Apr 26th to 28th - Las Vegas to Three Rivers CA

Apr 26^th – Sat

It was windy last night and quite cool this morning.  When we finally got going and walked to Main St. Station casino, we were only half way there when I wished I had worn a jacket.

We played slots long enough for me to lose my allowance (!) and Terry to put our original stake back in his pocket and have enough to carry on.  We went to Freemont St and found a place for lunch before continuing to wander and for Terry to continue to play slots.  OK, he did give me more money which I lost!

We came back to the rig about 4:30 for drinks & dinner.  Terry went back to Main St Station for a while but I enjoyed my book and some TV for background noise.

Apr 27^th – Sun

After coffee, computer games & trip planning, we got on the bike and rode down the Strip.  It is warmer today but I put on a light jacket and was not too warm for a while.

We ended up at the Palace Station casino & hotel for lunch and a big of slots afterwards.  Then we went to the Stratosphere and wandered & gambled for a while.  We drove past the Pawn Stars pawn shop on the way back but didn’t stop.  It looked a little run down in the light of day and without a long line of people waiting to get in.

We dropped off the motorcycle and walked back to Main St Station where Terry had luck yesterday.  Not so much today!  Actually, we got to play a long time with small losses.  Then it was time for drinks, dinner & relaxing.

Apr 28^th – Mon

We left at 8 heading for Death Valley and California.  We stopped at WalMart in Pahrump for some groceries (& doughnuts for breakfast!) and crammed perishables into the fridge and put everything else onto the bed.

We have been halfway across Death Valley previously but decided after today that it should be Death Valleys – plural.  We went from 40 ft below sea level, to 5000 ft above, to 100 ft above and then to 4800 above – all within about 30 miles.  A big bomber flew low over us and in the mirror I saw the shadow cross the road right behind us.  We stopped at a view point and saw a jet fly by lower than the top of the canyon where we were standing.  Someone suggested that young pilots were having some fun and flying lower than allowed.

We stopped at a rest area and I made sandwiches for lunch.  We decided to head south after Death Valley in order to go to Sequoia Ntl Park.  We could have taken freeways to Bakersfield but took a road past Isabella Lake as it looked “interesting” on the map.  It ended up being picturesque but VERY winding & narrow and seemed to go on forever.  We don’t normally drive long days but we pushed on to Three Rivers which is just outside of Sequoia park.

The first site we were given was up a slope and small.  We unloaded the motorcycle, had someone move a truck and were preparing to back in when the owner came by in a golf cart and said he had a site that would be easier to get into.  As he was leading Terry to the spot, he spotted another site which was really easy to back into and by the time I got back down the road Terry was almost situated.

We got all set up and fixed the mandatory drink after a long day’s drive.  We walked to the river that goes past the park when we saw a vehicle go by with rafts but they float somewhere other than right here.  I fixed a nice dinner and we got to relax.

When I researched Sequoia park on the internet, the road between Sequoia & Kings Canyon was closed but a sign on the road today said it was open so we plan on a long ride tomorrow.

Apr 23rd to 25th - Palm Springs to Las Vegas

Apr 23^rd – Wed

Skip & Kathy asked us to play golf tomorrow so we went to the office to extend our stay a couple of days.  The lady in to office had changed our site before we arrived and had a heck of a time trying to add a couple of days and get the money on the correct site.  Gotta love computers!!

We took the motorcycle and went looking for a motorcycle shop to find the type of protective glasses that we want.  We stopped for gas on the way & Terry put his sunglasses in his pocket as he couldn’t read the pump display with them on.  When we got to the Harley dealer using instructions from a lady at the service station, Terry realized he didn’t have his sunglasses so now we were looking for 3 pairs of glasses!  The Harley shop had zero glasses with yellow lenses so we continued on to a restaurant in Desert Hot Springs for a late breakfast.

We stopped at the Aqua Caliente Casino and returned some of the money that we took from there on Monday.  We went to Skip & Kathy’s and had a drink with them and then followed them to Pat & Donna’s for dinner.  We also met Bob & Lana Worley from Bellingham.  They have a condo here and stay for about 6 months each year.

We had the grand tour of the huge house that Pat & Donna built recently before settling down on the expansive patio – guys in one area, ladies in another – to chat, drink & eat appies.  We had time for a game of bocce ball before dinner.  It was quite different for us as the base is crushed granite rather than the artificial turf that we have at Val Vista.

We took 2 vehicles from Skip & Kathy’s place as Skip was waiting for a phone call notifying him that the cabinets were here for their new house.  As it turned out, the cabinets were to arrive at midnight so we all left at the same time anyway.  It was a lovely evening.

Apr 24^th – Thurs

We went to the Classic Club golf course for 10:30 & 10:40 tee times this morning.  It is a very nice, newer course just north of the I10.  It also has a very nice price if you are not a resident of the area!  We were quite early so we had time to hit balls at the driving range, do some chipping at one of the 2 chipping greens and try the incredibly fast grass (mowed to 1/8 inch or less!) on the practice green.

The women played ahead of the guys.  There was a slow group ahead of us that was quite irritating but the marshal couldn’t get them to speed up.  The course is beautiful with lots of water & sand but not one palm tree – the only course in the area without any.  I was quite happy with my drives and intermittently happy with other shots.  It got very hot but the high green fees include coolers of icy bottled water and ice at every third hole.

Donna had to fly to Spokane this afternoon and had to skip the 18^th hole to make her flight.  She & Lana went back to the guys’ group, swapped golf clubs and Pat & Donna took off.  The rest of us went to the restaurant at the golf club to have a late lunch since part of your green fees are returned as a $15 voucher each for food or drink.

Then we all went to Skip & Kathy’s new house to look at the cabinets that did get unloaded at midnight.  Also, their front door & huge side panel had been installed.  They are etched & colored glass – very different & eye catching.  We hugged everyone goodbye, stopped for fuel & berry pies to cook later, and came back to crash.

Apr 25^th – Fri

We got up and going early this morning – we drove out at 7:10.  We decided to go to Parker AZ because we kind of forgot that my driver’s license expires in July and I want to get an AZ license so I can get a motorcycle endorsement later.

We stopped at the Bluewater Casino for breakfast and didn’t lose any money playing a short time at the casino.  We fueled up, found the licensing office, took a number and waited.  I got my driver’s license and then failed the motorcycle test for my learner’s permit.  I went through the manual at least a month ago and for someone who hasn’t driven a motorcycle for a long time (and not much then) the answers are not obvious.  I can take the test again on Monday.

We decided not to wait in Parker but to go to Laughlin instead and then to Bullhead City on Monday.  Wrong!!!  We started seeing lots of motorcycles on the road and at service stations and discovered that it was the HUGE River Run motorcycle event.  The sites at the Riverside RV park were $75 per night and it was questionable whether we would get any sleep when we saw the number of party-ers already in full swing.  So we decided I would get my motorcycle permit whenever we return to AZ and we headed for Las Vegas.

I called to get a reservation at Main St. Station, the first call got dropped and on the second call I was told that the park was full.  So I started going through our RV book.  We stopped for fuel just out of LV and Terry called again.  Surprise! – there were lots of sites available.

We registered, set up and RELAXED.  Drinks, dinner, games & TV.

Apr 20th to 22nd - Yuma to Palm Springs

Apr 20^th – Sun

We did a bit of shopping in the morning and went to Joe & Bea’s for lunch.  We took our atlas as they wanted to pick our brains on places to go & see.  We finally left at 5 when they had a couple of pages of notes.

Dinner and games took up the evening.

Apr 21^st – Mon

We left at 9:30 for a 3 hour drive to Palm Springs.  We are staying in an Encore/Passport park (PS Oasis RV Resort) on Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City.  It is a small, clean park but the sites are small.  We can just open the door with the truck parked beside the trailer and we would have to move the truck to get the motorcycle out if there was anyone in the site behind us.

We were just finished setting up when Terry’s sister-in-law Kathy phoned.  They were returning from Spokane and we said we would pick them up at the airport.  Kathy had left a message 20 minutes earlier on my phone but in my usual fashion I left it on the counter when I was outside wiping bugs off the trailer.

We brought them back to the RV park to see our trailer and Terry gave each of them a short ride on the motorcycle.  They were surprised at the quiet, comfortable, smooth ride.  Then we dropped off their luggage at their house in Rancho Mirage and went a few blocks to check out the house they are having built.  We dropped them off and came back to shower & change clothes before going back on the bike to their house.  We went to the Agua Caliente Casino for dinner and to gamble.

Terry started off really well with a $500+ jackpot and I was actually up as well.  After dinner we played a bit more and didn’t lose much of our winnings – a good visit.  We were ready for bed when we got back.

Apr 22^nd – Tues

We did laundry in between computer games & making breakfast.  We dusted off the motorcycle and went to WalMart for a few items and then stopped at the Spa Casino which didn’t treat us as well as the one yesterday!

We had a bit of down time before getting back on the bike to go to dinner at Skip & Kathy’s.  We might have taken the truck since it was pretty windy but Skip wanted their friends Pat & Donna to see the bike and the wind definitely didn’t cool things down.

We know Pat & Donna and always have a fun time with them and S&K.  We had a great dinner and then we taught them to play Newfie Bingo.  Six players with one deck of cards can cause the game to go a long time before someone wins the pot.  I was the lucky winner and by then it had built up to over $18.  We switched to the dice game “10,000” which Kathy won.

The sand was really blowing when we drove back.  I don’t know how Terry kept his eyes open long enough to see where he was going.  We decided that close fitting glasses with clear or yellow lenses are on our list.

Apr 17th to 19th - to Yuma

Apr 17^th – Thurs

We loaded the motorcycle in the toy hauler and pulled out about 9 for our short 3 hour drive to Yuma.  We stopped in Gila Bend for fuel for us & the truck.  For some obscure reason, we followed the incorrect GPS instructions to Fortuna de Oro RV park instead of following our common sense.  This park was purchased a couple of years ago by CalAm and anyone staying at least 3 months in another CalAm park can stay here for up to a week for free.

We are parked in a large area with very few park models and no other RVs so we are all alone.  We set up & unloaded the bike, relaxed for a bit and then went for a ride around the park and checked out the golf course.  Dinner was prepared by learning how to use the convection oven – worked OK – and juggling items on my tiny counter space.  This will be an interesting trip!

At some point Terry looked out the kitchen window and saw a huge plume of very black smoke blowing our way from the freeway.  Through the smoke we could see fire trucks and police vehicles so we hopped on the bike to check it out.  There was a pickup truck on fire on the side of the freeway and the black smoke had to be from the tires burning.   There appeared to be only the truck in trouble and we didn’t find out what happened.

Apr 18^th – Fri

We had coffee & played computer games before heading for Algodones.  We stopped for a burger at McDonalds for an early lunch, parked in the very empty lot and discovered that most of the town, including the dentist who didn’t respond to my email, was closed for Good Friday.  The optical store was only open until 2 and not open on Saturday so nothing happened there either - $6 to park for 20 minutes!

We had to console ourselves by stopping at the casino but since I pretty much continued my losing streak it didn’t work very well!  We stopped at WalMart on the way back to buy new sheets since the ones on the bed came with an inexpensive comforter and we both hated them.  Also got avocados for 25 cents each and they turned out to be perfect as an appetizer/salad.  I thought I thawed chili for dinner but it turned out to be spaghetti sauce.  Luckily I did have some spaghetti and I will label containers in the future.

Apr 19^th – Sat

The usual morning with a little bit of housecleaning thrown in.  We took the motorcycle and finally decided on Denny’s for a late breakfast.  It was very busy but it didn’t take long to be seated.

One of the light switches in a three switch bank quit working yesterday so we found an RV place but the service dept/parts was not open.  They referred us to a place on the way back to the RV park where Terry got a switch and I had a good time wandering all the aisles and buying a couple of things – they have lots of “good stuff”!  We stopped at another RV supply place to look for a satellite TV dish and ended up getting 2 more switches that don’t light up.  The switches in the bedroom are so bright that I have taped a washcloth over them.

We have a couple of neighbors one street over but we just said hi as they walked past.

It was quite a job getting the switches replaced as the fuses ended up blowing up which confused the testing at the switch.  But we finally got them all done – goodbye washcloth.

I was just getting ready to make dinner when a car pulled up in our site.  It was Joe & Bea who we met in VVV.  We had a nice long visit with them – they are from New York, sold their house last year and are travelling for the summer – and then had a late dinner.

Apr 13th to 16th - Mesa

Apr 13^th – Sun

I moved staple items from the kitchen into smaller containers for our move and decided to make “Fudge in Between” bars when I had too much oatmeal for the new container!  I was putting a roast in the crock pot when Doug & Delores came over to invite us to dinner tonight.  I left the roast cooking with plans to use it in a couple of days.  Terry did a lot of organizing & cleaning outside. 

We went shopping for plastic containers and tee shirts as I figure that’s what we will wear a lot this summer.  At 4 we went with Doug & Delores for dinner at the Golden Corral buffet.  We were full and ready to relax when we got back.

Apr 14^th – Mon

We went to the office to change the date to today to move our toy hauler to a site beside us.  A ranger was available immediately to escort us to site 114 and we set up in short order.  First we had to go to the laundry room to get the wash started.  I made a late breakfast, went back to put clothes in the dryers and Terry showed up to fold & carry.  We spent the rest of the afternoon moving stuff into the toy hauler.

Just before 4 we changed clothes and went on the motorcycle to Ralph & Elsie’s.  They took their motorcycle and we joined Kay & Pat and Mel, Wanda & Clare at AJ’s Fairway Grill in Gold Canyon.  Kay & Pat were the only ones who knew exactly where it was so they ended up waiting for the rest of us to show up.  We didn’t know it but it was Ralph’s birthday.

When we got back, we stopped by our place for yet more booze (Fireball & Apple Pie!!) and went back to Ralph & Elsie’s where the weather was perfect for sitting outside with good friends.  There was an eclipse of the moon tonight but not until 11 so we headed home and I got up after midnight to check it out – pretty special but not “blood red” as I expected.  I got up a while later for another look and saw more of the moon emerging from the shadow but I couldn’t get decent pictures with our little camera.

Apr 15^th –Tues

Kay got wonderful pictures of the moon.  He is a great photographer and computer “geek” (that’s a compliment, Kay!) and put together still photos into a “time lapse” presentation.

We continued organizing stuff in both rigs.  I also shortened some tee shirts and put tabs on bath towels so they would stay on hooks on the side of the shower.  Terry went for more plastic bins and card stock for “business” cards.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis.  There was a decent crowd but we certainly were looking for shade.  We invited Larry & Julie over for dinner as I had a beef roast that I had ready for the crock pot on Sunday before we went to dinner with Doug &Delores.  It didn’t take much time to cook potatoes and peas & carrots for a simple meal.  We also wanted to use up some Apple Blossoms from the freezer as everything didn’t fit in the toy hauler.  Mike & Susie also came over to visit.

Apr 16^th – Wed

We got up early (6:15) today so we could finish moving stuff and closing up the 5^th wheel before Ralph & Elsie came to help with the cover.  It wasn’t too hard to put on but that is because Terry is a workhorse.  We made it look like a Christmas package by tying 2 flat “ropes” long-ways around and then intersected the same type of ropes going around top-to-bottom.  We were all ready for a nice beer & clamato in the shade when we were done just before 11 which is when Mike & Susie showed to up to help per yesterday’s itinerary.

We went to the courtyard for lunch and then Don & Mary came over for a tour of our summer home.  We had a while to relax before going to listen to music in the courtyard (and to dance) at 3.  Julie invited us for dinner so we did a lot of hugging goodbye, picked up a drink and took the motorcycle to their place.

We had more drinks (of course) and a nice dinner but ran out of steam early and headed for bed in our toy hauler.

Apr 10th to 12th - Mesa

Apr 10^th – Thurs

We went to coffee & doughnuts this morning and were surprised at how many people attended.  We sat beside Natalie who I have seen many times but I didn’t know her name and we never spoke much.  No big news announcements. 

I had a nice chat with sister Marg.  We went to visit Phyllis Kasper and found that she is no longer sick but can’t seem to get her energy back.

We picked up my repaired golf club and stopped for more groceries.  I don’t want too much to move into the toy hauler so have to shop for just what I need more often.  I was doing dinner prep so Terry went to get water and stopped for a short visit with Ralph & Elsie.

We had Pender & Donna and Harvey & Vicky over for dinner.  Terry put up our end sun shade but it was too hot to sit outside before dinner.  After dinner we moved outside so Terry could show Harvey & Vicky the buddy burner.

Apr 11^th – Fri

We took a break from computer games to walk to Pender & Donna’s to load line dance videos on their computer but Pender was playing bocce and Donna was just going shopping.

I “studied” for a motorcycle license test and we went to the MVD after I checked online and found the wait time to be 32 minutes.  Turns out the wait time is once you get a number.  The line to get a number wrapped around inside the large room so we decided to get my license in a smaller AZ town once we hit the road.

We went to listen to music (in the ballroom again due to heat) and were happy to see Phyllis show up for a short time.  We went to Pender & Donna’s where Donna served coffee & dessert while the dance videos were loading on their computer.  Later we had leftovers for dinner and had a lazy evening.

Apr 12^th – Sat

Terry thought we still had coupons for breakfast at Ft. McDowell casino and figured we should go before we realized that we didn’t have coupons.  So of course we went!  I am getting very tired of quickly losing my allowance and watching Terry take longer to finally lose his!

We stopped to pick up a burger for Terry and I made a grilled cheese sandwich & fruit for my lunch.  This provided needed energy for more computer games!

We went to the toy hauler to do a few small chores – move clothes rods, trim memory foam on the bed to allow the spread to be tucked in by the wardrobes, put up a spice rack & took some measurements.  Then we went to Big Lots to look for containers.

We had just made a drink when Mike & Susie dropped in for a visit.  Apparently they have come by previously and found us not home (!) so I am glad that we were home and we could have a nice chat.  Terry grilled fillet mignon to perfection for dinner.

Apr 5th to 9th - Mesa

Apr 5^th – Sat

Val & I worked on a jigsaw puzzle this morning – a fun change.  Terry started organizing and cleaning “stuff” in the rig.

A Hamburger Fry started at 11 but we know how early people line up so we agreed to meet Dennis & Gloria at 11:30.  There was a short line while we waited for hamburgers to cook.  Claude & Val also joined us to eat in the courtyard.  A lot of people ate in the ballroom where Randy Johnson provided music.

After lunch, Val & I returned to the puzzle and Terry continued his clean up job.  When I returned, I dealt with a pot of wax that Terry had melted and I finished melting all the remaining candles to use in buddy burners.

We had a shared dinner with Claude & Val – I had leftovers from our Wednesday dinner and Val purchased chicken & potato salad which we didn’t use after the pool party.  We barely had time to clean up the dishes when it was time to go to a dance.  We didn’t have tickets and thought we should be there a bit early.  Not to worry, there weren’t many people at the dance and we had a whole table until we invited David & Dagmar(Docma) to join us.  The band was Rare Collection and they did a good job of getting the sparse crowd on the dance floor.

Apr 6^th – Sun

We had a lazy morning with people dropping over to chat and to interrupt our computer games!!  At 3 we went with Claude & Val to Beth’s brother Rick’s place for a little party.  He made chicken burritos with green chile salsa – very good.  We picked up a couple of items at home and went immediately to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner (we ate lightly at Rick’s!) along with C&V, Larry & Suz and Jerry & Becky.

Gloria made a great dinner while trying to use food up and not add anything she couldn’t use as they leave in a couple of days.  We played Newfie Bingo which requires no skill and quite a few nickels and dimes if you are not lucky.  Val was the lucky one this time.

Apr 7^th – Mon

We said goodbye to Claude & Val when they pulled out about 9.  Our neighbors across the street had some scrap lumber they were trying to dispose of so Terry got a stack of 2x3’s to make stabilizer stands for the toy hauler.  He borrowed a saw from Ernie and cut all the pieces.  We went to Home Depot for nails but they were too big & split the very dry wood so end of that project for today.  We did the laundry somewhere in between building shopping and having breakfast.

The weather is really warming up so in the afternoon we went swimming and listened to part of the music in the courtyard from beside the pool.  At 5 we picked up Ernie & Dianne and Pender & Donna to go to the AZ Opry for Mark Lucas & The Bad Bunch.  It was a great show as usual.

Apr 8^th – Tues

We exchanged the nails at Home Depot and also got a plastic box to organize “nuts & bolts” so I had a job while Terry built the blocks.  We bought a cutting board to place on one end of the sink I the toy hauler but it was a bit too long.  We took it to the workshop and a guy who was working on a project sanded it down for us.  We tried it out and found it was still too long.  Luckily, the guy told us to come back if it didn’t fit so we did and got it right the second time.

On the way back, we stopped at a site in Fiesta where we had seen a guy puttering around on his Can Am Spyder.  It turns out that Bill & Linda are from Farmington which is about 60 miles from Spokane.  The motorcycle is Linda’s and they have a toy hauler.  This is their first trip with the 5^th wheel & bike as they have been looking after both of their mothers.  We chatted with them for quite a while and then a bit later they stopped by our place to check out our site.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Jeff Stephens who is a member of the band that we saw at the AZ Opry last night.  He has played here previously and is very good.  Quite a few people were in the courtyard and we were all squeezed in the shady spots!  We braved the sun to dance a bit.

Larry & Barb had us over for HH right after the courtyard.  Ernie & Dianne were also there and we sat in the shade behind L&B’s 5^th wheel.  Dennis & Gloria dropped in after they went out for dinner, Doug & Deloris came by and then Gord & Joyce heard the noise and joined us for a while.  It’s a good thing not everyone was there before the sun went down as the shady spot wasn’t that big.

Apr 9^th – Wed

Larry & Barb left after 9 – and after their water pump wouldn’t work and the front jacks wouldn’t come up until Larry plugged back into power.  They sent a text a while later saying Larry had unhooked the batteries while they were parked here.  Computer games, email, blog & breakfast filled the rest of the morning.

The head on one of my golf clubs was a little loose so we took it to the PGA Golf store to be repaired.   We stopped at WalMart on the way back for a few groceries.

Terry went to check out music in the courtyard.  It was moved inside because it was TOO HOT!  There weren’t many people in the ballroom so he didn’t stay long.

At 4:30 we went to Jerry & Becky’s for happy hour(s).  There ended up being quite a large group – just when we think that everyone we know has left.

Mar 31st to Apr 4th - Mesa

Mar 31^st – Mon

Oops, another day lost!

Apr 1^st – Tues

Bob & Sandi left this morning so we have one more hole on our street.  Actually, there aren’t holes any more but rather LONG empty stretches.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis and were searching for shade.  From there we went to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner along with Ernie & Dianne.  We had just started playing Newfie Bingo when Rick & Vi came over.  Rick rode back to get money and they joined us.  Then Jerry & Becky showed up so we added a couple more chairs and took their money too!

Apr 2^nd – Wed

We left at 7 with Larry & Barb to golf Greenwood Lakes.  It is a short course with 3 par 5’s, 3 par 4’s and the rest par 3’s.  Too bad we didn’t listen to the weather forecast – it was quite cold and we wore shorts.  I am pleased to say that I got the best score which included 6 pars.  Short courses are harder for Terry as he doesn’t get to slam the driver as often but they provide needed short iron practice.   We stopped at The Good Egg for breakfast/lunch on the way back.

We had a relaxing afternoon with a quick trip for groceries and some dinner prep.

Friends Claude & Val were originally due at 3 but at 11:30 changed their ETA to 4:30.  At 4:30 they were 10 miles out in rush hour traffic.  We planned dinner for them, Dennis & Gloria and Larry & Barb.  Gloria postponed appies and they came over for a drink and to wait for C&V.

We set up our square table in the living room so we could seat the women at the regular table and the guys at the other one – way too cool to be outside.

We ended up with a good dinner, a “few” drinks and lots of laughs – a perfect evening.

Apr 3^rd – Thurs

After Claude registered we all walked to the toy hauler for a tour.  Terry gave Claude a ride on the motorcycle to a drug store for some throat lozenges before we all returned to the courtyard for lunch.  Val & I went to the library where we set up a new jigsaw puzzle and worked on it for a while.

At 3 we went back to the courtyard to listen to music & dance.  Val, Barb & I walked to Fiesta to see blooms on a saguaro and an organ pipe cactus.  Only a few blooms were out on the saguaro and we knew the bloom on the organ pipe only opens at night so it can be pollinated by bats.  We took a longer route back for a nice little walk.

We went to Larry & Suz’s for dinner.  It warmed up enough to sit outside which was lucky as they had 10 people for another nice dinner.

Apr 4^th – Fri

We took Claude & Val to the Mesa Marketplace this morning.  Next was a stop at Famous Footwear where they both got sandals and then we had burgers at In ‘N Out.  We stopped at Fry’s for groceries before heading home.

I made deviled eggs, we put on our swim suits and we all went to a pool party scheduled for 3 to 6.   North Star was set up under the large permanent sun shades and tables were mostly full by the time we got there barely after 3.  Luckily we have friends who save us chairs!

We missed a pool party earlier this year and apparently it was very quiet.  Not so today – squirt guns were abundant and there was even a bit of dancing.  Julie provided shots of Fireball in case anyone needed to loosen up.  Larry Barker is sick so they couldn’t come to the party.

We came back to change into dry clothes and went to Dale & Sharon’s for a farewell party as they are leaving soon.  More food, drink & super company.

Duane & Sue pulled out about 2 so now there is no one between us and A Street.

Mar 26th to 30th - Mesa

Mar 26^th – Wed

I got a haircut this morning, picked up our forwarded mail and dealt with mostly junk and a few important items.   We had a lazy rest of the morning and early afternoon.

We rode with Larry & Barb to meet a big group of friends at Serrano’s restaurant for an early dinner.  There was one server for 28 of us and she did a great job.  However, the food was found lacking by a lot of people including us.

Mar 27^th – Thurs

Terry left at 7:30 to play golf and I joined Terri to go for our last coffee & doughnuts.  Then I actually got a little ambitious and did some cleaning.

At 1:30 Terri & I rode our bikes to the old tennis courts for a groundbreaking ceremony.  The park set up tables & chairs, sun shelters and “bleachers” which ended up full by 2:00.  There was free beer, hotdogs & chips before & after the short speech and symbolic turning over of dirt.  Terry showed up just before it ended.

We went to the courtyard to listen to the Weezul Brothers and then had an impromptu HH at our place.  Not done yet!  We went to Rancho’s patio to listen to Wayne & Deb and dance.

Mar 28^th – Fri

I was going to do laundry yesterday but decided that Terry could help today.  While the clothes were in the washers, we went to McDonalds for breakfast.  Then we were very lazy for a few hours.

At 3:30 we went with Ron & Terri and Bob & Dar to Applebys for an early dinner.  We had time to digest a bit, change clothes and go to a farewell dance with music by Saguaro Sunset.  There is a dance Friday & Saturday to accommodate everyone.  The dance tonight was not full so there was plenty of room on the floor for a line dance group and regular dancers.

Mar 29^th – Sat

We said goodbye to Ron & Terri last night as they left early (6:30) this morning.  We hung around later with several people who came over to say goodbye to Bob & Dar.  They were only going to Yuma so finally left around 11.

We went grocery shopping and also picked up some saddle soap so I can clean our leather furniture.  I put away groceries, made a salad and a veggie plate while Terry went to the courtyard for a short time.  Then we went to Bob & Gail’s for wings, beer and other good food provided by everyone.  We keep thinking that the park is looking empty but still manage to get a large group together.

We took the motorcycle to say goodbye to Ralph & Leila and found out they left a couple of days ago.  As we were coming back, Dave (& Sandi) were at a neighborhood dinner and flagged us down.  Dave has been wanting to drive the Spyder so he got a chance tonight.  A guy rode with him and they were both very impressed with the bike when they got back.

Mar 30^th – Sun

We picked up Dennis & Gloria this morning to play golf at Sunland Springs.  We teed off early (9:05) and finished our 9 holes in less than 2 hours.  It was cloudy and a bit cool at the start but the light breeze quit and the weather was perfect.

We had just over an hour before we headed to the bocce courts for an early birthday party for Nancy.  Once again – wonderful food, marvelous weather and, best of all, super friends.  We left at 4 for our next party – next door to us at Bob & Sandi’s.

The clouds cleared so it was quite warm for anyone not lucky enough to sit in the shade.  I don’t know how we ate any more but we managed!  Terry took several people for rides on the motorcycle and when it got dark brought out a buddy burner.  Everyone headed for home early.

Mar 22nd to 25th - Mesa

Mar 22^nd – Sat

Leftover doughnuts with coffee this morning.  Dave & Phyllis took their time packing up as they were only going to Yuma today.  Of course this made for several informal chat sessions in the street.

We went to the courtyard for lunch.  Since it was Saturday there were only 2 choices – pulled pork sandwich or sloppy joe – but they filled the hole.  Music today was Curtis from 1 to 3.  I left a bit early to get dinner on the stove.  We all had to gather in the street when Dennis & Donna parked their “new to them” motor home.  They had been moving stuff all day so we quickly left them to crash.

We went to a dance with Rare Collection providing rock ‘n roll music.  We must have been in a different mood the last time they played as we enjoyed them more previously.  The small crowd reflected the fact that lots of people have left already.

Mar 23^rd – Sun

We all gathered to hug goodbye to Brad & Clare this morning.

We loaded Larry & Barb, Darlene and Terri into the truck and went to Filly’s at 10:30.  We went early because North Star was playing and it was going to be crowded with a lot of Val Vista people.  We were almost late!  We borrowed an umbrella from a table and got a table at the end of some VVV friends.

As usual with a big crowd, the service was pretty slow.  We ordered lunch & beer and settled down to having fun.  The dance floor was very crowded so we only danced a bit.  The sun was getting very hot so we left at the first break around 2.

We went to a Farewell Happy Hour at 4 hosted by Wayne & Ruth.  It was held in their neighbor’s carport so we had shade.  We met a lot of new people.  As we were riding home from there, we went past a gathering at Dennis & Donna’s so we had to go back to see the new MH and have a drink.

Mar 24^th – Mon

Terry played golf this morning and I stayed in bed to finish a book.  My cold/crud/whatever is getting better but I figured a very lazy day would help with the recovery so that is what I did – next to nothing!  When Terry got back we went to the courtyard to listen to music.  Terry did some line dances but I continued my “forced” inactivity.

I had put a roast in the crock pot and added a leftover carrot salad for a very easy dinner.

Mar 25^th – Tues

We went to Ft McDowell casino for one more time with Don & Susan.  We started with breakfast and then all hit the slots.  I am getting closer to quitting gambling (!!), Terry took longer to lose his allowance, Don did fairly well and Susan had to get out of the smoke before she lost too much.

We went for groceries and I put everything away and made a Salsa Salad.  Before I could join Terry at the courtyard he came back to put up the awning as there was a severe weather warning on the phones.  A wind storm was heading our way.  When we got back to the courtyard, workers started folding up all the table umbrellas and the band quit a bit early in case sand accompanied the wind.

It all turned out to be less than advertised so we stayed with a group at the courtyard until I had to get back to start dinner.  After dinner we went to the final line dance lessons where we reviewed a lot of dances.  For the first time since the fall, it was warmer outside than in the ballroom when we left.

Mar 19th to 21st - Mesa

Mar 19^th – Wed

Terry played golf this morning and missed a great brunch hosted by Dave &Phyllis and Stella & Joe.  I got up just in time to join the chow line at 9:35.  I think we are all getting old because a start time of 9:30 seems to mean that we will be eating then!  Dave was frying eggs, Joe was cooking pancakes and everyone brought everything else “breakfast” that you could imagine.  There was even a huge container of fresh squeezed orange juice from Dolores.

I finally caught up my blog after Terry got back from golf & lunch.  I am still trying to get rid of a cold or whatever is hanging on so once again I told Terry to go to the courtyard and I would read & rest.

When Terry got back we rode the motorcycle to Neal & Judi’s for another farewell dinner.  Judi is an excellent cook and loves to decorate the tables.  One more time for good friends and good food.

Mar 20^th – Thurs

We met a group of motorcycle riders at Chief’s this morning for a CalAm sponsored event.  We left at 8:30 (supposed to be 8:15!!) and rode to Canyon Vista RV in Gold Canyon.  There were lots of bikes already there so we registered and got coffee, fruit & pastry for breakfast.  There was as suggested loop ride before lunch but it was the Copper Triangle that we just rode last week so we joined Duane & Sue and rode to the Apache Gold Casino on the east side of Globe.  We gambled about an hour and then rode back to Canyon Vista for lunch.

We stopped for whipping cream on the way back so I could put dessert together for tonight.  Terry went to the courtyard while I did the dessert and then read & rested – yup, still have my cold.

We went to Ernie & Dianne’s for a chili dinner.  Dianne’s daughter Annette, her husband Mike and their daughter Kayah were there – along with about a dozen other friends - and it was nice to see them again.

Mar 21^st - Fri

We got up at the crack of dawn to pick up Julie & Larry a 7:00 for an outing on Canyon Lake.  21 people rented 2 pontoon boats for the morning.  We picked up doughnuts for breakfast, loaded gear & people on the boat and left about 8:30 after Bob C. got driving & safety instructions.  Canyon Lake is a skinny, twisty lake so we puttered slowly along and enjoyed the scenery, food & drink.  We were all happy to have light jackets at first as the tall canyon walls put us in shade but it wasn’t too long before we all shed the jackets.  We were lucky enough to have eagle-eye Terry spot mountain sheep a couple of times way up on the top of the canyon.

We didn’t see the other boat until we were part way back and that resulted in a short water gun fight.

Once we docked & packed everything back to the vehicles, we drove a short ways further to Tortilla Flats for lunch.  We managed to get seats outside where we ordered burgers and listened to Mark Lucas (AZ Opry) and Jeff Stephens sing.  I was feeling OK when we got back but once again I stayed home while Terry went the courtyard for a while.  We had a quiet evening for a change.

Mar 13th to 18th - Mesa

Mar 13^th – Thurs

I went to coffee & no doughnuts (accident with the delivery truck!) this morning with Terri & Sandi.  It was sponsored by the Camping World ambassadors who always raffle off nice prizes - Sandi won a tall director’s chair.

I sent Terry to the store for ingredients and put together a salad for tomorrow.

I got way behind on the blog so darned if I can remember what else we did today!!

Mar 14^th – Fri

Oops, big gap this morning too!

We went to HH & pot luck at Bob & Sandi’s at 4.  They moved back onto 4^th street at the beginning of the month just in time to have a farewell party.  Actually, they are not leaving right away.  Appies followed by pot luck dinner followed by Henry playing his guitar and singing – a recipe for a great evening.

Mar 15^th – Sat

Terri joined us on our bicycles to check out patio sales this morning.  Even if you don’t buy anything it is lots of fun to chat with people everywhere you go which makes it take a long time to get around the park.  We also checked out a couple of park models that Brad & Clare have looked at to purchase.

We had leftovers for lunch and didn’t do anything exciting for a few hours.

We picked up Joe & Stella and Larry & Julie to go to the AZ Opry for a Rock ‘N Roll show which was every bit as amazing and entertaining as the other formats we have attended.

Mar 16^th – Sun

We didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn for golf today as there was a tournament before us and our first tee time was after 10.  We played a scramble which was good for me as I still have a cold and less energy.  Dennis played with us but Gloria was not feeling well this morning and had to cancel.  The whole group went to China City for a late lunch after golf. 

Dale & Sharon stopped for a chat – and a drink - then we finally had a lazy evening.

Mar 17^th – Mon

Terry got up early and cleaned the motorcycle so I could decorate it for the St. Patrick’s Day parade at 10:00 here in the park.  Our entry was us, Bob & Claudia and Ralph & Elsie – the Cal Am Can Am Spyders.  We were near the end and finished just before 11.

The park provides a box lunch for all the parade participants so we headed to the Fiesta Ballroom where we had to wait for lunch to be delivered – oh well!  Our entry won for “Most Creative”.  I think everyone was just happy to see a new entry in the parade!  After lunch, Terry went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis and I stayed home and rested.

Larry & Barb hosted a corned beef dinner for a large group at 5:30.   Our circle of friends is getting a lot of use out of the party wagon this year.

Mar 18^th – Tues

Terry went to the office this morning to make reservations for next season.

I am starting to dread laundry day.  I had everything sorted out & pretreated when Terry told me the Val Vista laundry was closed due to repairs for leaks.  So we went to Fiesta and only had to wait a few minutes to get 4 washers.  We went to McDonalds for a burger while the clothes were washing and also made a quick stop at Albertsons.

When we got back, there was only one drier available so we took the clothes to Val Vista thinking the driers would still be available.  Nope – the leak was in a gas line!  I had noticed a laundromat down Main Street a short ways so we went there to dry the clothes.

I just had time to put together a veggie plate and head to the bocce court for a farewell gathering hosted by Bob & Peggy.  We joined the end of the line to fill a plate with appies and finally relaxed for a bit.

Then it was back to the rig to pick up cookies and a drink and go to the ballroom for the end of season line dance lesson party.  It is a good thing we built up stamina from parties during the season!  I took videos of the dances rather than dancing as my energy was pretty much used up by now – yep, still coughing.  Terry joined a group across the street when we got back after 9:30 and I called it quits.

Mar 10th to 12th - Mesa

Mar 10^th – Mon

Terry left for golfing at 8:20 and I stayed in bed to read as I went to bed and woke up with a sore throat and congestion.  Ernie & Dianne stopped by for a chat and an invitation, Larry R brought his computer over so I could help him load Turbo Tax and Dennis & Gloria made a quick stop.  Reading, computer games & the blog filled the rest of my time until Terry came back about 1:30.  He went to the courtyard to have lunch but I had a smoothie and wasn’t hungry.

I went across the street at 2:00 to Brad & Clare’s to celebrate Phyllis’ birthday and Terry came after he had lunch.  I stayed in the background to I wouldn’t infect anyone and didn’t stay very long.  The party lasted until after 5 and I was sorry I had to miss all the fun - but I did get to enjoy the laughter through our open door & windows!

Ron brought over a plate of very good spaghetti for my dinner while Terry joined Ron & Terri and Bob & Darlene to eat.  I am a firm believer in taking it easy at least the first day of any sickness so I really am not being anti-social.

Mar 11^th – Tues

I was pretty lazy again this morning and just puttered around.  Terry worked on wiring the GPS on the motorcycle which I interrupted with a sandwich for lunch.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Van Arlon.  Terry did some line dancing but I purposely wore “non dancing” shoes so I would just rest & relax.  I left a little early to get dinner in the oven so we could eat early before line dance lessons.

Then line dance lessons were cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.  We took the motorcycle to check if the Rancho’s patio was available but it was being used by a private party.  So we stopped to visit with Dave & Sandi.  When we got back, we walked over to see Dennis & Gloria and kept going when we saw their curtains were shut.  Rick & Vi were at Duane & Sue’s so we joined them for a while.

Mar 12^th – Wed

We left at 10 with 9 other motorcycles (13 riders) for a ride to Kearny which is south of Globe.  Our leader Al took us on a great little loop first that went through desert areas and then past a lovely, unexpected golf course.  Once we went south of Hwy 60 on Hwy 177, we saw HUGE silver mines. We stopped at a bar in Kearny for lunch.  A lady at the bar took our food orders and phoned them next door to a restaurant for delivery to the bar.  It ended up taking a long time to get lunch.  We came back on Hwy 77 (with a quick stop at “Christmas” for photos) to Globe and then back on Hwy 60.  The entire ride was just under 200 miles and my butt let me know it was that long!

We made a stop at Fry’s as we were due at a party at 4 (it was now after 4) and I had to figure out what to take for food since we weren’t back early enough to make lasagna which I had planned.  We changed clothes, threw some shrimp into macaroni salad and went to Third Street for Ray & Viv’s annual party.  They host it with 2 other couples and Gloria counted 124 people attending.  They have a karaoke setup which provides music for singers all night – some better than others but all having a wonderful time.  We even did a little line dancing in the street.

I still have a cold so I left about 8:30 and Terry wasn’t too far behind.

Mar 7th to 9th - Mesa

Mar 7^th – Fri

Oops- got behind on the blog so it took me a while to catch up - after coffee & CC of course.

We went out for breakfast for Terry and lunch for me.  We stopped for a few groceries and to check for more St. Paddy’s decorations for our motorcycle – no luck.

We went to the courtyard to listen to music & dance for a while and then went to the bocce court where Ron & Terri were hosting a gathering of people belonging to a Winnebago RV club.

Shortly after 5 we joined large group at The Duchess restaurant for dinner.  Then that group and a few more went to a Comedy Improv in downtown Mesa.   The format was competition improvisation with 2 teams of 3 people and one lady who changed from team to team.  Suggestions were taken from the audience which resulted in hilarious “skits”.  Some people were going back to the Duchess for a drink but we were tired and called it a night.

Mar 8^th – Sat

We didn’t get going too early this morning.  When Terry went to dump the tanks, the black tank didn’t dump completely (like last time!) so he hooked up the flush connection with a valve and filled & dumped the black tank many times.  He has a clear fitting so each time the water wasn’t clear he did it again.  We are going to buy some tank chemical that was recommended to Larry & Barb when they had to pay a guy to get their black tank to empty.  Apparently many chemicals can cause crystals to form and then the crystals can combine into a solid ball and really mess things up.  The recommended stuff (TankTeck rx) is made in Phoenix but the nearest RV place that sells it is out of stock right now as they have suddenly had way more demand for it.

We had seen the chemical at another place in Apache Junction so after lunch we took a drive to get it and some other things – unfortunately they close at 1:30 on Saturday.  We got some things at Harbor Freight and then made a stop at Home Depot.

We sat outside when we got back and weren’t alone for long as an impromptu HH broke out.  The wind had come up so Dave & Phyllis put up their awning and then came over.  We had to eat dinner before going to a dance so we had to kick everyone out at 5:45.  Luckily I had marinated some pork chops and then put potatoes on to boil when everyone was here.  Terry put the meat on the BBQ while I mashed the potatoes and put a salad together.  We changed clothes and were at the dance by 6:40.

We and our group of dancing friends now know quite a few line dances so we “danced the night away”.  Sometimes it took a group effort to remember the steps but we had fun.  The dance was not sold out so the dance floor wasn’t too crowded.

Mar 9^th – Sun

We golfed with the Whiskey Row Hackers this morning and went to lunch at Red Robin.  I didn’t even need to start out with a light jacket for a tee time just before 8 – gorgeous weather!

We got a little ambitious when we got back and did some “work” on the toy hauler.  We put in hooks & straps to hold the side benches up against the walls when the motorcycle is inside and discovered that the hooks weren’t heavy enough when one broke and others were opening up.  We were lucky that the benches didn’t come down on the bike when we went to Quartzsite.  We bought heavier hardware a couple of days ago and got it all installed today.

Since we actually got something productive done today we felt free to relax with CC, reading and, on Terry’s part, snoozing.  I wasn’t too hungry but Terry needed dinner so he went to KFC since we haven’t had a fried chicken fix for a long time.

Mar 4th to 6th - Mesa

Mar 4^th – Tues

Terry got up early and went to line up to get tickets for the end of season dance on the 28^th.  There are 2 dances to accommodate everyone but we wanted to get tickets for Friday as a lot of line dancers are going then.

After coffee & CC, we went to the Wild Berry for a late breakfast.  Marg & Pat had not gone for a ride on the motorcycle so Terry took Marg while Pat & I rode our bicycles to the bocce court.  We played one game to show them how bocce is played on a court rather than in grass & rocks.  Then it was Pat’s turn for a motorcycle ride and Marg & I rode the bicycles back.

Marg & Pat bought pickle ball rackets (bats/paddles?) yesterday and wanted to try them out so they took the bicycles and Terry & I followed on the motorcycle.  Marg & Pat were just practicing by themselves when a guy came over and asked if they wanted to join a round robin.  Marg & Pat have only played inside in a school and were hesitant but the guy convinced them to try it.  They ended up having a good time.

We left them and went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis.  Marg & Pat joined us after a bit.  Then we all went to a party at Dennis & Gloria’s to celebrate the end of Gloria’s cancer treatments.  They had tables & chairs from the party wagon and we all had tacos & desserts – OK, maybe a couple of drinks too!  Terri and I both left the party early and went to line dance lessons.  I wouldn’t have gone but we missed last week and I didn’t want to get too far behind.  I went back after dancing and the party was down to one table full of die-hards.  It wasn’t too much later when everyone called it quits.

Mar 5^th – Wed

I don’t remember what we did after I made a big, late breakfast this morning.

North Star was in the courtyard today so we had to listen & dance.  We picked up Dennis & Gloria at 5:20 and went to Organ Stop Pizza for dinner.  We ordered our pizzas and were walking to the beverage area when there was a slight boom and the organ stopped and some of the lights went off.  We easily found seats as people started leaving since the first “show” was almost over when the power problem happened.

As we were eating, there was an announcement that they were trying to find the technician and we were nearly done when the technician was located in Phoenix.  We didn’t want to wait until he showed up with no guarantees of a quick solution so we headed home.

Pat loaded Kies on my computer – and from there onto my phone – so I can download pictures from the phone to the computer.

Mar 6^th – Thurs

My little cinnamon rolls made with Bisquick didn’t turn out very well this morning but we all ate a couple with our coffee.  A while later I made breakfast burritos so Marg & Pat wouldn’t have to stop right away for lunch.

Marg & Pat pulled out at 11 as planned.  They are going to Williams today and then to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.  They have to be back in 100 Mile House on the 15^th and want to have a couple of days leeway in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.

We went shopping for decorations for us & our motorcycle for the St. Patrick’s Day parade here next Monday.  We went to several stores and found a couple of items at 3 different places.  When we got back it was time to head to the courtyard and have chicken strips for a late lunch.  I think people are fitting in everything they can before they leave as it got very full.  I was in a lazy mood and hardly danced but Terry joined in line dancing.  We sat for a while on the couches by the pool after music finished.

Now we were both ready to be lazy – TV, CC, reading and dessert for dinner.