Sunday ; Sunny and hot. As it should be here at this time of the year. Joanne cooked chili in the Sun Oven today.
We had a slow start to the day. We did Bo-gility. Well done, Bo, good dog. Joanne thinks that I am "pushing" Bo too hard in doing agility. He's an old dog. Maybe what I'm "pushing" him to do is becoming too hard for his creaky old joints. Certainly my knees are not capable of doing what they could when I was younger. She thinks it's probably the same for him. Okay ... I'll lighten up on my Bo-gility expectations.
After an early lunch we headed to Swap Meet Los Perros a.k.a. the dog track flea market for our final visit of this winter season. I could not get some of the hardware items I was looking for, to replenish hardware that I used this past season. And ...
< sniffle > ... there were no artichokes at the produce vendors' stands yet. I bought a couple of "hecho en Mexico" leather belts cheaper than I could buy them in Mexico. HEY ... it's the end of the season. If vendors don't move their merchandise now, it's going to sit around and collect dust for the next seven months.
It was so hot today ... how hot was it, you might ask ... that when we returned home Joanne took a nap, a rare occurrence for her. Bo and I decided we might as well join her. HA HA HA ! After napping briefly ... I was the first one up ... I puttered around with some "preparation for departure" spring chores. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park at 5:30, and when we were done it was time for Joanne and I to head to the 6 PM Sunday ice cream social. We chatted with friends in the clubhouse until 8 PM then returned to our trailer to have our Sun Oven cooked chili for supper. AND ... to watch
"I Am Cait" on TV.
Monday ; Sunny and hot.
We had a bit of a slow, lazy day, partially due to the heat. Joanne did some laundry.
I did some spring cleaning.
At 6 PM we were picked up by our Texas retired lawyer friends Bill and Candace in their truck, and we headed out for a dinner of "street food". First stop was an El Salvadoran food truck to have papusas and tamal Salvadoreña, washed down with aqua frescas Jamaica ( pronounced "ham eye eeka" ). Next stop was a Mexican "food stand" where we had some tostadas and tacos ... and papas con queso ( fries smothered in nacho cheese ).
On the way home we dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart to do some shopping. When Bill and Candace dropped me off at home I got in our truck and went back to pick Joanne up at Wal-Mart.
Tuesday ; Very warm and windy, sky obscured by blowing sand ... a desert storm.
I spent the morning doing routine chores, including "money shuffling" and bill paying.
After lunch we left earlier than usual for our Tuesday shift at the Humane Society. We were responding to an e-mail plea for help with grooming some dogs that had been transferred in from the Humane Society of Imperial County in El Centro, a Mexican American small city west of here in California, about halfway to San Diego. We gave haircuts to Samuel, a Miniature Poodle, and Bear, a medium sized mutt. Both had extremely long, matted, filthy hair. Samuel had many scabs, and dried out eye gunk so thick that one eye was barely open. Poor fellow. Both of them could not be bathed because they had both been neutered today, but haircuts relived both of them of a lot of misery, especially Samuel. In addition to a haircut, we washed Samuel's face and eyes, and plucked and cleaned inside his filthy ears. When we started he was a suffering, miserable little cur. When we were done, he was an energetic, happy, tail wagging little dog.
It was satisfying to make a difference in their lives.
We spent more time at the Humane Society than we usually do. When we returned home we walked Bo around the dog park before leaving again to run some shopping errands. One of our shopping stops was to buy dog food at PetsMart so ...
WOO-HOO ... Bo got to go "drivey". We bought some soft drinks at Walgreens and some groceries at Albertsons before buying some take home fast food at Sonic for supper.
Wednesday ; Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico
Sunny, warm, a bit windy. We spent a long, tiring day in Mexico.
This morning we loaded up our recycling and headed out. We dropped off the recycling and headed for a medical supply company to pick up Joanne's special order. Finally we headed west on Interstate 8 across the Colorado River into California, then to the border crossing into Mexico.
First stop was Tere's Beauty & Barber Shop for haircuts for both of us. And a beard trim for me, obviously. Well ! Best haircut and beard trim I've ever had, I think. Next stop was Terrazo, a nice restaurant that we have been to before, for lunch. Joanne had chicken chimichangas. I had beef enchiladas. And a margarita ! After lunch Joanne returned to Tere's Beauty & Barber Shop for a pedicure and I ran other errands. I went to seven different pharmacies shopping for a medication for a friend / neighbour. I went to four different dulcerias ( candy stores ) shopping for our favourite Mexican chocolate bars ; Nugs and CocoNugs. I returned to Tere's, waited for Joanne's pedicure to be finished, then we continued shopping. More Mexican chocolates ... Creminos ... and many packages / flavours of Zuko drink powder mixes. Somewhat like Mexican
Kool-Aid.
By then we were tired. Time to return home. The line up to cross the border today was long, but took only half an hour. After crossing back into the United States we drove to the "secret" pet cemetery where Sully is buried. The "entrance" to the pet cemetery is adorned with both an American and a Canadian flag. We noticed on our last visit that both flags were extremely worn. We recently bought a new Canadian flag and replaced the old flag at the cemetery entrance today. Hopefully that will inspire an American to replace the tattered and torn American flag as well.
As we entered Yuma we stopped at McDonald's to buy a soft drink, then drove home to Kofa Ko-op. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I delivered the medications to our friend / neighbour. I watered our plants and gardens. At sunset I went bicycling. Tonight while having dinner we watched Survivor, then Hell's Kitchen and Catfish on TV.
Thursday ; Sunny and very warm.
Late this morning we put Elsie the camper back onto Lanoire the truck. WOO-HOO ! Almost time to go ! Despite the lovely weather some of us are getting "hitch itch". HA HA HA ! I am eager for the adventures of travel !
This afternoon Joanne worked on moving stuff from the trailer to the camper in preparation for departure on Monday. I did some minor maintenance on the camper and some gardening.
This evening we went to Yuma Palms, the local large shopping mall, to attend the weekly free outdoor jazz concert. Tonight's entertainers were The High Society Jazz Band, a Dixieland jazz band from San Diego. After the concert we went to Golden Corral for buffet dinner. On the way home we refilled with diesel at Fry's Fuel Bar.
Good Friday ; Sunny and very warm.
We spent the day preparing to move the fifth wheel trailer into storage tomorrow. Joanne moved all the fridge and kitchen cupboard contents from the trailer to the truck camper. I worked on exterior preparations. I removed and stored the solar panels.
I removed and stored the bipod front stabilizer. I raised the rear stabilizers and stored all the jack pads. I removed and stored the clothesline rack attached to the roof access ladder.
I did some caulking / resealing work on the truck camper roof. I did some truck maintenance work to prepare for the long trip north. I stored some back yard patio furniture into the Arizona room. I "refurbished' Bo's truck console bed using some carpet underlay I got from a neighbour and a surplus pillow.
We walked Bo around the dog park. I went bicycling at sunset. In the evening we worked on some "inside" preparations for putting the trailer into storage.
Saturday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning we worked on the final preparations of the fifth wheel trailer for summer storage. At noon Laszlo came over with his truck, we hooked up our trailer to his truck, and he towed it to the storage area. We got it positioned and unhitched. I discovered a large crack underneath the bedroom area / front overhang of the trailer that I will have to repair next winter. < sigh >
Joanne did a lot of laundry today, all afternoon and into the evening. This afternoon we finished loading and preparing the truck camper for the return trip north. Joanne phoned her sister. I visited with Laszlo and Gail. Late in the afternoon we returned to the storage yard and finished "summerizing" the trailer. Joanne stored all the laundered clothing and linens in the trailer. We walked around the dog park with Bo. I went bicycling at sunset, my last sunset bicycle ride here this season.
I received another phone call from someone in BC who wants a trailer towed before we return home, my third "lost opportunity" in recent weeks. Why does everyone want their trailers moved so early ? Isn't it still winter in BC ?
DSK
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Sunday, March 20, 2016
March 13 to 19, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning we turned the Welcome Committee golf cart over to this week's volunteer. Our week as the Welcome Committee is over. Right after lunch we headed to Woodard High School for a matinee performance by Yuma Community Theater of the play "Lend Me A Tenor". HA HA HA ... one of YCT's better performances. After the play we went shopping at Harbor Freight. And ... as usual ... squabbled briefly about it. Joanne hates Harbor Freight shopping trips.
After Harbor Freight we went for an early supper at Del Taco. On the way home we stopped at Albertsons to buy some orange juice. We arrived home at Kofa Ko-op just a few minutes after 6 PM, and immediately headed to the clubhouse for the ice cream social which was underway. After the ice cream social we chatted for awhile with a newly arrived couple from Alberta and old friends from Texas.
In the evening I posted my weekly journal entry to my blog, including ... < sigh > ... deleting Sully's picture.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a marinated pot roast in the Sun Oven today.
I am having some lazy days this week due to a persistent back ache. This morning I did routine household chores. With Joanne's help to do the "heavy lifting" parts. We began to slowly prepare for departure in a couple of weeks, beginning to sort and pack stuff that needs to head back home with us. We did some spring cleaning in the shed. We walked Bo around the dog park. We said "farewell" to our friends Carol Mae and Larry who are leaving tomorrow.
Tuesday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning after routine chores I did some work preparing for departure in a couple of weeks. After lunch we headed to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of cat cuddling and dog walking. From the Humane Society we headed to The Foothills so that I could buy a couple of items at Al's RV Service & Supply and refill with diesel at Fry's Fuel Bar.
Back at home we took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park, accompanied by his new pack, Mia and Snickers. Afterwards we did some minor repairs in the Arizona room as darkness set in.
I made an interesting supper tonight. Grilled, seasoned Portobello mushrooms, fried eggs on top, served on toast, all drenched with Crema CentroAmericana. MMMMM ! ! ! Sometimes my meal creations are just GREAT ! HA HA HA !
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot, an absolutely beautiful spring day in the desert. Joanne cooked a Thai Chicken recipe in the Sun Oven today.
This morning we attended a planning meeting of the Welcome Committee in the clubhouse. As soon as the meeting was finished I headed to Lowe's to buy a screen door latch. Joanne remained in the clubhouse to work on a Welcome Committee project.
After lunch I installed the screen door latch on the Arizona room's front door. It did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. I installed a new shower head mounting bracket on the shower stall wall. And I installed a new grey tank valve handle access hatch. Lots of minor repairs !
We walked around the dog park with Bo. I went bicycling at sunset. Supper was excellent ! In the evening we watched Survivor and Hell's Kitchen on TV.
Thursday ; St. Patrick's Day
Sunny and hot. Of course !
Joanne went shopping for groceries by herself this morning. I baked ( made hard boiled ) eggs in the Sun Oven while she was gone. And made lunch for myself. And napped. HA HA HA ... busy morning and early afternoon !
This afternoon I finished taking inventory of all medications, to know what to leave in the trailer, what to pack into the truck camper, what needs to be bought in Mexico before we leave, etc.
Late in the afternoon we headed to the clubhouse for the St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner. < shrug > It was okay ... a bit mediocre, perhaps. And, as is often the case with Kofa Ko-op's communal dinners, it was severely afflicted by "eat and run". After dinner we went to say goodbye to our dear friends Hans and Peta, "original" Escapee friends of ours from Ontario, and the "owners" of Kofi, the kitten that we rescued here and they adopted a little more than three years ago. They are leaving tomorrow morning.
WELL ! HMPH ! ! ! Joanne has just discovered ( around 10 PM ) the undesired results of me leaving the eggs in the Sun Oven twice as long as I should have. The whites became nothing more than shrivelled brown films wrapped around rubbery yokes. Who knew ? ! ?
Friday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature in the mid 90's F / mid 30's C.
This morning I puttered around with routine household chores. And ... finally ... after a week or more of back pain, my minor back injury has healed, and I was pain free. I felt "back healthy" enough to chop some firewood in our back yard today, to take to Quartzsite when we leave so that we can have a campfire and wiener roast.
This afternoon our next door neighbour hosted a "street party" in honour of his wife's 65th birthday today. Our street was closed to traffic. John set up umbrellas and lawn chairs on the street. Many of the park's residents brought potluck contributions. John provided a lot of fried chicken from Albertsons, a local grocery supermarket. John is an accomplished musician, and provided the musical entertainment. Thank you for the great street party and meal, John. Happy Birthday, Jeannie.
Because of the heat and intense sunlight, a small group of the party migrated first to our front patio, and then into our Arizona room as the group grew larger. So ... we had our own "sub-party" that continued long after the main party was over. HA HA HA ! We even had a dog party going on in the Arizona room, with Bo and his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends Molly and Rocky.
Late this afternoon we were thrilled to see the arrival of our dear friends and neighbours from three sites down, Cathy and Jim. We haven't seen them in a year. Jim has had Alzheimer's for the past few years. And Cathy had a severe stroke this fall while they were on a cruise to Hawaii. We haven't had much news on her condition. A cousin of hers drove them here for a week long visit. And Cathy's recovery has been impressive. She no longer has any physical mobility impairment. She has some speech impairment. And a bit of verbal impairment to go along with the speech impairment. BUT ... overall, a pretty remarkable recovery. She's the second friend of ours to suffer a severe stroke in the last year, both with quite remarkable recovery in a relatively short period of time.
Welcome "home", Cathy and Jim. Great to see you !
As it became dark we were visited by some visitors that we chatted with over St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner yesterday. They came over to get a "dog fix". Bo was thrilled to have visitors in our Arizona room AGAIN ! "WOO-HOO ... everybody loves me" thinks Bo.
This morning I was on my way over to see Laszlo and Gail to ask for a favour when our neighbour Cathy flagged me down to ask for my help with a problem in their almost new trailer. The lights in half the trailer would not work last night. Including ... no lights working in the bedroom and bathroom. It took me awhile to resolve the lighting problems, because ... there was more than one problem, but eventually I got everything fixed. Then ... I spent way too long visiting with Laszlo and Gail.
We had a late lunch then left to run some shopping errands in The Foothills. Primary destination was Goodwill Thrift Store. WOO-HOO ... everything 50% off today. After shopping at Goodwill ... we each bought one item ... we went to Green Tree Grocery Outlet to buy some "scratch & dent" food items.
Back at home we did some annual trailer maintenance chores. The unpleasant ones that I dislike doing. Power flush wand cleaning inside the toilet underneath the flush valve, and back flushing each of the three waste holding tanks. Afterwards we took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I went for a long bicycle ride at sunset. Too long !
In the evening I did some accounting and bill paying.
DSK
This morning we turned the Welcome Committee golf cart over to this week's volunteer. Our week as the Welcome Committee is over. Right after lunch we headed to Woodard High School for a matinee performance by Yuma Community Theater of the play "Lend Me A Tenor". HA HA HA ... one of YCT's better performances. After the play we went shopping at Harbor Freight. And ... as usual ... squabbled briefly about it. Joanne hates Harbor Freight shopping trips.
After Harbor Freight we went for an early supper at Del Taco. On the way home we stopped at Albertsons to buy some orange juice. We arrived home at Kofa Ko-op just a few minutes after 6 PM, and immediately headed to the clubhouse for the ice cream social which was underway. After the ice cream social we chatted for awhile with a newly arrived couple from Alberta and old friends from Texas.
In the evening I posted my weekly journal entry to my blog, including ... < sigh > ... deleting Sully's picture.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a marinated pot roast in the Sun Oven today.
I am having some lazy days this week due to a persistent back ache. This morning I did routine household chores. With Joanne's help to do the "heavy lifting" parts. We began to slowly prepare for departure in a couple of weeks, beginning to sort and pack stuff that needs to head back home with us. We did some spring cleaning in the shed. We walked Bo around the dog park. We said "farewell" to our friends Carol Mae and Larry who are leaving tomorrow.
This morning after routine chores I did some work preparing for departure in a couple of weeks. After lunch we headed to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of cat cuddling and dog walking. From the Humane Society we headed to The Foothills so that I could buy a couple of items at Al's RV Service & Supply and refill with diesel at Fry's Fuel Bar.
Back at home we took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park, accompanied by his new pack, Mia and Snickers. Afterwards we did some minor repairs in the Arizona room as darkness set in.
I made an interesting supper tonight. Grilled, seasoned Portobello mushrooms, fried eggs on top, served on toast, all drenched with Crema CentroAmericana. MMMMM ! ! ! Sometimes my meal creations are just GREAT ! HA HA HA !
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot, an absolutely beautiful spring day in the desert. Joanne cooked a Thai Chicken recipe in the Sun Oven today.
This morning we attended a planning meeting of the Welcome Committee in the clubhouse. As soon as the meeting was finished I headed to Lowe's to buy a screen door latch. Joanne remained in the clubhouse to work on a Welcome Committee project.
After lunch I installed the screen door latch on the Arizona room's front door. It did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. I installed a new shower head mounting bracket on the shower stall wall. And I installed a new grey tank valve handle access hatch. Lots of minor repairs !
We walked around the dog park with Bo. I went bicycling at sunset. Supper was excellent ! In the evening we watched Survivor and Hell's Kitchen on TV.
Thursday ; St. Patrick's Day
Sunny and hot. Of course !
Joanne went shopping for groceries by herself this morning. I baked ( made hard boiled ) eggs in the Sun Oven while she was gone. And made lunch for myself. And napped. HA HA HA ... busy morning and early afternoon !
This afternoon I finished taking inventory of all medications, to know what to leave in the trailer, what to pack into the truck camper, what needs to be bought in Mexico before we leave, etc.
Late in the afternoon we headed to the clubhouse for the St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner. < shrug > It was okay ... a bit mediocre, perhaps. And, as is often the case with Kofa Ko-op's communal dinners, it was severely afflicted by "eat and run". After dinner we went to say goodbye to our dear friends Hans and Peta, "original" Escapee friends of ours from Ontario, and the "owners" of Kofi, the kitten that we rescued here and they adopted a little more than three years ago. They are leaving tomorrow morning.
WELL ! HMPH ! ! ! Joanne has just discovered ( around 10 PM ) the undesired results of me leaving the eggs in the Sun Oven twice as long as I should have. The whites became nothing more than shrivelled brown films wrapped around rubbery yokes. Who knew ? ! ?
Friday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature in the mid 90's F / mid 30's C.
This morning I puttered around with routine household chores. And ... finally ... after a week or more of back pain, my minor back injury has healed, and I was pain free. I felt "back healthy" enough to chop some firewood in our back yard today, to take to Quartzsite when we leave so that we can have a campfire and wiener roast.
This afternoon our next door neighbour hosted a "street party" in honour of his wife's 65th birthday today. Our street was closed to traffic. John set up umbrellas and lawn chairs on the street. Many of the park's residents brought potluck contributions. John provided a lot of fried chicken from Albertsons, a local grocery supermarket. John is an accomplished musician, and provided the musical entertainment. Thank you for the great street party and meal, John. Happy Birthday, Jeannie.
Because of the heat and intense sunlight, a small group of the party migrated first to our front patio, and then into our Arizona room as the group grew larger. So ... we had our own "sub-party" that continued long after the main party was over. HA HA HA ! We even had a dog party going on in the Arizona room, with Bo and his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends Molly and Rocky.
Late this afternoon we were thrilled to see the arrival of our dear friends and neighbours from three sites down, Cathy and Jim. We haven't seen them in a year. Jim has had Alzheimer's for the past few years. And Cathy had a severe stroke this fall while they were on a cruise to Hawaii. We haven't had much news on her condition. A cousin of hers drove them here for a week long visit. And Cathy's recovery has been impressive. She no longer has any physical mobility impairment. She has some speech impairment. And a bit of verbal impairment to go along with the speech impairment. BUT ... overall, a pretty remarkable recovery. She's the second friend of ours to suffer a severe stroke in the last year, both with quite remarkable recovery in a relatively short period of time.
Welcome "home", Cathy and Jim. Great to see you !
As it became dark we were visited by some visitors that we chatted with over St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner yesterday. They came over to get a "dog fix". Bo was thrilled to have visitors in our Arizona room AGAIN ! "WOO-HOO ... everybody loves me" thinks Bo.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot.
This morning I was on my way over to see Laszlo and Gail to ask for a favour when our neighbour Cathy flagged me down to ask for my help with a problem in their almost new trailer. The lights in half the trailer would not work last night. Including ... no lights working in the bedroom and bathroom. It took me awhile to resolve the lighting problems, because ... there was more than one problem, but eventually I got everything fixed. Then ... I spent way too long visiting with Laszlo and Gail.
We had a late lunch then left to run some shopping errands in The Foothills. Primary destination was Goodwill Thrift Store. WOO-HOO ... everything 50% off today. After shopping at Goodwill ... we each bought one item ... we went to Green Tree Grocery Outlet to buy some "scratch & dent" food items.
Back at home we did some annual trailer maintenance chores. The unpleasant ones that I dislike doing. Power flush wand cleaning inside the toilet underneath the flush valve, and back flushing each of the three waste holding tanks. Afterwards we took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I went for a long bicycle ride at sunset. Too long !
In the evening I did some accounting and bill paying.
DSK
Sunday, March 13, 2016
March 6 to 12, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny, hot, very windy, "desert storm" starting in the afternoon. Joanne cooked a sausage and bean cassoulet in the Sun Oven.
< inhaling deeply > WOW ! Can you smell that ? The nearby lemon groves are in blossom !
This morning Bo and I went into the dog park and did Bo-gility and obedience. Well done, Bo, good dog ! I took care of routine chores then worked on an audit committee project on the computer.
This afternoon we began another week long commitment as the "Welcome Committee". Today we visited three new arrivals, including an elderly couple ( aren't they all ? ) who were "original" residents of this park thirty years ago. They started travelling as full time RV'ers in 1981 when they were fifty-five years old. They're now ninety ! Thirty-five years on the road as full time RV'ers ! ! !
We finished those visits just in time to attend the weekly ice cream social.
Monday ; Cloudy, a few drops of rain early in the afternoon ... chilly ! Temperature in the mid 50's, much too cold for this time of year here.
I adjusted the air in the truck tires then Joanne went grocery shopping. I watered all our plants and cactus gardens. I reconciled some February investment statements. I did some audit committee work on the computer. Today we had two new arrivals to visit as this week's Welcome Committee.
This evening we were taken out for dinner by Joe and Alene, in appreciation for caring for Lucy the Dachshund for seventeen days while they were on a cruise to Hawaii. We had a very pleasant dinner at Olive Garden.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm. Two day spell of bad weather has passed.
Right after lunch we headed to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. My heart strings were tugged by a horrendously matted ... and tick bite scab laden ... old Miniature Poodle. I recruited Joanne to help me bathe the poor little thing. After we gave Snuggles a quick, partial bath I took him into the fenced dog park at the Humane Society to allow him to dry in the sun. And I plucked blood bloated ticks off him. SHEESH ! He needs to be completely shaved and then bathed again. I'm not often tempted to adopt any of the dogs that I walk but today ... < sigh > !
After the Humane Society we headed east to The Foothills where I picked up the three items I had special ordered at Al's RV Service & Supply last Friday. From there we went across the street to the new, large Fry's store to refill with diesel at their fuel bar and to buy some luncheon meats ... and sushi. MMMMM ... good, fresh sushi at that new Fry's store.
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we did our daily Welcome Committee work ... one new arrival today. We walked with Bo around the dog park perimeter. I went bicycling at sunset.
I returned a phone call to a fellow in Penticton who needs a fifth wheel trailer towed from Penticton to Chilliwack, BC. Before we return home in mid-April. DARN ! That would have been easy money !
We had an interesting and somewhat different dinner tonight. I barbecued marinated steak, and stuffed Portobello mushrooms, accompanied by salad and mashed potatoes.
We watched Canadian comedy shows on TV tonight, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot.
I spent much of the day working on the installation of two Extreme Vents on the roof of the truck camper. I finished the job. Nicely done, Daniel ! Late this afternoon we went to the regular Wednesday late afternoon "happy hour potluck". Because ... we were today's hosts ! After the potluck we did our daily Welcome Committee visiting. One new arrival today ; a couple from British Columbia, she's Canadian, he's American. Two nice dogs !
We took Bo for a walk around the dog park just before it got dark. In the evening we watched Catfish and Survivor.
Thursday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I puttered around with routine household chores. After lunch we took Bo to the veterinarian for his annual examination and vaccinations. From there we drove to the Humane Society. We were considering the possibility of fostering and perhaps even adopting a Miniature Poodle named Snuggles that I "walked" on Tuesday afternoon. We decided this afternoon that we won't be doing either, thanks to the ineptitude and / or passive-aggressive "games playing" of some Humane Society staff.
We returned home, then Joanne left to do some shopping on her own. Laszlo came over and gave me a fly tying lesson in our Arizona room. Very interesting, but unlikely to become a hobby of mine. I made two flies for fishing, and I am eager to try them out in the Similkameen River at home.
After Joanne returned home we did our daily Welcome visits ; two arrivals today. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park perimeter, then I went bicycling at sunset.
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
Late last night I developed a severe back ache, a rare occurrence for me. And
I suffered all day today with a back ache that varied from moderate to severe. This afternoon while Joanne was out shopping by herself I flushed the trailer's water heater.
I did today's Welcome Committee visiting by myself before Joanne returned home. One arrival today, a single woman and her dog, returning for a repeat visit. We had welcomed her earlier in the season.
After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a long ( two laps ) walk around the dog park. WOO-HOO ... a pack again ; Bo, Saxon, and Mia.
Saturday ; Sunny and hot. My back ache persists, although not as severe.
I have just finished (at 9 PM ) reading my journal entry for this date last year. < sigh > I'm crying. This is the first anniversary of the death of Sully. We still miss him dearly.
I suppose it is time to remove his picture from my blog.
Late this morning we headed to The Foothills to run some errands. First stop was Southwest Exchange, a combination flea market and RV parts dealer. Fifteen percent off everything today ! We went to Del Taco for lunch. Buy one get one free coupons ! Next was Walgreens then Salvation Army. Fifty percent off everything today ! HA HA HA ... see a pattern ?
Back at home we did today's Welcome Committee visits. Two arrivals today, one not home despite a few visits by us to their site. The other new arrival was parked next door to us. After welcoming them, the man ( Alan ) and the dog ( Snickers ) joined us on our two lap walk around the dog park. At sunset I went bicycling. And visiting neighbours / friends. Lots of "farewells", people are already leaving, migrating northwards. I helped an Albertan winterize their fifth wheel trailer. HUH ? Yes, yes ... they leave here with their trailer winterized, because it will still be winter when they arrive home. They drive 1500 miles home in three days, with the trailer plumbing non-functional, can't even use the toilet. < shrug > Go figure !
DSK
< inhaling deeply > WOW ! Can you smell that ? The nearby lemon groves are in blossom !
This morning Bo and I went into the dog park and did Bo-gility and obedience. Well done, Bo, good dog ! I took care of routine chores then worked on an audit committee project on the computer.
This afternoon we began another week long commitment as the "Welcome Committee". Today we visited three new arrivals, including an elderly couple ( aren't they all ? ) who were "original" residents of this park thirty years ago. They started travelling as full time RV'ers in 1981 when they were fifty-five years old. They're now ninety ! Thirty-five years on the road as full time RV'ers ! ! !
We finished those visits just in time to attend the weekly ice cream social.
Monday ; Cloudy, a few drops of rain early in the afternoon ... chilly ! Temperature in the mid 50's, much too cold for this time of year here.
I adjusted the air in the truck tires then Joanne went grocery shopping. I watered all our plants and cactus gardens. I reconciled some February investment statements. I did some audit committee work on the computer. Today we had two new arrivals to visit as this week's Welcome Committee.
This evening we were taken out for dinner by Joe and Alene, in appreciation for caring for Lucy the Dachshund for seventeen days while they were on a cruise to Hawaii. We had a very pleasant dinner at Olive Garden.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm. Two day spell of bad weather has passed.
Right after lunch we headed to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. My heart strings were tugged by a horrendously matted ... and tick bite scab laden ... old Miniature Poodle. I recruited Joanne to help me bathe the poor little thing. After we gave Snuggles a quick, partial bath I took him into the fenced dog park at the Humane Society to allow him to dry in the sun. And I plucked blood bloated ticks off him. SHEESH ! He needs to be completely shaved and then bathed again. I'm not often tempted to adopt any of the dogs that I walk but today ... < sigh > !
After the Humane Society we headed east to The Foothills where I picked up the three items I had special ordered at Al's RV Service & Supply last Friday. From there we went across the street to the new, large Fry's store to refill with diesel at their fuel bar and to buy some luncheon meats ... and sushi. MMMMM ... good, fresh sushi at that new Fry's store.
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we did our daily Welcome Committee work ... one new arrival today. We walked with Bo around the dog park perimeter. I went bicycling at sunset.
I returned a phone call to a fellow in Penticton who needs a fifth wheel trailer towed from Penticton to Chilliwack, BC. Before we return home in mid-April. DARN ! That would have been easy money !
We had an interesting and somewhat different dinner tonight. I barbecued marinated steak, and stuffed Portobello mushrooms, accompanied by salad and mashed potatoes.
We watched Canadian comedy shows on TV tonight, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot.
I spent much of the day working on the installation of two Extreme Vents on the roof of the truck camper. I finished the job. Nicely done, Daniel ! Late this afternoon we went to the regular Wednesday late afternoon "happy hour potluck". Because ... we were today's hosts ! After the potluck we did our daily Welcome Committee visiting. One new arrival today ; a couple from British Columbia, she's Canadian, he's American. Two nice dogs !
We took Bo for a walk around the dog park just before it got dark. In the evening we watched Catfish and Survivor.
Thursday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I puttered around with routine household chores. After lunch we took Bo to the veterinarian for his annual examination and vaccinations. From there we drove to the Humane Society. We were considering the possibility of fostering and perhaps even adopting a Miniature Poodle named Snuggles that I "walked" on Tuesday afternoon. We decided this afternoon that we won't be doing either, thanks to the ineptitude and / or passive-aggressive "games playing" of some Humane Society staff.
We returned home, then Joanne left to do some shopping on her own. Laszlo came over and gave me a fly tying lesson in our Arizona room. Very interesting, but unlikely to become a hobby of mine. I made two flies for fishing, and I am eager to try them out in the Similkameen River at home.
After Joanne returned home we did our daily Welcome visits ; two arrivals today. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park perimeter, then I went bicycling at sunset.
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
Late last night I developed a severe back ache, a rare occurrence for me. And
I suffered all day today with a back ache that varied from moderate to severe. This afternoon while Joanne was out shopping by herself I flushed the trailer's water heater.
I did today's Welcome Committee visiting by myself before Joanne returned home. One arrival today, a single woman and her dog, returning for a repeat visit. We had welcomed her earlier in the season.
After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a long ( two laps ) walk around the dog park. WOO-HOO ... a pack again ; Bo, Saxon, and Mia.
Saturday ; Sunny and hot. My back ache persists, although not as severe.
I have just finished (at 9 PM ) reading my journal entry for this date last year. < sigh > I'm crying. This is the first anniversary of the death of Sully. We still miss him dearly.
I suppose it is time to remove his picture from my blog.
Late this morning we headed to The Foothills to run some errands. First stop was Southwest Exchange, a combination flea market and RV parts dealer. Fifteen percent off everything today ! We went to Del Taco for lunch. Buy one get one free coupons ! Next was Walgreens then Salvation Army. Fifty percent off everything today ! HA HA HA ... see a pattern ?
Back at home we did today's Welcome Committee visits. Two arrivals today, one not home despite a few visits by us to their site. The other new arrival was parked next door to us. After welcoming them, the man ( Alan ) and the dog ( Snickers ) joined us on our two lap walk around the dog park. At sunset I went bicycling. And visiting neighbours / friends. Lots of "farewells", people are already leaving, migrating northwards. I helped an Albertan winterize their fifth wheel trailer. HUH ? Yes, yes ... they leave here with their trailer winterized, because it will still be winter when they arrive home. They drive 1500 miles home in three days, with the trailer plumbing non-functional, can't even use the toilet. < shrug > Go figure !
DSK
Sunday, March 6, 2016
February 28 to March 5, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning we picked up Laszlo and Gail, and headed to Lettuce Days at the Arizona Western College research farm. We spent most of the day there. Lettuce Days is a two day annual event celebrating agriculture in the Yuma area. We attended a couple of cooking demonstrations. We had a huge vegetable lunch. We attended a "Toast To The Fieldworkers" special event where old Mexican field workers told stories ( in Spanish, translated into English ) about their lives as farm field workers. We collected quite a bit of "swag", including bags of different types of lettuce. We sampled many different types of citrus fruits. We listened to live music. We talked to university professors about farming.
On the way home we stopped at Lowe's and I bought a few items I needed. Back at home Joanne and I went to the regular Sunday late afternoon ice cream social.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne baked spinach lasagna in the Sun Oven.
This morning I attended a meeting at the request of the audit committee chairman who was unable to attend, to represent the audit committee on his behalf. It has become apparent to me that I will soon have to advise those who care that my commitment to the audit committee ends when we leave here in a month. Afterwards I returned a phone call to my gastroenterologist's office in Penticton. They were phoning to discuss some health care plans for me upon our return home in mid-April.
This afternoon I watered all our plants and cactus gardens. I did some minor maintenance on the trailer's water heater. I measured and sawed some pieces of wood for a project. Gee ... my power saw blade was dull. I removed it and discarded it, and installed another blade. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. I put away Bo's agility equipment that was in the dog park behind our rear yard fence. I worked on the truck camper roof project, removing the black tank and grey tank vent pipe roof caps, in preparation for the installation of two Extreme Vents.
When I returned to our trailer after working on the truck camper in the storage yard our neighbours Joe and Alene had just returned from their cruise to Hawaii. They were eager to retrieve Lucy. Because I had taken our truck to the storage yard they thought we weren't home, and were unaware that Joanne was inside the trailer with Bo and Lucy. Not surprisingly, Lucy was VERY excited that her people were home. Nothing better than a "dog reunion". HA HA HA ! Goodbye, Lucy ! You're a sweet little Dachshund. It was nice to have you with us for the last seventeen days.
In the evening I retrieved month end bank statements and investment updates.
Tuesday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning Joanne went to buy some dog food at PetsMart while I took care of chores at home. After lunch we loaded our recycling into the truck and headed to the recycle place on our way to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. It's surprising how much recycling we take in about once a month or so.
I am suffering from an earache / inner ear infection. That affected my dog walking this afternoon. After only an hour or so of dog walking I went inside to cuddle cats which
I usually do only briefly after about two hours of dog walking. Today I cuddled cats for about an hour. There was a Lilac Point Applehead Siamese that reminded me a lot of Sully.
Back at home I napped briefly before we took Bo for a late afternoon walk around the dog park. Just us, no pack. Lucy has gone back home. Riley has left for the season. Spanky is not here. Don't know where Saxon is. I went bicycling at sunset. I barbecued steak for supper. Joanne made a grilled potatoes and spinach salad. We spent the evening watching Canadian comedy shows on TV ; Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Trailer Park Boys, Schitt's Creek. HA HA HA !
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny and hot.
This morning we attended a meeting of the Activities Committee. We were asked to do so by the chairman of the Welcome Committee, to lend support to a Welcome Committee issue. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire ! ! ! That was my first, and will certainly be my last, Activities Committee meeting. What petty, power mongering, pissing contest nonsense ! ! ! Like attending an annual general meeting at Riverside RV Park Resort back home in BC !
This afternoon Joanne went off by herself once again to run some shopping errands.
I took care of routine household chores, had lunch, took a brief nap, then went to the storage area to continue working on the truck camper roof project. I removed the two waste tank vent pipe cap bases. I was a bit surprised and a bit annoyed to discover some poor quality workmanship done in the Lance factory when the camper was manufactured. I guess every company of every sort is only as good as their worst employee !
We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I went bicycling at sunset. We gave Bo a bath before preparing supper. We had supper and watched an evening of TV ; Catfish, Survivor, and Hell's Kitchen.
Thursday ; Thin cloud cover, hot, humid. Joanne started cooking Chicken Chile Verde in the Sun Oven but had to finish it on the stove inside the trailer.
This morning I went shopping for some hardware items at Arizona MarketPlace, the nearby large flea market. While there I bumped into a neighbour ... who asked for a ride home. HA HA HA ! His wife had dropped him off at the flea market and was going to pick him up on her way back home from doing something else. He was tired of waiting. HA HA HA !
This afternoon we both did some computer and phone work. Then ... < sigh > ... we washed the truck. Joanne did laundry. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park perimeter. I went bicycling at sunset. I reconciled February's bank statements and updated investment files.
Friday ; Thin cloud cover, hot, humid.
Late this morning we headed east to The Foothills to shop at Al's RV Service & Supply's monthly 15% off day. I needed five items for the truck camper roof project. I bought two and special ordered the other three. Hopefully those three items will arrive by next Tuesday. While I was at Al's RV Service & Supply Joanne was shopping at the nearby 99¢ Only Store. We had lunch at Burger King then, on the way home, stopped at Wally's World to buy some hardware.
This afternoon I met with the chairman of the audit committee and we worked out some audit committee issues. < sigh > I'm looking forward to the end of my audit committee commitment when we leave here in just a bit more than three weeks.
At 5 PM Laszlo and Gail picked us up in their truck and we headed out for a fast food dinner ... for the second time today we had a meal at Burger King ... before heading over to Sun Desert Stadium for the Friday evening tribute concerts at Midnight At The Oasis, the annual classic and antique car show here in Yuma. We wandered around looking at classic cars until the first tribute band's performance started at 7:15 PM. They were a Blues Brother tribute band, and quite good. The second band was an Aerosmith tribute. I'm not really a fan of Aerosmith, but the tribute band performance was good.
We didn't arrive back home until after 11 PM, a pretty late evening for us old folks !
Saturday ; Cloudy, hot, humid.
In the middle of the night ... around 2:30 AM ... Joanne became very ill ! VERY ILL ! Food poisoning, it would seem. After a period of extreme illness, she fell asleep until late morning when she awoke feeling a bit nauseous, and quite weak. She remained in bed until early afternoon, and continued to feel queasy and weak throughout the day.
I puttered around until late afternoon when Joanne felt strong enough to come to the storage yard and help me briefly with the truck camper Extreme Vent installation project. Today I accomplished as much as possible until I obtain the remaining materials required, hopefully Tuesday.
This evening we watched an interesting documentary movie on "famous" back up singers.
DSK
This morning we picked up Laszlo and Gail, and headed to Lettuce Days at the Arizona Western College research farm. We spent most of the day there. Lettuce Days is a two day annual event celebrating agriculture in the Yuma area. We attended a couple of cooking demonstrations. We had a huge vegetable lunch. We attended a "Toast To The Fieldworkers" special event where old Mexican field workers told stories ( in Spanish, translated into English ) about their lives as farm field workers. We collected quite a bit of "swag", including bags of different types of lettuce. We sampled many different types of citrus fruits. We listened to live music. We talked to university professors about farming.
On the way home we stopped at Lowe's and I bought a few items I needed. Back at home Joanne and I went to the regular Sunday late afternoon ice cream social.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne baked spinach lasagna in the Sun Oven.
This morning I attended a meeting at the request of the audit committee chairman who was unable to attend, to represent the audit committee on his behalf. It has become apparent to me that I will soon have to advise those who care that my commitment to the audit committee ends when we leave here in a month. Afterwards I returned a phone call to my gastroenterologist's office in Penticton. They were phoning to discuss some health care plans for me upon our return home in mid-April.
This afternoon I watered all our plants and cactus gardens. I did some minor maintenance on the trailer's water heater. I measured and sawed some pieces of wood for a project. Gee ... my power saw blade was dull. I removed it and discarded it, and installed another blade. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. I put away Bo's agility equipment that was in the dog park behind our rear yard fence. I worked on the truck camper roof project, removing the black tank and grey tank vent pipe roof caps, in preparation for the installation of two Extreme Vents.
When I returned to our trailer after working on the truck camper in the storage yard our neighbours Joe and Alene had just returned from their cruise to Hawaii. They were eager to retrieve Lucy. Because I had taken our truck to the storage yard they thought we weren't home, and were unaware that Joanne was inside the trailer with Bo and Lucy. Not surprisingly, Lucy was VERY excited that her people were home. Nothing better than a "dog reunion". HA HA HA ! Goodbye, Lucy ! You're a sweet little Dachshund. It was nice to have you with us for the last seventeen days.
In the evening I retrieved month end bank statements and investment updates.
Tuesday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning Joanne went to buy some dog food at PetsMart while I took care of chores at home. After lunch we loaded our recycling into the truck and headed to the recycle place on our way to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. It's surprising how much recycling we take in about once a month or so.
I am suffering from an earache / inner ear infection. That affected my dog walking this afternoon. After only an hour or so of dog walking I went inside to cuddle cats which
I usually do only briefly after about two hours of dog walking. Today I cuddled cats for about an hour. There was a Lilac Point Applehead Siamese that reminded me a lot of Sully.
Back at home I napped briefly before we took Bo for a late afternoon walk around the dog park. Just us, no pack. Lucy has gone back home. Riley has left for the season. Spanky is not here. Don't know where Saxon is. I went bicycling at sunset. I barbecued steak for supper. Joanne made a grilled potatoes and spinach salad. We spent the evening watching Canadian comedy shows on TV ; Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Trailer Park Boys, Schitt's Creek. HA HA HA !
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny and hot.
This morning we attended a meeting of the Activities Committee. We were asked to do so by the chairman of the Welcome Committee, to lend support to a Welcome Committee issue. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire ! ! ! That was my first, and will certainly be my last, Activities Committee meeting. What petty, power mongering, pissing contest nonsense ! ! ! Like attending an annual general meeting at Riverside RV Park Resort back home in BC !
This afternoon Joanne went off by herself once again to run some shopping errands.
I took care of routine household chores, had lunch, took a brief nap, then went to the storage area to continue working on the truck camper roof project. I removed the two waste tank vent pipe cap bases. I was a bit surprised and a bit annoyed to discover some poor quality workmanship done in the Lance factory when the camper was manufactured. I guess every company of every sort is only as good as their worst employee !
We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. I went bicycling at sunset. We gave Bo a bath before preparing supper. We had supper and watched an evening of TV ; Catfish, Survivor, and Hell's Kitchen.
Thursday ; Thin cloud cover, hot, humid. Joanne started cooking Chicken Chile Verde in the Sun Oven but had to finish it on the stove inside the trailer.
This morning I went shopping for some hardware items at Arizona MarketPlace, the nearby large flea market. While there I bumped into a neighbour ... who asked for a ride home. HA HA HA ! His wife had dropped him off at the flea market and was going to pick him up on her way back home from doing something else. He was tired of waiting. HA HA HA !
This afternoon we both did some computer and phone work. Then ... < sigh > ... we washed the truck. Joanne did laundry. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park perimeter. I went bicycling at sunset. I reconciled February's bank statements and updated investment files.
Friday ; Thin cloud cover, hot, humid.
Late this morning we headed east to The Foothills to shop at Al's RV Service & Supply's monthly 15% off day. I needed five items for the truck camper roof project. I bought two and special ordered the other three. Hopefully those three items will arrive by next Tuesday. While I was at Al's RV Service & Supply Joanne was shopping at the nearby 99¢ Only Store. We had lunch at Burger King then, on the way home, stopped at Wally's World to buy some hardware.
This afternoon I met with the chairman of the audit committee and we worked out some audit committee issues. < sigh > I'm looking forward to the end of my audit committee commitment when we leave here in just a bit more than three weeks.
At 5 PM Laszlo and Gail picked us up in their truck and we headed out for a fast food dinner ... for the second time today we had a meal at Burger King ... before heading over to Sun Desert Stadium for the Friday evening tribute concerts at Midnight At The Oasis, the annual classic and antique car show here in Yuma. We wandered around looking at classic cars until the first tribute band's performance started at 7:15 PM. They were a Blues Brother tribute band, and quite good. The second band was an Aerosmith tribute. I'm not really a fan of Aerosmith, but the tribute band performance was good.
We didn't arrive back home until after 11 PM, a pretty late evening for us old folks !
Saturday ; Cloudy, hot, humid.
In the middle of the night ... around 2:30 AM ... Joanne became very ill ! VERY ILL ! Food poisoning, it would seem. After a period of extreme illness, she fell asleep until late morning when she awoke feeling a bit nauseous, and quite weak. She remained in bed until early afternoon, and continued to feel queasy and weak throughout the day.
I puttered around until late afternoon when Joanne felt strong enough to come to the storage yard and help me briefly with the truck camper Extreme Vent installation project. Today I accomplished as much as possible until I obtain the remaining materials required, hopefully Tuesday.
This evening we watched an interesting documentary movie on "famous" back up singers.
DSK
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