8 Down 36 To Go

Ken is off getting his daily zap, and I have dinner ready, so here goes the blog.

We are looking forward to a visit from Jeff and Bev this coming weekend. Bev is taking Friday off so they will get here Friday afternoon and leave about noon on Sunday. I don’t know how Jeff is going to fare with Cooper in the motor home so we might spend a lot of time sitting outside………….if we can stand the heat.

The thermometer has climbed above 100 the past two days, but the paper keeps saying it is going to gradually cool back down to the low 90s. I never thought I would see myself being grateful for low 90s, but I am and I will be. We have stayed inside for the better part of the last 2 days.

We did drive to March AFB this morning for grocery shopping. We also drove by the FamCamp to check it out for storing the MH when we go back home in October. It will be just fine. The storage area is inside the guarded gate of the base and is fenced in and locked. For $25/month, I think it will work out just fine. The FamCamp itself is small; only about 20 sites, although each site has a bit of green grass and a picnic table and it is located adjacent to the runway.

The entire base which, I’m sure, was one of the premier bases 30 years ago is quite pathetic now that it is just an Air Force Reserve Base with only a part of it being used. The rest of it is very rundown and deserted looking. Being located here in the sweltering heat with all the dry brown grass and all the smog that obliterates the nearby mountains doesn’t help. But it does have quite a good commissary.

Minnie with the Hat has been very quiet – most of the time. But she must have had a window open about 11:30 last night when she went on a yelling rampage. I had to close the window to get to sleep.

Another friend, another car accident. Sharon Jayne was driving home on I-90 when the car in front of her lost a big inner tube that hit her windshield. In addition the car lost some other part that flew under Sharon’s car and destroyed her oil pan. Thankfully she was not hurt. There are severe penalties in the state of Washington for driving with unsecured loads as a result of a beautiful artist from western Washington who was rendered blind and disfigured because a piece of heavy pressboard flew through her windshield.

Our Sarah turned 19 today and moved into her dorm for her second year at the University of Maryland. We gave her a subscription to Netflix so she can watch movies instead of studying – but I know she won’t!! She said now she and her friends won’t have to walk down the street to rent a movie.

It is official. Colleen will be the assistant director at the Fuller Seattle campus come the first of the year. It is a lateral move for her, but she is thrilled to be moving back to the Northwest. The Seattle director has been talking to her for the last month, but just this week he made it known to the Fuller community. That will put 50% of our kids in Washington!

Ken is back so it must be time to open the bar. Dinner is easy, it is a pasta salad that is chilling out in the refrigerator!!

Ciao

Two Down and 42 to go

Ken had his first treatment yesterday, so he is underway. He was told by some of the staff that he was being treated for something, that if he had not been told, he would not know he had and if he didn’t know it, wouldn’t be able to tell that he was being treated.
The actual treatment only lasts one or two minutes, but with driving time and prep time, he is gone about 1 ½ hours.

We took a drive to Temeculah yesterday, but since it was hot and we had Cooper with us, we could not stop and do any wine tasting. We did drive through some areas that were quite pretty, and a relief from all the brown hills around us.

Minne with the hat was pretty quiet over the week end, but she got on a rampage yesterday morning, that after 1 ½ hours, I called the office and ask them to ask her to close her door. They also told her that if she didn’t fix her leaking gray water tank that she would have to leave. There was a repairman there this afternoon!

We have had a repairman here twice for our hot water tank. He has replaced a part and done I don’t know what else. We could use it, but if left on, it would weep. Of course it went out of warranty two months ago!

A motor home came in yesterday that was covered in advertising for ‘on the move internet’ so we tracked them down this morning. They make their money consulting for construction companies and other businesses, but the basic technology utilizes cell phones so with about a $500 investment and a cell phone one can have high speed internet wherever one can get cell service. It could conceivably replace our home service for internet as well I’m ready.

I came across a great quick pasta sauce with the key ingredient being marinated artichoke hearts. Saute some sliced cloves of garlic and a sliced small onion in some olive oil. Add a small can of diced tomatoes and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped. Add some dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and let simmer while sipping on your afternoon cocktail. Add some chopped fresh basil before serving over pasta. Pass the fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Ciao.

TGIF

TGIF. Oh that’s right, we don’t need to do the TGIF anymore.

It has been an unremarkable few days save the heat. I know it has been right around 100 for the last few days, but it looks like it is supposed to cool down by about one degree per day over the next few days.

For those of you who know my friend, Karen Sprague. She is recovering from whiplash and a sore chest (from the seatbelt) after being rear ended by someone while driving on North Division. I think she said this is the fourth time she has been involved in an accident with a male driver and none of them her fault. At least this one had insurance. She thought she was well enough to finish loading the trailer to leave last Wednesday for a trip to the Puget Sound area. You go girl.

We must be pretty settled into a routine. Last night was our second visit to the downtown Farmers’ Market to stock up on fresh produce. None of it inexpensive, but all fresh. Then it was too late and too hot to cook so we dined at In N Out Burgers.

We are feeling more comfortable with leaving Cooper for a few hours as long as everything is closed and he can’t see out. I thought I had done that before but learned that he can see out the window in the door so have to remember to pull that shade. He is feeling more settled too. He hasn’t been sleeping on the floor right beside Ken but rather on the sofa in front; and I was up before he was this morning.

The sewing machine is out, and I started back on my project yesterday. Now maybe I’ll make some good progress. No reason not to!!

We still have problems with the water heater weeping. Ken thought he had solved it, but not to be so we have the repairman on standby if it doesn’t shape up.

Have a great week end. Ciao

Minnie in the Hat

This is definitely more a trailer park than RV park. About 1/2 of the sites are either trailers or mobile homes occupied by people who come and go to work every day. But management is very nice, and the price is right. Plus they give a discount for patients of Loma Linda.

We are just one row of trailers from a busy street, but after a while I can almost turn that into white noise. There is a single woman who just parked next to us on one side, and the other side is empty. Then there is the site right behind us!! What I know about it is from observation and input from some folks who have been here a while.

Minnie with the Hat (my name for her) looks to be about 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 years old, black, and only able to hobble around with a cane. She is in a motor home the same size as our first one, but older and no slideout. She has a new little car, a Scion.. And she is probably certifiably crazy. She sometimes starts ranting as early as six in the morning. Our first morning here, I thought she was yelling at someone on the phone, and I thought it was a man because the voice is so raspy from all the yelling. I have only ever understood a word or two, but yesterday she said Bush is an idiot and they should send him back to Africa (maybe she isn’t so dumb after all). Another time she was saying to have the police come and check it out. And another something about right between the eyes. Last night she kept up her tirade for about an hour until after ten. Thank goodness she goes someplace during most of the day.

According to others around here, she says she owns 4 houses in the area but her kids bought this motorhome for her. She says the kids come and help her – haven’t seen a kid yet. There is a leak in her gray water tank so we had to tell management about that. We can tell she showers because that’s when the tank leaks. She comes out all dressed up with a hat on her head, gets in her car and goes somewhere. Sometimes she is in and out of here three times a day. She can hardly get up the steps into the motor home she is so crippled. We wonder how she manages to get around in this traffic and find her way back.

We suspect, if she owns anything, the kids have it and have dumped her here so they don’t have to deal with her. I don’t believe there is a thing we can do for her, and I hesitate to get involved because that is what it would probably be – involved!! Maybe I could invite her over for tea and spike it so she would go to bed earlier and sleep longer.

There isn’t really another good option to move to because of noise, sun, heat, etc. To be continued……..

We have subscribed to an internet service, so we have reliable internet - all the time!!

The weather has been quite bearable. We do have to run the air conditioners in the afternoons, but it cools way down as soon as the sun goes down. We actually sleep under our comforter with the windows open!.

Ciao

Sewer Pipe, Farmers' Market and Internet

Yesterday was the first official visit to LLUMC. We joined a two-hour newcomers’ tour which included a look inside one of the treatment rooms and an in-depth discussion of the treatment process. Afterwards Ken had his first doctor’s appointment to confirm the treatment plan (9 weeks of Proton Beam Therapy) and schedule a CT scan and full body scan. Once the last scan is done next Monday, it will be about one week before the start of treatments. He is at LLUMC right now for the CT scan and the body mold.

I found it interesting that they use a half piece of plastic sewer pipe for the mold and use an expanding foam to fill in the space around the body. That sounds like great low high tech!!

Having always been in the military or HMO medical system, we are quite taken with the differences found here. Everyone is very professional, helpful, friendly, and available. All of the doctors and nurses wear white coats with the LLUMC logo on the pocket, and they look very professional. We were quite taken aback at how often we were reminded that patients could make requests for such things as a different time for treatment. Even though the Proton Center can treat up to 175 patients per DAY, there is no feeling of being crowded or rushed.

The Proton Center has its own entrance and elevators in one wing of the hospital so it is its own little community. Waiting rooms are very comfortable with coffee and tea available; one room has a piano and both waiting areas have a table with a jigsaw puzzle in progress.

We went to downtown Redlands last night for the weekly Farmers’ Market which consisted of several fresh produce stands, some lively live music, and about 50 booths hawking everything from Avon products to snake oil. We did score some white peaches and some lovely heirloom tomatoes. I think I will look around for a fresh produce stand and skip the Thursday night market. Oh, and we each had a huge tamale for dinner.

We are having trouble with the hot water heater and the awning. At least the awning is still under warranty – the wind sensor is not working. With the hot water heater on electric it acts like the thermostat is gone. The water gets scalding hot which causes the pressure valve to release water so we are thinking there is a problem. We can manage with either of the above for a while as long as the air conditioning keeps working!!

We have been to In N Out Burger and Wal Mart. I know the location of Costco, Camping World and Trader Joes, all of which are quite close by. There is a small mall in Redlands with a Gottschalks and new Penneys. March AFB is about 20 miles away so we haven’t been there yet.

As usual, internet is a problem. This park just decided not to try for WiFi, and for those of us who were down south last winter, we can understand why. I don’t think there is a reliable service out there. Others staying here rented a high speed modem and paid for Adelphia to get reliable service, so guess what we are going to be doing this afternoon?

If you choose to mail anything to us:

Ken and Helen Kirkwood
C/O Mission RV Park
26397 Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373

Ciao

We had a fast but uneventful trip down. Since we didn’t get out of Steilacoom until 4 pm on Thursday, we made it only as far as where 205 hooks up with I-5 south of Portland. That is a great rest stop, and after wandering back through additional parking areas we scored a parking spot next to a grassy strip where we could extend the bedroom slide and give Cooper a place to walk.

Friday was from there to Red Bluff and Saturday was Red Bluff to Bakersfield with both towns having great RV parks for us. Sunday was a half day drive from Bakersfield to Redlands. Coming through the San Bernardino Mountains seemed less harrowing than last winter, perhaps because it was a Sunday and perhaps we weren’t trying to keep up with Mario Gary Ousey Andretti!!

We had researched RV parks in this area and only found two that were within a reasonable distance of Loma Linda, and sure enough there are only two. Both are older parks, nicely maintained, but with spaces that would have very nicely accommodated our early 70s pickup and camper. Ken did a great job of maneuvering the MH into our spot.

Cooper has been a trooper. He usually was up on the sofa while we were moving. He hasn’t been overly interested in his dog food, so I have been giving him fresh green beans and cooked rice. He loves the green beans. He has lived a pretty sheltered life, so his nose goes into high gear when we take him outside for walks. He is happy to be with us but isn’t quite sure of what is going on, so he doesn’t let Ken get more than three feet away from him.

We will spend these next three days exploring the area, buying groceries, and locating Costco, Trader Joe’s, Camping World, etc. Costco is about 18 miles away but the others are here in Redlands.

It has been very very lightly raining this morning. Sun is forecast for this afternoon, and the usual temps are around 90 but it looks like it cools down to the low 70s and high 60s at night which I can handle.

Later……………we have met two men here in the park who will finish their treatments this week. They are just as enthusiastic as anyone else we have encountered. I first met one of the wives………where else but the laundry room. Subsequently her husband, and his neighbor both came over to chat. I can see that this whole thing becomes quite the clique.

We drove around the area for a while this afternoon. It turns out that Costco is very close, and Camping World and a lot of chain restaurants, but not much else. In N Out Burger is in San Bernardino which we will track down very soon.

While sitting outside this evening some neighbors came home, came over, chatted, went back and got their lawn chairs and drinks of choice and came back and stayed about two hours. They are just passing through and live in Kennewick. So now we have names and numbers to contact for a visit/MH parking in Kennewick. No one is a stranger in this world of RVs.

Ken and Cooper and I need to take an evening walk. Ken and I plan to attend an orientation at LLUMC on Wednesday. I’ll let you know about that. Ciao

Reunion Weekend in Review

Here is a recap of the past weekend’s activities in celebration of Ken’s graduating class of 1956.

Bob and Sharon entertained the Davenport alumni, class of ’56, on Friday afternoon similar to what we had done with the Jaynes when the class celebrated its 30th. Everyone enjoyed catching up and reminiscing. The dapper dude in the hat is Bob.





Friday morning, Ken and Bob had to be in Davenport by 10:30 to be ready to ride in the Pioneer Days Parade. One of their classmates has restored a late ‘30s truck and he had created some bench seating with bales of straw on the flatbed where the classmates could hold court over the onlookers. They were near the end of the parade, and were preceded primarily by local candidates for office, fire trucks and the local ambulance. Oh yes, and the Schwans truck! You gotta love these small towns.



Saturday afternoon we moved on to the park for lunch, some very good musical entertainment, and a display of several dozen restored cars. Davenport has a car club known as the Road Knights which was founded when Ken was in high school, and he designed the club logo which is still being used. I made him purchase the baseball cap with the logo, and he was given a tee shirt since he is one of the “old timers”.

The evening dinner and dance was the usual disappointment, but it provided a venue for us to continue to visit and see old friends. Ken’s second grade teacher (in photo at the right) was in attendance and looked as perky and cute as a teenager. She is probably at least 80. She said she knew how to teach children to read, and when UCLA came in and proceeded to tell her how to do it, she retired. She also taught Brian for a few months when he was in the second grade and we were between moves.


Our old house at Liberty Lake was still standing last week end, and Ken and Bob were able to rescue the kitchen sink for me. For those of you who weren’t in that house, I discovered the old original sink and had it installed in the new kitchen when we remodeled. It is the single sink with attached backsplash and drainboard. It has a porcelain finish that must be at least 1/4" thick. I don’t know when we will have time to do something with it in this house, but I am pleased to have it.

The next week will be spent getting the motor home packed and the house ready to be vacated for almost three months while we are in Loma Linda. We will leave next Thursday or Friday. Craig will be available to check on it as well as some friends of his who live down the street. It is hard to leave the yard and garden, but it can be redone next year. Cooper has no idea what he is in for, but I know he will be happy just to be with us. This is all just another adventure! Ciao

The old and the new

Of course we have been preoccupied with Ken’s health issues, but we have learned a great deal in the past few days.

One of Ken’s former co-workers at the hospital told him that her stepfather had had prostate cancer, and he was treated with proton therapy at Loma Linda Medical Center. From everything we have been able to learn, it is just as effective as other treatments, but its accuracy alleviates all the side effects caused by traditional radiation.

This is a treatment that has been in use for over ten years, it is not experimental, and we have yet to find a negative about it. But isn’t it interesting that if you weren’t looking for it, you would not even come across a discussion of this treatment in any of the usual information? The gentleman Ken spoke with said he even went to the upper levels of administration at Loma Linda to ask why it was not better publicized, and the response from this Seventh Day Adventist institution was that if God wanted him to be there (Loma Linda) he would find out about it!!!???

If you want more information:

http://news.adventist.org/data/2006/03/1144961805/index.html.en

We will be interested to see if it is even mentioned at the appointment at Madigan on Wednesday. The other good news is that the treatment is covered by Medicare.

Next weekend is Ken’s 50th high school reunion. We will drive to Liberty Lake on Thursday and stay with Bob and Sharon. They are hosting a get-together on Friday night and then the classmates will ride in the back of somebody’s truck in the parade in Davenport on Saturday. Then another get-together at Daryl and Jan Ziemer’s Saturday afternoon and the dinner and dance in the evening. My what a social swirl.

Speaking of Liberty Lake, we learned today that the house we owned there is going to be rased within the next few days. The current owners (who purchased from the woman to whom we sold) found the foundation could not withstand the renovations they wanted to do. I must admit that it is with a heavy heart that I learned this. It was unreasonable to believe we would ever return, but it was the most grand and wonderful house I have ever lived in.

Have a good week, and I’ll be blogging again later this week.

Ciao

From the Fourth Forward

We have had some eventful times over the past 10 days….

Brian and Sheila and Nolan and Warren arrived Friday evening and it took the boys about 5 minutes to check out the tree house and move in. They slept up there all five nights they were here. Grandpa had a new flashlight for each and they utilized the basket/pulley system to haul their belongings up and down. I don’t know who gets more joy out of all of this, the boys or Grandpa and I.

Curt, Cinda, Linea, and her friend Jamie arrived midday on Monday. The girls pitched a tent in the front yard and moved in with their air mattresses and books. Cinda lamented that she and Curt had moved into the “elder” group so were afforded the luxury of a real bed in the guest room.

Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us on Saturday and Monday evenings. Greta is 5 ½ and is very cute and precocious. She was quite the epicurean as she made her way through fresh cherries, clams, and mussels, and most anything else we were serving. She does not have typical preschoolers’ tastes.

I think we ate and drank our way through three days. Brian is a master with the grill and he smoked ribs, a tri-tip roast and two whole chickens for the 4th. Cinda and Sheila were the queens of the salads, breads, and fruits and veggies, and I offered appetizers with a Spanish theme: cured ham and honeydew melon, manchego cheese (if you have not tasted it, be sure to do so), and roasted red bell peppers (recipe to follow). Brian and Sheila store some of their yummy German white wine in our cellar, so that, along with some of our Washington selections and lots of beer kept us in fine fettle.

We all walked downtown on the Fourth to watch the parade which consists of old cars, politicians with campaign signs, kids on bikes and in strollers, the Ft. Lewis Army band, and even some Strykers. After careful scrutiny, we determined that the little old lady in the beige Taurus had simply taken a wrong turn and accidentally became part of the parade so someone proffered a flag for her to wave as she made her way down the street.

From the street fair, Brian and Sheila gifted us with a metal sculpture; a wine glass fitted with a piece of red glass and a plaque reading “wine garden”. It is charming and looks right at home on our property.

The boys had two outings at the beach here in Steilacoom. They can squat for hours digging furiously to get to? And then only to be defeated by hitting water or having the tide come in. Brian, Ken, and the boys went to a Tacoma Rainiers game and the home team won! Sheila and I did a bit of shopping since her time and resources are so limited when she is home.

All the fun was a good diversion for us as we face a bump in the road. Ken had a prostate biopsy come back with some cancer cells present. He has been participating in a study for the past two years, and we feel fortunate that the study called for a biopsy at the two-year point. He had had one two years ago as a result of an elevated PSA, but it showed nothing. From all indications now, it appears to be early and small. We know many men who have gone through this, and Ken has talked to several to be better prepared to make a decision for a course of action. We will meet with a radiation therapist on July 12 to talk it through and decide what comes next. We plan to have all of this behind us a soon as possible to be ready for travel, Christmas and heading south after the first of the year.

This is a heads up for you– pay attention to your prostate and get examined.

We had some glorious weather up until the Fourth. Since then it has been cloudy and cool with a few sprinkles, and we even have the furnace on! Typical Puget Sound weather.

Here is the easy way to prepare roasted peppers:

Several whole red bell peppers
Two or three cloves fresh minced garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil

Place peppers on a hot outdoor grill, turning as they char, until the entire outside skin is blackened and blistered. Remove to a covered container and let steam for 20 or 30 minutes, and then halve, remove seeds and ribs and remove outer skin. Slice lengthwise into ½” strips. Combine pepper strips and salt and minced garlic mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and let rest for an hour or so. Can be refrigerated, but should be brought back to room temp to serve.

The key to the ease of this is to roast the peppers on the outside gas grill. It is hot and easy to turn the peppers. I’ve tried using the gas flame on my inside range or the oven broiler but with limited success.

Ciao

Shop Hopping and Boat Stopping

We three had a glorious time on our three-day shop hop odyssey. We headed north on Wednesday morning with Lynden as our goal - and we did get there by mid afternoon after a stop or two on the way. After Lynden we had to head back to Mt. Vernon where I had managed to score a reservation on a little houseboat on the Skagit River.

It was little, and it was cozy for three, but it was quite fun. The bathroom left a lot to be desired - it was a working bathroom with restrictions not unlike those we have with the motor home, but it was very little and inconvenient. We made up for it by sitting outside on a little deck at the front while we drank our wine. There was one little houseboat moored a few feet down from us, and that was all we could see except the river. I would do it again!! The owner came at 8:30 in the morning with a basket laden with wonderful warm muffins, and fresh raspberries and currents.

By the next night, we were ready for something more ordinary with a big bathroom so we stayed in Monroe at a Holiday Inn Express. All of our lunches and dinners were great and they ran the gamut from a deli in an upscale grocery store, to a little country tavern and an Italian/Greek restaurant. I think we covered almost 500 miles in the three days and visited about 20 shops. Some were fabulous, and one or two do not deserve to be in business. I suspect we will consider doing it again next year, or perhaps trying one in western Oregon.

Ken and Jeff whiled away the time with the computer and watching and discussing woodworking tactics. They seemed to survive just fine. Jeff and Bev went home yesterday afternoon and now we are working on getting ready for the Fourth.

Two little robins survived, and they disappeared from the nest about three days ago, so I am hoping they made it okay. Perhaps we will have someone else come and occupy the nest next spring. It is such a great location because we can watch from the kitchen window.

Bassim arrived in Phoenix last Saturday, and he and Colleen have visited the Grand Canyon and are now in San Diego until Tuesday. She called yesterday to find out where there was a Starbucks in Yuma! She was impressed with the new mall, and I assured her that that was the highlight of Yuma.

Mike and Mary should be in South Dakota so I'm going to call this afternoon to find out how their trip has gone so far. Mary said they were going to blast off last Thursday.

Have a good week. Todays word: evanescent - tending to vanish like vapor.

Ciao

Big Sky Country, wine, shopping and thaumaturgy

I had a great week in eastern Washington along with a jaunt through the panhandle of Idaho to Kalispell, south to St. Regis and back to I-90. The drive through Montana just made we want to move there even more……and gas was twenty five cents less per gallon. I drove two-lane highways with little traffic; so little that I could drive with the cruise control set on sixty. Of course most everywhere looks glorious this time of year because of all the new spring growth.

But to back up. I spent two nights with Jerry and Lois, and Lois and I treated ourselves to lunch and martinis for her birthday that was in April. The birthday I had done nothing about. We had a good visit and caught up on what has been going on in our lives.

Then on to Big Meadows to stay with Rod and Karen for a few days. She and I spent a fair amount of time (and money) shopping for fabrics for the class we are going to take in November. It is so wonderful to have her holding my hand while I am making all of these decisions. We also did quite a bit of prep work for the class – cutting templates and pattern pieces.

Their yard is beautiful, and we frequently took our coffee or wine out to the pond where we could sit and listen to the bubbling water and look at the green hillsides. They have been hard at work getting ready for their grandson’s graduation party this week end, and it shows. Rod was busy pouring concrete for curbing. He was quite happy with his project.

I spent last Saturday afternoon with Mike and Mary. Mike had been off work all week because of bronchitis, but he seemed to be mending well. Mary looks fabulous. I think she is as slim or slimmer than when she got married. I admire her tenacity. They are getting ready to drive Pat’s pickup back to Indiana to Steven and Sandy. They will stop in South Dakota to visit Martha’s daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Assad. And not to be left out, Martha plans to hop in her car and zip up from Iowa to see them. Wish I were going to be there.

I came home via the wine country so I could pick up a few bottles to have on hand. I visited with Kathleen Montez who was the bookkeeper for Al when I worked there. She is like a fish out of water having just moved to Benton City to help care for her mother who has cancer. Kathleen has always lived on this side of the state and always had access to a boat and saltwater. It is quite an adjustment since she lives out in the country perched atop a hill surrounded by rock and sagebrush soon to be turned into vineyards.

There are two baby robins in the nest outside the kitchen window. One egg disappeared, and the other didn’t hatch. I suspect it will soon only be one baby bird because there is quite a difference in the size of the two. Mother Nature at work.

We are looking forward to the end of the month and the first part of July when we will get to see Brian and family, and then Keith and family. Brian, Sheila and the boys will be here for several days around the Fourth, and then we will drive to Montana to park the motor home for the Baltimore Kirkwoods to use for a few days on their property at the lake. We will trade them the motor home for their motel reservation in Kalispell.

We are in shock after having received our new tax assessment – the house only increased by about 10%, but the land increased by 60%!!!!!!!!! Talk about following the real estate market. I plan to contest it since there has been nothing done to either the house or the land, and in fact, the view is slowly being eroded by the growth of trees on down the hill. I feel like we are fast approaching the time when we will have to sell to get out from under taxes. Washington is bad enough about taxes upon taxes, and it is even worse in this part of the state.

Word of the day: thaumaturgy – magic.

Ciao

A New Neighbor

We have a mother robin who has taken up residence right outside our kitchen window. With a bit of judicious pruning, we can see her when she is on the nest and can see the four little blue eggs when she is away. We figure they should hatch in about a week. She seems to be pretty secure where she is, although she is pretty low to the ground. We no longer have a cat, so the only threat would be a raccoon or marauding cat.

Craig, Cassie, and her daughter, Greta, came for dinner yesterday. We met Cassie briefly before we went south last December but this was the first time to meet 5 ½ year old Greta. She is quite precocious, was well-behaved and has a penchant for horses. She arrived with her backpack stuffed with them. She was quite taken with our little robin outside the window.

I am going to Spokane tomorrow for a few days of visiting friends, family, and quilt shops. There are several (quilt shops) that I haven’t seen, or haven’t seen for many years. I will spend a day or two with Jerry and Lois, track down Mike and Mary, and spend some time with Karen. She and Rod are hosting a graduation party for their oldest grandson, so I’m going to lend a hand with some food preparation so Karen and I will have some time for quilting.

Ken has the yard looking quite nice. Although the rhodies are at the end of their bloom, we have some iris and peonies to lend some color. The back patio has always been inundated with grass and weeds coming up between the bricks and blocks so I convinced Ken to take the easy way out this year – Roundup. It worked like a charm and the patio is quite fit looking. I am rather hesitant about pesticides and such, but this one seems to the lesser of what’s out there. The label claims they have even FED it to dogs with no ill effects.

Bassim is going to visit Colleen later this month. He continued to call her even after she said, “The end.” And now he is going to tear himself away from his desk in Sydney where he looks after Australian ex-patriots around the world to spend some time in Phoenix. Now Colleen has added a dog to the mix!! What next?

Word of the Day: objet trouve (ob-zha-tru-va). I love the lyrical sound of it!
A found or discarded object (as a piece of driftwood or an old bathtub) held to have aesthetic value. Hmmm, I have a houseful of those!

Ciao

Physical and Mental

It has been another quiet week, save Ken's encounter with a tree branch which resulted in a visit to the Madigan triage to learn that there is a long scratch on his eye. But the good news is that it is just that, a scratch, and should heal just fine. He told the attending physician that he didn't think gardening was a contact sport.

It was a five-hour process for the doctor to see Ken for a few minutes. As this area continues to bring in more and more troops, the load at Madigan increases, and I'm not so sure they have increased the staff equally. But we have received good care over the years, so I'll keep the faith.

I have been through a huge learning curve about mental illness over the past few weeks. One of my relatives has struggled with some depression, and hit bottom with a visit to her psychologist saying that she had suicidal thoughts. She has been hospitalized ever since and should be released today; a much healthier person. I'm sharing this because she has undergone a series of elctroconvulsive therapy treatments that have made a huge difference; something medications have not been able to do. And even if medications were to work, it is usually at least six weeks before they have an effect which is time that can not be afforded when one is suicidal.

The first thought everyone has is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" when this treatment is discussed. But I have learned lots lately. This treatment in essence, delivers a one-to-two-second electrical impulse to the brain which induces a seizure. This while the patient is lightly anesthetized. This therapy is very commonplace in the east, and is coming to be used extensively here. After the first treatment, she awoke to say the sucidal thoughts were gone! And she has continued to improve with each successive treatment of which she will have had six. I found it absolutely amazing that a one-second electrical stimulus could so readily alter the brain's activity.

It is unfortunate that our society so often carries such a stigma about mental illness, when it is just that - an illness. But I guess part of the reason is that we can't see anything physical. If you have a minute, do some searching on line which can offer better explanations than I. Doctors are now saying they are very close to implanting a chip in the brain that would allow very specific treatments for various mental maladies.

I'm not naming names even though the family is very open about all of this, but I want them to tell you, not me. And we are so grateful for the continued progress.

I am off to IKEA with my friend Elisabeth. By the time we get there, usually around noon, the first order of business is to fortify ourselves in the cafeteria before we start our marathon shopping. I can't think of anything I need, but I doubt that will stop me from finding something that I will decide I DO need. I'm glad I looked at the site on line, because it appears that our IKEA has been remodeling and expanding, again, and even the parking has been altered.

We will be staying home for the coming three-day week end. For us, every day is like a week end, so no need to take up space on a holiday week end. Besides, we are pretty much without a dog sitter since Craig is living in Olympia, so we are grounded until we get that resolved. We love Cooper, but he is too much dog with too much fur to share our space in the motor home. I tell myself he is happier at home, and I know I am happier when in the motor home without him.

Sarah moved home from college last week end. I can't believe she has finished her freshman year. In June, she is going to take one of her core classes at a junior college near home and then the family is going to Montana to visit Janet's family and to visit their property at Little Bitterroot Lake. And Rachel had her first 'date' last week end. Neither one is old enough to drive, so parents chauffeured to and from the movie.

Have a safe week end, and take a moment to stop and think about all those veterans who have died. They all contributed to the freedoms we enjoy.

Ciao

Sun, Friends, and Mother's Day

Oh that interminable sun!! We have had eastern Washington-like-weather for the past few days. I have been sitting outside this morning enjoying my coffee and the sunshine. It is going to gradually cool over the next few days, but it is glorious for the moment.

I received a call this morning from Kathleen Montez who was the bookkeeper for Al Hauer when I worked for him. I really like her, but her life has read like a soap opera for the entire 45 years of her life. And much of it is of her own doing. She is now in the process of moving to eastern Washington, Benton City, to be near her mother who has had cancer for the past two years.

I had a most enjoyable Mother’s day complete with flowers, candy, gifts, phone calls and the all-important KFC which Craig delivered at dinnertime. He also provided a lovely bottle of wine, and we shared the candy for dessert. Who could ask for more?

I so have itchy feet to go somewhere – until I look at the price of gasoline. I suppose we will all adjust and get used to the idea as have our Canadian friends and Europeans, but it is still a big pill to swallow. At least the Jetta gets about 30 miles to the gallon, but I’m afraid the motor home will be sitting still for a while at 7 miles to the gallon.

To add insult to injury we received the insurance and licenses renewals for the motor home. Yes, the basic license fee here in Washington is only about $35, closer to $60 for the motor home, but then there is an additional $300 for rapid transit tax!!!! As if we will ever see any benefits from it!

Colleen is sweltering in Phoenix where the daily norm is 100+. She gets up early in the morning so she can walk Skyla before it gets too unbearable. There is a pool in her backyard and Toby, the landlord’s dog loves it, but Skyla hasn’t had the nerve to try it yet. I know one does acclimate after a while, and I do love sunshine, but Phoenix in the summer (spring?) is too much for me.

I skipped my free sewing class last night, but there will be another one next month. I’m off to the sewing machine to work on one of several projects that are underway. I guess I should think about finishing some of them.

Ciao

Is it Monday again? Already?

Last week was pretty quiet. Ken arrived home on Friday with a cooler full of fish. He does love fishing. While at the Jaynes, there was much discussion about the upcoming 50th high school reunion for Ken and Bob and the other 35+ classmates. The annual reunions are held in July, in Davenport, in conjunction with Pioneer Days. All good small-town stuff. We have not attended since this last innovation, but I believe the fifty-year classmates ride in a parade on Saturday and then a town-wide dinner at the Memorial Hall on Saturday night. Bob and Sharon have been told they will host a function on Friday night at Liberty Lake. There is always one bossy one in every group!

I attended a garden show on Fox Island on Saturday. Elisabeth's garden club helped with hosting, and she invited me. Now touring gardens is probably toward the bottom of my list of favorite things to do, but she is such a good sport to go and do whatever I want, that I had to reciprocate. The gardens we visited (private residences) were lovely, but everywhere I looked I saw work, work, work and money, money, money. I want a yard/garden to look presentable, but I don't want to be the one to do it.

I am looking forward to Mother's Day since my only request (always honored by Ken and Craig)is KFC for dinner. I love that stuff!! In years past, when I was still working, my only other request was to spend the day doing just what I wanted to do, but now that is pretty much every day for me.

Karen called to alert me to a two-day quiltmaking class that is coming up in November in Coeur d'Alene. Judy Niemeyer is a Montana girl who has created a reputation for her beautiful and intricate paper-pieced patterns. This is all new for me, and a bit intimidating, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Since it is two days, we will stay overnight in Coeur d'Alene instead of driving back to Karen's.

And then there is the Quilt Shop Hop for western Washington the end of June. There are shops from the Canadian border to Vancouver that are participating, so Elisabeth and I are going to start up north and see how many we can visit. We will stay overnight at least one night, if not two, as we make our way south. The shops offer all kinds of promotions and fun so we think it will be a good time. I intend to contact another friend of ours (we three went into real estate together and were known as the Three Muskateers) to see if she is interested in joining us.

My hair stylist will be here in fifteen minutes (she comes to my house, isn't that great?)so I had better get going. Have a good week.

Ciao

The court didn't want me

I was one of 30 prospective jurors with 9 to be seated, so I was not one of them. Since it was a corporate situation involving a failed product, I suspect my background in business, sales, and marketing did not appeal to the defendents. I was up before six this morning, but home again by one.

Ken is at the Jaynes for the annual opening of fishing season. They fished Waitts Lake today and came home with about ten between them. Ken said the weather was miserable.

Cooper and I are keeping our own schedule, and tonight it will be early to bed. I have my sewing machine back so I have been puttering away at some projects. I need to quit starting projects and finish some of them.

Craig stopped by for about an hour yesterday and had some warm apple pie and coffee with me. He is working for his long-time friend, Mark, who has a contractor's license, with most of the work being slabs and skirting for manufactured homes.

I have no plans for the rest of the week, but I suspect I will come up with something. My problem is that I am perfectly content to stay home!!

Ciao

It has been 10 days

since I last blogged. But sometimes there just isn't much going on, either around me or in my head!

I will call in this evening to see if I have to show up for Federal jury duty on Monday; if so, Ken will go fishing without me. Not a problem. There are too many people who think they are too busy to perform their civic duty, and I certainly have the time.

We have spent our time catching up around here. Ken worked in the garage this week, and I am thrilled that I have a straight shot from the door to the car without having to jog around a ten-foot-long saw setup. Last week end was the annual 'get rid of stuff for nothing' in Steilacoom so there went some more stuff. Oh but there is so much more that should be dealt with.

Not having ever lived in the same house for more than six years has caused me to realize how easy it is to accumulate over a period of twelve years. According to her blog, Catherine Ousey in Winnipeg has been on the same task, and it sounds like "Got Junk" is another good outlet.

The motor home spent two days at the dealership so it is fairly hale and hearty again. The biggest issue was the broken pantry slide which caused us to have to tie it shut every time we moved camp. But I love those two sliding pantries, so I'll do whatever it takes to keep them in good working order.

I popped into a 2006 38' Adventurer while there, and I loved it. It has a very long slide on each side (about 15 feet) which creates a huge living area. The slide on the curb side accomodates a side hallway and bedroom wall. The slide on the driver's side expands the seating/dining area. There is a second lavatory vanity in the bedroom, and the bathroom has two doors allowing it to be entered either from the bedroom or the hallway.

We have no travel plans at the moment although the Jaynes have a five day fishing trip to Waitts Lake the latter part of May, and have asked if we are interested. Of course! Thanks to the Spragues, we have a place to store the MH should we want to take it to Spokane and leave it if we have more than one trip planned for Spokane and beyond. That would be a huge savings for gasoline.

I am without my sewing machine for the day since I took it in for a tune up yesterday. I might as well take advantage of the warranty. I have several projects in process, but nothing completed. And of course see many many more that I want to try.

Ciao

Post Easter

We had a great day on Sunday with Jerry, Lois, Curt, Cinda, Jordan, and Cliff. Unfortunately, Linea had to work, but we sent some goodies home for her. It has been months since we have seen all of them, and it has been at least two years since Jerry and Lois were here at our house. With Cinda and Curt in Bellevue, that is usually as far as they go.

We observed some surprised looks on the faces of people at church on Sunday since it has been months and months since we were there. I was struck by how few people were at the 8:15 service. It seems the numbers keep dwindling so I have to wonder how they are managing to pay off the million dollar debt incurred for the major remodel. I wasn’t in favor of it anyway, so I will choose not to worry about it.

Brian has made contact with Greg Kirkwood, Bud and Clara’s grandson, Donny’s son, who is a senior at the Air Force Military Academy. He told Brian he will be at Fairchild AFB after graduation, something to do with medical, I think. He had aspired to fly, but was found to have some color blindness so that took care of flying. Greg played football for the Academy so we watched him in several games last fall. I am happy that he and Brian have made contact since they pretty much trod the same ground, i.e. the Air Force.

We chatted with the Baltimore Kirkwoods over the week end. Janet and Rachel are back at school this week after spring break. Painting Rachel’s bedroom was the project of the week. Sarah has been home on week ends because she works for a tax accountant during tax season. She tells us that she is now training as a bartender at the U of Maryland’s golf course, plus being trained as a banquet manager. It sounds like the money is very good, and it is a pretty controlled environment. OUR GRANDDAUGHTER A BARTENDER????

I have my first Janome sewing class tonight, so I am looking forward to that. Of course that means the start of yet another project………..I must have about six going at the moment, so perhaps I need to think about finishing some of them.

Word of the day: diluvial: of, relating to, or brought about by a flood.

Ciao

Happy Easter

It is drizzling outside, and the weather picture for the next five days does not show one single ray of sunshine!! But everything is certainly green!!

I have done a little work outside on the patio, and Craig and Ken have put in a number of hours just pruning and mowing, but the yard does look better. I have tried to get someone to come out and give me a bid for some heavy duty work, but I guess they are all too busy. Our two big dogwood trees are showing their first signs of life, and they are usually in full bloom by the middle of May. None of our rhodies are in bloom yet, but I have seen a few around town.

Ken just put some gravlax in the refrigerator to season until Sunday. The biggest challenge is to find absolutely fresh salmon that can be cured in this way. Some salt, sugar, dill and a splash of Aquavit is all it takes.

I see our fellow travelers, the Ouseys, are keeping busy with family and grandchildren, but Carolyn called a few days ago, and we were already discussing where we want to go next winter!! They will do some traveling on the Island this summer, and we might do some traveling here in Washington, but the price of gas is causing us to have some second thoughts.

We are sorry to learn that Jeff Schuler’s father passed away earlier this week at the age of 88. These last two Easters and last Christmas have been sad times for us and our friends with the loss of 2 brothers and a father. Jeff and Bev, daughter Debbie and granddaughter, Rebekah, are in Memphis. There was a service today at the Lutheran Church in Germantown that Jeff’s father attended.

I have been doing a bit of quilt work, and a lot of quilt fabric shopping. I have managed to add several pieces of fabric to my collection, and should have enough to finish my current project. Then it is back to the Christmas wall hanging that I abandoned last winter. It needs to be finished for this coming Christmas.

Happy Easter to all. Ciao

Wine Country and home

OK, I'm slowly adjusting to living in a real house again, but I miss the easy motor home life!!

We spent two days at the Prosser Wine Country RV Park so we could visit some of our favorite wineries. It is still early in the season, so lots of the smaller wineries are only open on week ends, but we found plenty to visit. The fruit trees are bursting into bloom, but the grapes are still sleeping. I'm sure they will be showing signs of life within the next few days. One of our favorite wineries is Paradisio del Sol. Their wines are quite good, and you usually have to make your way past the chickens and ducks to get to the house/tasting room. We not only purchased some wine, but a dozen eggs that came in various hues from brown to pale aqua. Tasty.

Craig and Cooper greeted us upon upon our arrival home. As always, Craig had the house as neat as a pin. However, the yard looks like we need a herd of goats. My goal for the coming week is to find someone who is willing to spend about a week around here getting the ivy, the blackberries, and the grass under control. It is more than either Ken or I want to take on. He will be busy with the raised garden beds, and I'll put some effort in to the back patio and the containers.

Most everything looks the same around town. One of our neighbors down on Birch has her home on the market. I figure it is overpriced by about $100,000, but we will wait and see.

We are having Curt, Cinda, Linea, Jerry, Lois, and maybe Jordan and Cliff for dinner next Sunday. It will be fun to see all of them. I haven't even talked to Craig about it, so I don't know if he and/or Cassie and Greta will be here or not. I haven't settled on a menu, but I'm leaning toward a new pork loin recipe I found, and perhaps Greek-style roasted potatoes with lemon and seasonings.

Our calendar is filling up for the next few months. Of course at the top of the list are the various quilt shows and a shop hop for me, but we are expecting Brian and family and their friends the Hoovers for the 4th of July. Then we will probably take the motor home to Motana to meet up with Keith and Janet at their lake property, after which we will go back to Spokane/Davenport for Ken's 50th (50th?!!!) high school reunion. The first week end of August is my high school reunion (45th) in Spokane, and that is also the week end of Ken's Kirkwood family reunion in Oregon. It looks like we will either go our separate ways or set some priorities. And before all of that, the last week end of this month is the opening of fishing season so Ken will make his annual trek to Spokane to fish with Bob Jayne. Oh yes, Rod and Karen are coming through in about a week.

It was one year ago this past week that we lost Pat. So of course my thoughts were particularly focused on him, our family, and memories. I do miss him, but I am thankful his ordeal is over.

Overcast and cloudy is pretty much the order for weather for the coming week. I need SUNSHINE!!

Ciao

A busy week

We did all that was planned in the last blog. Ernie and Jean Perkins came for dinner last Sunday evening, and along with Rod and Karen, we had a great visit. Ernie is recovering from some complications after nose/sinus surgery, and that on the heels of some aggressive radiation for prostate cancer, but he is on the mend.

Ken and Rod spent many hours at the air museum at Hill AFB last week end which is considered one of the best in the country for vintage aircraft. It is fun for us to be able to offer some of these 'little-known gems' to friends. Karen and I made a valiant effort with regard to quilt shops, but had little success.

Last Monday we drove from Hill to Mt. Home AFB which is where we are still with Rod and Karen having left last Wednesday to make their way home. Brian and Sheila had the four of us for dinner on Tuesday evening plus Brian was able to offer another plane opportunity for Rod by taking him over to a hanger for an up close and personal view of the F15.

The trip to Mt. Home proved costly. We discovered one of the duals was flat as we were stopped at a rest stop just east of Mt. Home. In fact, the same dual that went flat in Yuma. But this time it was damage, not a faulty valve, and at the moment, Ken is at Les Schwab getting a new tire. Oh the fun I could have had with the money spent on that one big round black ugly piece of rubber. But again Coach Net, our roadside service, came to the rescue and changed the tire at the rest stop so we could come on in to the base.

On Wednesday, we drove to McCall to spend some time with Brian, Sheila, and the boys at their condo. They went skiing yesterday, and will again today before coming home. We drove up to the lodge yesterday to see the boys on their snowboards. They are quite good except Warren just needs some more weight in order to get up more speed.

Last night was a local hockey game between the Mountaineers of McCall and the team from Sun Valley. This is a sideline for all the players, and in fact there are one or two on the McCall team who are in the Air Force here at Mt. Home. What amazed us was the quality of hockey they played. No fights, just hard and fast skating and checking. McCall won in the last minute of the game!!

Between the last two periods, we were able to chuck a puck. We purchased numbered rubber pucks to be thrown at a small spot on the ice, and if it were to land, and stay on the spot, the thrower would win $150, but no one did. It was fun!! The arena is very nice, and we liked the whole small-town feel of the evening.

There are huge piles of snow all around McCall, and when we got up this morning, our car had about six inches of new snow piled up from the early morning snow. We hurriedly left for Mt. Home, and with some very slow driving in places we made it back. By the time we got to Eagle we were seeing green grass and spring flowers.

We are down to the last few days on the road. We will leave here either tomorrow or Monday and proceed on to the wine country in Washington before we go home. Again, weather will dictate how long we can tarry.

Ciao

Today is Friday, it must be ..........................

Here we are at Hill AFB just north of Salt Lake City. I always feel like we are getting such a great deal when we stay at a Famcamp within the military system because the prices are very reasonable ($14 with full hookups), and I feel very comfortable and “at home”. It was a rather long day today since we drove from St. George, Utah to Ogden. We managed to drive through Salt Lake City right about four o’clock, but fortunately, the traffic moved pretty well. Karen and Rod are still traveling with us, but we will probably go our separate ways after our stay here.

We spent a good number of hours in the car yesterday as we went all the way to Bryce Canyon Park. Ken and I had never seen it, nor had Rod and Karen. But there has been snow in the area, so I feel as if we need to return at a different time of year for yet another perspective. The red rock is spectacular, but I feel it was diminished by the snow. Whereas one looks up to appreciate Zion Park, one must look down to appreciate Bryce.

We have friends from our Navy days in Iceland who live in this area, and we are delighted that they are going to come for dinner on Sunday night. I love the fact that the friendships formed throughout the years in the military never go away, and we can just pick up where we left off.

So it was while we were in St. George. Joan Schultz and her son Danny lived just a block or two from us all the time we lived in San Jose. Danny and Brian were the best of friends, and we have all kept in touch over the years. I did call Joan while we were in St.George, and we had a good visit, but she is a bit under the weather so we did not have an opportunity to see each other. Her son, Danny, who is married and has two teen aged sons is still in the Air Force in Texas but is getting ready to retire and move to the civilian side of health care which is what he has done all of his 20 years in the Air Force.

According to Gary’s blog, he and Carolyn are home and are in the process of moving out of the motor home and into their house. That is major after one has been on the road for almost four months. And before you know it, they will be repacking the MH for their trips around the island and elsewhere over the coming months. I am so overwhelmed at the thought of arriving home within the next two weeks that I am tempted to just park in the driveway and continue to live in the MH.

There is a museum of vintage aircraft here at Hill AFB that Ken and Rod plan to see, and Karen and I are going to seek out every fabric and quilt shop we can find. That, along with any other items of interest in the area. We will probably leave here on Monday with Rod and Karen making their way toward Washington and we toward Mt. Home to see Brian, Sheila and the boys. Ciao

Viva Las Vegas

Hello from Las Vegas. We have been to the strip, and I’ve gambled away my $2 in the penny slots.

We left Foothills West in Casa Grande on Saturday morning and made our way to Bullhead City. Karen found a county park right on the Colorado River which afforded us a great place to stay for two days. We drove across the river to Laughlin for dinner and introduced Rod and Karen to the joys of an In N Out burger and fries.

On Sunday, we drove to the little old mining town of Oatman to see and feed the burros that tromp up and down the street looking for carrots and feed. Oatman is a little like Tombstone; complete with the shoot ‘em up showdown on Main Street, but we quite enjoyed ourselves. We ducked into a little place for a cup of coffee only to encounter a gentleman singing and playing his guitar. I couldn’t resist buying his CD even though I have never heard of him.

On Monday, we covered about 100 miles to settle in at the Famcamp at Nellis AFB. We are in overflow which means we have no hookups, but it is working out just fine since we came in with water and empty tanks. The Spragues are pleased with the performance of their newly added second solar panel, and our generator works just fine. There are warm and clean showers with lots of hot water.

Karen had never seen Las Vegas, and it has been years since Rod was here, so they have walked and gawked for hours on end. We tried to get tickets to see Mama Mia, but they were outlandishly expensive so we passed. Ken and I didn’t spend as much time downtown, but we could see some changes from when we were here last time – which was when Brian and Sheila lived here around 2000.

Jeff and Bev Schuler are going to visit Keith and Janet this Saturday. Bev has been in Washington DC this week for a nursing conference, and Jeff is joining her today. Bev wants lobster so it is lobster and wine at the Kirkwoods on Saturday. Keith and Janet live quite close to where Jeff and Bev lived right after he finished college and was active duty in the army for a while. They haven't seen Janet and the girls since Brian and Sheila's wedding. I think Keith has been in San Jose since then. Wish we could join them.

We are headed out of here either today or tomorrow, depending on the weather in southern Utah, to stay in the St. George area for a day or two to take a look at Bryce and Zion if we can get close. We have a friend, Joan Schultz, from our days in California who lives in Ivans, which is next door to St. George, so we will make it a point to see her.

……..I just got online and the weather looks fine up ahead so we will go!

Ciao

Hey Mike and Mary

Welcome to the Kirkwoods' blog site. You will probably learn more about us than you ever wanted to know.

We like it here! This is a very nice little RV park, and I could see us returning for a longer stay next winter. Unlike so many that we have encountered, this one is not overrun with rules, golfers and their wild golf carts, and "can't or won't dos". The staff is VERY FRIENDLY, and there are no hours for the pool or spa - open for business 24 hours per day. BTW the name is Foothills West and it is located at the very northern edge of Casa Grande off Val Vista.

Yesterday we met Rod and Karen for lunch as they were making their way from Dollbeer Park in Mesa to Beaudry RV in Tucson to attend an Alpenlite rally. They had made one last visit to the Mesa Market and Rod drove a hard bargain to purchase a crimson and gray Cougars blanket for Ken. Now Ken thinks it should be a permanent drape over the back of the sofa - NOT!

Colleen and her new love, Girlie, drove down to visit and have dinner with us yesterday. Girlie is very sweet, smart, alert, and seemingly a bit headstrong. She would bark when other dogs were walked by, but more out of saying, I want to play."


She looks like a small long-haired German Shepherd with very erect high-set pointed ears (think German Shepherd), and the backs of them are as soft and fuzzy as a Koala bear. As is typical of the breed (Belgian Tervuren)her feet are small and look like cat paws. We discovered that the Belgian Malinois has a short coat, so hence the thinking that she is a Tervuren. Since she was originally rescued as a stray near Douglas, AZ, we are wondering if she had an encounter with a bobcat. Our site here at the park as a metal sculptor of one, and Girle barked and growled at it. On the other hand, with her intense yellow eyes and long bushy tail, she sometimes look a bit of a wolf. We quite like her.

Ken put the new screens on the front windows yesterday, and we are delighted with them. They very effectively cut the sunshine and glare, but allow us to clearly see out. It is interesting to see the sunshine on the dash, but still have it cool to the touch.

We plan to go into Phoenix a time or two this week. We want to see Martha one more time before we leave as well as Colleen. Rod and Karen will join us here next Friday night, and then we will make our way toward Laughlin and Las Vegas. We don't have a complete route planned, but have a general idea. However, if it stays cold and wintery up north, I'm stayin' down here!

Ciao

The rains came......

about ten last night, and it has been raining pretty much ever since. I think it is supposed to clear up by tomorrow afternoon, but as of now, Phoenix has received 8/10 of an inch.

We were up at five yesterday morning to get an early start for Yuma because there were threats of strong gusty winds. We made it with no problem, had the screens installed, and did a bit of shopping. While parked at Yuma Palms shopping mall, Ken discovered one of the outer duals was flat. "Hello, Coachnet?" We had someone arrive within a half hour and discover that the problem lay with the valve stem extension, and there was nothing wrong with the tire. So with an adjustment and some air, we were on our way. I used Coach Net one other time to unlock my car and in both cases, we signed our names and were on our way.

We said good by to the Ouseys, but we reminded ourselves that we only live about 100 miles apart, even though it is different countries, and we will get together this summer. They are such good folks and good friends. We have enjoyed our time with them. We have known them for about 30 years thanks to the US and Canadian forces.

Last night we overnighted at the Paradise Casino which is right across the road from Cocopah where we stayed in December. There are rows and rows of plowed dirt roadways separated by dirt berms. We just pulled in and parked. Tried the casino, but it was so smokey, I wouldn't go back. But Ken did and won $50 on a quarter machine. I was more than happy to accept half of his smokey-smelling winnings.

Since we were up at five, we were ready for bed by seven, but made ourselves stay up for a while. We had constant entertainment as we watched the various rigs come in and park for the night. Everything from a 40 foot long Dynasty to a box van with a welded rack on top that was loaded to the gills. Our guess is that is was someone who had just pulled up stakes from his Quartzite shop. He never set foot outside the van, so obviously was able to crawl into the back from the cab. It doesn't take much to entertain us, does it?

We were up at six this morning so we could be first in line at Mr. Goodwrench's place. We dined at McDonalds, shopped at the Yuma Marine Air Station commissary, and made a final quick pass through the Yuma market.

We arrived in Casa Grande about three this afternoon and are parked right across the street from the office and pool and spa. It is a smaller older park with quite a few park models, but friendly staff and everything very neat and attractive.

I can't think for the rain pounding on the roof. Ciao

Last week in Ehrenberg

We will be on the road this coming Friday, and bright and early we will be because we need to be in Yuma before noon to keep an appointment to have sun screens made for the front windows of the motor home. Then on Saturday morning Ken has an appointment to get the motor home lubed and oiled in preparation for the trek home.

We will spend the next week or two in the Phoenix/Tucson area and then start for home. Rod and Karen fly back to Phoenix this Wednesday, and will be attending a rally in Tucson next week. Then we plan to join up to drive part way home together.
I think we are going to try Bryce and/or Zion in Utah. We will go on to Mt. Home to see Brian, Sheila, and the boys before we go on to Steilacoom.

Speaking of which.....Ken stopped to chat with someone who came in to the park today because they had Washington license plates - they are from Steilacoom!

We drove to Lake Havasu City on Saturday to have a look around. Since it was just founded in the early 60s, everything is quite new. There are some huge magnificent homes scattered around the town. I found the only two fabric shops in the town, and we did stop and take a quick look at the London Bridge. I could see us seeking out an RV park to spend a month next winter.

We are still waiting for rain. It was overcast all day but stayed dry.

Ciao

....and the skies are (not) cloudy all day

I have had to do a double take several times today to make sure I knew what those dark things were in the sky. We had a few sprinkles of rain last night, and it has been overcast all day today, but I don't know if we will see any other precipitation.

We had a most enjoyable weekend in Phoenix with Sheila and Colleen. Of course IKEA was the first order of business along with a short visit to the 69th annual Junior League Rummage Sale. The sale had been underway about one hour when we arrived, and folks were lined up by the dozens to pay for their treasures. We looked and left. But then we were at IKEA a bit before it opened so we had breakfast while we waited.

We went out for a German dinner on Saturday night with Sheila and Colleen treating us in honor of Ken's birthday (tomorrow). I must say that we are a pretty tough bunch of critics when it comes to German food, but we collectively decided we would give the restaurant a B. My schnitzel was good, as was the red cabbage, but I think I make a better spatzle. A good time was had by all.

We 'girls' spent some time putting some finishing touches on Colleen's apartment by doing some rearranging and hanging some pictures. It all looks very cute and cozy. Then on Sunday after Sheila left, Ken and I went with Colleen to two different shelters to look for a dog. She didn't take one home, but there were a couple of possibilities. One interesting dog was a Catahouli - a Louisiana cattle dog. But it is a lot of dog needing a lot of exercise so probably not a good candidate for an apartment.

We talked to Craig on his birthday, and it sounds like Cassie made sure he had a good week end. He said they ate well. Cassie is the daughter of a home ec teacher and Craig says she can cook up a storm.

I had fully recovered from my cold of a month ago, and now I have some sort of respiratory ailment that has hit me with a vengeance. I have lost all sense of taste, and I have coughed until every muscle in my body hurts. I am ready for this to be over.

Carolyn and Gary are having us for a steak dinner tomorrow night for Ken's birthday. I will bake an apple pie, but between not feeling well, and the confines of the motor home, I am using a frozen pie shell. Oh horrors.

Ciao

Another week of excitement..................not!!!!

Let's see, what exciting stuff do I have to talk about? We have done a bit of socializing with the Canadians. Rob's birthday was a few days ago so we were treated to a luncheon barbeque with bratwursts, hot dogs, and pistachio pudding dessert. Gary and Carolyn treated us to dinner a their "house" earlier this week and we enjoyed a pork tenderloin that was delicious. Then we went to lunch yesterday with Gary and Carolyn at our newest favorite Mexican restaurant in Blythe. The nice thing about a meal in a Mexican restaurant is that there is always enough to bring home for another meal.

I got my hair cut this morning at a little shop in Quartzite and it took about twelve minutes and cost twelve dollars. That works for me. Ken and I then motored on to the big city of Yuma. We made an appointment to have sun screens installed when we are back down there the tenth of March, and then left my rings at the jewelers to have them sized down by one and one half sizes.

The big size was their idea, not mine, but they are going to give me a "good deal" and only charge me one half the fee to resize them!! Plus I paid $140 for the first sizing to include a chunk of gold, but now the jeweler tells me that it is just a small amount of gold that will be removed when he sizes them down. I said I wanted it!!!!

Sheila will be in Phoenix this week end, so we are also going to go to Colleen's for a week end of shopping and eating and visiting. It is about a two hour drive from here and we will go in on Friday morning and come back to Ehrenberg on Monday. I haven't seen the inside of a Trader Joe's for a while, and there are still fabric shops that I haven't explored.

I do have about ten new pieces of fabric for a new project as soon as I get my hands on the pattern. I am moving toward a contemporary/oriental look in ecru, oriental florals and black for a new duvet cover for the bed in the motor home. Neither oriental nor contemporary sound like me, but I think it will work with the window coverings and wallpaper.

We are already anticipating Christmas..........Keith and Janet and the girls are coming to Steilacoom! They made the decision early because they were able to get tickets at a very reasonable price. I assured them I would begin preparing as soon as I get home. We have not had them with us for Christmas since Sarah was a toddler, so it will be a special time.

We have had the Olympics on every night, but little of it has captured my attention this year. Of course the ice skating is my favorite, but I am tired of listening to
Dick Button and all of his negative comments. And even the skating has failed to put me on the edge of my seat.

It has been getting very cold at night, but it is warm and sunny during the days, and the temps are headed for 80 this week end!

Ciao

Ken must be right when he says our week consists of 6 Saturdays and a Sunday because I do not know what day of the week it is. I think it is Friday, but then again, it could be Saturday.

We added another chapter to the Martha story. Mike called earlier this week and said Martha's daughter Rachel and husband were in Mesa visiting Martha and of course I wanted to meet them so we drove to Phoenix on Wednesday and came home yesterday. It was so much fun to meet them. The only time I ever laid eyes on Rachel was when she was an infant and she and her mother came to Washington for a visit and now she is in her late 50s!

Rachel and Assad were geologists (now retired) and living in South Dakota. They have a daughter and son-in-law, both of whom are optometrists, and a son with a degree in theater but after several years of performing in New York, he has returned to school - law school. Apparently Assad is very knowedgeable in his field, and for all the times he told folks that he was attending some kind of a geological seminar or function, he failed to mention that he was a presenter, not just an attendee. A modest man.

We also drove out to The Resort while in Phoenix to visit with some of the Davenport folks. Some of the conversation focused on the upcoming 50th year high school reunion for the five of them who are Davenport graduates.

We stayed all night with Colleen, and her little apartment is very cute now that she has everything in its place save hanging pictures. She has many lovely items that she has acquired from her years of travel or gifts from others to include Polish pottery, prints and paintings and some textiles. She is still shopping for a dog to adopt. She has contacted a number of rescue places to find just the right companion.

And to finish the Phoenix trip, Ken very patiently helped me find a quilt shop that I had been wanting to visit and then very patiently waited while I did my shopping. Today I plan to put some of my purchases into play.


Ken's cousins, Carolyn and Irvin Ladd from Crooked River Ranch, Oregon are in the area for a few days. We drove to Parker to visit and have dinner with them earlier this week, and now they are in the park right next door to us, so we had them over last night. I think they have been on the road for about two months, and will be going home within the next few days. We have had the fun of having friends and family around us for this entire trip.

It is overcast this morning, but it doesn't look like it will last. We had lots of gusty winds earlier this week but they have gone away. The temps have cooled down to the high 60s and low 70s.

Ciao

Ehren Where?

We are in Ehrenberg which is a hard-scrabble little “berg” that is a hub for migrant workers with only a Flying J and one or two shabby store fronts. Blythe, CA is six miles to the west where we found an Albertsons, Rite-Aid and K Mart. There is nothing to do around here from what we can tell, so we are making plans to spend a day or two with Colleen within the next week or two!

This park is quite nice, fairly small with very wide sites and a view of the Colorado River and beyond. We are parked about 200 feet from the banks of the river so have a great view.

We are traveling with the three other couples so we busy ourselves with visiting back and forth and sharing meals. We did engage in a game of Mexican Train with Rod and Karen yesterday afternoon. They are flying back to Spokane on Wednesday and will return to Phoenix/Tucson in a month. They are going to store their trailer at Doll Beer where we stayed in January.

It has taken me ten days to shake this cold, but I think I am about over it. Of course two others were complaining of sore throats yesterday, so I suspect everyone will end up with it.

I am making paella for the group for dinner this evening, but I am afraid it will be shy on the seafood considering my shopping choices, so I am counting on something from the frozen sections. If I serve enough sangria, no one will know the difference, right?

Carolyn and Irvin Ladd are about 45 miles north of here in Parker, but we haven’t made contact with them. They called once but have their number blocked, and even Harriet didn’t have their cell phone number. I think they are leaving to go back to Oregon within the next few days.

I promise I will blog the instant something exciting happens around here, so you may not hear from me for a month! Ciao.

On to Benson

I am still playing catch-up with my blogging. We were in Mesa until last Wednesday, the first, when we moved on to Benson. We enjoyed our stay in Mesa at the Doll Beer Mobile Home Park. Old but perfectly suitable. It was fun to have Martha pop in and out almost on a daily basis. She usually arrived with fresh fruit, or cookies, or something else she thought we might have use for.

We toured one of Frank Lloyd Wright's properties last week before leaving Mesa - Talisian - which is still a working design school. I need to learn more about the man, because he was pretty complex - eccentric? It was quite fascinating to walk through the living areas that he and his family occupied for several years. He would never create a structure on the top of a rise, but always placed it under the brow of the rise to make it one with the surrounding area. Of course the location of Talisian was really out in the middle of nowhere when it was built, but the greater Scottsdale area has moved in closely.

Last Wednesday, we and the Spragues pulled up stakes and made our way to the Butterfield RV Resort in Benson - the only RV resort with an observatory - which Ken and Rod have visited. We quite like this place, and it is not age restrictive so there is a bit younger crowd and fewer folks careening around in golf carts. We are walking distance to a grocery store, hardware store and post office so what more could we ask for? We are parked across the street from Gary and Carolyn and Rob and Sue Robinson. Rob and Sue sold their home in Victoria some time ago and have been full timing it in their Bluebird motor coach.

I came down with a cold on Friday, so I am still operating at less that normal capacity, but it should be over in the next day or two. We have spent today, leisurely soaking up the sun and puttering. The rest of the group (Spragues, Ouseys, and Robinsons) is going to Kartchner Caverns this afternoon, but we were there 2 years ago, so we will look for something else to do.

Today is just about perfect with sunshine, blue skies, a light breeze and the temperatures in the 70s. We girls have been going into the spa every night which is a great way to cap off the day. The air cools down quickly once the sun goes down so the warm spa feels great.

We are going out for a little shopping trip to look for a pot for the cactus that we have been dragging around with us for the past 3 weeks. Karen and I have been in need of some quilt shop fixes, but so far only one in Sierra Vista. And I doubt there will be anything in Ehrenberg or Blythe when we get there later this week.

Ciao

We are still around, just silent

Not having internet available is making me crazy. I have no idea what I wrote in my last blog since I did it online (I think). Well here goes!!

Karen and Rod Sprague arrived last week after a rainy trip from Washington. We went to Casa Grande ruins last Thursday. Ken and I had been there before, but I think Karen and Rod enjoyed it. There is one part of a large structure and some low walls remaining as evidence of a people that existed for almost 1000 years until the 1400s. They, like many early civilizations, exhibited an interest (understanding) in celestial happenings and rhythms.

A first for me that day was lunch at a Crackerbarrel restaurant. I was underwhelmed to say the least. But I am usually super critical of most chain restaurants (except KFC). I found the food to be starchy and salty. It was interesting to arrive and be told it would be fifteen minutes before we could be seated. It turned out to be 45 minutes, and that same scenario transpired for every other person we encountered. Could it be that the delay is deliberate since there is a big roomful of knick knacks and old time candy to peruse and purchase while you wait?

Colleen and I flew to Colorado Springs last Friday to rent a truck and retrieve her belongings that have been in storage for almost two years. Her friend, Emmie, picked us up at the airport and hosted us for the evening. She is a gracious southern girl who exudes warmth and hospitality, and is a wonderful cook.


Two women and a truck……..

We had two men load the truck, then Colleen and I climbed aboard and proceeded to herd the behemoth down the road. It was twice as big as we needed, and it acted as though the wheels had never been balanced. It was a terrible ride until we got up to about 70 mph, and then it was a bit smoother. With the blessing of U-Haul, we drove all the way with the oil light and check engine lights on, but it did keep ‘truckin’ along.

We stayed in Gallup, NM on Saturday night, got up at six and were on the road by six thirty. We arrived in Phoenix around noon, and with the help of Ken and Colleen’s landlord, had the truck emptied and returned by mid afternoon. By evening, her bed was assembled and made, her entire kitchen unpacked and put away., and I slept hard last night!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Yesterday was a day for little projects which evolved into a little shopping which evolved into spending a bunch of money. We have a broken part on the latch for one of the pantries so of course that means going to the Winnebago dealer to spend a ton of money on a little part that isn’t even in stock at the moment with Winnebago. We also took note of some shopping sites in the area and went to Camping World, Trader Joes, and one or two quilt shops.

Finally last night we remembered to take advantage of the pool and the spa here at the ol’ Dollbeer Park. The pool was spa temperature, and the spa was so hot it was almost painful so we didn’t stay long. The pool area is right in front of our MH; about a 20 yard walk for us. The pools were immaculate, as they should be since I have never seen anyone in them, and they get cleaned about every other day.

We stopped by Colleen’s office yesterday to retrieve my handbag that I had left in her car, so her dad had a chance to meet her boss and see her office. She has a busy week getting ready for a big annual fundraising event this coming Saturday, but she still thinks she has enough energy to go to IKEA one evening this week.

We have no immediate plans for the day, but I have frittered the last 2 ½ hours on the Today Show, Sonoran Living Live, and View along with several cups of coffee. Okay, okay, I need to get on with the day. Ciao.

mMesa et al

We made our way from Yuma to Mesa last Tuesday and checked in at the Doll Beer Trailer Park. Actually, it is quite adequate except, like just about every RV park in the state - no internet. The property for the park was a working horse farm and then converted to a dedicated community of fixed mobile homes. The homes are old, probably at least 30 years, but everything is very well maintained. There are a few RV sites "on the plaza" where we are parked which is right beside the pool and hot tub.

We looked at many RV parks in the area yesterday, and since internet is not available anywhere, we will probably stay put until the 31st when we move to Benson, AZ to an RV resort with its own observatory.

We have enjoyed a great visit with Mike, Mary, Becky, and Martha. Martha is 86 years young, and it was only within the last few years that everybody concerned put two and two together and acknowledged the fact that she and Mike share the same father. Martha looks and acts more like she is 66 with naturally dark hair and she clog dances! She tramped through IKEA with us earlier this week and has been on the go every day. Although much shorter, she reminds me a bit of Lilly.

Colleen has been looking for a place to live, since the house where she has been staying is now empty and on the market. She has secured a little two bedroom guest house that sits behind the home (with a swimming pool) of an ASU professor. AND he owns a two year old Golden Reteiver. She can move in tomorrow with what she has with her, and then she and I will do a road trip to Colorado to retrieve her belongings out of storage.

We know some folks from Davenport (Glenn and Nancy Reinbold) who are staying here in Mesa, but we haven't connected yet. And there are others who will be arriving, but probably after we have left.

As the Northwest slogs through the wet and the rain, this area is coming up on 90 days with no rain, but there is a hint that there might be something within the next 48 hours. The temps have been in the 70s during the day so we are not complaining.

I have no idea when we will be connected again, but keep checking back for another update. Ciao

Ken Colleen and I went to the Mesa Market today for a while, and it looks just about the same as it did when we were here two years ago. I didn't find anything I couldn't live without.

Happy New Year

Let’s see, where were we? Oh yes, Idaho. Now back in Yuma, and moving on to Mesa next week.

We had a wonderful Christmas with Brian, Sheila, and the boys. We had some good meals and enjoyed each other’s company. Ken and I made ragg quilts for the boys for Christmas, and they were well received. Ken did all of the cutting, and I did the sewing. Then for the two days of driving to McCall, I clipped seams. That is about 1200 miles of clipping!!

We drove from McCall back to Yuma in two days. My advice with regard to the state of Utah is don’t eat or sleep there. We had terrible meals, and a terrible motel room in Provo. Tuesday, the second day on the road was long with our arriving at Colleen’s about ten.

Gary and Carolyn arrived in Phoenix on time on Wednesday, and we made our way back to Yuma. Now with each passing day, we see more and more of the sites filling. Today the wind is blowing very hard and is doing a good job of rocking the motor home. We face a big open expanse of newly-worked dirt, so it is especially adept at infiltrating every square inch.

We welcomed in the new year with Jeff and Bev, Gary and Carolyn, and their friends from Victoria, Kathy and Andy. I think this is about the 25th consecutive New Year’s Eve we have spent with Jeff and Bev. We were all still wide awake at midnight, which has sometimes been a struggle for us.

We went to Algodones on Wednesday, which we can practically see from the RV park. It is a pretty typical border town except much cleaner. I didn’t see anything that looked to be a spectacular deal – most of the silver is mediocre at best and nothing out of the ordinary. We did have a bite to eat and it was quite good.

We have been to the ‘old’ market here in Yuma and plan to visit the ‘new’ one today. We did find some nice produce at the old market this week.

Jeff and Bev will be leaving within the next day or two, and then on the tenth we will move to Mesa. Mike and Mary and Becky will be arriving in Mesa on the seventh for a week’s visit with Mike’s half sister, and we will join them there. “We are staying at the Dohlbeer Trailer Park because that is where Martha is staying, but when I called I was told they had plenty of room, to self-register if we arrived on a week end, pick any spot that was available, and no they didn’t need my name or credit card. Hmmm. But it will be fine and convenient for a few days of visiting.

Then later in the month Rod and Karen will be back from Connecticut. They leave Spokane Sunday to drive to Mesa and set up their fifth wheel before they hop on a plane to visit son John and family in Connecticut. We plan to spend a few days together the latter part of January and first part of February.

January 8, 2006

The Schulers have gone home after a great visit, the dust has settled (from the fields, not the Schulers), the weather has been warm and sunny, and on Tuesday we will pull up stakes and move to Mesa. Mike called yesterday to say they had arrived.

We have now shopped the ‘new’ market’ as well as the old, so I think we have seen as many cheap Chinese junk (not junks, but junk) imports as we can stand. I am enjoying the fresh produce that the markets offer: avocados, squash, peppers, and lots of citrus. We made a salad with nopales (paddle cactus leaves), and it was tasty.

We also now know of a good jeweler in Yuma. I broke two prongs on my diamond ring, so nothing to do but have it repaired – which requires removing it from my finger which was not an easy task. So along with repairing and sizing mine, Ken will have his sized as well, and both will be re-engraved and re-florentined. They should be ready tomorrow.

After about three weeks in the Mesa/Phoenix area, we are going to spend one week with the Ouseys, their friends, Rob and Sue, and our friends, Rod and Karen at the Butterfield RV Park in Benson which even boasts its own observatory. Then after a day or two near Picacho Peak and Casa Grande, we will set up camp at River’s Edge in Ehrenburg for one month. Come the first of March I guess we will have to think about making our way back north. I’m not ready to think about that yet.

This is the first time we have been able to connect to the internet since we arrived here, so I just might sit up all night surfing the net!!

Ciao

Merry Christmas

from McCall. I am looking out at some snow on the ground, but it is not all that cold. The last two days have been warm and rainy, so we consider ourselves fortunate to have something white outside. Walking has been treacherous because of a thick layer of ice underfoot, and some of that is still with us.

We had planned to stay in Twin Falls last Tuesday night, but Brian made reservations for us in billeting on base in Mt. Home, so we continued on. Our drive on Tuesday was easy and uneventful. We did not drive the interstate, and when we stopped in the little town of Alamo, we learned from the postmistress that there was a secondary road going north that would save us 50 miles. Another great two-lane road with little or no traffic. We met an occasional truck, but did not encounter any trucks going north with us. That alone made the route very enjoyable. There were stretches of road that would be straight ahead for a mile or more.

We drove to McCall on Wednesday, and Sheila and the boys followed on later in the evening. Brian got here about nine on Thursday evening. We have been eating too much, sleeping, and just generally enjoying ourselves. Colleen, Sheila, and I visited all the shops in town yesterday for our last minute items.

Brian and Sheila’s condo is just too charming and cozy. The theme “It’s always winter at the condo” shines brightly in every corner from the antique skis to the framed photos of the family while playing in the snow to the snowflake dinnerware. It is done in red, white, and beige – very Scandinavian!! And now there is the decorated Christmas tree, and dozens of Christmas decorations to add to the delight.

McCall is very cute. It sits on the shore of Lake Payette and has several very nice shops. I found it interesting that Paul’s Grocery (an excellent upscale grocery store) has a mezzanine that is a fabric and handwork shop. Only in Idaho?

As I write this, Sheila and Colleen are cross-country skiing, and Brian and the boys have gone tubing. I just finished making sausage strudels and tea ring dough, and now we are going to head for the local coffee shop to post this blog.
We will go to church at seven and then come home for raclette with cheese, onions, potatoes, cornichons, beef, and sausage.

I think we are getting up about 4 am tomorrow! We engaged in a little poker game last night with the winning team deciding how late we could sleep in the morning. It came down to Nolan and me, and Nolan won. Needless to say, a ten-year-old and twelve-year-old year old are not going to stay in bed very long.

We plan to leave either Monday (Ken’s plan) or Tuesday (Helen and Colleen’s plan) to be in Phoenix by Wednesday afternoon to pick up Gary and Carolyn at the airport and return to Yuma for the Schulers’ arrival.

A blessed Christmas to all. Ciao

Several days' of blogs

I am sitting at the front of the MH looking out across a field at a totally clear sky with one pointy peak rising up in the distance. I have even found a way to put a positive spin on the freeway traffic out in the distance…..at night the trucks look like lighted cars on a toy train – an ever-changing, Christmas-like view – along with lots of real trains in the background.

I got out and walked yesterday, finally, and found it to be pretty easy compared to the hills of Steilacoom. It is flat, flat, flat, here. Just about everyone I passed greeted me. Now if this place would get internet, I would be happy as a clam. We spent almost an hour at the library yesterday trying to use the modem, but gave up when we couldn’t get anything beyond 14.4, and our first email hung up while trying to download.

Last night after dark, we were treated to a parade of lighted golf carts with some of them looking pretty creative. One had icicle lights hanging from the canopy, and another with lighted wheels going ‘round and ‘round..

Ken and I have spent time working on a Christmas gift project, and that will be our task for the next day or two. We are running out of days before we will be leaving for Brian and Sheila’s.

December 16

The Christmas gift project continues, but we should be in good shape by tomorrow.

The weather finally calmed down today after two days of wicked winds, hence tons of blowing sand and dust Today we have had sunshine and temps in the high 60s.

Our friends, the Ouseys, have continued to receive very bad news about Gary’s brother – there is no treatment for his cancer, and he has just days to live. We are taking Carolyn to the Phoenix airport tomorrow, and their three children who live in Victoria all flew to Winnipeg today. So come Monday, our two motor homes will be sitting here unoccupied. But there is good security here at the park so I have no concerns.

After we drop Carolyn at the airport, we will spend some time with Colleen before coming back to Cocopah. Ken has a Fry’s ad in his hands, and he is headed in that direction. I think we are in the market for a new network card that is stronger than what we now have. I doubt I will be wanting to try to do much shopping on the Saturday before Christmas week end.

I talked to Craig last night for a few minutes. He and Cooper were at Cassie’s. Since Cooper spends the days by himself in the run while Craig works, Craig tries to take him with him when he goes out in the evenings.
I will try to post this blog later this evening, and if I don’t there will be another installment in a day or two.

December 17

Nope, the new network card did us no good, so we are still without internet access. I’ll go to the Ousey’s to post this tomorrow.

Sadly, Gary’s brother passed away last evening. It was such a rapid turn of events that it is hard to grasp. We took Carolyn to the airport today, but according to a phone message, there was a delay and she is stuck in Denver until tomorrow morning. It is unknown when she and Gary will return to Cocopah.

We had an early dinner with Colleen and met her roommate/landlady and her mother this afternoon in Phoenix. This is a great arrangement for Colleen, but Suzie is getting married and is going to sell the house, so Colleen will be looking for another place to stay. She would like to buy, but she has no idea how long (or short) she will be in Arizona, so that is risky too.

We stopped and shopped in a book store and a Stein Mart before coming home. I remember being very taken with the Stein Mart in Las Vegas, but I didn’t find anything exciting in this one in Phoenix.

Cinda called today to say that their house in Bellevue was broken into this past week and every piece of jewelry plus computers were stolen. Their property is very private so it would be easy for someone to gain entry and go unnoticed. And to file any kind of an insurance claim is a nightmare and it is hardly worth the effort, or the risk of being dropped if you have another claim. What has happened to the insurance industry in this country? We pay and pay and pay, and then are afraid to use it.

Tomorrow we will finish projects and errands and get ready to be on the road to Idaho on Monday. We plan to arrive Boise Wednesday afternoon, pick up Colleen and go on to McCall.

December 19, 2005

We are in the Air Force Inn at Nellis AFB. We didn’t get out of Cocopah until about eleven today, so this was a good stopping place . We will be on the road bright and early tomorrow morning to get ourselves with in striking distance of Boise for Wednesday noon.

I just finished chatting with Bev Schuler, and she and Jeff are going to drive to Yuma on 12/28 for their annual holiday visit. Jeff looked at flights and decided there was no easy way to get from there to there. We found Yuma to be a conundrum when we were looking at flights for the Ouseys. I thought it was because they needed to get to Canada, but evidently California is no better!

We do at least have a modem here in our room, so I am going to post this since I have been adding to it for days. Ciao