Apr 15th to 17th - Portland to Richland WA

Apr 15th – Thurs – Portland
We looked after some chores this morning including the blog, email and grocery shopping. About 3 we went back to Cindy’s house with the makings for dinner since she made dinner the last 2 nights and she did have to work again today. Tim was working on a concrete job and didn’t have any work lined up for Terry on the apartment.
We left early as Cindy had to give EllaMae a bath and Terry wanted to dump our tanks in preparation for leaving tomorrow. This RV park is the only one that we have encountered that requires the use of a soft ring in the unthreaded sewer pipe. We did not want to buy a ring and carry it around forever so Terry just hooked up the hose, dumped and put everything away before we were caught.

Apr 16th – Fri – to Richland WA
We waited until after rush hour traffic to leave this morning for an uneventful drive to the TriCities. I had selected an RV park from Trailer Life and found out when we got there that it was changed to KOA and the rates had gone up considerably. We don’t like KOAs much so decided to stay at Horn Rapids RV instead.
We walked around the park and just relaxed. More than half of the sites here are long term residents. Apparently a lot of the people work on the Hanford decommisioning.

Apr 17th – Sat – Richland
Nice lazy morning and then we went to see the salesman (Keith Bennett as Russ Dean Family RV) who sold us our 5th wheel. He did not have anything on the lot that interested us but we spent quite a bit of time with him. We went across the street to his competitor and saw a perfect new rig but didn’t like the price!
We stopped for a couple of items at a WinCo grocery store and ended up buying more than we thought we needed. WinCo is a fairly new chain that we were first introduced to in Spokane and we like the stores.
More walking in the park, TV watching and web surfing filled the remainder of the afternoon & evening.

Apr 12th to 14th - to Portland OR

Apr 12th – Mon – to Myrtle Creek OR
We got started fairly early this morning and were ready for a late breakfast by the time we got to Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville. By the time we played a few slots, we were ready for lunch! I still had some money burning a hole in my pocket so instead of leaving with we had to get rid of it.
When we got back to the rig, I noticed that the tires on one side of the 5th wheel were VERY close together and, sure enough, we had another broken spring. We unhooked, found a repair place nearby, hooked back up and slowly & carefully drove the 5 miles to Myrtle Creek. After much measuring and research by the mechanic, we decided to replace just the broken spring rather than beefing up all the springs. Of course, a spring was only available in Grants Pass – about 1 ½ hours south – so we got to stay overnight in the repair shop parking lot.

Apr 13th – Tues – to Portland
There was no problem getting the new spring put in because the mechanic did not break his ankle when a jack slipped and the axle fell on him! We drove through some heavy rain but it cleared before we reached Portland.
We went to the fairgrounds to get a parking spot as it is the closest place to Terry’s sister Cindy. But there was no one else camped in the isolated RV parking area and we did not feel good about leaving our rig there all day so we headed back about 20 miles to Roamer’s Rest RV park in Tualatin. Of course we had to encounter backed up traffic on a freeway (at 1:45 pm!) so we were really ready to get parked and set up.
Then we drove to Cindy’s (18 ½ miles, 25-30 min) to see Terry’s Mom and her husband (EllaMae & Don) who have recently moved here from Spokane. Cindy’s husband Tim is building a small apartment behind their house for EllaMae & Don as EllaMae is restricted to a wheel chair and Don needs help looking after her. Cindy has been flying to Spokane every weekend for 2 years since EllaMae had a stroke so this will be easier for Cindy.
Cindy had left a casserole and instructions for Don so we had dinner with them.

Apr 14th – Wed – Portland
We went back to Cindy’s this morning. Tim was working on the apartment so Terry was able to help by installing can lights and drilling many holes to run electrical wires. I even got into the act by cleaning up after all the drilling & sawing – but mainly I did laundry and visited with EllaMae & Don.
Cindy ran out on her lunch hour to get steaks for dinner and then had to get more after work when her & Terry’s brother Gary came to visit. Gary’s wife Suzanne, their son Trevor and grandson Reese were also with him. Luckily the weather stayed nice enough that the guys could eat outside.

Apr 9th to 11th - Las Vegas to Talent OR

Apr 9th – Fri – Las Vegas
After breakfast, Terry went off to play 21 again and I got to do some chores without him getting antsy. I did some sewing, worked on the computer, read a bit and made a late lunch/ early dinner – great day for me! I had just finished eating about 4 when Terry came back (with winnings in his pocket!) to see if I was hungry. I fed him dinner and after a bit we headed out again to Freemont St. We have really enjoyed staying downtown and walking everywhere. The RV park is nothing great but it has full time security and we have not been here much.
We played a few slot machines and got enough points on our cards to each get a T-shirt. I left Terry playing Pai Gow Poker and took the shirts back to the rig so we didn’t have to carry them around all night. Terry was ahead when I got back so I gradually lost some of his winnings!
There was a huge private party on Freemont St with nearly everyone attending dressing as Elvis or Marilyn Monroe – some were very bad. We watched a couple of the light shows in between playing more slots. It is definitely sensory overload with all the lights & music. The weather was wonderful and we were comfortable walking back about midnight in short sleeves.

Apr 10th – Sat – to Hawthorne
Our friends Terry & Judy were going to the Valley of Fire state park near Las Vegas for a few days and invited us to join them but we decided to start moving north. It took us about 7 hours to get to Hawthorne NV where we stayed for free in a casino parking lot. I remember noting in a previous blog entry that this section of the U.S. is SO boring and unutilized. Good thing the army has a use for some acres and finally (around Goldfield & Tonopah) quite a bit of mining.
We relaxed with a drink and spent a short time in the casino before having a nice dinner in our rig and getting to bed early to try to catch up on some sleep lost in the last 3 days.

Apr 11th – Sun – to Talent OR
We left about 6:30 this morning since we were both wide awake at 6. We were ready for something to eat in Susanville but did not see any place where we could park. Of course, there were no towns for a long ways after so we were really hungry at the junction where we turned from Hwy 44 to Hwy 89. There was a small dot on the map called Old Station to the left of where we were supposed to turn right. Terry decided to check out the “town” and to our surprise there was a small café that just opened for the season 3 days ago. The owners of “Jake’s” bake all their own bread, pastries & desserts and we had a great lunch. Shortly after lunch it started to rain and just before we got to the I-5 junction we had a short snow flurry. But it cleared before we climbed and descended the Siskiyou mountains.
I found a PA park in Talent OR and we decided to hibernate for the evening with cable TV. I do not use the word “hibernate” by accident – it is cold here for a couple used to the warm south.

Apr 5th to 8th - Yuma to Las Vegas

Apr 5th – Mon – Yuma
I caught up the blog this morning before making a late breakfast. Charlie & Julie picked us up at 11:30 and we headed to the casino to take advantage of $10 free play each. C&J have been getting the $10 free play at 2 different casinos each week for a couple of months. They play the free amount, cash out what they have at that time and put the money aside. We have a tendency to play the casino’s money and a bit of our own. But I did OK today – I put in $5 of my own (need at least $1 to activate the free play) and cashed out $60.
Then we went to Wellton to play golf at Coyote Wash. It was quite windy but warm. We maintained a good pace for the first 8 holes and then play bogged down. We played through the SLOW group on the 10th hole but had to wait a bit on the last 4 holes.
I had put a pork roast in the crock pot and invited C&J over for dinner. Julie added a salad to the roast & yams for a yummy, easy dinner. Charlie is a sports fan so we all watched the last half of the NCAA championship basketball game.

Apr 6th – Tues – Yuma
Lazy day. We did some prep for moving tomorrow. We visited Charlie & Julie and I helped Julie uninstall & reinstall Picasa. She had been using face recognition in Picasa and, like me, found that it interfered with Picasa’s backup capability. I had looked at forums on Picasa’s website and read a lot about this known problem so decided to get rid of that function by turning off face recognition on our new computer.
We went to visit friends Terry & Judy (met them in Newfoundland) who are staying in Yuma until Sat. We had a drink with them and were joined by their friends Ray & Louise. Then we walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner with T&J. We were going to play cards after dinner but had too much catching up to do.

Apr 7th – Wed – to Las Vegas
We said farewell to Charlie & Julie and left before 9. Wind most of the way played havoc with our fuel mileage. We made a stop for diesel & lunch and arrived in Las Vegas about 3. Wanda did not do a very good job of getting us to Main St. Station RV park. It appears as if there have been major freeway changes since our last map update. Once we got onto surface streets we did OK.
We were surprised (I don’t know why!) to find most of the pull through sites occupied. We had to walk to the hotel to get a spot and were told that some event accounted for the fullness of the RV park. We found a suitable back-in site and set up. We even have some shade and are not right beside the streets surrounding the park.
We are just a few blocks from “Old Downtown” – Fremont St. – so we enjoyed a drink and then went exploring. We had a good time adding casino player cards to our collection, having dinner, watching part of a couple of light shows on Fremont St and, of course, checking out the slot machines. Got back at 12:45 – very late night for us!

Apr 8th – Thurs – Las Vegas
We slept in and then had coffee before heading out again. We had a certificate for 2-for-1 entrees at a restaurant and planned to use it for breakfast/lunch. Before eating, we checked out some more casinos.
After lunch we continued our walk & gambling. Our allowance finally ran out about 5 so we came back for a drink & dinner. After dinner, Terry decided to go back and play some 21. I was burned out & happy to stay home, catch up expenses on the computer and read. Terry did recover a bit of our losses at 21.
The weather is lovely – sunny and warm. It was a bit cool walking back late last night in short sleeves but the casinos are so warm that I was glad I did not take along a light jacket.

Apr 2nd to 4th - Yuma

Apr 2nd – Fri – Yuma
We went to WalMart for groceries this morning and came right back to put everything away. By this time, Charlie & Julie finished up some chores and could join us for a trip to the swap meet where I was looking for a specific pot to use in the microwave. A lot of the vendors have closed including 2 who had the pot I wanted.
We all stopped at an RV dealer and checked out anything remotely interesting.
Charlie & Julie had us and Al & Chris(tine) over for dinner. Charlie had put out their awning and sun/wind screen so even though it was breezy we were able to eat outside and enjoy Charlie’s buddy burner.

Apr 3rd – Sat – Yuma
Charlie & Julie stopped by for a chat this morning and we decided to go to Lute’s Casino for lunch. Lute’s is not a casino but a restaurant which we have been to several times but it was a first visit for C&J. I love their chicken/cheese/Ortega chile quesadilla and enjoyed it once again.
We browsed through a wonderful gift-y shop and then made a stop at Big Lots – again for a specific item which they did not have.
There was a lot of afternoon left when we got back and Terry wanted to do something so we went to the Quechan casino. This time it was Terry’s turn to win some money and stop the bleeding.

Apr 4th – HAPPY EASTER
We figured correctly that there wouldn’t be many users at the laundry this morning and were able to get it done easily. Our site is close to the office complex so we could come back to the rig rather than waiting in the laundry room.
Before & during doing laundry, I put together a bean casserole for dinner and used up some overripe bananas in coffee cake which I shared with Charlie & Julie. The rest of the afternoon was pretty lazy.
Dinner was a park potluck with the park providing baked ham and everyone bringing other dishes. We went to the hall about 3:45. As we were choosing a table and beginning to set out our plates, everything started shaking with an EARTHQUAKE. There was also a metallic rattling in the ceiling and it took non-Californians a few seconds to realize what was happening. We all headed outside and watched water splash out of the pool with the waves created by the movement which was a rolling motion of the ground rather than a shaking. It is really hard to say how long it went on but it had to be over a minute and was very disorienting for some people. Of course there were a couple of minor aftershocks but not enough for us to leave the building.
Good dinner, fun people at our table and non-stop conversation. It was still warm so after dinner, Terry & I put on our suits and went to the pool and hot tub.

Mar 30th to Apr 1st - DHS to Yuma

Mar 30th – Tues – DHS
Windy last night & today. We packed stuff up in preparation for leaving tomorrow and paid our electric bill. We went out for lunch, wandered through the 99 cent store, picked up a few groceries and hit the ATM.
When we returned, we tried a couple of cleaners on some discolored trim on the 5th wheel and gave it up when nothing worked too well. Then it was time for a good vacuuming.
Our new neighbors Wayne & Linda came over for a drink. They are from Port Alberni (Vancouver Island) and we enjoyed our visit with them.

Mar 31st – Wed – to Yuma
The wind did not let up last night. We pulled out just after 9 and took Hwy 111 on the east side of Salton Sea as we have not driven that road before. I think you have to like isolation to stay on that side of the water.
We stopped at Quechan Casino as it was the day for $10 free play for 55+ customers. I made a sandwich for lunch before we went in. When we checked in at the player’s club, we were each given $20 instead of $10 but we didn’t know why & didn’t question it. Terry switched to “21” after he played his free play and ended up winning $100. I spent only $10 above my free play so it was a good stop.
We had a nice surprise when we turned into The Palms RV park – a special rate of $99 for a week. We chose this park as our friends Charlie & Julie (from Cocopah RV) are staying here. We set up and took a drink over to their place.
Mike & Jewell were also staying here but leaving tomorrow so we all went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Early to bed after a busy day.

Apr 1st – Thurs – Yuma
It was cloudy & cool this morning. We went to the activity office to sign up for the Easter dinner and stopped by to chat with Charlie & Julie. Then we went for a drive and looked at some 5th wheels – luckily nothing that we “had” to buy. Paradise Casino had $10 free play today so of course we had to take advantage of that. I sat down on a “Tabasco” machine and ended up cashing out $150 from my free $10. Unfortunately, we played some of my winnings but ended up ahead and had a good time.
I had started some dinner prep when Charlie & Julie came over for happy hour. We have such a good time together that we ended up eating dinner at 8. We are enjoying having cable TV as we only had limited antenna channels in DHS.

Mar 27th to 29th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 27th – Sat – DHS
We played golf about noon and were joined by another couple (Doug & Carol) for the first hole. We were waiting on the second hole for a slow group ahead of us and Doug & Carol decided to cut over to the 4th hole to avoid waiting. When we finished the second hole, the slow group let us play through. When we walked up to nine, Doug & Carol were waiting to play as they had gone back after 8 to play 2 and 3. That is one of the advantages of a compact golf course.
We invited Chris & Denise over for HH at 4. Terry made a quick run to the grocery store for a few items including a baguette so we could make our new favorite snack – bruschetta – on the BBQ. Denise brought some snacks and before we knew it, it was 9 o’clock.

Mar 28th – Sun – DHS
We put on our swim suits to do the laundry this morning. No, we weren’t totally out of clean clothes – the laundry room is right next to the swimming pool so it was a nice way to pass the time waiting for washers & dryers. Even at 10 am it was plenty warm.
Chris & Denise invited us over for an early dinner so we went there about 2. After a few beers & chips, they made BBQ hamburgers which are always hard to beat.
We went for a walk later and stopped to chat with Terry & Eileen who were visiting with Leona & Gordon. They are all leaving tomorrow.

Mar 29th – Mon – DHS
We played golf fairly early this morning. No one to join us today.
After golf, I went back to the course with my camera to get a picture of the fountain in the pond as it is not always on. Then we made a stop at the office to check on our electric bill and get some information for next year.
Spotlight 29 Casino had another free play promotion today so we had to take advantage of it. We came back with the same amount of money that we took but we were there for over 5 hours so figured that was cheap entertainment.
After dinner, we got ambitious and washed the 5th wheel. I suggested that in the future we try to wash half of it at a time!!

Mar 23rd to 26th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 23rd – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
Gilbert & Grace, Moe and Lynn were all gone by the time we got up & going this morning. After doing a few chores, we headed to another casino. It took quite a while but eventually we lost our allowance. We had coupons for half off the lunch buffet so we did have a nice lunch.
When we were walking back from the mail center, we stopped to talk to some neighbors (Chris & Denise) a few sites away. We ended up having a beer with them and chatting for an hour.
I didn’t even have to make dinner since we had a large lunch so we just took it easy. Terry got a bee in his bonnet and transferred all our marked travel routes from our old atlas to our new atlas.

Mar 24th – Wed – DHS
We played golf at 11:30 (joined by another guy) and had a late lunch. On the way back from a garbage run, Terry asked Chris & Denise to come over and see our buddy burner this evening.
I had some chicken started for dinner when Eldon & Elaine asked us to come over for a drink since they will be leaving tomorrow. We got back barely in time to finish making and eating dinner before Chris & Denise showed up.
We had a lovely, still evening to enjoy sitting outside and we have another couple that will be making their own buddy burner!

Mar 25th – Thurs – DHS
It was another great morning to enjoy coffee & a book outside while I boiled some baby backs on the camp stove for dinner. Eldon & Elaine left this morning so Terry moved the truck to their site next door and washed it. I joined in to dry it and avoid water spots. We dug out the rest of our Mardi Gras beads and took them to the activity office to be used for decorations or costumes for the tap dancers. It is amazing what you carry around for too long!!
Our friends Barry & Yvonne from Hemet came for a visit in the afternoon. They just traded their truck & 5th wheel for a class B+ motor home and combined a visit to us with a shakedown trip in their new rig. They belong to Coast-to-coast so are staying in a club park in Indio. The ribs were for dinner with them. We have not seen them for 2 years so it was great to catch up.

Mar 26th – Fri – DHS
It was very windy last night but let up by the time I walked to the pro shop to play in the golf scramble. To my surprise, the scramble had been cancelled as too many people dropped out or complained that it was too windy.
I read some magazines & talked to our son Dean while Terry sharpened his Hearts skills on the computer. Then I made a nice breakfast. Shortly after 11 we went to Barry & Yvonne’s RV park (Indian Waters) and admired their new motor home before relaxing in the shade with a cool beer.
We all went to Fantasy Springs casino so Barry & Yvonne could take advantage of their “play $20, get $50 free play” offer. Yvonne likes to gamble more than Barry so she likes it when we get together and can go to a casino. Barry & Yvonne each walked out with some extra money in their pockets but Terry & I did not.
B&Y took us for an early dinner to an Italian restaurant near their RV park. We visited more afterwards before heading home.

Mar 20th to 22nd - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 20th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
We took advantage of free breakfast at the park this morning. We were joined by Cliff & Pauline and Bob & Doreen who were hooked up and ready to leave after breakfast and hugs all around. Breakfast was provided by an RV dealer who brings a couple of rigs to the park so we viewed them after we ate.
We picked up a few groceries and cooked chicken fajitas for dinner with Wayne & Joyce. We sat outside when they came over about 4:30 and moved in when it cooled off about an hour later. After dinner we introduced them to Sequence. I hate to say it but the guys won. Wayne & Joyce are leaving tomorrow.

Mar 21st – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
We played golf with Moe & Trish at 10:15. It was sunny with a slight breeze to cool us off.
We were feeling somewhat adrift with most of our friends gone so we went to Augustine Casino which we have not been to previously. The slots were not good to us but we had a very good hamburger, fries & a drink for a total of $3 for both of us.
I was outside enjoying the sunshine when Moe & Trish came over with beer for all for a last happy hour as Trish will be leaving tomorrow.

Mar 22nd – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
I indulged in reading outside with my coffee & bagel this morning before we went for a walk. We didn’t get in too much of a walk as we stopped to talk with Terry and then with Gilbert who said Grace was getting her hair done. I needed a haircut but thought the salon might be closed on Monday. So we headed out to get my haircut and then to the grocery store as we asked Gilbert & Grace over for dinner.
I did some dinner prep and more reading before Moe dropped by to leave some excess alcohol with us. Of course, we had to enjoy a beer with him. Terry also dropped by and Eileen came over when he didn’t get home by the time she got back from walking their dog.
Gilbert waited all day for a guy to bring parts and repair their 5th wheel. The guy finally showed up with only a portion of what was needed so Gilbert will wait until he gets home to get the repair done. We were just eating dinner when Moe and Lynn came by to have a last drink as they are leaving tomorrow. We had some pictures showing on the computer/TV – Alaska, Newfoundland, across Canada.

Mar 17th to 19th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 17th – Wed – HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
We played golf at 10 with Moe & Trish – another warm, sunny day. Then we grabbed a burger for lunch and did grocery shopping. Had time to put everything away and get Crabbies in the freezer for tomorrow before going to Larry & Barb’s for dinner.
Barb made corned beef & cabbage for 15 people in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. A good time was had by all.

Mar 18th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
We went out early (8:15 tee time) to beat the heat and played golf with Gilbert & Grace. Then we started preparing for our get-together this evening – outside setup and cooking.
We had 18 friends over for drinks & “appy” dinner. Included were Larry & Barb, Gilbert & Grace, Wayne & Joyce, Cliff & Pauline, Bob & Doreen, Terry & Eileen, Moe & Trish, Eldon & Elaine and Judy & Russ. Friends of Eldon & Elaine (Dennis & EJ) dropped in for a short while.
The darn wind had to come up in the afternoon but it was still warm enough that we had to sit in the shade on the side of the rig. That side is also shielded from the wind so while the wind played havoc with the buddy burners, it wasn’t too bad to sit out.

Mar 19th – Fri – Desert Hot Springs
We played in the golf scramble this morning. The wind was a factor (excuses, excuses!) in both of our rounds but it was plenty warm for shorts & tee shirts. One guy on my team was 87 years old and walked the 9 holes – quite a role model. We had fried chicken, coleslaw & rolls from a local grocery store for lunch.
We ran a couple of errands and got diesel ($2.99). I put some files on a flash drive and we rode our bikes to Cliff & Pauline’s to load the files on their computer. Of course we had to have a quick drink with them before going to Moe & Trish’s for more drinks & dinner with 8 other guests. Great chili & margaritas!
Readers may have noticed a “party pattern” lately. People are going to be leaving soon so everyone is getting in one last gathering of the troops.

Mar 14th to 16th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 14th – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
We played golf this morning with Moe & Trish. The weather was perfect and a few shots came close to perfect.
Terry & Moe had both won $50 gift certificates to the Cheesecake Factory so we used them today. Unlike its name, the Cheesecake Factory is also a nice restaurant and is located at The River in Rancho Mirage. We sat outside with a view of a pond and had a great lunch. We all barely had room to share 2 desserts and Terry even brought some home.
This evening there was a pie & ice cream social (pass!!) before a talent show. The show mostly showcases tap dancers from the park with “acts” in between to let them change and catch their breath. Our line dance class provided one of the “breaks” and I danced with 9 others including our instructors. Couldn’t persuade Terry to join us! It was a fun event.

Mar 15th – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
We were walking the park this morning and saw Moe replacing carpeting on the porch of the park model that he is renting. He was vacuuming the carpet and a thread caught in the vacuum and pulled a large hole. He felt obliged to fix it and had purchased the new “grassy” type carpet. We felt sorry for him struggling with crummy tools so we went home and got some tools and then spent a couple of hours helping him with the job. And a good job we did, if I do say so myself!
We had time to shower and head to Cliff & Pauline’s for happy hour at 4. At 5:30, we all headed across the wash for dinner at Gilbert & Grace’s. There ended up being 22 people there and required 3 buddy burners so we could all sit around and enjoy them.

Mar 16th – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
I got to enjoy coffee & a book outside in the morning sun – love it! Then we rode our bikes on a few errands around the park. We went to Cliff & Pauline’s to help move files from their old computer to a new one. Being a firm believer in Picasa, I also had to load that on the new computer and give them a quick lesson. Pauline made us chef salads for lunch – served outdoors of course.
When we got back, we realized that we had waited too long to send our granddaughter a birthday card so we made a quick trip to the post office. Then we packed up Terry’s Scotch (not many people stock it in their rigs) and rode our bikes to Wayne & Joyce’s for dinner.
After a great dinner – cooked very ably by (mostly) Wayne on the BBQ – we went inside and played 10,000 which is a dice game. We have played it before but with different rules. I made a quick trip to get our rules and we played one game with our rules and one with theirs. They were both really fun but more fun for Joyce since she won both games.

Mar 9th to 13th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 9th – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
It was still windy enough this morning to cancel the Ladies’ club golf.
Larry knocked on our door at 8 to say that his ice maker was not working and to see if Terry had any idea why. They couldn’t figure anything out so about 10 Terry went with Larry to return the unit and get a new one. I took the opportunity to surf the net, including finding a recipe for a crock pot dinner so I invited Larry & Barb over for dinner.
We holed up for the rest of the day and listened to (and felt the buffeting of) the wind. After lunch and too many games of Hearts, I decided it would be a good day to start a new project. We brought along one of our large photo albums with the thought of transfering the pictures to the computer. Our new printer is also a scanner and we figured out how to scan 3 pictures at once to separate files and have Picasa pick them up. It is going to be nice to get rid of the albums but it will take many hours.
We had a nice dinner with Larry & Barb and showed them a bunch of our pictures. I love connecting the computer to the TV so visitors can be comfortable on the couch and view pictures.

Mar 10th – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
We spent a few more hours scanning pictures from our photo album and then getting them rotated correctly. We already have 367 pictures and still have 12 pages to go. When we go to Spokane later this year we will pick up the rest of our albums – 5 more!
Cliff & Pauline asked us to go out for Chinese food for dinner. The restaurant was full but we were glad that we waited about ½ hour as the food arrived quickly and was very good.
Then we went to Spotlight 29 Casino for a while. Cliff likes to gamble more than Pauline so he was happy to have someone else to go with. And Cliff ended up being the only winner!

Mar 11th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
We have wheels again!!!! Terry called and chewed a chunk out of someone before he got to talk to the service rep and found out the truck was being taken for a test drive right then. They took their sweet time to send the shuttle but it appears as if the brake light problem has been solved.
I went to a line dance “rehearsal” as I am taking part in a little “talent show” here at the park on Sunday. We are actually providing a break so the tap dancers can change costumes. Sound exciting?!
We went to see Wayne & Joyce to ask them over for dinner. We had a beer with them which meant we didn’t have enough time to boil the baby backs all the way so put them in the crock pot and went to play golf with Larry & Barb. Of course, the play had to be really slow and even though I putted out and hurried home, Wayne & Joyce were waiting on our “patio”. The ribs had cooked too much and it was a challenge for Terry to keep them together on the BBQ. But we had a great dinner anyhow.
Just as we were finishing our meal, Gilbert & Grace knocked on the door to get directions for a hike. They joined us for a drink and Terry showed some of our jokes & U-tube files on the computer. Great evening.

Mar 12th – Fri - Desert Hot Springs
We had 8:50 & 8:58 tee times in the scramble today. My team ended up with 3 instead of 4 as the lunch prep got messed up and our 4th player had to make lunch at the last minute. Terry did not contribute much to his team except on the last hole when he finally connected with an amazing drive and then sank a birdie putt.
We had a while before lunch so we took our clubs back, sorted out laundry and drove back to the clubhouse. I put the laundry in and almost missed lunch as it was served while I was waiting the last few minutes before putting the clothes in the dryer.
We took advantage of having the truck back (and wanted to “test drive” it a bit) to run a couple of errands and pick up some groceries. We had a quiet evening for a change.

Mar 13th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
After breakfast, I put together a lunch for an outing today. Terry went to see Gilbert & Grace while I went to visit Larry & Barb for a short time before we picked up Cliff & Pauline for a trip to the Painted Canyon and Ladder Canyon.
We had an absolutely wonderful hike through the 2 canyons. We walked a short ways up Painted Canyon and then turned into Ladder Canyon. Fairly quickly you arrive at a ladder down an old waterfall. Cliff has a fear of heights & ladders so he wasn’t sure if he would be able to complete the hike. The first ladder was short and he did OK. Then you are into amazing, narrow slot canyons. A couple more ladders take you up 2 dry waterfalls and you continue a slow assent before coming to the top and incredible views including Salton Sea and snow topped mountains.
Cliff was not looking forward to the return trip and going down the 2 longer ladders. We spoke to a guy at the top and he told us that we could take an alternate route back that was longer but included only one ladder. So we followed his directions and set off. We climbed even higher with more expansive views, stopped for lunch and started descending through Painted Canyon. I ran out of superlatives a short ways into the canyon. There are so many different colored rocks on sheer walls. We “oohed” and “aahed” all the way down. Turned out there were 3 ladders with one that had bent at the lower end and involved a slide to the upper end so Cliff really had to face his fears.
It took us 3 hours for the 4.7 mile walk and lunch. Wonderful weather – sunny with a slight breeze to cool us off.
We stopped at Spotlight 29 Casino on the way back to take advantage of another free $29 slot play. After gambling for a while, we ate at the buffet (with a ½ off dining card provided by Cliff) and then gambled some more so Pauline could play Cliff’s $29 while the guys returned to the 21 tables. Cliff & Pauline did very well and Terry & I had a lot of fun for $14. We had a drink with C&P when we returned – can’t miss a happy hour!!

Mar 6th to 8th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 6th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
We walked around the park this morning. I will have to ride the route on my bike to see how far we are walking. Judy stopped us to tell us about a dance at another park tonight and to invite us over at 5 to help finish the food left over from last night.
I got the sewing machine out to shorten some shirts and a pair of pants but didn’t have the right color thread for a couple of items. Terry cussed the computer opponents in Hearts!
I made lunch and some devilled eggs to take this evening.
Larry & Barb and Gilbert & Grace joined us at Russ & Judy’s for happy hour but they did not come to the dance at Quail Landing RV park. A couple provided the music from 7 until 10 without a break. Our line dancing instructors (Dale & Ingrid) were there and led us in quite a few line dances. It appears as if this park has older residents but they sure know how to dance.
We found out that the part for our truck arrived yesterday but they did not have anyone to work on it until Monday morning.

Mar 7th – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
Our morning walk was cut a little bit short by some sprinkles of rain. We had a lazy morning and then after lunch Barb called to ask if we wanted to join them for a shopping trip. We were happy to get out of here and our grocery list has been growing.
First we went to Target so Larry could buy an ice maker like the one that we have. A few days ago, Gilbert got one but he lucked out and got it on sale. We stopped for groceries at Trader Joe’s and Stader’s and then headed home.
Terry saw our neighbors as he was taking out the garbage and asked them to join us and Larry & Barb for a drink. Eldon & Elaine are from the Edmonton area and we enjoyed getting to know them a bit.

Mar 8th – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
After breakfast we walked up to make a tee time and spent some time visiting with friends on the way. Then a lazy morning reading and on the computer.
It got pretty windy before our 1:30 tee time and Larry wimped out but we went golfing with Moe anyhow. Moe had an excellent game, Terry had some truly magnificent drives and I muddled along OK. It was comfortably warm in spite of the wind.
We sat out for a beer in our sheltered area and were joined by Larry & Barb.
No news on our truck even though Terry called late in the afternoon. The lack of communication gets very frustrating.

Mar 3rd to 5th - Desert Hot Springs

Mar 3rd – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
Another trip to the laundry room today with everything else. It would have been 5 loads yesterday which is a little heavy to carry – just one more thing that you don’t think about when you do have a vehicle.
After lunch we went for a long walk around the park and ended up stopping in to see Larry & Barb. They were heading to Costco in a bit and asked if we wanted to go along which we did. It was 5 when we returned so no happy hour get-togethers. Another lazy evening with a lot of wind.

Mar 4th – Thurs – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VAL!
It was windy all night and neither one of us slept very well. Breakfast and some chores before we went to line dancing class this morning. There was a little meeting afterwards so we didn’t get back until nearly noon. I made a quick lunch, vacuumed and got some meat in the crock pot for dinner.
Claude & Val are back in the area and were coming to play golf and have dinner with us. But it was very windy and not too warm so we cancelled the golf game. We have an area behind our rig that is protected from the wind so we were able to sit out for quite a while. Then we moved inside and had a game of Sequence before dinner. We chatted more after dinner and hugged goodbye about 9.

Mar 5th – Fri – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAUDE!
Believe it or not - there was a frost delay for the golf scramble today. I did not help my team as much this week – in other words I played badly. Terry’s team also struggled. But we had huge baked potatoes with lots of toppings for lunch to make us feel better.
Larry & Barb had made a tee time for 1:50 and asked if we wanted to play another round. Since we obviously needed practice, we joined them. We just had time to pick up our clubs and put our shoes back on. Darned if we didn’t play “not so well” again!
At 5 we were invited to an extended happy hour at Russ & Judy’s. The group included Larry & Barb, Gilbert & Grace, Ron & Sharon and Lynn. In addition to drinks, they provided a table full of food – huge sandwiches, cheese & sausage, fruit, assorted nibblies and dessert. Obviously this was dinner and also fuel for the dance that we all attended from 6:30 until 9:30. Matt Jenkins played again. He included some line dances which we were able to join this time and the only dances that we sat out were a couple of slow ones.

Feb 27th to Mar 2nd - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 27th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
We went to a craft sale at the park where I bought a couple of items. Then we went to the weekly sale at College of the Desert. It is a large sale of new items – arts & crafts, clothing, golf gear, food, jewelry and purses to name a few. We got some lunch while we listened to music. Before we got there and just as we left, it rained.
We stopped at the Aqua Caliente casino on the way back. I started by winning a bit and thought I would have a good day but it was not to be.

Feb 28th – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
We picked up a few groceries this morning and I made deviled eggs and seasoned pretzels for later.
We were invited to Lynn’s to watch the Canada vs USA Olympic hockey game. A lot of readers will know that Canada won a great game in overtime.
We went for a walk to the office and met Larry & Barb who were returning from their cruise. We asked them over for a drink & dinner. They said they had a large lunch and declined dinner but said they would be over in a bit for a drink. I continued with dinner prep and ended up persuading them to join us for a light dinner.

Mar 1st – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
Terry had to get up early in order to have the truck in for repairs by 7:30. When he returned, we had breakfast and then went for a walk.
We had a 1:20 tee time with Moe but we go out early as no one was on the first tee when we arrived. I had a good game and ended up beating both guys. We could blame a lot of Terry’s game on his preoccupation with the truck. We received a phone call from the service guy before our game and he said we needed a whole new transfer case rather than parts in the transfer case as he had thought. They tried to find a used part but it would cost nearly as much as a rebuilt one and would have no warranty. Unfortunately, their supplier did not have a rebuilt unit so we have to wait for one to be completed – at least a week.
Moe came by for a beer after golf. We were able to make dinner in time for Terry to barbeque steak in the daylight.

Mar 2nd – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
We wert for a walk around the park before a late breakfast. Then it was time for sheets & towels to the laundry room which was fairly busy but I didn’t have to wait for machines.
We went to Cliff & Pauline’s to take pictures of them and their motor home so we could make some personal cards for them. We visited for a while, came home to work on the card and they came over to approve the final design. We chatted and watched some of our favorite jokes on the computer.
We did not have lunch so I made an early dinner and we had a quiet evening with TV and Hearts on the computer.

Feb 24th to 26th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 24th – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
We played golf with Cliff & Pauline today. I don’t know what happened to my good golf game of a few days ago!! Oh well, another good game might have affected my handicap and then I would have to play well all the time!
We joined Cliff & Pauline for a couple of beers after our game. We sat out for about 15 minutes before the wind picked up and sent us inside.

Feb 25th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
Terry took the truck in this morning but the parts were not in yet so he brought it back. I did more cleaning and some dinner prep before going to line dancing lessons. Terry did not get back in time to go dancing.
I needed a new baking dish and a couple of grocery items so we went to Desert Hot Springs (closest shopping) and picked them up.
We had time to relax & read outside before friends Bob & Sue arrived for dinner. They will be making buddy burners for their kids/grandkids! They are leaving for home (Bellevue WA) tomorrow so we did not have a late evening.

Feb 26th – Fri – Desert Hot Springs
We played in the golf scramble (best ball) today. I had a lot of fun and it was even better when my foursome won. We ended up 1 under and of course our average handicap helped. Terry played in the group ahead of me and had some excellent drives which led his teammates to doubt his high handicap – but they didn’t see some of his wild shots.
We had macaroni & cheese with tossed salad for lunch. Then someone had a birthday so we all got to share her huge birthday cake.
Gilbert & Grace had an afternoon tee time and asked us to join them for another round. Neither one of us did very well. Terry had used all his great drives in the morning and I did not have teammates to bail me out of bad shots. But it was fun as usual.
We came back for a short rest and leftovers for dinner and then went to a Line Dance dance. Not very many people showed up but the dance floor is small even including a carpeted area next to it so we filled the floor. There were only a few men. Terry was a good sport and danced (or tried to learn) every dance.

Feb 20th to 23rd - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 20th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
We started the day with a free ham & pancake breakfast at the park. Larry & Barb are going on a cruise for a week so we dropped off a couple of items from the buddy burner party and said “bon voyage”.
The weather was lovely so we made a tee time to play with Lynn & Moe at noon.
The wind came up by the time we were teeing off but it was still warm. I did really well and Terry struggled the whole round.
Moe invited us over for an early happy hour(s) so we dropped off our clubs, grabbed some leftover munchies and rode our bikes to the park model that he is renting. He is here by himself right now but his wife will be joining him soon for a couple of weeks. We had eaten half the snacks by the time Lynn showed up.
After too many beers & spicy Clamato juice, Moe announced that we should all have some dinner and proceeded to uncover a great roast & veggie meal in the crock pot. By the time we left at 7, we had pretty much solved all the problems in the park and probably Canada & the USA as well!

Feb 21st – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
It was very windy again last night. I had trouble getting to sleep and just about the time I was drifting off, another gust would rock the rig.
Gilbert stopped by to invite us over later today and we chatted for quite a while. We just had time for me to call Marg (sister) and Terry to call Don (stepdad) before Lynn & Moe arrived to pick us up for a late breakfast in Desert Hot Springs. After a nice meal, we stopped for a few groceries.
Gilbert said we did not have to bring anything over but I have a hard time doing that so I baked a batch of cookies to contribute. We were joined by Russ & Judy and by Lynn and Moe for a while. Once Lynn & Moe left, there were 3 Americans & 3 Canadians so it was fun watching the Olympic US/Canada hockey game which a lot of readers will know that the USA won.
Terry’s Mom is having some lung congestion & coughing and is in the hospital right now.

Feb 22nd – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
As I have mentioned, the brake system warning lights are still going on in the truck so Terry took it to a GMC dealer since the Chev dealer was not able to give us a solution. After a test drive with a mechanic, Terry left the truck there and got a ride home on their shuttle. Later they called and said it was a problem in the transfer case, they had to order parts and they needed the truck on Thurs, Friday & Monday. They sent the shuttle to pick Terry up so we could have the truck for a couple of days. The service guy said that if the parts arrive early, they may want the truck back on Wednesday.
While Terry was gone, I worked on some things on the computer and was able to finish them later. I also did a bit of cleaning – long overdue in some cases.
We had a quiet evening with a nice dinner and the Olympics.

Feb 23rd – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
For the first time since we have been here, we were not able to get a reasonable tee time today. At 10:00 when we checked, the earliest time available was 4 – and everyone knows that cuts into happy hour!
After a late breakfast, we went shopping. Terry had to return a butane lighter that wouldn’t work so we drove to downtown Palm Springs. Then a stop at WalMart for groceries. I had a fairly long list and since we don’t know when and how long our truck will be gone, we kind of stocked up which required a bit of time to put everything away. We also had to fit a snack in there.
I figured I better also get the laundry done and thought 5 might be a good time to do so. I was correct. Terry drove me to the laundry room and then I sent him back to the rig to save him from pacing while the laundry was under way.
Terry’s Mom is still in the hospital while they try to get rid of the junk in her lungs.

Feb 16th to 19th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 16th – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
We went to the Riverside County Fair and Date Festival this morning. We took a tour of the grounds on a little train (because it was sitting there with empty seats!) and then had a funnel cake for breakfast. It did not take too long to walk through all the exhibits & vendors and we were done.
So we had to stop at a casino on the way home. We eventually lost the money that we won on the last trip and headed home. We had an early dinner and then did laundry. It was an excellent time to visit the laundry room – no waits.
Watched Olympics.

Feb 17th – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
I spent more time on the phone today trying to get paperless bank & credit card statements. Turns out this still cannot be done in Washington. It only eventually took me about 20 minutes on hold to find this out!
We attended a Owners’ Appreciation BBQ at 12:30. We took chairs and a small table to set up by the pool so we could enjoy our lunch and live music provided by Matt Jenkins. Door prizes were included and Terry won a $50 gift certificate for The Cheesecake Factory.
After a short bike ride, we stopped to talk to Lynn and ended up staying for a beer. At 5, Larry & Barb picked us up to go to the Roadhouse bar for more music from Matt and to have dinner & dance. Lynn and her friend Moe joined us there.

Feb 18th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
There could possibly have been a power outage today from 9 to 3 so I got up early to make microwave coconut & peanut brittles. I also started cookies (the part needing a mixer) and then showered & dressed. I did not have time to finish baking the cookies before it was time to go to line dancing lessons. The power outage did not occur so the dance class was a go. There were fewer people and Terry was the only man this time.
I finished the cookies when we returned and made breakfast for lunch. We were having a group over to make buddy burners so I made a veggies tray and put little smokies in the crock pot before relaxing with a book.
The buddy burner group included Larry & Barb, Paul, Gilbert & Grace (he had finished his buddy burner), Cliff & Pauline, Lynn and Moe. Cliff & Pauline also brought Bob & Doreen (Doreen is Cliff & Grace’s cousin) and Terry & Eileen. Good thing we started at 4 as we were still melting wax after dark. Terry (not March) & Cliff cut all the cardboard strips, Bob chopped up a lot of the candles and Terry March melted wax & supervised. Luckily I thought to get him a plate of food!
We had a great time with a super group of people.

Feb 19th – Fri – Desert Hot Springs
Bob & Doreen stopped by to pick up the now cooled buddy burners for their group and we had a nice chat with them. It was really windy last night and today.
We took the truck to drop off Larry’s lawn chairs and take garbage and leftover cardboard to the trash and then stopped by to see if Cliff & Pauline wanted to cancel our scheduled golf game due to the wind. They totally agreed that it was not a day for golf. Bob & Doreen had gone there to deliver a buddy burner so we all visited for a while before Bob & Doreen left to have lunch. Next thing we know, Pauline is putting together lunch for them & us. Nice Canadian hospitality!!
A bit later, Terry figured we needed to go to a casino. After I put up a mighty fight – yeah right! – we headed to the nearest casino but had no luck today.
We spent a quiet evening – me reading and watching the Olympics and Terry getting his butt kicked at Chess by the computer.

Feb 13th to 15th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 13th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
Lazy morning and then we joined Larry & Barb for a shopping trip. We stopped at a golf “expo” as Barb was looking for golf sandals. It was a waste of time as all they were selling there was clubs. But Barb did get a discount coupon at the regular store where we went and found her some sandals. This is not an easy feat as she wears a size 5.
We checked out the Elks club for lunch but we didn’t want what they were serving so we ended up at a Pollo Loco. This is a large chicken chain which we have not previously tried. I would go back.
Next was a stop at a Goodwill store where we found a couple of large candles to use in our buddy burner. We wandered through an adjacent parking lot sale and bought some strawberries. Then on to WalMart for groceries and back home.
We invited L&B to come over for HH. We were all slightly hungry (lunch was late) so I made “mini pizzas” which were the perfect amount of food. The buddy burner provided enough heat to allow us to sit out in shorts and without jackets until 8.
We spent the evening watching the Olympics. Unfortunately, the coverage here is late so it doesn’t end until midnight. Oh well, we don’t have to get up early.

Feb 14th – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
I finally got the rig vacuumed and then we played golf at noon with Larry & Barb. The weather was superb – warm (high 70’s) with a slight breeze. We were looking for shady spots when we had to wait a bit. Too bad our games were not as good as the weather!
I invited L&B over for a late lunch which we enjoyed outside. Then we all went to the Spotlight 29 casino which was offering $29 in free play for Valentine’s day. Barb did not think to bring her driver’s license so she could not get a card. Larry let Barb play his free play and they left with $60. Terry & I both got $39 free play and ended up with $70. The casino was jam packed and the smoke was bothering Barb so at least we left with money instead of staying to lose it all.
We watched Olympic events again which included figure skating – not Terry’s favorite.

Feb 15th – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
We spent the morning (once we finally got up!) dealing with items that arrived with our forwarded mail – picture “on hold” music on the phone.
Then we went on an errands trip. We found a couple of tins for friends to use for buddy burners, unsuccessfully looked for more old candles and picked up a couple of grocery items for this evening. Last, but certainly not least, I found a place for a much needed haircut. It ended up pretty short but the fact that hair grows is the good thing about haircuts.
Larry & Barb invited a group over for BBQ hamburgers so I made asparagus wrapped in roast beef to take over. Joining us were Gilbert & Grace, Cliff & Pauline and Lynn – all Canadians. This was also an occasion to christen Larry’s buddy burner.
Beautiful, sunny, hot day.

Feb 9th to 12th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 9th – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
We got up early this morning to get laundry done. I had to wait about 10 minutes for washers and then 4 of the 12 dryers were out of order so the whole process took longer than usual.
We needed to make a booze run and stopped at K-Mart on the way so I could try on a shirt that I had seen yesterday. Didn’t get it but bought 3 others. The golf course here requires even women to wear collared shirts so I needed some more.
We played golf at 1:04 and were paired with another couple. I was a little intimidated when the other woman teed up on the white (men’s) tees. But after a great drive, her game became very much like mine – inconsistent. Play was very slow and we got a few sprinkles of rain before we finished at 3:15.
Just after we got back, Barb called and said they had some questions for us and could we come to site 29. We grabbed an umbrella and walked over to Russ & Judy’s park model. Also there were Lynn, Gilbert & Grace, Paul and Gwen who is a neighbor of Russ & Judy’s. The help they wanted was with a couple of buddy burners. The tins they bought were too large so we put it all aside and concentrated on drinking & laughing. This is a great group of people.
They had all played in a golf tournament that included a large lunch. Judy had put out some snacks and then Russ made hot dogs. Terry still thought he needed dinner when we got home about 7:30 but we just had dessert. Russ drove us all home as it was pouring rain.

Feb 10th – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
Back to the laundry room to wash my new shirts so that I can get them shortened and ready to wear. The machine repair man was there and found the reason for some dryers being out of commission was full money boxes – how simple should that be to fix!
We set out on a bike ride around the park but did not get far before we stopped to talk to Larry who was sitting outside reading. He wanted to finish his buddy burner so Terry made a couple of trips to get our kettle and then our camp stove to melt the wax. Larry got a perfect size tin and followed instructions exactly to cut the cardboard so he wins the prize for the best buddy burner! L&B’s friends Bill & Nadine dropped by so we continued on with our bike ride. This park is on a hill so you have to peddle hard in one direction and rest on the other.
We went to visit friends (and prior neighbors) Bob & Sue who are staying in Rancho Mirage for a month. We left early to find an RV supply store for a closet door clip. We didn’t find a store and were too early so we stopped at the Agua Caliente Casino. I bailed us out of a steady downhill by finding a machine at the last minute that hit a couple of bonuses. And then we were late!!
It was so nice to visit with Bob & Sue. They were our neighbors when we first moved to Bellevue WA and we have not seen them since a short visit in Quartzsite in Feb 2007. We went out for dinner at “The River” area of Rancho Mirage and walked along the strip of stores after dinner. We were happy to have warm jackets as it was pretty cool.

Feb 11th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
We went to the line dancing lessons again this morning. The instructor was late and had problems with the sound system so we didn’t get in as much dancing as last time – but enough to know you did something.
Time for a short break and then we hit the golf course again. We need to establish a handicap here to play in the weekly Scramble so this should do it. We were paired with a couple from Edmonton and had an enjoyable round.
I had some meat in the crock pot and added veggies and bread for an early dinner. We walked to Larry & Barb’s at 4:30 to go to the weekly Palm Springs Street Fair. We parked beside a large home furnishings store so had to check it out before wandering up & down the closed street with all the vendors. We stopped for ice cream on the walk back and got home around 8.

Feb 12th – Fri – Desert Hot Springs
We played in the golf Scramble today. Since we were late getting our score in yesterday to calculate a handicap, we were put together and then another guy (Andy Anderson) was added for a threesome. Another lady (Win) joined us but she did not have an established handicap here so she played her own “game”. We did OK (2 over par) and might have won a bit of money but Andy has a 7 handicap and pulled our average “down”. Golfers will probably understand this!
Lunch was served after we all finished with beer & wine available for purchase. Very expensive - $1 for a beer and 50 cents for wine. Lunch was a submarine sandwich, chips and a cookie for the modest amount of $2. The weather was superb and we enjoyed lunch outside.
We received our forwarded mail so after going through it all we found an RV supply place and got our closet door clip. Terry was afraid of being bored later so we went to the casino for a while. This time it was his turn to bail us out by winning a $110 bonus on “Jaws”.
We are currently waiting for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics but the TV station is having “technical difficulties” and the sound is not always coming through.

Feb 5th to 8th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 5th – Fri – Desert Hot Springs
Terry headed back to the Chevy dealer but ended up just going for a long test drive which ended with the warning lights staying off. So we decided to go grocery shopping. On the way to the store, the warning lights came on again, and stayed on, which called for a visit to the Chevy dealer. After multiple testing, test drives and warning system resets, the dealership couldn’t give us an answer to the problem other than to suggest we throw a lot of money at the entire anti-lock brake system. We know the lights come on at 55 mph and go off at 65 or after stopping so will let it go for now and see what happens.
We got some lunch, did our grocery shopping – and forgot the mandatory one item – and came back to put everything away.
We attended a dance at the park this evening. The musician from the Roadhouse (Matt Jenkins) provided the music and lots of fun audience interaction. It was BYOB which makes it a reasonably priced evening of entertainment. We even did a couple of line dances that we learned at our Thursday class. The dance ended just after 9:30 but we (L&B, us and another couple) shut down the place again and got home about 10. Matt did not take a break which really kept things going as people often start heading home at a break.

Feb 6th – Sat – Desert Hot Springs
We joined Larry & Barb to take advantage of a free pancake & ham breakfast (put on by an RV sales company) here at the park. Carried our umbrella over and used it on the way back.
Spotlight 29 casino was having a Super Bowl weekend promotion with $29 free play so we had to check it out. Don’t know exactly what happened but we both ended up with a total of $49 free play. It took until 2:30 for Terry to break even and me to end up with $40. Fun when you are playing on the casino’s money!
We stopped for a few items at a grocery store and got back in time to do some dinner prep before Claude & Val arrived for HH & dinner. Terry & Claude took their dog Tucker for a walk just before a torrential downpour. There were huge wind gusts and rain showers all evening.
Bonus! The “chocolate chip cookie fairy” showed up when we were out. Thanks, Barb.

Feb 7th – Sun – Desert Hot Springs
The weather was still unsettled today so we had a lazy morning and then headed to another casino in Palm Springs. Some roads were closed due to flooding yesterday so we had an interesting, roundabout trip.
Not so lucky in the casino today but still fun. Another detour on the way home and then we discovered that the road that was closed earlier was now open. I made some good guacamole and ate enough to spoil my appetite so had a later, leftover dinner after playing Hearts on the computer – Terry’s latest pastime.

Feb 8th – Mon – Desert Hot Springs
I thought I was on top of my blog and suddenly I have 4 days to post!!
Terry went to the pro shop and made a tee time for 1:30 today and then we asked Larry & Barb if they could join us – and they did. It was still windy last night but clear, sunny & warm today – shorts & short sleeves for golf. A good time was had by all.
Larry invited us over for happy hour and we figured it wouldn’t be late as Barb wanted to get laundry done afterwards. It was cooling off and we were thinking it was time to leave when Russ & Judy and Lynn stopped by. After a bit, I was turning into an icicle so decided to leave and Terry figured he would come with me. He wouldn’t admit it but he was cold too!
We made a trip to fill up a propane tank and to find an inner tube for my golf cart. I had to rent a pull cart today as I had a flat tire and the air leaked out almost as fast as we could pump it in. Previously, we had to search around for a tube but we were lucky today and found one at K-Mart which is not far away.
Terry had to barbeque steaks in the dark but he found his BBQ light so did fine.

Feb 1st to 4th - Desert Hot Springs

Feb 1st – Mon – to Desert Hot Springs
We said farewell to Charlie & Julie, stopped at the office to pay our electric bill and hit the road just after 8:30. We had finished setting up when Larry & Barb (from Monroe WA, met in Alaska) drove by from the laundry room. We rode our bikes to their site and Larry joined us for a tour of the park facilities and to make a tee time for tomorrow. This is a nice, well kept park with sites that are long but slightly narrow. Our 6 foot wide patio is right against the rig and right beside a hedge. We were able to park at the front of the site so we have a large “party” area in the back.
Gary & Carie (from Victoria B.C., met in Georgia) had a one day overlap with us here in Desert Hot Springs so they came over for a visit. Then we all joined a group at Larry & Barb’s for happy hour(s). Included were Russ & Judy (we met them in Monroe), Paul, Lynn and Gilbert & Grace. For readers who have not heard this before, I included names in my blog partly as a reminder for us later!

Feb 2nd – Tues – Desert Hot Springs
I did some dinner prep before playing golf with Larry at noon today. The course is a 9 hole executive – very pretty and in excellent shape. Gorgeous weather.
At 4:30, Dave & Margo (we dry camped with them before Yuma) came over for dinner. We had a great time catching up. They are leaving Desert Hot Springs on Thursday so we had a limited time to get together.

Feb 3rd – Wed – Desert Hot Springs
When we drove here on Monday, our brake system indicator “binger” and warning messages came on. We also experienced a recurring fine vibration so we found the Chevy dealer and made an appointment to have the brakes looked at again tomorrow.
We met Claude & Val and 6 of their friends at the VFW for their Wednesday Mexican lunch specials. Of course, the food had to be washed down with pitchers of beer.
We got a 4 gig flash drive to move pictures from our old computer to our new one. After I figured out that the Picasa system files were hidden and not copying to the new computer, I got all the pictures moved and set up Picasa.
Leftovers for dinner and then we went with Larry & Barb to the Dillon Roadhouse for drinks and dancing. The Roadhouse looks a little rough from the outside but not so rough inside. We thought the music was from 7 to 9 but it turned out to be 5 until 8. Claude & Val showed up in time for a few dances and we closed the place down (seriously) at 8:30.

Feb 4th – Thurs – Desert Hot Springs
Terry took the truck to the Chevy dealer first thing this morning and Larry followed him over to give him a ride back. I HAD to finish a book so I was just in the shower when he returned.
At 10:30, we joined Larry & Barb and about 25 other people for a line dance class which was really fun. Just before we left for the class, we found out that the truck didn’t need brake work but a whole new hub assembly for the right front wheel – to the tune of $777. When we were at the dance class, Terry got another phone call saying once that was done we would need a 4 wheel alignment – just add another $100 or so!
After a late lunch, Larry & Barb took us back to the Chevy dealer as the service guy said the truck should be ready in 1 ½ hours. L&B had a couple of things to do so we just had them drop us off & waited. And waited! Finally got out of there about 4:30. We were a couple of miles from the dealership when the brake warning “binger” and messages came on again!! The messages stayed on the rest of the way back so guess what we will be doing tomorrow.
We had discussed going to the Palm Springs street fair with L&B but canceled that plan as Larry was not feeling well and it was pretty cool.

Jan 29th to 31st - Yuma

Jan 29th – Fri – Yuma
We went to WalMart this morning for groceries. We happened to go past the electronic section and detoured to look at the computers. There was a Dell that was marked down from $798 to $598 as they aren’t going to carry that model any more. They only had the display model left but it was in a locked case so wasn’t subjected to a lot of abuse. But they could not find the box which also had the power cable in it. We decided to think about whether we wanted it and came back to drop off the groceries.
Another WalMart was supposed to have 2 of the computers so we decided to get one. On the way we stopped at the 3rd WalMart in Yuma. They only had the display model and it was out for public use & abuse. On to the last store only to find they had just the display computer and it was missing a key. OK – back to the first store for one more check for the missing box. The electronic department was no help until Terry got the assistance of a customer service employee who mobilized the troops and the box was found.
But the saga is not over yet. When Terry paid with his credit card, it was denied. We had used the card earlier for groceries and were nowhere near our limit. We tried my card with no luck. There is a bank nearby so we left to get things straightened out or get enough cash. We were nearly at the truck when our phone rang. It was the Bank of America Fraud department asking if it was really us trying to make the purchase. Some combination of events had caused their computer to deny the transaction – too close to Mexico?, out of the home state?, multiple transactions? The lady said she would reset our card and mark it “extended travel” so it should not happen again. We returned to the store and finally got our computer.
We only had breakfast so we were starved and got dinner going as soon as we got back. We got to relax for just over an hour when it was time to go to the dance here at the park. The 2 person “band” was not as good as the guy at the previous dance but we still danced a lot. We sat with Freeman & Louie and Larry & Bernice who we met at the first dance we went to.

Jan 30th – Sat – Yuma
We went to breakfast at the park and then went for a bike ride since it was sunny & warm. Didn’t get too far when we stopped to talk to Jan and then were joined by Louie. Finished our bike ride and then did some multi-tasking – baking (pretzels & toffee bit squares) & loading up the new computer.
Freeman stopped by after his golf game to learn how to make a buddy burner. Terry told him about them at the dance last night.
About 3:30 we headed to Charlie & Julie’s for HH and dinner. We were joined by Mike & Jewell, Bob & Karen and Rick & Karen - newly arrived friends of Charlie & Julie’s. After dinner we moved back outside and enjoyed Charlie’s new buddy burner.

Jan 31st – Sun – Yuma
Got a fairly early start this morning and got the laundry done. Had a late breakfast and then rode our bikes to see Bob & Karen’s new park model. They weren’t supposed to get possession until tomorrow but the previous owner decided to leave one day earlier so we got to see it. I think they will enjoy it a lot.
We packed up some things in preparation to leave tomorrow and then went to the Swap Meet to get a couple of new flags. The wind here kind of frayed our flags.
We picked up a few items at WalMart and then went to Aunt Jessie & Ed’s for dinner. Aunt Jessie spoils Terry and made cabbage rolls for dinner since that is one of his favorites.
The moon was just coming up as we drove back into the park and it was beautiful. It is the largest full moon of the year – incredible.

Jan 26th to 28th - Yuma

Jan 26th - Tues - Yuma
We washed the truck this morning and I made another batch of seasoned pretzels (email me for the recipe if you want it). Then we went to visit Rob & Sue from Victoria BC who we met in Calgary in July 2008 and haven’t seen since. I called to invite them for dinner but they wanted to show us their new rig and their park and introduce us to some friends so we went there. They are staying in the Foothills area at Las Quintas Oasis RV park. They are on the “6 month in/ 6 month out” plan and just moved to a site where they have a storage shed and improved patio areas.
We sat out for drinks and met 2 couples (Bert & Judy and Wayne & Pauline). Sue had taco soup in the crock pot so we had dinner & continued to chat. Rob & Sue had just been traveling for a few days when we met them and were trying to decide if they might want to try the fulltime lifestyle. We were instrumental in them buying a GPS and probably helped them decide to sell their house and go full timing.

Jan 27th - Wed - Yuma
We headed out for a bike ride this morning and just down the road stopped to say hi to Charlie & Julie who were getting ready to go for a drive with Mike & Jewel. We chatted with them for a few minutes. When Mike & Jewel arrived, they asked us to go with them as Mike’s truck can seat 6 people. First we went to the Imperial Date Farm where Jewel bought some yummy date nut bread to share with all of us. Then on to the Peanut Patch where they sold items similar to the date farm at higher prices. Next we investigated several RV parks as possible choices for future visits to Yuma. We were impressed with the park where Rob & Sue are staying so we showed it to the rest of the group.
Charlie had the cardboard in a couple of tins to make buddy burners so Terry offered to melt the wax on our propane burner outside rather than Charlie possibly messing up their kitchen. While we were waiting for them to show up, our neighbors Lowell & Frankie came by from an afternoon at the pool and stopped to have a quick beer with us. Eventually, Charlie & Julie, Bob & Karen and Mike & Jewel were all here.

Jan 28th - Thurs - Yuma
Terry dismantled the wind screen today and figured out how to pack & carry all the pieces. I got to do vacuuming & cleaning. After lunch we went for a bike ride - lovely sunny day with little wind.
At 2 we picked up Bob & Karen to go golfing at Ironwood GC which is a 9 hole executive course. None of us want to play it again as it was not in very good shape - packed dirt tee boxes, long grass on the greens - and was a dangerous “up & back” layout that brought other golfers into range of many tee shots. But the weather was superb, actually got to wear shorts in comfort for the first time in weeks.
I had put a pork roast in the crock pot & invited Bob & Karen over for dinner.

Jan 23rd to 25th - Yuma

Jan 23rd - Sat - Yuma
Our brakes have been squeaking so Terry took the truck to Meineke (where we had them replaced in Spokane) to have them looked at. He had to go back at 2:00 and they said there were heat cracks and it wasn’t something covered on the lifetime warranty on the work we had done. So the brakes are OK - we just have to live with the noise until we bite the bullet and get them fixed.
I backed up some files on the computer before doing a bunch of work on my expenses and then tried to back up our pictures using Picasa which has always been easy. Today there was some type of error and I spent ages unsuccessfully trying to find an answer on the internet. I finally just went ahead and got some expenses entered.
We went for a short bike ride as the wind was blowing fairly hard which makes for a tough ride.

Jan 24th - Sun - Yuma
I made breakfast this morning, pulled out the sewing machine for a couple of mending jobs and then we headed for the laundry room with 6 loads of laundry. More than usual with extra bedding including our old electric mattress pad which we will keep in case we have guests sleeping on the cold air mattress again.
We went on a 4 mile bike ride and then had an early dinner. We went to card bingo with Karen & Bob (Karen won twice) and then they came back with us for a drink so we could look up their new park model on the internet and hear all about it. We were very surprised to see it was 10:45 when they left.

Jan 25th - Mon - Yuma
We went to the Paradise Casino for a $1.99 (decent) breakfast and $10 in free play on our cards. The line to get the free play went out the door and half around the building but we figured we didn’t have anything else pressing to do so waited our turn - only took about 20 minutes. We saw a guy turn his $10 into $81 but that didn’t happen to us!
Next we went downtown to the Lettuce Festival. Main Street was lined with art & craft vendors and it was a beautiful day to walk. Next a quick stop at BigLots for some ginger cookies that they still did not have and then on to Fry’s for some groceries. We put the groceries away, fixed a drink in our “go” cups and rode the bikes to Charlie & Julie’s. They had just returned from a trip to San Felipe in Mexico and we wanted to BBQ steaks in the daylight so we didn’t stay long.

Jan 19th to 22nd - Yuma

Jan 19th - Tues - Yuma
We went to the casino for 2-for-1 breakfast this morning. The original plan was for Marg to get her $10 free play for her January birthday, play slots for a while and then go to Algodones. By the time we were done gambling, we decided that we would get to Algodones just in time to line up to get back through customs so we didn’t go.
Marg needed some saw blades so we had to find the Harbor Freight store on the way home - thanks Wanda. Marg & I went for a bike ride before Aunt Jessie & Ed arrived for dinner. It started to pour rain when they were here and they had to tiptoe around puddles when they left.

Jan 20th - Wed - Yuma
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TERRY!!
We made it to Algodones this morning. We knew that Aunt Jessie & Ed were going there also for a dental appointment but we were very surprised to pull into a parking spot and see them getting out of their truck in a parking spot right in front of us. We all wandered & shopped until just before noon. They had to return to their truck to feed their dog so we all left at the same time - no line.
We stopped at the casino to take advantage of $10 free play for 55+ players - of course! We all spent our $10 and more. We finished in time to have a late buffet lunch.
Marg & I went for a bike ride and worked on jigsaw puzzles while Terry got propane and diesel. Just as Marg & I were getting back, Charlie & Julie came over for happy hour. Since we had such a late lunch, no dinner was needed.

Jan 21st - Thurs - Yuma
It rained all night. Terry had to wade to get to the truck and back it up to where Marg & I could get in on dry ground. We had very cleverly made plans to go shopping today and since it was Marg’s last day here we carried on.
We dropped Terry off at the Paradise Casino and met Aunt Jessie & Ed at the shopping mall. We were late - I hate being late & it was my fault!! - so when we arrived and Ed knew that Jessie was in good hands he went home. The weather was nasty! I dropped Jessie & Marg off at the front door of stores and then parked the truck which is a chore for me since it is so long & I don’t drive it much. Reversed the process when we were done. What a sweetie!!
We had a late lunch at Olive Garden and went to pick up Terry. The usual road to the casino was closed due to flooding so I had to get back out and take the only other way in that I knew - and Terry was waiting outside. We took Jessie back to her RV park and then stopped at WalMart where Terry finally had something to eat at McDonald’s while Marg & I shopped.
When we got back to our RV park, we drove by Bob & Karen’s to invite them over for drinks. I didn’t want to get my feet wet to knock on their door so Terry drove the truck up beside their window where they were sitting. As we continued through the park, we were laughing and exclaiming over the amount of water everywhere. Our neighbor Rich was getting pulled out of a ditch by the golf course as he couldn’t tell the road from the ditch since it was all under water. When we turned the corner to our street, it was totally covered in water but not very deep. Most streets here are one-way so I called Karen to tell them how to avoid the ditch by the golf course and to drive our street the wrong way and miss most of the flooding.
Karen’s dream has been to live on a golf course so they bought a park model here. Unfortunately, they don’t take possession until Feb 1st when we will be leaving so we probably won’t even get to see it.
Marg didn’t have a cake for her birthday earlier this month and neither did Terry so we had cake with Bob & Karen which was our dinner.

Jan 22nd - Fri - to Palm Springs & back
We left at 7 to take Marg to Palm Springs to catch her flight back to Vancouver. We allowed time again to stop for breakfast at the Red Earth Casino and of course Marg had to get a card and free play - sound like a pattern here? Terry & I lost $10 each but Marg was doing OK so we each took another $10. Terry immediately started building up on a machine while I quickly lost $5. Then I switched to a machine like the one Terry was playing. About the time that Marg was done, both Terry & I started winning. We finally HAD to leave and were $63 ahead.
We made good time to Palm Springs until we got off the freeway and then traffic backed up. Did I mention that I HATE to be late?! We did get Marg there in time even though it took about ½ hour to go just over 3 miles.
We figured that since we did OK at the casino that we might as well try another one on our way home. We each ended up with $20 free play which we spent along with the $20 each that we started with earlier. We grabbed a hamburger at the McDonald’s in the casino and headed out about 4:30. But wait - I still had $10 (that Terry gave me when he won a bit) in my pocket and decided to play another machine. I spent less than $4 when I hit a bonus and won $84 - playing 25 cents! I immediately cashed out $90 to cover our losses for the day and then some!
It started raining shortly after we left but we drove out of it fairly quickly. We thought the rain would end up in Yuma later but it didn’t. The roads in the park were mostly clear of water but there were still extra “water hazards” on the golf course.

Jan 16th to 18th - Yuma & Quartzsite

Jan 16th - Sat - to Quartzsite
We left at 8:00 for our trip to the RV show in QZ and immediately parked by the office here at the park so we could take advantage of the Saturday breakfast. We pulled into Clem & Marlene’s yard about 11, got set up and chatted for a while before going “shopping”. We just went to the Main Event area and started with an ice cream cone for lunch. Billy & Lauri were also here for the weekend so we found them out dry camping in the desert and had a drink with them and the group of their friends who had “circled the wagons” for a couple of days.
Back to Clem & Marlene’s where they had a great campfire going. Clem’s brother and his wife Vicki are staying on Clem & Marlene’s lot in their motor home for a couple of months and joined us. When it cooled off it was time for dinner. I had a crock pot full of chili which we turned into Frito Pie for all of us. We were parked right by C&M’s back door so it was easy to take all the dinner ingredients inside and be comfortable at their dining room table.
Marg has not been very comfortable on our hide-a-bed. We bought an air mattress but it turns out that it is too cold at night and Marg has been freezing even with all our spare bedding under & over her. Last night she slept without the air mattress so she was warmer but the mattress is pretty hard. Without knowing all this, Marlene offered Marg the use of their guest room which she gladly accepted.

Jan 17th - Sun - QZ
We got a fairly early start and went to the BIG tent that is a major part of the RV show. The tent covers 2 acres, is carpeted with indoor/outdoor carpet nailed to the ground and filled with all sorts of vendors. We didn’t find anything new & exciting but wandered up & down all the aisles. It got very crowded by the time we finished.
We continued wandering & shopping, got some lunch and then took a drive north to show Marg more of the thousands of dry campers. We went to the Arizona Sun RV park where we stayed 3 years ago and stopped to visit friends Ken & Jo. Jo had to return to Denver to look after her ailing mother but we got to visit for a short while with Ken and their cute little dog Lucy.
I had put a roast in the crockpot before we left this morning and had invited Clem & Marlene and Roger & Vicki to join us for dinner - in Clem & Marlene’s dining room again. We had time to sit on the patio to have a drink and watch birds before Marg & I went to finish making dinner. We also took the opportunity to phone brother Bob.
Good dinner and early to bed.

Jan 18th - Mon - back to Yuma
It rained last night and this morning. Actual rain, not just sprinkles to spot vehicles.
Marlene made a nice breakfast for us and Roger & Vicki. We lingered over coffee and finally hugged our goodbyes about 10:30. The traffic was lined up south on 95 but didn’t take too long to get through. We took the route past the proving grounds and Imperial Dam to show Marg some different sights. Made a stop for a date shake and arrived back around 1.
After we were all set up again, Marg & I took the bikes to run some errands and get some exercise. We worked on a couple of jigsaw puzzles, got a gallon of water and rode past Karen & Bob’s but they weren’t home. Just after we got back, our neighbors Lowell & Frankie asked us to join them for happy hour. Frankie had deep fried some bite sizes pieces of walleye that were delicious. Their “back fence” neighbors Dean & Alice also joined us.
Marg & I ate so much fish & some chips that we didn’t want much dinner. I was able to heat up leftovers from last night for Terry to keep things easy.
I got on the computer to check email & do the blog and found out that we had an annoying virus-type program running called Antivirus Live. It keeps telling you that you have a virus and infected files and prevents most things from running. Then if you say you want to deal with the virus, you are prompted to buy antivirus software - from the company sending the messages!! It took me a couple hours to get some legitimate software to get rid of the mess.

Jan 13th to 15th - Yuma

Jan 13th - Wed - Yuma
Terry had to go get a part to fix the holding tank handle so Marg & I went for a bike ride. We stopped for a chat with Karen & Bob and ended up riding 3 miles before getting back at the same time as Terry.
Terry spent a couple of hours under the rig and finally got the handle to work. I was the “gofer” and Marg enjoyed reading her book in the sunshine.
We had a very late lunch and then Marg & I went for a walk to get water and show Marg the park facilities while Terry took a much needed shower. As we got back, Terry was walking across the fairway to have a drink with Mike & Jewel. Charlie & Julie joined Marg & I for HH just before Terry got back. The neighbors next door had some company so Terry & Charlie had to go over and visit for a bit.


Jan 14th - Thurs - Yuma
Breakfast and then off for the day. First a stop to get a haircut for Marg. Then on to the Swap Meet where we only wandered through less than half of it before it was time to go. We stopped for a light lunch and then tried to find a friend of Marg’s. The GPS got us where we needed to be but we could not find the house number that Marg had written down.
This left us some time to kill so we went grocery shopping at WalMart which made us slightly late for a dinner date at Francis & Nichole’s. The wind had been blowing all day so we sat inside to visit and have drinks & a very good dinner.

Jan 15th - Fri - Yuma
Terry packed stuff up outside this morning in preparation for a trip tomorrow to Quartzsite. It was too windy to do much else. I made a batch of seasoned pretzels and then we went to do laundry. Marg & I worked on a jigsaw puzzle while the laundry washed and then Terry returned from a couple of errands & joined Marg at the puzzle while I hung & folded clothes.
We were trying to get together for some shopping with Aunt Jessie & Ed who arrived in Yuma yesterday. We finally decided it was not going to happen when Aunt Jessie realized they had not changed their clocks when they came from CA to AZ and they were short an hour.
So Terry decided we should take Marg to another casino. I sat down at a 2 cent machine playing 48 cents and on the third spin I won $402!!! Finally! I was lucky enough to play the rest of our time there (a couple of hours) and lose only $10. Terry & Marg did not do as well.
We were all starving so we went to Lute’s Casino - a restaurant, not a casino - in old Yuma for an early dinner. Next we stopped to try to find Marg a bathing suit and then got a few groceries.
We were thinking about going to a dance here at the park but were just too lazy so watched a movie and read instead.

Jan 9th to 12th - Yuma

Jan 9th - Sat - Yuma
Terry didn’t think we did much today - you decide.
I was giving Terry a haircut when a golf ball hit our rig. Terry went out and discovered that the golfer was lucky and hit & shattered a clearance light cover rather than the side of the rig. He was very apologetic and gave Terry money to buy a new cover.
We went for breakfast at the park and threw in a load of laundry while we were eating. We watched shuffleboard and chatted with people while the laundry dried. I vacuumed and did some cleaning before we headed to town for diesel, a haircut for me and groceries.
I sat in the sun and read while Terry washed the truck. Then we had time for a bike ride before an early steak dinner. We stopped to chat with Gale & Jan and their friends came by. Turned out they were the couple (Freeman & Louie) that we sat with at breakfast and they had told Jan about meeting us but they couldn’t remember our names. By what they said, Jan figured it was us - hmmmm! Just as we finished eating, Karen & Bob stopped by for a drink. Their dog is doing OK.
There was a “sock hop” here at the park so off we went. Karen & Bob also showed up and we all sat at a table next to Gale & Jan and friends. The same guy from the last dance (Dervin James) provided the music and he was excellent. We danced nearly every dance so got quite a bit of exercise from 7 to 10.

Jan 10th - Sun - Yuma
Got in a 5 mile bike ride this morning. Tough riding when we turned into the wind.
I filled up the kitchen gray water tank while doing some dinner prep and asked Terry to empty it. Didn’t turn out well as the handle broke off after he pulled it out. Not a simple valve replacement. Our rig has a long cable with the handle visible but the valve is somewhere under the fully covered “under belly”. Terry spent quite a bit of time removing screws to find the valve and only succeeded in cutting his hand & head. We were having dinner with friends so he put it back together until we get back from Palm Springs.
Charlie & Julie and Mike & Jewel came over with and for dinner. Charlie & I boiled baby back ribs, Julie made a salad, I made appies & garlic bread and Jewel brought twice baked potatoes for a great dinner.
We ate dinner outside and then sat around the buddy burner and had dessert. Wonderful friends and wonderful food.

Jan 11th - Mon - Palm Springs
We left at 7 this morning to drive to Palm Springs and pick up my sister Marg who is flying in from Canada. We allowed enough time to stop for breakfast and did so at a small, truck-stop casino. We played slots for a bit and Terry won enough for us to break even.
After we picked Marg up, we went to Terry’s brother’s (Skip & Kathy) place in Rancho Mirage. They invited us to spend the afternoon & night with them. After Kathy made us lunch, the women enjoyed the pool while the guys went to a casino. We were going to join them later but we were having too much fun gabbing & having a drink so just stayed home and watched Kathy make dinner.
After dinner, the women again headed for the water but this time the spa. The pool was really warm so we moved back & forth from the spa to the pool while the guys watched a movie.

Jan 12th - Tues - back to Yuma
We had a nice breakfast and left Skip & Kathy’s about 9:30. We found it necessary to stop at the Fantasy Springs Casino to take advantage of a “play $20 and get $50 slot credit” offer. Marg came out money ahead and I broke even. We had an uneventful trip back and then stopped at the local “Q” casino to have dinner so I didn’t have to cook. The dinner buffet did not start until 4:00 so we got a card & $10 free play for Marg and $10 play for Terry for his January birthday. We played before and a bit after dinner and headed home.
When Terry was playing a machine, a guy beside him asked if he was Terry and if I was Glenda. It was Rob who we met in Calgary in July 2008. We have not seen him & his wife Sue since but have emailed once in a while. We knew they were in Yuma and didn’t think we would get a chance to see them until after Marg leaves.

Jan 6th to 8th - Yuma

Jan 6th - Wed - Yuma
Caught up the blog and email this morning before going to get propane and groceries. We returned and put away the groceries and then headed back out to the casino. They started a new program where 55+ card holders get $10 free play each Wednesday. We couldn’t miss out on that!! We added just a little money and played for a long time before admitting defeat again.
Bob & Karen’s dog Zoe had been sick so we stopped by to check on her on our way back. Their vet in WA said to give her Immodium so hope that helps.
Charlie & Julie came over for HH.

Jan 7th - Thurs - Yuma
Only rode our bikes only 3 miles this morning as we stopped & chatted with Gayle & Jan who were out on a walk. Then we had to get back to have breakfast and get a roast in the crock pot before golf.
It was a gorgeous day for golf with Charlie & Julie. Unfortunately, our golf games were not as wonderful but we had a good time.
C&J came over for happy hour and dinner. We were joined for a short time by our neighbors Lowell & Frankie and our “across the fairway” neighbor Dick also stopped by.
During & after dinner we watched a college football game that C&J didn’t want to miss.

Jan 8th - Fri - Yuma
Lovely weather for a bike ride this morning even though the wind did pick up before we finished the 5 miles. Charlie & Julie picked us up at 10:30 for a trip to Sam’s Club where they needed some items and we could use their membership to stock up on inexpensive liquor. We stopped for a hamburger and then we introduced them to BigLots!
Did laundry in the afternoon, relaxed for just a bit and then headed out for another bike ride. I made a statement at the beginning of the month that I want to ride 100 miles on my bike this month and we haven’t made a very good start so need to catch up. We added another couple of miles to today’s tally. It was pretty windy again so headed back after the first road that was straight into the wind!

Jan 2nd to 5th - Yuma

Jan 2nd - Sat - Yuma
P&R joined us for breakfast (pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits & gravy, juice & coffee) here at the park this morning before they left for Wellton. They will be moving around southern Arizona before going to Mexico for 2 months. Bob & Karen from Chewelah (we met them in Alabama last spring) arrived yesterday. Karen stopped to see if she could borrow a laundry card and a bit later Bob stopped as he was passing by on a walk.
We decided to make a wind screen so we can sit outside more often. We picked up Karen & Bob and went to the Swap Meet for supplies and a quick lunch.
The wind screen is constructed of metal poles and screw-on fittings so it is portable. We could not buy the right size of sun shade material for the screen so we have to cut the fabric and put in grommets. Hope the neighbors are tolerant of the hammering.
Bob & Karen came over for happy hour. The cool wind caused us to move inside very quickly. Charlie & Julie hammered on the door and joined us later so dinner was quite late.

Jan 3rd - Sun - Yuma
We made a trip to the Swap Meet to get some more pieces for the wind screen and got one panel laced to the frame. It looks like the grommets are not going to hold so I will sew tabs on the second panel - another day! It was after 1:00 by the time we finished and we hadn’t eaten yet so I was too cranky to get the sewing machine out.
We started on a bike ride and realized there was live music at the cantina. So we continued on the Bob & Karen’s spot to see if they wanted to go. They had just returned from the dog park, had been told about the music and were planning to go. We spent a relaxing couple of hours listening to old time music and drinking “$5 a pitcher” beer.
We rode a couple more miles, stopped at Charlie & Julie’s and they invited us to share a big pot of soup for dinner. We finished just in time for us to drop off our bikes and get the truck to pick up Charlie & Julie to go to Card Bingo here at the park. Bob & Karen were saving seats for us and C&J were able to complete another table.
Charlie, Terry & I each won a game and Bob won 2 games. There were 48 players so our group did pretty good.
I finished up the day with a nice long phone call with sister Marg.

Jan 4th - Mon - Yuma
We got out the sewing machine and spent most of the day sewing another wind screen panel. This time I sewed pockets to slide the poles through. This was a fairly tricky job considering that we have to be able to insert poles & connections from both directions. One end had to have tabs for lacing since it uses the corner pole with the other screen. Then my sewing machine kept snarling the thread so I was very happy when we were done. And it looks great. Even with just one screen our chairs do not blow over.
We grabbed our cooler and headed to Charlie & Julie’s for happy hour which by now we really needed. Home for a late dinner.

Jan 5th - Tues - Yuma
We took a short (3 mile) bike ride before picking up Bob & Karen for a trip to Algodones. Charlie & Julie and Mike & Jewel were also going so we all stopped first at the casino for 2-for-1 breakfast buffet. Beautiful, short sleeve weather. It was a challenge keeping the group together but fun watching each other negotiate prices. We stopped for a large margarita before stopping at the liquor store and lining up to get through customs. It took us about 45 minutes to get through.
Our group stopped at the casino on the way back. We were there for about 1 ½ hours. Terry broke even, I lost my money, Karen got a run of good luck at the end to recoup her losses and Bob lost some. Terry probably broke even only because that’s where he was when we had to leave so B&K could rescue their dog from the motor home.
Speaking of rescue, our golfer that flies on our flagpole was gone this morning. Terry peeked over the fence behind us and could not see it. When we went to pick up K&B, we drove past the park models behind us and I spotted the golfer on the edge of a garage roof. Terry was able to snag it with an extendable squeegee.

Dec 30th to Jan 1st - Yuma

Dec 30th - Wed - Yuma
We had a little surprise late this morning - an earthquake. I was inside and heard a rumble before the rig started moving. Terry was outside, saw the rig shaking and wondered what the heck I was doing in there! We were both outside and did not feel a smaller quake shortly after. It was centered southwest of us in Mexico so there was no or very little damage in this area.
A nice day for golf with P&R. Claude & Val joined us outside for happy hour at P&R’s so this time we got to use their buddy burner. Their tin is quite large and the slight breeze was making a great swirling design with the flame. Home for dinner.

Dec 31st - Thurs - Yuma
We and P&R went out for breakfast this morning and then went shopping. Pat really wanted to kayak down the river but it was too windy.
We purchased the last of the crab at Albertson’s and got together for New Year’s Eve dinner. The park had a dinner/dance but we decided to do our own thing. After dinner, we set up the card table and played Hand & Foot Canasta. The guys won the first 3 hands but Pat & I had a good 4th hand and ended up winning by 200 points.
We glimpsed some fireworks at 10 (the older folks at the dance celebrated New Year’s at Eastern time), another batch at 11 and I listened, from bed, to a longer batch at midnight - maybe from the casino.

Jan 1st - Fri - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We rode our bikes to pick up our mail and stopped to see Charlie & Julie on the way back. Back to the rig for a late breakfast before a 12:23 tee time with P&R.
There were 3 groups of not very good players ahead of us so it was slow going. Sunny with a breeze increasing to wind sometimes. We finally got frustrated (slow play) and cold enough to quit in the middle of the 18th hole after 4 ½ hours.
Our place for happy hour and then P&R’s for dinner and cards. In the interest of fair reporting, I must say that the women beat the men again in another close game.