Mar 14th to 17th - Mesa

Mar 14^th – Thurs

After coffee, we got on our bikes to deliver some party invitations which took a long time as it included visits.  We also made a stop to reserve our site for next season – Sept 9^th to Jan 1st for the $695 fall special and Jan/Feb/March.  We probably won’t arrive that early in Sept but we have the option.

We sat outside and watched golf for a while and then moved inside with the AC on.  We had an early dinner and then headed to the patio at the Ranchos pool to listen to music.  Ernie & Dianne have been playing for several weeks and we have never made it to see them.  Their friend Bill was also playing – he started the weekly session – and today Wayne & Deb (they perform in the courtyard) also joined them for a wonderful evening.

They started playing about 6, had one short break and quit after 9.  Some line dancers arrived after it started so we could follow them in some dances.  I know a lot of the dances but not well enough to get going on my own.  It was Larry’s (of Larry & Suz) birthday so Suz brought brownies with MANY candles which we enjoyed at the break.  We had 12 at our table and 6 more friends at another table when we could not extend our circle.  It was a magical evening with perfect weather, wonderful music and amazing friends.

We went for a nightcap – water for me, believe it or not! – at Ron & Terri’s with Bob & Darlene and Duane & Sue.  We couldn’t stay TOO late as Ron & Bob are golfing in the morning.

Mar 15^th – Fri

We went to the end of the street to Duane & Sue’s site to watch the St Patrick’s Day parade and found that Sue had made pancakes and biscuits – with homemade raspberry jam – for breakfast for anyone who wanted to eat.  We watched the parade go by and then we put our chairs back and went to Ernie & Dianne’s to watch it a second time.  The highlight of the parade was several golf carts decorated as the “Royal Canadian Air Farce”.  The fronts of the carts had large red plastic buckets as the fuselage and operating ceiling fans as propellers.  Small wings & tails were added along with many Canadian flags.

After the parade, we decided to go to a casino.  We stopped on the way for a bad sandwich at Subway.  The casino was quite busy but we found enough machines to eat up our allowances again.  We shopped for a camera before coming home for dinner.  Our current camera suddenly decided to take continuous pictures every time it was turned on.  I did some digging in the manual and online and couldn’t find anything to try so we figured it would be nearly the same price to buy a new camera as getting the old one fixed.

Mar 16^th – Sat

We continued our camera shopping this morning.  We stopped at Target where the model we are leaning towards was $179.  Then we saw the same one at WalMart for $159 but they didn’t have any in stock.  They sent us to Chandler – about 10 miles – to another WalMart where we bought the same Samsung with 18x optical zoom for $129.  We stopped at Fry’s for a few groceries and filled up with diesel.

We had a short time to rest before I made dinner and then we went to a dance.  The band was “Come Back Buddy” who played earlier this year and we had a great time.  The band played for 3 hours without a break which is what they did last time.  It really keeps the momentum of the dance going.

Mar 17^th – Sun

The first of our 4 groups of golfers teed off at 8:30 this morning.  I went to put my golf sandals on when we got to the course and found that one had a broken strap so I had to wear my Dawgs.  I could possibly use that as an excuse for a less than stellar game – but I really didn’t do too badly.  Terry lost his grip on a club once today but his hand is doing well.

We went for lunch again at Red Robin and got home stuffed to the gills at 2:30.  At 3:00 we went to Bob & Peggy’s for a “ND gin bucket tasting” – aka happy hour get together.  As usual, we were with the last group of people to leave about 5:30.

We were sitting outside watching TV in the nice, cool air when Dan & Carol, Ray & Laura and Brenda dropped by so Carol could show the others our bucket light and get a picture for another friend.  They stayed for a quick drink and a demonstration of the buddy burner.  It is so fun to have spontaneous gatherings.

Mar 11th to 13th - Mesa

Mar 11^th – Mon

I talked Terry into going for a walk this morning.  We didn’t go as far but it took us longer as we stopped to chat a couple of times.  We had some errands to do and it ended up taking the rest of the morning.  We stopped for a burger for lunch and then ended up having to go out on another errand.

We went to the courtyard to listen to music for a while but had to leave to go to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner.  Also joining us for dinner were Bob & Darlene and Duane & Sue.  After drinks and a nice dinner, we played a card game called Newfie Bingo.  We have played it a couple of times and you can end up losing or winning a lot of change.  We ended with dessert and a lot more laughs.

Mar 12^th – Tues

Terri came over this morning to plan a “good-bye” party for next week and then Darlene & Sue joined us.  It seems early but some people are leaving in just over a week.  While Terri was still here, we both made reservations in Las Vegas for 3 days when we leave.  Also, Terri couldn’t order an item online with a Canadian credit card so I ordered it for her.

Claude & Val arrived for a visit just after noon.  We chatted for a bit and then went to the courtyard for lunch.  There wasn’t a table in the shade when we arrived but we moved to the shade as soon as a table was empty.  After lunch we sat outside to visit some more and Dennis & Gloria came over as they met Claude & Val previously and wanted to say hi.  Claude & Val left to visit friends at Mesa Regal and Rick rode up on his bike and joined us.  Vi has been sick and had a relapse today so she was sleeping & trying to get better.

We were inside relaxing and I was trying to decide if we needed dinner when we realized it was time to go to line dance lessons.  We reviewed dances for 45 minutes and then tried to learn 2 new dances with lots of steps.  We were ready to watch TV before hitting the sack.

Mar 13^th – Wed

We got the laundry going early and found lots of available machines.  We were done by 9:30 and headed out for another errand.  Back at the rig, I made breakfast for lunch while Terry fixed our propane heater with a new regulator sent to us from the store where we bought the heater.  It was way better than driving 40 miles each way to get it fixed or replaced.

We were just getting ready to get the truck washed (before going to listen to music & line dance at Mesa Regal) when Don & Joanne walked up.  They are friends from Logan Lake BC and stayed here for a couple of weeks last spring.  They are staying at another Cal-Am park in Gold Canyon – Canyon Vistas – and came here with another couple who are also visiting friends in this park.  We can line dance any day but don’t get to reconnect with friends every day so we sat outside and caught up for a couple of hours.

We went to our courtyard to catch the last of the music by North Star.  Our table was the last to leave and we had workers hovering around waiting to put away folding chairs!  We had finished dinner and watching Survivor when Cleo & her friend/dancing partner Roger stopped by for a visit.  We enjoy kibitzing with them on the dance floor and had a really nice chat.  

Mar 7th to 10th - Mesa

Mar 7^th – Thurs

I finally got in gear and went for a walk this morning.  The weather was perfect at 8:00 for shorts and a T-shirt.  A bit later we went for a bike ride on the same route and found that I walked 2 miles.  Unfortunately the weather is due to change tomorrow so I won’t get into the walking habit too quickly!

When I got back, I had to call DirecTV as we had the lack of sound problem again.  This time the tech support person decided to send out a technician tomorrow.  I caught up the blog & emails and then made sandwiches for lunch.

We rode to Julie & Larry’s and I loaded a tax program on their computer.  Julie is doing so well with her breathing problem.  She pretty much only uses oxygen at night now.  We had some time to relax and then went to the courtyard.  The band was Plan B – loud & not our favorite music.  We had to leave early as Dennis & Gloria were picking us up at 5 to go to dinner.

We went to Pier de Orleans where we joined Rick & Vi and Harold & Lauri.  We were seated in a smaller dining room and had it to ourselves for the whole dinner.  The food was OK but the drinks were very pricey.  We probably will not return.

Mar 8^th – Fri

Rain was supposed to show up this afternoon but it started about 11 last night and there was a HUGE roll of thunder early this morning.  Cooler weather calls for baking so I made muffins and banana bread.

The DirecTV guy showed up at 8:15 and sat in his truck for a while which gave Terry time to get up & dressed.  Of course, when we turned on the TV when he was here, the sound came on.  He said it could be the receiver, the cable or the TV.  The box has to get a signal back from the TV saying everything is synced up and ready to send.  After some discussion, he said he would replace the receiver but he only had an older model as ours was quickly replaced by very small units that do everything.  We were OK with that and the tech also showed Terry how to add our outside TV to the satellite remote.

Terri needed Rick & Vi’s site number which we didn’t know so I walked over with her to tell them about golf on Sunday.  The rain obediently quit while we walked.  At 11:50 we took Terri to pick up Ron at the airport.  Ron threw his suitcase in the back of the truck but moved it inside when Terry said it was really wet in the back.  It was a good thing because we went through a monster downpour on the drive back.  A couple of times we passed cars that threw water on the windshield and you couldn’t see for a moment.  By the time we exited the freeway on Val Vista, the rain stopped and you could see blue sky.

Brad & Clare took their trailer in to get the axles replaced and were just setting up when we got back.  Brad was moving really quickly and was done by the time big clouds moved in and dumped rain. 

We had nothing else planned for the day so we went to the Lone Butte casino.  The parking lot indicated that there would be lots of people inside.  It was hard to find a suitable slot machine and none of them were good to me.  We did hang in for several hours and got one of the monster hamburgers to go so I just had to warm up the fries & meat when we got home.

When we got back, wind had blown our mat and tipped over some chairs & small tables.  Also, the large cardboard box for recycled cans that sits by our tripod was lying by our steps.  I guess we missed a big wind storm while we were in the casino.

Mar 9^th – Sat

We went to get water and saw that there were patio sales in the park so we had to get our bikes and check them out.  At the first one that we stopped at, I got about 50 long, taper candles to use in buddy burners.  We stopped to visit Larry & Suz and meet their son Scott who is visiting for a few days.  It is too bad that the weather is so awful while he is here.  We didn’t find anything else to buy at the patio sales.

After lunch we went shopping for a few miscellaneous items that of course could not all be found at the same store.  We didn’t do too much the rest of the afternoon.  We had soup for dinner and then went to a dance here at the park.  The band is not our favorite but they really kick up the energy when they play for a dance so it was a lot of fun.

Mar 10^th – Sun

Hooray – the sun is back!  It was still cool this morning but warmed up quite nicely.

We had breakfast before we joined 14 others to play golf at 11:00.  We had 2 foursomes of men and 2 of women.  I really do enjoy playing golf with women.  Because of the problem with Terry’s hand, this is the first time that we have played in 1 ½ months and it felt great.  Terry thought he could play his usual decent game and didn’t do as well as he thought he should.  I was a little more realistic and wasn’t too disappointed with my game.

Ten of us went to Red Robin for late lunch/early dinner after the golf game.  Then we were so full we crashed in front of a golf game on TV.  Duane & Sue came over for a drink but they played golf too so only stayed for a short time.  TV and a long phone call to sister Marg filled the rest of the evening.

Mar 4th to 6th - Mesa

Mar 4^th – Mon

We rode our bikes to say goodbye to Don & Susan but they had already left.  We saw that the Country Store was going on so we wandered through it and didn’t buy anything.  I made breakfast, we chatted with Dianne when she returned our badges that she used to buy dance tickets for friends who are arriving soon and then Dennis dropped in to shot the breeze while Gloria was getting her hair cut.

Ron wasn’t totally comfortable with Terri taking him to the airport and driving back herself (!?) so we drove them to the airport.  Ron is going to a trade show in Las Vegas for a few days.  When we got back, Terry saw an empty afternoon & evening so it was off to a casino.  We went to Vee Quiva casino which is quite a ways out and which we will not visit again.  It is not very big and was crowded.  We are not heavy gamblers and prefer penny slots.  There weren’t a lot of penny machines and people would save their spots by leaving a bit of money on the machine and putting ashtrays on the chairs. 

We stopped at KFC for a bucket of chicken since it was nearly 7:00 and I didn’t feel like cooking.

Mar 5^th – Tues

The weather continues to warm up but cooler weather and even some rain is expected by the end of the week.  Just after lunch, Dennis & Gloria picked us up to go see Bill & Lauri’s new condo.  They were at the department of motor vehicles when I called and expected to be back in ½ hour.  We were there in about 45 minutes and waited a while for them to get back.  It’s a good thing we were there as Bill had a desk in a big box in the back of their car and it took the 3 guys to wrestle it inside.

We checked out the condo, had a beer & chatted and then toured the amenities in the development.  It is a nice place with a little patio that faces a lawn and the back of the community center which means there are no neighbors looking in through the sliding glass doors.

We headed to the courtyard to listen to Curtis when we got back.  We danced a bit and then shared a Reuben sandwich since we were going to line dance lessons.  We arrived at dance lessons as Bob & Bobbie were setting up their equipment and Bob immediately started reviewing dances that we were having trouble with.  We just reviewed dances rather than learning any new ones so we got a good 1 ¾ hour workout.  Luckily we had leftover chicken so Terry could have a snack when we got back.

Mar 6^th – Wed

Terry took the splint and tape off his fingers this morning and it is looking OK.  The middle finger bends straight down instead of to the side which is great.   The middle knuckle looks slightly swollen but hopefully that will go away with some use & ice packs.

Our living room TV has come on with a picture but no sound for the last three mornings.  A reset fixed the problem twice but it would not reset today so I called DirecTV support and finally talked to a person.  Unfortunately, by the time he was on the line, the reset that we did with the automated support had finally finished and the sound came on so he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – do any more.  Will see what happens tomorrow as the problem only occurs in the morning.

Dennis stopped by for coffee after he dropped Gloria off for a meeting.  While he was still here, Rick stopped by and had coffee also.  I was finally making an early lunch – no breakfast – when Ernie & Dianne came over.  We put lunch on hold and chatted with them for a while.

After lunch, we went grocery shopping.  After putting everything away, I had time for some dinner prep before going to listen to music in the courtyard.

We went a little early as it was hot and we wanted a seat in the shade.  Lots of others had the same idea but we got a table beside Larry & Julie whose table was only partly in shade.  Van Arlon was the singer and he does mostly country music suitable for line dancing.  We joined in on a lot of dances.  Ron started counting the dances that Terry was doing and he ended up with 8 ½ different dances.  The ½ was for a dance that he didn’t quite master.

Dennis & Gloria came over for dinner & cards.  I had sweet & sour pork ready and just had to cook rice and put dressing on a salad.  We played ponytail canasta before having dessert.  The guys had a large, early lead but the women snuck up and won.

Feb 28th to Mar 3rd - Mesa

Feb 28^th – Thurs

Terry went with Mike to help him pick up his utility trailer and then hook it to his motor home.  Mike had his gall bladder removed a short time ago and still should not be lifting anything heavy.  They had to go to Queen Creek so I had time to finish up on the computer and make soft tacos for lunch.

We went to Fry’s for a few groceries that we forgot last time and filled up with diesel.  Then we went to Ft McDowell casino to meet some friends – Terry & Judy from Vernon.  We were there earlier than the others and had fun winning some & losing some and we also saw Don & Susan from our park.  We were also joined by Mike & Edie (friends of Terry & Judy and who we met in Albuquerque) and Butch & Shawn (also friends of Terry & Judy and who live in Summerland BC).  We were all going to have dinner at the $9.99 all-you-can-eat crab buffet until we saw the lines and found out how long it would take to be seated.  Instead, we waited nearly ½ hour to get into another restaurant.  There wasn’t a table large enough for all of us so we sat with the women at one table and the men at another one across the room which was really fun for gabbing.

After dinner I spent some time with Terry & Judy before they left for their hour+ drive to Buckeye.  The others left right after dinner.  Then it was just Terry & I.  We both played machines that are normally busy all the time and ended up not leaving until 10:30 – a little poorer but not bad for so much “entertainment”.

Mar 1^st – Fri

Pick oranges, beer at L&S discuss buddy burners, lunch at 2:30 in courtyard, Gloria ankle operation, came by later in golf cart.

Gloria went for a procedure this morning to scrape her ankle joint.  We stopped by to find that all went well and she was sleeping.

We went to Ernie & Dianne’s to see if they wanted to pick oranges.  Ernie had just loaded up their vehicle with their sound equipment and needed a shower before leaving in a while and Dianne’s bike had a flat tire so she joined us in their car.  We and Dennis (down our street) borrowed Dennis Collins’ fruit picker and rode our bikes to the remainder of the old orchard where we picked citrus once before.  We picked an orange from a tree with lots of fruit and tasted it to make sure we were getting the sweet variety before we filled our bags.  We ended up with 9 grocery bags and Dennis’ backpack and shared oranges with lots of friends.

When we delivered oranges to Larry & Suz, it was close enough to noon to enjoy a beer and discuss making buddy burners.  Suz bought a tin but it was too small so they will have to go shopping again.

Dennis borrowed Brian & Bev’s golf cart (which is currently stored at Ron & Terri’s) so Gloria can get around while she is wearing an “air boot” and healing.  They came for a short visit before we headed to the courtyard to have a late lunch and then stay to listen to music.  We were shifting chairs into the shade – lovely! 

Even though we had a late lunch, Terry figures he needs another meal so I made a chicken Caesar salad quite a bit later.

Mar 2^nd – Sat

I made jelly biscuits before Larry & Suz and Don & Susan came over at 9 to make buddy burners.  They had gone shopping for tins & wax but the tins were too large which means a large flame and burning lots of wax.  Suz had a small cookie tin that she had in the freezer so we decided to make that one to show them the process.  After it was finished we sat around in the lovely sunshine and chatted.

Terry took Dennis & Gloria’s dance tickets to the activity center and got their money back as Gloria obviously won’t be dancing tonight.  Then we walked to their place to return the money.  Dan & Carol were visiting and were intending to come to our place next so we took a shortcut through empty sites while they rode their bikes around the corner to our site.  After showing them our rig, we all sat outside and enjoyed a beer.  When they left they were talking about making a buddy burner and a bucket light for their boat in Ontario where they live in the summer.  We hadn’t had anything to eat since our jelly biscuits so Terry made a quick trip to McDonalds while I made devilled eggs for later.

Darlene is still not feeling well so she returned their dance tickets just before Suz talked Don & Susan into going to the dance.  Now we got on our bikes and tracked down Patti who collects tickets at the dances to ask her to save the tickets for Don & Susan. 

We were just a bit late for a happy hour at Gord & Joyce’s down the street from us.  Their friends Jerry & Terri are going to be staying in Gord & Joyce’s motor home for a few weeks while Gord & Joyce make a trip to Canada and they wanted Jerry & Terri to meet some people and especially some golfers.  It was warm enough that we were moving chairs into the shade.

Not done yet!  We had a little bit of time to breathe and sit outside watching a bit of TV before going to the dance.  We got the tickets for Don & Susan and had a good time.

Mar 3^rd - Sun

After having coffee & lovely sweet oranges, I had a nice long phone visit with sister Marg.  Then I put a roast in the crock pot for dinner and headed to the laundry room.  We timed it right and got 4 washers right away.  We filled up water bottles and walked back home.  Terry was on the computer when I took my book and returned to put the clothes in the dryers.  He came back to help hang, fold, load the truck and drive back.  We were done putting clothes away and making the bed by 11:30 and had a breakfast burrito for lunch.

I did some more dinner prep before we delivered the new buddy burner to Larry & Suz and tried to find Susan to give her some recipes that I printed for her.  Then we stopped to see Dennis & Gloria.  She is doing really well.  Pain medication affects her equilibrium so she quit taking it yesterday and can walk much better.

We had a short time to relax before Ernie & Dianne came for dinner.  We had a nice chat before dinner and played Ponytail Canasta afterwards.  The guys are going to be hard to live with after they won both games by a small margin.

Feb 24th to 27th - Mesa

Feb 24^th – Sun

It was windy last night and clear but still windy this morning so of course Terry wanted to go to a casino.  We had purchased a coupon for Ft. McDowell casino that gave us $40 slot play and a free breakfast for $25 so that is where we went.  I won enough early to keep me playing and cover some of Terry’s losses.

We chatted with Ron & Terri before walking over to see Dennis & Gloria.  We ended up staying there for a couple of drinks.  I had to get creative to make dinner – guess I better stock up the freezer & pantry!  We have been burning the candle at both ends so we were ready to have a quiet evening.

Feb 25^th – Mon

Dennis dropped by for coffee and said Gloria was going to the drop-in medical clinic a bit later to see if her cough is anything serious.

Dave & Margo went with us to Total Wine and then Costco where we shopped and had a hot dog for lunch.  We stopped to show them the Garden Ridge store.  Margo really enjoyed wandering through the store but I was the only one who bought anything.

When we got back it was time to go to the courtyard to listen to music.  We kept adding chairs to our table to include Dave & Margo, Ernie & Dianne, Duane & Sue, Jerry & Bella and a visit from Suz.  It was warm in the sun but a light jacket felt good in the shade.

We filled our truck with Duane & Sue and Jerry & Bella (Jerry plays pool with Duane) and went to the China City buffet.  I guess I will go grocery shopping tomorrow!!

Feb 26^th – Tues

We rode our bikes to check on Gloria and found that she got some medications yesterday and was back in bed trying to knock out the chesty cough that is sticking with her.  We went to Larry & Julie’s to see how Julie was feeling.  Larry hit the gas instead of the brake on their golf cart yesterday and threw Julie out of the cart.  She landed on her tail bone and hit her head so she was pretty sore today but luckily nothing seems broken.

Then we finally did our grocery shopping.  Shortly after putting everything away, we went to the courtyard to have lunch.  North Star was playing at 3 so we stayed after we ate as the place was filling up early.  We didn’t dance too much as the dance area was too crowded for line dancing.

We took water jugs to fill on our short drive to line dancing which was held at the Fiesta community center rather than the main ballroom.  We went early (6:10) and got in lots of review before many others arrived.  Then the whole class reviewed 3 dances and learned a new one.

I made grilled cheese sandwiches and asparagus for a late dinner.

Feb 27^th – Wed

This morning I put together an appetizer for later this afternoon and worked on email & the blog.

At 10:30, we took Dave & Margo, Terri and Dennis to Organ Stop Pizza for a private lunch & show for about 200 Val Vista Village residents.  After paying, we picked up a bowl of salad & added dressing before finding a spot to sit.  There was a very organized method for everyone to head to serving tables for the pizza buffet.  The organist gave a little welcome speech and part way through his playing time he demonstrated all of the 40 instruments at his command and also some of the special sound effects that were used when organs accompanied silent movies.  It was a great experience which we will repeat next year.

We rode our bikes to take lettuce trimmings to the tortoises, walked to pick up a bag of ice, helped Terri set up a couple of tables and carried chairs across the street for a happy hour gathering.  We used an empty site for the HH which was mostly in sun and worked very well.  There was quite a large group to say goodbye to Bruce & Ann.   The hardy partiers moved to our site and we tried out our new patio heater which didn’t work right.  Ron brought his heater over as well so the small group stayed sort of warm.  Vi is sick so Rick came by himself on his bike.  Terry put the bike in the truck and drove Rick home as we thought he might lose his way or crash!  Gloria came for a short time as did Darlene who is also not feeling up to par.  Hope we dodged all the bugs!

Feb 21st to 23rd - Mesa

Feb 21^st – Thurs

We pretty much goofed off this morning.  I wanted certain cookies that I use for a dessert so we went to Big Lots on Power but they didn’t have any.  We stopped at Bealls on the way back and then at Fry’s for a couple of items.  We got back just in time to put together a small plate of veggies and go to a block party.  The weather was lovely so it was nice to sit outside and meet neighbors.

At 3 we went to the courtyard to listen & dance to Reign-n-Country.  I don’t think we realized how many line dances we know well enough to join other dancers.  Unfortunately, we still need “leaders” and don’t know which dances to do to which songs.

We invited Dave & Margo for a repeat of last night’s dinner and they enjoyed it.

Feb 22^nd – Fri

Dave & Margo picked us up at 10 to go to Peoria and buy table top propane heaters.  A company that sells & rents the heaters has new-but-returned heaters at a discount price - $50 – and they still have a one year warranty.  We followed the GPS and a shorter route going there and saw a lot of streets & sights that we have never been on before.  It was fun to do this instead of using the faster freeways.  We stopped for lunch before heading back.

Terry had to drill a hole in our folding round table in order to route the propane hose underneath the table.  Dave went to get a set of drill bits and they found that the largest was not big enough.  Luckily Terry checked his tool box and found a larger bit which did the trick.

We went to the courtyard to listen to music and dance.  The group is popular and good but more rock & roll than we prefer.

When the music ended at 5, we joined a group sitting around a propane “fire” that is in a large table in the middle of comfy couches by the pool.  I had put a pork roast in the crock pot so we invited Duane & Sue for dinner.  Duane had over-imbibed so he ate a small dinner and had to head home.  Sue stayed long enough to help with dishes and chat a bit.

We had some bad health news about our friend Mike so we went to see Ron & Terri to see if there was more information.  They were at Bob & Darlene’s and Darlene saw us walking next door so she had us join them. 

Feb 23^rd – Sat

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then got the laundry sorted out.  We actually got 4 washers right away.  Terry got water & propane while I went back to the rig and vacuumed – have to maintain that multi-tasking capability!

After a sandwich for lunch, we went visiting on our bikes.  Terry had to put air in a tire so I went to see Emery & Pat who were sitting in the sun.  We wanted to see their new 5^th wheel when we met them but they were fixing the cushions on their couch so we got a tour today.  We stopped for a chat with Larry & Julie and I remembered Bandit’s treat this time.  By now we didn’t have much more time to visit so we headed home.

We changed into red shirts and went to the Canada Day dinner/dance here in the park.  Each year a different province organizes the event and this year it was B.C.  We got to attend since I am Canadian and we were lucky enough to have someone get our tickets on a table with a lot of friends.  The decorations were great, there were lots of donated door prizes and the band was North Star which is a favorite so the dance floor was busy.  We started at 4:30 and the band played an extra song after 10 so we were ready to hit the sack.

Feb 18th to 20th - Mesa

Feb 18^th – Mon

My bocce game in the elimination rounds for our park this morning turned out perfect.  I didn’t really want to play in the park-wide tournament but when we were down 14-7 at one point I didn’t want to lose by that much!  We came back to lose 15-14 so I was happy.

Terry and Dave & Margo were there by the time my game was over so we all rode our bikes to pick grapefruit & oranges.  Terry thought he knew where to go but after we made a loop through a residential area with dead ends, we came back to the park and asked Rick where to go.  We also borrowed his homemade fruit picker as most of the lower fruit has been picked.  We went to a street where a huge orchard was removed for a walled subdivision.  Two rows of trees were left between the walls and the sidewalk and anyone can pick the fruit.  We got grapefruit and 2 types of oranges.

It was noon when we returned the picker, so Rick & Vi offered us a drink which we accepted.  Next we had to make a trip to Fry’s for birthday cards and a couple of grocery items.  And then it was time to go to the bocce courts again but this time for a birthday party for Suz.  We helped Larry & Suz finish setting up and then got down to the serious job of having fun with the 36 other guests.  We had time to play bocce before Larry finished grilling the burgers & brats which we enjoyed along with the tons of food brought by everyone.  We started talking with a couple from Saskatchewan and were in the last group to leave.  We started before 3 so it was only 7:50 when we got home.

Feb 19^th – Tues

One type of the oranges we got yesterday is really sweet so we will have to get more.

We didn’t have anything scheduled in the morning or early afternoon so we got the rest of our pictures scanned into the computer.  It is really nice to have it done and now we can get rid of our old printer.

We joined Dave & Margo at the courtyard to listen to music but the singers did not show up.  One of the line dance instructors got her music system and did some line dances so it turned out OK.  I left a bit early to make dinner as we have line dance lessons at 6:15.  By the time we ate I wasn’t feeling too well so Terry went by himself.  Luckily they learned only one new dance so I will be able to catch up.

When I came back before dinner, I folded up all our lawn chairs and put them in the back seat of the truck as rain is forecast for tonight.

Feb 20^th – Wed

Rain and wind last night.  We went grocery shopping this morning and I started dinner prep.  Gloria & I are making dinner for Ernie & Dianne and Doug & Shirley to thank them for playing music at our parties.  I am doing the dinner and Gloria is looking after appetizers, drinks & dessert as well as having it at their place.  I am making a dish called Javanese Chicken which is 10 ingredients that each person layers on their plate in a specific order.

At 1 we went to listen to music which was moved from the courtyard to the ballroom due to “inclement” weather – lots of rain & wind.  The time was changed from the usual 3-5 to 1-3 since there is another function in the ballroom at 5 and time was needed for setup.  We did a lot of line dances and a few two-steps.  One of the line dance instructors gave me a quick lesson on the dance that I missed last night.

We packed everything up and drove to Dennis & Gloria’s about 3:30 – the other guests were due at 4.  Everything was excellent – appies, dinner & hot fudge sundaes for dessert.  We played a game of Arizona Rummy before having dessert and Terry won.

There was thunder and more rain during the evening but it is supposed to get better tomorrow.

Feb 14th to 17th - Mesa

Feb 14^th – Thurs

We couldn’t believe how many people were doing laundry this morning when we first drove over.  There wasn’t even a parking spot so we came back.  A while later we walked up with 2 jugs for water and found the laundry room still packed.  Then it was late enough that we said we had to bite the bullet and find machines and this time we found a parking spot and 3 washers all in different groups of machines.  We walked back & visited with neighbors before I went back to put everything in dryers.  Another walk back with items to hang to dry and then back to finish.  I love the bit of exercise that comes with doing laundry!

A large group gathered at Duane & Sue’s for a farewell happy hour for Moe & Trish.  The weather was perfect.  We and several others had to leave just before 5 to attend a Valentine’s dinner & dance here at the park.  As usual, the tables & ballroom were beautifully decorated.  There was a small dance area between the stage & front row of tables and when the serving tables were cleared, another area near us was available for dancing.  The band played from 6 to 9 and we all had a good time.  Of course we ended up at Ron & Terri’s along with Darlene & Bob and Brian & Bev for a nightcap.

Feb 15^th – Fri

Moe & Trish left this morning for Palm Springs so we all had to gather for good-bye hugs.  Then we walked to Dave & Margo’s site but they didn’t answer when we knocked so we figured – correctly as we learned later – that they went back to bed after taking their son & his wife to the airport at 5.  We stopped at Larry & Suz’s to see if they were over their colds & flu and found they were on the road to recovery.

We chatted with Bob & Peggy by the pool and then went back to see Dave & Margo.  We went for a walk to show them the community center & signed up for a tour of Organ Stop Pizza next week and then went to the courtyard and had lunch.  Next we all got our bikes and we showed Dave & Margo around the rest of the park.  We planned to join Julie & Larry and their daughter Natalie to go to a dance so went our own ways for a light dinner.  Margo called to say they were tired and were passing on the dance so we called Larry & Suz and asked if we could ride with them.  As we were driving to Sun Life park, we called Julie and found they were having a problem with Julie’s oxygen line but were nearly on their way.  When we got to Sun Life, we found there was a movie playing rather than a dance.  We finally got Julie to answer her phone and they said they were turning around and we should join them at their place.  We stopped at our place so I could put on warmer clothes, got waylaid by Don & Deb & visitors across the street but went to Larry & Julie’s for a few drinks with them, Natalie and Neal & Judy.  Terry didn’t change into warmer clothes so he complained all the way home at 11:00.

Feb 16th – Sat

We joined “the group” to say good bye to Brian & Bev this morning.  They pulled out about 8:30 and again we stayed out chatting with some of the remaining friends.

We were going to take our truck and Dave & Margo’s car to Apache Junction and then go together for a “tour” before we went to the AZ Opry and they came back.  Just as we were going to leave Dave & Margo’s, Dianne called to say that she managed to get tickets for them to the AZ Opry so we all went in our truck.  We just pulled away when Julie called and asked if we had jumper cables as their car battery was dead.  We were just around the corner from them so we pulled up while Julie was still on the phone.  Terry & Dave pushed their car into the street and in a few minutes we were all on our way.

We first joined Larry, Julie & Natalie and others at Filly’s for lunch and a couple of dances.  The place was packed!  Then we and Dave & Margo went to Goldfield where we were in time for a “hokey” gunfight in the street.  We strolled the streets & some stores and then continued on to Tortilla Flats.  There were no parking spots so we drove another 6 miles and walked a trail to a viewpoint of the lovely mountains.  On the way back we got a parking spot in Tortilla Flats so Margo could get a few pictures and the guys got ice cream cones.

We had time to shop a bit at Bealls before going to the AZ Opry.  The rest of our group were already in line so we bought our tickets and joined them just before the doors opened for seating.

We saw the country show this time and it was wonderful.  We were all ready to call it a day when we got back about 10:30.

Feb 17^th – Sun

I had to make a few phone calls this morning so I didn’t even have time to update the blog before we picked up Dave & Margo for a trip to the Mesa Marketplace.  Luckily I spoke with Gloria and she reminded me that there was a meeting for a bocce tournament so we only shopped 2 aisles of the marketplace, had lunch at Subway and came back to the park in time for me to change into shorts and get to the bocce courts.

After a review of tournament rules, Dennis, Gloria, Dave and I practiced our game which was a good thing as I haven’t played since before Terry hurt his hand 3 weeks ago.  Terry was watching TV with his eyes closed when I got back.  We needed a few items so we made a quick trip to WalMart and then went to Dennis & Gloria’s for happy hour.  Sue rode by on her bike and was persuaded to join us.

Dinner, TV, the blog and a nice long phone call from Bill in Spokane were enough activity for the rest of the evening.

Feb 11th to 13th - Mesa

Feb 11^th – Mon

Not much going on today so after Terry went across the street for doughnuts, we decided to start scanning the rest of our old photos.  About 12:30 we got a phone call from Dave & Margo who stay in the Yuma & Palm Springs areas for the winter.  They were at our community center.  They came to Mesa to pick up their son & his wife from the Mesa airport and had some time to visit with us – what a nice surprise!  Terry walked the short distance to guide them to our spot while I quickly put away our mess.

When they left at 2, we just didn’t feel like setting up again to scan more pictures so I just finished moving them to the right folders.  We went to McDonalds for a late lunch and picked up groceries at Fry’s.  We figured our bike seats might be wet from the light rain we had earlier so we walked to Larry & Julie’s with a bone for Bandit and the empty photo album for Julie.  They fixed us a drink and we visited with them a while.  We stopped at Larry & Suz’s and discovered that Larry is now sick so we didn’t stay.  Another quick stop at Ernie & Dianne’s to ask a question – and meet Ernie’s brother Bill – and then home.

I discovered that I named the photos differently from the others we have done so I got to redo all the names so they will sort correctly!  We had a very late, light dinner and watched TV.

Feb 12^th – Tues

I put out the garbage can this morning and the top was covered with ice!  But the skies were clear and the sun was trying to warm things up.

We went to a Canadian Snowbird Association show at the Mesa Convention Center this morning.  There weren’t as many booths/vendors as I thought there would be but there was a full entertainment line-up that we didn’t stay to watch.  We did pick up information about Branson, MO as we are going there later this spring.

I got on the computer to look for more Branson info and Terry took the truck to the car wash.  Bev was sorting out everything in their 5^th wheel as they can leave whatever they want in the park model that they just bought so people ended up gathering around & chatting.

I bought fillet mignon steaks yesterday and decided to BBQ them for lunch today rather than rushing to cook & eat before line dance lessons this evening.  Terry got them started on the BBQ and came back inside.  When he went out to check them, the end of the NEW BBQ was on fire. Actually, the hose was leaking and the flame was coming out of the hose under the plastic side table & handle.  Terry brought the steaks inside and I finished cooking them in a fry pan.  They were still wonderful.  Luckily we had not disposed of our old BBQ and Terry was able to replace the side table & handle with the old ones.  He actually replaced both handles as they were sturdier than the new ones.

Music in the Courtyard was moved into the ballroom since it was too cool outside once most of the tables were in the shade.  The band was North Star which is a park favorite so there were lots of dancers.  We went to Neil & Robin’s for a drink, then dropped off our bikes at home and went to line dance lessons.  We had a bowl of soup for dinner and crashed.

Feb 13^th – Wed

I got up reasonably early and put ingredients for baked beans in the crock pot and then warmed up in bed before finally getting up.  Moe popped in for a quick visit this morning.  His nephew has been here and we haven’t seen them for a few days.  Terry went to get a new hose for the BBQ - $37 at Camping World or $18 at WalMart and I backed up pictures on the computer.  I would hate to spend hours scanning pictures and then lose them somehow.

I made a late breakfast and a bit later got a much needed haircut.  Terry helped Moe sort out some stuff in their MH in preparation for leaving on Friday.

At 4 we put our “stuff” and Ron & Terri’s “stuff” in the truck, drove to Dennis & Gloria’s, dropped everything off and the Terry took the truck home and walked back.  The streets are just too narrow to park many vehicles.  The “stuff” was food, booze & jackets.  The event at Dennis & Gloria’s was a before Valentine dinner/party and sort of Gloria’s birthday celebration as her birthday is on Valentine’s Day.  They got the Party Wagon to provide tables & chairs for 29 people for dinner.  Ernie, Dianne, Doug & Duane brought sound equipment and guitars for entertainment & dancing after dinner.  When they took a break, Bruce played & sang so we had non-stop fun – which is not unusual for this group!

The weather has remained cool but Dennis & Gloria pulled a tarp to block the back entrance to their carport and had 2 patio heaters which we had to turn down as it was too warm.  We got home at 10:30.

Feb 8th to 10th - Mesa

Feb 8^th – Fri

Deb brought over fresh baked cookies and I ate them all – yum!  So I didn’t need as much breakfast as Terry when I finally made it at noon.  We rode our bikes to Bob & Gail’s to deliver a hook that Terry bought for Bob at Camping World.  It turned out that Bob had already bought one.  Don & Deb were visiting Bob & Gail so we stayed for a bit and found out where they got a reconditioned table top heater.  We may have to get one.  We rode past Dennis & Gloria’s to see if Dennis was ready to pick the grapefruit on his neighbor’s tree but they weren’t home.

We joined Dennis & Gloria at Moe & Trish’s for dinner.  Too much delicious food, too much alcohol but never too much fun!!

Feb 9^th – Sat

I worked on putting titles to songs on the computer before we went for a Hamburger Fry at 11:00 here in the park.  As usual at this time of year, we had to wait in a line to get our burgers but we chatted with people and were through before we knew it.  It was a good meal – fried onions, cheese, tomato, lettuce & all the condiments on the burger, a bag of chips, a can of pop and an ice cream sandwich for dessert.  Luckily it was planned for the courtyard and the ballroom as it was too cold to sit outside.  A band (Road Runner) was playing so we lingered and visited with others at the table for some time.

We made a trip to Big Lots & KMart looking for a birthday card and a few other items.  Terry was surprised to see that it was after 3 when we got back.  We watched golf and I puttered around making lasagna for dinner.  I wanted to eat early enough that we had a bit of time to digest before going to a dance.

The band was “8 Track” and played rock and roll music.  It isn’t our favorite but Dennis & Gloria and Ron & Terri had a better time than usual on the dance floor.  Cleo invited us and Duane & Sue for a nightcap.  She is renting a park model that was extensively remodeled a couple of years ago and the Arizona room is the a living room.  Also there were a couple of women that we see here often – BJ and Barb – and Susie from Alaska who recently arrived for a week and is staying for a month.

Feb 10^th – Sun

Pender came over with an opener for the secured Main Street gate so we could try to program our trucks to open the gate.  I had read our manual and thought we might not be able to do it but we both drove to the gate and were amazed at the amount of traffic through the gate.  We weren’t able to program our opener so on the way back we stopped at Mike & Susie’s to see if they had a different opener.  It was the same but Mike thought he knew how to program the button so we went back to find out it still didn’t work.  Oh well, we don’t use that gate a lot due to the position of our site in the park.  Our park borders 3 main streets and has 4 gates.  One is open all the time and has a security guard.  Another only opens by a car approaching from the inside.  The Main St gate opens by a car from the inside and requires an opener from outside.  The final gate has one side that opens from inside and the other side is open & manned most of the day but locked at night.  It can take new residents a while to figure them out.

We otherwise had a lazy day – working on music on the computer & tablet, printing a couple of pages for Gloria, watching TV.  At 4 we rode our bikes to a birthday party for Milly who lives across from Larry & Julie.  The party was put on by Judi & Neal and there was a good turnout from 7^th street where Milly lives.  Judi decorates beautifully for entertaining and we were lucky enough to sit at a table near the patio heater as it was chilly.  We had burgers with ALL the trimmings, coleslaw, potato salad, mandarin orange salad and of course cake & ice cream.  We needed to ride a few miles home to burn calories instead of a few blocks.

Feb 5th to 7th - Mesa

Feb 5^th – Tues

I downloaded pictures from the camera and then made a collage of everyone at the BBQ Fest yesterday.  It is the first time that I have used the collage feature of Picasa and it is quite fun – but time consuming.

We went grocery shopping and waited at the bank in Fry’s for a notary public.  After putting away the groceries and having lunch, I sorted the much overdue laundry.  We put the clothes in washers and went to a post office to mail a package.  Terry walked home while I read a book at the laundry room.  Terry came back in time to hang up clothes and drive home.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis and danced a bit.  I left early to marinate a steak but we still had to gobble down dinner in order to get to line dancing early to take advantage of extra lessons.  We were ready to relax when we got back.

Feb 6^th – Wed

We took a short walk to drop off a cup at Dennis & Gloria’s.  They weren’t home so we carried on and ended up talking with Bruce & Ann before returning.  I vacuumed and washed floors before we got the bikes out to do more visiting.  This time we stopped at Larry & Suz’s and Dan & Carol’s.  Dan & Carol moved to a different park model this season and have been doing a lot of work.  The latest job is painting the outside which makes it look really nice and more modern.  Dan painted kitchen cabinets, countertop & stove front and tiled the backsplash which totally changed the unhappy kitchen.  Dan was out with friends picking up a new bed so we had a nice visit with Carol.

By this time it was after 2 and we had eaten only a banana with our coffee.  We went to the courtyard for lunch and then stayed to listen to music from 3 to 5.  We did some line dances and kept adding chairs to our table for more friends.

When we got back, I started pulling pictures out of last album that need to be scanned into the computer.  Terry came in for a drink and said Moe & Trish were back from Tucson and chatting with a group so I put on a light jacket and joined them.  We just stood in the street to talk and the group changed as people came & went to make dinner.  We were ready for a light dinner by the time we came in.  Then I got a bag of loose pictures which we sorted through to add to the stack to be scanned.

Feb 7^th – Thurs

I looked after emails and the blog before going to a cooking class here in the park.  Seven classes are offered in Jan, Feb & March but the first one was filled up before I tried to sign up.  This class was on chicken – mostly boneless chicken breasts which I love to use.  The instructor cooked 4 different recipes and we tasted a small bowl or plate of each one.  It was set up nicely and a fun thing to do for a couple of hours even though I will probably make only one of the recipes.  The rest of the classes are supposedly full but quite a few people didn’t show up today so I will go to other classes and hope there is room.

Terry was shopping when I got back – Home Depot & Camping World.  Our large patio mat has some cracks so he got awning tape which we used to repair it.  We don’t want to buy a new one right now as the weather will get HOT before we leave which is hard on mats.

We didn’t have anything else planned for the day so we picked up Dennis & Gloria and went to a couple of casinos.  We went first to the Wild Horse Casino because Terry missed an exit and we were planning to go there anyhow.  Dennis & Gloria signed up for cards and used their free play and not much more.  Then we went to Lone Butte Casino.  We were all hungry and planned to order the huge hamburger.  We thought the 10 points that we earned at Wild Horse (same casino card) would get the burger for $7.77 but we had to earn 10 points at Lone Butte.  It didn’t take Terry too long – and not much money! - to earn the points so we had a very late lunch.  Even 4 of us could not finish the burger & fries.

Dennis ended up winning at Lone Butte and covered Gloria’s losses.  They bought a decorative ceramic horse that Dennis collects and ended up waiting a bit for us to finish gambling.  We stopped at Safeway for ice cream, dropped Dennis & Gloria at home and they walked over a bit later for a drink & dessert.  Before we had dessert, Moe came by to ask us over for a drink with them & Duane & Sue.  Instead, they all came to our place for a while and Sue joined us for 321 cake with ice cream for dessert.

Feb 2nd to 4th - Mesa

Feb 2^nd – Sat

Darlene put together a group of 20 friends to play golf but of course Terry can’t play right now with his hand wrapped up.  I was going to play golf with Dennis & Gloria but Gloria called the golf course and found that they had put another couple with them.  D&G don’t want to play with others as they are just getting back into golf so Gloria told the course to just cancel their tee time.  A short time after she called with this information Dennis called to see if we wanted to go to the Mesa Marketplace so we finished an errand of getting water and picking up our mail and went with them.

On the way out I reminded D&G that they wanted to get something to hang outside on their shed wall to add some color and we needed a new 6 deck card shuffler as ours isn’t working as well as it once did.  We got both of these items and D&G bought other items as well.  I love helping other people spend their money!!

It was 1:30 by the time we left and we were all hungry.  We settled on CiCi’s pizza buffet which was new to D&G.  They don’t put a lot of toppings on their pizzas but we were all full when we were done.  We tried out the new shuffler and found that one side did not work so we went right back to the Marketplace which is several miles away.  We stopped for a few groceries on the way back.

Dennis & Gloria joined us for a while to watch the Phoenix Open on the TV outside.  They were replaced by Duane & Sue and then Ron joined us.  I made a salad & chicken snacks for dinner which we finished just in time to go to a dance.  The band was good but we sat out more songs than usual.  After a very abrupt end of music at 10, a few of us went to Ron & Terri’s for a nightcap.  Ron made very good coffee drinks which I really enjoyed.  No, the caffeine did not keep me awake!

Feb 3^rd – Sun

We had a lazy morning watching the Phoenix Open and messing around on the computer.  Terry had to pull the chairs under the awning for a very short rain shower.  I made a big breakfast for lunch. 

At 1:00 we went to the Rancho’s courtyard by the pool to listen to music by Ernie & friends.  His friend Doug (who is staying here) played & sang with 2 of his sisters who came from Yuma with their husbands.  Duane joined the group as well.  We helped Brad & Clare learn the 2 step and it was great to see them unselfconsciously trying in front of a small crowd.  We even did a few line dances.  It was sunny but not too hot.

We left just after 3, put together an appetizer and went across the street to Don & Deb’s for a Super Bowl party.  By now a light jacket was required by most people.  Deb, Lorraine & Bev set out a big dinner at halftime – ham, chili, ribs, scalloped potatoes, salad, pulled pork & more.  Darlene passed around little brownie bites for dessert. 

It did sprinkle on us a few times and everyone broke out their umbrellas.  I left early to enjoy the last of the game inside.

Feb 4^th – Mon

Bright & sunny!  I got an email early this morning from Gloria saying she was sick with the crud that has been going around and she would not be able to cook ribs for our party this afternoon.  I said I could do 2 more racks and she got Bruce to do the other.  So I spent the morning boiling ribs.  We made a quick trip on our bikes to Albertsons for tonic.

About 12:30 we started loading the truck – BBQ, place settings, booze bag, misc cooking equipment.  We also took friends’ stuff so they could just ride their bikes to Rancho’s entertainment patio.  The party was our “First Annual Rib Fest” which 4 couples planned after an evening of drinks!  We were supposed to have 4 couples cooking ribs and the other 12 couples brought everything else – salads, beans, bread, dessert.

Ernie & Dianne brought their sound equipment so we had live music for dancing.  Duane, Doug & Bruce joined in with their guitars and Darlene sang a couple of songs.  Terry & Bruce cooked ribs on the park BBQ and on ours.  Gloria & I made plastic rib bibs which I fastened on everyone as they lined up for dinner.  We all had a wonderful time with good food & great friends.

Shortly after we got home and unloaded the truck, Ron & Terri started on a walk and asked if we wanted to join them so we did.  It was a quick walk around the perimeter of our section of the park and it was still warm enough that Terry & I didn’t put on jackets.