This morning we replenished the Welcome Committee supplies and delivered them and the golf cart to this upcoming week's Welcome Committee volunteers. During our week we welcomed thirteen new arrivals to Kofa Ko-op.
Joanne went grocery shopping with a neighbour. We trimmed Bo's claws. We spent most of the day slowly preparing for departure, mostly preparing the trailer to be put into storage. Late in the afternoon we soaked in the swimming pool, then attended the ice cream social, then took Bo for a walk around the dog park.
Monday ; Sunny nad very hot again. < sigh > Should I backspace and correct that ? The heat made today's activities very difficult.
We spent most of the day "moving". Joanne unloaded all the food from the trailer's fridge and cupboards into our shed fridge and onto Arizona room counter and table space. I prepared the trailer for storage including back flushing the waste holding tanks. We installed the fifth wheel hitch into the truck and hitched the truck to the trailer. We towed the trailer to the storage yard, parked it, removed the hitch from the truck, then loaded the camper onto the truck. WHEW ! Much too hot for all that physical, outdoor work !
We returned to our lot with the camper on the truck. Joanne moved food from the Arizona room to the camper, went to cool off in the swimming pool, then did laundry.
I worked on setting things up in the camper, including setting up the TV connection to the park's cable, and setting up the computer and Wi-Fi, then I took Bo for a walk in the dog park. He refused to walk with me. He was too hot, as well as being confused and upset by moving from the trailer to the truck camper, but not going anywhere ! I went to the pool for awhile to cool off, then went bicycling at dusk.
Tuesday ; Still sunny and very hot.
We spent much of today packing and loading stuff into the camper. I'm guilty of having purchased way too much stuff this winter that is for our northern / summer home. This afternoon we worked our last volunteer shift of the season at the Humane Society of Yuma. When we returned home we went to the swimming pool briefly to cool off, then went out for dinner with neighbours. Cathy and Jim treated us to dinner at Olive Garden to express their appreciation for having repositioned their new trailer a few days ago.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very hot again.
Today we completed preparations for departure tomorrow. Everything that needs to be loaded into the camper is. Everything that needs to be put away in the shed or Arizona room is. The trailer is "summerized".
I made the mistake ( in hindsight ) of asking ( yesterday ) the park's "technical committee" to come over today and attempt to rectify the bad cable TV signal in our lot, a problem that has persisted for the three and a half years / four winter seasons that we have owned our lot. The "Mutt and Jeff" antics of the two technical committee members who came over this morning, coupled with my impatience and horrible people skills, just about resulted in the destruction of one of the more valuable and cherished friendships
I have in this park. I hope my subsequent peace offering was as well received as it appeared to be.
Marilu and Sammy the Australian Shepherd came by for a farewell visit this afternoon. After all our work was done we went to cool off in the swimming pool, then took Bo for his final lap around the dog park just before sunset. I timed the barbecuing of a steak for supper so that it would be ready just as Survivor was to begin. I brought in the barbecued steak, we sat down to eat, I turned on the TV, and ... we got to see the last five minutes of the episode. **** ! ! ! DUH ! ! ! I was hooked up to the park's cable TV instead of our satellite dish ! Survivor was on at 7 PM instead of 8 PM !
Thursday ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California
Sunny nad hot < gritting teeth and rolling eyes >.
This morning we completed our departure preparations, locked up the shed and Arizona room, said our goodbyes to many neighbours, paid our propane and electricity bills for March, and left Kofa Ko-op about 11 AM. We stopped at Wal-Mart for a few items and Fry's to refill with diesel before heading out of Yuma, on Interstate 8 heading west across the Colorado River into California.
We thought our grieving for Sully was over. It wasn't ! As we passed by the Quechan Casino, and the road leading to Los Algodones, Mexico, and the pet cemetery where Sully is buried, we said a final farewell to Sully. And choked back tears. We miss him. This is our first trip without him.
As always when we head west from Yuma, we stopped in Holtville to buy burritos at Holtville Taco Shop. My goodness, their California Burritos are great ! Carne asada / diced, spicy seasoned, grilled meat, pico de gallo, guacamole, and fries all wrapped into an harina ( wheat flour ) tortilla making a burrito as thick as my wrist ! I told Joanne she couldn't eat a whole one for lunch, but she insisted that I buy two. I ate mine, then late in the evening, after Village Fest in downtown Palm Springs, I ate her lunch leftovers. HA HA HA ! I told you so !
About an hour after eating lunch, I was tired so we stopped at Red Earth Casino near Salton Sea Beach and I took a nap. We continued on to Palm Springs, arriving at the Palm Springs dog park about 5 PM. Hey, Bo ... wake up ... big surprise ! WOO-HOO ! Bo LOOOOOVES the Palm Springs dog park ! We spent about an hour and a half there, alternating back and forth between the little dog side and the big dog side. Bo is comfortable on both sides. As a matter of fact, he's the one who decides when it's time to switch from one side to the other. HA HA HA ... you go, Bo !
On Thursday evenings about a mile long stretch of Palm Springs main street becomes Village Fest, closed to vehicles and lined with specialty vendors of all kinds. We drove downtown and with some difficulty found a parking spot. We walked the length of Village Fest and back, browsing one side of the street in one direction, and the other side of the street on the way back. We bought some fresh produce and ... baking, of course. HA HA HA !
When we returned to where Lanoire and Elsie were parked, I munched on Joanne's leftover burrito, then we drove across Palm Springs and east on Interstate 10 to Spotlight 29 Casino where we boondocked overnight after having a very late, light supper.
Good Friday ; Sunny and very warm.
When we attended the "Big Tent Show" in Quartzsite in January we entered a draw. And won two free nights at Caliente Springs RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs. So ... here we are !
This morning before leaving the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino we went inside the casino to see if their buffet restaurant would be serving Easter brunch. They are !
We decided to go there for Easter brunch. We have boondocked at Spotlight 29 Casino a few times. It's about time we spend some money there. Their Easter brunch price is a bit steep but ... HEY ... this is Palm Springs. Palm Springs does a lot of things really well. But ... they don't do "cheap".
The United States does not have the same "statutory holiday" labour concept as Canada, so ... all businesses were open today. We drove to Trader Joe's in the "suburb" of La Quinta. We had not been to that Trader Joe's location before. We didn't buy much because we'll be shopping at Trader Joe's again in Oregon. No tax ! We decided to treat Bo to another visit to the Palm Springs dog park. After that we decided to treat ourselves to a late lunch at Sherman's Deli. MMMMM ! ! !
For many years Kurt Russell and his wife Goldie Hawn have lived in Palm Springs.
I think the man sitting at the table next to us at Sherman's Deli was their son. He was a spitting image of Kurt Russell about thirty years ago. He looked like him. He sounded like him. He had his mannerisms.
I wondered why there were so many women walking around downtown Palm Springs today wearing ... bathing suits and high heels. HUH ? Well ... there is a lesbian "gathering" in Palm Springs this weekend and many of the events are pool parties. Only in Palm Springs !
We drove from Palm Springs on the south side of Interstate 10 to Desert Hot Springs on the north side of Interstate 10 and checked into Caliente Hot Springs RV Resort. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV and napping. Before having a late supper and watching Amazing Race we went and "took the waters" ... soaking in the resort's natural hot springs fed pools. AHHHHHH !
Saturday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning we headed out to the College of the Desert weekend outdoor market, sort of an upscale flea market with over 250 vendors. Only in Palm Springs could you find a flea market with a vendor selling used Bentleys and Mercedes convertibles ! HA HA HA ! I bought two belts. I had a difficult time making a decision ; belts ... Mercedes convertible ... belts ... Mercedes convertible. Joanne made the decision for me. She liked the two belts I chose. She didn't like any of the three Mercedes convertibles. HA HA HA !
We had lunch in the camper in the parking lot of College of the Desert. We drove back to Desert Hot Springs to shop at the women's swimwear shop Glossy, the ONLY place that Joanne can buy bathing suits < rolling eyes >. She bought two new bathing suits. We walked down the street to Angel View, a thrift shop. I bought two bathing suits and a pair of pyjama shorts. < shrug > What can I say ?
We drove back to downtown Palm Springs to shop at Joanne's favourite thrift store, Revivals. Yes, yes, I know it's an oxymoron, but Revivals is truly an upscale thrift store. Today they had a baby grand piano ... second time we've seen a baby grand piano there ... a restored player piano, and ... a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes ! ! !
On the way back to Desert Hot Springs we stopped at a supermarket, Ralph's, to buy some hot dog buns for tomorrow evening when we have a campfire and wiener roast at Quartzsite. Final stop was the Palm Springs dog park. WOO-HOO ... three days in a row for Bo at the Palm Springs dog park.
Once back at Caliente Springs we went for a soak in the multiple swimming pools and hot tubs, each at a different temperature. We had a late, simple supper and spent the evening watching some really stupid reality TV shows.
DSK
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