Sorry about the almost three-week hiatus, but family and Easter seemed to take up most of our time. Brian and Sheila and the boys were unable to join us for the holiday weekend but Colleen was here and we had the joy of having Keith and Janet and the girls with us the entire week leading up to Easter. We spent Sunday wine-tasting in Woodinville, a day at Safeco watching the Mariners opening game, and two nights at Pacific Beach where we enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Pacific. It was on the cool side, but Keith and his dad built a roaring fire on the beach both nights so we were fine while we roasted marshmallows and ate s'mores.

We are going to LIberty Lake on Thursday for a few days of fishing with the season opening on Saturday. Ken and Bob will continue their annual ritual of opening day fishing, and Sharon and I will await their return with the cooler full of fish. I buy a license every year, and every year I fail to use it. We'll see if this year is different.

We have been haunting the RV dealerships looking at Class A motor homes to see if we want to move up to something with more room, particularly closet and storage space. And the configuration of a Class A versus the C affords more living space by being able to utilize the 'cockpit' area. We have looked at a number of manufacturers and have decided we will stay with Winnebago if we do get a Class A.

Winter travelogue

After leaving Mesa, we drove all of about 1 1/2 hours south to Picacho Peak which is about 20 miles north of Tucson. We were there for 6 days and it afforded us an opportunity to see some sights in the area such as Bosphere 2, the Desert Museum, and the Karchner Caverns which were just discovered within the last 25 years. Our campground was at the foot of Picacho Peak, and right outside our door we had hundreds of handsome Saguaro cactus. They just fascinate me, and it seems every one of them has its own unique personality.

We drove to Sierra Vista and looked around Ft. Huachuca where Keith was stationed a number of years ago. We quite like the Arizona desert and its outcroppings of mountains, and Sierra Vista has a good representation of both. It was a leisurely 6 days, and the first time we had been by ourselves since leaving Steilacoom. Next stop: New Mexico