The weather here has cooled off and the day time high was only about 68F [20C], so many of us were back to jeans and windbreakers. This is actually the normal daytime high, but it has been above normal so long that we were starting to think...... well you know.
A large group in the park went out to an organized dinner, but we had to check in at Camping World again. As luck would have it about half way there the phone rang and that's who it was telling us the window was in. When we got there we were able to schedule an appointment to have it installed and get a look at it. It was in a huge crate and well protected by foam, so looks fine. While there; we picked up a new chair for Marg. It's a camping chair, but a rocker. You know you are married to a grandmother when you are out shopping for rocking chairs, LOL. She is pretty happy with it, can hardly wait until she gets to test it out.
We stopped for lunch at Appleby's, again one of our favourites. On the way back we stopped in at a shopping area on Val Vista, another fav of hers. There are a few unique boutiques in the complex and an amazing grocery store called AJ's. It is a big step up from Safeway, definitely upper end, but they have really cool stuff more like a gourmet place. We picked up some meatballs for a special affair at happy hour as well as a 30 pack of MGD. I'm not sure what the rest cost, but the beer was on sale, $9 off, so was only $18. Must be a Superbowl promo, that is on Sunday and sure is a big event here.
Got back in time to warm the meatballs on the bbq. Marg made a teriyaki sauce to put them in and then cubes of pineapple to accompany. She used the rice cooker to keep them hot in the sauce.
The event was a farewell to Jim & Beth who had to go back to New Mexico, so everyone brought finger food.
After that it was the Friday night animal races. Sue was not feeling well, but Betty stepped in to help and it was business as usual. Pretty good turn out and Marg had the Ipad so took pictures and posted them on FB right at the races. Marg won 5 out of 6 races and I did as well, so we really cashed in. Well when you are playing for dimes, it's kind of relative.
As Walter Cronkhite used to say - that's the kind of day it was.
Friday 31 January 2014
Thursday 30 January 2014
The Ruins at Casa Grande
Got off to an early start, attending coffee and donuts in the park this AM. If that doesn't impress, then I have to tell you Marg went as well. Now that is something that almost never happens. I thought we would need paramedics on hand for the shock it would cause. This is also a time when they talk about all the things that are to happen within the next week as well as an opportunity for anyone to bring up any topic for discussion.
After we went with Kenny, Doris, Jerry & Pat for a drive down through Florence to visit the ruins at Casa Grande. These are adobe structures built by the area natives around 1300 or 1400AD. The one large building is what gave Casa Grande it's name, great house. The Hohokam settlement was built at a time when the native society were in a pretty advanced stage of their development. The oldest evidence of their existence dates back about 7,000 years. Then at some point the settlement was abandoned and the tribe disappeared, although there are about 5 tribes [including the Hopi] that claim to be descendants of the group that built this.
It was a great chance to get a look at the area around there as we went on to Casa Grande for an early dinner as it was just west on McCartney road. One of Kenny's favorites is Cracker Barrel and we always enjoy the food there as well. It about as close to home cooking as it gets.
After it was about an hour back to Phoenix and on the 202 back to AJ. Traffic was pretty busy in a few spots, but not too bad considering it was about 5. After getting back to the park we went for a nice long walk, as we had been in the vehicle for quite a while today.
After it was about an hour back to Phoenix and on the 202 back to AJ. Traffic was pretty busy in a few spots, but not too bad considering it was about 5. After getting back to the park we went for a nice long walk, as we had been in the vehicle for quite a while today.
Wednesday 29 January 2014
Wednesday
Day got off to an early start. I drove to golf this AM & Pat being on his own rode with me. I played with one guy from our park and a couple from Mun Ari. The lady from Mun Ari is really good and won the closest to the pin tee shot on the 7th hole today. The longest putt on #4 was a carry-over, so we need to play next week, with the prize being double. Today I was well on the road to having my best game, probably ever. I had 6 pars, but the wheels really fell off, on the ninth hole [a par 3] where I took a snowman [8]. Oh well, the weather was perfect and it was a fun time.
Marg went to water aerobics. She really enjoys this, so will have to look into it at home. They were still splashing about when I got back. After lunch she went out to pick up a few things. Got some good deals I guess.
After lunch I went to play pool, but no one was there, so I did some visiting. I think I have signed on for a bit of a home improvement project with Gerry. We measured some stuff up, but will see if the job proceeds. He had a contractor price, but I think he wants to do it on his own and is talking about next week. We will see. I am not certain next week works for me as we have been talking about a road trip with the Proulx's down to Yuma.
We went to Blanke's for happy hour. They had a bunch tonight, probably 20 or more. As usual everyone talking, makes you wonder who is listening. It's always fun though, that's why there are so many.
It was my turn to cook supper, so we went out to Ihop. The place Marg suggests when she wants to put me in a good mood. LOL. Anyway it was good and fit the time frame available.
What time frame, well it was poker night. We had a full table 8 tonight. We seem to be having that number quite a bit and it is challenging, but we are adapting to it. Have you ever played 6 card Chicago, well we do! My poker skills seem to be lacking this winter, or they have figured me out. Not certain which, but I think I may have lost tonight. I never keep track as I am just playing for fun anyway. In fact I wouldn't keep score for golf either, but someone always seems to get a card and tell me what my score is. Part of my coping mechanism for being too serious about winning at things I am not good at. LOL
What did Marg do while I played poker. Well you may have guessed it, she did laundry. Some of the drudgery from home follows us around and she handles it well on the road.
Marg went to water aerobics. She really enjoys this, so will have to look into it at home. They were still splashing about when I got back. After lunch she went out to pick up a few things. Got some good deals I guess.
After lunch I went to play pool, but no one was there, so I did some visiting. I think I have signed on for a bit of a home improvement project with Gerry. We measured some stuff up, but will see if the job proceeds. He had a contractor price, but I think he wants to do it on his own and is talking about next week. We will see. I am not certain next week works for me as we have been talking about a road trip with the Proulx's down to Yuma.
We went to Blanke's for happy hour. They had a bunch tonight, probably 20 or more. As usual everyone talking, makes you wonder who is listening. It's always fun though, that's why there are so many.
It was my turn to cook supper, so we went out to Ihop. The place Marg suggests when she wants to put me in a good mood. LOL. Anyway it was good and fit the time frame available.
What time frame, well it was poker night. We had a full table 8 tonight. We seem to be having that number quite a bit and it is challenging, but we are adapting to it. Have you ever played 6 card Chicago, well we do! My poker skills seem to be lacking this winter, or they have figured me out. Not certain which, but I think I may have lost tonight. I never keep track as I am just playing for fun anyway. In fact I wouldn't keep score for golf either, but someone always seems to get a card and tell me what my score is. Part of my coping mechanism for being too serious about winning at things I am not good at. LOL
What did Marg do while I played poker. Well you may have guessed it, she did laundry. Some of the drudgery from home follows us around and she handles it well on the road.
Tuesday 28 January 2014
Jan 28th
Where do the days go? We have been here for over 3 weeks now and it doesn't feel like we even left.
Marg went to water aerobics this AM. The weather has been so nice that their attendance has been very good. The weather is supposed to by good until Thursday, when the daytime high will peak around 80F, then return to normal levels. The pool, being solar heated is apparently really nice right now.
When I washed the under side of the awning, a lot of the crud ended up on the side of the m'home, so I washed it today. The water here leaves spots pretty bad, so after washing it I went over the area with water/rinse agent. This is one of the few parks that allow the residents to wash their rv's using park water. Most require you bring in an outside service who supply their own water. I have been holding off washing it pending the installation of the window, but the window still has not shown up.
Just about lunch time, Linda came by saying she was going to Ft McDowell and asked Marg if she was interested. As the gamblin' gals are not going tomorrow, she went. Didn't repeat her success from the last trip though.
I had to sit around waiting for propane delivery. The service we use brings a large truck to the park and once he shows up, he is generally swamped with requests to fill bottles or on-board tanks. I was about 3 pm by the time he got around to me. They sell it by the gallon, the price was $3.69, which is pretty good. I believe the average bbq tank is about 5 or 6 gallons. Anyway, we lasted pretty good considering that we were not full when we arrived here on Jan 7th.
Supper was a joint effort, Marg doing the prep, veggies and baked potatoes, while I bbq'ed the chicken breasts. Finished with apple pie and ice cream. Pretty good if I say so myself.
For the evening it was bingo night in the park, so we both went. We are real creatures of habit, go with the same people, sit at the same table. But we are always open to new people, in fact one of the new people in the park was with us tonight. We had 4 winners at our table, well 3 really as I won twice. I waited on one number several times after, but I told Marg if I had won again, she would have to call it so they didn't vote me off the island, LOL!
Marg went to water aerobics this AM. The weather has been so nice that their attendance has been very good. The weather is supposed to by good until Thursday, when the daytime high will peak around 80F, then return to normal levels. The pool, being solar heated is apparently really nice right now.
When I washed the under side of the awning, a lot of the crud ended up on the side of the m'home, so I washed it today. The water here leaves spots pretty bad, so after washing it I went over the area with water/rinse agent. This is one of the few parks that allow the residents to wash their rv's using park water. Most require you bring in an outside service who supply their own water. I have been holding off washing it pending the installation of the window, but the window still has not shown up.
Just about lunch time, Linda came by saying she was going to Ft McDowell and asked Marg if she was interested. As the gamblin' gals are not going tomorrow, she went. Didn't repeat her success from the last trip though.
I had to sit around waiting for propane delivery. The service we use brings a large truck to the park and once he shows up, he is generally swamped with requests to fill bottles or on-board tanks. I was about 3 pm by the time he got around to me. They sell it by the gallon, the price was $3.69, which is pretty good. I believe the average bbq tank is about 5 or 6 gallons. Anyway, we lasted pretty good considering that we were not full when we arrived here on Jan 7th.
Supper was a joint effort, Marg doing the prep, veggies and baked potatoes, while I bbq'ed the chicken breasts. Finished with apple pie and ice cream. Pretty good if I say so myself.
For the evening it was bingo night in the park, so we both went. We are real creatures of habit, go with the same people, sit at the same table. But we are always open to new people, in fact one of the new people in the park was with us tonight. We had 4 winners at our table, well 3 really as I won twice. I waited on one number several times after, but I told Marg if I had won again, she would have to call it so they didn't vote me off the island, LOL!
Jan 27th
The weather was much the same as the past few days. Chilly at night, but really warms up when the sun gets up.
Another quiet day for us. Marg went for water aerobics and said they had a good turn-out. Apparently a new couple in the park were in the pool and stayed for the exercises. It was their first time with a guy in the group. They were from Utah and apparently the woman was a dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She was impressed that Marg had not only heard of the troupe, but had been to one of their performances. That was the one she bought the pink dress with ostrich feathers to wear at, you may recall it was when I rented a tux and was my one and only time at the ballet. Swan Lake, now there was a good nap. LOL Marg also told her about Katy staying with it until her teenage years and how much she enjoyed performing.
While we were having lunch, it was kind of funny, Bob came to see if I could come out and play. Pool that is, so I played for an hour or two after lunch. He is from Ohio and is a lot of fun to play. I played surprisingly well for a guy who only plays for the winter months.
Marg went out for some groceries. I think she stopped in at Bells as she showed me a new blouse that came with a necklace. It was funny, the first year we were calling it Bealls. It wasn't until the our second year that Marg discovered what looked like an 'A' was really a bell in the middle of the word. Not funny to you, well I guess you had to be there.
For the afternoon we were sitting out on the patio and people kept stopping by. We ended up with about 8 staying for Happy Hour. Lots of new people in the park, met some from Ottawa. Often new people just assumed we were from here, probably because we know so many of the residents, so we then proceed to explain where we hail from.
Another quiet day for us. Marg went for water aerobics and said they had a good turn-out. Apparently a new couple in the park were in the pool and stayed for the exercises. It was their first time with a guy in the group. They were from Utah and apparently the woman was a dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She was impressed that Marg had not only heard of the troupe, but had been to one of their performances. That was the one she bought the pink dress with ostrich feathers to wear at, you may recall it was when I rented a tux and was my one and only time at the ballet. Swan Lake, now there was a good nap. LOL Marg also told her about Katy staying with it until her teenage years and how much she enjoyed performing.
While we were having lunch, it was kind of funny, Bob came to see if I could come out and play. Pool that is, so I played for an hour or two after lunch. He is from Ohio and is a lot of fun to play. I played surprisingly well for a guy who only plays for the winter months.
Marg went out for some groceries. I think she stopped in at Bells as she showed me a new blouse that came with a necklace. It was funny, the first year we were calling it Bealls. It wasn't until the our second year that Marg discovered what looked like an 'A' was really a bell in the middle of the word. Not funny to you, well I guess you had to be there.
For the afternoon we were sitting out on the patio and people kept stopping by. We ended up with about 8 staying for Happy Hour. Lots of new people in the park, met some from Ottawa. Often new people just assumed we were from here, probably because we know so many of the residents, so we then proceed to explain where we hail from.
Sunday 26 January 2014
Sunday
Nice day in the Valley of the Sun.
Not too busy for us today, in fact after lunch I fell asleep on the zero gravity lounger, I know this because several people asked me if I had a nice nap. LOL
Still got the laryngitis. We went for happy hour to Kenny & Doris' place. There were about 10 or 12 of us. Almost smaller than the posse that the Proulx's travel with.
Dinner was bbq, steak and baked potatoes. Very nice. Then after supper it was ice cream social.
Now that is what retirement can be like, pretty casual!
Not too busy for us today, in fact after lunch I fell asleep on the zero gravity lounger, I know this because several people asked me if I had a nice nap. LOL
Still got the laryngitis. We went for happy hour to Kenny & Doris' place. There were about 10 or 12 of us. Almost smaller than the posse that the Proulx's travel with.
Dinner was bbq, steak and baked potatoes. Very nice. Then after supper it was ice cream social.
Now that is what retirement can be like, pretty casual!
Saturday 25 January 2014
Still Saturday again
Then on back to our rv park for a few refreshments before our 10 guests left to go back to Sun City West. That is about an hour or hour and a half on the freeway at 65mph, so quite a hike. It was great to see all these folks from home and a fun day with them. It was also a good way for Martin & Rose to see the desert as this is their first trip down here.
Still Saturday at Goldfield
Returning from Tortilla Flats we stopped in at Goldfield. This was a ghost town that was built around the Mammoth mine about 1898, where they pulled out about 150,000 ounces of gold, then it went bust. The tourism industry has breathed new life into the place and everyone seemed to enjoy their it, shoot-out and all.
Saturday at Tortilla Flats
It started out cool, but turned out to be a great day in the sun.
I went to breakfast in the park this AM, a nice way to start the day. Everyone was expressing surprise at my being there as I have not been a regular at this event this year. It was difficult participating in the conversation as I have some form of laryngitis. Hope it passes soon.
Got a call from Evelyn that they would be at the Mesa market, just as planned. When they showed up it was quite a surprise. In addition to Richard & Evelyn there were 4 of his sisters and their spouses, making us 12 in all. When I saw this I suggested they needed one of those tour buses, LOL!
Spent about 45 minutes there, which is barely enough time to see one of the aisles if you are not shopping & they were. Pretty funny, Richard peeled off his shirt in one booth to try one on and just kept it on. I think most of them came out with a bag of something. Marg & I never bought a thing, but it was fun to watch them eye up the good deals.
We stopped back at our park to drop off our car and then we rode with Richard in Mikes car to Tortilla Flats. It was a perfect day for it and we kicked around there a bit, then had a beer & burger on the patio. The C&W music was playing and it was a good time.
I went to breakfast in the park this AM, a nice way to start the day. Everyone was expressing surprise at my being there as I have not been a regular at this event this year. It was difficult participating in the conversation as I have some form of laryngitis. Hope it passes soon.
Got a call from Evelyn that they would be at the Mesa market, just as planned. When they showed up it was quite a surprise. In addition to Richard & Evelyn there were 4 of his sisters and their spouses, making us 12 in all. When I saw this I suggested they needed one of those tour buses, LOL!
Spent about 45 minutes there, which is barely enough time to see one of the aisles if you are not shopping & they were. Pretty funny, Richard peeled off his shirt in one booth to try one on and just kept it on. I think most of them came out with a bag of something. Marg & I never bought a thing, but it was fun to watch them eye up the good deals.
We stopped back at our park to drop off our car and then we rode with Richard in Mikes car to Tortilla Flats. It was a perfect day for it and we kicked around there a bit, then had a beer & burger on the patio. The C&W music was playing and it was a good time.
Friday 24 January 2014
Friday
Believe it or not, the weather was overcast and windy today. It was a nice day, but back to the blue jeans today.
We went out for a few things this AM, pretty much groceries. We stopped at the farmers market for oranges, where we got an 8 pound bag of nice fresh naval oranges for $3. They also had lettuce at 3 for $1, in the past it was much less than that at this time of year, so either the pickers got a raise or there is some kind of shortage. Down here the fruit and vegetables are so much fresher than we ever see in GP. Marg says you never throw out lettuce here, even the outside leaves stay nice.
When I got back the guys recruited me to do a walk around the park to notify people of the change to the block party. They were having one on their street this afternoon, but with the wind were moving it to the rec hall. Lunch at the rv and then Marg was off to do laundry. I got a chance to play pool with Bob & he is always lots of fun, so that's what I did for part of the afternoon.
We both got done just in time for the block party. It started at 3PM and was a BYOB and pot luck affair. It turned out there was so much food that it was supper. A nice couple who are new to the park provided entertainment, he on the accordion and she on vocals. They are from N Carolina and have never rv'ed or been west before. Nice folks. It was a fun event, they must be of German descent as they played lots of oom pah pah music, you know she sang Edelweiss, played the Beer Barrel Polka and stuff like that.
After it was the animal races. This thing has grown in popularity from a dozen people, to needing to tables to take bets, the lines were so long. It was a hoot, as usual. Marg won 4 of the 8 races, me I won only 3. That darn elephant is my downfall. I always bet it and it hardly ever wins. You would think with a long trunk like that, well, who knows. LOL
Weather should be better tomorrow and we are getting together with the Proulx clan
We went out for a few things this AM, pretty much groceries. We stopped at the farmers market for oranges, where we got an 8 pound bag of nice fresh naval oranges for $3. They also had lettuce at 3 for $1, in the past it was much less than that at this time of year, so either the pickers got a raise or there is some kind of shortage. Down here the fruit and vegetables are so much fresher than we ever see in GP. Marg says you never throw out lettuce here, even the outside leaves stay nice.
When I got back the guys recruited me to do a walk around the park to notify people of the change to the block party. They were having one on their street this afternoon, but with the wind were moving it to the rec hall. Lunch at the rv and then Marg was off to do laundry. I got a chance to play pool with Bob & he is always lots of fun, so that's what I did for part of the afternoon.
We both got done just in time for the block party. It started at 3PM and was a BYOB and pot luck affair. It turned out there was so much food that it was supper. A nice couple who are new to the park provided entertainment, he on the accordion and she on vocals. They are from N Carolina and have never rv'ed or been west before. Nice folks. It was a fun event, they must be of German descent as they played lots of oom pah pah music, you know she sang Edelweiss, played the Beer Barrel Polka and stuff like that.
After it was the animal races. This thing has grown in popularity from a dozen people, to needing to tables to take bets, the lines were so long. It was a hoot, as usual. Marg won 4 of the 8 races, me I won only 3. That darn elephant is my downfall. I always bet it and it hardly ever wins. You would think with a long trunk like that, well, who knows. LOL
Weather should be better tomorrow and we are getting together with the Proulx clan
Thursday 23 January 2014
Thursday Jan 23rd
Got off to an early start, another day at the dental office. I think am getting close to the end of those & as charming as the ladies there are, I will be glad to see the end.
This morning we went down to Camping World to check on the status of the window. It seems it still has not arrived, they think because of the winter weather problems in the east. I asked them about getting my generator going, as it has not been started for several years and now will not start. The guy at the service counter just shook his head as he told me - you know they have to be started at least twice a year and the gas gums up in them if you don't. He must recite that little speech a lot as he seemed to be enjoying it more than I was. As usual we go through the many rv accessories and they have some nice bbq's, that left us trying to decide how close ours is to the end of it's useful life. Apparently not that close as we came away without it.
After it was the 5 & Diner for a bite and then to Burlington Coat, one of Marg's favourites. She found a couple of things, but the bag was small, so it couldn't have been a major find. Me, well I sat in the car and read the book on my Kobo. After we went to Costco, where I filled up. I think fuel has gone up 4 or 5 cents a gallon since we got here. It will likely inch up until we have to fill the motorhome, when it will max out for the year. Got a few things at Costco, including a new electric razor. My 15 yr plus old one finally quite, but I bought the same kind. We also got some edibles for the block party tomorrow night, oh yeah and a bottle of Sangria.
Happy hour at the Johnsons again tonight. Thought I would take a few pics to show you who was there.. I also have a picture that Gene had put on facebook that I am attaching. It was a funny one, but his caption was even funnier. I had a putt for a par on #6 & Pat said we'll give you that one, then oh no we can't give you a par putt, you have to make it. After I made it we all had a laugh. On #7, the same thing happened with Pat, he had a par putt and I said, I would love to give you that one, but someone said we have to make them if they are for par. So he missed his and we really chuckled. So then Gene made a bit of a joke about it.
Got a call from Proulx's tonight. Apparently they have arrived in Phoenix and are at Richard's sisters in Sun City West, so will be seeing them shortly.
This morning we went down to Camping World to check on the status of the window. It seems it still has not arrived, they think because of the winter weather problems in the east. I asked them about getting my generator going, as it has not been started for several years and now will not start. The guy at the service counter just shook his head as he told me - you know they have to be started at least twice a year and the gas gums up in them if you don't. He must recite that little speech a lot as he seemed to be enjoying it more than I was. As usual we go through the many rv accessories and they have some nice bbq's, that left us trying to decide how close ours is to the end of it's useful life. Apparently not that close as we came away without it.
After it was the 5 & Diner for a bite and then to Burlington Coat, one of Marg's favourites. She found a couple of things, but the bag was small, so it couldn't have been a major find. Me, well I sat in the car and read the book on my Kobo. After we went to Costco, where I filled up. I think fuel has gone up 4 or 5 cents a gallon since we got here. It will likely inch up until we have to fill the motorhome, when it will max out for the year. Got a few things at Costco, including a new electric razor. My 15 yr plus old one finally quite, but I bought the same kind. We also got some edibles for the block party tomorrow night, oh yeah and a bottle of Sangria.
Happy hour at the Johnsons again tonight. Thought I would take a few pics to show you who was there.. I also have a picture that Gene had put on facebook that I am attaching. It was a funny one, but his caption was even funnier. I had a putt for a par on #6 & Pat said we'll give you that one, then oh no we can't give you a par putt, you have to make it. After I made it we all had a laugh. On #7, the same thing happened with Pat, he had a par putt and I said, I would love to give you that one, but someone said we have to make them if they are for par. So he missed his and we really chuckled. So then Gene made a bit of a joke about it.
Got a call from Proulx's tonight. Apparently they have arrived in Phoenix and are at Richard's sisters in Sun City West, so will be seeing them shortly.
Wednesday 22 January 2014
Wednesday
Another gorgeous day, I know it's getting repetitive,
Rode with Pat &; Gene to golf today at Apache Sun. It was perfect weather for a game, but probably a bit on the hot side for anyone who played after noon. While most of the country is talking about the arctic vortex, here it is the high pressure headlock that is preventing any storms from getting to this area. Had lots of fun and oddly enough my score was OK, thanks to a couple of pars. I have been walking as it is 9 holes when I play with the group here at the park, while I still take the power cart on 18. All things considered it is a nice course, even if it is only 9 holes, well manicured and very reasonable at $18.
Rode with Pat &; Gene to golf today at Apache Sun. It was perfect weather for a game, but probably a bit on the hot side for anyone who played after noon. While most of the country is talking about the arctic vortex, here it is the high pressure headlock that is preventing any storms from getting to this area. Had lots of fun and oddly enough my score was OK, thanks to a couple of pars. I have been walking as it is 9 holes when I play with the group here at the park, while I still take the power cart on 18. All things considered it is a nice course, even if it is only 9 holes, well manicured and very reasonable at $18.
One of the guys said -- what are you doing? taking a picture of your golf bag? So rather than tell him yes, I simply said taking a picture that all my snow-bound family will appreciate. He replied, well that might be cruel. No sense of Ha Ha, I guess!
Got back in time for lunch, which I had to make for myself, yes you guessed it, the Gamblin' Gals went out on the town today and naturally Marg went with them. They were 4 today and she ended up being the BIG winner. Yes you read correctly, she cashed about $550 out of the casino up at Ft McDowell. Really funny because she had Nancy & Lynette come to the motorhome to tell me she won big and that it really wasn't money out of the ATM. Now that is funny! By supper time, most of the people in the park knew she had a good day. This place is like a small village, there are few secrets here. LOL
I spent most of the day waiting for the cable guy. I think those jokes about him are true now. Some problems, but they will work on them. So for the time being it is Peasant Vision for us. Pretty funny, when I told a guy here that, he said is that a Canadian network. LOL No, I said, it is the tv we get on the antennae. It's actually not too bad, they had Digital TV, so we get about 40 channels, although half are Spanish. Yes, here they are bilingual too, but in their the most common second language.
We went to happy hour and it was nice because there were only a few there. Got to chat with a couple of the guys who normally have trouble getting a word in; one of whom is the host. He is too polite and would really have trouble in our family, LOL. Most went to hot dog night, as it was a free night sponsored by the park. Some of our friends asked when we were coming, I told them it was steak & lobster for us tonight. Hah! That also made the rumour mill here. Anyway we didn't, in fact it was the Waffle House for dinner. Good too.
When we got back it was poker night, so I played. Wish I had Marg's luck, but sadly that was not the case. I think I played an hour and a half before I won a pot. I don't keep track of what I win or lose, but my bag was noticeably lighter coming home.
Tuesday 21 January 2014
Tuesday
What a gorgeous day, the sun shone and it was 80F [27C], a record high for here. Definitely a short pants day.
We had problems with the satellite tv reception yesterday, so resolved to fix it today. Moved the dish away from the palm tree and then had worse trouble with reception. Got the dish re-aligned by not well enough for HD tv. Spent about 4 hours on the telephone with Shaw trying to get it sorted out. Several people since we got here had expressed surprise that we were still getting our tv from home. The second person I spoke with essentially told me to re-align the dish and then lie to the tech support people about where I am. When I called back the tech person said you are calling from the US - right? I said no, I am from GP, to which he said I can see here that you are in the US. He was a little better when I said either I get this sorted today or we are parting ways. After a few more adjustments, all I could get was picture, no sound, so I called back. I told the customer service person [a real oxy-moron] that I fixed my service problem, and when she said that was nice I told her we were quitting them. We ordered a service locally, so we can see if Marg can get the programs she regularly watches. When we get back to GP, all the receivers and paraphilia are going back. Four hours of my life I will never get back.
We went for happy hour. We got a picture book from Anna & Craig with wedding photos and Marg could hardly wait to show all the ladies. Everyone thought it was amazing, especially us.
Supper was BBQ tonight, steak and roast potatoes/vegetables.
Bingo tonight, no winners at our table, but Marg was close all night. usually it cools right off here as the sun goes down, but tonight it is a nice pleasant evening, don't even need a jacket.
We had problems with the satellite tv reception yesterday, so resolved to fix it today. Moved the dish away from the palm tree and then had worse trouble with reception. Got the dish re-aligned by not well enough for HD tv. Spent about 4 hours on the telephone with Shaw trying to get it sorted out. Several people since we got here had expressed surprise that we were still getting our tv from home. The second person I spoke with essentially told me to re-align the dish and then lie to the tech support people about where I am. When I called back the tech person said you are calling from the US - right? I said no, I am from GP, to which he said I can see here that you are in the US. He was a little better when I said either I get this sorted today or we are parting ways. After a few more adjustments, all I could get was picture, no sound, so I called back. I told the customer service person [a real oxy-moron] that I fixed my service problem, and when she said that was nice I told her we were quitting them. We ordered a service locally, so we can see if Marg can get the programs she regularly watches. When we get back to GP, all the receivers and paraphilia are going back. Four hours of my life I will never get back.
We went for happy hour. We got a picture book from Anna & Craig with wedding photos and Marg could hardly wait to show all the ladies. Everyone thought it was amazing, especially us.
Supper was BBQ tonight, steak and roast potatoes/vegetables.
Bingo tonight, no winners at our table, but Marg was close all night. usually it cools right off here as the sun goes down, but tonight it is a nice pleasant evening, don't even need a jacket.
Monday 20 January 2014
Monday - Jan 20th
Chilly last night, but the day got to 77 and was very nice.
Went for my dentist appointment, but it seems there were some emergencies and I got bumped 'till Thursday. They had some other emergency stuff happening, so my missing an opportunity to sleep in was no big deal by comparison. Even down here the dental office is bilingual, but Spanish is the second language.
Got back and went for a bike ride. This was only my second day riding, must get my act together and ride more regular. A couple of the guys have asked me to ride with them, but I know from experience that I need to build up to it. They put on a few miles, while I almost need a rest when I get to the park gate. LOL
When I got back to the rv, Marg was gone to water aerobics. I guess they only had about 10 ladies this AM & one left while the leader wasn't looking. When she did a head count, I guess she panicked discovering she was one short. It's an outdoor solar heated pool & Marg said it was gorgeous today 82F.
When she got back we had a nice lunch. After I went to catch up on the park news at Bob's office. He pretty much sits out on his driveway part of the day and people stop in to chat. He makes a point of getting to know anyone he has not seen and inviting them to chat. He usually finds out who they are, where they are from and their winter retreat experiences. As a result you can usually find out about anything you are interested in that happens in the park. Some people might slander it and call it gossip, but it is really just an information interface, for all you techies.
I went and played some pool. and Marg went out for a little retail therapy. Met a new guy, a banker retired from the Royal in Manitoba.
Then it was time for the Arizona Opry, it was one of their special shows they called Country Jubilee. Kind of neat, an act Kenny had booked for the ice cream social last week is now performing there. A great show and a nice dinner, as usual. One of the unusual things is the appetizer, it is a piece of chocolate cake, icing and all. Not just a small piece either. The dinner tonight was roast beef A really fun night,
Went for my dentist appointment, but it seems there were some emergencies and I got bumped 'till Thursday. They had some other emergency stuff happening, so my missing an opportunity to sleep in was no big deal by comparison. Even down here the dental office is bilingual, but Spanish is the second language.
Got back and went for a bike ride. This was only my second day riding, must get my act together and ride more regular. A couple of the guys have asked me to ride with them, but I know from experience that I need to build up to it. They put on a few miles, while I almost need a rest when I get to the park gate. LOL
When I got back to the rv, Marg was gone to water aerobics. I guess they only had about 10 ladies this AM & one left while the leader wasn't looking. When she did a head count, I guess she panicked discovering she was one short. It's an outdoor solar heated pool & Marg said it was gorgeous today 82F.
When she got back we had a nice lunch. After I went to catch up on the park news at Bob's office. He pretty much sits out on his driveway part of the day and people stop in to chat. He makes a point of getting to know anyone he has not seen and inviting them to chat. He usually finds out who they are, where they are from and their winter retreat experiences. As a result you can usually find out about anything you are interested in that happens in the park. Some people might slander it and call it gossip, but it is really just an information interface, for all you techies.
I went and played some pool. and Marg went out for a little retail therapy. Met a new guy, a banker retired from the Royal in Manitoba.
Then it was time for the Arizona Opry, it was one of their special shows they called Country Jubilee. Kind of neat, an act Kenny had booked for the ice cream social last week is now performing there. A great show and a nice dinner, as usual. One of the unusual things is the appetizer, it is a piece of chocolate cake, icing and all. Not just a small piece either. The dinner tonight was roast beef A really fun night,
Sunday 19 January 2014
Sunday
A nice day, yeh I know that gets repetitive, but it really was. The wind blew a little. Lots of people seem to be complaining of flu like symptoms. I say -- Get a Flu shot!
Went out for breakfast, well it was after 10AM, so brunch, I guess. Went to the 5 & Diner, it's a restaurant in the shape of the old 50's/60's style roadside diners. Food is pretty good as well, we usually go there a couple of times through the winter months. Then stopped in at the Superstition mall as Marg was looking for a Body Shop store. None there, but I did get a chance to look over the tools at Sears while she went through Dillard's, one of her fav's. I don't think she was very successful as she didn't appear to have any bags of clothes. Stopped in at Ace hardware, I needed some string as my wind sock in the colors of the Canadian flag fell down because the string was rotten. Funny thing about that sun down here, while it is really welcome to us northerners, it really takes its toll on stuff. You see cars with the paint blistered, the dash will crack and fabric really fades in it.
Happy hour at the Johnsons, there was a smaller turnout among the guys because many were watching the SF/Seattle playoff game. All of the wives were there, LOL. With that in mind we had beer and brats for supper. Well one of us had beer anyway. Seattle are the big winners, so most of the guys are happy.
After supper it was ice cream social, where Marg had the sundae [get the pun], while I had a banana split. And that's the kind of day it was.
Went out for breakfast, well it was after 10AM, so brunch, I guess. Went to the 5 & Diner, it's a restaurant in the shape of the old 50's/60's style roadside diners. Food is pretty good as well, we usually go there a couple of times through the winter months. Then stopped in at the Superstition mall as Marg was looking for a Body Shop store. None there, but I did get a chance to look over the tools at Sears while she went through Dillard's, one of her fav's. I don't think she was very successful as she didn't appear to have any bags of clothes. Stopped in at Ace hardware, I needed some string as my wind sock in the colors of the Canadian flag fell down because the string was rotten. Funny thing about that sun down here, while it is really welcome to us northerners, it really takes its toll on stuff. You see cars with the paint blistered, the dash will crack and fabric really fades in it.
Happy hour at the Johnsons, there was a smaller turnout among the guys because many were watching the SF/Seattle playoff game. All of the wives were there, LOL. With that in mind we had beer and brats for supper. Well one of us had beer anyway. Seattle are the big winners, so most of the guys are happy.
After supper it was ice cream social, where Marg had the sundae [get the pun], while I had a banana split. And that's the kind of day it was.
Saturday - a bit late
Not much on our agenda for the day and it was a nice sunny day, so we went to Sunshine Acres. It's an orphanage that the park here has supported at times in the past. They have kids of all ages and from all sorts of backgrounds or circumstances. We were surprised at the size of it, much larger than we anticipated. They get lots of donations and run what we would call a thrift shop with them. Much of the furniture is in like new condition and they have a nice selection of good art and household items.
When we got back to the park, Marg did laundry and I unrolled the awning on the RV. I really dislike doing that because it is always a mess when it has been rolled up for a long time & on the road. When I was it, I get soaked, so I always wait for a nice warm day to do it.
In the evening there was entertainment in the hall, a country singer who calls himself Ron E Cash. He has been here before and all of our friends always go when there is something like that. We ended up working at the front door, doing the 50/50 draw. At intermission the winner is drawn and Gary said because we handled it, we should announce the winner. I guess it went pretty good, there was a nice payout to the winner. We danced a lot, more than we have for a very long time. We even did a polka, almost too much for me, I thought I was going to need a crash cart when I sat down. LOL
When we got back to the park, Marg did laundry and I unrolled the awning on the RV. I really dislike doing that because it is always a mess when it has been rolled up for a long time & on the road. When I was it, I get soaked, so I always wait for a nice warm day to do it.
In the evening there was entertainment in the hall, a country singer who calls himself Ron E Cash. He has been here before and all of our friends always go when there is something like that. We ended up working at the front door, doing the 50/50 draw. At intermission the winner is drawn and Gary said because we handled it, we should announce the winner. I guess it went pretty good, there was a nice payout to the winner. We danced a lot, more than we have for a very long time. We even did a polka, almost too much for me, I thought I was going to need a crash cart when I sat down. LOL
Friday 17 January 2014
Friday Jan 17th
What a great day 78F in the sun.
Where was I, well for most of it out on the San Marcos golf course. The oldest course in Phoenix. It is a pretty nice course, but the upkeep could be better for such a great location. It is in the center of Chandler, not too far from here. Gene & Pat offered me a spot to play with them and as I had never seen the course before, jumped at the chance. This was the first time I played 18 for quite a while & combined with the heat, I was well tired at the end.
Where was Marg, well she had lots of running around for happy hour tonight. She had committed to make margarita's for the willing and Fridays we also have finger food, so she had to organize that as well. Then there was supper, she made a beef stew in the crock pot, so that it would be ready when we were.
The course played a little slow on the front 9, so we never got off until later than expected. As a result the 3 of us got to happy hour a half hour after it started. It almost always starts at 4PM. It was in Kenny & Doris's carport and there were about 38 people tonight. I guess it was full tilt when it started with Marg on 2 blenders and Doris passing out margaritas. There was so much finger food, it was amazing. The party was going full blast when I got there.
By the time we got packed up, there was just enough time for a plate of stew. I had bbq'ed the steaks first thing in the morning, before leaving and she had the stew started early in the day. Lots of work, but the result was great. We had coffee with supper to help keep us awake, as we both had full days by then.
After supper we went to the animal races and laughed our selves silly. It was a record turn-out, with about 40 or 50 people out for the evening. Marg had 2 winners & I had 3, so we had a chance to do our happy dance a few times.
Well that's all for now. Everyone should be as lucky as we are. Great friends, great family and we are able to enjoy a fun lifestyle.
Where was I, well for most of it out on the San Marcos golf course. The oldest course in Phoenix. It is a pretty nice course, but the upkeep could be better for such a great location. It is in the center of Chandler, not too far from here. Gene & Pat offered me a spot to play with them and as I had never seen the course before, jumped at the chance. This was the first time I played 18 for quite a while & combined with the heat, I was well tired at the end.
Where was Marg, well she had lots of running around for happy hour tonight. She had committed to make margarita's for the willing and Fridays we also have finger food, so she had to organize that as well. Then there was supper, she made a beef stew in the crock pot, so that it would be ready when we were.
The course played a little slow on the front 9, so we never got off until later than expected. As a result the 3 of us got to happy hour a half hour after it started. It almost always starts at 4PM. It was in Kenny & Doris's carport and there were about 38 people tonight. I guess it was full tilt when it started with Marg on 2 blenders and Doris passing out margaritas. There was so much finger food, it was amazing. The party was going full blast when I got there.
By the time we got packed up, there was just enough time for a plate of stew. I had bbq'ed the steaks first thing in the morning, before leaving and she had the stew started early in the day. Lots of work, but the result was great. We had coffee with supper to help keep us awake, as we both had full days by then.
After supper we went to the animal races and laughed our selves silly. It was a record turn-out, with about 40 or 50 people out for the evening. Marg had 2 winners & I had 3, so we had a chance to do our happy dance a few times.
Well that's all for now. Everyone should be as lucky as we are. Great friends, great family and we are able to enjoy a fun lifestyle.
Thursday 16 January 2014
Thursday
Another gorgeous day in the Valley of the Sun, I think it was 75F/24C today.
I had an early morning [7:40AM] dental appointment, kind of early for a retired guy, then I had to go back at noon. Marg had to get mobile early as well to go with Doris and Patty for pedicures and some other pampering stuff.
After lunch we went down to Total Wine. It was Marg's annual adventure, a story you may recall from last year. We got a shopping cart, to which I added a bottle of scotch and a case of beer. The cart was - you guessed it -- full! She is getting her groove on for the gals social activity. Starting tomorrow night when she is making margaritas at happy hour for.... well who ever feels daring I guess. She is planning for tomorrow's supper, saying it will be in the slow cooker. Hmmmm is she telling me where to find it in case she not going to be participating. Has she been taking party lessons from her granddaughters? Should I be concerned? LOL
After Total Wine it was on to Nordstrom's Rack, one of her favourite places for retail therapy. She managed to find a few things while I read my book in the car. The Kobo e-reader gets a good work-out in this scenario.
The Nordstrom outlet [rack is another name for outlet store here] is quite a distance from here, about 20 miles, so we had to hustle to make it back for happy hour. And make it we did. Pretty good sized group there tonight, I think 8 couples. Not certain what the women talk about, but the men are working on world peace and some other big picture stuff.
By the time we got back to the rv it was too late to cook, so it was the Village Inn for supper. The place that is famous for --- FREE Pie on Wednesday nights. Well on any night if you order the early diner special & we were there before 6PM, so there was only one menu to consider. You get $2 off the regular price on the early diner menu plus the pie, no decision here. The food was good, I know you want to know what pie, well Marg had Peanut Butter/Chocolate & I had Strawberry/Rhubarb.
A great day and good time!
I had an early morning [7:40AM] dental appointment, kind of early for a retired guy, then I had to go back at noon. Marg had to get mobile early as well to go with Doris and Patty for pedicures and some other pampering stuff.
After lunch we went down to Total Wine. It was Marg's annual adventure, a story you may recall from last year. We got a shopping cart, to which I added a bottle of scotch and a case of beer. The cart was - you guessed it -- full! She is getting her groove on for the gals social activity. Starting tomorrow night when she is making margaritas at happy hour for.... well who ever feels daring I guess. She is planning for tomorrow's supper, saying it will be in the slow cooker. Hmmmm is she telling me where to find it in case she not going to be participating. Has she been taking party lessons from her granddaughters? Should I be concerned? LOL
After Total Wine it was on to Nordstrom's Rack, one of her favourite places for retail therapy. She managed to find a few things while I read my book in the car. The Kobo e-reader gets a good work-out in this scenario.
The Nordstrom outlet [rack is another name for outlet store here] is quite a distance from here, about 20 miles, so we had to hustle to make it back for happy hour. And make it we did. Pretty good sized group there tonight, I think 8 couples. Not certain what the women talk about, but the men are working on world peace and some other big picture stuff.
By the time we got back to the rv it was too late to cook, so it was the Village Inn for supper. The place that is famous for --- FREE Pie on Wednesday nights. Well on any night if you order the early diner special & we were there before 6PM, so there was only one menu to consider. You get $2 off the regular price on the early diner menu plus the pie, no decision here. The food was good, I know you want to know what pie, well Marg had Peanut Butter/Chocolate & I had Strawberry/Rhubarb.
A great day and good time!
Wednesday 15 January 2014
Wednesday
the day Marg calls D Day.
Started off early, I rode with Pat & Gene to golf this AM. Hit a great drive off the first hole & that is where it really counts because everyone is watching. LOL. Game went OK, but could have been a lot better, well for me anyway. Played in a group that included a new guy in the park. I managed to put a ball I really didn't want in the duck pond. From the racket, I don't think the ducks wanted it either. Hit enough good shots to go back, in fact going to what is reputed to be the first golf course ever built in Arizona with Gene & Pat on Friday.
Marg went with the Gamblin' Gals to Ft McDowell. They never got back until 4:30, so had a full day there. She was all smiles and dancing in the street, the signal that she made out just fine. I think she won $95, so a good day at the slots.
I played some pool in the afternoon. One of the guys had a demo video shot by his daughter of some of his impressive shots & they were just that. He told me today that back in Minnesota he was ranked at level 7, but when he started playing here, they ranked him at level 8. I believe after level 9 are the pro leagues, so he can shoot pool.
Supper tonight was the turkey soup dinner. It is a free dinner to all park residents & is made using the leftovers from Christmas. It is well attended because it's such a hearty soup, it is more like stew. Marg took a jug of wine and a box of liqueur flavoured chocolates, that were a big hit.
After supper I played poker. We had 8 players at our table, so had to be creative about the games we played. It took me over an hour before I won the first pot, but then I slowly battled back to a respectable finish by the end of the evening.
Oh yeh, it was sunny and hot, a beautiful day.
Started off early, I rode with Pat & Gene to golf this AM. Hit a great drive off the first hole & that is where it really counts because everyone is watching. LOL. Game went OK, but could have been a lot better, well for me anyway. Played in a group that included a new guy in the park. I managed to put a ball I really didn't want in the duck pond. From the racket, I don't think the ducks wanted it either. Hit enough good shots to go back, in fact going to what is reputed to be the first golf course ever built in Arizona with Gene & Pat on Friday.
Marg went with the Gamblin' Gals to Ft McDowell. They never got back until 4:30, so had a full day there. She was all smiles and dancing in the street, the signal that she made out just fine. I think she won $95, so a good day at the slots.
I played some pool in the afternoon. One of the guys had a demo video shot by his daughter of some of his impressive shots & they were just that. He told me today that back in Minnesota he was ranked at level 7, but when he started playing here, they ranked him at level 8. I believe after level 9 are the pro leagues, so he can shoot pool.
Supper tonight was the turkey soup dinner. It is a free dinner to all park residents & is made using the leftovers from Christmas. It is well attended because it's such a hearty soup, it is more like stew. Marg took a jug of wine and a box of liqueur flavoured chocolates, that were a big hit.
After supper I played poker. We had 8 players at our table, so had to be creative about the games we played. It took me over an hour before I won the first pot, but then I slowly battled back to a respectable finish by the end of the evening.
Oh yeh, it was sunny and hot, a beautiful day.
Tuesday 14 January 2014
Jan 14th
A nice day in the Valley of the Sun. So nice we both wore short pants today & you know I don't switch to shorts if it's even remotely cool.
I went for a bike ride this AM. Didn't make the full route I was taking last year, but with any luck will build up to it. Marg went for water aerobics this AM & I'm not certain what transpired but she came back with her floater or pool noodle tied in a knot.
With it being pretty warm out, we had a nice salad for lunch and then went out to do some errands. I had the zipper tear loose on the cover for the towing hitch on the rear of the RV. I took it in to an upholstery shop and they were able to re-sew it while I waited, probably 10 minutes. Anyway the lady apologized saying her minimum charge was $10. I felt like saying just try to get anyone where I come from to do anything for $10, but just thanked her and left. Then on to get my watch battery replaced at a repair shop I have used in the past. Well they must have heard about my previous good deal because they charged me $21 to replace the battery. I guess it just evened out.
Finally I stopped to buy an air-time card for my phone as the new SIM card arrived by courier. We got 120 minutes for $30, but when I activated it, they doubled my minutes to 240. As this gives me 90 service days, that will be all I need for the winter while in Az. What a deal. Well I did have the phone from last year, it was $20 when I bought it, so you would have to average that over 2 years now. I think this is less than my vacation cancelation charge on the phone at home.
By that time we just got back in time for happy hour. Even had to rush that so it was more like happy 45 minutes as we had to get supper. The rush; well it was bingo night and Marg broke her jinx from last year and called out her first bingo. This should have her in good form for tomorrow when she heads out for a day with the gamblin' gals. My plans are to go and drive a few golf balls out into the desert with the guys. This will be my first time out since fall, so hopefully a few of them will stay on the fairways. LOL
The big Barrett Jackson car auction started today and they had perfect weather for it. According to some people who were there, it was very well attended today. Looking for a sweet ride, well that is the place to be.
I went for a bike ride this AM. Didn't make the full route I was taking last year, but with any luck will build up to it. Marg went for water aerobics this AM & I'm not certain what transpired but she came back with her floater or pool noodle tied in a knot.
With it being pretty warm out, we had a nice salad for lunch and then went out to do some errands. I had the zipper tear loose on the cover for the towing hitch on the rear of the RV. I took it in to an upholstery shop and they were able to re-sew it while I waited, probably 10 minutes. Anyway the lady apologized saying her minimum charge was $10. I felt like saying just try to get anyone where I come from to do anything for $10, but just thanked her and left. Then on to get my watch battery replaced at a repair shop I have used in the past. Well they must have heard about my previous good deal because they charged me $21 to replace the battery. I guess it just evened out.
Finally I stopped to buy an air-time card for my phone as the new SIM card arrived by courier. We got 120 minutes for $30, but when I activated it, they doubled my minutes to 240. As this gives me 90 service days, that will be all I need for the winter while in Az. What a deal. Well I did have the phone from last year, it was $20 when I bought it, so you would have to average that over 2 years now. I think this is less than my vacation cancelation charge on the phone at home.
By that time we just got back in time for happy hour. Even had to rush that so it was more like happy 45 minutes as we had to get supper. The rush; well it was bingo night and Marg broke her jinx from last year and called out her first bingo. This should have her in good form for tomorrow when she heads out for a day with the gamblin' gals. My plans are to go and drive a few golf balls out into the desert with the guys. This will be my first time out since fall, so hopefully a few of them will stay on the fairways. LOL
The big Barrett Jackson car auction started today and they had perfect weather for it. According to some people who were there, it was very well attended today. Looking for a sweet ride, well that is the place to be.
Monday 13 January 2014
Monday, Jan 13th
Much nicer day today, I think the temp got to around 70F. I have lost my thermometer so have to look for one. We will be going to camping world soon, I hope, to get the window replaced and will pick one up there.
Marg went to water aerobics this AM and said her partners were there as well. Apparently the pool was the temp of a nice warm bath tub. All I know is I could hear the recording playing but couldn't see how big a splash their combined jumping around was creating.
I got the bike off the rack on the ladder at the rear of the rv. By the time I got the tires pumped and the various parts lubricated it was lunch time. Even small tasks like that here really take time because of the amount of visiting that goes on. It is especially the case with us on the corner lot at the entrance to the park here as everybody goes by at some time.
Bob had stopped by earlier, so I went to play pool with him the afternoon. Lots of fun playing with him, because its almost a no mercy game, LOL. Apparently some of the guys are playing in the morning now, so may have to adjust my schedule. Checked the mail on the way, but we are still not getting mail from Canada Post. It seems like the same story every year, a service they charged us $130 or so for.
We went for a walk and I returned the bag of pocket books to Gary that I had borrowed in the spring. Also gave Steve a prize for the silent auction, just one of those things we had kicking around the house, it was new but never used. It was a bubba mug, a super sized insulated mug, I thought it might do well down here, LOL. We had a little drama around our area of the park today, with the neighbours asking about a rumour that we might not be in this site next year, but it seems to have settled down.
Supper tonight was shrimps on the bar-bee and pasta. Pretty darn good too. Finished off the day with a walk around the park, in the dark. Hey that was poetic.
Marg went to water aerobics this AM and said her partners were there as well. Apparently the pool was the temp of a nice warm bath tub. All I know is I could hear the recording playing but couldn't see how big a splash their combined jumping around was creating.
I got the bike off the rack on the ladder at the rear of the rv. By the time I got the tires pumped and the various parts lubricated it was lunch time. Even small tasks like that here really take time because of the amount of visiting that goes on. It is especially the case with us on the corner lot at the entrance to the park here as everybody goes by at some time.
Bob had stopped by earlier, so I went to play pool with him the afternoon. Lots of fun playing with him, because its almost a no mercy game, LOL. Apparently some of the guys are playing in the morning now, so may have to adjust my schedule. Checked the mail on the way, but we are still not getting mail from Canada Post. It seems like the same story every year, a service they charged us $130 or so for.
We went for a walk and I returned the bag of pocket books to Gary that I had borrowed in the spring. Also gave Steve a prize for the silent auction, just one of those things we had kicking around the house, it was new but never used. It was a bubba mug, a super sized insulated mug, I thought it might do well down here, LOL. We had a little drama around our area of the park today, with the neighbours asking about a rumour that we might not be in this site next year, but it seems to have settled down.
Supper tonight was shrimps on the bar-bee and pasta. Pretty darn good too. Finished off the day with a walk around the park, in the dark. Hey that was poetic.
Sunday 12 January 2014
Sunday
Our first Sunday in AJ this winter.
Slept in a bit and Marg made a big breakfast. A great way to start the day. Drove down Lost Dutchman and there were a lot of young girls out riding. Thought of our equestrian, Katy, you could be riding western this AM.
It was a nice day, so we went for a drive over to Scottsdale. At Nevada Bobs in GP, the salesman was telling me about a golf shop around here, so went to the PGA Superstore in Scottsdale. It is without a doubt the biggest golf accessory store I have ever been in. Quite a drive from here, exit #41 on the 101 loop, but traffic was light. I can't imagine a club or ball they don't stock. It was kind of funny, they have bags of tee's that would last a guy like me a lifetime, even if I had bought them when I was 10. Finally found a ball there that I can't lose.
Just across the freeway was a Fry's Signature store, so we went in there to check it out. We were at one a couple of years ago, so being in the area, thought we would see what we could find in there. This is usually primarily a grocery store, but the Signature stores have lots of other stuff as well. Marg is looking for glasses so she can provide the ladies margarita's on Friday, but we were not successful with that. Looks like another party for the wild women she rolls with.
When we got back, Marg did laundry. It was either that or go shopping for more gauche. While she was doing that I went to fill the car, at Fry's in AJ, pretty good deal at $3.09/gallon. Then I washed it and vacuumed all the crud. When I got back I did windows and some other cleaning, about as close to detailing as I get; while Marg steamed the wrinkles out of everything. While doing anything like that in the park, I usually get a half dozen offers for more work and was not disappointed this time.
By that time it was happy hour, so we went for just one this time. Well actually I think Marg went back to her flavored water. Then back to BBQ for supper.
Had to hurry it up a bit as it was ice cream social tonight. There is a new crew, so it was nice to sit and visit like the rest of the park. Clyde stopped by to ask me if the rumour about my wanting back my old job of scooping and I said someone must have misled him. LOL. We did it for 3 years & its great that there are others willing to step and take it on now. Marg had already let Lynette know if she was stuck that we would help out, but they had a full crew.
Slept in a bit and Marg made a big breakfast. A great way to start the day. Drove down Lost Dutchman and there were a lot of young girls out riding. Thought of our equestrian, Katy, you could be riding western this AM.
When we got back, Marg did laundry. It was either that or go shopping for more gauche. While she was doing that I went to fill the car, at Fry's in AJ, pretty good deal at $3.09/gallon. Then I washed it and vacuumed all the crud. When I got back I did windows and some other cleaning, about as close to detailing as I get; while Marg steamed the wrinkles out of everything. While doing anything like that in the park, I usually get a half dozen offers for more work and was not disappointed this time.
By that time it was happy hour, so we went for just one this time. Well actually I think Marg went back to her flavored water. Then back to BBQ for supper.
Had to hurry it up a bit as it was ice cream social tonight. There is a new crew, so it was nice to sit and visit like the rest of the park. Clyde stopped by to ask me if the rumour about my wanting back my old job of scooping and I said someone must have misled him. LOL. We did it for 3 years & its great that there are others willing to step and take it on now. Marg had already let Lynette know if she was stuck that we would help out, but they had a full crew.
Saturday 11 January 2014
Sunny Saturday
Pretty nice day, especially in the sun. I never check the temp, but I think it was around 20C.
Kind of a lazy start to the day, I never went to the big breakfast in the hall. That is unusual for me and I will make up for it next weekend. Washed the front of the motorhome and the windows this AM. Did some other maintenance stuff as well.
The big flea market was open today, so we went out there just before lunch and walked around until we had enough. We picked up a couple of things we might need and checked out some golf cart accessories. The dash insert appealed to Marg, but she wasn't ready to commit yet, but if I was to place a bet, I would guess one may go home with us. A real surprise, I met someone I knew, Jim Steele. He used to be the officer in charge of the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment. It must have been his keen police training in face recognition as I have not seen him for well over a dozen years. In fact he had to tell me his name, I must have been having a senior moment.
Got back to the RV park in time for happy hour. The couple who host these have been after us to book the site next to theirs for next year. It seems the last people to camp there moved out because it was too lively for them. I don't see it, well maybe. It seems that while us guys were merely sipping our beer; the ladies polished off a couple bottles of Bailey's mixed with some other liqueurs and vodka. I can't say for certain what her condition was, but Marg was in fairly good spirits [that's a pun]! She said something about maybe taking a nap instead of supper. It looks like we will be changing sites for next year & it is gratifying to hear people asking us to take a site near them, rather than pointing out good ones on the other side of the park -- LOL!
Well the nap didn't happen, we went out to Appleby's with Kenny & Doris. Lots of fun and really good food.
Kind of a lazy start to the day, I never went to the big breakfast in the hall. That is unusual for me and I will make up for it next weekend. Washed the front of the motorhome and the windows this AM. Did some other maintenance stuff as well.
The big flea market was open today, so we went out there just before lunch and walked around until we had enough. We picked up a couple of things we might need and checked out some golf cart accessories. The dash insert appealed to Marg, but she wasn't ready to commit yet, but if I was to place a bet, I would guess one may go home with us. A real surprise, I met someone I knew, Jim Steele. He used to be the officer in charge of the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment. It must have been his keen police training in face recognition as I have not seen him for well over a dozen years. In fact he had to tell me his name, I must have been having a senior moment.
Got back to the RV park in time for happy hour. The couple who host these have been after us to book the site next to theirs for next year. It seems the last people to camp there moved out because it was too lively for them. I don't see it, well maybe. It seems that while us guys were merely sipping our beer; the ladies polished off a couple bottles of Bailey's mixed with some other liqueurs and vodka. I can't say for certain what her condition was, but Marg was in fairly good spirits [that's a pun]! She said something about maybe taking a nap instead of supper. It looks like we will be changing sites for next year & it is gratifying to hear people asking us to take a site near them, rather than pointing out good ones on the other side of the park -- LOL!
Well the nap didn't happen, we went out to Appleby's with Kenny & Doris. Lots of fun and really good food.
Friday, a little late
Busy day, started off with a visit to the dentist. Nice ladies there and they remembered me from my last visit in March. The weather while a little chilly in the evening is gorgeous during the day, hot and sunny. Well hot for a bunch of snowbird canucks, the locals wouldn't call this hot, just in the 20's. Cool in the evenings is OK too, it keeps the snakes and scorpions in their dens. Once the night time temps increase, they become more active.
I played some pool after lunch, then visited with Bob, the source of most, or a least lots of, info in this park. Hardly anyone playing pool this year, must be something going on, will have to recruit some of them with the lure of beating me, that usually has universal appeal Meanwhile Marg went shopping, although not her favourite kind this time - groceries.
Went for happy hour where we had a few laughs. Then BBQ for supper, steak and roast potatoes. It creates the illusion in the park that I cook, it works surprisingly well.
After supper it was the animal races. They had a great crowd out for it, lots of new people. In fact there are lots of new people in the park, which is great. I struggled a bit with only 3 winners, but Marg picked 7 out of 8 winners. It will likely be a while before I hear the end of that. Lots of laughs again. I think one of the ladies discovered the problem, only late in the race program. The zebra had string around it's legs, there must be a dark side to what was happening, and I am not referring to my handicapping strategy. Oh well, there is always next week.
I played some pool after lunch, then visited with Bob, the source of most, or a least lots of, info in this park. Hardly anyone playing pool this year, must be something going on, will have to recruit some of them with the lure of beating me, that usually has universal appeal Meanwhile Marg went shopping, although not her favourite kind this time - groceries.
Went for happy hour where we had a few laughs. Then BBQ for supper, steak and roast potatoes. It creates the illusion in the park that I cook, it works surprisingly well.
After supper it was the animal races. They had a great crowd out for it, lots of new people. In fact there are lots of new people in the park, which is great. I struggled a bit with only 3 winners, but Marg picked 7 out of 8 winners. It will likely be a while before I hear the end of that. Lots of laughs again. I think one of the ladies discovered the problem, only late in the race program. The zebra had string around it's legs, there must be a dark side to what was happening, and I am not referring to my handicapping strategy. Oh well, there is always next week.
Thursday 9 January 2014
Thursday, Jan 8th
The day started off with coffee & donuts with the morning meeting for park residents, well for me anyway. Marg didn't attend, it's not her thing. It was interesting and although there have been lots of changes in the park, this has not been one of the big changes.
After we went out, Marg to Walmart and me for a haircut. The Mexican guy I went to last year is still here, so went to him again. Drove back to pick up Marg, she sure is hard to find in a store.
I wasn't going to play pool, but they were so short of players, they came to get me to go with them. As there were only 6 of us, we each had to play twice, so 6 games for each team. My partner and I won 5, but our other teams got beat up pretty badly today by Mountainview.
After I tried to set up my satellite dish. We get all the same channels as home, when we are down here, but as usual I was unable to get it operational. Fortunately I had a card from the guy I paid to set it up last year and he got it operational, then the receiver stopped working. After about 40 minutes on the telephone with Shaw, we are now up and running.
We went to cocktail hour or is the our for the first time. It was funny, one of the guys likes cherry whisky and you can't buy it here, so I brought him a bottle. You would have thought he won the lottery, it was pretty funny the way he carried on.
After we went out for dinner with 2 other couples. Went to the Chinese buffet on Signal Butte, it's really good food with lots of variety. Kenny drove, so all 3 couples fit in his vehicle. Doris had coupons enough to go around, so we all got the 15% discount. Don't laugh, it's the senior version of winning the lottery. LOL.
After we went out, Marg to Walmart and me for a haircut. The Mexican guy I went to last year is still here, so went to him again. Drove back to pick up Marg, she sure is hard to find in a store.
I wasn't going to play pool, but they were so short of players, they came to get me to go with them. As there were only 6 of us, we each had to play twice, so 6 games for each team. My partner and I won 5, but our other teams got beat up pretty badly today by Mountainview.
After I tried to set up my satellite dish. We get all the same channels as home, when we are down here, but as usual I was unable to get it operational. Fortunately I had a card from the guy I paid to set it up last year and he got it operational, then the receiver stopped working. After about 40 minutes on the telephone with Shaw, we are now up and running.
We went to cocktail hour or is the our for the first time. It was funny, one of the guys likes cherry whisky and you can't buy it here, so I brought him a bottle. You would have thought he won the lottery, it was pretty funny the way he carried on.
After we went out for dinner with 2 other couples. Went to the Chinese buffet on Signal Butte, it's really good food with lots of variety. Kenny drove, so all 3 couples fit in his vehicle. Doris had coupons enough to go around, so we all got the 15% discount. Don't laugh, it's the senior version of winning the lottery. LOL.
Wednesday 8 January 2014
The trip to Phoenix
Day one in AJ
Finally have a good internet connection so am adding some pics from the trip down.
We had a good day, Marg was in shorts, me well not quite yet.
Went to the bank in the AM to deposit our cash and get some stuff cleared up on Dave's debit card. Seems it was cancelled due to inactivity. Marg's card was fine. Go figure that one. As usual the staff at Wells Fargo in AJ were great to deal with. They asked if I wanted the same PIN number, to which I said not sure what it is, so it doesn't matter. Marg piped up, no keep it the same. Turns out it is the same as hers, so she knew it. Good thinking on my part when I set this up -- eh? Tried out the new bank card and got $20 from the ATM, probably the most activity ever on that card. LOL
Called Trac Phone, seems Dave's telephone also expired from lack of use. We use pay as you go phones we buy at Walmart when in the US. They cannot simply renew it because the inactive period is too long, so they are sending a new SIM card. Oddly enough no such problem with Marg's phone, it still has lots of minutes and days on it. Not sure how this happens, seems to be another unsolved mystery.
Got back to the park and had a nice lunch. Now I know how that happens. LoL
After lunch Marg went shopping and got a new bathing suit. I think water aerobics is on the agenda for tomorrow AM. She also got some thank you cards, we need to send them to Temple View RV park and the service fellow at Camping World in St George. Probably got some other stuff, but not sure what. I played some pool while she was doing this, so she could enjoy her retail therapy more. For supper it was hamburger night and we joined a bunch of friends at the hall for great food. Not to take away from the food, but the event was more memorable for the number of hugs, handshakes, etc.
Poker tonight and the guys let me win a few hands. Lots of fun.
Las Vegas from the perspective of an RV'er.
We had a good day, Marg was in shorts, me well not quite yet.
Went to the bank in the AM to deposit our cash and get some stuff cleared up on Dave's debit card. Seems it was cancelled due to inactivity. Marg's card was fine. Go figure that one. As usual the staff at Wells Fargo in AJ were great to deal with. They asked if I wanted the same PIN number, to which I said not sure what it is, so it doesn't matter. Marg piped up, no keep it the same. Turns out it is the same as hers, so she knew it. Good thinking on my part when I set this up -- eh? Tried out the new bank card and got $20 from the ATM, probably the most activity ever on that card. LOL
Called Trac Phone, seems Dave's telephone also expired from lack of use. We use pay as you go phones we buy at Walmart when in the US. They cannot simply renew it because the inactive period is too long, so they are sending a new SIM card. Oddly enough no such problem with Marg's phone, it still has lots of minutes and days on it. Not sure how this happens, seems to be another unsolved mystery.
Got back to the park and had a nice lunch. Now I know how that happens. LoL
After lunch Marg went shopping and got a new bathing suit. I think water aerobics is on the agenda for tomorrow AM. She also got some thank you cards, we need to send them to Temple View RV park and the service fellow at Camping World in St George. Probably got some other stuff, but not sure what. I played some pool while she was doing this, so she could enjoy her retail therapy more. For supper it was hamburger night and we joined a bunch of friends at the hall for great food. Not to take away from the food, but the event was more memorable for the number of hugs, handshakes, etc.
Poker tonight and the guys let me win a few hands. Lots of fun.
Las Vegas from the perspective of an RV'er.
Carefree Manor again
A good travel day yesterday. Got a bit of a late start from Avi, intentionally so we would hit Phoenix at the right time of day. We were really concerned about the need for lane changes and merges complicated by the drivers side window visibility. It's one thing to hear about it, but driving with it requires some creativity. Didn't fuel up there as gas was $3.79/gal; but got it for $3.11 in Kingman. Saved us about $28 on our fill-up.
Roads were good, but the wind blew pretty good most of the way, That can be a bit of a challenge on 2 lane roads while driving this rig. We remembered all of the right turns and got into the west end of Phoenix about 2:30. Traffic was pretty good at that time of day and we got through the city to AJ at about 4:00 when we got to the RV park.
It was a bit of a challenge getting set up with all the visitors, within the first 20 minutes we probably had a dozen or more, but we are good now. Went out to Ihop for dinner, according to Marg that was my reward for being a good lil' driver. LOL. Had to hurry a bit as in-park bingo last night and Marg had to re-connect with that bunch. A lot of hugs and handshakes later and we had a fun evening. Went visiting after and finally turned in about midnight.
Will post the short-pants advisory as soon as the temps get well into the 70's.
Roads were good, but the wind blew pretty good most of the way, That can be a bit of a challenge on 2 lane roads while driving this rig. We remembered all of the right turns and got into the west end of Phoenix about 2:30. Traffic was pretty good at that time of day and we got through the city to AJ at about 4:00 when we got to the RV park.
It was a bit of a challenge getting set up with all the visitors, within the first 20 minutes we probably had a dozen or more, but we are good now. Went out to Ihop for dinner, according to Marg that was my reward for being a good lil' driver. LOL. Had to hurry a bit as in-park bingo last night and Marg had to re-connect with that bunch. A lot of hugs and handshakes later and we had a fun evening. Went visiting after and finally turned in about midnight.
Will post the short-pants advisory as soon as the temps get well into the 70's.
Monday 6 January 2014
Day 4 - Avi
We had a chilly night and got all settled up with the park in the morning for both the camping and storage charges. Everything worked out well, except I wanted to personally thank the park owner for all his assistance this past while, but he wasn't in.
Got through the scenic Virgin River gorge and down to Las Vegas in pretty good time. In fact we made Vegas at about 11:50AM, so the traffic on the freeway through there was about as light as we have seen. This was very good as our poor visibility from the drivers side mirror has proven a bit of a challenge.
Took the turn-off just prior to Bolder City and went down south to Laughlin on the Colorado river. We are spending the night at the KOA in Avi, a location we have used and enjoyed in prior trips. We spent a bit of time in the casino that was ... well less than productive, but we held to our limit. Went to the buffet in the hotel. It was great, lots of good choices tonight, it's been a long time since we had to put on the buffet pants, LOL!
One night here and we will be off to Apache Junction tomorrow. Oh yeh, the weather aside from the wind was pretty darn good; about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday, in the low 60's I believe. Still no pics as wifi the pits
Got through the scenic Virgin River gorge and down to Las Vegas in pretty good time. In fact we made Vegas at about 11:50AM, so the traffic on the freeway through there was about as light as we have seen. This was very good as our poor visibility from the drivers side mirror has proven a bit of a challenge.
Took the turn-off just prior to Bolder City and went down south to Laughlin on the Colorado river. We are spending the night at the KOA in Avi, a location we have used and enjoyed in prior trips. We spent a bit of time in the casino that was ... well less than productive, but we held to our limit. Went to the buffet in the hotel. It was great, lots of good choices tonight, it's been a long time since we had to put on the buffet pants, LOL!
One night here and we will be off to Apache Junction tomorrow. Oh yeh, the weather aside from the wind was pretty darn good; about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday, in the low 60's I believe. Still no pics as wifi the pits
Sunday 5 January 2014
Saint George - no dragon
Got off to a good start this AM, the hot breakfast included with our room included omelets & waffles. We had to scrape the windows, pretty frosty, but we left with a good breakfast under our belt. The sun was shining and the roads were bare & dry, so set the cruise on 75mph and let the miles roll by, Made it through Salt Lake City with the least traffic I can recall. It was about 11 AM and all the good folks were still in church. It was odd to see more lanes than cars at times, must remember that timing for future travel.
Stopped for lunch at Nephi, another regular on our route, pretty uneventful, but we like it that way. As we went through the city Marg was perked right up seeing all her familiar old shopping names.
Got to the RV park where the motorhome was stored in the late afternoon. Good chance to get worked up all over again as we saw first-hand the damaged driver side window. Had to adjust the mirror as it was out of kilter and that helped somewhat, but the window is very difficult to see out of. It is just a spider web of cracks, very hard to see through. Not sure how that is going to work for driving, but I suspect not well. Camping world were good and had the window all taped up so that it would travel.
Went down to the car wash and gave the Malibu a good one. It sure needed it, the sides were white from all the road salt. Stopped in at Walmart and picked up some groceries. Marg bought a bunch of luxury items like milk, bread, etc. I picked a 30 pack of Miller high life, back in the land of cheap beer. Supper was Cracker Barrel, another regular for us. I think we have eaten there every trip down here on the first night. The food was outstanding, as usual. It is probably as close to home-cooked food as you can get at a restaurant.
Sitting in a spot in Temple View for the night in St George. Named for the patron saint of England, but they appear to be short of Englishmen here. Will get the keys back in the morning and settle up before moving on. Will probably go to Laughlin or Kingman tomorrow so that we will have a real easy day on Tuesday.
Stopped for lunch at Nephi, another regular on our route, pretty uneventful, but we like it that way. As we went through the city Marg was perked right up seeing all her familiar old shopping names.
Got to the RV park where the motorhome was stored in the late afternoon. Good chance to get worked up all over again as we saw first-hand the damaged driver side window. Had to adjust the mirror as it was out of kilter and that helped somewhat, but the window is very difficult to see out of. It is just a spider web of cracks, very hard to see through. Not sure how that is going to work for driving, but I suspect not well. Camping world were good and had the window all taped up so that it would travel.
Went down to the car wash and gave the Malibu a good one. It sure needed it, the sides were white from all the road salt. Stopped in at Walmart and picked up some groceries. Marg bought a bunch of luxury items like milk, bread, etc. I picked a 30 pack of Miller high life, back in the land of cheap beer. Supper was Cracker Barrel, another regular for us. I think we have eaten there every trip down here on the first night. The food was outstanding, as usual. It is probably as close to home-cooked food as you can get at a restaurant.
Sitting in a spot in Temple View for the night in St George. Named for the patron saint of England, but they appear to be short of Englishmen here. Will get the keys back in the morning and settle up before moving on. Will probably go to Laughlin or Kingman tomorrow so that we will have a real easy day on Tuesday.
Saturday 4 January 2014
Jan 4th
Day 2 on the road to a happy place, AJ.
Left Claresholm with snow falling where yesterday there was none, now there was lots. The roads and falling snow were with us all the way to Lethbridge where the skies cleared. It was so much better to see the icy roads with, was that from Red Riding Hood? Had our last coffee at Tim Horton's in Lethbridge and drove the ice bound roads to the border at Coutts. The highlight of the day occurred there, where we liberated 2 bottles of Scotland's finest, produced by the legendary Macallan distilleries.
Onward through the slowest border crossing in recent memory to Montana. At first the roads were much improved, but snow and icy roads from Shelby south. A stop for lunch at Great Falls, our regular fuel stop at Flying J and back on the road. I'm sure this icy road lament is starting to sound old, but a newer pick up 4x4 went flying past us and promptly entered the snow covered median. The only good thing was that the amount of snow was what we would call a light dusting, about 6 or 8 inches deep. The last I saw of him, he was still trying to drive out. Gee we drive that much on city streets and never give it a second thought. We drove by at about 40 mph in our little 2 wheel drive Malibu and I am sure I saw him shaking his head in awe. We were like the little engine that could. I told you I was a good driver, LOL. It was pretty miserable roads until we got to Butte, where suddenly the roads were clear and dry with very little snow in the ditches. Set the cruise control on 75mph and made it all the way to Pocatello, where there is NO snow. For all you GP'ers send them some, they could use it. That was about 1,030 km's today.
Checked in to the Best Western and supper was Appleby's tonight, we can walk to it from the hotel. We are officially falling in to our pattern, as we have done this for at least four years in a row now. Yes Marg ordered the same thing as the prior 3 years and I had 2 beers with supper as usual. I joked about impaired walking back to the hotel and Marg said she would be the DW, designated walker.
Things are looking much better for the trip to St George tomorrow. The weather is chilly here, about minus 5C, but the forecast for tomorrow will see most of the day above the freezing mark.
To all our Northern Alberta family and friends -- Stay warm and safe, the weather will change there too. Will try to get my co-pilot to get some pics for the blog tomorrow.
Left Claresholm with snow falling where yesterday there was none, now there was lots. The roads and falling snow were with us all the way to Lethbridge where the skies cleared. It was so much better to see the icy roads with, was that from Red Riding Hood? Had our last coffee at Tim Horton's in Lethbridge and drove the ice bound roads to the border at Coutts. The highlight of the day occurred there, where we liberated 2 bottles of Scotland's finest, produced by the legendary Macallan distilleries.
Onward through the slowest border crossing in recent memory to Montana. At first the roads were much improved, but snow and icy roads from Shelby south. A stop for lunch at Great Falls, our regular fuel stop at Flying J and back on the road. I'm sure this icy road lament is starting to sound old, but a newer pick up 4x4 went flying past us and promptly entered the snow covered median. The only good thing was that the amount of snow was what we would call a light dusting, about 6 or 8 inches deep. The last I saw of him, he was still trying to drive out. Gee we drive that much on city streets and never give it a second thought. We drove by at about 40 mph in our little 2 wheel drive Malibu and I am sure I saw him shaking his head in awe. We were like the little engine that could. I told you I was a good driver, LOL. It was pretty miserable roads until we got to Butte, where suddenly the roads were clear and dry with very little snow in the ditches. Set the cruise control on 75mph and made it all the way to Pocatello, where there is NO snow. For all you GP'ers send them some, they could use it. That was about 1,030 km's today.
Checked in to the Best Western and supper was Appleby's tonight, we can walk to it from the hotel. We are officially falling in to our pattern, as we have done this for at least four years in a row now. Yes Marg ordered the same thing as the prior 3 years and I had 2 beers with supper as usual. I joked about impaired walking back to the hotel and Marg said she would be the DW, designated walker.
Things are looking much better for the trip to St George tomorrow. The weather is chilly here, about minus 5C, but the forecast for tomorrow will see most of the day above the freezing mark.
To all our Northern Alberta family and friends -- Stay warm and safe, the weather will change there too. Will try to get my co-pilot to get some pics for the blog tomorrow.
Friday 3 January 2014
We are back -- 2014!
We're back, back on the road that is.
Left GP early in the morning with snow falling on our previously clean driveway. That will be the story of 2013, record snow falls. The road was snow covered and icy until we got through the Smoky river valley, after Debolt it got better and we made pretty good time until Whitecourt, when we started on the section that had freezing rain yesterday. By the time we got to the Yellowhead around Spruce Grove it was a skating rink, all the way to Edm.
Got to visit with mother just after lunch, Linda & Lorie were there as well.
On our way out of Edm we found the highway just as ice covered as the Yellowhead until around Ponoka, then good well until Crossfield, same skating rink until Airdrie. The road was wet through Calgary, then turned to ice when we left the city until High River. After High River it was great for the last 100 kms to Claresholm where we are spending the night. We made 900 kms today, much of it at 70 or 80 km/hr. Reflecting on our day, neither of us could recall a time when we saw so many vehicles in the ditch. They were some simply stuck, others on their side and still others on the roof, hopefully everyone made it out OK.
Tried a nice little restaurant for supper, it was Greek/Italian. Probably something to do with a ship of their ancestors being blow off course. The lady at the hotel recommended it and as luck was with us, the food was great!
It's snowing now, so should make for an interesting day tomorrow. The border should be an easy couple of hours from here, but stay tuned.
Left GP early in the morning with snow falling on our previously clean driveway. That will be the story of 2013, record snow falls. The road was snow covered and icy until we got through the Smoky river valley, after Debolt it got better and we made pretty good time until Whitecourt, when we started on the section that had freezing rain yesterday. By the time we got to the Yellowhead around Spruce Grove it was a skating rink, all the way to Edm.
Got to visit with mother just after lunch, Linda & Lorie were there as well.
On our way out of Edm we found the highway just as ice covered as the Yellowhead until around Ponoka, then good well until Crossfield, same skating rink until Airdrie. The road was wet through Calgary, then turned to ice when we left the city until High River. After High River it was great for the last 100 kms to Claresholm where we are spending the night. We made 900 kms today, much of it at 70 or 80 km/hr. Reflecting on our day, neither of us could recall a time when we saw so many vehicles in the ditch. They were some simply stuck, others on their side and still others on the roof, hopefully everyone made it out OK.
Tried a nice little restaurant for supper, it was Greek/Italian. Probably something to do with a ship of their ancestors being blow off course. The lady at the hotel recommended it and as luck was with us, the food was great!
It's snowing now, so should make for an interesting day tomorrow. The border should be an easy couple of hours from here, but stay tuned.
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