We have had a couple of quiet days and a couple of busy ones but all of them nice. On Saturday we went to the Peanut Patch and looked around and I got a huge cup of ice cream for $1.50 – boy it was good. John passed as his tooth was kind of sensitive so he didn’t want to irritate it with something really cold.
From there we went to the market and wandered around for a bit then a quick stop at Wal Mart and then on home where we had a quiet evening.
Sunday morning wasn’t too bad but then the wind picked up and by early afternoon it had clouded over and we knew we were going to get a storm. We had asked Jim & Sonia over for a drink so it was another inside happy hour and visit. Just as they arrived it started to rain and it really poured, with lots of thunder and lightning and even some hail just to make it exciting. Fortunately it was small hail so no damage done but poor John just cringes when it is hailing. I had put a pot roast in the slow cooker in anticipation of a bad grilling day so we had a nice dinner.
Monday was aquafit in the morning and we just kind of loafed the rest of the day other than a quick run to Fry’s for a few groceries.
Tuesday John left about 9 to pick up Dave and go to Mexico to get his tooth finished. Right after he left the wind picked up and it really blew hard all day, I had planned on doing a major cleaning while he was gone then a long walk but I passed on the walk as I didn’t really want to eat dirt while walking. So my day consisted of cleaning, talking on the phone to a friend and reading – tough life!
John didn’t get home until about 4 so had a long day but his tooth is done and he says it feels good. Apparently Dave didn’t mind all the waiting as he ordered new reading glasses and was able to pick them up before they left so he was happy he didn’t have to make another trip back to Mexico to get them. When John got home we made a quick run to Wal Mart to get some romaine and had a chicken cesar salad for dinner as it wasn’t a good night to grill with the wind howling.
This morning was cooler than usual and it was darn cold getting out of the pool after aquafit - I was glad to get home and jump into a hot shower. We met Janet & Dave at the Olive Garden for lunch – just love their soup, salad and rolls lunch, then Janet & I went our way and the guys went theirs. Janet & I managed to spend the rest of the afternoon checking out J C Penney, Target and Marshalls without doing a lot of damage to our wallets.
Tonight will be a quiet evening of reading and TV and hopefully the wind will die down tomorrow and it will be a warmer day.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Friday, March 5, 2010
We have had a few nice, but busy days. Our dinner at Olive Garden was very good and I even splurged and had desert – chocolate gelato, boy did we enjoy that and thankfully John helped me eat it as the serving was huge. We had a nice evening and enough leftovers for Wednesday nights’ dinner. On the way home we stopped at Wal Mart and walked around a bit to try and wear off some of the dinner.
Wednesday I went to aquafit then scurried around to get ready to meet Janet & Dave at 12:30 at Applebee’s where we all enjoyed a nice lunch and visit. John and Dave went off to do guy things and Janet and I headed to Beall’s to shop. We both managed to find a couple of things there, then it was walk over to Starbuck’s for an iced coffee then to Burlington Coat Factory, where I didn’t find anything that caught my eye. After having a big lunch the leftovers from Tuesday were just perfect for dinner!
Thursday morning I did some cleaning etc. then Ben & Dianne came over in the afternoon for happy hour. We had a nice visit then we all met at the hall for the spaghetti dinner, which was very good, and they asked us back to their place for coffee. They have a really nice park model and John had never seen the inside so it was a good chance for him to see it – he was impressed as was I. We met a few more people at the dinner so we are slowly meeting lots of people. The gal two seats down from me goes to aquafit and all of a sudden said to me that she hadn’t recognized me with my clothes on, that got a good laugh at the table.
Today it was back to Mexico to pick up my glasses and go to the dentist. I am really pleased with my glasses and John took in his reading glasses and had the lenses replaced for $39 and we picked them up after the dentist. His frames were fine but one of the lenses was scratched so he is happy to have a scratch free lens again.
I got my teeth cleaned, $35, and they did as good a cleaning as I would get at home. We were impressed with the dental office as it was spotlessly clean and they had more up to date equipment there than our dentist at home. They were using x-rays when doing John’s tooth and he said it was really neat how they did it, not like at home with the huge machines, they had the picture on a computer beside him so they could see it, not something we have ever seen at our dentist’s.
John had lost a huge chunk off one of his molars our last day in Canada in September and has been really fortunate that it hasn’t bothered him but it was time to have it fixed. The tooth was mainly filling already so they said they could grind it all down, rebuild it and put on a crown – cost $300 or he could have it pulled, not an option he really wanted to consider so he went for getting it fixed. At first he wanted to just leave it but I pointed out that it would probably start to bother him about the time we got home and then we would be looking at about $1500 or more to get it fixed there so it would be better just to get it done now. He told the gal he would go for fixing it and was back in the chair for about 45 minutes while they did it, now he has to go back on Tuesday to get the crown put on, but at least the worst of it is done. While he was getting that done I wandered around for a while, got my hair cut and bought vanilla for all my friends who asked me to get them some and another bottle of Kahlua for us.
Janet had mentioned that Dave wanted to go to Mexico but she doesn’t and I don’t care if I go back so we called them and Dave is happy to go with John on Tuesday morning and I will stay home.
Tonight is a quiet evening as we are both whacked.
I didn’t get this posted last night as my brother called me on Skype so by the time I finished talking to him I was ready just to hit the sack.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Wednesday I went to aquafit then scurried around to get ready to meet Janet & Dave at 12:30 at Applebee’s where we all enjoyed a nice lunch and visit. John and Dave went off to do guy things and Janet and I headed to Beall’s to shop. We both managed to find a couple of things there, then it was walk over to Starbuck’s for an iced coffee then to Burlington Coat Factory, where I didn’t find anything that caught my eye. After having a big lunch the leftovers from Tuesday were just perfect for dinner!
Thursday morning I did some cleaning etc. then Ben & Dianne came over in the afternoon for happy hour. We had a nice visit then we all met at the hall for the spaghetti dinner, which was very good, and they asked us back to their place for coffee. They have a really nice park model and John had never seen the inside so it was a good chance for him to see it – he was impressed as was I. We met a few more people at the dinner so we are slowly meeting lots of people. The gal two seats down from me goes to aquafit and all of a sudden said to me that she hadn’t recognized me with my clothes on, that got a good laugh at the table.
Today it was back to Mexico to pick up my glasses and go to the dentist. I am really pleased with my glasses and John took in his reading glasses and had the lenses replaced for $39 and we picked them up after the dentist. His frames were fine but one of the lenses was scratched so he is happy to have a scratch free lens again.
I got my teeth cleaned, $35, and they did as good a cleaning as I would get at home. We were impressed with the dental office as it was spotlessly clean and they had more up to date equipment there than our dentist at home. They were using x-rays when doing John’s tooth and he said it was really neat how they did it, not like at home with the huge machines, they had the picture on a computer beside him so they could see it, not something we have ever seen at our dentist’s.
John had lost a huge chunk off one of his molars our last day in Canada in September and has been really fortunate that it hasn’t bothered him but it was time to have it fixed. The tooth was mainly filling already so they said they could grind it all down, rebuild it and put on a crown – cost $300 or he could have it pulled, not an option he really wanted to consider so he went for getting it fixed. At first he wanted to just leave it but I pointed out that it would probably start to bother him about the time we got home and then we would be looking at about $1500 or more to get it fixed there so it would be better just to get it done now. He told the gal he would go for fixing it and was back in the chair for about 45 minutes while they did it, now he has to go back on Tuesday to get the crown put on, but at least the worst of it is done. While he was getting that done I wandered around for a while, got my hair cut and bought vanilla for all my friends who asked me to get them some and another bottle of Kahlua for us.
Janet had mentioned that Dave wanted to go to Mexico but she doesn’t and I don’t care if I go back so we called them and Dave is happy to go with John on Tuesday morning and I will stay home.
Tonight is a quiet evening as we are both whacked.
I didn’t get this posted last night as my brother called me on Skype so by the time I finished talking to him I was ready just to hit the sack.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
On Saturday afternoon just as we were heading out to Wal Mart and Fry’s it started to rain and it really poured for about an hour and a half. We had our rain jackets so didn’t get too wet running in and out of the stores and the bonus of the rain was a beautiful rainbow – so we didn’t complain too loudly.
Sunday was a pretty quiet day, Diane came by in the morning and had a coffee and visit with us and then in the afternoon we watched the hockey game; boy what a nail biter that was, but yeah Canada and Sidney Crosby. In the evening we watched the closing ceremony so it was pretty well a TV day for us, not something that we usually do but this was a special occasion.
Monday was aquafit in the morning and then later in the afternoon we did another quick run to Wal Mart, other than that it was a nice quiet day.
This morning we headed off to Mexico as I wanted to check out glasses and we both wanted to see a dentist. We have made an appointment with a dentist for 10 a.m. on Friday morning and I will pick up my new glasses then. We bought another lantern, I got a bathing suit cover up and we picked up a bottle of Kahlua and that was our expenditure for the day. Now it will be interesting to see how we make out at the dentist!
Just as we got back to the truck in the parking lot a man standing beside his car said it wasn’t a good day for him, it turns out he had put the steering wheel lock on when they parked and now they were ready to go home and his key for the lock was back at their place in Yuma – not good!! We gave him and his wife a ride back to their park and they assured us they had friends who would drive them back to get the car, sure hope so as it would be a long ride for him on his bike!!
LakeConroyPenny had posted a note on my blog re Airstreams and no, Penny, I hadn’t seen the video but we have toured the plant and watched them being made. I agree with you about all the steps on a 5ver and we have a Hensley hitch so towing is a dream, we certainly wouldn’t have anything but an Airstream!
Today is our 48th wedding anniversary so we are going to go to the Olive Garden for dinner, I am sure looking forward to that. We have plans for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday so it will be a busy few days, but we are looking forward to them.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Sunday was a pretty quiet day, Diane came by in the morning and had a coffee and visit with us and then in the afternoon we watched the hockey game; boy what a nail biter that was, but yeah Canada and Sidney Crosby. In the evening we watched the closing ceremony so it was pretty well a TV day for us, not something that we usually do but this was a special occasion.
Monday was aquafit in the morning and then later in the afternoon we did another quick run to Wal Mart, other than that it was a nice quiet day.
This morning we headed off to Mexico as I wanted to check out glasses and we both wanted to see a dentist. We have made an appointment with a dentist for 10 a.m. on Friday morning and I will pick up my new glasses then. We bought another lantern, I got a bathing suit cover up and we picked up a bottle of Kahlua and that was our expenditure for the day. Now it will be interesting to see how we make out at the dentist!
Just as we got back to the truck in the parking lot a man standing beside his car said it wasn’t a good day for him, it turns out he had put the steering wheel lock on when they parked and now they were ready to go home and his key for the lock was back at their place in Yuma – not good!! We gave him and his wife a ride back to their park and they assured us they had friends who would drive them back to get the car, sure hope so as it would be a long ride for him on his bike!!
LakeConroyPenny had posted a note on my blog re Airstreams and no, Penny, I hadn’t seen the video but we have toured the plant and watched them being made. I agree with you about all the steps on a 5ver and we have a Hensley hitch so towing is a dream, we certainly wouldn’t have anything but an Airstream!
Today is our 48th wedding anniversary so we are going to go to the Olive Garden for dinner, I am sure looking forward to that. We have plans for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday so it will be a busy few days, but we are looking forward to them.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Today was sunny until a bit ago and now it has clouded over, they are calling for rain this afternoon and then the forecast is for 15 days of warmth and sunshine – I sure do like that!
Wednesday night we had a great dinner with Janet & Dave at Texas Roadhouse and the ribs were really good – even better, we had enough left over for Thursday nights’ dinner. Next time we will split a large order of ribs between us as this time I had half a rack and John had a whole one – way too much. Fortunately the restaurant wasn’t really busy so we were able to sit and visit for quite a while after we finished eating. On the way home we stopped at Wal Mart for a bit just to walk around and help wear off dinner and it did feel good just to move around for a bit.
Thursday morning we had to wait for Time Warner to come out and look at our internet connection, the fellow arrived about 10:30 and obviously found something wrong as it works great now. He saw we have Macs so was asking us a lot of questions about them as he and his wife are in the process of having to buy a new laptop, we told him we wouldn’t have anything other than a Mac.
It was about noon when I headed out to do laundry, I find that is usually a good time to go and it turned out to be a really good time this week as there were only a couple of other people there when I got there and when I left there was only one other person in there, don’t know what happened but it was great not having to dodge around a lot of people. John dropped me off and then went to the market to wander around for a while and got back just as I was folding the clothes – great timing. The rest of the day was pretty quiet – reading and watching the Olympics on TV.
Yesterday morning was aquafit again so I got some of my exercise for the day. In the afternoon I went for a walk and stopped to chat with Ben & Diane for a bit, Diane had mentioned the baked potato dinner tonight (Saturday) to John but I wanted to stop and tell her we had been out too much this week already so would pass on it this time.
We went over to Steve & Brenda’s about 4 as we were going to an all you could eat fish fry with them. They had let the guard at the gate know we were coming so we got in with no problem, the only trouble was that we had no idea where their spot was so had a tour of the park before finding them! For a very expensive, elite park we were not impressed with the lot sizes, in fact some of the houses that are being built in there have their patio just about into the side of the house next door – not my idea of nice!!
It turns out dinner was at the Desert Hills golf course (we had no idea where we were going when they asked us to join them) where we have played before and we remember seeing the ad for All You Can Eat Fish & Chips on Friday nights, it was $10 each and very good (but still not as good as the Erie Belle). They had a drink special of iced tea and vodka that I tried and it was really good - and cheaper than John’s beer! All in all it was a good dinner and a nice time with Steve & Brenda. We drove to dinner so when we got back to their place we stopped at the office and they showed us around the pool, clubhouse, etc., very nice but not my cup of tea.
This morning was yard sale day here in the park so John went out and rode his bike around but he didn’t find anything to spend his money on. He was gone a long time so I figured he must have stopped to chat somewhere and he had, with a fellow from Gravenhurst. I can’t get too excited about yard sales as I figure I have enough junk of my own without buying someone else’s, so unless there is something in particular I am looking for I stay away from them. We are going to head out shortly to make a quick trip to Fry’s and Wal Mart in the hopes that later in the afternoon they won’t be too busy – probably dreaming in Technicolor about that!
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Wednesday night we had a great dinner with Janet & Dave at Texas Roadhouse and the ribs were really good – even better, we had enough left over for Thursday nights’ dinner. Next time we will split a large order of ribs between us as this time I had half a rack and John had a whole one – way too much. Fortunately the restaurant wasn’t really busy so we were able to sit and visit for quite a while after we finished eating. On the way home we stopped at Wal Mart for a bit just to walk around and help wear off dinner and it did feel good just to move around for a bit.
Thursday morning we had to wait for Time Warner to come out and look at our internet connection, the fellow arrived about 10:30 and obviously found something wrong as it works great now. He saw we have Macs so was asking us a lot of questions about them as he and his wife are in the process of having to buy a new laptop, we told him we wouldn’t have anything other than a Mac.
It was about noon when I headed out to do laundry, I find that is usually a good time to go and it turned out to be a really good time this week as there were only a couple of other people there when I got there and when I left there was only one other person in there, don’t know what happened but it was great not having to dodge around a lot of people. John dropped me off and then went to the market to wander around for a while and got back just as I was folding the clothes – great timing. The rest of the day was pretty quiet – reading and watching the Olympics on TV.
Yesterday morning was aquafit again so I got some of my exercise for the day. In the afternoon I went for a walk and stopped to chat with Ben & Diane for a bit, Diane had mentioned the baked potato dinner tonight (Saturday) to John but I wanted to stop and tell her we had been out too much this week already so would pass on it this time.
We went over to Steve & Brenda’s about 4 as we were going to an all you could eat fish fry with them. They had let the guard at the gate know we were coming so we got in with no problem, the only trouble was that we had no idea where their spot was so had a tour of the park before finding them! For a very expensive, elite park we were not impressed with the lot sizes, in fact some of the houses that are being built in there have their patio just about into the side of the house next door – not my idea of nice!!
It turns out dinner was at the Desert Hills golf course (we had no idea where we were going when they asked us to join them) where we have played before and we remember seeing the ad for All You Can Eat Fish & Chips on Friday nights, it was $10 each and very good (but still not as good as the Erie Belle). They had a drink special of iced tea and vodka that I tried and it was really good - and cheaper than John’s beer! All in all it was a good dinner and a nice time with Steve & Brenda. We drove to dinner so when we got back to their place we stopped at the office and they showed us around the pool, clubhouse, etc., very nice but not my cup of tea.
This morning was yard sale day here in the park so John went out and rode his bike around but he didn’t find anything to spend his money on. He was gone a long time so I figured he must have stopped to chat somewhere and he had, with a fellow from Gravenhurst. I can’t get too excited about yard sales as I figure I have enough junk of my own without buying someone else’s, so unless there is something in particular I am looking for I stay away from them. We are going to head out shortly to make a quick trip to Fry’s and Wal Mart in the hopes that later in the afternoon they won’t be too busy – probably dreaming in Technicolor about that!
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Well, another few days have passed with nothing too exciting happening. On Sunday morning we went to Brownie’s for breakfast and ran into Birdie and Jean, a couple we know from Del Pueblo, so sat with them and had a good visit. They went to Alaska last summer so it was nice to hear about their trip and apparently they lucked out as last summer was the nicest one in Alaska for years.
After breakfast we went to a couple of stores, then Wal Mart, and lastly a visit at the market so we were shopped out. I got a few things that I wanted at the market so was happy to get that done.
On the way home we stopped by Yuma Palms RV Park to see if we could find Steve & Brenda and boy what a place that is. We had to stop at the gate and the guy couldn’t find their name anyplace so finally opened the gate so we could go into the office and check there. I went in and after a lot of horsing around the fellow in the office determined they weren’t home and when I asked if we could drive around the park I was told no, that isn’t allowed. The fellow at the office said that residents are required to register their guests with the guard on the gate before their arrival, no spur of the moment visits to someone at this park! Needless to say, we were not impressed with the park and certainly wouldn’t be looking for a place there! When we got home John sent Steve an e-mail telling him we had tried to see them.
Monday morning I was off to aquafit, it was about 63F when I went down to the pool and then about half way through the clouds came in and the wind shifted direction and it got downright cold – it wasn’t bad in the water but sure was cold when we got out. It was down to 57F by the time I got back home and that’s about where it stayed for the rest of the day. We also got a sprinkling of rain so not the greatest of days but then it is still a lot nicer than home where they got snow.
Monday afternoon we went into the office and talked to Dee about a site for next year and she gave us a listing of the few they have left and three of those still are iffy as the people have until the end of the month to renew. We walked around and picked out a site, hoping that the people wouldn’t come in at the last minute and renew.
I need some bar bells for the aquafit so on Tuesday morning I went over to Cactus Garden RV Park where I was told you could buy them but they are sold out for the year, darn. Yesterday afternoon we headed to Yuma Palms mall to see if I could get them at Sports Authority and they didn’t have them either so I think I am out of luck until next fall. Fortunately, there is an extra set in a locker by the pool so I will just have to get there early to make sure I can get them to use until I can get my own.
While at the mall I checked out Kohls and was disappointed that they didn’t have any good buys there, then we went to Target where I did pick up a couple of things that were a good price. We noticed there was a RV show going on at the mall so stopped and wandered through some trailer, boy there was nothing there I would trade my trailer for. I kept running into a couple of other women and they were moaning about how bad some of the layouts were, we figured the kitchens were designed by men who had never stepped into a kitchen in their lives, let alone made meals in one!!
Today was aquafit again and a much warmer day for it. We were just finishing lunch when Steve & Brenda pulled up but only had a quick visit as Brenda had a doctor’s appointment. They aren’t impressed with Yuma Palms RV Park and won’t be back there next year. They have invited us to a fish fry on Friday night so that should be fun.
Just as Steve & Brenda were leaving Dee (the park manager) came along to tell us the people on the spot we had picked for next year had just come in and renewed, so that was out for us, but there were four other spots available. I jumped on the golf cart with her and John got his bike and we looked at the sites and picked D9 so then I went back to the office and got the paperwork to fill out. Thankfully we have a spot as they are going fast and I imagine most of the parks are filling up quickly.
We are meeting Janet & Dave for dinner at Texas Roadhouse so I had best get myself moving and ready to go.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
After breakfast we went to a couple of stores, then Wal Mart, and lastly a visit at the market so we were shopped out. I got a few things that I wanted at the market so was happy to get that done.
On the way home we stopped by Yuma Palms RV Park to see if we could find Steve & Brenda and boy what a place that is. We had to stop at the gate and the guy couldn’t find their name anyplace so finally opened the gate so we could go into the office and check there. I went in and after a lot of horsing around the fellow in the office determined they weren’t home and when I asked if we could drive around the park I was told no, that isn’t allowed. The fellow at the office said that residents are required to register their guests with the guard on the gate before their arrival, no spur of the moment visits to someone at this park! Needless to say, we were not impressed with the park and certainly wouldn’t be looking for a place there! When we got home John sent Steve an e-mail telling him we had tried to see them.
Monday morning I was off to aquafit, it was about 63F when I went down to the pool and then about half way through the clouds came in and the wind shifted direction and it got downright cold – it wasn’t bad in the water but sure was cold when we got out. It was down to 57F by the time I got back home and that’s about where it stayed for the rest of the day. We also got a sprinkling of rain so not the greatest of days but then it is still a lot nicer than home where they got snow.
Monday afternoon we went into the office and talked to Dee about a site for next year and she gave us a listing of the few they have left and three of those still are iffy as the people have until the end of the month to renew. We walked around and picked out a site, hoping that the people wouldn’t come in at the last minute and renew.
I need some bar bells for the aquafit so on Tuesday morning I went over to Cactus Garden RV Park where I was told you could buy them but they are sold out for the year, darn. Yesterday afternoon we headed to Yuma Palms mall to see if I could get them at Sports Authority and they didn’t have them either so I think I am out of luck until next fall. Fortunately, there is an extra set in a locker by the pool so I will just have to get there early to make sure I can get them to use until I can get my own.
While at the mall I checked out Kohls and was disappointed that they didn’t have any good buys there, then we went to Target where I did pick up a couple of things that were a good price. We noticed there was a RV show going on at the mall so stopped and wandered through some trailer, boy there was nothing there I would trade my trailer for. I kept running into a couple of other women and they were moaning about how bad some of the layouts were, we figured the kitchens were designed by men who had never stepped into a kitchen in their lives, let alone made meals in one!!
Today was aquafit again and a much warmer day for it. We were just finishing lunch when Steve & Brenda pulled up but only had a quick visit as Brenda had a doctor’s appointment. They aren’t impressed with Yuma Palms RV Park and won’t be back there next year. They have invited us to a fish fry on Friday night so that should be fun.
Just as Steve & Brenda were leaving Dee (the park manager) came along to tell us the people on the spot we had picked for next year had just come in and renewed, so that was out for us, but there were four other spots available. I jumped on the golf cart with her and John got his bike and we looked at the sites and picked D9 so then I went back to the office and got the paperwork to fill out. Thankfully we have a spot as they are going fast and I imagine most of the parks are filling up quickly.
We are meeting Janet & Dave for dinner at Texas Roadhouse so I had best get myself moving and ready to go.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Here I am again, with nothing too new or exciting happening. Thursday morning John spent a lot of time messing around with the internet as it still wasn’t working as it should, he wasn’t a happy camper. He dropped me off around noon (I find that is a pretty good time) to do laundry and he went off to the market while I did the laundry. Other than having a couple of seniors moments and doing stupid things I got the laundry done and was just folding it when he came back to pick me up.
Thursday night the park had a spagetti dinner, they have it every other Thursday during the season with a pot luck on the other Thursdays. We don't do pot lucks so will pass on them! Friends here in the park had asked us to go with them then Gail came down about 4 and said they had to work at the dinner so to wait until 5:30 to come down and eat with all the workers, who it happens we know. While we were waiting for them a couple of people we have met since coming here were sitting right by where we were waiting and thought we had gotten the time wrong so were happy when we said that we had waited to eat with the workers. We helped with the clean up then went back to Don & Gail's for a while. They have a beautiful huge propane fireplace on their back patio, it has a wide slate top around it for sitting drinks on etc. and throws out a really good heat. Don has put a very large gazebo over it to keep the heat in so we were nice and toasty warm sitting there, not that it was really cold out anyways. All in all, a very pleasant evening.
Friday morning I went to aquafit and had a great time, there was another new gal there and both of us are challenged when it comes to coordination so we had a good laugh at ourselves and all the others there got a good laugh at us. Sure do like providing entertainment for everyone!!! On a serious note, it is a good workout and I do enjoy it. While I was working out John went back to TW and got a new modem to see if that is what our internet problem is and then spent a fair bit of time rewiring it all and moving everything (he sure can’t complain about being bored!!).
I woke up about 5 a.m. this morning and it was raining – what – this is Arizona! Fortunately, it had stopped before we got up and was a nice day although a bit cooler that it has been with a high today of about 70F (20C) – still not too shabby.
Our Nice Clean Trailer
This afternoon we had Don & Gail down for a drink and visit and had a good time. They are leaving on Monday for 10 days to 2 weeks on a trip into New Mexico etc. so we hope they have a great time. Shortly after they got here this roadrunner walked right by us – no fear whatsoever.
Dinner is over and I just talked to my sister who got back tonight from a weeks’ cruise in the Caribbean, they had a great time and good weather but I am always glad to hear they got home safely. My brother and his family are due home on Monday after their cruise so we hope they also have a safe trip.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Thursday night the park had a spagetti dinner, they have it every other Thursday during the season with a pot luck on the other Thursdays. We don't do pot lucks so will pass on them! Friends here in the park had asked us to go with them then Gail came down about 4 and said they had to work at the dinner so to wait until 5:30 to come down and eat with all the workers, who it happens we know. While we were waiting for them a couple of people we have met since coming here were sitting right by where we were waiting and thought we had gotten the time wrong so were happy when we said that we had waited to eat with the workers. We helped with the clean up then went back to Don & Gail's for a while. They have a beautiful huge propane fireplace on their back patio, it has a wide slate top around it for sitting drinks on etc. and throws out a really good heat. Don has put a very large gazebo over it to keep the heat in so we were nice and toasty warm sitting there, not that it was really cold out anyways. All in all, a very pleasant evening.
Friday morning I went to aquafit and had a great time, there was another new gal there and both of us are challenged when it comes to coordination so we had a good laugh at ourselves and all the others there got a good laugh at us. Sure do like providing entertainment for everyone!!! On a serious note, it is a good workout and I do enjoy it. While I was working out John went back to TW and got a new modem to see if that is what our internet problem is and then spent a fair bit of time rewiring it all and moving everything (he sure can’t complain about being bored!!).
I woke up about 5 a.m. this morning and it was raining – what – this is Arizona! Fortunately, it had stopped before we got up and was a nice day although a bit cooler that it has been with a high today of about 70F (20C) – still not too shabby.
Our Nice Clean Trailer
This afternoon we had Don & Gail down for a drink and visit and had a good time. They are leaving on Monday for 10 days to 2 weeks on a trip into New Mexico etc. so we hope they have a great time. Shortly after they got here this roadrunner walked right by us – no fear whatsoever.
Dinner is over and I just talked to my sister who got back tonight from a weeks’ cruise in the Caribbean, they had a great time and good weather but I am always glad to hear they got home safely. My brother and his family are due home on Monday after their cruise so we hope they also have a safe trip.
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
We have been enjoying gorgeous weather, nice warm sunny days and cool nights but the last couple of nights we haven’t even needed to turn the propane heater on during the evening – sure do like that!
I don’t know what all we have been doing but the days seem to fly by and we certainly aren’t bored! On Monday John had arranged for the Mexicans to wash the trailer and truck – what a great job they did. Then he spent the rest of Monday and yesterday waxing them – boy are we shiny now! He didn’t want to take the truck out until it was waxed so yesterday afternoon we finally got out to do some grocery shopping.
Monday morning when I went for my walk I stopped and had a quick visit with Ben and Diane, a nice couple who we met a couple of years ago who have a beautiful park model home here.
Yesterday I finally got on Skype and chatted with my brother in Australia for about an hour, it has been a long time since we’ve chatted so I enjoyed catching up with him again.
We have been having trouble with the internet since Saturday, it will work great then just cuts out (fortunately it behaved while I was on Skype yesterday) and we have to reset the modem and the airport express – a real pain you know where!! Finally, John got totally fed up with it this morning and got on the chat line with Time Warner and it turns out that it was probably a faulty splitter cable so when he went out on other errands today he stopped and got a new splitter cable and it seems to be working okay now so we have our fingers crossed.
This morning I went to aquafit and really enjoyed it, the lady leading it is really good and was very helpful to me being my first day and everyone was very friendly. This afternoon I went for my walk and ended up walking through a park model that is for sale here, then stopped at Gail and Don’s to invite them down for happy hour (Saturday works for both of us) and then stopped and talked to a couple from Gravenhurst. By the time I got back I thought John would have a search party out looking for me but he just asked who all I had stopped and visited with – guess he knows me well!!
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
I don’t know what all we have been doing but the days seem to fly by and we certainly aren’t bored! On Monday John had arranged for the Mexicans to wash the trailer and truck – what a great job they did. Then he spent the rest of Monday and yesterday waxing them – boy are we shiny now! He didn’t want to take the truck out until it was waxed so yesterday afternoon we finally got out to do some grocery shopping.
Monday morning when I went for my walk I stopped and had a quick visit with Ben and Diane, a nice couple who we met a couple of years ago who have a beautiful park model home here.
Yesterday I finally got on Skype and chatted with my brother in Australia for about an hour, it has been a long time since we’ve chatted so I enjoyed catching up with him again.
We have been having trouble with the internet since Saturday, it will work great then just cuts out (fortunately it behaved while I was on Skype yesterday) and we have to reset the modem and the airport express – a real pain you know where!! Finally, John got totally fed up with it this morning and got on the chat line with Time Warner and it turns out that it was probably a faulty splitter cable so when he went out on other errands today he stopped and got a new splitter cable and it seems to be working okay now so we have our fingers crossed.
This morning I went to aquafit and really enjoyed it, the lady leading it is really good and was very helpful to me being my first day and everyone was very friendly. This afternoon I went for my walk and ended up walking through a park model that is for sale here, then stopped at Gail and Don’s to invite them down for happy hour (Saturday works for both of us) and then stopped and talked to a couple from Gravenhurst. By the time I got back I thought John would have a search party out looking for me but he just asked who all I had stopped and visited with – guess he knows me well!!
And so ends a few more great gifts of days and we look forward to more wonderful days here in Yuma.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
We have enjoyed another two beautiful Yuma days with sun and nice temperatures – we’ve had highs of about 70F (20C) both days, I think we are finally starting to dry out – LOL!
Yesterday we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, it sure has been a long time since we’ve been there and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. From there we went over to the mall and checked out Best Buy, Marshall’s – I got a new pair of shoes, and Sports Authority where I was looking for a pair of crocs for Kel, but had no luck.
It was then on to the Yuma Market and oh, was it busy. We split and went our separate ways and we weren’t there very long when I ran into Jim and Sonia, we had a great chat and they invited us over on Saturday for a drink. I met up with John at the agreed upon time having spent the great sum of $5, certainly I did better than John who emptied his wallet. A quick stop at Fry’s ended our shopping expedition and it was home to relax.
This morning I vacuumed again and finally got the floors washed, now we are clean again. I also cleaned out some cupboards and drawers and John worked outside most of the day until it was time to go to Jim and Sonia’s. We had a great visit, it was good to get together with them again and get caught up on our lives. They bought a park model at Desert Paradise last year and Jim has done a lot of work on it - laminate floors in the living room & bedroom and ceramic in the kitchen, bathroom and hallway – it looks really nice.
Dinner is now over and we are watching the women’s moguls, wow, there are some really good gals competing but my knees ache just watching them!! We don’t know what’s wrong but the internet isn’t working so I will get this posted whenever we get it up and going again.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
Yesterday we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, it sure has been a long time since we’ve been there and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. From there we went over to the mall and checked out Best Buy, Marshall’s – I got a new pair of shoes, and Sports Authority where I was looking for a pair of crocs for Kel, but had no luck.
It was then on to the Yuma Market and oh, was it busy. We split and went our separate ways and we weren’t there very long when I ran into Jim and Sonia, we had a great chat and they invited us over on Saturday for a drink. I met up with John at the agreed upon time having spent the great sum of $5, certainly I did better than John who emptied his wallet. A quick stop at Fry’s ended our shopping expedition and it was home to relax.
This morning I vacuumed again and finally got the floors washed, now we are clean again. I also cleaned out some cupboards and drawers and John worked outside most of the day until it was time to go to Jim and Sonia’s. We had a great visit, it was good to get together with them again and get caught up on our lives. They bought a park model at Desert Paradise last year and Jim has done a lot of work on it - laminate floors in the living room & bedroom and ceramic in the kitchen, bathroom and hallway – it looks really nice.
Dinner is now over and we are watching the women’s moguls, wow, there are some really good gals competing but my knees ache just watching them!! We don’t know what’s wrong but the internet isn’t working so I will get this posted whenever we get it up and going again.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
We woke up yesterday morning and somehow thought we had morphed back to the Oregon coast as it was raining and the temperature was in the low 50’sF, a typical Oregon coast day!! It rained off and on all day and was cool – certainly not a typical Yuma day.
We decided to do some inside stuff so headed out as I desperately needed a hair cut and a pedicure – boy do my feet feel good again and I no longer look like a shaggy dog! We stopped at Fry’s and picked up a couple of groceries and by the time we got home it was after 5 – where oh where do the days go!
Today was a beautiful, sunny day, typical Yuma weather. John did some work outside and I did some more stuff inside then about noon we headed out to do laundry – there is no laundromat in the park so we went to one on South Frontage Road. Noon was a good time to go as it was busy but I got machines without a problem, so was happy, and at a $1.25/load it was reasonable. It is a fairly new laundromat so was nice and clean. John dropped me off and then carried on to get his hair cut and stop at Wal Mart and he arrived back to pick me up just as I was finishing folding the clothes – perfect timing.
When we came back we took a drive through the park and Gail was sitting outside so we stopped and had a visit with her, Don had gone out for fuel so wasn’t there but we will catch up with them soon for happy hour.
We have developed a wicked leak around the door in the last couple of weeks so when we got back John started trying to figure out where the problem is – hopefully he has located it and will get it fixed tomorrow. It is supposed to be sunny for the foreseeable future so hopefully it will be fixed by the next time we see rain. Actually, we are having the Mexicans come to wash the trailer on Monday so John is hoping that will be a good test of his fixing.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
We decided to do some inside stuff so headed out as I desperately needed a hair cut and a pedicure – boy do my feet feel good again and I no longer look like a shaggy dog! We stopped at Fry’s and picked up a couple of groceries and by the time we got home it was after 5 – where oh where do the days go!
Today was a beautiful, sunny day, typical Yuma weather. John did some work outside and I did some more stuff inside then about noon we headed out to do laundry – there is no laundromat in the park so we went to one on South Frontage Road. Noon was a good time to go as it was busy but I got machines without a problem, so was happy, and at a $1.25/load it was reasonable. It is a fairly new laundromat so was nice and clean. John dropped me off and then carried on to get his hair cut and stop at Wal Mart and he arrived back to pick me up just as I was finishing folding the clothes – perfect timing.
When we came back we took a drive through the park and Gail was sitting outside so we stopped and had a visit with her, Don had gone out for fuel so wasn’t there but we will catch up with them soon for happy hour.
We have developed a wicked leak around the door in the last couple of weeks so when we got back John started trying to figure out where the problem is – hopefully he has located it and will get it fixed tomorrow. It is supposed to be sunny for the foreseeable future so hopefully it will be fixed by the next time we see rain. Actually, we are having the Mexicans come to wash the trailer on Monday so John is hoping that will be a good test of his fixing.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Today was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm but unfortunately I spent most of the day inside doing some major cleaning and still have some things left to do tomorrow. I will be real happy to see it all clean and shiny again!!
John spent most of the day outside getting things organized and put away, now, for the first time in 5 months we can actually see the back seat of the truck!
We left about noon and went to Time Warner to sign up and get the modem etc. for the internet, we are now all hooked up and it is nice to be in the cyberspace world again! We stopped at a couple of stores on the way home and including Fry’s but it was a zoo and I had left my Fry’s card in the truck so we left without buying anything. We saw a couple of good deals so will go back in the next couple of days and pick up a couple of things.
When we got home we picked up where we left off, John outside and me finishing a couple more things inside. Our next door neighbour came over and introduced himself and gave us a cauliflower and an extremely large radish he had got in California today, it will be interesting to try the radish. A few more people stopped to welcome us to the park and chat, it is certainly the friendliest park we have been in Yuma!
It is now bed time – where does the day go?
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
John spent most of the day outside getting things organized and put away, now, for the first time in 5 months we can actually see the back seat of the truck!
We left about noon and went to Time Warner to sign up and get the modem etc. for the internet, we are now all hooked up and it is nice to be in the cyberspace world again! We stopped at a couple of stores on the way home and including Fry’s but it was a zoo and I had left my Fry’s card in the truck so we left without buying anything. We saw a couple of good deals so will go back in the next couple of days and pick up a couple of things.
When we got home we picked up where we left off, John outside and me finishing a couple more things inside. Our next door neighbour came over and introduced himself and gave us a cauliflower and an extremely large radish he had got in California today, it will be interesting to try the radish. A few more people stopped to welcome us to the park and chat, it is certainly the friendliest park we have been in Yuma!
It is now bed time – where does the day go?
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
Monday, February 8, 2010
These are Pictures from Saturday:
California Along I-5
Our Site at Kit Fox RV Park, Patterson (You Can See How Wet It Was)
This Funky Airstream Was at Kit Fox
Sunday turned out to be a nice day although it rained off and on all Saturday night/early Sunday morning. We checked the weather when we got up and it was only 28F in Tehachapi and seeing that it is at an elevation of 4000’ we decided not to rush leaving in the hopes it would warm up as we didn’t want to hit icy roads, as it was, it was 36F when we went through about 11 a.m. and the roads were wet so it probably didn’t hurt waiting. You can see from the pictures that there was lots of snow, and windmills, on the mountains as we went through. Once we got clear of there we hit sunny skies and had a lovely day the rest of the day.
Mountains At Tehachapi
We picked up I-40 at Barstow, CA, and there was a sign for Wilmington N.C. – 2544 miles – wow, that’s a long interstate!
We drove 435 km and stopped at Needles, California for the night. We stayed at Desert View RV Resort and it was a real nice park with hedges between the sites and the price was $33/night, not bad for California. Again, the internet was poor so I didn’t get my blog posted.
Our Site at Desert View RV Resort
Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, clear blue skies and a high of 68F, sure did like that! We had a good drive to Yuma, although it is pretty boring from Parker to Yuma and Quartzsite was pretty well dead although there are still quite a lot of trailers boondocking on the BLM lands.
Rock Formation Near Lake Havasu City
We arrived at Mountain Cactus Ranch about 2 this afternoon and are now all set up. Tomorrow we need to do some major cleaning both inside and out and go to Time Warner and get set up for internet as the park only has it at the office. We went out late this afternoon and got some groceries then went to Applebee’s for dinner – much easier than worrying about having to cook after a day on the road.
The people in the park here seem really nice, we were surprised by the number who stopped to talk and welcome us to the park while we were setting up.
After four days on the road we are both tired so it will be early to bed tonight.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
California Along I-5
Our Site at Kit Fox RV Park, Patterson (You Can See How Wet It Was)
This Funky Airstream Was at Kit Fox
Sunday turned out to be a nice day although it rained off and on all Saturday night/early Sunday morning. We checked the weather when we got up and it was only 28F in Tehachapi and seeing that it is at an elevation of 4000’ we decided not to rush leaving in the hopes it would warm up as we didn’t want to hit icy roads, as it was, it was 36F when we went through about 11 a.m. and the roads were wet so it probably didn’t hurt waiting. You can see from the pictures that there was lots of snow, and windmills, on the mountains as we went through. Once we got clear of there we hit sunny skies and had a lovely day the rest of the day.
Mountains At Tehachapi
We picked up I-40 at Barstow, CA, and there was a sign for Wilmington N.C. – 2544 miles – wow, that’s a long interstate!
We drove 435 km and stopped at Needles, California for the night. We stayed at Desert View RV Resort and it was a real nice park with hedges between the sites and the price was $33/night, not bad for California. Again, the internet was poor so I didn’t get my blog posted.
Our Site at Desert View RV Resort
Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, clear blue skies and a high of 68F, sure did like that! We had a good drive to Yuma, although it is pretty boring from Parker to Yuma and Quartzsite was pretty well dead although there are still quite a lot of trailers boondocking on the BLM lands.
Rock Formation Near Lake Havasu City
We arrived at Mountain Cactus Ranch about 2 this afternoon and are now all set up. Tomorrow we need to do some major cleaning both inside and out and go to Time Warner and get set up for internet as the park only has it at the office. We went out late this afternoon and got some groceries then went to Applebee’s for dinner – much easier than worrying about having to cook after a day on the road.
The people in the park here seem really nice, we were surprised by the number who stopped to talk and welcome us to the park while we were setting up.
After four days on the road we are both tired so it will be early to bed tonight.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
It would be too much to expect two nice days in a row and we were proven right by a rainy, cool day today. It rained off and on all night last night but fortunately it did stop this morning while John was getting us ready to hit the road, so at least he didn’t get wet.
We had an uneventful day, with a wet drive, and when we got to Bakersfield we had about a 20 minute period of stop and go traffic due to an accident but nothing to complain about. We arrived at Orange Grove RV Park on the east side of Bakersfield around 2 p.m. It is a nice park and the rate was $33/night cash or cheque or $35/night using debit or visa so of course we paid by cheque.
Dave and Janet had sent us an e-mail last night saying they were here and will be until Tuesday so we are parked across the road from them. We went over after we got here and visited then Dave drove us to a grocery store (so we wouldn’t have to unhook) and we both picked up some cooked ribs and I got a salad, so we had a good dinner at their place and as usual a great visit.
We had had an e-mail from them on Tuesday night saying they were going to cut over to the coast to come south so would stop in Port Orford for a visit but we never heard from them. It turns out it was pouring rain when they went through so they just kept on going as it was too early to stop for the day. They had as rotten a drive down the California coast as we did – lots of wind and rain so they have been one day ahead of us coming here. We are looking forward to seeing them again in Yuma when they arrive for the month of March.
It has stopped raining at the moment and I’m not sure what the forecast for tomorrow is as the internet here isn’t working so we have no way of checking it except to listen to the news tonight. No matter we will have to take what we get but it would be nice if it is a sunny day.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
We had an uneventful day, with a wet drive, and when we got to Bakersfield we had about a 20 minute period of stop and go traffic due to an accident but nothing to complain about. We arrived at Orange Grove RV Park on the east side of Bakersfield around 2 p.m. It is a nice park and the rate was $33/night cash or cheque or $35/night using debit or visa so of course we paid by cheque.
Dave and Janet had sent us an e-mail last night saying they were here and will be until Tuesday so we are parked across the road from them. We went over after we got here and visited then Dave drove us to a grocery store (so we wouldn’t have to unhook) and we both picked up some cooked ribs and I got a salad, so we had a good dinner at their place and as usual a great visit.
We had had an e-mail from them on Tuesday night saying they were going to cut over to the coast to come south so would stop in Port Orford for a visit but we never heard from them. It turns out it was pouring rain when they went through so they just kept on going as it was too early to stop for the day. They had as rotten a drive down the California coast as we did – lots of wind and rain so they have been one day ahead of us coming here. We are looking forward to seeing them again in Yuma when they arrive for the month of March.
It has stopped raining at the moment and I’m not sure what the forecast for tomorrow is as the internet here isn’t working so we have no way of checking it except to listen to the news tonight. No matter we will have to take what we get but it would be nice if it is a sunny day.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wow, we awoke this morning to a bright light in a perfectly blue sky, what a welcome sight, and the best part is that it lasted all day, which made for a nice day for driving.
I didn't bring in my camera last night so didn't have any pictures to post but here are some from yesterday. We had passed these old Airstreams at Humbug Mountain many times so finally stopped and took a couple of pictures. The smaller one has a very worn Wally Byam Caravan Club sticker on the front, we wonder if this is one of the trailers that went on the African tour many years ago. Gotta love the old Dodge! We have no idea who they belong to or why they are parked there but they certainly are in sad shape!!
And our last pictures of the Oregon Coast
Our Site at Willet KOA
We left Willet KOA about 9:30 and went south for about 15 miles on Highway 101 and then picked up Highway 20 east. Tim, at Port Orford RV Village, had said this was a good way across to I-5 and it was a pretty trip through to the interstate although there was lots of hill climbing – and coming back down, plus lots of little towns to go through. We drove for many miles along Clear Lake, a very large lake and a very touristy area, I imagine it would be a really busy place in the summer.
Clear Lake
The View Along Highway 20
All of a sudden we came around a curve and the mountains disappeared, it was really weird how fast they disappeared and we were then in very flat land, it reminded us of southern Ontario. We picked up I-5 north of Sacremento and will be on it until tomorrow when we head east at Bakersfield. All along I-5 there are miles and miles or orchards, vineyards and market gardening and everything is so green, and flooded from all the rain.
California roads certainly aren’t great, the interstate is pretty rough in spots but the traffic wasn’t too bad today. It was quite busy through Sacramento and Stockton but other than through those two cities it was not nearly as busy as we had thought it might be.
We are now at Kit Fox RV Park in Patterson, a very nice park and cheaper than last night but still more expensive than it should be, but then, this is Caifornia. We stopped about 3 this afternoon so it wasn’t a bad day at all.
Just before we got here we got back into mountains on the west side of the highway, it is really weird as the west is very hilly and when you look east it is all orchards – quite pretty.
We stopped at Williams to get diesel before getting on the interstate and it cost $3.099/gallon, fortunately it only took $25 to fill up and hopefully the next stop will be cheaper but that seems to be the going price most of the time from what we can see.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
I didn't bring in my camera last night so didn't have any pictures to post but here are some from yesterday. We had passed these old Airstreams at Humbug Mountain many times so finally stopped and took a couple of pictures. The smaller one has a very worn Wally Byam Caravan Club sticker on the front, we wonder if this is one of the trailers that went on the African tour many years ago. Gotta love the old Dodge! We have no idea who they belong to or why they are parked there but they certainly are in sad shape!!
And our last pictures of the Oregon Coast
Our Site at Willet KOA
We left Willet KOA about 9:30 and went south for about 15 miles on Highway 101 and then picked up Highway 20 east. Tim, at Port Orford RV Village, had said this was a good way across to I-5 and it was a pretty trip through to the interstate although there was lots of hill climbing – and coming back down, plus lots of little towns to go through. We drove for many miles along Clear Lake, a very large lake and a very touristy area, I imagine it would be a really busy place in the summer.
Clear Lake
The View Along Highway 20
All of a sudden we came around a curve and the mountains disappeared, it was really weird how fast they disappeared and we were then in very flat land, it reminded us of southern Ontario. We picked up I-5 north of Sacremento and will be on it until tomorrow when we head east at Bakersfield. All along I-5 there are miles and miles or orchards, vineyards and market gardening and everything is so green, and flooded from all the rain.
California roads certainly aren’t great, the interstate is pretty rough in spots but the traffic wasn’t too bad today. It was quite busy through Sacramento and Stockton but other than through those two cities it was not nearly as busy as we had thought it might be.
We are now at Kit Fox RV Park in Patterson, a very nice park and cheaper than last night but still more expensive than it should be, but then, this is Caifornia. We stopped about 3 this afternoon so it wasn’t a bad day at all.
Just before we got here we got back into mountains on the west side of the highway, it is really weird as the west is very hilly and when you look east it is all orchards – quite pretty.
We stopped at Williams to get diesel before getting on the interstate and it cost $3.099/gallon, fortunately it only took $25 to fill up and hopefully the next stop will be cheaper but that seems to be the going price most of the time from what we can see.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Today was our day to depart Port Orford RV Village and start our trip to Yuma so, it was with sadness but see you again, that we said goodbye to all our new friends, we really do hope to be back this way next spring.
Yesterday was a totally miserable day, we woke up in the morning to torrential rain and it stayed like that until mid afternoon so we were really thankful that John wasn’t out in it hooking us up. I did laundry and walked around the park when the rain stopped but all in all it was a pretty quiet day.
This morning we woke up to quiet – hey, it wasn’t raining!! John actually got up early enough to go over for the morning coffee session that happens from around 7 to 8 a.m. – usually too early for us!! I even made a late appearance about 8 a.m. – I am sure they all thought that I had had an accident to be up so early – LOL! We were on the road by about 9:15 a.m. – just as it started to rain.
We had rain pretty well all the way to Brookings, that was disappointing as I couldn’t get any final pictures of the Oregon Coast. We stopped at Gold Beach and picked up a Dungeness crab for dinner – our last of these wonderful, tasty crabs. Right after Brookings the rain stopped so we had high hopes that this would be the end of it – how silly can we be!!
As navigator and co-pilot I had planned on stopping at Fortuna but when we got there the pilot thought it was too early to stop so wanted to carry on. Okay, I found another park around Legget that sounded not too bad so we headed for there. Well, never having driven in northern California before we were in for quite a surprise – Highway 101 south of Fortuna was very hilly, narrow at times and slow going – especially in the rain and with very few towns along the way. And rain it did, it came down in torrents and we had a few good gusts of wind – not what I would call a nice travel day. There was also lots of fog just to add to the fun.
By late afternoon we were getting low on fuel with no gas stations in sight. I might add that once in California the price of diesel was anywhere from $3.099 to $3.199/gallon so that wasn’t really making us happy. Now, to make matters worse, Alice - our GPS, had the wrong spot for the park we were going to check out and all of a sudden we were passing it and Alice was telling us it was still 10 km down the road – not pretty as there was no place to turn around!! At this point the pilot and co-pilot weren’t saying too much to each other as recriminations don’t do anybody any good so we were just silent!! Finally we came into Laytonville and there was a Chevron that a) sold diesel, b) we could get into and c) (best of all) the price was $2.999/gallon.
At this point we were on plan C – staying at the Willet KOA, and for anybody who knows us you know how much we dislike KOA’s, but at this point it seemed like the only choice. But wait, while I was in the gas station I was talking to a local lady who said there were a couple of RV parks about 15 miles south, okay we’ll check these out. Well, again, the first one was by us before we knew it was there but the second one was better marked so we pulled in.
It didn’t look really great when we pulled in but the owner said we could probably get in site 9 and not to have to unhook. Meanwhile, we are parked in front of the office and people are yelling at us as they can’t get by – what are we supposed to do as the road is narrow and there is no place to pull over and check in at the office. The owner told us to go ahead and park and either come back and pay or pay in the morning on the way out – at this point I noticed on the counter their price was $42/night but he did say they were a Passport America park. Well, we headed into the park to find site #9 and went into shock, we have never seen a worse looking park in our lives and we knew we wouldn’t feel particularly safe there, plus our bedroom window would be backing right onto Highway 101 – we don’t think so! Now, how do we get out of this mess? There was a fellow outside across from site #9 who told John there was a turnaround at the end of the park so we cautiously went on and did manage, just, to get turned around and get the heck out of there.
On to the Willett KOA and here we are – at a cost of $37/night which is a total rip but what can we do – it was pretty well dark when we got here so there was no way we were going any further.
We have now had a wonderful dinner of Dungeness crab and have managed to unwind after our long, stressful day on the road and the rain has even let up to just a few drops but we don’t expect that to last as the forecast for the next three days is for rain, rain and more rain.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Yesterday was a totally miserable day, we woke up in the morning to torrential rain and it stayed like that until mid afternoon so we were really thankful that John wasn’t out in it hooking us up. I did laundry and walked around the park when the rain stopped but all in all it was a pretty quiet day.
This morning we woke up to quiet – hey, it wasn’t raining!! John actually got up early enough to go over for the morning coffee session that happens from around 7 to 8 a.m. – usually too early for us!! I even made a late appearance about 8 a.m. – I am sure they all thought that I had had an accident to be up so early – LOL! We were on the road by about 9:15 a.m. – just as it started to rain.
We had rain pretty well all the way to Brookings, that was disappointing as I couldn’t get any final pictures of the Oregon Coast. We stopped at Gold Beach and picked up a Dungeness crab for dinner – our last of these wonderful, tasty crabs. Right after Brookings the rain stopped so we had high hopes that this would be the end of it – how silly can we be!!
As navigator and co-pilot I had planned on stopping at Fortuna but when we got there the pilot thought it was too early to stop so wanted to carry on. Okay, I found another park around Legget that sounded not too bad so we headed for there. Well, never having driven in northern California before we were in for quite a surprise – Highway 101 south of Fortuna was very hilly, narrow at times and slow going – especially in the rain and with very few towns along the way. And rain it did, it came down in torrents and we had a few good gusts of wind – not what I would call a nice travel day. There was also lots of fog just to add to the fun.
By late afternoon we were getting low on fuel with no gas stations in sight. I might add that once in California the price of diesel was anywhere from $3.099 to $3.199/gallon so that wasn’t really making us happy. Now, to make matters worse, Alice - our GPS, had the wrong spot for the park we were going to check out and all of a sudden we were passing it and Alice was telling us it was still 10 km down the road – not pretty as there was no place to turn around!! At this point the pilot and co-pilot weren’t saying too much to each other as recriminations don’t do anybody any good so we were just silent!! Finally we came into Laytonville and there was a Chevron that a) sold diesel, b) we could get into and c) (best of all) the price was $2.999/gallon.
At this point we were on plan C – staying at the Willet KOA, and for anybody who knows us you know how much we dislike KOA’s, but at this point it seemed like the only choice. But wait, while I was in the gas station I was talking to a local lady who said there were a couple of RV parks about 15 miles south, okay we’ll check these out. Well, again, the first one was by us before we knew it was there but the second one was better marked so we pulled in.
It didn’t look really great when we pulled in but the owner said we could probably get in site 9 and not to have to unhook. Meanwhile, we are parked in front of the office and people are yelling at us as they can’t get by – what are we supposed to do as the road is narrow and there is no place to pull over and check in at the office. The owner told us to go ahead and park and either come back and pay or pay in the morning on the way out – at this point I noticed on the counter their price was $42/night but he did say they were a Passport America park. Well, we headed into the park to find site #9 and went into shock, we have never seen a worse looking park in our lives and we knew we wouldn’t feel particularly safe there, plus our bedroom window would be backing right onto Highway 101 – we don’t think so! Now, how do we get out of this mess? There was a fellow outside across from site #9 who told John there was a turnaround at the end of the park so we cautiously went on and did manage, just, to get turned around and get the heck out of there.
On to the Willett KOA and here we are – at a cost of $37/night which is a total rip but what can we do – it was pretty well dark when we got here so there was no way we were going any further.
We have now had a wonderful dinner of Dungeness crab and have managed to unwind after our long, stressful day on the road and the rain has even let up to just a few drops but we don’t expect that to last as the forecast for the next three days is for rain, rain and more rain.
And so ends a couple more great gifts of days and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February already, where on earth does the time go!!
We have had a few quiet days here with nothing happening to write about. Sunday was a really nice day so we spent time outside enjoying the sun, the forecast is for rain all this week so we have to enjoy the sun when it happens. The cherry trees in the front of the park are all out in bloom and look so pretty.
Claudia came over with her pictures from diving and we really enjoyed seeing them, we always think of the Caribbean when thinking about all the pretty underwater sea life but it is just as pretty here; now I look at the ocean and think about all the underwater beauty as well as the majesty of the waves.
Claudia and Gene were saying the large hoist at the dock isn’t working so they haven’t been able to get out fishing lately. It is an iffy business between the tides, weather and getting up and down at the dock and we certainly have gained a new appreciation for the fishermen from talking to them.
Sunday night we went to the Crazy Norwegian for dinner and had their special for the evening, fish tacos, yummy! The last day of the month is cake and ice cream at 6:30 here at the park to celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries during the month; well there weren’t any to celebrate but we had cake and ice cream anyways and a nice visit, although there weren’t too many people there. The cake and ice cream were a great finish to our delicious dinner.
Yesterday we went to Brookings to pick up a few groceries and just to get out for the day. It rained off and on all day and was a bit foggy at times but we had a nice day anyways. We stopped at Gold Beach and got a Dungeness crab for dinner, and as usual it was delicious.
Looking North Towards Humbug Mountain in the Fog
On the way home we went down to the dock, there wasn’t a lot happening but we saw this pelican sitting on the dock, when I tried to take his picture he flew off and landed on this boat, so I did manage to get a few pictures.
Pelican on the Dock
And Peeking Out from His Hiding Spot on the Boat
Today is wet and overcast but the good part is that it just rains off and on, not a steady rain all day - that is forecast for later in the week. We were going to leave tomorrow and spend a day in the Fortuna California area but the forecast is for rain all day Thursday so it wouldn’t be much of a day for touring around, therefore, we have decided to wait and leave here on Thursday and just make a straight run through to Yuma, arriving there next Monday the good lord be willing and all going well.
I must say we are looking forward to sun and warmer days although we have really enjoyed our time on the Oregon Coast and especially here at Port Orford and hope to return some time. We would like to return in the spring on the way home in another year or two and see what the spring is like here.
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
We have had a few quiet days here with nothing happening to write about. Sunday was a really nice day so we spent time outside enjoying the sun, the forecast is for rain all this week so we have to enjoy the sun when it happens. The cherry trees in the front of the park are all out in bloom and look so pretty.
Claudia came over with her pictures from diving and we really enjoyed seeing them, we always think of the Caribbean when thinking about all the pretty underwater sea life but it is just as pretty here; now I look at the ocean and think about all the underwater beauty as well as the majesty of the waves.
Claudia and Gene were saying the large hoist at the dock isn’t working so they haven’t been able to get out fishing lately. It is an iffy business between the tides, weather and getting up and down at the dock and we certainly have gained a new appreciation for the fishermen from talking to them.
Sunday night we went to the Crazy Norwegian for dinner and had their special for the evening, fish tacos, yummy! The last day of the month is cake and ice cream at 6:30 here at the park to celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries during the month; well there weren’t any to celebrate but we had cake and ice cream anyways and a nice visit, although there weren’t too many people there. The cake and ice cream were a great finish to our delicious dinner.
Yesterday we went to Brookings to pick up a few groceries and just to get out for the day. It rained off and on all day and was a bit foggy at times but we had a nice day anyways. We stopped at Gold Beach and got a Dungeness crab for dinner, and as usual it was delicious.
Looking North Towards Humbug Mountain in the Fog
On the way home we went down to the dock, there wasn’t a lot happening but we saw this pelican sitting on the dock, when I tried to take his picture he flew off and landed on this boat, so I did manage to get a few pictures.
Pelican on the Dock
And Peeking Out from His Hiding Spot on the Boat
Today is wet and overcast but the good part is that it just rains off and on, not a steady rain all day - that is forecast for later in the week. We were going to leave tomorrow and spend a day in the Fortuna California area but the forecast is for rain all day Thursday so it wouldn’t be much of a day for touring around, therefore, we have decided to wait and leave here on Thursday and just make a straight run through to Yuma, arriving there next Monday the good lord be willing and all going well.
I must say we are looking forward to sun and warmer days although we have really enjoyed our time on the Oregon Coast and especially here at Port Orford and hope to return some time. We would like to return in the spring on the way home in another year or two and see what the spring is like here.
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time for another catch up on our time here in Port Orford. Tuesday was a so-so day weather wise, it didn’t rain but it was pretty overcast most of the day. I spent most of my time reading Warlock, I just got lost in the story for the day so we didn’t do a lot of anything.
Yesterday was not a bad day, kind of overcast in the morning but it cleared off in early afternoon and was gorgeous. We went to Bandon as I wanted to go back one last time and wander around Old Town. On the way we stopped at Misty Meadows to get John some more Anitpasto and jam as well as pick up a few gifts. When we got to Bandon we had lunch, a yummy bowl of clam chowder, then wandered around some of the stores. We didn’t buy much but I did get a couple of pretty pottery bowls that were really cheap as well as some fudge. We were wandering through one store and they had a lot of Kitras glass so I was telling the owner that we were from where it is made and he went on at length about what a great company they are to deal with – nice to hear.
We stopped at another store after leaving Old Town, then on to the grocery store before starting to make our way back home. We went down to the north jetty and took a few pictures of the Coquille River Lighthouse, then to the beach for more pictures and then took the scenic route back out of Bandon with picture stops at a few more places.
Coquille River Lighthouse
We stopped at a pullout to take a picture and found this house down by the beach, I sure wouldn't like to have to do those steps all the time to get up and down!!!
Bandon Beach
Face Rock
When we got back to Port Orford we decided to go down to the dock and see if anything was happening there as our neighbours, Claudia & Gene, had gone out fishing so we thought we might see them coming back in. When we got there their truck and boat were gone so they had already come in but we saw a couple of boats heading in so got out and walked over to the lift area to watch them come in. Boy, was our timing good – we saw them unloading boxes of sea urchins off one of the boats and boxes of crabs off another. The people dive for the sea urchins and Gene told John that they get paid really well for them. There was another boat unloading crabs, one of the boxes they took off weighed 374 lbs – so I would say they had a good day as they took off at least 3 boxes and we know they get $1.99/lb for them. It’s interesting as they have a winch to lift the catch off the boats and unload the catch into large tubs, then the boats themselves move a bit further along the dock to get winched up.
While we were watching a boat come up we got talking to three fellows who were cleaning a steelhead they had caught in the Sixes River and were just at the dock to clean it. They had come from south of San Francisco for a few days fishing and said they had caught four steelheads but only kept the one and one of the reasons for keeping it was for the roe which they use for bait. It sure looked like a nice fish and I bet it was good eating!! There was also a seal swimming around in the harbour and it looked like a fair sized one.
Sea Urchins
Fishing Boat Being Hoisted Up
And Going on Its Trailer
California Fishermen with Steelhead
Boats Waiting to Come Into the Dock
Seal in Harbour
Crab Catch
After we got home we were talking to Gene & Claudia and they said they didn’t have a great day but didn’t do too bad either. They gave us some fresh ling cod for dinner and was it yummy, John put some lemon pepper and butter on it, wrapped it in foil and grilled it.
Today is another nice day so John decided to clean out the truck and I took advantage of his being outside to do a major cleaning inside, I even got the floors washed – something I just can’t get done when he is inside.
Gene & Claudia came back from another day of fishing and she said they again didn’t catch as much as they wanted but the wind had started to come up and the water was getting a bit rough so they decided to head in early before it got too bad. She was saying she used to dive but due to puncturing her eardrum a number of times has had to quit but she has an album of underwater pictures that she will bring over and show to me – should be interesting.
It is supposed to rain again tomorrow but we will see if they are right. We don’t have a lot planned for the rest of the day so I will probably start another book – tough life.
Tim is trying to get some grass cutting done while the weather is dry so as soon as he is finished he will fill propane tanks, we need ours filled so have it sitting out waiting.
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Yesterday was not a bad day, kind of overcast in the morning but it cleared off in early afternoon and was gorgeous. We went to Bandon as I wanted to go back one last time and wander around Old Town. On the way we stopped at Misty Meadows to get John some more Anitpasto and jam as well as pick up a few gifts. When we got to Bandon we had lunch, a yummy bowl of clam chowder, then wandered around some of the stores. We didn’t buy much but I did get a couple of pretty pottery bowls that were really cheap as well as some fudge. We were wandering through one store and they had a lot of Kitras glass so I was telling the owner that we were from where it is made and he went on at length about what a great company they are to deal with – nice to hear.
We stopped at another store after leaving Old Town, then on to the grocery store before starting to make our way back home. We went down to the north jetty and took a few pictures of the Coquille River Lighthouse, then to the beach for more pictures and then took the scenic route back out of Bandon with picture stops at a few more places.
Coquille River Lighthouse
We stopped at a pullout to take a picture and found this house down by the beach, I sure wouldn't like to have to do those steps all the time to get up and down!!!
Bandon Beach
Face Rock
When we got back to Port Orford we decided to go down to the dock and see if anything was happening there as our neighbours, Claudia & Gene, had gone out fishing so we thought we might see them coming back in. When we got there their truck and boat were gone so they had already come in but we saw a couple of boats heading in so got out and walked over to the lift area to watch them come in. Boy, was our timing good – we saw them unloading boxes of sea urchins off one of the boats and boxes of crabs off another. The people dive for the sea urchins and Gene told John that they get paid really well for them. There was another boat unloading crabs, one of the boxes they took off weighed 374 lbs – so I would say they had a good day as they took off at least 3 boxes and we know they get $1.99/lb for them. It’s interesting as they have a winch to lift the catch off the boats and unload the catch into large tubs, then the boats themselves move a bit further along the dock to get winched up.
While we were watching a boat come up we got talking to three fellows who were cleaning a steelhead they had caught in the Sixes River and were just at the dock to clean it. They had come from south of San Francisco for a few days fishing and said they had caught four steelheads but only kept the one and one of the reasons for keeping it was for the roe which they use for bait. It sure looked like a nice fish and I bet it was good eating!! There was also a seal swimming around in the harbour and it looked like a fair sized one.
Sea Urchins
Fishing Boat Being Hoisted Up
And Going on Its Trailer
California Fishermen with Steelhead
Boats Waiting to Come Into the Dock
Seal in Harbour
Crab Catch
After we got home we were talking to Gene & Claudia and they said they didn’t have a great day but didn’t do too bad either. They gave us some fresh ling cod for dinner and was it yummy, John put some lemon pepper and butter on it, wrapped it in foil and grilled it.
Today is another nice day so John decided to clean out the truck and I took advantage of his being outside to do a major cleaning inside, I even got the floors washed – something I just can’t get done when he is inside.
Gene & Claudia came back from another day of fishing and she said they again didn’t catch as much as they wanted but the wind had started to come up and the water was getting a bit rough so they decided to head in early before it got too bad. She was saying she used to dive but due to puncturing her eardrum a number of times has had to quit but she has an album of underwater pictures that she will bring over and show to me – should be interesting.
It is supposed to rain again tomorrow but we will see if they are right. We don’t have a lot planned for the rest of the day so I will probably start another book – tough life.
Tim is trying to get some grass cutting done while the weather is dry so as soon as he is finished he will fill propane tanks, we need ours filled so have it sitting out waiting.
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Monday, January 25, 2010
I guess it is time to do a quick catch up again, although there hasn’t been anything exciting happening.
Saturday was a nice sunny day for a change, it was beautiful all day but of course about 9 p.m. the rain started again – it seems like it is impossible to have a day without rain here on the Oregon coast!
Saturday night was the parks’ monthly potluck and this month it was soup and salads. The soups were delicious, I had decided to take a tossed salad with mandarin oranges and walnuts and a couple of loaves of warm bread, one a French bread and the other sourdough. I’m glad that is what I decided on as it was the only salad and bread although there were also some rolls. Of course there were some yummy deserts to finish off, all in all a nice dinner with good company.
Yesterday it poured off and on all day, not a nice day to do anything and even to go to the dock, Battle Rock beach or Paradise Beach would have been a waste of time as with the rain it would be hard to see the waves, so we stayed home and vegged all day. For dinner John went and picked up a pizza from the Hard Rain Café, it was really good and we had a couple of slices left over for today’s lunch.
I downloaded Warlock by Wilbur Smith onto my Kindle yesterday so spent most of the day reading, although we also spent a fair bit of time on the phone catching up with the girls, my sister and some friends.
Warlock is the third book in Wilbur Smith’s Egyptian series and as always with his books, once I start I have a hard time putting the book down. It is probably about 1,000 pages so a fairly long read but I am really enjoying it. I also downloaded the fourth one in the series so will have that ready to read when I am done Warlock.
Today is very overcast, but not raining, it feels really humid because it is quite foggy. Last night they had heavy wind warnings on the TV for this area but thankfully they didn’t happen here. They had said there would be swells of 22-24’ today so we grabbed a coffee this morning and went down to Battle Rock Beach, the dock and Paradise Beach to see what the waves were like. There were some good waves, not as large as we have seen, nonetheless the ocean is always awesome to watch and I did get some pictures at Battle Rock and the dock. I will post them for you to judge how they were.
Looking Towards Humbug Mountain from Battle Rock Beach
Looking Back to Battle Rock Beach from the Dock
Port Orford Jetty and Waves Breaking Over the Jetty
Port Orford Dock
Once I am done posting my blog I will probably bury my nose back in my Kindle and enjoy more of Warlock’s thrilling story – Alison & Bob you would love this book!
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
Saturday was a nice sunny day for a change, it was beautiful all day but of course about 9 p.m. the rain started again – it seems like it is impossible to have a day without rain here on the Oregon coast!
Saturday night was the parks’ monthly potluck and this month it was soup and salads. The soups were delicious, I had decided to take a tossed salad with mandarin oranges and walnuts and a couple of loaves of warm bread, one a French bread and the other sourdough. I’m glad that is what I decided on as it was the only salad and bread although there were also some rolls. Of course there were some yummy deserts to finish off, all in all a nice dinner with good company.
Yesterday it poured off and on all day, not a nice day to do anything and even to go to the dock, Battle Rock beach or Paradise Beach would have been a waste of time as with the rain it would be hard to see the waves, so we stayed home and vegged all day. For dinner John went and picked up a pizza from the Hard Rain Café, it was really good and we had a couple of slices left over for today’s lunch.
I downloaded Warlock by Wilbur Smith onto my Kindle yesterday so spent most of the day reading, although we also spent a fair bit of time on the phone catching up with the girls, my sister and some friends.
Warlock is the third book in Wilbur Smith’s Egyptian series and as always with his books, once I start I have a hard time putting the book down. It is probably about 1,000 pages so a fairly long read but I am really enjoying it. I also downloaded the fourth one in the series so will have that ready to read when I am done Warlock.
Today is very overcast, but not raining, it feels really humid because it is quite foggy. Last night they had heavy wind warnings on the TV for this area but thankfully they didn’t happen here. They had said there would be swells of 22-24’ today so we grabbed a coffee this morning and went down to Battle Rock Beach, the dock and Paradise Beach to see what the waves were like. There were some good waves, not as large as we have seen, nonetheless the ocean is always awesome to watch and I did get some pictures at Battle Rock and the dock. I will post them for you to judge how they were.
Looking Towards Humbug Mountain from Battle Rock Beach
Looking Back to Battle Rock Beach from the Dock
Port Orford Jetty and Waves Breaking Over the Jetty
Port Orford Dock
Once I am done posting my blog I will probably bury my nose back in my Kindle and enjoy more of Warlock’s thrilling story – Alison & Bob you would love this book!
And so ends more great gifts of days here on the Oregon Coast and we look forward to another interesting day tomorrow, no matter what the weather is like.
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