February 21 to 27, 2016

Sunday ; Sunny and hot. I baked potatoes and eggs in the Sun Oven today, to make potato salad for supper tonight.

This morning we did Bo-gility in our back yard, in the dog park behind our rear fence, and ... along the top of our rear fence. < sigh > Bo is certainly getting old. Not as much "spring" as he used to have.

This afternoon I started a landscaping job. I removed a section of Mexican brick pave stones around our water spigot, perhaps six feet by six feet or so. I am going to replace the Mexican brick pave stones with gravel to provide better drainage around the water spigot. Joanne helped me load the broken bricks and the intact bricks into the bed of the truck. We dumped the broken bricks into one of the park's dumpsters, and piled the intact bricks on the large pile of Mexican bricks stockpiled near the landscape shed.

We went to look at a car a neighbour is selling. It's the right age and price range for us. It's in excellent condition, but ... it has a standard transmission. Joanne won't accept a standard transmission. So ... no sale !

We went to the regular Sunday late afternoon / early evening ice cream social. We chatted with a newly arrived couple from our home town of Winnipeg. We've met and chatted with them before, a few years ago. Before living in Winnipeg they lived at the RV park "next door" to ours back home in BC.

Monday ; Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico
Sunny and hot.

This morning as I was using my WaterPik, my temporary crown ... fell off ! < shrug >

As we were preparing to leave for Mexico, for my 12:30 PM dentist appointment to remove the temporary crown and install a permanent one, there was a knock at the door. It was an old man, probably in his 90's. He wanted to visit our Arizona room. He was the original owner of this lot, when the park was developed thirty years ago. And most significantly, it was him who built the large shed and wonderful Arizona room that we now enjoy. He told us the very sad story of how his wife, dying of cancer in 1999, spent her final days in a wheelchair in the Arizona room, enjoying the sun, warmth, and view. Thank you for coming to visit, and sharing your story with us, Hugh.

When we arrived in Los Algodones Joanne went to have a manicure and pedicure while I went to the dentist. She arrived at the dental clinic after her manicure and pedicure before I even got in to see the dentist. I try hard to be patient, but ... I don't really succeed !  I understand that the dental clinic has a short window of opportunity to make money during the very short peak Snowbird season of January and February, but ... I'm VERY irritated by the number of "walk in" clients that they accept and "squeeze in".
It resulted in those of us with appointments being delayed an hour and a half ! When
I finally got in to see the dentist, the "installation" of the permanent crown went well.

After the dentist, because I was unable to eat for at least an hour, and because I was suffering a bit of discomfort, Joanne thought we should just leave Mexico and return home. We went to a pharmacy and bought the antibiotic mouthwash the dentist prescribed, then headed for the border crossing. The line up to cross the border today was only about twenty minutes long. Once back across the border we drove to the "secret" pet cemetery where Sully's grave is, and placed a red silk rose that Bill and Lynne gave to us to put on his grave. Thank you, Bill and Lynne. Once back in Yuma we stopped at Home Depot to buy an item.

Once we were back at home we both lay down to take a nap. At 6 PM ... dog pack walk time ... there was another knock on the door. Bill and Liz came to ask us to join them on a final pack walk, and ... to give us all their food. HUH ? ! ? Because Bill had a heart attack last week, their Canadian travel medical insurer called them today to tell them that they would no longer cover any heart related medical expenses, starting in five days. So ... Bill and Liz have five days to drive back to Canada. We went on a final pack walk with them ... and Riley, then put all their food into our fridge. Goodbye Bill, Liz, and Riley. Hope we see you next winter season.

I went cycling just after sunset. And watched an amazing full "snow moon" rise over the Gila Mountains to the east.

Tuesday ; Sunny, warm, windy.

This morning Joanne went grocery shopping while I took care of household chores.
I brushed Bo's teeth, a weekly chore, and decided I would try to clean / scale the four teeth that seemed to have a tartar build up. He wasn't happy about that, but it got done. While checking the truck tires' air pressures I discovered a tire with a large nail in it.
< sigh > And you know how much I hate changing the rear dually tires on the truck.
I'll probably change the tire on Thursday. Unless if it loses air before that.

This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of cat cuddling and dog walking. After we returned home we took Bo and Lucy for a walk in the dog park. Just us ... no pack. Riley's on his way home to BC ! Afterwards we chatted with our new next door neighbours in our Arizona room. I barbecued burgers and a Portobello mushroom for supper. Thanks again for the food, Bill and Liz.

In the evening I did monthly computer backup work.

Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm. We roasted a chicken with carrots and potatoes in the Sun Oven today.

This morning I removed the fifth wheel hitch from the bed of the truck then did a 6000 km. inspection on the truck. OOPS ... I should have done that 1000 km. ago !

This afternoon we ran errands. First I picked up my second pair of sandals from the shoe repair shop. I had a brand new pair of SAS sandals that I bought in Texas on Black Friday modified slightly at a shoe repair shop here in Yuma. Then we went to Harbor Freight and bought some guy stuff. WOO-HOO !   I love shopping at Harbor Freight. Joanne HATES going to Harbor Freight. Buy she has to come. Each trip to Harbor Freight I buy two items. And redeem two free item coupons. BUT ... only one free item coupon per customer. SO ... HA HA HA ... you do the math !

We shopped for an item at Staples. They didn't have what I needed. We bought some advertised specials at Walgreens. I refilled the truck with diesel at Fry's Fuel Bar. WOW ... lowest diesel price so far this winter season ! $1.65 per gallon. For my Canadian friends, that would be ... wait for it ... 42.9¢ per litre !

Final stop was Yuma Nursery Supply. I needed about half a yard of gravel for our lot. HMPH ! They don't sell gravel down here by the yard. They sell it by the ton. OK ...
I'll take half a ton, I guess. They weighed the truck, dumped a load of gravel into the bed, and weighed the truck again. WHEW ... 1120 pounds of gravel ! That's going to be a lot of shovelling !

We drove home and worked on getting the gravel out of the truck and into the yard in the areas where it was needed. We finished at sunset, tired and a bit filthy. We walked the dogs, then ate supper. Great roasted chicken !

Thursday ; Sunny and hot.

< sigh > This morning I changed a rear tire on the truck. The tire that I removed has a large nail embedded in it.

Just before noon we left to run errands. I dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart then went to Pep Boys with the damaged tire. This is the second time that I have taken a damaged tire to Pep Boys, expecting to have it repaired for free. As a member of their affinity "club", carrying a Pep Boys card, I am entitled to one free tire repair per year. And ... for the second time ... they were "unable to fix it". I strongly suspect that every "free" tire repair request may be met with the same response ; "OH ... that can't be fixed !"

I drove to another tire shop ... a tiny, dirty, disorganized, Mexican "llantera"
( pronounced "yanterra" ), just like the little tire shops found in every little village in Mexico, no matter how small. "Can this be fixed ?" "Sure ! No problemo ! Seven bucks !" They offered to repair it while I waited. I declined the offer, and will pick it up tomorrow morning. And then I think I will cut my Pep Boys card into little bits !

I returned to Wal-Mart, picked up Joanne, and we went to Peter Piper Pizza to have pizza buffet lunch. We had been there before and did not like it, but now we had some coupons so decided to give them another try. Yeah ... we were right the first time. They're not very good at all !

After a less than mediocre lunch we drove all the way out to The Foothills to refill a propane tank at Cactus Propane. Only because I had some discount coupons. We arrived at 2:45 PM. They were closed, despite their signage indicating that their hours are 9 AM to 3 PM. Since Cactus Propane was recently bought by AmeriGas, their service has deteriorated a LOT ! So ... that makes THREE local businesses that we won't be doing business with any more, as a result of today's experiences ! On the way home we stopped at a used car lot to take a look at a car. What a piece of junk ! This day certainly didn't go particularly well, did it ?

Back at home, Joanne went to take a nap while I did some chores. HMPH ... that was somewhat odd. She rarely naps. At 6 PM we took the dogs for a walk around the dog park. Today was only the second time in the two weeks that we've had Lucy the Dachshund that she eagerly walked all the way around the perimeter of the dog park. Her physical fitness has improved while she's been with us. HA HA HA !

Friday ; Sunny and hot.

This morning we picked up Laszlo and Gail ( and DeeOJee ) and headed out. First stop was a used car lot to take a look at a 2003 Dodge Caravan I had seen yesterday when
I was taking the truck tire for repair. The asking price of the minivan was so ridiculous
I simply waved goodbye to the salesman and walked back to our truck and drove away. I picked up the repaired tire and we headed out of the city, crossing the Colorado River into California.

We drove northwest into Picacho State Recreation Area and drove down miles of dirt trails across the desert until we reached the area where people have been using rocks to write their names on the desert floor for decades. There are thousands and thousands of names written over miles and miles of remote desert. We drove around for awhile, then parked and hiked around for awhile. Bo and DeeOJee romped and explored. DeeOJee came back with a bleeding eye. Don't know how that happened ! ? ! Tough dogs, them Pit Bulls ! We had our picnic lunches, and planned how many rocks of what size do we need to collect to write our names in the desert next winter season. A fun project to look forward to next year. On the way back to Yuma we diverted to Bard and had date shakes. All of us. HA HA HA ... Bo can eat a date shake faster than DeeOJee can ! Proving that age and experience beats youth every time ! HA HA HA !

Back at home we took Bo and Lucy for a walk around the dog park, then went over to say farewell to Bill and Lynne ( and Windsor the Pomeranian ) who are leaving tomorrow. I cooked Pickerel for supper and we watched Amazing Race and Hell's Kitchen.

Saturday ; Sunny and hot. Didn't put on a shirt until almost 8 PM !

This morning Joanne went out to run shopping errands by herself. She didn't return home until fairly late in the afternoon. I took care of routine chores. I disinfected the trailer's freshwater tank. I remounted our garden hose caddy on the side yard brick fence. I polished shoes. And, you know ... < whispering > ... after lunch I napped.
HA HA HA !

I went over to Laszlo's and Gail's to show / teach them a magic trick and discuss some trailer maintenance issues with Laszlo. I suppose after twelve years of RV'ing it's now my turn to be the mentor. After Joanne returned home we remounted the repaired tire underneath the truck as the spare. We gave Bo a haircut. We have decided that instead of giving him a haircut every six months as we always have, we're going to give him a haircut every four months. In the evening we did some travel planning.

DSK