Monday - April 2 - Today was a funny day for weather, it was quit foggy all day but late this afternoon it cleared off in town and was actually sunny and hot but as soon as we started to head back home we ran into the fog again. I guess we are lucky that it isn’t rain!!

Today we thought we would go to Moody Gardens, it is a park with a pyramid rainforest, aquarium, discovery centre, an I-Max theatre, plus, plus. When we got there we found out that it is $45 for a pass for all the exhibits, just a tad expensive, so we decided just to do the aquarium. It was a nice one but one exhibit they had that we have never seen before was penguins, there were three different kinds - the king penguin which is very large, the chinstrap and the rockhopper and they were fascinating, we spent a long time watching them and could have spent a lot longer. It’s interesting to watch them swim then either jump or fly out of the water - depending on where they are going on land. I was watching a couple of penguins and I swear they were having a conversation, their mouths were going a mile a minute at each other. There was another pair who appeared to be having a fight, they flew into the water and just roared around, jumping and diving with the one chasing the other the whole time. Needless to say they provided excellent entertainment. .

After that we found where the ferry is that we have to take to get over to the road to Louisiana, the ferries are very large and I couldn’t believe how many vehicles they hold. The ones we watched had a real mix of RV’s, transport trucks, cars and pickups. Guess we won’t have any trouble with the Airstream on it.

We then went to the historic district (The Strand) and there were a couple of things we wanted to do but we couldn’t find any parking so we left and headed home. We found a Krogers so stopped and got a couple of things then stopped at Wal Mart and got the rest of our groceries. When we got back we stopped at the office and paid for another night so we are now here until Wednesday.

Sunday - April 1 - Today was a nice day, it was cloudy while we were driving but the sun came out this afternoon and it turned into a beautiful day. We drove to Galveston Island State Park and what a beautiful park, it is right on the gulf and we are sitting here listening to the waves crash in and can see the gulf from here. There was a beautiful sunset tonight which we quite enjoyed.

There is a lot of flooding here, apparently they got about 4-12” of rain yesterday and a lot of the campsites are under water. We got a nice dry one so are happy and hopefully there won’t be a lot of rain in the next couple of days. The truck and trailer were filthy when we got here so John gave them a quick wash. We went for a walk along the beach and then I read for a while. Tomorrow we will go exploring, it looks like there is lots to see and do in this area.

Bonus, there is also free wi-fi here so I am happy!!

View From Our Front Door

Port Lavaca for the Night

Saturday - March 31 - Happy Birthday Mike - Oh my goodness, our baby is 35 - scary!! Hope you had a good day.

Today we woke up to rain and no wind - figures when it is the day we are leaving. We started our trek north and drove to Port Lavaca which is between Corpus Christi and Galveston on the Gulf coast. It was a good day, we were in and out of rain all day but when we got here the rain had stopped and the sun even came out for a bit and it is much cooler than in the valley. We are staying at a municipal park which is right on the water, our front window looks out into the gulf. This area is renowned for bird watching and there is a huge marsh here with a wonderful boardwalk through the marsh which we did before getting dinner ready. We saw lots of egrets, a red winged black bird and different kinds of sea gulls but I was disappointed that we didn’t see any herons.

Friday - March 30 - Today was the same weather wise as yesterday. We had a fairly quiet day, John washed the truck and got everything packed away ready to leave tomorrow. I didn’t do too much - read a good book.

This afternoon about 3 we went out shopping, I am trying to find a couple pairs of shorts and believe it or not there are very few shorts out there for the finding. After shopping we went to a place called Terri’s Bistro for dinner, it was really nice with a lot of small rooms and there were tablecloths on the tables - very elegant. They had a senior’s menu and we both ordered off it and our meals were very good and filling - I can’t imagine how much you would get on the regular menu.

Shortly after we got back George and Marion stopped by to tell us how to head north without going on 83 which is all under construction. They took this road today and said it was really good so we will give it a try tomorrow.

Thursday - March 29 - Today was fairly cloudy but still hot, humid and windy - now the wind is being blamed on the bad weather and tornados in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado etc. I don’t care what causes it, the wind really gets on the nerves after a bit.

This morning we cleaned then went out and got a few groceries as we had invited Marion and George for dinner. This afternoon I got as much as possible done for dinner then went down for a swim which was very refreshing. Dinner was very good and we had a great visit.

Tomorrow they are going to Harlingen to pick up their son and daughter-in-law who are flying in for the weekend so George is going to try out a different route north and see what the road is like and let us know. Interstate 83 is all under construction so we are hoping to find a better way north than having to take 83 to Harlingen. Right now the wind has died down a bit but that happens occasionally, it dies down for a few minutes then comes back full force,

Wednesday - March 28 - Today was a repeat of yesterday and we are wondering if this wind ever stops blowing. It sure gets on our nerves.

This morning we went to a flea market but it was mostly junk and the t-shirts etc. were a lot more expensive than the same thing at the Arizona market. We went across the road from there to a fruit and veggie market (mainly fruit) and got a few things there then came home. I went and got my hair cut, then did laundry, by the time I was done it was almost 5 and I was more than ready for the pool. The pool was quite quiet by then so it was nice and it certainly helps to get cooled off for the evening.

Tuesday - March 27 - Today was mainly sunny but still windy. We drove to Padre Island and it reminds us of places like Myrtle Beach - lots of hotels, condos, t-shirt shops, etc. etc. The beach isn’t as nice as in Gulf Shores and there was a lot sea weed on shore which was quite smelly. It was very rough today so lots of waves coming in.

We drove through Brownsville on our way back but again didn’t find anything real exciting about it. I went for a swim when we got back and Marion & George were in the pool so invited us down for a drink after dinner, we had a good visit with them.

Monday - March 26 - And the wind continues to blow hard and the sun doesn’t shine - that is until 6 p.m. at which time the sky cleared off and the sun came out, but the wind didn’t die down - I couldn’t stand a whole winter of this wind!!

Today we drove around the area and checked it out, this park has a sister park about 10 miles from here so we checked it out and it is much nicer, the lots are a lot bigger. Oh well, too late as we paid for a week here this morning. With the cloud and wind we didn’t feel like a swim so gave it a pass for today.

Not too much else too exciting around here, tomorrow we are hoping to drive to Brownsville and check it out as well as Padre Island and see what they are like.

Sunday - March 25 - Today was a quiet day. I vacuumed and dusted and John washed the trailer (again!). I talked to mom, the girls and my sister so got caught up on the news - I was thrilled to hear how well Derrick’s team did in the robotics competition in Waterloo on the weekend. I also did some reading, so a real lazy day.

We drove around the park looking for another site but they are all small, so we decided we might as well stay where we are for the week. We went for a swim about 4:30 so that cooled us down for the rest of the day. The wind here is a pain, it has been really windy all day but seems to have died down a bit tonight. I know I couldn’t stand a whole winter of this wind - give me the desert anytime!

Saturday - March 24 - Wow, did a storm ever blow up last night about the time we went to bed, lots of thunder and lightning, and the wind was vicious, but not a lot of rain. It was blowing so hard that John had to run out and put up the little awnings over the bedroom windows

This morning was cloudy when we headed out, we had a good drive but went through lots of small towns, large towns, and some in between. At Eagle’s Pass we missed the truck route so ended up going right through town, the only problem was that there was a parade and they had the main highway blocked so we ended going around a couple of residential blocks then returning to the truck route - an interesting detour. At one point we saw a fellow on a horse crossing at an intersection where we were stopped and he was talking on a cell phone - I guess you call that progress!!! During our drive today (500+ miles) we had cloudy skies, rain, sunny skies and cloud again - a real gamut of weather,.

So far in Texas we have traveled the Texas Mountain Trail, the Pecos Trail and the Tropical Trail, wonder if there are any more trails to travel.

We arrived at Victoria Palms in Donna about 6, it was a long day, and we managed to get a site but we are not impressed with the sites considering they are $30/night. We were getting set up when George and Marion walked by so talked to them for a few mintues, then a couple from East Caledon, who have a 25’ Airstream Safari, stopped by and chatted so needless to say we had a very late dinner. We were truly surprised when we turned on the TV tonight, we get both CBC and CTV - wow, now I can watch Canada Am Monday morning! I noticed Bev Thompson was doing the news tonight so will have to watch Canada AM to see who is co-hosting it.

Friday - March 23 - John was off shortly after 10 to Mr. Dodge to get the truck done, he arrived back shortly after 2. I did some cleaning, made salsa, checked the internet, etc and next thing I knew he was back.

We drove back to the Amistad Dam but couldn’t cross it as it was a crossing into Mexico, we then went into Del Rio and got fuel and groceries, not a real exciting day. Today was mainly overcast but the sun came out about 3 so it was nice for a while. We came back and had dinner and a quiet evening.

Thursday - March 22 - Today was overcast but warm, we had a brief shower which is the first rain we have seen in over 3 months - can’t say I have missed it!

John was off first thing this morning to Mr. Dodge to have the truck looked at, it turns out the transmission fluid was leaking and the culprit was a bent transmission pan - guess that happened in Yuma when they worked on the transmission. Anyways, to make a long story short they have to order a new pan so John agreed to pay to have it expressed here for tomorrow, so it should be here around 10:30 tomorrow morning. We went to the office when he got back this afternoon and booked another night here, hopefully the truck will be fixed tomorrow and we can be on our way on Saturday.

This afternoon we took a tour of Del Rio and got groceries and when we got back I did laundry. Because it looked like rain all day, and with the wind we can’t get the awning out, we bought a cooked chicken at HEB and had chicken and salad for dinner. Not an exciting day but relaxing.

Wednesday - March 21 - Last night about 9:30 the fellow across from us knocked on the door and said the javelinas were around the trailer. We went out and walked to the back of the trailer and all of a sudden I heard a snort, rustling and smelled a bad smell and there was one right beside me. They are ugly creatures! John tried to get a picture but it was too hard to get it in the light of the flashlight then take the picture.

Today was a beautiful day, it was about 11 by the time we got away and we had a wonderful drive. We took a back highway from Fort Davis to Del Rio but it was a wonderful road, and in over 300 km we only had 3 cars pass us - certainly not a busy road. There was a bit of traffic coming the other way but mostly we had the road to ourselves, so it was an easy day for John. We came through a variety of landscapes, mountains, plains, hills and it was all pretty. We went through about 6 small towns, two were quite bustling but the rest were pretty well ghost towns now, sad. There were lots of picnic areas along the way so no problem for stopping. We passed Judge Roy Bean’s saloon but didn’t stop!

Tonight we are in Del Rio, we are right across the road from Lake Amistad which is a large lake and quite a large recreation area, it has been a long time since we have seen so much blue water!! We have booked here for 2 nights but John has found all kinds of oil all over the bottom of the truck so tomorrow morning it is off to see Mr. Dodge and see what is happening - hopefully nothing serious so that we have to stay longer.

Country Side Around Fort Davis

Some Interesting Peaks

Tuesday - March 20 - Today was another beautiful day, sunny and warm but it sure got cold overnight, it was only 50 at 9:00 this morning. We went to the office to see if we could renew for one more night but they are full so today was our only day here.

We took a scenic drive which was very pretty, we went from high altitudes with lots of trees (we haven’t seen that much green since last year at home) to lower altitudes with lots of cacti etc., quite a pretty drive. We stopped at the Visitor Centre for the McDonald Observatory and would have liked to take the tour but just didn’t have the time, it looked interesting so hopefully sometime we will be back here again and be able to take a tour.

We came back and vegged out, a good afternoon for John. We were sitting outside when a fellow stopped by, it turns out they are from Pine Meadows at Lake Belwood, how many times have I said it is a small world!!

The fellow beside us said we had 5 or 6 javelinas (the j is prounced as h and they are wild boar) around our trailer last night so tonight we will be watching to see if we can see them. We enjoy watching the deer when they come out and wander around.

Our Site at Davis Mtn. Lodge State Park

More Deer

One of the Deer (Notice the Growth by It's Fore Leg)

Monday - March 19 - Today was another nice, sunny day but the temperature only got to the mid 80’s so it was quite pleasant. We are at Fort Davis State Park and what a beautiful park, we are surrounded by mountains and it is very quiet. We booked in for 2 nights but we are going to go down tomorrow morning and see if we can book one more night. We were sitting out at the picnic shelter before dinner and all of a sudden there were a couple of deer wandering around, they are very tame and not afraid of people.

We lost our other hour today but the bonus is that we are now only one hour difference from home. We have no phone signal here but hopefully we can get one in town if we need the phone.

We had just finished the dishes when a couple stopped by, they were each one half of two couples travelling together and both have Airstreams so stopped to chat.

There is no internet connection here so it will be a few days before I can get this posted.

Sunday - March 18 - Today was another hot, sunny day, the high in the truck was 85, a bit more pleasant than yesterday! We got to just south of El Paso today so it was a good day’s drive. We thought we would lose two hours today - one for daylight saving and one when we left Mountain time, but we are still on Mountain time here so only lost one hour. We passed quite a few cattle stations coming into El Paso, thousands of cows and the stench was terrible - I sure would hate to live anywhere near there!

We are staying at a gas station, RV park, nothing special but it will do for an overnight. There is no internet here so I don’t know what the weather forecast for tomorrow is, we will have to wait and be surprised!

Sunset on our Airstream

Sunset at Benson

Saturday - March 17 - We got away from Yuma about 10:30 this morning. Fortunately it was a bit overcast today as the temperature at one point during the trip hit 100 degrees - thank goodness for air conditioning!! We arrived at Benson about 3 and got set up for the night. It looked like it was going to rain when we arrived and was very windy but we got about 6 drops of rain and after a bit it cleared off. There was a lovely sunset tonight so we hope that means a nice day tomorrow.

The couple across the road from us are from Midland so we had a bit of a chat with them. He gave us a couple of good ideas for routes so think we will try them out. I picked up internet a couple of minutes ago and managed to pick up my e-mail, but don’t know if I will be able to get this posted.

Friday - March 16 - Today was another hot one, hopefully we will run into a bit cooler weather when we leave here. We spent the day getting road ready, getting the truck packed up, the trailer organized and doing laundry. We went out this afternoon and returned our internet modem, we sure will miss that. I seem to be logged onto someone’s internet connection here so hopefully I will get this posted, after tonight I will only be able to post my blog when I have a connection. Woops, I spoke too soon, I couldn’t get a connection so will try again, if I can’t get one this will have to wait till whenever.

We went down for our swim about 5 to cool off then came back and got ready to go out for dinner. When we got to Applebees there was an hour wait for a table so we did take out and came home and ate, it was still good and we didn’t have to cook!

Thursday - March 15 - The weather today was the same, at least it is very consistent. Today was a major cleaning day to get ready for the road, John cleaned the outside and I did a thorough job inside, the dust really likes to come in so hopefully I got most of it out today.

This afternoon we went to a RV store and got some light bulbs then on to the market to get gifts for our sons in-laws. We went down for our swim at 4:30 which was wonderful and cooled us down for the evening.

Jim and Sonia came over with a bottle of wine about 6, it was his home made Merlot and was excellent, we really enjoyed it. Needless to say we had a late dinner, John is now doing dishes while I get my blog done. It has cooled down nicely, this afternoon we had the air conditioning running but now it is very pleasant. At least it will be good for sleepingl

Wednesday - March 14 - The weather remains the same, we are just thankful that it cools down so nicely in the evening so that it is good for sleeping. This morning I went and got a pedicure, my feet feel real good now. With the dry heat here it is very hard on the hands and feet.

This afternoon we golfed with Janet & Dave, we didn’t go untill 4:30 so it wasn’t as hot as it would have been earlier in the day. After golf we went to Mr. Liu’s for Chinese buffet which was very good and very reasonable - $8.99 each. Janet & Dave leave for home tomorrow so it was goodbye until December. They are making a few stops on their way home so probably won’t be back to Qualicum Beach until the end of the month.

Tuesday - March 13 - The weather is the same, a real scorcher during the day but thank goodness it cools down at night. Today we turned on the a/c when we came back from golfing to cool down the trailer, it did a good job and we were cool again quite quickly.

It was very hot golfing and interestingly enough the scores reflected it. Usually, there are a couple of 27’s and 28’s for first, second and third place, today there was one 29 which got first, then five 30’s to putt off for second and third place. My partner and I were in the putt off but didn’t win, oh well, we still had fun. We stopped and got groceries on the way home then, when we got back, I laid down for ½ hour. We then we went down for a swim, all in all a nice day even though it was so hot.

Monday - March 12 - Wow, today was a real scorcher, at one point this afternoon the temperature on our thermometer was 103.2, we wanted warm but not this warm! It was another day of just trying to keep cool, John went and got his hair cut and picked up a couple of things at Lowes but other than that we didn’t do much.

We went down for our swim this afternoon and when we came back we had Jim and Sonia over for a drink. They were golfing today, they played 18 holes and said it was quite brutal, I don’t think I could have handled 18 holes in this heat.

Sunday - March 11 - Today was another very hot day, it is hard to get excited about doing anything when it is like this. The rest of North America went on daylight saving time today but Arizona doesn't do daylight saving so we are now 3 hours behind home - it sure makes it hard for calling.

I decided to reformat my Palm, John had said not to try to do it until I had lots of time and boy was he right, it sure took a long time and I still have a few applications to get back in. I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog that we won on the draw again yesterday at the market, this time John won $100 off any ATV in stock, needless to say we didn’t claim our prize - sorry guys.

We went down for a swim about 4:45, we find that it is a good time to go as it keeps us cool for the rest of the day. Had quite a chat with a couple from Langley, B.C., they did Newfoundland two years ago so had lots of tips.

Saturday - March 10 - Today was another scorcher, thank goodness there is no humidity! Today was the annual toilet races at the park, it was fun to watch but I sure felt sorry for those partaking as it was really hot.

After the races we went to the market, didn’t get anything exciting but enjoyed walking around. We ran into Janet & Dave there so had a visit with them. We came back and sat outside and read, and that was it for our day today. We talked to the girls and my mom this morning and our friends in Florida tonight, so it was nice to get caught on all the happenings.

Friday - March 9 - Today was another hot one, sure doesn’t make a person feel too ambitious. I did a bit of cleaning and laundry, then we sat out under the awning and read. We went down for a swim about 4:30, the pool was very busy, everyone had the same idea, a late swim to cool off for the evening. Had a few chats with different people, now it is time to think about dinner. Sure don’t know where the days go, but they fly by!

Thursday - March 8 - Today was a hot one, in the high 80’s.

We now have a change in plans, we were planning on leaving Yuma on Saturday to go to Big Bend National Park so I was checking their web site this morning and lo and behold, if this isn’t one of their busiest times because of March break. When you don’t have kids in school this is something you just don’t think about! I called a couple of the campgrounds and they are booked solid, so guess we won’t be going there this year. We have decided to stay here for another week, until the 17^th, then we will head down to the Rio Grande area without at stop over at Big Bend.

This afternoon we went out and got groceries, paid our internet bill, etc. then when we came back I went down for a swim which felt really good. When I got back from my swim Jim and Sonia invited us over for a drink so we had a nice visit with them, but ended up having a late dinner. John had bought a Trailer Life magazine when we were out so I read that after dinner instead of doing my blog. Oh well.

Wednesday - March 7 - Today was pretty overcast but very warm. This morning I started to get the trailer in travel mode, I got all my knick knacks put away and sorted out some cupboards. John washed the truck so hopefully it won’t get too dusty before Saturday.

This afternoon we golfed with Janet & Dave then went to Famous Dave’s for dinner, which was very good - John had ribs and I had barbecue chicken, we will definitely go back there next winter. This was our last visit with Janet & Dave so it was sad to say goodbye but the good lord be willing we will meet here again for next winter.

Tuesday - March 6 - Wow, the weather is sure warming up here, in the 80’s during the day and even the nights aren’t as cold - usually in the 50’s. It is still good for sleeping though, not too hot and there sure isn’t any humidity.

Today was our last Tuesday golf and we had a good time. My team tied for 3^rd, but unfortunately we lost in the putt off, still it is more for the fun that we go. We got home about 2:45, I laid down for a bit as I hadn’t slept well last night then went down to the pool and had a good long swim, it felt great! John had a little nap also when we got back from golfing, all this heat is tiring!

Monday - March 5 - Today was very warm, up in the 80’s. This morning I made dentist appointments for John and I, an appointment for my two year check up on my hip and asked my surgeon’s office to make an appointment for my mammogram. Sure is a busy few weeks when we get back! We then did a major clean so it was around 1 before we were finished.

About 2:30 I went down to the pool, had a couple of swims and sat in the hot tub for a bit. I was going to read but ended up chatting to various people instead, and so the time goes. I talked to a fellow from Calgary who is originally from Goderich and whose brother lives in Kitchener - small world.

We were reading the Record and Sun and looking at the CBC News and saw what the weather at home is like - we sure are glad we are down here. I have never heard of highways and streets around the CN Tower and downtown Toronto buildings being closed due to ice chunks flying off the rooves. There was also a 70 car pileup on the 400 around the Alliston exit - sure do miss all that stuff!! Thanks Kel for reminding us what we are missing.

Sunday - March 4 - Today was another nice day but about noon we had one huge gust of wind, we haven’t ever had anything like that before, it lasted just a few seconds but the trailer sure shook!

This afternoon we went to see Queen and really enjoyed it, a good movie. After the show we went over to Janet & Dave’s then out for dinner, Dave didn’t want to see Queen so they didn’t go to the show with us. We went to Bubba’s for dinner, it is supposed to have good ribs but we were disappointed in them, not nearly as good as the ones we had at the Texas Roadhouse. Guess the only way to figure this out is to go for yourself as we have heard a few people say how good their ribs are, guess those people haven’t been to the Texas Roadhouse!

On the way home the moon was beautiful, a full moon in between a couple of clouds, very pretty.

Saturday - March 3 - Today was another nice, sunny, warm day. Laundry called, I haven’t done any for a week so desperately needed to do it. I went to do that and John went out to get a couple of things he wanted to get.

While doing laundry I talked to Judy, a gal from Guelph, and they went to Newfoundland 2 years ago, so she gave me all kinds of hints and is going to write down some of the places they stayed, things they did, etc. so that will be real helpful as we plan on going there is year.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. Jim and Sonia came over this morning with questions about starting a blog, and we were telling them how we do tax returns, etc down here so hope we were helpful for them. John barbecued a boneless leg of lamb for dinner - wonderful!

Friday - March 2 - Today was our 45^th wedding anniversary, where does the time go. I told John he deserves a medal for putting up with me all these years. We decided that we had been out to eat enough this week so just stayed home and had a nice dinner and relaxed and reminisced. Thank you everyone for the cards, phone calls and e-mails with best wishes, we sure hope we have many more to enjoy!!

We just got an invitation to a 50^th anniversary party for a fellow I worked with, unfortunately it is in early April so we won’t be home but we hope that we also make the 50 year mark, quite an achievement.

Thursday - March 1 - Today was nice and sunny, but cool. We didn’t do a lot, just took it easy then we went to Janet and Dave’s for dinner and the evening. We had a great dinner and visit.

This afternoon we were talking to Jim, from the trailer behind us, and somehow it came up about blogs so I was telling him about mine and he was quite interested, so I showed him how I did it etc., maybe he will also start one. He is doing what I started out doing, keeping a daily diary then e-mailing it to his kids every couple of weeks so thought the blog sounded easier to do and then they can check it daily if they want.

Wednesday - February 28 - Today was very breezy and cool, I’m glad it was warm while we were away. We had a quiet day, went out for a bit this afternoon to get a couple of groceries, stamps, etc. but other than that we didn’t do a lot.

We have decided to stay here for another week so I went down and paid up till March 10^th but I think that for sure we will leave then. That’s it for today.

Mine at Ajo

Puerto Penasco Across the Bay

Shrimpers

View of Gulf of California From Our Balcony

Tuesday - February 27 - We enjoyed the breakfast again, then it was time to get our stuff down and ready to go on the bus. The local fishermen were there with their fresh catch, John and I bought some beautiful jumbo shrimp (we had some for dinner and they were delicious). There was also a lady selling asparagus for $1/bunch so we got some asparagus. The bus left about 10 and it was the same route home only on the way back Joe stopped in Ajo (pronounced Awho) so we could see where they had mined copper there. The mine was closed about 20 years ago but there is still this huge area where they mined, just a humongous hole in the ground! There is also a beautiful looking building sitting on the top of a hill which at one time was a hotel, then during the war it was turned into a hospital. It is now all closed up but Joe said that it is haunted - interesting.

Going through customs on the way back was a breeze and the fellow was very friendly - sure a difference from the ones at Algadones! We got home about 4 and all in all it was a fun trip and we hope to be able to do another one next year. We had great weather, cool in the morning but it warmed up nicely during the day and it was all sunshine until we got back today then it clouded over.

The one thing that really bothered us was the poverty there, the housing was indescribable, we wondered how anyone could live in some of the places. Also, because of the dirt roads and dry dusty landscape everything was totally dusty, even the leaves on the few trees were dust laden. It is so sad to see people having to live like that.

Monday - February 26 - Breakfast both days was included in the price and it was a great buffet, lots of fruit, sausage, pancakes, French toast etc. and wonderful omelets - very scrumptious. The bus left the hotel at 9:30 and Joe (the bus driver) took us to a shopping place which was very much like Algadones but at least the vendors there weren’t in your face like they are in Algadones. After that we stopped at a local artist’s place, he uses sea shells and his work is lovely, he has a large piece of his work at the Vatican, pieces at the Smithsonian Institute, etc. I think he made some good sales from the bus but we didn’t buy anything as we have no place to put it. From there we went on a tour of some very large million $ homes, what was interesting though was that although these homes were on the ocean and very expensive it was all dirt roads - I can’t imagine having that kind of a home on a dirt road. The dust there is incredible because only the main roads are paved so it would be a killer trying to keep a house there clean.

From there we went to the port area for lunch and more shopping, then returned to the hotel about 2. John and I went for a long walk along the beach, they are building all kinds of condos along the beach and there is also a large RV park which was part of our hotel complex. We walked through the park but weren’t very impressed, the sites were all dirt and close together. We also heard that it was very expensive and there was a 3 year waiting list to get into the park. We came back and sat on the balcony for a while just watching the ocean, the shrimp boats, the people on the beach etc. and watched the local vendors come in with all their wares to sell. They walked across a huge lot sand loaded down with their goodies and they started coming about 3:45, guess they knew happy hour on the patio was from 4 to 6. It would be a very hard walk in all the sand loaded down with their wares, we wondered if they actually sold very much.

We went down about 5 for happy hour then dinner and again had an early evening, all the fresh air and exercise is tiring!

Sunday - February 25 - We were ready to go at 8:15 a.m., an early start to the day. Most of the people were from our park but we stopped at Fry’s and picked up another 10 people from other parks, the bus was full with 56 passengers. We stopped at Gila (pronounced Hilla) Bend for lunch at Burger King (not my favourite) then went south from there to Mexico. We stopped at the border for liquor purchases and the washroom, then on to Puerto Penasco. Altogether it was about a 4-1/2 hour trip. We went right to the hotel and were given keys to our rooms and the rest of the day was ours to do what we wanted. We got together with 3 other couples from Alberta and spent happy hour and had dinner with them, all in all a good time. It was an early evening as everyone was beat and it seemed to be a long day.

Saturday - February 24 - Happy 16^th Jeff, hope you had a good day. The temperature overnight went down to 43, that is the lowest for February but it warmed up nicely today and was another sunny day. I talked to mom, the girls and my sister today so got caught up on all the new (there wasn’t a lot).

We had a quiet day, did some laundry and that was about it for the day. John put my new golf cart together so I am looking forward to trying it out next Thursday. We are going on a 2 night 3 day bus trip to Puerto Penasco tomorrow so we spent a bit of time getting ready - clothes etc. Had to do a hunt and search for John’s bathing suit but it was finally located! We still have to pack the cooler, will probably do that in the morning.

I will not be doing the blog until we get back so until Wednesday, goodbye.

Friday - February 23 - Well, the weather forecast was right, today was windy and cool. We went out this afternoon and there was lots of blowing dust, you couldn’t even see the mountains. We were glad we weren’t out on the highway today!

We had a quiet day, we went out for a bit this afternoon - I got a new golf cart and that was about it. I am looking for a pair of golf sandals, but so far I haven’t found any that feel like they would be comfortable. With the weather forecast we decided that it would be easier not to barbecue tonight so we used up the frozen spaghetti sauce, it was a good dinner. Not an exciting day, but an enjoyable one.

Thursday - February 22 - Today was another beautiful, sunny day but all that is supposed to change tomorrow so we enjoyed it today.

We went to the market then met Janet and Dave at the golf course, we had a deal for dine and nine, but the restaurant closes at 6 and our t-time was 4 so we had lunch instead of dinner. There were 3 choices and I had a salad with ham, chicken, eggs, cheese etc. which was delicious and an iced tea. The golf course was really nice, but quite long so we got our exercise for the day. After golf we went to Applebee’s for dinner, so had a nice day and a good visit with Janet and Dave. It was quite cool and windy by the time we got home so maybe the forecast is right and tomorrow will be cool and windy.

Wednesday - February 21 - Today was another beautiful, sunny day. Janet and I went to the lunch and fashion show today and it was fun, lunch was warm chicken pasta salad and a roll and they had a beautiful peach cake for desert. The lunch was served by men, which was quite different. The fashion show was put on by a local clothing store and they had some nice outfits, all in all very enjoyable.

John went out this morning and booked a spot at another park for next winter as today was the first day to book for next year. We really like the park we are in but the sites are too narrow, the park we booked for next year is newer with much larger sites, 2 swimming pools, hot tubs, etc and the people there seem to be younger than at this park, so it should be interesting. Another couple from this park have also booked for there next winter so we will know at least one other couple there. Janet and Dave also want to look at the park, I don’t know if they will try to book there for next winter or go back to the park where they are this year.

Later this afternoon we went to Wal Mart then drove through the new park and looked at the site John picked, it looks nice so hopefully we will like it. The other nice thing about the new park is that it is owned by a couple whereas most of the parks here are owned by large corporations, so hopefully it will be more like Green Acres at home.

Tuesday - February 20 - Well the warm weather did come back, today was a gorgeous day. We had a great time golfing, my partner and I tied for 3^rd place but we lost in the putt off. I told George that the problem was that the fellow he putted off against had just finished his game and was still hot whereas we were the first out so had sat waiting so George just wasn’t as warmed up as he was.

After golfing we stopped at the grocery store then on home and it was after 3. John washed the truck which badly needed it after Sunday’s outing to the ghost town, and I did some laundry - real exciting. We are now working on dinner so I thought I would try to get this done and posted before we eat. Tonight is a Huether dinner - chicken wings, garlic bread and cesear salad.

Monday - February 19 - This morning was lovely, sunny and warm so we took the blanket off the bed. This afternoon it clouded over and got quite cool and tonight we have the heater on, don’t know if we will have to put the blanket back on before we go to bed - figures, the weather has been so nice we finally decided it was time to take the blanket off!

This morning was cleaning etc. then this afternoon we went to get hair cuts. I ended up at a place where one girl was doing her apprenticeship, so after humming and hawing I finally decided I would give her a chance and she did a wonderful job, I don’t think I have had such a good cut since Kincardine. After that we went to Beall’s and I got a top and John got 3 new golf shirts. By then it was supper time - don’t know where the days go.

Hopefully the warm weather will be back for tomorrow.

A Couple of the Restored Buildings

This Car Has Seen Better Days!

Hotel & Sheriff's Office

Lots of Cholla Cacti

Castle Dome

Sunday - February 18 - It was cloudy first thing this morning but the sun came out about around 9:30 and it was a sunny, hot day.

We decided to do the Castle Dome Mines Museum today. The museum is 10 miles off Hwy. 95, the first 2 miles are paved and the rest is gravel road in various states of drivability, at times it wasn’t too bad and at other times our teeth were rattling!! It was also extremely dusty so the truck is now an absolute mess, guess what John will be doing tomorrow.

The first mining venture in the area started in 1862 and silver was mined here until 1979 when the priced of silver dropped. This area has the largest silver deposit in the U.S. and was very lucrative, at one time there were over 30 mines in the area. The town has been recreated with the Sheriff’s office and jail, the mercantile store, dentist office, church, dress shop, hotel, assay office etc. etc. There were a lot of interesting stories in the various buildings so it was a very interesting day. Also there was quite a large display of levis, some of which dated back to the 1870’s.

I won a free ice cream golfing a couple of weeks ago so we went down for the weekly ice cream social at 5:30 and what a huge dish they give you. After ice cream they had entertainment and we stayed for a bit then headed home, it had been a long day and we were weary.

Saturday - February 17 - Another nice warm day. George came over about 10 a.m. for another computer 101 lesson (or maybe it is now lesson 103) so after chatting for a bit I went outside to read and make phone calls while John helped George. I talked to Mom and Nan, other than that I bombed out on trying to call my sister and know that tomorrow is the day to call Kel, Mike and M&M. I read for quite a while but managed to get something in my eye which bothered me for the rest of the day.

John and I golfed this afternoon and we were paired up with a couple from California. It turns out that she will be 79 in a couple of weeks, they have been married for 60+ years and she only started golfing when she was 70. She also had a knee replacement last June, sure gives a person a different outlook on life when meeting a couple like that. She told jokes all the way around and I thoroughly enjoyed her and he was a very nice person also.

We stopped at Fry’s on the way home to pick up a couple of groceries and that was it for our day - John barbecued chicken breasts for dinner which were delicious.

Friday - February 16 - What a gorgeous day for our Colorado River dinner cruise, the temperature was in the 80’s so it was a great day but there was a nice breeze so that helped keep it comfortable.

The cruise was wonderful and the sunset was gorgeous. The dinner was excellent, chicken, roast beef, potatoes, rice, gravy, beans, caesar salad, coleslaw, and fruit salad, then apple cobbler for dessert - yummy!! There were two planets that were so bright and clear after sunset, guess because it is out in the desert there is no ambient light, therefore, the sky is very clear. As we said what could be better than in the middle of winter to be on the middle of a lake in the middle of the desert enjoying a cruise and dinner.

Dave and Janet came back for a bit when we got home, all in all a great day.

Thursday - February 15 - Today was another nice day, sunny and warm. The Dodge dealer called about 10 this morning to say our truck was ready so John went off and picked it up and it seems to run real nice now. Once he got back I went down and did some laundry and one of the women there lent me some clothes pins so I could hang out my sheets. I know I have a package in the trailer somewhere but darned if I can find them and today was a perfect day for hanging out clothes to dry.

After we finished the laundry we went out to a sporting goods store which Dave said had a big sale on but we didn’t find any good deals. My golf cart is falling apart so we thought if they had a good deal on them I would get a new one, I saw one I liked but we will keep looking. After we left there John wanted to go to Best Buy so I said I would go to a shoe store down the way, I ended up getting a new pair of sandals and running shoes so the trip out wasn’t for naught. I keep telling John he shouldn’t let me loose in a shoe store, I always come out with something new.

We came back and I got the clothes off the line and by then it was time to start thinking about dinner. Where do the days go!!

Wednesday - February 14 - Hope everyone had a happy Valentine’s Day. Today was like yesterday, nice but with a bit of a cool wind although the temperature was in the mid 70’s. We hadn’t heard from the Dodge dealer about the truck by 2 so decided to take a run out and have a look at another RV Park for next year then stop and see if the truck was ready.

The park is really nice but about the only way to get in there is to sign up for 5 months next year so I think that is what we will do. All the parks start taking applications for next year on the 21^st so we picked one up yesterday and John will take it over next Wednesday morning. That is the day Janet and I have tickets for a fashion show and lunch here at the park so John can just run the application over first thing and get it done.

We really like this park where we are but find the spots very tight, the park was built before trailers had slides and now that the slides are so huge it makes the sites very tight. Also, although the trains don’t really bother us that much it would be nice not to have to listen to them all the time.

After we left the park we stopped at the Dodge dealer and the truck wasn’t done, will not be ready until tomorrow so we went to Wal Mart and Fry’s then home.

We got our hydro bill today, we used 68 kilowatts in 25 days so the solar panels are really paying off, as the bill was only $13.79. Gotta like that.

Tuesday - February 13 - Today was nice but there was a cool wind, we got to the golf course and it was quite cool. Our jackets were in the truck, so I figured it was going to be a cool game, but Vivian had an extra jacket which she lent me, I needed it for the first 4 holes then it was warmer so I took it off, but was thankful for it for the first few holes.

We called about the truck when we were through golfing but they had no answer yet, then called back and said it was the governors so wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow. After golf we didn’t do anything, came back and read and relaxed. Hopefully we will get the truck back tomorrow as we want to go and watch the paratroopers on Thursday.

My sister called me tonight and it sounds like her arm is just the lymphodema, so I am extremely thankful that everything seems okay, I have been quite worried for the last few days and I can just imagine how she must have been feeling.

Monday - February 12 - Today was beautiful, but a bit cooler than yesterday. I went for pool exercises this morning then came back and did the weekly cleaning - still haven’t found that little fairy to come in do it for me!

This afternoon we took the truck in and picked up our rental car. The truck is running rough when it is cold and thankfully we have a service agreement that covers a rental car so we thought we had better get it looked at while we are here. We stopped at a couple of stores, drove through a couple of other parks and worked our way home for about 6, don’t know where the time goes when you are having fun!

Sunday - February 11 - This morning was overcast and it looked like the forecast for showers might be right, but by noon it had cleared off and was beautiful - in the high 70’s again. We golfed with Janet & Dave, we didn’t tee off until almost 4:30 so we just managed to get done before it got dark. We came back here and had a drink then went to Texas Roadhouse for ribs, what a yummy dinner.

Tonight there is a cool wind but it’s not cool enough to need the heater on, the forecast for the next week is warm and mostly sunny, so we won’t argue with that.

Saturday - February 10 - Today was a quiet day. The last few days it has been nice and sunny in the morning then overcast in the afternoon, but it is still quite warm so nice. This morning I booked the Colorado River dinner cruise for next Friday, we went last year and it was really a nice trip so we thought we would do it again. Dave and Janet were going to look after booking a golf game at different course so I said I would book the river cruise. I also made a few of my weekend calls to family.

John went out for a bit looking for a couple of things he wants to get (he was unsuccessful) and I wasn’t particularly interested in the places he wanted to go to so I stayed home and vacuumed then sat outside and read most of the afternoon. As I said, a quiet day.

Friday - February 9 - Today is TGIF day for all you working people, I am sure you have been looking forward to it for the last couple of days. The weather was nice again today.

I didn’t feel too great when I got up so was slow getting moving, but finally got myself into gear. I did some laundry so that is done for a couple of days again and tonight I feel much better so hope I am on the upswing.

There is a 3 day 2 night bus trip to Puerto Penasco through the park so today we decided that if there were any seats left we’d go, we got the last 2 seats. It is Feb. 25 - 27 so should be interesting, we decided that it would be a good way to celebrate our 45^th wedding anniversary which is March 2^nd. The last number of years we have spent our anniversary in Toronto helping Can-Am out at the big RV show so this will be really different (not that we minded doing the shows, actually we really enjoyed them).

Later this afternoon we went to Wal-Mart and Loewes and stopped at the Dodge dealer to make an appointment for them to take the truck on Monday and check it out. When we start it in the morning it runs really rough until it is warmed up which just doesn’t seem right. Because of our service contract we get a free rental car so that will be good as it has to be there first thing in the morning for them to see how rough it is because as soon as it warms up it is fine. Hopefully they will be able to find the problem and fix it.

Thursday - February 8 - Today was nice but it got quite overcast this afternoon, still warm though so I won’t complain about a bit of cloud.

Janet and I went shopping and out for lunch today, we had a great time and bought a few new clothes. John and Dave went out to the Yuma Proving Grounds to watch the paratroopers who are practicing there for the upcoming air show, they really enjoyed watching them so I think John and I will go out some time next week to see them. We all met back here and John cooked burgers for dinner - easy but we all enjoyed them.

I am feeling pretty beat and crappy tonight so will finish my tea and go to bed and hopefully I will feel better tomorrow - nothing worse than a cold in summer weather!

Wednesday - February 7 - Today was another nice day, the weather seems to be quite consistent. George came over this morning to get some computer lessons from John and was here for about 3-1/2 hours. I sat outside and read and went for a walk.

I talked to my mom today and they are back in quarantine. At least it was lifted for a couple of days so she managed to do her laundry and get her hair done. She had to miss a dentist appointment on Monday because of the quarantine so she said that was the only good thing about it!!

John and I still aren’t feeling too frisky with our colds, but better than yesterday, so I quite enjoyed not doing too much. Hopefully tomorrow we will be feeling more back to normal and ready to go again and hopefully by Friday I will feel like going to pool aerobics as I do miss doing them but just haven't felt up to it so far this week.

Tuesday - February 6 - Well, it was a warm one today for golfing, we were glad we were off fairly early today as the later ones would have found it quite warm. Today my partner was a wheat farmer from Saskatchewan so I learned a bit about wheat farming and the wheat board. We didn’t have a good game but had fun, in fact Joe and I won ice cream, which means we had the highest score!

We stopped at Fry’s and picked up a few groceries on the way home and when we got back John said he was going to lay down for a while so I crashed on the couch and he crashed on the bed. He had a good sleep but I made myself stay awake or I wouldn’t sleep tonight, but had a good rest. We are both feeling quite lousy with our colds but hopefully they won’t hang around for too long.

Monday - February 5 - The weather is consistent, sunny and getting warmer every day. I had trouble sleeping last night, I was still awake at 4 a.m. so needless to say I didn’t want to get up this morning and felt crappy when I did. It took me a while to get myself in gear and get moving. John went out and got a couple of things he wanted to pick up and I cleaned, at least that is done for another week except for quick vacuums. Once a week I do a good cleaning with a couple of extras every time - today it was vacuuming all the screens as they get really dusty.

John has been fighting a cold for the last couple of days and today I felt a bit stuffy so decided to pass on the pool this morning. John figures we picked it up at the casino last week and he is probably right, as being in a poorly ventilated room with all those people probably isn’t the healthiest place to be.

I sat out and read for a while and Jim and Sonia came over for a bit so we had a drink with them. Sonia was making chicken soup and Jim brought some over for us to try - it was very good and hit the spot as we knew our dinner was going to be late so that kept us going while our chicken cooked on the barbecue.

There was a beautiful sunset tonight so we went for a walk around the block to get a good look at it. There is a trailer on the next road over from Ontario and the truck is from Arthur Chrysler so we figured they must live in the area but we never see anyone around when we go by. Tonight Doug happened to be out so we stopped to say hello, turns out they are from Guelph and have seen our sign with Waterloo and have also been trying to catch us home. Anyways, we had a nice chat with them and will try to get together sometime.

Sunday - February 4 - Today was another gorgeous day, warm and sunny. It is very seldom that there is even a cloud in the sky, so the days are wonderful. We didn’t do too much this morning, talked to a few people but other than that it was quiet.

This afternoon we went golfing with Janet and Dave and I got a birdie so I was absolutely thrilled (you can guess that this doesn’t happen often!). We came back here for a glass of wine then went to the Olive Garden for dinner, which was very good. We wanted to avoid the sports bars as we figured they would be packed with people watching the Super Bowl game. We were surprised at how quiet the Olive Garden was and only had to wait a couple of minutes for a table.

Saturday - February 3 - Again, the weather is consistent - it was another beautiful warm day. This morning we didn’t do too much, I talked to my sister for a while, then this afternoon we went to the market. We bought a cacti dish there about 4 weeks ago and one of the cactus had died so we wanted to take it back. We got it exchanged - no questions asked.

Every time we have been at the market they have been having a draw and I wondered where you get the tickets, today we found out, if you get there before 2 p.m. it is 50 cents each to get in and you get a draw ticket. Today when they did the draw my ticket was the first one drawn (I decided it was mine, not John’s, as the prize was from the Red Hat Shop) so I got a pretty bead necklace and earrings. I got some address labels made, bought a t-shirt and sweat shirt and some dish clothes, that was the extent of my shopping today.

We came back and I did some laundry and got caught up on some phone calls, then all of a sudden the day was done - sure don’t know where the time goes!!

Friday - February 2 - Today was another gorgeous day, this morning I went down for pool exercises and got a good workout. This afternoon we went grocery shopping and that was about it for the day - a quiet day.