The hot trend continues, although we had a breeze this AM.
The ladies decided to make it a shopping day at the outlet mall, Arizona Mills. We had an early start as Phil & I were to meet Gerry at Encanto for a round of golf. We left here just after 9AM and it took just over a half hour to get to the mall. It was a bit of an eye-opener for first time visitors just because there are so many outlet stores in one place offering a great variety of goods. They knew it was going to be a full day as we had to allow time to get to the course, play 18 & drive back in heavy traffic. They had a good start scoring a few things they were looking for right off and continued to find things throughout the day. They had lunch at Church's chicken and later coffee at Johnny Rockets diner. The end of it was a fun day with 3 generations of our family.
Phil & I met Gerry Canuel and Gene Smith at Encanto for an 11:13 tee time. It's the 3rd oldest course in the area and has many mature palm trees and is in nice condition. We started off with 3 of us putting a ball in the lake, Phil leaving a little round piece of Birmingham in America as he was using a ball from home. Well he brought some tees, so we actually left some other little pieces on the tee boxes as well. I did give him first choice of clubs, so it's not my fault he chose that driver, LOL! The game got better after that and we had a good game. It was the hottest day I have ever played; with the daytime temp reaching 98F and never out of the 90's. The play moved along at a good pace and we were done by shortly after 3. I think we each drank over 4 bottles of water out there today, tough keeping hydrated when it's like this.
It was on the roads before 4 o'clock and that seems to be the important time in order to miss the worst of the drive home rush. I had to use the GPS as it is not a route I normally travel and sure didn't want to have to retrace our steps. Got to the mall where they were making one last purchase, so we had to wait for that to finish. Drove back to the RV park on the #60 freeway and had a wreck in the HOV lane to contend with. In spite of that, having four passengers, I drove in the HOV lane all the way so made very good time.
Got back to the park and everyone was pretty tired from a busy day and the temperature in the breezeway was pretty warm. In fact it was so warm we turned on the AC and ate at the table in the trailer. It was sure nice to get out of the heat and we ate things that did not require cooking.
After supper it was a dip in the pool. All 5 of us went down and splashed around for over an hour. It sure is a nice way to get out of the heat of the day and cool down. Friends were there with their grandchildren as well. While we were there one of the guys came along to see if I was playing poker. They only had four and were looking for a fifth. I got there late, so only played for an hour and a half. I think I came out a little bit ahead.
Well everyone else is nodding off, the heat really took it's toll on us today.
Monday 30 March 2015
Sunday 29 March 2015
Sunday
The hot days continue with the early morning temperatures climbing quickly. The daytime highs were about 94F and we all drank a lot of water. It took lots of time for the truck cab to cool down after each stop even with the AC on max.
We left early as we thought a horse ride had been arranged for Katie, but it turned out that things had changed with the horse that were unexpected. It was a bit of a disappointment, but it was only to be a short ride, so we have other options and will look into them. We just hung out at the rv park in the morning and had an early lunch in with the family.
After lunch we went out to old Scottsdale and wandered about. Took some pictures and found a few knick knacks we never knew we were without, so it was all good. It was a beautiful day to roam around the streets and check out the shops as there are so many neat places there.
On the way back we set the GPS for the Mexican Rancheria market. It's an upscale food market that we have been to previously for the unique stuff they offer and that so much of it is fresh. It was a bit of an experience for our visitors being their first visit because it is so different. When she was looking for taco bowls for salads, Marg wasn't able to find any. She asked about it and the manager came saying they don't sell them any more, but made her 5 anyway using their process for tacos. They make all the tacos, etc in-house. They were very different from anything you would buy in most stores and were so crisp and tasty you could have made a meal of them. They also make many other things like drinks, sauces, pico de gallo, etc that you don't normally see. Phil picked up some guy at the cash line who wanted to tell him his life story, pretty funny.
It was back to the rv park where we had taco salads for dinner, much of the contents coming from the earlier grocery stop. Those specially made taco bowls really made the whole experience that much better. We had a bit of time and then it was time to be moving again.
It was the last ice cream social tonight and we had to go early to pre-scoop the banana splits. The ice cream coming out of the freezer is so hard, it has to sit a bit. It was a free night and everyone was given what they had the previous week. Everyone else just got ice cream and cake. As the Smiths weren't here last week, Marg had arranged for them to have banana splits. It was pretty well attended and we scooped a lot of ice cream and toppings.
We left early as we thought a horse ride had been arranged for Katie, but it turned out that things had changed with the horse that were unexpected. It was a bit of a disappointment, but it was only to be a short ride, so we have other options and will look into them. We just hung out at the rv park in the morning and had an early lunch in with the family.
After lunch we went out to old Scottsdale and wandered about. Took some pictures and found a few knick knacks we never knew we were without, so it was all good. It was a beautiful day to roam around the streets and check out the shops as there are so many neat places there. On the way back we set the GPS for the Mexican Rancheria market. It's an upscale food market that we have been to previously for the unique stuff they offer and that so much of it is fresh. It was a bit of an experience for our visitors being their first visit because it is so different. When she was looking for taco bowls for salads, Marg wasn't able to find any. She asked about it and the manager came saying they don't sell them any more, but made her 5 anyway using their process for tacos. They make all the tacos, etc in-house. They were very different from anything you would buy in most stores and were so crisp and tasty you could have made a meal of them. They also make many other things like drinks, sauces, pico de gallo, etc that you don't normally see. Phil picked up some guy at the cash line who wanted to tell him his life story, pretty funny.It was back to the rv park where we had taco salads for dinner, much of the contents coming from the earlier grocery stop. Those specially made taco bowls really made the whole experience that much better. We had a bit of time and then it was time to be moving again.
It was the last ice cream social tonight and we had to go early to pre-scoop the banana splits. The ice cream coming out of the freezer is so hard, it has to sit a bit. It was a free night and everyone was given what they had the previous week. Everyone else just got ice cream and cake. As the Smiths weren't here last week, Marg had arranged for them to have banana splits. It was pretty well attended and we scooped a lot of ice cream and toppings.
Saturday 28 March 2015
Saturday
Another hot one. The trend to above normal daytime highs continues and our response is to drink as much water as we can. It seems to be doing the trick, well that and ducking in to air conditioned places once in a while.
Started off with breakfast for the 4 of us. Only four you say, well as you well know, Marg is not a breakfast person and the Smith family all wanted to see what it was all about. Even got Phil a taste of biscuits and gravy and he was not impressed, saying he could do without it. I am convinced that only people who grow up with it find it appealing in the morning. It also gave them a chance to chat with some of the other people in the park and get to know them.
After breakfast we went out to the museum and the arts & craft show.
The gal Marg knows in the park [Gail] had a booth there and she asked us to stop by because she was going to see about setting up a horse ride for Katie. She is the one who is an Arizona Ranger and dresses up with twin six shooters in holsters when she goes out. In the process, the girls bought some kind of plant arrangement from her and found out that Katie can go riding at 8 tomorrow morning. Should be interesting as it will be the first time she will have an opportunity to ride western.
It was a small but interesting group. While we were there, we came upon a character who does burro rides and pictures. We were his first customers of the day and he really entertained us. We really laughed a lot and spent quite a bit of time with him while Katie rode the burro [Daisy] and got some photos of the process.
From there it was on to Goldfield where we looked around at the old ghost town and the attractions there. We had some time, so Katie panned for gold. She got a pretty good pan, there was certainly a lot of fools gold in it and she was pretty darn good at isolating it as well as some other stones. She was successful in getting some gold flakes as well, enough to say it was a successful day at it. The last time she panned was many years ago in Barkerville and she still had her touch.
After we went back up to main street to watch the big shoot out.
It seems the burg of Goldfield was full of bad guys creating problems, that the sheriff had to deal with in the good old western way. There were dance hall girls involved and there were lots of casualties in a shooting scrape.
From there we went to Taco Bell, Katie had been asking about taco's for an outing. When we were in Florida with her, it seemed to be a regular thing. Anyway, that was lunch today and it was pretty darn good.
After lunch we went out highway 88 to Canyon lake and then on to the old stage stop at Tortilla Flats. On the way through we stopped for the obligatory photo at the Canyon Lake scenic lookout. I think we have pictures of everyone we have taken there at this spot. The music was in full swing at the outdoor patio and we had a good chance to look around and check it out. Even stopped in at the ice cream store and had a cold one.
Not sure, but I got a photo of Phil in the bathroom and it seems he was influenced by the big gun fight at Goldfield earlier in the day. Anyway it got him to the head of the line, LOL! Get it head of the line!
When we got back it was happy hour, so the five of us went to Kenny & Doris's place for a cold one. It was just one, as we still had stuff to do. For me it was relax with my book, but the rest all went to the pool for an hour or more. It gave everyone a nice break from the heat. After it was supper and then some time with a few visitors.
Another great day in the valley of the sun.
Started off with breakfast for the 4 of us. Only four you say, well as you well know, Marg is not a breakfast person and the Smith family all wanted to see what it was all about. Even got Phil a taste of biscuits and gravy and he was not impressed, saying he could do without it. I am convinced that only people who grow up with it find it appealing in the morning. It also gave them a chance to chat with some of the other people in the park and get to know them.
After breakfast we went out to the museum and the arts & craft show.
The gal Marg knows in the park [Gail] had a booth there and she asked us to stop by because she was going to see about setting up a horse ride for Katie. She is the one who is an Arizona Ranger and dresses up with twin six shooters in holsters when she goes out. In the process, the girls bought some kind of plant arrangement from her and found out that Katie can go riding at 8 tomorrow morning. Should be interesting as it will be the first time she will have an opportunity to ride western. From there it was on to Goldfield where we looked around at the old ghost town and the attractions there. We had some time, so Katie panned for gold. She got a pretty good pan, there was certainly a lot of fools gold in it and she was pretty darn good at isolating it as well as some other stones. She was successful in getting some gold flakes as well, enough to say it was a successful day at it. The last time she panned was many years ago in Barkerville and she still had her touch.After we went back up to main street to watch the big shoot out.
From there we went to Taco Bell, Katie had been asking about taco's for an outing. When we were in Florida with her, it seemed to be a regular thing. Anyway, that was lunch today and it was pretty darn good.
After lunch we went out highway 88 to Canyon lake and then on to the old stage stop at Tortilla Flats. On the way through we stopped for the obligatory photo at the Canyon Lake scenic lookout. I think we have pictures of everyone we have taken there at this spot. The music was in full swing at the outdoor patio and we had a good chance to look around and check it out. Even stopped in at the ice cream store and had a cold one.When we got back it was happy hour, so the five of us went to Kenny & Doris's place for a cold one. It was just one, as we still had stuff to do. For me it was relax with my book, but the rest all went to the pool for an hour or more. It gave everyone a nice break from the heat. After it was supper and then some time with a few visitors.
Another great day in the valley of the sun.
Friday 27 March 2015
Friday, March 27th
Hot today,
I think it was the highest daytime temperature so far this year. The forecast high was 95F & it must have been pretty close to that. We sure drank lots of water and ran the AC in the truck at full force. The temperature at our place in the shade is shown in the picture opposite.
After breakfast we went out to the big Mesa Marketplace, kind of a flea market, a must see for new people, but most get their fill very quickly given the crowds and amount of walking. I exchanged my books and got some good ones and that was about it. I think the rest all found something of interest, although there were no major purchases today. When we got out of there we went back to the rv park for lunch. We went out after lunch to the Superstition museum. Although we have driven past many times, it was our first visit there. They have a great story to tell here and do a fine job of it, some pretty interesting stuff.
They have three buildings on site from the Apacheland movie set facility. It was an outdoor movie studio where many movies were made that included well known actors: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Elvis, Ronald Regan and many more.
Char bought a bottle of sasparilla and shared it. The taste was something like root beer but not that rich, but still very tasty. The guy in the old barn said it would put a spring in your step, LOL.
Then it was on to the little church on site. They had lots of movie posters in there and ran a movie with snips of some of the more famous movies made in Apacheland. The cool part [for Char anyway] was the Elvis statue at the front of the room.
When we got back it was time for a cooling off dip, so we all headed off to the pool. Lots of folks in the pool today with the same idea. The kids had Marg's ball from water aerobics and were playing a sort of volleyball with it. At one point I went to get out of the pool to retrieve the ball for them and almost lost my trunks. That must have been scary for the rest of the people around there and seemed to be the source of lots of laughter. We stayed quite long and as a result had a late supper on the bbq. Just got everything started and realized the propane was running low and we never had a spare tank. Katie, Phil and I jumped into the truck for a quick trip to Walmart to purchase a tank and propane. Said goodbye to a couple more friends with wishes for a safe trip home.
After breakfast we went out to the big Mesa Marketplace, kind of a flea market, a must see for new people, but most get their fill very quickly given the crowds and amount of walking. I exchanged my books and got some good ones and that was about it. I think the rest all found something of interest, although there were no major purchases today. When we got out of there we went back to the rv park for lunch. We went out after lunch to the Superstition museum. Although we have driven past many times, it was our first visit there. They have a great story to tell here and do a fine job of it, some pretty interesting stuff. They have three buildings on site from the Apacheland movie set facility. It was an outdoor movie studio where many movies were made that included well known actors: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Elvis, Ronald Regan and many more. Char bought a bottle of sasparilla and shared it. The taste was something like root beer but not that rich, but still very tasty. The guy in the old barn said it would put a spring in your step, LOL.
Then it was on to the little church on site. They had lots of movie posters in there and ran a movie with snips of some of the more famous movies made in Apacheland. The cool part [for Char anyway] was the Elvis statue at the front of the room. When we got back it was time for a cooling off dip, so we all headed off to the pool. Lots of folks in the pool today with the same idea. The kids had Marg's ball from water aerobics and were playing a sort of volleyball with it. At one point I went to get out of the pool to retrieve the ball for them and almost lost my trunks. That must have been scary for the rest of the people around there and seemed to be the source of lots of laughter. We stayed quite long and as a result had a late supper on the bbq. Just got everything started and realized the propane was running low and we never had a spare tank. Katie, Phil and I jumped into the truck for a quick trip to Walmart to purchase a tank and propane. Said goodbye to a couple more friends with wishes for a safe trip home.
Thursday 26 March 2015
Thursday, March 26th
A great day in the valley. Busy day so no time for the coffee & donuts. Sunny and clear blue skies with the daytime high about 88F, so it was hot.
Another surprise, the tour Char had booked was a tour of the Ping factory in Phoenix. Truly a remarkable experience. I never really thought about it, but there are so many steps in producing a quality product. They were great & remembered that it was Phil's impending birthday and that he had just been fitted for a set of clubs by the club pro at home. The information was great and they could not have been more accommodating. It also gave Phil an opportunity to see downtown Phoenix as well as the freeway system at rush hour. The good news was with a passenger we were in the HOV lane and made excellent time, with enough time to enjoy the place. An interesting fact was that there is almost no signage on the factory, in fact it was almost hard to find without a GPS. Got on the road and were back in time for lunch.
The gals got mobile in the morning and went to water aerobics. It gave Char & Katie a chance to meet some of the other ladies in the park. It also gave Char a low impact workout after all walking on their trip. Katie loves the pool and it has long been a thing she and grandma do.
After lunch we went on a road trip to see some of the surrounding area. Our first stop was down in Queen Creek at the Olive Mill. A neat place and the only place in N America that produces virgin olive oil. They also offer a wide and varied array of olive oil products and samples to try. I guess Phil tried one that had some kind of hot pepper stuffed in it and then had to try others to get the fire in his taste buds to die down.
Then it was on to Florence. A neat old town from the wild west whose main claim to fame now is the large and numerous prisons in the town. Drove around a bit and saw lots of guys in nice orange suits behind some nasty razor wire.
Got back in time for a happy hour break with our guests and then it was off to the Golden Corral. The first time there for Phil, Char & Katie. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and we all left feeling like a stuffed turkey. Food was pretty good tonight and had some laughs about the desert options. After supper it was back to the park, where Marg had made strawberry topping for the cheesecake she made yesterday. While on their route around the park, 2 other couples stopped in and joined us for coffee & cake. One of them was leaving in the morning, so long Gary & Linda see you next winter. Oh yeh the cheesecake was awesome. A nightcap of Scotland's nectar and it was off to bed.
Another surprise, the tour Char had booked was a tour of the Ping factory in Phoenix. Truly a remarkable experience. I never really thought about it, but there are so many steps in producing a quality product. They were great & remembered that it was Phil's impending birthday and that he had just been fitted for a set of clubs by the club pro at home. The information was great and they could not have been more accommodating. It also gave Phil an opportunity to see downtown Phoenix as well as the freeway system at rush hour. The good news was with a passenger we were in the HOV lane and made excellent time, with enough time to enjoy the place. An interesting fact was that there is almost no signage on the factory, in fact it was almost hard to find without a GPS. Got on the road and were back in time for lunch.
The gals got mobile in the morning and went to water aerobics. It gave Char & Katie a chance to meet some of the other ladies in the park. It also gave Char a low impact workout after all walking on their trip. Katie loves the pool and it has long been a thing she and grandma do.
Then it was on to Florence. A neat old town from the wild west whose main claim to fame now is the large and numerous prisons in the town. Drove around a bit and saw lots of guys in nice orange suits behind some nasty razor wire.
Got back in time for a happy hour break with our guests and then it was off to the Golden Corral. The first time there for Phil, Char & Katie. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and we all left feeling like a stuffed turkey. Food was pretty good tonight and had some laughs about the desert options. After supper it was back to the park, where Marg had made strawberry topping for the cheesecake she made yesterday. While on their route around the park, 2 other couples stopped in and joined us for coffee & cake. One of them was leaving in the morning, so long Gary & Linda see you next winter. Oh yeh the cheesecake was awesome. A nightcap of Scotland's nectar and it was off to bed.
Wednesday
Well really it's a day late as we were so busy.
The day started off with the golf game at Apache Sun. Gerry came with his brother-in-law Rick, so we played together. The morning was near perfect, too bad the golf game can't be like that. It was good anyway and the score was certainly in the range I am satisfied with. After such a great game last week, well you know how expectations are. I did make a long putt on #4 and got to enter my name for the dough, but only until the next group came along and Pat drained a longer one. Funny thing happened, I got a call for Charlene while I was on the 3rd tee. It seems she got accepted on a tour she was wait listed for, but the lady needed confirmation. Sent Char a fb message when I got back, but could not find the score card I wrote the lady's call back info on. It turns out I gave it to Gerry and he tossed it. Fortunately Char knew all the info and it worked out fine.
When we got back to the rv park, the guys wives were there. I guess they came by after a brief shopping trip to visit with Marg. She was steaming the laundry from the previous evening and kept going while they visited. By the time I got back it was all done. They all stayed around for a visit.
After lunch we went out for groceries and water. We stopped at the car wash at the start, but had to go to a spray wash where I got the dust out of the box so we could haul luggage without it getting filthy. They do a pretty good job on the exterior, but the interior was; well a bit better than it was. Marg did the floors, but she says - "Although you would never know it". The day was hot, in the 90 area and it looks like that will be the trend for the next week or so.
After supper I went to play poker. We had a new player, it's always nice to get new people involved. I did pretty well, won a few, lost a few and came out a little bit behind, I think. In order to play, I had to leave the game by 9 to get to the airport on time and Jerry had told Marg he would be sure I got out by that time. As it turned out we finished shortly before 9, so it was all good.
I jumped in for a quick shower while Marg checked flight info at Sky Harbour. Surprise, the flight was 20 min early, so it was hurried shave and on the road. We got there in good time and our precious cargo arrived shortly after we got there. In a way it was good, not too long to wait. Got them all back to the rv park and settled in to their places. A bit of a visit and they gave us both a gift for our birthdays last week, in spite of us saying we really don't need anything and seeing them was enough. Called it a night after a couple of Tullamore Dew.
The day started off with the golf game at Apache Sun. Gerry came with his brother-in-law Rick, so we played together. The morning was near perfect, too bad the golf game can't be like that. It was good anyway and the score was certainly in the range I am satisfied with. After such a great game last week, well you know how expectations are. I did make a long putt on #4 and got to enter my name for the dough, but only until the next group came along and Pat drained a longer one. Funny thing happened, I got a call for Charlene while I was on the 3rd tee. It seems she got accepted on a tour she was wait listed for, but the lady needed confirmation. Sent Char a fb message when I got back, but could not find the score card I wrote the lady's call back info on. It turns out I gave it to Gerry and he tossed it. Fortunately Char knew all the info and it worked out fine.
When we got back to the rv park, the guys wives were there. I guess they came by after a brief shopping trip to visit with Marg. She was steaming the laundry from the previous evening and kept going while they visited. By the time I got back it was all done. They all stayed around for a visit.
After lunch we went out for groceries and water. We stopped at the car wash at the start, but had to go to a spray wash where I got the dust out of the box so we could haul luggage without it getting filthy. They do a pretty good job on the exterior, but the interior was; well a bit better than it was. Marg did the floors, but she says - "Although you would never know it". The day was hot, in the 90 area and it looks like that will be the trend for the next week or so.
After supper I went to play poker. We had a new player, it's always nice to get new people involved. I did pretty well, won a few, lost a few and came out a little bit behind, I think. In order to play, I had to leave the game by 9 to get to the airport on time and Jerry had told Marg he would be sure I got out by that time. As it turned out we finished shortly before 9, so it was all good.
I jumped in for a quick shower while Marg checked flight info at Sky Harbour. Surprise, the flight was 20 min early, so it was hurried shave and on the road. We got there in good time and our precious cargo arrived shortly after we got there. In a way it was good, not too long to wait. Got them all back to the rv park and settled in to their places. A bit of a visit and they gave us both a gift for our birthdays last week, in spite of us saying we really don't need anything and seeing them was enough. Called it a night after a couple of Tullamore Dew.
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Tuesday, March 24th
A beautiful day in the valley. There was a slight breeze and it got very warm, in the high 80's today.
We got moving early today as we were going out in the desert with the Bingers & the Blanke's. We took our atv's in the trailers and towed them out east of Florence, so about 50 miles from here. It was a great scenic drive, paved for the majority of it. The last part of the trip out was desert roads, so sandy dirt and occasionally it was very hard and rocky. I would guess that part was likely about a quarter of the trip. It was the dusty part, that is for certain. These roads are a very fine powder dust and very curvy. We went down to the San Pedro river in the area where the old abandoned coke ovens are.
We found a neat area with large cedars down by the river that was very pleasant even in the mid-day heat. There was a cool path down to the river that was all over grown with willows and it was like driving through a long arbor. We saw a few lizards, but that was it for wild life. Lots of birds, especially buzzards.
Got back just in time for happy hour. It was a much smaller group today and that makes it much easier to visit. Darryl & Rita left today and another couple tomorrow, so the exodus is well started. The park is still pretty full as there are new day rate campers coming in all the time. The parks around here are hard to get in to until this time of year and they are starting to appear in numbers.
Bingo tonight, the Powerball was over $700, but alas no winners in this household.
The Smith's leave tomorrow, so our readership will take a blow, but will continue the postings for the next few weeks.
Got back just in time for happy hour. It was a much smaller group today and that makes it much easier to visit. Darryl & Rita left today and another couple tomorrow, so the exodus is well started. The park is still pretty full as there are new day rate campers coming in all the time. The parks around here are hard to get in to until this time of year and they are starting to appear in numbers.
Bingo tonight, the Powerball was over $700, but alas no winners in this household.
The Smith's leave tomorrow, so our readership will take a blow, but will continue the postings for the next few weeks.
Monday 23 March 2015
Monday
A beautiful day in the valley. It was very warm, topping out in the high 80's, but we had a steady breeze that made it quite pleasant.
Gary went with me to Encanto where we met up with Gerry & Deb's brother Rick for a round of golf. The course played well and we made it through 18 in just under 4 hours. The other guys played well and even I had some bright spots in my game, although the score card did not accurately reflect how well I did, LOL! On the way back I told Gary that golf wasn't the reason I asked him, rather it was so I could travel in the HOV lane on the way back during rush hour. It was good for a laugh, but truly we blasted along at about 60 mph and passed a lot of heavy traffic areas. It was hot and I went through 3 bottles of water and one of Gatorade at the course. The other lads had 2 or 3 beers on the back nine, but with driving, I passed.
Marg went to water aerobics and they had a good turnout today. It's partly the workout, but I imagine it is very refreshing in the pool on a hot day. Apparently they had some big guy come into the pool area and lounge about while they had their workout today. I guess they told him it was their time in the pool, but he stayed anyway, slathering lotion on his ampleness. Some of the ladies said it was so disturbing that they are going to get a sign put up to the effect that only splash & thrashers are permitted during their hour. Marg said she thought the guy may have eventually got the message and will not likely return during the allotted hour. We'll see, he might just be a -- well who knows, LOL.
After getting back she had visitors all day long, for a variety of topics. I guess she had a really fun day with most of them and enjoyed herself. Somewhere along the day she decided to offer our place for happy hour, so when I got home the driveway was full of people and golf carts were all around the front. I think there must have been 15 or 16 people having cocktails. It goes without saying that I had no place to park, so had to leave the truck down the road. That was her 3rd party group in about 5 or 6 days. Party girl you might think, but I think she just likes to organize things.
Fortunately she had supper in the slow cooker, so that was never in doubt. It was very good too, a nice pork roast with potatoes and vegetables. This was important as it was poker night and I was still able to make it there shortly after the 6:30 start time. There were 6 players tonight and while not a big winner, I think I came out around even. Hard to tell as I won quite a bit early and then victories were farther apart in the latter part of the game.
Gary went with me to Encanto where we met up with Gerry & Deb's brother Rick for a round of golf. The course played well and we made it through 18 in just under 4 hours. The other guys played well and even I had some bright spots in my game, although the score card did not accurately reflect how well I did, LOL! On the way back I told Gary that golf wasn't the reason I asked him, rather it was so I could travel in the HOV lane on the way back during rush hour. It was good for a laugh, but truly we blasted along at about 60 mph and passed a lot of heavy traffic areas. It was hot and I went through 3 bottles of water and one of Gatorade at the course. The other lads had 2 or 3 beers on the back nine, but with driving, I passed.
Marg went to water aerobics and they had a good turnout today. It's partly the workout, but I imagine it is very refreshing in the pool on a hot day. Apparently they had some big guy come into the pool area and lounge about while they had their workout today. I guess they told him it was their time in the pool, but he stayed anyway, slathering lotion on his ampleness. Some of the ladies said it was so disturbing that they are going to get a sign put up to the effect that only splash & thrashers are permitted during their hour. Marg said she thought the guy may have eventually got the message and will not likely return during the allotted hour. We'll see, he might just be a -- well who knows, LOL.
After getting back she had visitors all day long, for a variety of topics. I guess she had a really fun day with most of them and enjoyed herself. Somewhere along the day she decided to offer our place for happy hour, so when I got home the driveway was full of people and golf carts were all around the front. I think there must have been 15 or 16 people having cocktails. It goes without saying that I had no place to park, so had to leave the truck down the road. That was her 3rd party group in about 5 or 6 days. Party girl you might think, but I think she just likes to organize things.
Fortunately she had supper in the slow cooker, so that was never in doubt. It was very good too, a nice pork roast with potatoes and vegetables. This was important as it was poker night and I was still able to make it there shortly after the 6:30 start time. There were 6 players tonight and while not a big winner, I think I came out around even. Hard to tell as I won quite a bit early and then victories were farther apart in the latter part of the game.
Sunday 22 March 2015
Sunday March 22nd
The warm sunny days are back and the wind blew most of the day, at times gusting fairly hard. It was a long way out of the feathers this AM & the stomach was a little unsettled. Have not carried on like that for a while. Put my bike out front, but no one showed up to ride. I heard later that Gary was on a water diet for much of the morning, LOL. Went for a short bike ride by myself and made about 4 miles. It seemed that much more difficult riding alone. It's amazing the difference it makes to have a fellow rider.
When I got back, Marg made a ham & eggs breakfast with fresh fruit. A great start to the day. Little did I realize there was no lunch on the menu today, so that was both meals. In fairness it was mid-morning by then. We ate in the breezeway on the new [to us] table. After I got out the paint and painted the cupboard doors I had made and installed a week ago as well as the 4 drawers I finished the other day. Marg was happy, so for me that is good enough. I am no carpenter, but these turned out OK. Not sure they would stand up to a quality inspection by someone in the trade, but good enough for my skill level.
I had some problems getting the handles on the drawers as the bolts were too short. We went over to the Ace Hardware where I got proper sized bolts. I also picked up some roundup to spray weeds. My ants are back on the back patio and I sprayed them in the morning and wanted to get the weeds today as well. Marg went over to Bells and was looking for some more place mats to match some she bought there the other day, but had no luck. When I got back, was able to complete the cupboard project. While I was doing that Marg took some glasses back to Linda that she had left here last night.
Happy hour this afternoon was at the Jim & Beth's, so I went for a short time while Marg prepared our supper. I went for a real quick one as I had to bbq the steak and roast the potatoes and vegetables. We are not usually in hurry up mode like today, but we had to get in a meal before ice cream social.
We had agreed to step in on ice cream social for this and next week as one of the couples have left for home already. Departures are becoming an every other day occurrence now as the winter season comes to a close. I think there are 4 or 5 more this week with more the following week. We had lots of folks for ice cream and it has been a while since we did this. Kept pretty busy making banana splits and dishing out ice cream and cake, as it was well attended. That was expected with the hot day and the offer of duplicating your order next Sunday at no charge. Although we got free ice cream because we had to work, we bought banana splits so the Smiths can participate next Sunday.
3 more days until they arrive now!
When I got back, Marg made a ham & eggs breakfast with fresh fruit. A great start to the day. Little did I realize there was no lunch on the menu today, so that was both meals. In fairness it was mid-morning by then. We ate in the breezeway on the new [to us] table. After I got out the paint and painted the cupboard doors I had made and installed a week ago as well as the 4 drawers I finished the other day. Marg was happy, so for me that is good enough. I am no carpenter, but these turned out OK. Not sure they would stand up to a quality inspection by someone in the trade, but good enough for my skill level.
I had some problems getting the handles on the drawers as the bolts were too short. We went over to the Ace Hardware where I got proper sized bolts. I also picked up some roundup to spray weeds. My ants are back on the back patio and I sprayed them in the morning and wanted to get the weeds today as well. Marg went over to Bells and was looking for some more place mats to match some she bought there the other day, but had no luck. When I got back, was able to complete the cupboard project. While I was doing that Marg took some glasses back to Linda that she had left here last night.
Happy hour this afternoon was at the Jim & Beth's, so I went for a short time while Marg prepared our supper. I went for a real quick one as I had to bbq the steak and roast the potatoes and vegetables. We are not usually in hurry up mode like today, but we had to get in a meal before ice cream social.
We had agreed to step in on ice cream social for this and next week as one of the couples have left for home already. Departures are becoming an every other day occurrence now as the winter season comes to a close. I think there are 4 or 5 more this week with more the following week. We had lots of folks for ice cream and it has been a while since we did this. Kept pretty busy making banana splits and dishing out ice cream and cake, as it was well attended. That was expected with the hot day and the offer of duplicating your order next Sunday at no charge. Although we got free ice cream because we had to work, we bought banana splits so the Smiths can participate next Sunday.
3 more days until they arrive now!
March 21st
Saturday & sunny.
Went to breakfast this morning and had bacon, eggs, pancakes. It was great and I think there are only about 2 more of these left this year. We are getting to the point where things are starting to wind down and everything is either the last or second last or last event for this winter. Anyway it is always a great way to start the day.
Marg painted the backsplash above the kitchen cupboards while I was gone. Sure didn't take her long. There were some blemishes from the renovations last year with us removing things and she wanted it spruced up a bit. While not a large job, just one of those that we never seemed to get around to as we were debating what to do with it. Well check it off the list now.
After I got back we went out to a few park or patio sales. Went to two large parks as they usually have lots of variety and we were looking for a large ceramic or porcelain dog. The other day when Heidi was using Kenny's golf cart she had an accident an broke one, so we are trying to help Kenny find one to replace it. Anyway after a great deal of searching in a couple of parks, we were unsuccessful, although we found other things. Marg bought a patio table and 3 chairs for a great deal, some rugs, some pictures, probably some other stuff as well. I even bought a dozen golf balls from a hilarious guy, not that I needed them, but couldn't resist his sales pitch. In the end she was pretty happy with her purchases.
When we got back to the park I ran the drawer fronts through the router and then sanded them. I think they are pretty much ready for paint now, so that will likely happen tomorrow. It was challenging to make them look proper, but Marg was happy with their appearance, so that is the only standard I have to meet.
Spent the rest of the afternoon washing the carport down and setting things up. We hosted the golf guys and their spouses for happy hour tonight, as well as one couple who are leaving shortly, so that gave us 6 couples. Marg had prepared a lot of finger food, mostly cold stuff, but also some chicken wings and mini burritos. These we heated these on the bbq, same as the other night. Marg had her margarita blender working again, same as the other night and they were a hit. We also got into the Irish whisky in a big way and our 4 pm happy hour ended at about 9pm. While most everyone seemed to bring something to drink, I think most of it went back home with them. Many brought a snack as well, but were quite impressed with the array of finger food provided. Lots of laughs tonight and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
All in all a very busy day for us.
Went to breakfast this morning and had bacon, eggs, pancakes. It was great and I think there are only about 2 more of these left this year. We are getting to the point where things are starting to wind down and everything is either the last or second last or last event for this winter. Anyway it is always a great way to start the day.
Marg painted the backsplash above the kitchen cupboards while I was gone. Sure didn't take her long. There were some blemishes from the renovations last year with us removing things and she wanted it spruced up a bit. While not a large job, just one of those that we never seemed to get around to as we were debating what to do with it. Well check it off the list now.
After I got back we went out to a few park or patio sales. Went to two large parks as they usually have lots of variety and we were looking for a large ceramic or porcelain dog. The other day when Heidi was using Kenny's golf cart she had an accident an broke one, so we are trying to help Kenny find one to replace it. Anyway after a great deal of searching in a couple of parks, we were unsuccessful, although we found other things. Marg bought a patio table and 3 chairs for a great deal, some rugs, some pictures, probably some other stuff as well. I even bought a dozen golf balls from a hilarious guy, not that I needed them, but couldn't resist his sales pitch. In the end she was pretty happy with her purchases.
When we got back to the park I ran the drawer fronts through the router and then sanded them. I think they are pretty much ready for paint now, so that will likely happen tomorrow. It was challenging to make them look proper, but Marg was happy with their appearance, so that is the only standard I have to meet.
Spent the rest of the afternoon washing the carport down and setting things up. We hosted the golf guys and their spouses for happy hour tonight, as well as one couple who are leaving shortly, so that gave us 6 couples. Marg had prepared a lot of finger food, mostly cold stuff, but also some chicken wings and mini burritos. These we heated these on the bbq, same as the other night. Marg had her margarita blender working again, same as the other night and they were a hit. We also got into the Irish whisky in a big way and our 4 pm happy hour ended at about 9pm. While most everyone seemed to bring something to drink, I think most of it went back home with them. Many brought a snack as well, but were quite impressed with the array of finger food provided. Lots of laughs tonight and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
All in all a very busy day for us.
Friday 20 March 2015
Friday -- March 20th
A pleasant day, we are having a bit of a break from the heat, although it is very nice during the day. It was cloudy at times today and the wind blew a bit, especially where we were. I believe temps got into the mid 70's in AJ and it really never clouded up until the evening. Managed to get a few pictures to share with you today.
We went out to the Tonto forest area with Kenny & Doris today. Kenny's daughter Heidi has been at their place and came along as well. We went out through Usury pass on the bush road and took the turnout to Four Peaks. It is a dirt and rock desert type road through the mountains and comes out on the highway to Roosevelt Lake one way & Payson the other.
We stopped half way and had a nice lunch out in the desert. A small lizard chased around the area while we ate.
The lake is created behind the dam on the Salt river. It's a big lake and a very scenic route.
After we got through, Kenny took us to the park site where the Salada Indians built their cliff dwellings. While there are only ruins left, thanks to the many souvenir hunters over the year, it was very impressive, dating back to the 1200 or 1300's.
A suspension bridge that is an architectural masterpiece and has received national recognition at the narrows to the dam. All the while the storm over the east side of the mountains continued to build and provide a spectacular lightning show with accompanying thunder.
We got to the Roosevelt Dam where we turned off and tool the old highway 87 that comes through Tortilla Flats and back to AJ. Some of the most breathtaking scenery on roads clinging to the side of canyon walls with a lot of airspace over the edge down steep mountain sides.
When we got out we stopped at Dirtwater Café where they all had the cod and I had beer battered shrimp. Great end to a great day.
We went out to the Tonto forest area with Kenny & Doris today. Kenny's daughter Heidi has been at their place and came along as well. We went out through Usury pass on the bush road and took the turnout to Four Peaks. It is a dirt and rock desert type road through the mountains and comes out on the highway to Roosevelt Lake one way & Payson the other. We stopped half way and had a nice lunch out in the desert. A small lizard chased around the area while we ate.The lake is created behind the dam on the Salt river. It's a big lake and a very scenic route.
After we got through, Kenny took us to the park site where the Salada Indians built their cliff dwellings. While there are only ruins left, thanks to the many souvenir hunters over the year, it was very impressive, dating back to the 1200 or 1300's. A suspension bridge that is an architectural masterpiece and has received national recognition at the narrows to the dam. All the while the storm over the east side of the mountains continued to build and provide a spectacular lightning show with accompanying thunder.
We got to the Roosevelt Dam where we turned off and tool the old highway 87 that comes through Tortilla Flats and back to AJ. Some of the most breathtaking scenery on roads clinging to the side of canyon walls with a lot of airspace over the edge down steep mountain sides. When we got out we stopped at Dirtwater Café where they all had the cod and I had beer battered shrimp. Great end to a great day.
Thursday 19 March 2015
March 19th
Happy birthday to Marg, the love of my life.
It was a cooler day today with cloud cover following the rain yesterday. In fact it was still rain in parts of the valley. Temperatures were lower, a nice break from the hot days of the last week or two and never got above the 70's. The wind blew most of the day and it was probably a big influence on the temps.
I went for coffee & donuts this morning. There was still a good sized group, so the return home is just starting now. In fact the table with our group of friends was full, so I sat with some other people. It was actually a good thing as most of the people here always sit with the same people and that kind of thing can make the place seem clique. It really isn't, people here are very friendly, but often it's just easier to sit with friends. Oh yeh, I got a nice fritter, so it was all good. At the end they had a map and everyone was asked to place a pin on their home. A few of us had to settle for putting one on the border as the map only goes north as far as Calgary.
After I got back we went to Costco. The place is always loaded on Fridays and the weekend, so not a time we normally go there. It's the free samples that attracts them. You ever notice that all the traffic jams are around the food sample tables. I avoid them, but you can't avoid the lines around them of the old folks in the electric shopping carts buying a can of peanuts and trying to make a meal with all the samples. Marg bought a bunch of things for the two happy hours we are having this week and I bought a bottle of Irish whisky [Bushmill].
When we got home some nice folks across the road came to chat us up a bit. They are from Colorado and were inquiring about things to do in the area. Sent them off to Goldfield and Tortilla Flats as they have not been and are leaving the area tomorrow. Then we went to Hackers for lunch. Will have to make up the dinner later to Marg, but she at least got out for a bit. On the way back we stopped at Food City for a few thins, like limes for -- yes you guessed it; the margaritas.
When we got back it was time to set things up around here for the party tonight. Some people thought it was a birthday party, but when she set the date, Marg didn't realize it was her birthday, only that it was Larry & Sue's last day here. Anyway we had a dozen friends, 2 of the couples leaving this week. It was a different group than we normally go to happy hour with, although it did include a few of them. They were all special friends to us for various reasons. Marg made her usual margaritas and the ladies really got into them. The guys mostly drank beer, but we had a few enjoying the Irish whisky. Everyone was in a light-hearted mood and we shared lots of laughs. Will sure miss these folks when we part.
We were supposed to go out in the desert tomorrow, but during the day a change of plans came about and it seems we are driving up to four peaks tomorrow. As typically happens lots of stuff happening as we get nearer to the end. Well someone's end as we have quite a bit of time yet.
It was a cooler day today with cloud cover following the rain yesterday. In fact it was still rain in parts of the valley. Temperatures were lower, a nice break from the hot days of the last week or two and never got above the 70's. The wind blew most of the day and it was probably a big influence on the temps.
I went for coffee & donuts this morning. There was still a good sized group, so the return home is just starting now. In fact the table with our group of friends was full, so I sat with some other people. It was actually a good thing as most of the people here always sit with the same people and that kind of thing can make the place seem clique. It really isn't, people here are very friendly, but often it's just easier to sit with friends. Oh yeh, I got a nice fritter, so it was all good. At the end they had a map and everyone was asked to place a pin on their home. A few of us had to settle for putting one on the border as the map only goes north as far as Calgary.
After I got back we went to Costco. The place is always loaded on Fridays and the weekend, so not a time we normally go there. It's the free samples that attracts them. You ever notice that all the traffic jams are around the food sample tables. I avoid them, but you can't avoid the lines around them of the old folks in the electric shopping carts buying a can of peanuts and trying to make a meal with all the samples. Marg bought a bunch of things for the two happy hours we are having this week and I bought a bottle of Irish whisky [Bushmill].
When we got home some nice folks across the road came to chat us up a bit. They are from Colorado and were inquiring about things to do in the area. Sent them off to Goldfield and Tortilla Flats as they have not been and are leaving the area tomorrow. Then we went to Hackers for lunch. Will have to make up the dinner later to Marg, but she at least got out for a bit. On the way back we stopped at Food City for a few thins, like limes for -- yes you guessed it; the margaritas.
When we got back it was time to set things up around here for the party tonight. Some people thought it was a birthday party, but when she set the date, Marg didn't realize it was her birthday, only that it was Larry & Sue's last day here. Anyway we had a dozen friends, 2 of the couples leaving this week. It was a different group than we normally go to happy hour with, although it did include a few of them. They were all special friends to us for various reasons. Marg made her usual margaritas and the ladies really got into them. The guys mostly drank beer, but we had a few enjoying the Irish whisky. Everyone was in a light-hearted mood and we shared lots of laughs. Will sure miss these folks when we part.
We were supposed to go out in the desert tomorrow, but during the day a change of plans came about and it seems we are driving up to four peaks tomorrow. As typically happens lots of stuff happening as we get nearer to the end. Well someone's end as we have quite a bit of time yet.
Wednesday 18 March 2015
March 18th
Happy birthday Jim.
The weather was unsettled this morning. It was cloudy and a bit cooler, a perfect morning for golf, well it was for me anyway. Gerry came to AJ & he drove to Apache Sun this AM. I hit the ball as well as I ever have at this course and my score was the best I have ever carded there - 41. There was a carry-over on the longest putt on the 4th hole and I managed to drain a 5 footer that stood up, so won the cash for both this and last week - $30, all in singles. It looked pretty impressive. What a great start to the day, oh yeh, Gerry and I tied and it was one of his best as well.
In the morning Marg cleaned the windows and door tracks and then went to water aerobics. There was a smaller group today, but that was better as it was almost too full a couple of times. When she got back she took stock of what was here in preparation for hosting cocktail hour tomorrow. We are not holding a come on come all event, like some of them, as we simply don't have the space and it is a bit of a farewell for a few people who are leaving this week.
I was back in time for lunch, which Marg made me and we had a few minutes of peace and quiet. After lunch Marg went to Fry's which is always dangerous with the truck as there is pretty much unlimited capacity. She came back with the back seat pretty much full. Mostly it was food, but there was some margarita mix and some coolers in there as well. I went to check on Kenny as they had a bit of an accident with the golf cart and had some repairs to make on an awning support. As it turned out he had already made the repairs. Then I went over to Jerry's to see if he needed help getting his Kia to the repair shop as it won't start, but he had that looked after as well. Stopped at the pool room on the way back and watched the guys play for a short while and back. All it turned out to be was a good walk.
Marg was making a big caesar salad for happy hour tonight, it was one of those food nights. She had cooked up some shrimp and some chicken pieces so people could dress it up with either. Happy tonight was at Kenny & Doris' place as the Johnson's are leaving at the weekend and in the process of packing. There were lots of folks there tonight as it was a bit of a pot luck. By the time we got there it was raining, pretty hard too. They had a carport full, I would guess 30 or more. Food was pretty good as well and there seemed to be quite a bit. That served as supper, which is OK, I guess.
After supper I went to play poker. Same bunch tonight, but the luck of the Irish was with me. Did a bit better than break even, so am hopeful my luck is back. It had seemed to desert me for a while.
The weather was unsettled this morning. It was cloudy and a bit cooler, a perfect morning for golf, well it was for me anyway. Gerry came to AJ & he drove to Apache Sun this AM. I hit the ball as well as I ever have at this course and my score was the best I have ever carded there - 41. There was a carry-over on the longest putt on the 4th hole and I managed to drain a 5 footer that stood up, so won the cash for both this and last week - $30, all in singles. It looked pretty impressive. What a great start to the day, oh yeh, Gerry and I tied and it was one of his best as well.
In the morning Marg cleaned the windows and door tracks and then went to water aerobics. There was a smaller group today, but that was better as it was almost too full a couple of times. When she got back she took stock of what was here in preparation for hosting cocktail hour tomorrow. We are not holding a come on come all event, like some of them, as we simply don't have the space and it is a bit of a farewell for a few people who are leaving this week.
I was back in time for lunch, which Marg made me and we had a few minutes of peace and quiet. After lunch Marg went to Fry's which is always dangerous with the truck as there is pretty much unlimited capacity. She came back with the back seat pretty much full. Mostly it was food, but there was some margarita mix and some coolers in there as well. I went to check on Kenny as they had a bit of an accident with the golf cart and had some repairs to make on an awning support. As it turned out he had already made the repairs. Then I went over to Jerry's to see if he needed help getting his Kia to the repair shop as it won't start, but he had that looked after as well. Stopped at the pool room on the way back and watched the guys play for a short while and back. All it turned out to be was a good walk.
Marg was making a big caesar salad for happy hour tonight, it was one of those food nights. She had cooked up some shrimp and some chicken pieces so people could dress it up with either. Happy tonight was at Kenny & Doris' place as the Johnson's are leaving at the weekend and in the process of packing. There were lots of folks there tonight as it was a bit of a pot luck. By the time we got there it was raining, pretty hard too. They had a carport full, I would guess 30 or more. Food was pretty good as well and there seemed to be quite a bit. That served as supper, which is OK, I guess.
After supper I went to play poker. Same bunch tonight, but the luck of the Irish was with me. Did a bit better than break even, so am hopeful my luck is back. It had seemed to desert me for a while.
Tuesday 17 March 2015
St Patricks Day, 2015
Another gorgeous day in the sun. In fact it was really hot even in the shade.
We had to get going early, but Marg was up really early and made cinnamon rolls with icing for my breakfast. Such a great partner in life.
We were down at the rec hall kitchen by 8AM. My job was to cut corned beef that they had cooked yesterday. Marg's job was to prepare carrots, potatoes and cabbage for the cooking. There was lots of help, but that is what happens when well regarded people take on tasks, everyone wants to see them be successful. It only took about an hour with the large number of helpers.
Got lots of nice birthday wishes today, thank you everyone.
Lunch today was corned beef and cabbage and the hall was pretty much full. The meal was very good and we rounded it out with white cake iced in green and ice cream with green crème de menthe.
For a laugh I filled a cooler bag with beers and told everyone is was an Irish lunch bucket. Got the reaction you would expect. LOL Even shared a few beers with the guys today, but I obviously missed some who would have like to be included. Everyone was wearing green, well almost anyway.
After lunch we went out and bought water, with the heat we are going through and incredible amount of it. The dispenser at Fry's is probably the best deal around at 15 cents a gallon. Compared to what we pay for water out of the tap, that is still quite a premium; probably 40 times, but still a better deal than bottled water.
Supper tonight was just a quick bite to eat. We were both still pretty full from lunch. Then it was bingo and Gerry & Deb came to join us. Lots of winners at our table, but neither Marg nor me. Deb won and they split with us, as always. Good thing for her luck, in fact she almost won the Powerball jackpot which was over $600.
Mother always reminds me I am half Irish on this day. A day when everyone is either of Irish descent of wishes they were -- Erin Go Bragh!
We had to get going early, but Marg was up really early and made cinnamon rolls with icing for my breakfast. Such a great partner in life. We were down at the rec hall kitchen by 8AM. My job was to cut corned beef that they had cooked yesterday. Marg's job was to prepare carrots, potatoes and cabbage for the cooking. There was lots of help, but that is what happens when well regarded people take on tasks, everyone wants to see them be successful. It only took about an hour with the large number of helpers.
Got lots of nice birthday wishes today, thank you everyone.
Lunch today was corned beef and cabbage and the hall was pretty much full. The meal was very good and we rounded it out with white cake iced in green and ice cream with green crème de menthe.For a laugh I filled a cooler bag with beers and told everyone is was an Irish lunch bucket. Got the reaction you would expect. LOL Even shared a few beers with the guys today, but I obviously missed some who would have like to be included. Everyone was wearing green, well almost anyway.
After lunch we went out and bought water, with the heat we are going through and incredible amount of it. The dispenser at Fry's is probably the best deal around at 15 cents a gallon. Compared to what we pay for water out of the tap, that is still quite a premium; probably 40 times, but still a better deal than bottled water.
Supper tonight was just a quick bite to eat. We were both still pretty full from lunch. Then it was bingo and Gerry & Deb came to join us. Lots of winners at our table, but neither Marg nor me. Deb won and they split with us, as always. Good thing for her luck, in fact she almost won the Powerball jackpot which was over $600.
Mother always reminds me I am half Irish on this day. A day when everyone is either of Irish descent of wishes they were -- Erin Go Bragh!
Monday, March 16th
Another hot day in the Valley of the Sun, well after all that is the name of this place. The guys went biking, but I was not up for it as I had to leave about 10AM and would have been hard pressed to get back here in time.
Laundry day for Marg. I guess it was pretty busy in there and the fans were out of order. She also had some complaints about taking hot clothes out of the dryer on such a hot day. It seems odd to me that so many people would be doing laundry in the heat of the day. Something like the old saying out of India when the British were there in force -- Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!
I went to Encanto with 2 guys from the park and we met Gerry Canuel there. The course was pretty busy, but we got sent out a bit early. I had taken 3 water bottles and froze them to make ice in the bottom 3rd of the bottle, then filled them with water before leaving and put insulated beer can covers on them. It worked very well as the last bottle was still nice and chilled when I got to #16. We had lots of laughs, my score being one of them, LOL. Well it was the same as my last round there, but this time I never lost a ball. Gene drove, so it was a nice change and it seems they both got the seniors with a players card rate after I checked in first. So that was great. Traffic on the return trip, well it was busy, but not crazy.
When I got back Marg was nowhere to be found, so I phoned. Yes she was at happy hour, so I grabbed a beer and joined them. It seems a bunch were going to the buffet and kept asking us to go, Marg said it was about 15 times, but we declined. We really try to limit the amount of buffet exposure we have, kind of buffer the buffets. Oh man I crack myself up. We also were invited to Clyde & Anne's end of season dinner and had declined not knowing when I would be back, so Marg had a chicken and pasta in the slow cooker. A supper I always look forward to and one we would not be prepared to waste. It helps keep the heat down in the unit by plugging it into the outside plug in the breezeway.
Poker after supper. We had a good group of 6 players and a pretty good bunch. I made out Ok for a change. Hey that's a pun as we play for nickels and dimes. It seems my luck had taken a vacation for a few weeks, but may be returning. Now it just needs to kick up to the next level where I actually win.
Oh yeh, we went out and picked up a mini or bar fridge, 3.5 cu ft I believe. We just plug it in on the breezeway and fill it full of drinks. It frees up fridge space and the drinks are really handy like this. It will be great just as long as no one gets any silly ideas about putting food in it.
Last evening a new couple parked across the road from us had their poodle outside their trailer. I'm not sure if it was on a lead or in a pen. Anyway Marg went over to warn them not to leave it unattended, especially after dark. A few years ago one of the owls picked up a small dog in the park, I guess they are just too much like the rabbits running around here. There are a pair of great horned owls in the park again this year, they have always been here, except for last year when then left for the winter. Probably went north LOL.
Laundry day for Marg. I guess it was pretty busy in there and the fans were out of order. She also had some complaints about taking hot clothes out of the dryer on such a hot day. It seems odd to me that so many people would be doing laundry in the heat of the day. Something like the old saying out of India when the British were there in force -- Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!
I went to Encanto with 2 guys from the park and we met Gerry Canuel there. The course was pretty busy, but we got sent out a bit early. I had taken 3 water bottles and froze them to make ice in the bottom 3rd of the bottle, then filled them with water before leaving and put insulated beer can covers on them. It worked very well as the last bottle was still nice and chilled when I got to #16. We had lots of laughs, my score being one of them, LOL. Well it was the same as my last round there, but this time I never lost a ball. Gene drove, so it was a nice change and it seems they both got the seniors with a players card rate after I checked in first. So that was great. Traffic on the return trip, well it was busy, but not crazy.
When I got back Marg was nowhere to be found, so I phoned. Yes she was at happy hour, so I grabbed a beer and joined them. It seems a bunch were going to the buffet and kept asking us to go, Marg said it was about 15 times, but we declined. We really try to limit the amount of buffet exposure we have, kind of buffer the buffets. Oh man I crack myself up. We also were invited to Clyde & Anne's end of season dinner and had declined not knowing when I would be back, so Marg had a chicken and pasta in the slow cooker. A supper I always look forward to and one we would not be prepared to waste. It helps keep the heat down in the unit by plugging it into the outside plug in the breezeway.
Poker after supper. We had a good group of 6 players and a pretty good bunch. I made out Ok for a change. Hey that's a pun as we play for nickels and dimes. It seems my luck had taken a vacation for a few weeks, but may be returning. Now it just needs to kick up to the next level where I actually win.
Oh yeh, we went out and picked up a mini or bar fridge, 3.5 cu ft I believe. We just plug it in on the breezeway and fill it full of drinks. It frees up fridge space and the drinks are really handy like this. It will be great just as long as no one gets any silly ideas about putting food in it.
Last evening a new couple parked across the road from us had their poodle outside their trailer. I'm not sure if it was on a lead or in a pen. Anyway Marg went over to warn them not to leave it unattended, especially after dark. A few years ago one of the owls picked up a small dog in the park, I guess they are just too much like the rabbits running around here. There are a pair of great horned owls in the park again this year, they have always been here, except for last year when then left for the winter. Probably went north LOL.
Sunday 15 March 2015
The Ides of March, 2015
A beautiful day in the valley, except the wind blew strongly most of the day. At times there were gusts that seemed like a storm coming in, but not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures were much the same as the last few days, with a daytime high around 88F.
I didn't post a bunch of pictures from the 60's & 70's dance last night on here because they are on facebook. I hope that works for everyone, however if not, let me know and I can add more here.
I went for a bike ride with Pat & Larry this AM in spite of the wind. By the time we got to Idaho, which is our regular first rest stop, we needed the break. We saw another road killed snake just by the rest stop and although it had a kind of pancake look, it appeared to be another gopher snake. That must make 6 or more in the last few weeks, so the conclusion seems to be that they are becoming active. We turned back at Desert View, so made just around 5 miles today. The temperature was nice when we left, but by the time we returned it was getting warm.
Marg was out and about by the time I got back and she made us a nice plate of ham & eggs with toast. It was a very nice way to start the day.
I was going to run the drawer fronts through the router today, but it being Sunday, we thought it best to not create a racket, so left it. That and the heat, by the time I returned the patio at the rear was getting pretty warm.
After lunch I played pool for about and hour and a half. One of the guys is new in the park and he is from Alberta. He was a good player as well, so both the guys from sunny Alberta gave a good account of themselves. Marg had some company in the afternoon and they seemed to be into iced tea when I got back.
BBQ for supper and then off to ice cream social. Nothing much changed: banana split and ice cream with cake & by now you know who had which. There are only two more Sunday evenings of ice cream socials in this winter season, but Char, Phil & Katie should make the last one. It seems one of the couples working at these will not be returning next year, so we were approached to take their place. We really need to learn to say no, but the remaining team members are all friends and the lady in charge is one of the gamblin' gals, so pretty difficult to not help out.
Funny thing happened at ice cream social. One of the ladies had some pictures from the ladies tea the other day and had printed some. She gave Marg two that she took while Marg was modelling. They really show how much fun grandma is having down here. LOL
I didn't post a bunch of pictures from the 60's & 70's dance last night on here because they are on facebook. I hope that works for everyone, however if not, let me know and I can add more here.
I went for a bike ride with Pat & Larry this AM in spite of the wind. By the time we got to Idaho, which is our regular first rest stop, we needed the break. We saw another road killed snake just by the rest stop and although it had a kind of pancake look, it appeared to be another gopher snake. That must make 6 or more in the last few weeks, so the conclusion seems to be that they are becoming active. We turned back at Desert View, so made just around 5 miles today. The temperature was nice when we left, but by the time we returned it was getting warm.
Marg was out and about by the time I got back and she made us a nice plate of ham & eggs with toast. It was a very nice way to start the day.
I was going to run the drawer fronts through the router today, but it being Sunday, we thought it best to not create a racket, so left it. That and the heat, by the time I returned the patio at the rear was getting pretty warm.
After lunch I played pool for about and hour and a half. One of the guys is new in the park and he is from Alberta. He was a good player as well, so both the guys from sunny Alberta gave a good account of themselves. Marg had some company in the afternoon and they seemed to be into iced tea when I got back.
BBQ for supper and then off to ice cream social. Nothing much changed: banana split and ice cream with cake & by now you know who had which. There are only two more Sunday evenings of ice cream socials in this winter season, but Char, Phil & Katie should make the last one. It seems one of the couples working at these will not be returning next year, so we were approached to take their place. We really need to learn to say no, but the remaining team members are all friends and the lady in charge is one of the gamblin' gals, so pretty difficult to not help out.
Funny thing happened at ice cream social. One of the ladies had some pictures from the ladies tea the other day and had printed some. She gave Marg two that she took while Marg was modelling. They really show how much fun grandma is having down here. LOL
Saturday 14 March 2015
Saturday the 14th
Another gorgeous day in the valley of the sun. Although we had a steady breeze all day long, it got hot again.
It was our team morning to cook breakfast in the rec center today, so an early morning. I was in the kitchen with my apron on at about 7AM and Marg showed up shortly after. As usual I did pancakes and Marg fried eggs. The fried eggs are unique to our team, as all others only offered scrambled. It is proving quite popular with about half of the requests for fried now. We had a good response with over 70 coming to breakfast. It was an unusual pattern this morning. We ran out of biscuits and gravy and sausages. The other thing we do that is unique is boil the breakfast sausages before browning them. It is something Marg has done for years at home and takes most of the grease out of them and [in my opinion] makes them taste better. It makes for a long morning as we never get out until after clean up and never before 10.
After we went out to a few park patio sales. They are everywhere and there are always a few in the area around us. I got a pull golf cart, so when I walk on Wednesday won't have to rent anymore. It was pretty funny as the vendor goaded me in to an offer saying he would not be insulted and when I made one he said he would take less, so it came home with me. Saw some nice parks, but they sure do get expensive as well. In one park the rent for 2 months would equal what we pay for a year.
When we got back I went to play pool for a couple of hours. My cue stick was hot today and I did pretty well. Played with some good guys and we had lots of laughs. Marg went around the park visiting with folks. There are some couples leaving for home next week, so she wanted to invite a small number over for happy hour one afternoon next week, particularly the Johnsons' where we normally go for happy. It's always with mixed emotions [well for most, LOL] that we see our friends leave for home.
After supper, which we had on the patio, well under the breezeway actually, we went to the 60's & 70's dance. It was a first time for trying this and it was well attended. It was pretty good and we sat with friends and had some laughs. They did a bit a take-off on the old TV show the Newlywed Game and the 3 couples were all good friends of ours. Marg was in party mode and with Pat & Doris decided to show off their bling jeans or shorts as well as her transfer tattoo on her cheek.
It was our team morning to cook breakfast in the rec center today, so an early morning. I was in the kitchen with my apron on at about 7AM and Marg showed up shortly after. As usual I did pancakes and Marg fried eggs. The fried eggs are unique to our team, as all others only offered scrambled. It is proving quite popular with about half of the requests for fried now. We had a good response with over 70 coming to breakfast. It was an unusual pattern this morning. We ran out of biscuits and gravy and sausages. The other thing we do that is unique is boil the breakfast sausages before browning them. It is something Marg has done for years at home and takes most of the grease out of them and [in my opinion] makes them taste better. It makes for a long morning as we never get out until after clean up and never before 10.
After we went out to a few park patio sales. They are everywhere and there are always a few in the area around us. I got a pull golf cart, so when I walk on Wednesday won't have to rent anymore. It was pretty funny as the vendor goaded me in to an offer saying he would not be insulted and when I made one he said he would take less, so it came home with me. Saw some nice parks, but they sure do get expensive as well. In one park the rent for 2 months would equal what we pay for a year.
When we got back I went to play pool for a couple of hours. My cue stick was hot today and I did pretty well. Played with some good guys and we had lots of laughs. Marg went around the park visiting with folks. There are some couples leaving for home next week, so she wanted to invite a small number over for happy hour one afternoon next week, particularly the Johnsons' where we normally go for happy. It's always with mixed emotions [well for most, LOL] that we see our friends leave for home.
After supper, which we had on the patio, well under the breezeway actually, we went to the 60's & 70's dance. It was a first time for trying this and it was well attended. It was pretty good and we sat with friends and had some laughs. They did a bit a take-off on the old TV show the Newlywed Game and the 3 couples were all good friends of ours. Marg was in party mode and with Pat & Doris decided to show off their bling jeans or shorts as well as her transfer tattoo on her cheek.Friday 13 March 2015
Friday
With the temperatures running about 12 or 14 degrees above normal, it was another hot day. The contradiction was the wind blew all day and it was a good stiff breeze.
We went bike riding, but the combination of the first leg of our route being uphill and the strong headwind, kept us from making a long ride. Larry turned off early, so I went with him as we try not to leave anyone one of us to ride alone. The other two guys went on a longer ride, not sure how far, but we only made just over 3 miles today. Got back early and took it as an opportunity to put a load in the dumpster. I had lots of odds and ends left from the drawer project. I also took the table saw back to Lynette, very nice of her to lend it to me. Then Marg went to water aerobics. It was a great day to be in the pool, so they had a good turnout. While she was doing that I made some signs for the pool room, at the request of one of the guys. Apparently someone put a small tear in the cloth on one table. I know this is a big deal with table owners and can be expensive to repair, so agreed to make the signs for Mike.
After lunch, Marg needed to get a cake for the party tonight. We have so many March birthdays in our group of friends that every year we have a bit of a party at happy hour. After looking around she decided to get two cakes: one German chocolate and one carrot cake. Yes the carrot cake queen bought one today.
It is our morning to make breakfast in the park on Saturday, so at 3 we went to do the prep work. It doesn't take too long with the 6 of us and makes the morning much less hurried. After we finished we went to Pat & Diane's for a beer. It was a great day to sit out on the deck.
By that time it was happy hour. We had ordered pizza for tonight and there was an excellent selection tonight and the pizza was good. They delivered it to the site, which was nice. The gals got a bunch of balloons and had everything set up. Our normal happy hour group is about 12 or 15 and we had 27 or 28 tonight. This made happy hour run a bit late, so we were rushed to get to the animal races.
The numbers of people at the animal races was a bit smaller, but they were enthusiastic. It was the last time for the winter, so they beefed up the winning pots with the small surplus they accumulated over the past 3 months. We came out a bit ahead, a nice bonus.
We went bike riding, but the combination of the first leg of our route being uphill and the strong headwind, kept us from making a long ride. Larry turned off early, so I went with him as we try not to leave anyone one of us to ride alone. The other two guys went on a longer ride, not sure how far, but we only made just over 3 miles today. Got back early and took it as an opportunity to put a load in the dumpster. I had lots of odds and ends left from the drawer project. I also took the table saw back to Lynette, very nice of her to lend it to me. Then Marg went to water aerobics. It was a great day to be in the pool, so they had a good turnout. While she was doing that I made some signs for the pool room, at the request of one of the guys. Apparently someone put a small tear in the cloth on one table. I know this is a big deal with table owners and can be expensive to repair, so agreed to make the signs for Mike.
After lunch, Marg needed to get a cake for the party tonight. We have so many March birthdays in our group of friends that every year we have a bit of a party at happy hour. After looking around she decided to get two cakes: one German chocolate and one carrot cake. Yes the carrot cake queen bought one today.
It is our morning to make breakfast in the park on Saturday, so at 3 we went to do the prep work. It doesn't take too long with the 6 of us and makes the morning much less hurried. After we finished we went to Pat & Diane's for a beer. It was a great day to sit out on the deck.
The numbers of people at the animal races was a bit smaller, but they were enthusiastic. It was the last time for the winter, so they beefed up the winning pots with the small surplus they accumulated over the past 3 months. We came out a bit ahead, a nice bonus.
Thursday 12 March 2015
Thursday - 12th
Another great day, although it was cloudy the daytime high temp was well into the 80's. There was a bit of a breeze most of the day, which was just right.
Started off with coffee & donuts. On the way there I had to run a gauntlet of bike riders who harassed me about not riding today. I must confess I did tell them I would, but I had also committed to arranging tables and chairs for the ladies tea after coffee. Our regular group table was full, so we sat with a few other couples. It was nice because we don't get to spend enough time with some of the other nice folks in this park. It was also nice because they were the second table drawn, so the donut selection was excellent. The park owner gave an update on some of his plans for the park. Something really funny was that we were just talking about pickle ball and he said they were going to look at building a facility to play it here in the park.
By the time we finished arranging, it was time to depart. I played golf with Gerry at Encanto today, so had to leave here by shortly after 10 to allow for any problems in traffic. If you have driven the 202 loop here, you already know what I mean, it not, you really should come here for the experience. We were fortunate to play as a twosome, so play moved along pretty well and we finished at a good time. I played pretty well, but could have been better. The score was just OK today. The low point of my game was the ball I hit out on to the road at tree top height, but fortunately there was a lull in the traffic when it landed. I did have a few pars, which were the highlights. Hot, well yes it was. I drank 3 bottles of water during the game today. I had some dizziness yesterday and one of the ladies in the park who is a retired nurse said my symptoms sounded like dehydration. Hard to believe, as we go through a lot of water.
Marg went to the ladies spring tea today. She was again asked to model some outfits, but there don't appear to be any photos. The only evidence of her modelling career is the one outfit that came home with her, LOL. She did say she thinks they ask her back because of the way she carries on and creates a few laughs in the process. Not sure what that means either as again there is no evidence. They did have a good time and lots of good eats. Another highlight is her teapot made it to the head table and was a the subject of an elaborate discussion. It is also a musical teapot when picked up, so the mc held it up with the mike, so everyone could hear Tea For Two. She calls it her Alice in Wonderland teapot, it looks a bit like one from the Madhatter's tea party.
I got back in time for the end of happy hour, Marg was already there. It seems they signed up a couple of ladies on facebook so they could tap in to the pictures on line.
Supper tonight was Ihop, so in other words, my turn to cook. It was good and gave us a much needed break after a busy day. After it was a stop in the dollar store, needed some birthday cards as our group b'day party is tomorrow at happy.
After we got back we had some surprise visitors. Two couples were walking around in the park and stopped in, the guys to find out when we are golfing on Monday. They ended up coming in for drinks [beer, coffee, tea] and some dessert. Still nice and warm outside at 10:30 PM, but then again this IS the Valley of the Sun!
Started off with coffee & donuts. On the way there I had to run a gauntlet of bike riders who harassed me about not riding today. I must confess I did tell them I would, but I had also committed to arranging tables and chairs for the ladies tea after coffee. Our regular group table was full, so we sat with a few other couples. It was nice because we don't get to spend enough time with some of the other nice folks in this park. It was also nice because they were the second table drawn, so the donut selection was excellent. The park owner gave an update on some of his plans for the park. Something really funny was that we were just talking about pickle ball and he said they were going to look at building a facility to play it here in the park.
By the time we finished arranging, it was time to depart. I played golf with Gerry at Encanto today, so had to leave here by shortly after 10 to allow for any problems in traffic. If you have driven the 202 loop here, you already know what I mean, it not, you really should come here for the experience. We were fortunate to play as a twosome, so play moved along pretty well and we finished at a good time. I played pretty well, but could have been better. The score was just OK today. The low point of my game was the ball I hit out on to the road at tree top height, but fortunately there was a lull in the traffic when it landed. I did have a few pars, which were the highlights. Hot, well yes it was. I drank 3 bottles of water during the game today. I had some dizziness yesterday and one of the ladies in the park who is a retired nurse said my symptoms sounded like dehydration. Hard to believe, as we go through a lot of water.
Marg went to the ladies spring tea today. She was again asked to model some outfits, but there don't appear to be any photos. The only evidence of her modelling career is the one outfit that came home with her, LOL. She did say she thinks they ask her back because of the way she carries on and creates a few laughs in the process. Not sure what that means either as again there is no evidence. They did have a good time and lots of good eats. Another highlight is her teapot made it to the head table and was a the subject of an elaborate discussion. It is also a musical teapot when picked up, so the mc held it up with the mike, so everyone could hear Tea For Two. She calls it her Alice in Wonderland teapot, it looks a bit like one from the Madhatter's tea party.I got back in time for the end of happy hour, Marg was already there. It seems they signed up a couple of ladies on facebook so they could tap in to the pictures on line.
Supper tonight was Ihop, so in other words, my turn to cook. It was good and gave us a much needed break after a busy day. After it was a stop in the dollar store, needed some birthday cards as our group b'day party is tomorrow at happy.
After we got back we had some surprise visitors. Two couples were walking around in the park and stopped in, the guys to find out when we are golfing on Monday. They ended up coming in for drinks [beer, coffee, tea] and some dessert. Still nice and warm outside at 10:30 PM, but then again this IS the Valley of the Sun!
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