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
Sunday, February 26, 2017
February 19 to 25, 2017
Sunday ; Mostly sunny, warm.
This afternoon we drove to the "76" Fuel Bar at "The Big Curve" ( where 32nd St. merges onto 4th Ave. ) to dump the camper's black waste holding tank. Then to a nearby car wash on 24th St. to wash the truck and camper. From there we went to Fry's to refill with diesel and buy a few grocery items, then Dollar Tree for a few items before returning home.
I spent some time visiting with our neighbours / friends Joe and Alene and their little Dachshund Lucy who have just arrived here from their "summer" home, SKP Park of the Sierras near Coarsegold, California. And we had a visit from another neighbour / friend, Linda, who also arrived here recently from her home in Washington.
Joanne finished cleaning the inside of the camper. I replenished medications and toiletries in the camper. I did some bill paying online. And I reconciled our Bank of America statement. This winter season we are using our Bank of America Visa & debit card to pay for everything, instead of our ( Canadian ) Bank of Montreal U.S.$ MasterCard as we did in previous years. In the evening I posted ( again ) some online and newspaper ads to sell the last piece of a neighbour's equipment that I am trying to sell for her.
Monday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning I did some routine household chores, exercised our generator, and chatted with a neighbour ... for too long. Joanne cleaned the Arizona room which was left very dirty with desert dust after last Friday's wind storm.
After lunch we drove to Somerton to pick up Obie at Yepez Automotive Repair Services. Before leaving there I noticed that the passenger's side front floor mat was missing. It could not be found ! The owner ... who also happens to be the mayor of Somerton ... reluctantly agreed to buy me a new set of front floor mats. HEY ! Don't get pissy with me ! I'm not the one who lost the floor mat while the car was being serviced in your facility ! ! !
We drove both vehicles part way back to Yuma. I parked the truck and camper in the parking lot of Cocopah Casino, and we continued into Yuma in Obie. We shopped for and bought a used tire to replace the tire that self-destructed a couple of weeks ago. We drove back to the Cocopah Casino, I drove home in the truck and camper, and Joanne went grocery shopping in Obie. Back at home I parked the truck and camper in the storage yard, then chatted with neighbours until it was time to take Bo for our afternoon two lap walk around the dog park. Just as I finished that, and was about to go for my daily sunset bicycle ride, Joanne returned home.
Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm. Joanne cooked a Thai Chicken recipe in the Sun Oven today.
This morning Joanne helped me remount Obie's spare tire underneath the car. I did some minor maintenance on Elsie the camper. We loaded all our recycling bins in the car. After lunch we drove to the local recycling depot and dumped our recycling. From there we drove to the Humane Society for a slightly longer than usual shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. I was asked to assist with a "bite dog" assessment. And ... HA HA HA ... not surprisingly, I got bit ! No harm done ! The cute little "bite dog" got a mouthful of my pant leg and tore my pants, but ... missed my leg flesh ! Poor little Teddy ! His "prognosis" is poor. He's not really adoptable and will probably have to be ... well, you know !
Back at home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park then while I went bicycling Joanne started work on laundering. We had supper ... very good ... then spent the evening watching Canadian comedy shows, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning we drove to Yepez Automotive Services in Somerton to pick up the front floor mats that the owner bought for us to replace the front floor mat that they lost while Obie was in for service. Back at home we had lunch, then went to the storage area to do some minor maintenance on the camper, and to put away our laundered clothing.
After a brief nap I trimmed my beard, then climbed up on the roof of the trailer and did some minor resealing, an annual roof maintenance chore. The trailer roof is looking pretty worn out ! I used a new lap sealant that I have not used before. We went for a two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset.
Emma has been happily spending a few hours each afternoon in the Arizona room. It's sunny, it's warm, she can sit on the dinette table and look outside and watch what's going on in the dog park, and most importantly ... HA HA HA ... she can "hunt" the little gecko that apparently now lives in our Arizona room.
MMMMM ! Haida Gwaii Coho Salmon with dill cream sauce and mushroom risotto for supper. And that's the last of the salmon we bought on Haida Gwaii last August !
Thursday ; Sunny and very warm.
Joanne picked up our friend Gail and they went out shopping all day. I disassembled and thoroughly cleaned our barbecue, an annual chore. I made fire starters, using a cardboard egg crate, dryer lint, and melted wax. I read and napped with the animals. In the late afternoon and evening I worked on monthly computer maintenance, scanning for viruses and malware, cleaning and defragmenting the hard drive, that sort of thing.
Friday ; Sunny and mild, a bit windy. Joanne roasted a chicken in the Sun Oven today. It was very good !
This morning I worked on routine household chores. And things went poorly ! < sigh > I had a "funnel malfunction", and splashed bleach on my shirt and pants. < sigh > And a sewer hose fitting cracked while I was dumping the black waste tank. < sigh >
After lunch we went downtown to the "What's Growing In Yuma" event, the low budget, downsized version of "Lettuce Days", an annual agricultural event held in previous years. HMPH ... "What's Growing In Yuma" was a flop ! On the way back home we went grocery shopping at Albertson's.
We took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset. Joanne visited with Laszlo and Gail to finalize arrangements for her to join them on a trip to Mexico tomorrow.
Saturday ; Sunny and warm. This morning Laszlo and Gail picked up Joanne and they all headed off for a day in Los Algodones, Mexico ; pedicures, haircuts, lunch, shopping.
After an early lunch I headed off to The Foothills for an afternoon of running errands ; Wal-Mart, Southwest Exchange, Al's RV Supply, Goodwill, and on the way back home, Wally's World. I arrived back home at 4 PM and walked over to the other side of the park to visit with some people from Vancouver Island. Carol Mae had asked me to pay them a visit to answer some questions they had about living in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia.
Joanne arrived home about the same time as I did, around 5 PM. We chatted in the Arizona room for about an hour, then took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park.
I went bicycling at sunset, then barbecued a thick, juicy steak for supper.
DSK
This afternoon we drove to the "76" Fuel Bar at "The Big Curve" ( where 32nd St. merges onto 4th Ave. ) to dump the camper's black waste holding tank. Then to a nearby car wash on 24th St. to wash the truck and camper. From there we went to Fry's to refill with diesel and buy a few grocery items, then Dollar Tree for a few items before returning home.
I spent some time visiting with our neighbours / friends Joe and Alene and their little Dachshund Lucy who have just arrived here from their "summer" home, SKP Park of the Sierras near Coarsegold, California. And we had a visit from another neighbour / friend, Linda, who also arrived here recently from her home in Washington.
Joanne finished cleaning the inside of the camper. I replenished medications and toiletries in the camper. I did some bill paying online. And I reconciled our Bank of America statement. This winter season we are using our Bank of America Visa & debit card to pay for everything, instead of our ( Canadian ) Bank of Montreal U.S.$ MasterCard as we did in previous years. In the evening I posted ( again ) some online and newspaper ads to sell the last piece of a neighbour's equipment that I am trying to sell for her.
Monday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning I did some routine household chores, exercised our generator, and chatted with a neighbour ... for too long. Joanne cleaned the Arizona room which was left very dirty with desert dust after last Friday's wind storm.
After lunch we drove to Somerton to pick up Obie at Yepez Automotive Repair Services. Before leaving there I noticed that the passenger's side front floor mat was missing. It could not be found ! The owner ... who also happens to be the mayor of Somerton ... reluctantly agreed to buy me a new set of front floor mats. HEY ! Don't get pissy with me ! I'm not the one who lost the floor mat while the car was being serviced in your facility ! ! !
We drove both vehicles part way back to Yuma. I parked the truck and camper in the parking lot of Cocopah Casino, and we continued into Yuma in Obie. We shopped for and bought a used tire to replace the tire that self-destructed a couple of weeks ago. We drove back to the Cocopah Casino, I drove home in the truck and camper, and Joanne went grocery shopping in Obie. Back at home I parked the truck and camper in the storage yard, then chatted with neighbours until it was time to take Bo for our afternoon two lap walk around the dog park. Just as I finished that, and was about to go for my daily sunset bicycle ride, Joanne returned home.
Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm. Joanne cooked a Thai Chicken recipe in the Sun Oven today.
This morning Joanne helped me remount Obie's spare tire underneath the car. I did some minor maintenance on Elsie the camper. We loaded all our recycling bins in the car. After lunch we drove to the local recycling depot and dumped our recycling. From there we drove to the Humane Society for a slightly longer than usual shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. I was asked to assist with a "bite dog" assessment. And ... HA HA HA ... not surprisingly, I got bit ! No harm done ! The cute little "bite dog" got a mouthful of my pant leg and tore my pants, but ... missed my leg flesh ! Poor little Teddy ! His "prognosis" is poor. He's not really adoptable and will probably have to be ... well, you know !
Back at home we took Bo for a walk around the dog park then while I went bicycling Joanne started work on laundering. We had supper ... very good ... then spent the evening watching Canadian comedy shows, our regular Tuesday evening ritual.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning we drove to Yepez Automotive Services in Somerton to pick up the front floor mats that the owner bought for us to replace the front floor mat that they lost while Obie was in for service. Back at home we had lunch, then went to the storage area to do some minor maintenance on the camper, and to put away our laundered clothing.
After a brief nap I trimmed my beard, then climbed up on the roof of the trailer and did some minor resealing, an annual roof maintenance chore. The trailer roof is looking pretty worn out ! I used a new lap sealant that I have not used before. We went for a two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset.
Emma has been happily spending a few hours each afternoon in the Arizona room. It's sunny, it's warm, she can sit on the dinette table and look outside and watch what's going on in the dog park, and most importantly ... HA HA HA ... she can "hunt" the little gecko that apparently now lives in our Arizona room.
MMMMM ! Haida Gwaii Coho Salmon with dill cream sauce and mushroom risotto for supper. And that's the last of the salmon we bought on Haida Gwaii last August !
Thursday ; Sunny and very warm.
Joanne picked up our friend Gail and they went out shopping all day. I disassembled and thoroughly cleaned our barbecue, an annual chore. I made fire starters, using a cardboard egg crate, dryer lint, and melted wax. I read and napped with the animals. In the late afternoon and evening I worked on monthly computer maintenance, scanning for viruses and malware, cleaning and defragmenting the hard drive, that sort of thing.
Friday ; Sunny and mild, a bit windy. Joanne roasted a chicken in the Sun Oven today. It was very good !
This morning I worked on routine household chores. And things went poorly ! < sigh > I had a "funnel malfunction", and splashed bleach on my shirt and pants. < sigh > And a sewer hose fitting cracked while I was dumping the black waste tank. < sigh >
After lunch we went downtown to the "What's Growing In Yuma" event, the low budget, downsized version of "Lettuce Days", an annual agricultural event held in previous years. HMPH ... "What's Growing In Yuma" was a flop ! On the way back home we went grocery shopping at Albertson's.
We took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park, then I went bicycling at sunset. Joanne visited with Laszlo and Gail to finalize arrangements for her to join them on a trip to Mexico tomorrow.
Saturday ; Sunny and warm. This morning Laszlo and Gail picked up Joanne and they all headed off for a day in Los Algodones, Mexico ; pedicures, haircuts, lunch, shopping.
After an early lunch I headed off to The Foothills for an afternoon of running errands ; Wal-Mart, Southwest Exchange, Al's RV Supply, Goodwill, and on the way back home, Wally's World. I arrived back home at 4 PM and walked over to the other side of the park to visit with some people from Vancouver Island. Carol Mae had asked me to pay them a visit to answer some questions they had about living in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia.
Joanne arrived home about the same time as I did, around 5 PM. We chatted in the Arizona room for about an hour, then took Bo for a two lap walk around the dog park.
I went bicycling at sunset, then barbecued a thick, juicy steak for supper.
DSK
Saturday, February 18, 2017
February 12 to 18, 2017 ; Quartzsite, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada and return to Yuma, Arizona
Sunday ; Quartzsite, Arizona to Laughlin, Nevada
Mix of sun and clouds, warm.
We slept late this morning. While I did some battery maintenance work on the camper Joanne took Emma for a leash walk in the desert. Emma didn't like the open desert much, but she liked going down in the arroyo ( dry wash / dry creek bed ) behind our campsite and exploring. She was afraid of the noise created by nearby ATV's.
We left Hi Jolly BLM Campground about 1 PM after having an early ( for us ) lunch. We drove north, then west on Arizona Hwy. 95 to Parker where we refilled our freshwater tank at Running Man Fuels. We crossed the Colorado River for the first of three times today, into California, then drove west on Hwy. 62 for twenty miles or so then turned north on California Hwy. 95. When we reached Needles, a scruffy little desert town that I have always disliked, we turned east on Interstate 40 and headed about ten miles or so until we crossed the Colorado River once again, back into Arizona. We turned north on Arizona Hwy. 95 again to Bullhead City.
We refilled with diesel at Maverik Fuels in Bullhead City, then crossed the Colorado River for the third time, this time west into Nevada, at the Avi Casino a bit south of Laughlin. We drove to Laughlin, and found our way to the Riverside Casino, arriving there about 5:15 PM. I am typing this about an hour later, still 5:15 PM, because when we crossed into Nevada the time zone changed. Joanne has gone inside the casino to check some things out while I stayed in the camper with the animals, and reset clocks and watches.
We had dinner at the Riverside Casino Resort's buffet restaurant, called ...
< blink blink > ... the Riverside Buffet. DUH ! We used the last of our free buffet vouchers, left over from previous stays in their RV park.
Emma has had another great day ! It seems as if she is going to enjoy travelling ! Hallelujah !
Monday ; Laughlin to Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunny and warm.
We had another late, slow start to the day. Before leaving the Riverside Casino parking lot we went for a long walk, with Bo, on RiverWalk, the paved walkway along the Colorado River. We hit the road about 12:30 PM. Joanne and Emma stayed inside the camper. We wanted to find out if Emma preferred to be in the camper while we drove. She did not !
I drove west on Hwy. 163 for about half an hour or so until we reached NV Hwy. 95. Too many Hwy 95's around here ! I stopped at the intersection to allow Joanne and Emma to get out of the camper and into the truck cab. Emma was much happier !
We headed north on Hwy. 95 until we reached Las Vegas and Hwy. 95 merged with Interstate 515 heading through the city. We saw a mall with a Wal-Mart so we stopped to have a late lunch in the parking lot, then went inside to buy a few grocery items. By the time we left the shopping mall it was 4 PM and rush hour was starting ! Six lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, seventy miles per hour, and ... < sputter > ... drivers all around me with their heads down, texting on their phones ! ! ! ! !
The exit that we needed to take to get to Main Street Station Casino Hotel & RV Park, was closed due to construction. < sigh > Story of my life ! We merged onto Interstate 15 and took the next available exit, then found our way on city streets back to Main Street Station. Not that easy ! < sigh >
We parked in our assigned site in the Main Street Station Casino's RV Park. While
I dumped waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank Joanne went across the street to the hotel's front desk to register our arrival. HMPH ! No cable TV. No Wi-Fi ! I raised the camper's roof top antenna and set up the TV. Joanne made supper. We "channel surfed" until it was time to watch the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice.
Tuesday ; Valentine's Day ; Las Vegas
Sunny and warm.
We got a slow start to the day. After lunch we walked a few blocks over to Freemont Street and bought two transit passes, then caught an overcrowded SDX ( Strip to Downtown Express ) bus ... double length, articulated in the middle ... and rode it from “Downtown” ( Freemont Street area ) to “The Strip” ( Las Vegas Boulevard ), getting off at The Bellagio, Joanne’s favourite Las Vegas Casino Hotel.
We got off the SDX bus right in front of The Bellagio’s “Dancing Fountains” a few minutes before 4 PM, just in time for the hourly dancing fountains show. We found a good place to view the show and ... watched a couple of weddings take place in front of the fountains / “lake”. First wedding was being officiated by some manner of “Rent-A-Priest” ! Black fellow, long black robe, white cleric collar, briefcase full of Nevada marriage documents, photographer sidekick. HMPH ! Who knew ? ! Welcome to Vegas, baby !
After watching the dancing fountains show ... ( Man, I never get tired of that ! ) ... we went inside The Bellagio to marvel at their astounding interior, and ... to visit The Conservatory and see what this season’s floral theme and displays were. OH ... Chinese New Year ! We spent time viewing The Conservatory’s floral displays, then began wandering through The Bellagio’s casino and shopping areas, moving in the general direction of Caesars Palace, the next casino hotel. Eventually we made it over to Caesars Palace. We found our way to The Colloseum, the venue for tonight’s show, our reason for being in Las Vegas, then wandered off to explore The Shoppes At The Forum.
We had a lovely dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We had eaten here before and liked it enough to return. Good food, reasonable prices, excellent service, and close to The Colloseum. After a leisurely supper we headed back to The Colloseum for ...
ELTON JOHN ... MILLION DOLLAR PIANO ! Two tickets to see Elton John perform in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day were my birthday gift to Joanne on her recent 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday ... and Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. You know ... when we were dating 45 years ago, and I was listening to Led Zeppelin and Iron Butterfly, your fondness for Elton John’s music was ... a tad annoying. It’s amazing how much the years have mellowed me ! HA HA HA !
This is the second time we have seen Elton John perform at the Colloseum in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The first time, a couple of years ago, the show was a little bit better than tonight’s show. AND ... < sputter > ... tonight’s show was marred by two disturbing incidents in the audience near us. What a rough crowd ! First ... some manner of dispute took place a few rows ahead of us. Some fellow was loudly screaming “shut the **** up” at people behind him. A fight broke out. A large group of security people rushed in, wrestled a bunch of people out, and evicted them. That incident caused us to have difficulty seeing and hearing the show for a few minutes. Not too long thereafter, some Valentine’s Day drama unfolded a few seats over from us. Some young woman began sobbing very loudly and moaning about “what a piece of shit you are” to the young man beside her. He stood up and left as Security arrived to quiet her down. They failed to be able to do so, so ... they removed her and evicted her from the show. Another couple of minutes of the show was disrupted for us.
My theory is ... some people drink way too much ! ! !
After the show we walked back to The Cheesecake Factory to share a piece of really decadent Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake ! Afterwards we walked through Caesars Palace, outside, across the street, and a long way down Las Vegas Boulevard looking for a bus stop. WHEW ... angina ! Must have headed in the wrong direction ! We caught The Deuce ... a double decker bus that made a lot more stops than did the SDX bus. We arrived back “home” at Main Street Station Casino RV Park about 12:30 AM.
Sunny and warm.
We slept late this morning and got a slow start to the day. After an early lunch we headed for an afternoon of exploring "The Strip". We left "home" about 2 PM, caught an SDX bus about 2:15 PM, and got off the bus at the Fashion Show Mall about 3 PM. We wandered around the huge, three storey mall for an hour or so, browsing, not buying.
We crossed the street and entered The Wynn, one of The Strip's large, luxury casino hotels. We wandered around The Wynn's shopping areas, then walked over to the next casino hotel, the Palazzo. More wandering around. Then The Venetian. More wandering around ! Bought some cookies at Honolulu Cookie Company. Watched some entertainment at The Venetian's version of St Mark's Square. It's hard for me to be appreciative of a Las Vegas version of St. Mark's Square in Venice when I've been to the real St. Mark's Square three times.
At about 6:30 PM we decided we were tired and hungry and it was time to go home. We caught an SDX bus and returned "home" to Main Street Station Casino RV Park. Joanne prepared supper, I worked on my computer, and ... Emma pouted. It seems as if our absences yesterday and today have made her feel a bit abandoned and insecure.
Thursday ; Las Vegas
This morning we prepared for departure and left Main Street Station Casino’s RV Park about 11 AM and headed south out of Las Vegas on Interstate 515 for only eleven miles before getting off the freeway at Sunset Boulevard in Henderson to refill some water jugs at Wal-Mart. Then it was back onto the freeway heading south on Hwy. 95. We stopped to have lunch in the parking lot of Terrible’s Travel Center in Spotlight. Terrible’s is a Nevada chain of small casinos and fuel bar / travel centers. After lunch we continued south on Hwy. 95, then east on Hwy. 163, then south on Needles Highway to the Avi Casino on the south side of Laughlin.
We got ourselves parked in the Avi’s RV boondock parking lot, then I napped briefly before going inside the casino to spend a couple of hours working online using the casino’s free Wi-Fi in their front lobby. First time I’ve had access to Wi-Fi since leaving home a week ago ! At 8 PM we went for dinner in The Harvest Buffet. WOO-HOO ! 2-4-1 Thursday ! Half price ETYS !
Friday ; Laughlin, Nevada to Yuma, Arizona
Cloudy and mild early in the day. Extremely windy in the afternoon and evening.
This morning we left the RV parking lot of the Avi Casino about 11 AM. We refilled the camper’s freshwater tank at the Avi's fuel bar, then drove across the Colorado River from Nevada into Bullhead City, Arizona. We stopped at Smiths Fuel Bar where
I refilled Lanoire with diesel, then crossed the street to Safeway where Joanne bought a loaf of bread. We had lunch in Safeway's parking lot, then about 1:30 PM we headed south on AZ Hwy. 95, crossing the Colorado River again to Needles, California, then briefly on Interstate 40, then south again on CA Hwy. 95. At Blythe we turned east on Interstate 10, crossed the Colorado River ( again ! ), then at Quartzsite we turned south on AZ Hwy. 95 ( again ! ).
A few miles south of Quartzsite we stopped at the Roadrunner BLM ( boondocking / unserviced ) Campground where we were planning to stop for the night and have a campfire dinner. BUT ... by the time we arrived there ... around 4:30 PM ... the wind was extremely strong, with the radio warning of dangerous winds and heavy rain in the evening and overnight. This was the storm that was devastating Southern California today. We decided not to stay, and continued south on Hwy. 95, arriving home at Kofa Ko-op RV Park in Yuma about 6:45 PM just as it got dark.
Good decision ! The winds tonight were ... < blink blink > ... severe !
Emma was stunned and thrilled to be "home" ! When we thought about it we realized ... twice in the last year she has left home ... and never returned. Her first home, lasting some twelve years, and her second home, lasting seven months. She has no experience with leaving home ... then happily returning a week later. New experience for her ! Learning curve, eh Emma ?
Saturday ; Cloudy, chilly, raining all day.
The rain started overnight and continued all day, a pretty rare occurrence for Yuma. This is the killer storm from Southern California, although by the time Pacific storms reach us here in the Mojave ( California / west side of Colorado River ) and Sonoran
( Arizona / east side of Colorado River ) deserts they're pretty dried out, so to speak. The heavy rain all day brought to my attention ... < heavy sigh > ... a leak in the camper roof around the kitchen Fantastic Fan vent.
I spent much of the day getting caught up on online chores and processing photos. Joanne unloaded and cleaned the camper. Emma snoozed and snoozed and snoozed on her fluffy little yellow blankie on the rocker recliner, "her" chair. HA HA HA ... welcome back home, Emma.
DSK
Mix of sun and clouds, warm.
We slept late this morning. While I did some battery maintenance work on the camper Joanne took Emma for a leash walk in the desert. Emma didn't like the open desert much, but she liked going down in the arroyo ( dry wash / dry creek bed ) behind our campsite and exploring. She was afraid of the noise created by nearby ATV's.
We left Hi Jolly BLM Campground about 1 PM after having an early ( for us ) lunch. We drove north, then west on Arizona Hwy. 95 to Parker where we refilled our freshwater tank at Running Man Fuels. We crossed the Colorado River for the first of three times today, into California, then drove west on Hwy. 62 for twenty miles or so then turned north on California Hwy. 95. When we reached Needles, a scruffy little desert town that I have always disliked, we turned east on Interstate 40 and headed about ten miles or so until we crossed the Colorado River once again, back into Arizona. We turned north on Arizona Hwy. 95 again to Bullhead City.
We refilled with diesel at Maverik Fuels in Bullhead City, then crossed the Colorado River for the third time, this time west into Nevada, at the Avi Casino a bit south of Laughlin. We drove to Laughlin, and found our way to the Riverside Casino, arriving there about 5:15 PM. I am typing this about an hour later, still 5:15 PM, because when we crossed into Nevada the time zone changed. Joanne has gone inside the casino to check some things out while I stayed in the camper with the animals, and reset clocks and watches.
We had dinner at the Riverside Casino Resort's buffet restaurant, called ...
< blink blink > ... the Riverside Buffet. DUH ! We used the last of our free buffet vouchers, left over from previous stays in their RV park.
Emma has had another great day ! It seems as if she is going to enjoy travelling ! Hallelujah !
Monday ; Laughlin to Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunny and warm.
We had another late, slow start to the day. Before leaving the Riverside Casino parking lot we went for a long walk, with Bo, on RiverWalk, the paved walkway along the Colorado River. We hit the road about 12:30 PM. Joanne and Emma stayed inside the camper. We wanted to find out if Emma preferred to be in the camper while we drove. She did not !
I drove west on Hwy. 163 for about half an hour or so until we reached NV Hwy. 95. Too many Hwy 95's around here ! I stopped at the intersection to allow Joanne and Emma to get out of the camper and into the truck cab. Emma was much happier !
We headed north on Hwy. 95 until we reached Las Vegas and Hwy. 95 merged with Interstate 515 heading through the city. We saw a mall with a Wal-Mart so we stopped to have a late lunch in the parking lot, then went inside to buy a few grocery items. By the time we left the shopping mall it was 4 PM and rush hour was starting ! Six lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, seventy miles per hour, and ... < sputter > ... drivers all around me with their heads down, texting on their phones ! ! ! ! !
The exit that we needed to take to get to Main Street Station Casino Hotel & RV Park, was closed due to construction. < sigh > Story of my life ! We merged onto Interstate 15 and took the next available exit, then found our way on city streets back to Main Street Station. Not that easy ! < sigh >
We parked in our assigned site in the Main Street Station Casino's RV Park. While
I dumped waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank Joanne went across the street to the hotel's front desk to register our arrival. HMPH ! No cable TV. No Wi-Fi ! I raised the camper's roof top antenna and set up the TV. Joanne made supper. We "channel surfed" until it was time to watch the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice.
Tuesday ; Valentine's Day ; Las Vegas
Sunny and warm.
We got a slow start to the day. After lunch we walked a few blocks over to Freemont Street and bought two transit passes, then caught an overcrowded SDX ( Strip to Downtown Express ) bus ... double length, articulated in the middle ... and rode it from “Downtown” ( Freemont Street area ) to “The Strip” ( Las Vegas Boulevard ), getting off at The Bellagio, Joanne’s favourite Las Vegas Casino Hotel.
We got off the SDX bus right in front of The Bellagio’s “Dancing Fountains” a few minutes before 4 PM, just in time for the hourly dancing fountains show. We found a good place to view the show and ... watched a couple of weddings take place in front of the fountains / “lake”. First wedding was being officiated by some manner of “Rent-A-Priest” ! Black fellow, long black robe, white cleric collar, briefcase full of Nevada marriage documents, photographer sidekick. HMPH ! Who knew ? ! Welcome to Vegas, baby !
After watching the dancing fountains show ... ( Man, I never get tired of that ! ) ... we went inside The Bellagio to marvel at their astounding interior, and ... to visit The Conservatory and see what this season’s floral theme and displays were. OH ... Chinese New Year ! We spent time viewing The Conservatory’s floral displays, then began wandering through The Bellagio’s casino and shopping areas, moving in the general direction of Caesars Palace, the next casino hotel. Eventually we made it over to Caesars Palace. We found our way to The Colloseum, the venue for tonight’s show, our reason for being in Las Vegas, then wandered off to explore The Shoppes At The Forum.
We had a lovely dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We had eaten here before and liked it enough to return. Good food, reasonable prices, excellent service, and close to The Colloseum. After a leisurely supper we headed back to The Colloseum for ...
ELTON JOHN ... MILLION DOLLAR PIANO ! Two tickets to see Elton John perform in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day were my birthday gift to Joanne on her recent 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday ... and Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. You know ... when we were dating 45 years ago, and I was listening to Led Zeppelin and Iron Butterfly, your fondness for Elton John’s music was ... a tad annoying. It’s amazing how much the years have mellowed me ! HA HA HA !
This is the second time we have seen Elton John perform at the Colloseum in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The first time, a couple of years ago, the show was a little bit better than tonight’s show. AND ... < sputter > ... tonight’s show was marred by two disturbing incidents in the audience near us. What a rough crowd ! First ... some manner of dispute took place a few rows ahead of us. Some fellow was loudly screaming “shut the **** up” at people behind him. A fight broke out. A large group of security people rushed in, wrestled a bunch of people out, and evicted them. That incident caused us to have difficulty seeing and hearing the show for a few minutes. Not too long thereafter, some Valentine’s Day drama unfolded a few seats over from us. Some young woman began sobbing very loudly and moaning about “what a piece of shit you are” to the young man beside her. He stood up and left as Security arrived to quiet her down. They failed to be able to do so, so ... they removed her and evicted her from the show. Another couple of minutes of the show was disrupted for us.
My theory is ... some people drink way too much ! ! !
After the show we walked back to The Cheesecake Factory to share a piece of really decadent Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake ! Afterwards we walked through Caesars Palace, outside, across the street, and a long way down Las Vegas Boulevard looking for a bus stop. WHEW ... angina ! Must have headed in the wrong direction ! We caught The Deuce ... a double decker bus that made a lot more stops than did the SDX bus. We arrived back “home” at Main Street Station Casino RV Park about 12:30 AM.
Wednesday ; Las Vegas
Sunny and warm.
We slept late this morning and got a slow start to the day. After an early lunch we headed for an afternoon of exploring "The Strip". We left "home" about 2 PM, caught an SDX bus about 2:15 PM, and got off the bus at the Fashion Show Mall about 3 PM. We wandered around the huge, three storey mall for an hour or so, browsing, not buying.
We crossed the street and entered The Wynn, one of The Strip's large, luxury casino hotels. We wandered around The Wynn's shopping areas, then walked over to the next casino hotel, the Palazzo. More wandering around. Then The Venetian. More wandering around ! Bought some cookies at Honolulu Cookie Company. Watched some entertainment at The Venetian's version of St Mark's Square. It's hard for me to be appreciative of a Las Vegas version of St. Mark's Square in Venice when I've been to the real St. Mark's Square three times.
At about 6:30 PM we decided we were tired and hungry and it was time to go home. We caught an SDX bus and returned "home" to Main Street Station Casino RV Park. Joanne prepared supper, I worked on my computer, and ... Emma pouted. It seems as if our absences yesterday and today have made her feel a bit abandoned and insecure.
Thursday ; Las Vegas
This morning we prepared for departure and left Main Street Station Casino’s RV Park about 11 AM and headed south out of Las Vegas on Interstate 515 for only eleven miles before getting off the freeway at Sunset Boulevard in Henderson to refill some water jugs at Wal-Mart. Then it was back onto the freeway heading south on Hwy. 95. We stopped to have lunch in the parking lot of Terrible’s Travel Center in Spotlight. Terrible’s is a Nevada chain of small casinos and fuel bar / travel centers. After lunch we continued south on Hwy. 95, then east on Hwy. 163, then south on Needles Highway to the Avi Casino on the south side of Laughlin.
We got ourselves parked in the Avi’s RV boondock parking lot, then I napped briefly before going inside the casino to spend a couple of hours working online using the casino’s free Wi-Fi in their front lobby. First time I’ve had access to Wi-Fi since leaving home a week ago ! At 8 PM we went for dinner in The Harvest Buffet. WOO-HOO ! 2-4-1 Thursday ! Half price ETYS !
Friday ; Laughlin, Nevada to Yuma, Arizona
Cloudy and mild early in the day. Extremely windy in the afternoon and evening.
This morning we left the RV parking lot of the Avi Casino about 11 AM. We refilled the camper’s freshwater tank at the Avi's fuel bar, then drove across the Colorado River from Nevada into Bullhead City, Arizona. We stopped at Smiths Fuel Bar where
I refilled Lanoire with diesel, then crossed the street to Safeway where Joanne bought a loaf of bread. We had lunch in Safeway's parking lot, then about 1:30 PM we headed south on AZ Hwy. 95, crossing the Colorado River again to Needles, California, then briefly on Interstate 40, then south again on CA Hwy. 95. At Blythe we turned east on Interstate 10, crossed the Colorado River ( again ! ), then at Quartzsite we turned south on AZ Hwy. 95 ( again ! ).
A few miles south of Quartzsite we stopped at the Roadrunner BLM ( boondocking / unserviced ) Campground where we were planning to stop for the night and have a campfire dinner. BUT ... by the time we arrived there ... around 4:30 PM ... the wind was extremely strong, with the radio warning of dangerous winds and heavy rain in the evening and overnight. This was the storm that was devastating Southern California today. We decided not to stay, and continued south on Hwy. 95, arriving home at Kofa Ko-op RV Park in Yuma about 6:45 PM just as it got dark.
Good decision ! The winds tonight were ... < blink blink > ... severe !
Emma was stunned and thrilled to be "home" ! When we thought about it we realized ... twice in the last year she has left home ... and never returned. Her first home, lasting some twelve years, and her second home, lasting seven months. She has no experience with leaving home ... then happily returning a week later. New experience for her ! Learning curve, eh Emma ?
Saturday ; Cloudy, chilly, raining all day.
The rain started overnight and continued all day, a pretty rare occurrence for Yuma. This is the killer storm from Southern California, although by the time Pacific storms reach us here in the Mojave ( California / west side of Colorado River ) and Sonoran
( Arizona / east side of Colorado River ) deserts they're pretty dried out, so to speak. The heavy rain all day brought to my attention ... < heavy sigh > ... a leak in the camper roof around the kitchen Fantastic Fan vent.
I spent much of the day getting caught up on online chores and processing photos. Joanne unloaded and cleaned the camper. Emma snoozed and snoozed and snoozed on her fluffy little yellow blankie on the rocker recliner, "her" chair. HA HA HA ... welcome back home, Emma.
DSK
Thursday, February 16, 2017
February 5 to 11, 2017 ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California to Quartzsite, Arizona
Sunday ; Sunny and warm, becoming cloudy and mild late in the afternoon.
This morning I remounted Obie's damaged tire underneath the car, in the spare tire position, just to get it out of the cargo area at the back of the car, and out of the way for now. And I remounted the jack and all the other stuff / accessories that were needed to change the tire last Friday. I took my bicycle to the RV park's compressor station and adjusted the air in the tires. I mounted an LED switched night light on the front "A" pillar on the passenger's side of Obie, as another "courtesy light".
This afternoon after I did some accounting work we loaded folding chairs into the back of Obie, picked up Laszlo and Gail, and headed out to attend a "unity rally". It was a social and political activism event that had "morphed" since it was first announced a couple of weeks ago. It began as Yuma's "second wave" response to the "women's marches" of a couple of weeks ago. But it changed from a "march" to a "rally". And it changed from a "women's march" to a "unity rally". And it was Joanne's interest.
I agreed to participate to be supportive. And Gail did the same. This morning I assisted Joanne in making a large sign "in memory of the six Muslim Canadians murdered one week ago".
And ... I realized this morning ... I had something to say at the rally. When we arrived at Kennedy Memorial Park, the site of the event, I approached the organizers and asked for an opportunity to speak for a minute or two. Joanne and I were carrying small Canadian flags. Joanne was carrying her "in memory" sign. With Joanne and Gail holding flags and a sign, standing behind me on stage, I gave a brief "speech" ... in four languages ; English, Spanish, French, and sign language. Despite having rehearsed it silently to myself throughout the day, I stumbled and fumbled, but got through it. And it was well received, especially my Spanish speaking efforts.
There were a variety of speakers speaking about a variety of social topics ; women's issues, LGBT issues, immigration issues, and so on. A lot of signs. A lot of anti-Trump sentiment ! We were surprised to see three other couples from Kofa Ko-op ( our RV park home ) at the rally, including an elderly lesbian couple. Based on the "demographics" of our park, we had not expected to see any of our "neighbours" at the rally. The rally lasted about two hours. Afterwards we went out for an "all you can eat" spaghetti dinner at Omega Restaurant.
Monday ; Mostly cloudy, warm.
This morning Joanne went out with Gail for a day of shopping and errands, sort of their weekly "girls' day out". Fine by me ! I puttered around the yard, watering all our plants and gardens. I did some maintenance work on Harvey the fifth wheel trailer. I had lunch, then napped with the animals. I removed the cover from our Arizona room's evaporative "swamp" cooler, and did the necessary annual maintenance to make it ready to function. Hot weather is coming ! After Joanne returned home I removed the passenger side front door panel from Obie. Tomorrow I will do some refurbishment of the door panel and reinstall it.
When I took Bo for a walk in the dog park late this morning, I discovered ... HUH ? One of my neighbours is "hand feeding" one of our dog park's resident Roadrunners ? ! ? And this is the second year he has been doing so ? ! ? Our seven acre dog park has a mated pair of Roadrunners. They are frequently visible in the dog park. They drink water out of the water bowl we have placed in the dog park behind our rear fence. And our neighbour hand feeds small pieces of wiener to the male every day around lunch time. HA HA HA ! The female is too timid to take food from Don, so she stands on the brick fence and waits for her mate to return with "lunch". Today ... HA HA HA ... the male jumped down into the dog park with the piece of wiener in his mouth, and began an elaborate mating dance. It's spring time ! It's mating season ! "Hey baby ! Want some of my wiener ? < wink wink >" HA HA HA HA HA ! You go, Roadie ! I had never seen a Roadrunner mating dance before. It’s very interesting !
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I repaired and reinstalled the passenger side front door panel in Obie. Now both the driver's side and passenger's side front door panels have been repaired and reinstalled. This car has been subjected to some very poor "home handyman" repair work in the past, or ... it has been roughly torn apart by Customs or other law enforcement.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. The inventory of both cats and dogs was much lower than usual. That's a good thing, I guess. I "mentored" a new dog walker volunteer on her first shift. After we returned home I filled and hung a Hummingbird feeder. And
I glue repaired a broken door shelf in our shed fridge.
On Tuesday evenings we watch a succession of Canadian comedy shows on TV ; Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, and Schitt's Creek.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning I sold our neighbours' expensive tow bar system, for towing a car behind a motorhome. More than a month ago I agreed to try to sell some of their surplus equipment, including two expensive pieces of towed car towing equipment. I sold all the smaller, less expensive items, and now I sold one of the two expensive pieces of equipment. Only one item left !
This afternoon I went to the storage area to turn on the fridge in the camper.
I discovered ... the battery on the camper was dead. AND ... < sputter > ... both truck batteries were dead ! < sigh > When we parked the truck and camper in the storage yard after returning from our Palm Springs New Year's Eve trip, I did something wrong, and three dead batteries were the result. I borrowed a battery charger, charged the truck batteries while we had a late lunch, then was able to start the truck. I moved the truck and camper to our lot, put the battery charger back onto the truck batteries, and plugged the camper into 120V AC which will result in the camper battery being recharged. Hopefully all three batteries will be fine tomorrow.
Thursday ; Happy 13th Birthday to Bo
Sunny and very warm. What a frustrating ( half ) day !
This morning we drove both vehicles to the nearby town of Somerton, and left Obie the SUV for service while we are travelling for the next week or so. This afternoon we replaced a section of aluminum fascia insert trim on the roof edge at the rear of our Arizona room. While assisting me with that Joanne inadvertently damaged the cable of the satellite dish, and bumped the dish out of alignment. < sigh > It took me about four and a half hours of frustrating efforts to identify / locate and solve the problems and get our satellite signal re-established. < sigh > Second bout this winter of satellite dish drama !
Friday ; Happy 68th Birthday to my sister Sharon ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California
Mostly cloudy, very warm.
This morning we took care of routine chores, finished preparing for departure, walked a lap around the dog park, and departed Kofa Ko-op at noon. We drove through Yuma, to Interstate 8, and west on I-8 over the Colorado River into California. About an hour later we turned north on Hwy. 111, then north on Hwy. 86. We stopped for a late lunch, including a date shake, in Westmoreland. Bo's first date shake of this winter season. Happy belated birthday, Bo ! Bo LOOOOOVES date shakes ! We arrived at the eastern edge of Palm Springs around 4 PM.
This was our first road trip with Emma. It went very well ! She vocalized her displeasure, and paced restlessly around inside the cab of the truck, for about an hour. Then she settled down and relaxed, realizing that everything was okay. She trusts us to care for her, and seems confident that no harm will come to her as long as she is with us. She spent most of the trip on Joanne's lap, but also spent some time on the dashboard, and in the pet carrier on the back seat.
Our first destination after arriving in the Palm Springs area was La Quinta Community Park, where we are attending a charity dog event tomorrow. After finding that location we headed to Trader Joe's for some gourmet / specialty food shopping. Finally we headed to the Palm Springs Dog Park, arriving later than we had hoped, at 6:30 PM. Bo was SO excited ! It became dark about twenty minutes after we arrived, but the dog park now has night lighting, so we were able to enjoy ourselves there for about an hour, until 7:30 PM. By then Bo was tired, and we were hungry.
We went to PetsMart to buy some dog food, and an engraved pet tag for Emma. Even though he was tired out from the dog park, Bo enjoyed shopping. HA HA HA ! We went for a late and eagerly awaited supper at Sherman's Deli, at their Palm Desert location. We have never been to that location before, having always gone to their "downtown" location before. We arrived at 8:30 PM and even at that late hour we had to wait about fifteen minutes for a table. And surprisingly ... we were a tad disappointed. We have never been disappointed with anything at the downtown location, but ... with the exception of the superb Matzo Ball Soup, our meal at this location fell a bit short !
After supper we found our way back to Interstate 10, and travelled east back to Spotlight 29 Casino where we boondocked overnight, arriving at the casino about 10:15 PM.
Saturday ; Palm Springs, California to Quartzsite, California
Mostly sunny, very warm.
This morning we left the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino about 10:30 AM. First stop was the nearby Love's Travel Center to refill our freshwater tank. Then we headed over to the La Quinta Community Park, arriving about 11:30 AM for the start of Strut Your Mutt 2017, an annual, day long, fun competition, charity dog event.
BO ! You're such a loser ! HA HA HA ! We entered Bo in two competition categories ; Best Tail Wag and Best Rescued Dog Story. He did not win either category ! Fortunately, those were two of the earliest categories, because by the time they were over, Bo was tired ! HA HA HA ! We had lunch in the camper, then spent the rest of the afternoon watching the rest of the competitions, such as ; Best Hairstyle, Best Bling, Prettiest Female, etc. HEY ! This IS Palm Springs, you know ! HA HA HA !
When the event finished at 3:30 PM we headed back through the city towards Interstate 10. We stopped at a Ralph's Supermarket & Fuel Bar to refill with diesel and buy some hot dog buns for tonight's supper. We were on the Interstate and headed east at 4:30 PM. We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona at 6:30 PM, and got to the High Jolly BLM Campground a few miles north of town just as it got dark at 6:45 PM. I made a campfire and we had a "wiener roast" for supper, with potato salad made with eggs and potatoes cooked at "home" in the Sun Oven a few days ago.
Emma did superbly well today ! She seems to have accepted travelling in the truck as a great way to snuggle and bond with both me and Joanne. And living and sleeping in the camper is quite alright with her too. She is fascinated by the concept of this “tiny apartment” that we live in, that travels with us, and the view / scenery out the windows changes with each move. HA HA HA ! And we “crossed a bridge” today ! Between Palm Springs and Quartzsite, Emma used the litter box on the floor in the back of the truck for the first ... you know ... “important event” ! No problemo ! ! ! Good girl, Emma !
DSK
This morning I remounted Obie's damaged tire underneath the car, in the spare tire position, just to get it out of the cargo area at the back of the car, and out of the way for now. And I remounted the jack and all the other stuff / accessories that were needed to change the tire last Friday. I took my bicycle to the RV park's compressor station and adjusted the air in the tires. I mounted an LED switched night light on the front "A" pillar on the passenger's side of Obie, as another "courtesy light".
This afternoon after I did some accounting work we loaded folding chairs into the back of Obie, picked up Laszlo and Gail, and headed out to attend a "unity rally". It was a social and political activism event that had "morphed" since it was first announced a couple of weeks ago. It began as Yuma's "second wave" response to the "women's marches" of a couple of weeks ago. But it changed from a "march" to a "rally". And it changed from a "women's march" to a "unity rally". And it was Joanne's interest.
I agreed to participate to be supportive. And Gail did the same. This morning I assisted Joanne in making a large sign "in memory of the six Muslim Canadians murdered one week ago".
And ... I realized this morning ... I had something to say at the rally. When we arrived at Kennedy Memorial Park, the site of the event, I approached the organizers and asked for an opportunity to speak for a minute or two. Joanne and I were carrying small Canadian flags. Joanne was carrying her "in memory" sign. With Joanne and Gail holding flags and a sign, standing behind me on stage, I gave a brief "speech" ... in four languages ; English, Spanish, French, and sign language. Despite having rehearsed it silently to myself throughout the day, I stumbled and fumbled, but got through it. And it was well received, especially my Spanish speaking efforts.
There were a variety of speakers speaking about a variety of social topics ; women's issues, LGBT issues, immigration issues, and so on. A lot of signs. A lot of anti-Trump sentiment ! We were surprised to see three other couples from Kofa Ko-op ( our RV park home ) at the rally, including an elderly lesbian couple. Based on the "demographics" of our park, we had not expected to see any of our "neighbours" at the rally. The rally lasted about two hours. Afterwards we went out for an "all you can eat" spaghetti dinner at Omega Restaurant.
Monday ; Mostly cloudy, warm.
This morning Joanne went out with Gail for a day of shopping and errands, sort of their weekly "girls' day out". Fine by me ! I puttered around the yard, watering all our plants and gardens. I did some maintenance work on Harvey the fifth wheel trailer. I had lunch, then napped with the animals. I removed the cover from our Arizona room's evaporative "swamp" cooler, and did the necessary annual maintenance to make it ready to function. Hot weather is coming ! After Joanne returned home I removed the passenger side front door panel from Obie. Tomorrow I will do some refurbishment of the door panel and reinstall it.
When I took Bo for a walk in the dog park late this morning, I discovered ... HUH ? One of my neighbours is "hand feeding" one of our dog park's resident Roadrunners ? ! ? And this is the second year he has been doing so ? ! ? Our seven acre dog park has a mated pair of Roadrunners. They are frequently visible in the dog park. They drink water out of the water bowl we have placed in the dog park behind our rear fence. And our neighbour hand feeds small pieces of wiener to the male every day around lunch time. HA HA HA ! The female is too timid to take food from Don, so she stands on the brick fence and waits for her mate to return with "lunch". Today ... HA HA HA ... the male jumped down into the dog park with the piece of wiener in his mouth, and began an elaborate mating dance. It's spring time ! It's mating season ! "Hey baby ! Want some of my wiener ? < wink wink >" HA HA HA HA HA ! You go, Roadie ! I had never seen a Roadrunner mating dance before. It’s very interesting !
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I repaired and reinstalled the passenger side front door panel in Obie. Now both the driver's side and passenger's side front door panels have been repaired and reinstalled. This car has been subjected to some very poor "home handyman" repair work in the past, or ... it has been roughly torn apart by Customs or other law enforcement.
This afternoon we went to the Humane Society for our regular Tuesday afternoon shift of dog walking and cat cuddling. The inventory of both cats and dogs was much lower than usual. That's a good thing, I guess. I "mentored" a new dog walker volunteer on her first shift. After we returned home I filled and hung a Hummingbird feeder. And
I glue repaired a broken door shelf in our shed fridge.
On Tuesday evenings we watch a succession of Canadian comedy shows on TV ; Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, and Schitt's Creek.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm.
This morning I sold our neighbours' expensive tow bar system, for towing a car behind a motorhome. More than a month ago I agreed to try to sell some of their surplus equipment, including two expensive pieces of towed car towing equipment. I sold all the smaller, less expensive items, and now I sold one of the two expensive pieces of equipment. Only one item left !
This afternoon I went to the storage area to turn on the fridge in the camper.
I discovered ... the battery on the camper was dead. AND ... < sputter > ... both truck batteries were dead ! < sigh > When we parked the truck and camper in the storage yard after returning from our Palm Springs New Year's Eve trip, I did something wrong, and three dead batteries were the result. I borrowed a battery charger, charged the truck batteries while we had a late lunch, then was able to start the truck. I moved the truck and camper to our lot, put the battery charger back onto the truck batteries, and plugged the camper into 120V AC which will result in the camper battery being recharged. Hopefully all three batteries will be fine tomorrow.
Thursday ; Happy 13th Birthday to Bo
Sunny and very warm. What a frustrating ( half ) day !
This morning we drove both vehicles to the nearby town of Somerton, and left Obie the SUV for service while we are travelling for the next week or so. This afternoon we replaced a section of aluminum fascia insert trim on the roof edge at the rear of our Arizona room. While assisting me with that Joanne inadvertently damaged the cable of the satellite dish, and bumped the dish out of alignment. < sigh > It took me about four and a half hours of frustrating efforts to identify / locate and solve the problems and get our satellite signal re-established. < sigh > Second bout this winter of satellite dish drama !
Friday ; Happy 68th Birthday to my sister Sharon ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California
Mostly cloudy, very warm.
This morning we took care of routine chores, finished preparing for departure, walked a lap around the dog park, and departed Kofa Ko-op at noon. We drove through Yuma, to Interstate 8, and west on I-8 over the Colorado River into California. About an hour later we turned north on Hwy. 111, then north on Hwy. 86. We stopped for a late lunch, including a date shake, in Westmoreland. Bo's first date shake of this winter season. Happy belated birthday, Bo ! Bo LOOOOOVES date shakes ! We arrived at the eastern edge of Palm Springs around 4 PM.
This was our first road trip with Emma. It went very well ! She vocalized her displeasure, and paced restlessly around inside the cab of the truck, for about an hour. Then she settled down and relaxed, realizing that everything was okay. She trusts us to care for her, and seems confident that no harm will come to her as long as she is with us. She spent most of the trip on Joanne's lap, but also spent some time on the dashboard, and in the pet carrier on the back seat.
Our first destination after arriving in the Palm Springs area was La Quinta Community Park, where we are attending a charity dog event tomorrow. After finding that location we headed to Trader Joe's for some gourmet / specialty food shopping. Finally we headed to the Palm Springs Dog Park, arriving later than we had hoped, at 6:30 PM. Bo was SO excited ! It became dark about twenty minutes after we arrived, but the dog park now has night lighting, so we were able to enjoy ourselves there for about an hour, until 7:30 PM. By then Bo was tired, and we were hungry.
We went to PetsMart to buy some dog food, and an engraved pet tag for Emma. Even though he was tired out from the dog park, Bo enjoyed shopping. HA HA HA ! We went for a late and eagerly awaited supper at Sherman's Deli, at their Palm Desert location. We have never been to that location before, having always gone to their "downtown" location before. We arrived at 8:30 PM and even at that late hour we had to wait about fifteen minutes for a table. And surprisingly ... we were a tad disappointed. We have never been disappointed with anything at the downtown location, but ... with the exception of the superb Matzo Ball Soup, our meal at this location fell a bit short !
After supper we found our way back to Interstate 10, and travelled east back to Spotlight 29 Casino where we boondocked overnight, arriving at the casino about 10:15 PM.
Saturday ; Palm Springs, California to Quartzsite, California
Mostly sunny, very warm.
This morning we left the parking lot of Spotlight 29 Casino about 10:30 AM. First stop was the nearby Love's Travel Center to refill our freshwater tank. Then we headed over to the La Quinta Community Park, arriving about 11:30 AM for the start of Strut Your Mutt 2017, an annual, day long, fun competition, charity dog event.
BO ! You're such a loser ! HA HA HA ! We entered Bo in two competition categories ; Best Tail Wag and Best Rescued Dog Story. He did not win either category ! Fortunately, those were two of the earliest categories, because by the time they were over, Bo was tired ! HA HA HA ! We had lunch in the camper, then spent the rest of the afternoon watching the rest of the competitions, such as ; Best Hairstyle, Best Bling, Prettiest Female, etc. HEY ! This IS Palm Springs, you know ! HA HA HA !
When the event finished at 3:30 PM we headed back through the city towards Interstate 10. We stopped at a Ralph's Supermarket & Fuel Bar to refill with diesel and buy some hot dog buns for tonight's supper. We were on the Interstate and headed east at 4:30 PM. We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona at 6:30 PM, and got to the High Jolly BLM Campground a few miles north of town just as it got dark at 6:45 PM. I made a campfire and we had a "wiener roast" for supper, with potato salad made with eggs and potatoes cooked at "home" in the Sun Oven a few days ago.
Emma did superbly well today ! She seems to have accepted travelling in the truck as a great way to snuggle and bond with both me and Joanne. And living and sleeping in the camper is quite alright with her too. She is fascinated by the concept of this “tiny apartment” that we live in, that travels with us, and the view / scenery out the windows changes with each move. HA HA HA ! And we “crossed a bridge” today ! Between Palm Springs and Quartzsite, Emma used the litter box on the floor in the back of the truck for the first ... you know ... “important event” ! No problemo ! ! ! Good girl, Emma !
DSK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)