave Bo a bath. I removed the truck's spare tire from underneath the truck and put it in the bed of the truck. I will be taking it for repair tomorrow. It's still losing air very slowly, about 10 PSI per month. I did a minor repair on a dinette chair.
We hosted today's weekly Social Hour & Potluck from 5 PM to 6 PM. Consequently, no 5 PM pack walk in the dog park today. Joanne and I went to the clubhouse at 4:30 to prepare. We set up three tables for food, set up chairs at the tables that needed them, set out salt and pepper shakers ... that sort of thing. As people arrived with their contributions we set them up on the food tables.
I became irritated with the number of women who thought they should wander over to the food tables and "assist" me in setting up the food. One even thought she should "instruct" me in the "correct" way to set up potluck food tables. Listen you bunch of ...
Now ... about thirty hours later ... late Thursday evening ... I have come back to this entry, and wisely deleted the rest of that rant !
Afterwards ... < taking deep breath > ... Joanne did laundry. We watched the final episode of "The Book Of Negroes" on CBC.
Thursday ; Sunny, very warm, windy.
This morning we headed out for a day of running errands ... and a teensy bit of fun. Our ninety-four year old friend Eilene came along. She returned last night at midnight from a three week trip to Florida, and she needed groceries. First stop was Pep Boys Auto.
I dropped off the truck's spare tire at their service department hoping that they would be able to find the very slow leak in the tire. And I bought a seat cover for our truck in their retail store. Next stop was ... WOO-HOO ... Harbor Freight. I needed three items. Each of the three of us bought one item. So each of the three of us could use a coupon for a free item. And we each used a twenty percent off coupon on the item purchased. SO ... three needed items purchased, each at twenty percent off, and three free items. I love Harbor Freight !
Next was lunch at a new restaurant ; Carnivores of Yuma. What a lot of meat ! HA HA HA ! The buffet restaurant features many different types of meat cooked outdoors on their huge barbecue in front of the restaurant, and a large soup, salad, and dessert bar. The only thing that stunned me more than the amount of meat that Joanne was capable of eating today was ... the astounding amount of meat that Eilene ate ! ! ! HA HA HA ... you go, girls !
From Carnivores of Yuma we went to Food City. While Joanne and Eilene shopped for groceries I installed the new truck seat cover. After Food City we went to West Wetlands Park. I wanted to see West Wetlands Park, and particularly, West Wetlands Pond, a 1.3 acre pond stocked monthly with Rainbow Trout. What an interesting idea. Fishing for Rainbow Trout out here in the desert, in a lovely park equipped with shade ramadas, and picnic tables, and playground, and walking trails, etc. There are four such parks with ponds stocked with fish here in the Yuma area, and I want to see them before we leave at the beginning of April. Maybe I'll bring fishing gear next year. We walked around the pond. I chatted with a couple that were fishing. We used our birding book to identify the three interesting birds "fishing" in the pond ; Ring-necked Ducks, a Great Egret, and an Osprey. We see Osprey at home in B.C., but never as close as the one we saw one today.
From West Wetlands Park we returned to Pep Boys Auto. They were unsuccessful in finding a leak in the tire < sigh >. The leak is so slow ... about 10 PSI per month ... that two auto repair shops have failed to locate the leak. And changing the screw in valve stem did not solve the problem < sigh >.
We returned home. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I picked up and reinstalled our refilled propane tank. I went bicycling at dusk. Lovely sunset !
Bo seems to have an upper respiratory infection. DARN ! I started administering the pet "cold" medication we bought in Mexico two years ago. It has worked for Sully. We hope it will work for Bo. He is sneezing SO hard and so frequently ! And his nose is running !
Friday ; Sunny, very warm, a bit windy. Joanne cooked Hungarian Goulash in the Sun Oven today.
Joanne was sick in the middle of the night, with diarrhea and vomiting. So much for Carnivores of Yuma ! ! !
My day started with a phone call from a lawyer in Toronto. She works for the law firm that represents the group of PET VALU franchisees that launched a class action lawsuit against PET VALU Inc., the franchisor, in 2010. The class action affects all franchisees from 2004 and onwards. We sold the last of our four stores in March or April 2004, so ... we will be entitled to a three or four month share of the class action settlement. HA HA HA ! That's likely to be a sum like ... I don't know ... maybe eight dollars ? ! ? HA HA HA ! Minus legal fees, of course ! HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !
I did routine chores. I remounted the spare tire underneath the truck. I climbed up on the roof of the trailer and recoated a section of roof with rubber roof coating. I napped in the Arizona room with Bo. He's sick with an upper respiratory infection ... a "cold". AND ... apparently ... so am I ! I think I'm coming down with my second cold of this winter season.
We have stopped taking Bo on the daily pack walk. We think he's probably "contagious" and we shouldn't put other dogs at risk of catching his "cold".
Tomorrow is Kofa Ko-op’s spring “yard sale”. While we were walking around the park at 6:30 PM enjoying the lovely sunset, we noticed a neighbour putting out a set of mobile home steps for sale tomorrow. We bought the steps to put in the dog park behind our fence. Currently we have a two step unit there. We bought a three step unit. HEY ... Bo’s not getting any younger. Two steps then over the wall is becoming a big challenge for him. Three steps will make things easier.
Saturday ; Valentine's Day
Sunny and very warm. This morning we wandered all around the entire RV park. Buying stuff ! GEEEEZZZZZ ! ! ! Whatever happened to our "minimalist lifestyle" that "someone" was so eager for eleven years ago ? ! ? Last night we bought a set of mobile home steps. Today we bought a life jacket for me to use while fly fishing in the Similkameen River and a small, folding, oak end table for use in Harvey the fifth wheel trailer. As well as some small free items we acquired ; tire shine spray, mosquito coils, gardening gloves.
This afternoon we did a minor but very important repair on Elsie the truck camper. A small crack had developed in the aluminum skin, emanating outwards from a window frame. Cracks like that develop from the torqueing and twisting motions of travelling ... well ... where we like to travel ! We are not "interstate only" kind of RV'ers. I employed an aluminum skin repair technique that I learned from being a pilot of aluminum skinned, old Cessna airplanes. Well done, Daniel.
Joanne went shopping by herself. I read a book and napped with the animals in the Arizona room. Poor Bo is still sneezing extremely heavily. He almost falls over, the sneezes are so powerful. And he sometimes smacks his face on the ground as he sneezes. He’s a bit lethargic. I have temporarily discontinued doing obedience and agility with him. And we do not allow him to meet other dogs so that he does not transmit the cold to others. We walk him in the dog park alone. Poor Bo !
DSK
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