Sunday ; OOOOOHHHHH ... so close ! Thought we would hit 100º today. Only made it to 99º ! Two days in a row ! And the week long heat wave is supposed to end today. Temperatures should be much lower tomorrow and ongoing.
Right after lunch we headed downtown, to Historic Yuma Theater, to see a performance by Yuma Community Theater. It was a play entitled The Foreigner. Given that their plays are selected a year or more in advance, this was an extremely "timely" production about xenophobia. We both thought it was well done, and we enjoyed it. And as foreigners ourselves, it served to increase the concerns we already have about the
anti-foreigner sentiment that exists here in the United States, growing rapidly like a cancer in the last few months. < AHEM >
On the way home we stopped at Yuma Palms Regional Shopping Center to buy some dog food at PetsMart. By the time we arrived back at home it was after 5:30 PM. I was too tired and too hot to want to start any work, so ... we went to float around in the swimming pool until it was time to take Bo for a walk around the dog park. In the evening I downloaded, printed, and reconciled our Bank of America monthly statement. And we watched a couple of episodes of First Date. What a bunch of losers ! No wonder they're still single in their mid to late 30's !
Monday ; Sunny and very hot.
This morning we did "wand cleaning" beneath the RV toilet's flush valve, an unpleasant chore that must be done a couple of times per winter season. I removed the car radio "box" from the car's dash. Joanne went grocery shopping by herself to Albertson's.
I was eating lunch when Joanne returned from her grocery shopping trip. After lunch
I watered all our plants and gardens. I mounted the new car radio that I recently bought into the radio "box" from the dash. I did a good job. It will look nice. We went to the pool and floated around for awhile, chatting with a newly arrived couple from Washington state who have been wintering in Palm Springs. After the pool we walked Bo around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset.
While Joanne prepared supper I worked on wiring / splicing the new car radio's wiring harness into the car's wiring harness. I finished doing that just as supper was ready to be served, so ... tomorrow I should be able to reinstall the car radio "box" ... with the new radio in it ... back into the car's dash.
Tuesday ; Sunny and hot, temperature in the mid 80's, a bit cooler than it has been.
This morning I installed the new radio in the car's dash. Well done, Daniel.
After lunch we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. When we returned home we immediately went to
cool off / float around in the swimming pool. As we were finishing our regular late afternoon dog walk a Canadian neighbour came over to discuss with me his idea of holding a "Canada Day" here at Kofa Ko-op next winter season.
Wednesday ; < sigh > What a terrifying and traumatic ordeal ! For us and Bo !
Today started out sunny and very warm. In the afternoon dark grey clouds rolled in, the wind picked up strongly, and a thunderstorm struck, with heavy rain for a couple of hours. After the thunderstorm it was chilly.
Early this morning Joanne took Bo out ( earlier than usual ) for his morning bathroom walk. I remained sleeping. A few minutes later Joanne opened the trailer door and screamed at me to hurry out to the Arizona room, and bring tweezers ! UH-OH ! Bo had stepped on a piece of Cholla Cactus segment. It embedded in his right paw, so ... he pulled it out with his mouth. OH NO ! ! ! Now he had Cholla quills embedded not only in his paw ... bad enough ... but also in his lips, gums, tongue, and roof of his mouth ! We had to wrestle him down, wrestle his mouth open, and pull quills out of his lips, gums, tongue, and roof of his mouth. As well as his paw ! He was panicked ! He was terrified ! We were hurting him a lot. We were panicked ! We were terrified !
< sigh > By the time we were finished ... perhaps half an hour ... his gums were bleeding, and his tongue was bleeding, both abraded by my rough leather gloves,
I think. Or maybe I had "pinched" his tongue against his teeth as I tried to keep his mouth wrestled open as he struggled. < sigh > Poor Bo ! We checked his mouth again a few hours later and removed two more quills from the roof of his mouth, right behind his teeth. We could see more clusters of very tiny quills, like microscopic "hairs" stuck under his tongue, but it was not possible to get at them. He had already suffered enough for one morning. We're hoping that his mouth fluids / saliva will quickly erode the quills, and / or they will quickly "fester" out. He seemed a bit ill for half the day, with a warm nose and muzzle, and subdued behaviour. But ... he ate well, drank water well, and seemed to not be in any great distress. So ... wish him / us luck ! ! !
I did some preventive maintenance on the truck. And discovered a flat rear tire.
I refilled the tire with air, and will monitor it closely. I think it's just a valve extender problem, as almost all our dually rear tire problems have been over the years.
I removed the trailer water heater's sacrificial anode plug, flushed the mineral deposits out of the water heater using a specialized high pressure cleaning wand, and replaced the sacrificial anode plug. That's an annual chore. In the evening I worked on some monthly computer maintenance, scanning for viruses and malware.
Thursday ; Sunny, warm, a bit windy. Joanne cooked a squash, potato, onion, and cheese casserole in the Sun Oven today. We had it as a side dish with supper tonight and it was very good.
After lunch Joanne went to do some grocery shopping by herself. I did some annual spring cleaning chores in the trailer. After Joanne returned home she helped me start a dinette chair reinforcement project. I used screws and angle brackets to strengthen one of the dinette chairs. I am hoping to do one chair a day until done. Then I helped her start a painting project on the shed, underneath the new vinyl fascia panels that
I recently installed. I had scratched and scuffed the paint underneath the fascia trim by using a power tool to remove old caulking and flaking paint.
We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. We walked two laps, as always. Bo didn't, as always. HA HA HA ! I'm relieved to say that he seems to be suffering no ill effects from his Cholla Cactus disaster yesterday morning. Our friends Terry and Judy with their little dog Spanky stopped by to say goodbye as I was barbecuing supper. They are leaving tomorrow. A lot of northward migration from here has already begun due to the recent very hot weather.
We cancelled our plans to go to Yuma Palms Shopping Center tonight for another Thursday evening Village Jazz concert. In the evening I did some work on retrieval of income tax forms and I finished my monthly computer maintenance and backup work.
Friday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning I took care of some routine chores then helped Joanne continue with her shed painting project. While she painted the scuffs underneath the shed roof edges
I painted the shed's rear window trim. After lunch while Joanne continued painting
I reinforced another dinette chair. Two done, two more to do ! After Joanne finished painting the shed scuffs she repainted the large shelf / table attached to the rear of the shed wall. So ... next winter season's painting projects ... DONE !
I downloaded and printed some income tax forms and shortly after 6 PM we left for a fast food dinner on the way to a stargazing outing. We had supper at Rally's, then
I refilled Obie with fuel at Fry's Fuel Bar next door to Rally's. I tried a new offering at Rally's, a serving of "cheddar biscuit shrimp". Tiny shrimp, battered, deep fried. My serving was burned, and tasted horrible ! We drove to West Wetlands Park where a stargazing party was taking place. Interesting, but we didn't stay long. On the way back home we stopped at Sonic to have some milk shakes. Sonic is a fast food drive in where roller skating servers bring the food to your vehicle. Joanne quite liked it, reminiscing that it was just like our hot summer evening milk shake dates of more than forty years ago. HA HA HA !
Yes, yes ... il y a longtemps que je t'aime, mon petit chou.
Saturday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning we headed east to The Foothills for a day of running errands. First stop was Green Trees Grocer where we bought some "scratch & dent" groceries. Then to Al's RV Supply to buy a water heater sacrificial anode. Across the street to Burger King for a ( poor ) lunch. Cold burgers, cold fries, cold chicken nuggets ! Poor quality is rather unusual for Burger King. After lunch we went to Goodwill where we both bought some clothing items. Today was another 50% off everything day. Next was Fry's for more groceries before heading home.
Back at home I did some cleaning chores, then reinforced the third ( of four ) dinette chairs. We took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park, walking with Carol Mae and her little dog Kaydee. Joanne did laundry. I visited in our Arizona room with Ransom
( unusual name ! ), a visitor from a few sites over, and his dog Simona.
DSK
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
March 12 to 18, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and hot.
Today we sadly remember Sully the cat, who died two years ago at 18½ years of age.
This morning I took care of routine household chores. This afternoon I removed the trailer's screen door, took it into the Arizona room, removed the ( torn by Bo ) lower section of screening, and replaced it with new "pet proof" screening, then reinstalled the screen door onto the trailer. Then ... we gave Bo a haircut. Good dog, Bo ! We give him three haircuts per year, and I am amazed at how much his hair grows in a four month period.
After Joanne cleaned all the dog hair off the Arizona room floor, and I finished cleaning the clipper blades, we took Bo for our regular late afternoon two lap walk around the dog park. It's obvious how much more comfortable he is in this hot weather when all his hair has been cut off. After the walk I went bicycling at sunset.
I barbecued jerk chicken for supper tonight, first time I have used jerk seasoning. Turned out very well.
Monday ; Sunny and very hot, 96º F / 36º C.
This morning Joanne prepared a nice picnic lunch for us, I walked across the street to allow the neighbours' dog Lucy the Dachshund out for a bathroom break, then we set off for Wellton, about 30 miles / 50 km. east on Interstate 8.
As we approached Wellton we were brought to tears by the odour of the feed lot in Wellton. PHEW ! We endured the horrible smell as we found our way to Naked Dates, a small date farm just outside Wellton. We were going for date shakes. Except ... when we arrived there we discovered ... < sputter > ... Naked Dates is closed on Mondays ! ! ! < sigh >
We drove back to Yuma. We stopped at Fry's in The Foothills to refill Obie with fuel, and to buy a few grocery items. We parked in the shade of the Goodwill Thrift Store and ate our picnic lunch in the car. What a thrill !
Back at home Joanne did some housecleaning while I napped briefly. We went to the swimming pool and floated around for about an hour. I watered our plants and gardens. We washed the car. We walked a couple of laps around the dog park with Bo, then I went bicycling at sunset before barbecuing burgers for supper.
Tuesday ; Sunny and very hot, 98º F / 37º C. Joanne roasted a chicken in the Sun Oven today.
Right after lunch we loaded up all our recycling into Obie and hauled it to the local recycling depot, then we drove to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. Two hours of walking large dogs in this brutal heat and sunshine was difficult and left me feeling exhausted.
After we returned home I worked on measuring, cutting, drilling, and installing the second ( of nine ) piece of vinyl fascia trim on our shed. I am doing this vinyl fascia project because the wood trim on the edge of the shed roof seemed to be too old and worn and rotten to warrant being repainted. Good decision ! The wood trim is so rotten it can barely support having vinyl fascia attached to it. I was determined to accomplish installing one more piece today despite having started too late in the day. It was very near dark by the time I finished. Which might explain my finger injury ! OUCH !
The Sun Oven roasted chicken was excellent ! We watched four consecutive Canadian comedy shows, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very hot. Heat wave continues, with temperatures in the high 90's F / high 30's C.
At noon Joanne phoned our friend ( since high school ! ) Shirley in Winnipeg and they had a long chat. We had a late lunch, then Joanne went grocery shopping by herself.
I spent the afternoon working on the installation of vinyl fascia panels on the shed roof edge. Even with frequent rest breaks, and lots of fluids, working hard on very hot days causes me to experience angina pain < sigh >. I have now measured, cut, drilled, and installed five of nine panels. The first five were the easiest ones. The remaining four panels will be more difficult. So ... I guess I'm about half done.
While working on a ladder ... shirtless, of course, due to the weather ... I dropped a reciprocating saw. As it fell the blade scraped my abdomen. OUCH ! That's two injuries due to this job. So far !
Thursday ; Sunny and very hot. Again / still !
This morning we ran some errands. We stopped at the local veterinarian to advise them that they sent a notice to us that was intended for another client with the same last name. I dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart and I continued on to Pep Boys to pick up two items I had ordered last Saturday. One item was there, the other was not. And
I received atrociously bad customer service. Not the first time that has happened.
I think my days of dealing with Pep Boys are soon to end ! I returned to Wal-Mart and helped Joanne with the Wal-Martin'.
After a late lunch at home, and a brief nap I continued working on the shed roof edge vinyl fascia project. Having Joanne's help makes the job much easier ... and safer for me. I completed two more panels, and now have only two more to do. Although those two will be the most difficult. And one will involve removing the satellite dish, which we both are dreading. Not the removing part, the reinstallation and re-aiming is the part we are both dreading.
By the time we were finished working on the vinyl fascia project it was almost dark. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park, but it became dark by the time we completed only one lap. And ... we took a longer time than usual to complete that one lap because we were chatting with a newly arrived visitor who is also a new RV'er, having started his life as a full time RV'er ... just last Saturday. HA HA HA ! Yes, yes ... he had many questions !
Late in the evening we read ... and discussed ... all the reports and correspondence from our RV park back home in BC, following their recent monthly board meeting.
< shaking head in despair > < sighing heavily >
Friday ; St. Patrick's Day ; Sunny and very hot.
This morning we headed to The Foothills to run some shopping errands. First stop was Al's RV Supply to buy a floor register for Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ). Then Green Tree Grocery to buy some Zuko drink mixes. We drove all the way across town from The Foothills in the east to the Big Curve ( where 32nd St. curves around to become 4th Ave. ) in the west where I picked up my special ordered item at Pep Boys. From there we went to Church's Chicken for lunch. Joanne's idea !
Back at home I napped briefly then we set off for the 2017 Twilight Air Show at MCAS
( Marine Corps Air Station ) Yuma. I thought it was great ! Joanne was bored !
< shrug > The Twilight Air Show was about an hour in daylight, then about an hour in darkness. Of course, there were lots of pyrotechnics. I question the wisdom of a team of women making night time parachute jumps with flames shooting out the heels of their boots, but ... what do I know ? ! ? HA HA HA !
Saturday ; Still sunny and very hot, temperature hitting 99º F this afternoon. Usually the temperature in Yuma doesn't reach 100º F until early April, but ... let's see what happens tomorrow ! Joanne cooked a corned beef brisket in the Sun Oven today, a day late for St. Patrick's Day, but ... better late than never.
I spent much of the day continuing to work on the vinyl fascia installation project. And late in the afternoon I finished the project. The last step ... remount and re-aim the satellite dish ... the part I was dreading ... went surprisingly well.
Joanne did laundry. I exercised our generator. I downloaded and processed photos from yesterday's Twilight Air Show. After sunset we walked around the dog park with Bo. Then I went bicycling.
Tonight's episode of Saturday Night Live ... a rerun of the December 17, 2016 episode ... was so funny we watched it twice.
DSK
Today we sadly remember Sully the cat, who died two years ago at 18½ years of age.
This morning I took care of routine household chores. This afternoon I removed the trailer's screen door, took it into the Arizona room, removed the ( torn by Bo ) lower section of screening, and replaced it with new "pet proof" screening, then reinstalled the screen door onto the trailer. Then ... we gave Bo a haircut. Good dog, Bo ! We give him three haircuts per year, and I am amazed at how much his hair grows in a four month period.
After Joanne cleaned all the dog hair off the Arizona room floor, and I finished cleaning the clipper blades, we took Bo for our regular late afternoon two lap walk around the dog park. It's obvious how much more comfortable he is in this hot weather when all his hair has been cut off. After the walk I went bicycling at sunset.
I barbecued jerk chicken for supper tonight, first time I have used jerk seasoning. Turned out very well.
Monday ; Sunny and very hot, 96º F / 36º C.
This morning Joanne prepared a nice picnic lunch for us, I walked across the street to allow the neighbours' dog Lucy the Dachshund out for a bathroom break, then we set off for Wellton, about 30 miles / 50 km. east on Interstate 8.
As we approached Wellton we were brought to tears by the odour of the feed lot in Wellton. PHEW ! We endured the horrible smell as we found our way to Naked Dates, a small date farm just outside Wellton. We were going for date shakes. Except ... when we arrived there we discovered ... < sputter > ... Naked Dates is closed on Mondays ! ! ! < sigh >
We drove back to Yuma. We stopped at Fry's in The Foothills to refill Obie with fuel, and to buy a few grocery items. We parked in the shade of the Goodwill Thrift Store and ate our picnic lunch in the car. What a thrill !
Back at home Joanne did some housecleaning while I napped briefly. We went to the swimming pool and floated around for about an hour. I watered our plants and gardens. We washed the car. We walked a couple of laps around the dog park with Bo, then I went bicycling at sunset before barbecuing burgers for supper.
Tuesday ; Sunny and very hot, 98º F / 37º C. Joanne roasted a chicken in the Sun Oven today.
Right after lunch we loaded up all our recycling into Obie and hauled it to the local recycling depot, then we drove to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. Two hours of walking large dogs in this brutal heat and sunshine was difficult and left me feeling exhausted.
After we returned home I worked on measuring, cutting, drilling, and installing the second ( of nine ) piece of vinyl fascia trim on our shed. I am doing this vinyl fascia project because the wood trim on the edge of the shed roof seemed to be too old and worn and rotten to warrant being repainted. Good decision ! The wood trim is so rotten it can barely support having vinyl fascia attached to it. I was determined to accomplish installing one more piece today despite having started too late in the day. It was very near dark by the time I finished. Which might explain my finger injury ! OUCH !
The Sun Oven roasted chicken was excellent ! We watched four consecutive Canadian comedy shows, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very hot. Heat wave continues, with temperatures in the high 90's F / high 30's C.
At noon Joanne phoned our friend ( since high school ! ) Shirley in Winnipeg and they had a long chat. We had a late lunch, then Joanne went grocery shopping by herself.
I spent the afternoon working on the installation of vinyl fascia panels on the shed roof edge. Even with frequent rest breaks, and lots of fluids, working hard on very hot days causes me to experience angina pain < sigh >. I have now measured, cut, drilled, and installed five of nine panels. The first five were the easiest ones. The remaining four panels will be more difficult. So ... I guess I'm about half done.
While working on a ladder ... shirtless, of course, due to the weather ... I dropped a reciprocating saw. As it fell the blade scraped my abdomen. OUCH ! That's two injuries due to this job. So far !
Thursday ; Sunny and very hot. Again / still !
This morning we ran some errands. We stopped at the local veterinarian to advise them that they sent a notice to us that was intended for another client with the same last name. I dropped Joanne off at Wal-Mart and I continued on to Pep Boys to pick up two items I had ordered last Saturday. One item was there, the other was not. And
I received atrociously bad customer service. Not the first time that has happened.
I think my days of dealing with Pep Boys are soon to end ! I returned to Wal-Mart and helped Joanne with the Wal-Martin'.
After a late lunch at home, and a brief nap I continued working on the shed roof edge vinyl fascia project. Having Joanne's help makes the job much easier ... and safer for me. I completed two more panels, and now have only two more to do. Although those two will be the most difficult. And one will involve removing the satellite dish, which we both are dreading. Not the removing part, the reinstallation and re-aiming is the part we are both dreading.
By the time we were finished working on the vinyl fascia project it was almost dark. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park, but it became dark by the time we completed only one lap. And ... we took a longer time than usual to complete that one lap because we were chatting with a newly arrived visitor who is also a new RV'er, having started his life as a full time RV'er ... just last Saturday. HA HA HA ! Yes, yes ... he had many questions !
Late in the evening we read ... and discussed ... all the reports and correspondence from our RV park back home in BC, following their recent monthly board meeting.
< shaking head in despair > < sighing heavily >
Friday ; St. Patrick's Day ; Sunny and very hot.
This morning we headed to The Foothills to run some shopping errands. First stop was Al's RV Supply to buy a floor register for Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ). Then Green Tree Grocery to buy some Zuko drink mixes. We drove all the way across town from The Foothills in the east to the Big Curve ( where 32nd St. curves around to become 4th Ave. ) in the west where I picked up my special ordered item at Pep Boys. From there we went to Church's Chicken for lunch. Joanne's idea !
Back at home I napped briefly then we set off for the 2017 Twilight Air Show at MCAS
( Marine Corps Air Station ) Yuma. I thought it was great ! Joanne was bored !
< shrug > The Twilight Air Show was about an hour in daylight, then about an hour in darkness. Of course, there were lots of pyrotechnics. I question the wisdom of a team of women making night time parachute jumps with flames shooting out the heels of their boots, but ... what do I know ? ! ? HA HA HA !
Saturday ; Still sunny and very hot, temperature hitting 99º F this afternoon. Usually the temperature in Yuma doesn't reach 100º F until early April, but ... let's see what happens tomorrow ! Joanne cooked a corned beef brisket in the Sun Oven today, a day late for St. Patrick's Day, but ... better late than never.
I spent much of the day continuing to work on the vinyl fascia installation project. And late in the afternoon I finished the project. The last step ... remount and re-aim the satellite dish ... the part I was dreading ... went surprisingly well.
Joanne did laundry. I exercised our generator. I downloaded and processed photos from yesterday's Twilight Air Show. After sunset we walked around the dog park with Bo. Then I went bicycling.
Tonight's episode of Saturday Night Live ... a rerun of the December 17, 2016 episode ... was so funny we watched it twice.
DSK
Sunday, March 12, 2017
March 5 to 11, 2017
Sunday ; Partially sunny, warm.
We slept very late this morning, then had a slow day. Joanne went out do a bit of grocery shopping this afternoon.
Monday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning we took the truck ( and camper ) out of the RV park's storage yard and drove both the truck and the SUV to Somerton where we dropped off the SUV at Yepez Automotive for service. Then we drove the truck ( and camper ) back into Yuma and did some shopping at Goodwill, Pep Boys, and Lowe's. We returned home in time for a very late lunch.
I napped briefly after lunch. I watered our plants and gardens. I replaced a floor register in the trailer. I trimmed a cactus plant that was beginning to hang over our sidewalk. AFTER it "bit" Gail when she came by to discuss something with Joanne. We walked a couple of laps around the dog park with Bo, then I went bicycling at sunset. Joanne did laundry, then we had a wonderful supper of home made tacos pescados con pico de gallo y guacamole ( made with avocadoes and Crema CentroAmericana ), served with frijoles.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. After we returned home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then Laszlo and Gail picked us up in their truck and took us to The Foothills to treat us to dinner at Da Boyz, a local pizza restaurant. Thank you for dinner, Laszlo and Gail.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning we drove in the truck and camper to Somerton to pick up Obie the SUV from Yepez Automotive Service. It was in to have two problems solved, problems that arose as a result of a previous service ! As soon as we drove away from Yepez, me in the truck, Joanne following in Obie, she began to honk the horn to get me to stop.
< sigh > A new problem as a result of solving the other two problems ! ! ! < sigh > We returned Obie to Yepez, and left it there for one more day.
We returned home and had lunch, then worked on measuring, cutting, and installing a four foot section of vinyl fascia trim on our shed roof edge. It was a test to see if this vinyl fascia trim would work on our application. It did ! So ... we'll be buying enough vinyl fascia panels and mounting hardware to install this fascia trim around the roof edge of the entire shed.
We walked two laps around the dog park. I went bicycling. While Joanne prepared my favourite dinner I worked on month end investment statement reconciling. We watched "Are You The One ?", then the season premiere of Survivor.
Thursday ; Sunny and hot. Finally ! Joanne cooked a chicken and leeks stew in the Sun Oven today.
This morning we headed ... AGAIN ... to Somerton to pick up Obie at Yepez Automotive Service. After determining that all problems were resolved ... and hoping for no new ones ... we returned to Yuma. Joanne headed off in Obie to go grocery shopping at Fry's. I went to Arizona MarketPlace to buy some hardware I need for upcoming projects.
After returning home I parked the truck and camper back in our RV park's storage yard. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then made lunch for myself. Joanne returned home just as I was finishing my lunch. After lunch I read and napped. It seemed too hot ... temperature into the 90's ... to do anything else. Around 4:30 PM we headed to the swimming pool to float around and cool off. Joanne got stung by a bee while in the swimming pool. She felt something crawling on her neck, brushed it away, and ... got stung on a finger. OUCH ! At 6 PM we went for another two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling.
Friday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature reaching 95º F / 35º C. I like it ! Spring has arrived here in Yuma, Arizona. HA HA HA ! < sniff sniff > WOW ! Can you smell the lemon blossoms ?
This morning Joanne prepared a picnic lunch and we headed out for a day trip to Picacho State Recreation Area. First stop was Wally's World where I needed to buy some hardware for upcoming projects. From there we got onto Interstate 8 and headed west over the Colorado River and into California. We turned north on SR24 and drove northwest through the Quechan Reservation, following SR24 until the pavement ended. We crossed the All American Canal ( which carries Colorado River water to San Diego and Los Angeles for drinking water ) and travelled northwest for eighteen miles on a rough gravel trail to Picacho State Recreation Area ( in California ... not to be confused with Picacho Peak State Park near Tucson, Arizona ). It was a good "road test" for Obie's full time four wheel drive.
We visited the Picacho State Recreation Area campground and I was glad that Joanne had persuaded me to make this a day trip in Obie, as opposed to an overnight trip in the truck and camper as was my initial plan. We ate our picnic lunch in the brutal desert sunshine, then returned to civilization. We drove to Imperial Date Gardens in Bard, California and shared a late afternoon date shake. MMMMM !
We drove back to Yuma and went to PetsMart at Yuma Palms Shopping Center to buy a bag of dog food. We arrived back home about 4:30 PM and went to float around in the swimming pool until about 6 PM. We took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park. We were joined today by Carol Mae and her new little dog Kaydee. Kaydee is very young ( about a year old ) and is much more interested in romping and playing than old Bo is. HA HA HA ! I went bicycling at sunset before barbecuing supper.
Late in the evening, after Joanne was finished washing supper dishes, I repaired a kitchen sink drain leak.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot.
Late this morning we headed to Goodwill Thrift Store, for their twice monthly 50% off everything sale. We had been there earlier in the week, and I had selected two items
I wanted to buy today ; a GM car radio and a Shaw ( our Canadian satellite dish
service ) remote control. I picked up those two items, and then we shopped for ... whatever struck our fancy. HA HA HA ! I bought a pair of pants. We bought a bunch of cushions for the camper and our gazebo back home in BC, a Sobakawa ( foam
bead ) pillow, and a water filled "cooling" pillow that we may use as a pet mat in the truck. From there we headed to Burger King for lunch.
After lunch we went to Pep Boys to buy / special order a couple of items, then went to a car stereo business looking for a car radio wiring harness that Pep Boys did not have. The car stereo place would have to special order what I need. They will phone me on Monday with a price and date of availability. From there we drove to Lowe's and bought more of the vinyl fascia panels that we need for our shed.
After we returned home I worked on figuring out whether or not this car radio from Goodwill will work in Obie. I dismantled the dash, removed the radio "box", and took it to my work bench in the shed to determine if I could mount the new radio. < sigh >
I could not ! This is the second time I have bought a GM car radio at Goodwill, and the second time I have found that it is not compatible with our car ... < sigh >. I give up !
I will return the radio to Goodwill for a refund, and I will order an aftermarket radio from Pep Boys.
By the time I had finished reinstalling the car's dash panels it was time for our late afternoon walk around the dog park with Bo. I went bicycling at sunset. Well ... actually ... I was late. I went bicycling in the dark ! Joanne disapproves of me doing that, fearing for my safety on the road. But ... since I'm typing this ... I obviously survived. HA HA HA !
DSK
We slept very late this morning, then had a slow day. Joanne went out do a bit of grocery shopping this afternoon.
Monday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning we took the truck ( and camper ) out of the RV park's storage yard and drove both the truck and the SUV to Somerton where we dropped off the SUV at Yepez Automotive for service. Then we drove the truck ( and camper ) back into Yuma and did some shopping at Goodwill, Pep Boys, and Lowe's. We returned home in time for a very late lunch.
I napped briefly after lunch. I watered our plants and gardens. I replaced a floor register in the trailer. I trimmed a cactus plant that was beginning to hang over our sidewalk. AFTER it "bit" Gail when she came by to discuss something with Joanne. We walked a couple of laps around the dog park with Bo, then I went bicycling at sunset. Joanne did laundry, then we had a wonderful supper of home made tacos pescados con pico de gallo y guacamole ( made with avocadoes and Crema CentroAmericana ), served with frijoles.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. After we returned home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then Laszlo and Gail picked us up in their truck and took us to The Foothills to treat us to dinner at Da Boyz, a local pizza restaurant. Thank you for dinner, Laszlo and Gail.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning we drove in the truck and camper to Somerton to pick up Obie the SUV from Yepez Automotive Service. It was in to have two problems solved, problems that arose as a result of a previous service ! As soon as we drove away from Yepez, me in the truck, Joanne following in Obie, she began to honk the horn to get me to stop.
< sigh > A new problem as a result of solving the other two problems ! ! ! < sigh > We returned Obie to Yepez, and left it there for one more day.
We returned home and had lunch, then worked on measuring, cutting, and installing a four foot section of vinyl fascia trim on our shed roof edge. It was a test to see if this vinyl fascia trim would work on our application. It did ! So ... we'll be buying enough vinyl fascia panels and mounting hardware to install this fascia trim around the roof edge of the entire shed.
We walked two laps around the dog park. I went bicycling. While Joanne prepared my favourite dinner I worked on month end investment statement reconciling. We watched "Are You The One ?", then the season premiere of Survivor.
Thursday ; Sunny and hot. Finally ! Joanne cooked a chicken and leeks stew in the Sun Oven today.
This morning we headed ... AGAIN ... to Somerton to pick up Obie at Yepez Automotive Service. After determining that all problems were resolved ... and hoping for no new ones ... we returned to Yuma. Joanne headed off in Obie to go grocery shopping at Fry's. I went to Arizona MarketPlace to buy some hardware I need for upcoming projects.
After returning home I parked the truck and camper back in our RV park's storage yard. I took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then made lunch for myself. Joanne returned home just as I was finishing my lunch. After lunch I read and napped. It seemed too hot ... temperature into the 90's ... to do anything else. Around 4:30 PM we headed to the swimming pool to float around and cool off. Joanne got stung by a bee while in the swimming pool. She felt something crawling on her neck, brushed it away, and ... got stung on a finger. OUCH ! At 6 PM we went for another two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling.
Friday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature reaching 95º F / 35º C. I like it ! Spring has arrived here in Yuma, Arizona. HA HA HA ! < sniff sniff > WOW ! Can you smell the lemon blossoms ?
This morning Joanne prepared a picnic lunch and we headed out for a day trip to Picacho State Recreation Area. First stop was Wally's World where I needed to buy some hardware for upcoming projects. From there we got onto Interstate 8 and headed west over the Colorado River and into California. We turned north on SR24 and drove northwest through the Quechan Reservation, following SR24 until the pavement ended. We crossed the All American Canal ( which carries Colorado River water to San Diego and Los Angeles for drinking water ) and travelled northwest for eighteen miles on a rough gravel trail to Picacho State Recreation Area ( in California ... not to be confused with Picacho Peak State Park near Tucson, Arizona ). It was a good "road test" for Obie's full time four wheel drive.
We visited the Picacho State Recreation Area campground and I was glad that Joanne had persuaded me to make this a day trip in Obie, as opposed to an overnight trip in the truck and camper as was my initial plan. We ate our picnic lunch in the brutal desert sunshine, then returned to civilization. We drove to Imperial Date Gardens in Bard, California and shared a late afternoon date shake. MMMMM !
We drove back to Yuma and went to PetsMart at Yuma Palms Shopping Center to buy a bag of dog food. We arrived back home about 4:30 PM and went to float around in the swimming pool until about 6 PM. We took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park. We were joined today by Carol Mae and her new little dog Kaydee. Kaydee is very young ( about a year old ) and is much more interested in romping and playing than old Bo is. HA HA HA ! I went bicycling at sunset before barbecuing supper.
Late in the evening, after Joanne was finished washing supper dishes, I repaired a kitchen sink drain leak.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot.
Late this morning we headed to Goodwill Thrift Store, for their twice monthly 50% off everything sale. We had been there earlier in the week, and I had selected two items
I wanted to buy today ; a GM car radio and a Shaw ( our Canadian satellite dish
service ) remote control. I picked up those two items, and then we shopped for ... whatever struck our fancy. HA HA HA ! I bought a pair of pants. We bought a bunch of cushions for the camper and our gazebo back home in BC, a Sobakawa ( foam
bead ) pillow, and a water filled "cooling" pillow that we may use as a pet mat in the truck. From there we headed to Burger King for lunch.
After lunch we went to Pep Boys to buy / special order a couple of items, then went to a car stereo business looking for a car radio wiring harness that Pep Boys did not have. The car stereo place would have to special order what I need. They will phone me on Monday with a price and date of availability. From there we drove to Lowe's and bought more of the vinyl fascia panels that we need for our shed.
After we returned home I worked on figuring out whether or not this car radio from Goodwill will work in Obie. I dismantled the dash, removed the radio "box", and took it to my work bench in the shed to determine if I could mount the new radio. < sigh >
I could not ! This is the second time I have bought a GM car radio at Goodwill, and the second time I have found that it is not compatible with our car ... < sigh >. I give up !
I will return the radio to Goodwill for a refund, and I will order an aftermarket radio from Pep Boys.
By the time I had finished reinstalling the car's dash panels it was time for our late afternoon walk around the dog park with Bo. I went bicycling at sunset. Well ... actually ... I was late. I went bicycling in the dark ! Joanne disapproves of me doing that, fearing for my safety on the road. But ... since I'm typing this ... I obviously survived. HA HA HA !
DSK
Sunday, March 5, 2017
February 26 to March 4, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and warm.
Had a very busy and productive day, starting and finishing a variety of smaller projects. In the evening I did some regular weekend financial work. We watched Downton Abbey while eating supper. And cuddled with Emma on the sofa. She's not often cuddly, but was tonight.
Monday ; Cloudy, windy in the morning, raining all afternoon. Joanne had been planning to cook Chicken Chile Verde in the Sun Oven today, but obviously that didn't happen.
Oh, sure ... it's all a lot of fun ... until some poor little gecko loses its life ! Oh, Emma ! She has been "asking" to go out to the Arizona room frequently for the last few days, ever since she discovered the Arizona room's resident little gecko. Today I let her into the Arizona room and when I went to check on her a little while later, she was sitting underneath the dinette table, staring at the little dead gecko. Oh, Emma ! ! !
This morning I made some phone calls to set up medical appointments in Penticton upon our return to Canada late in April. I did some water heater maintenance.
I cleaned and polished shoes. Joanne went grocery shopping. I read and napped.
I removed the car radio which has been malfunctioning frequently since we bought the car three months ago. I paid some bills online.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy.
Late this morning I drove to the Love's Travel Center at the Interstate 8 exit 3 to meet a fellow from Orange County ( south of Los Angeles ), California. He was stopping here in Yuma on his way to Phoenix to buy the Blue Ox Patriot braking system that I was selling on behalf of our neighbours Jim and Cathy. And that was the last of six items that they asked me to sell for them. WHEW ! Finally ! Selling those six items turned out to be much more work than I had anticipated.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. When we left the Humane Society we went to
Wal-Mart for some shopping, then to Pep Boys to check the price on an automotive item I need for Obie. Once back at home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset while Joanne got started on laundering clothes.
While Joanne prepared supper we watched the Presidential Address to Congress.
< rolling my eyes >
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy.
This morning I went to a local auto wrecker to look for a new GM radio for Obie. And found out ... < sigh > ... that GM vehicle radios all have "TheftLock", an electronic code that prevents GM radios from functioning in any vehicle other than the one in which it was installed. It's a deterrent to theft of radios from GM vehicles. If one takes a GM radio from a wrecked car to a GM dealer, with the serial number of the wrecked car to allow the GM dealer to verify that the radio is from a wrecked car, the GM dealer can reprogram the TheftLock to allow the radio to work in another vehicle. For a substantial fee !
This afternoon I worked on the camper roof, resealing the Fantastic Fan roof vent.
I scraped off all the old and cracked sealant then applied new self levelling lap sealant. Much easier said than done.
In the evening I worked on monthly budget planning, reconciling bank statements, and updating and analyzing investment files.
Thursday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I climbed up on the roof of the camper and reinstalled the MaxxAir cover over the Fantastic Fan roof vent. Roof leak repair completed ! I hope !
This afternoon we went to Arizona MarketPlace, the local flea market. I went to buy some guy stuff at Wally's World while Joanne went to buy some fresh produce at the farmers' market stalls.
Late in the afternoon we headed out to run a few errands before going for supper and Village Jazz at Yuma Palms Shopping Center. We shopped for a few items at Harbor Freight. HA HA HA ... no complaining from Joanne this time because ... one of the items we were shopping for was something she wanted. We drove to Yuma Palms Shopping Center and I went to Best Buy to look for a car radio. Well ! The car audio section at Best Buy was ... ****ing incomprehensible ! Now I understand why my father needed me to adjust our colour TV when we got one in the early 70's. HA HA HA ! We went to Del Taco for supper, then to the Village Jazz performance in the courtyard. First set was Yuma Jazz Company, a local trio ( of old men playing boring music ). Second set was the Gila Ridge High School jazz band. I was underdressed for the chilly evening. We left early because I was cold.
Friday ; Partially cloudy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon, chilly in the evening.
This morning while doing some fussing and fiddling on the dashboard of Obie,
I inadvertently knocked the headlight switch to the on position. By the time I discovered that a few hours later, the battery was dead. Very dead ! < sigh > With the help of my next door neighbour, and his large Dodge diesel pickup truck, I jump started Obie and let the engine run for an hour to recharge the dead battery. Thank you, John !
Mid-afternoon we picked up Laszlo and Gail and headed out for an early food truck supper, followed by an evening at Midnight At The Oasis, the annual classic car show in Yuma. We drove to an area on Avenue B populated by Mexican food trucks and had a wonderful supper of tacos and burritos. From there we headed to Desert Sun Stadium where we wandered around looking at classic cars for an hour or so, then settled into our folding chairs on the stadium field for two tribute band concerts. The first band was a tribute to Heart. Very good ! The second band was a tribute to the Eagles. Good thing the Eagles' music is so great, because ... this band sucked !
Saturday ; Partially sunny in the morning becoming cloudy by late afternoon, very warm afternoon.
Joanne went grocery and thrift store shopping with Gail this afternoon. I did some routine maintenance on Harvey the fifth wheel trailer. I made and ate lunch, then read in bed until I fell asleep and had a long nap. Tough work, but hey ... somebody's got to do it ! HA HA HA ! After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset.
MMMMM ! Fresh, home made guacamole with sweet potato tortilla chips as appetizer, then perogies served with Crema CentroAmericana and sautéed onions for supper.
DSK
Had a very busy and productive day, starting and finishing a variety of smaller projects. In the evening I did some regular weekend financial work. We watched Downton Abbey while eating supper. And cuddled with Emma on the sofa. She's not often cuddly, but was tonight.
Monday ; Cloudy, windy in the morning, raining all afternoon. Joanne had been planning to cook Chicken Chile Verde in the Sun Oven today, but obviously that didn't happen.
Oh, sure ... it's all a lot of fun ... until some poor little gecko loses its life ! Oh, Emma ! She has been "asking" to go out to the Arizona room frequently for the last few days, ever since she discovered the Arizona room's resident little gecko. Today I let her into the Arizona room and when I went to check on her a little while later, she was sitting underneath the dinette table, staring at the little dead gecko. Oh, Emma ! ! !
This morning I made some phone calls to set up medical appointments in Penticton upon our return to Canada late in April. I did some water heater maintenance.
I cleaned and polished shoes. Joanne went grocery shopping. I read and napped.
I removed the car radio which has been malfunctioning frequently since we bought the car three months ago. I paid some bills online.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy.
Late this morning I drove to the Love's Travel Center at the Interstate 8 exit 3 to meet a fellow from Orange County ( south of Los Angeles ), California. He was stopping here in Yuma on his way to Phoenix to buy the Blue Ox Patriot braking system that I was selling on behalf of our neighbours Jim and Cathy. And that was the last of six items that they asked me to sell for them. WHEW ! Finally ! Selling those six items turned out to be much more work than I had anticipated.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. When we left the Humane Society we went to
Wal-Mart for some shopping, then to Pep Boys to check the price on an automotive item I need for Obie. Once back at home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset while Joanne got started on laundering clothes.
While Joanne prepared supper we watched the Presidential Address to Congress.
< rolling my eyes >
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy.
This morning I went to a local auto wrecker to look for a new GM radio for Obie. And found out ... < sigh > ... that GM vehicle radios all have "TheftLock", an electronic code that prevents GM radios from functioning in any vehicle other than the one in which it was installed. It's a deterrent to theft of radios from GM vehicles. If one takes a GM radio from a wrecked car to a GM dealer, with the serial number of the wrecked car to allow the GM dealer to verify that the radio is from a wrecked car, the GM dealer can reprogram the TheftLock to allow the radio to work in another vehicle. For a substantial fee !
This afternoon I worked on the camper roof, resealing the Fantastic Fan roof vent.
I scraped off all the old and cracked sealant then applied new self levelling lap sealant. Much easier said than done.
In the evening I worked on monthly budget planning, reconciling bank statements, and updating and analyzing investment files.
Thursday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I climbed up on the roof of the camper and reinstalled the MaxxAir cover over the Fantastic Fan roof vent. Roof leak repair completed ! I hope !
This afternoon we went to Arizona MarketPlace, the local flea market. I went to buy some guy stuff at Wally's World while Joanne went to buy some fresh produce at the farmers' market stalls.
Late in the afternoon we headed out to run a few errands before going for supper and Village Jazz at Yuma Palms Shopping Center. We shopped for a few items at Harbor Freight. HA HA HA ... no complaining from Joanne this time because ... one of the items we were shopping for was something she wanted. We drove to Yuma Palms Shopping Center and I went to Best Buy to look for a car radio. Well ! The car audio section at Best Buy was ... ****ing incomprehensible ! Now I understand why my father needed me to adjust our colour TV when we got one in the early 70's. HA HA HA ! We went to Del Taco for supper, then to the Village Jazz performance in the courtyard. First set was Yuma Jazz Company, a local trio ( of old men playing boring music ). Second set was the Gila Ridge High School jazz band. I was underdressed for the chilly evening. We left early because I was cold.
Friday ; Partially cloudy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon, chilly in the evening.
This morning while doing some fussing and fiddling on the dashboard of Obie,
I inadvertently knocked the headlight switch to the on position. By the time I discovered that a few hours later, the battery was dead. Very dead ! < sigh > With the help of my next door neighbour, and his large Dodge diesel pickup truck, I jump started Obie and let the engine run for an hour to recharge the dead battery. Thank you, John !
Mid-afternoon we picked up Laszlo and Gail and headed out for an early food truck supper, followed by an evening at Midnight At The Oasis, the annual classic car show in Yuma. We drove to an area on Avenue B populated by Mexican food trucks and had a wonderful supper of tacos and burritos. From there we headed to Desert Sun Stadium where we wandered around looking at classic cars for an hour or so, then settled into our folding chairs on the stadium field for two tribute band concerts. The first band was a tribute to Heart. Very good ! The second band was a tribute to the Eagles. Good thing the Eagles' music is so great, because ... this band sucked !
Saturday ; Partially sunny in the morning becoming cloudy by late afternoon, very warm afternoon.
Joanne went grocery and thrift store shopping with Gail this afternoon. I did some routine maintenance on Harvey the fifth wheel trailer. I made and ate lunch, then read in bed until I fell asleep and had a long nap. Tough work, but hey ... somebody's got to do it ! HA HA HA ! After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset.
MMMMM ! Fresh, home made guacamole with sweet potato tortilla chips as appetizer, then perogies served with Crema CentroAmericana and sautéed onions for supper.
DSK
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