Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas is Over for Another Year

Christmas 2008 turned out to be a wonderful time with lots of laughs, pool, dart and card games (with Ted and Lenore being declared Champs!!) an abundance of food including a 16-layer jello salad and good cheer, many late nights and early mornings, comfortable sleeps for the "old folks" and not so comfy nights for the "youngins", a few hockey games, movies, music, and a mini Mac convention.

Our company left this morning. The house is quiet and almost put back to order. Laundry is being done and I am looking at the tree and wondering how much longer it will last. Senor Ping and I will be eating leftovers for a few days to come and thankfully Allan and Megan have a few more days with us so we won't be so lonesome. Thanks to all our family for contributing to Christmas 2008. Can't wait for 2010!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Its getting closer...


If you think you've got problems!!! (Thanks Trudy)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Almost Ready For Christmas


Christmas 2008 will be celebrated with the Baileys'. In 2006 we were at Ted's and this year we will gather in Eatonia. That means Senor Ping and I have some things to do to get ready. Last week we picked up a "real" Christmas tree. It only took me half a day to get it decorated. The shopping is done (well, almost) and the gifts are wrapped and tucked away. I have stocked the deep freeze with cookies and tarts, picked out a turkey and started planning menus.
I can hardly wait!!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Getting the Home Theatre Ready....



Well, Lenore and I went to Medicine Hat on Wednesday to pick up the new tv, a bunch of Christmas lights (led's of course) - they were on sale, the advantage of waiting til the middle of December to set up your lights, and A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!! This is the first real tree we have had in 8 years... the last time we hosted the family christmas.

Family-feel invited to bring your favorite Blu-Ray player and disks.... we can hook them up.

Here are pictures of my latest toys arrived just in time for christmas. I would especially like to thank Gary for sending the speakers my way, and Visions for realizing it was in their best interests to replace my old Hitachi on warranty with the new Samsung.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Home Again

We have arrived safe and sound in Eatonia. Our trip home was quite uneventful. We enjoyed 2 days in Laughlin and saw a bit of the "Black Friday" shopping in the outlet mall. It opened at midnight on the 28th but we didn't venture to the mall until later in the day. I have never seen crowds in that mall like I did that day. Usually there is only a handful of shoppers and never a lineup at the cashiers but I got a small taste of the crowds as I did some bargain hunting.

The rest of the trip was smooth sailing. The price of gas seemed to be dropping as we headed north and in some places we paid over $2 per gallon less than we did last spring. In Montana we paid $1.30 per gallon less than when we went south 6 weeks before. This should be good news for the all the snowbirds, even if the dollar has dropped.

Now that we are home it is time to think about Christmas and the Dinner theatre. 23 sleeps until the Baileys' arrive and only 2 months until Opening night for Dearly Beloved!!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

It Really Does Rain In Arizona

Senor Ping and I awoke this morning to the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof of the 5th wheel and for a minute I thought I was camping back home. Many moons ago when our family spent the summer traveling across Alberta and Saskatchewan with trailer in tow we could always be guaranteed at least a thunder shower every day or at least every couple days. We learned to entertain the kids with rowdy games of Yatzee or Talk About and never left home without a couple umbrellas, rubber boots, tarps, rain gear and credit cards (for those camping trips when it rained every day we would eventually trek to the nearest mall and spend the afternoon drying out). The farmers even considered paying us to camp at home during the dry years, as it seemed everywhere we went it rained.

However, we are in the desert and rain is not a common occurrence. As a matter of fact this is the first rain we have encountered in our three trips south. The rain has been in the weather forecast since last week but the people we have discussed the weather with assured us that it wouldn't amount to much. Along with the rain came strong winds and everyone was outside at 6:00 AM rolling up their awnings and anchoring things that might start blowing around. Then it quit and I decided to carry on with my plans for our last day in Yuma. I had laundry going, got the outdoor carpets rolled up and the lawn chairs put away, enjoyed a visit with Susan from back home and then the rain started again. It continued to rain for a couple hours. There are puddles everywhere, water running through the "wash" and the golf carts have come to a halt. We found the rain quite refreshing and another "first " to record on our blog!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

The Links At Coyote Wash


This morning our friend Bob, Senor Ping and I went golfing at the Links At Coyote Wash. The course is at Wellton, approximately 15 miles east of our park. We left before sunrise and were quite surprised at how much cooler the temperature was on the other side of the mountain. We had to wait for the daylight before we could tee off on the first hole.




The 18 hole course is in excellent shape with beautiful landscaping and new homes sprouting up all around. The course had many challenges including water on many holes, cavernous sand traps (of which Bob and I had plenty of opportunity to experience) and a lengthy drive between some of the holes. I wonder how many golfers get lost each day?? The three of us enjoyed good scores and look forward to playing a couple more rounds before we head north.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Golfing in the Desert



A rare sight in the desert is a patch of deep grass. Lenore's shot found some of this at the Las Barrancas Golf Course.
Weather here is fabulous. Mid 80's (28C) and light breezes. We have been feasting on Mexican food. Last night's meal at Mi Rancho featured Al Pastor (pork) and carne somethng which is steak. Very nice! We have now been here for 3 weeks and have only 10 days left until we begin the great trek north.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Gaslamp Quarter and Old Town


After lunch Senor Ping and I went for a walk in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. There are many turn of the century buildings which have been turned into sidewalk cafes, galleries, boutiques and restaurants. We took a break and stopped for a beer at one of the many bars and did some people watching.


Our final stop of the day was Old Town. This has become a favorite stop for us and we always find a place for mexican food. This trip we stopped at a place Megan recommended after her Old Town Culinary Tour while she was in San Diego in September. The food was great and the margaritas were a perfect end to a great day.

Cruising the San Diego Harbor

On Monday Senor Ping and I dropped Abbey off at the kennel and drove to San Diego for a bit of site-seeing and shopping. Our first stop was the harbor and a 1 hour cruise aboard the Lord Hornblower. We had a narrated tour of the south harbor.





After the cruise we strolled along the waterfront to Seaport Village for lunch, fish and chips seemed to be the appropriate choice. We were entertained by a guitar player as we ate.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

This Week in Yuma




A little bit of golf, a little bit of guitar and a lot of desert marks our week in Yuma. Temperatures here have moderated, 75-80 degrees during the day and cool enough at night to get a good sleep. Also, a spending spree for me on eBay has yielded a new Ping Lob Wedge (now I gotta learn to hit it), and at the Arizona Marketplace has produced a new set of Nike Slingshot Irons for Lenore (She is hitting them like a pro)!

Today I'm looking forward to watching the Eastern and Western Semi-Finals on TSN. Until last night I couldn't receive any of the TSN signals from any of the Even Transponders (technical stuff, don't worry), but magically, perhaps an omen, TSN showed up on my screen last night! I will be able to watch the games live! Go Riders!

Lenore is off doing laundry this morning. Abbey and I washed the truck. (Drive thru's are so great). Anybody got any ideas how to get rid of the bugs from the front bumper and grill? I bought some magical cleaner at the Marketplace BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. It was called snake-oil or something like that. Beware of these gimmicks....

Hello to all that read our blog. We are fine and doing well in the desert.

db

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Last week at Parker Arizona





Here are a couple of pictures of our campground at Parker Arizona that we stayed at. The Colorado River is spectacular! Lots of fishing, boats, and opportunities to throw your dog in the water. Also the fabulous Emerald Canyon Golf Course is a treat.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Settling in In Yuma

We arrived in Yuma on Monday in the midst of a heat wave. The temperatures have been unseasonably high, 38C, with lows in the evenings of 23C. Our first night brought hot winds also so it was like having the furnace blowing all night long. since then it has cooled of a bit ad the evenings are very pleasant.
We are in the same site as last year, recognizing some of our neighbors as they return to their winter homes. We have spent our days at the pool and reorganizing around the site. Abbey seems to know her way around the park and headed for the same path we walked each morning last February.
We also enjoyed a visit with friends from Eatonia, Ann and Gerry Rhodes, who are getting some dental work done in Mexico. Last evening we went for dinner with them and today we are planning to meet at the Flea Market.
I am planning to buy some Halloween treats today. Our neighbors told me that we may see some youngsters out trick or treating tomorrow. I imagine there may be a few "oldsters" out and about as well. The park seems to be coming alive with more snowbirds arriving each day and the regular programs such as aquacizes, jam sessions etc are in full swing next week.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Punch In the Face

Last year it was called being tagged, now its a punch in the face. If I was still on the playground doing supervision I would say the game is getting too rough but I'm not so I will go along with the newest Blog game.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Carving pumpkins with Kindergarten and Grade 1 students
2. Directing 3 plays for the upcoming high school dinner theatre
3. Driving Megan and allan to volleyball, basketball and hockey games
4. Timekeeping for the Eatonia Spartans (I think they would have been in playoffs)
5. Trying to keep up with day to day chores at home and school

5 things on my to do list today: (By the way, I have a good start on my to do list, having done 4 of the 5, just need to go for a swim and that will be happening soon)

1. Laundry
2. Take Abbey for a walk
3. Going for a swim
4. Updating my blog
5. Reading my book

5 snacks that I love:

1. chocolate
2. appetizers made with cream cheese
3. more chocolate
4. salsa and tortilla chips
5. and more chocolate

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire :

1. Pay off my childrens' debt! All of it. Student loan, car loan, et cetera.
2. Buy a large motor home.
3. Take yearly vacations to exotic places.
4. Take my family on a vacation to Europe
5. Buy Senor Ping a sporty car to tow behind the motorhome

5 places I've lived:

1. Eatonia
2. Kerrobert
3. Saskatoon
4. Yorkton
5. a farm by FoneHill

5 jobs I've had:

1. Floral delivery girl
2. Summer Playground coordinator for Special Needs children
3. Laundry room at Hospital
4. Teacher
5. Substitute Teacher

5 people I punch:

1. Colleen H.
2. Diving Diva
3. Donna from Kirkville
4. Raymondo
5. Allan

Friday, October 24, 2008

Parked at Parker

Senor Ping and have spent the last 3 nights at Buckskin State Park just outside of Parker. We were fortunate to get the last full hookup site overlooking the river. The campground is full, many of which are families and campers from Arizona. hard to impagine going camping for a weekend in October but that is life in Arizona. It has been very warm but we golfed 2 rounds at Emerald Canyon and it is as spectacular as we remembered. The rates are very reasonable, $15 per person for 18 holes of golf cart included. Yesterday we met some people from Saskatchewan and soon discovered that I had taught their daughters in Kerrobert. Today we golfed with a couple from Whistler. Abbey has enjoyed a swim in the river and meeting all the other camping dogs. It seems that every camper has at least one dog.
We are very happy with the campground with the exception of no internet service. The scenery is wonderful, nothing like sitting on the bank of the river as the sun rises and sets each day. We plan to spend a few more days here before moving on to Yuma. This evening we finally found service at the campground we stayed at last spring. Looks like we can spend a few more days here for sure!!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Next Stop: Laughlin

We aren't straying too farnfrom our usual path this trip. After a quick stop in Mesquite to clean the inside and outside of the 5th wheel and to stock up on some supplies we are heading to Laughlin. We have offers for 2 free nights at a couple of the casinos so we are going to take advantage of the offer. Abbey will spend the nights at a kennel across the river.

From Laughlin we are going to make the short trip to Parker and we hope to golf at Emerald Canyon again. And then finally at the end of the week we will head to Yuma and settle in for a while. The weather is beautiful, I was out for a walk at 7:00 AM with just a t-shirt and shorts. There doesn't seem to be the crowds and traffic that we have seen in February or April so that is also very pleasant. So far all is going great.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Mesquite, here we come!

We had a long day of driving yesterday but there wasn't much traffic and even the drive through Salt Lake City was less stressful than usual. We spent the night at the East Bay Campground. It is one of the nicest RV parks we have ever stayed at. Everything was clean, easy access from the freeway and friendly staff. We are taking our time this morning, as we have a shorter drive today. We will stop in Mesquite for the night. I want to give the trailer a good cleaning and then do some shopping for groceries. If there is time we may even take some time for a margarita by the pool. We are never sure what kind of internet service we will have for the next few days so we may not be posting until we get settled in Laughlin. By the way, it was about 10 C last night and we are looking at 28 to 32C for the next few days.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Here We Go Again

Senor Ping and I have decided to venture south with the ducks and geese this fall. Actually, we may be ahead of the ducks and geese since there are still American hunters dressed in full camoflouge strolling the streets of Eatonia and that means there are still some birds left to shoot. Anyway, we were packed and on the road by 1:30 this afternoon. I would like to say that the trip to Great Falls was uneventful but that would be a lie. We were about 30 miles from Medicine Hat and Senor Ping decided to let me in on a secret....we were almost out of gas. Apparently the strong winds had some bearing on how fast we were using gas and it was touch and go whether we would reach the first gas station. Thankfully we made it to the gas station and we now have an idea of just how many litres of gas the truck actually holds.
Back on the road and the cell phone rang. Allan had a few questions about setting up and positioning the satellite dish. It was nice to visit with him and say our goodbyes. And then Raymondo started texting us with the score of the Edmonton-B.C. football game. Needless to say the trip went by quickly and we are now set up at the RV park in Great Falls for the night. The weather is great, shirt sleeve temperatures at 9:30 PM. We have the furnace on in case it cools off overnight, Shreddies for breakfast and high speed internet. Life is good!!
We will aim for Provo tomorrow and unless we get slowed down by weather will be in Nevada by Sunday. I'm looking forward to short and sandals once again. And just so you know....V R having fun!!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sandtrap



It is raining today and I can't get out of the house. I found this picture from last year and thought it appropriate to use to show you what I'd rather be doing.

db

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

One Month and counting....





Well it is time to start thinking about Arizona. We are planning to leave about a week after Thanksgiving. First stop will be the Grand Canyon and then Route 66 to either Laughlin or south to Phoenix/Mesa etc. Thought I would post a few pictures from last year's trip to get myself into the mood.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It's My Birthday

I am writing this from the deck of the deluxe room while sipping coffee and gazing out over the white pine trees. Senor Ping and I are enjoying a bit of R&R at the expense of Oasis Players. Last February they were so kind and thoughtful when they gave us a golf and stay package at the new lodge at Elkwater. We haven't been to this part of Cypress Hills for close to 15 years so there are many changes since we camped here in our tent trailer. We enjoyed a drive to the lookout and then saw wild turkeys as we wound our way back down to the main beach. Last evening we saw deer, elk and rabbits. Abbey is quite excited about gophers that are quite boutiful. She was a bit worn out from all the walking yesterday but it didn't stop her from running in the grass that is much taller than her.
Today we are going to play some golf and then enjoy a swim in the pool. A glass of wine while watching the sunset might also be in order. It will be a wonderful way to spend my 39th birthday!!!!!

Monday, June 16, 2008

"A new car!!!"



Here I am polishing the newest member of our family.... a Nissan Altima! Lots of fun to drive, a BOSE sound system, Leather, Moonroof.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Home Reno-Bailey Style

Last spring I got ambitious and did a major cleaning throughout the house (with the exception of the lower basement where my school boxes are still stacked against the wall). I had planned to do some painting inside but only got as far as the fence. The Tom Sawyer trick didn't work and so Senor Ping and I ended up doing the fence by ourselves. Between the heat and mosquitos the job dragged on and my enthusiasm for painting waned.
During the winter I had contemplating what colors to paint Megan and Allan's bedrooms and after many months of indecision I finally made up my mind. I started shopping for bedding and switched some of the furniture around. And today I started painting. Allan, I am sorry to inform you that your blue "Toronto Maple Leaf forever" bedroom is no more. The hockey posters are gone (but not thrown out) and the jumbotron light fixture will be put in storage for you. The carpet is gone and new flooring is next on the list.
And then the tough part, sorting through the piles of things that came out of the room. What to keep and what to put in the garage sale next year? Startrek toys and a tub full of Lego, hockey and baseball cards (don't worry they are safe), books, t-shirts and football jerseys, Sonic the Hedgehog comic books, Magic kit and much much more!
And then comes Megan's room. The painting will be the easy part. A new bed and room for my sewing machine. Some photos taken on our Europe trip. But wait, again we have some treasures to sort through. Basketball medals, my little ponies, stuffed animals and books, books and more books! Where is the "Clean Sweep" or "While You Were Out" gang? How am I ever going to decide what to keep and where to put it? Maybe I'll put it all back and let the kids sort through everything.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Nine Down and Two To Go

I am spending the weekend at the drama festival which showcases the best high school plays in the province. When I was teaching this was a weekend I looked forward to all year. First, I hoped that I would be directing one of the plays at the festival. (and I was thrilled when this actually did happen. I still get goosebumps just thinking about the play and just heard another school did it this year but was told it was not as good as ours). Second, I watched each play with great anticipation, in my mind casting my own actors into the roles and imagining what it would be like if I chose to direct that play in the future (and in other cases thinking NEVER, NEVER, NEVER). Third, I looked forward to networking with other teachers and directors and hearing about what plays they had done and what they were planning to do.
Now I just come to the festival, sit back, relax (no kids to supervise, therefore, no chaperoning at the dance) and critique the plays. So far we have seen 9 plays. All but 2 of them ran 60 minutes (a couple had to have been over the regulation 60 minutes). The plays range from themes of fairytales and the big bad wolf, teenage angst, baby angst (no not what if I have a baby but I am a baby and what am I going to do about these adults around me), a mother-son bedroom scene, more teenage angst, dating angst, teenage angst, doing a play angst and more teenage angst. I have had enough of the angst, please give me something else!!
I have enjoyed some of the actors though, my favorites are the 6 foot baby and the 10 year old waiter. I am looking forward to the plays tomorrow and then I will record my votes for the awards and later check to see how close the adjudicator and I are in our thinking.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Happy to Be Home

We arrived home yesterday to a snow-filled backyard and a clean driveway thanks to our dear friend Duane. My plants have been well-taken care of during my absence by Bunny (probably much better cared for than when I am at home). We unloaded the 5th wheel and parked it temporarily. When it warms up we will head to the car wash and I'll do a final cleaning on the inside. Today we spent the morning sorting through the mail and getting caught up on paying bills. I have 11 issues of Macleans and 3 of Chatelaine to browse through. And tonight I am off to the library to pick up the new books I requested while I was away. It is good to be home, although the weather could have been more cooperative. We were looking forward to getting out on the golf course but it looks like we may have a bit of a wait. The good news is we can put off doing yard work for a while.

Abbey is not very impressed with the weather in Saskatchewan. Her daily routine for the past 11 weeks has included an early morning walk (often at the crack of dawn much to our displeasure), followed by breakfast and then more walks interspersed with naps and more food. This morning she whimpered and cried at 8:00 AM so I crawled out of bed to let her outside. She hopped up on the bed, settled in to the spot I had vacated and settled in for another hour of sleep. When she finally decided to go outside she barely stuck her nose out the door, raced around the yard and then was back on the deck barking to be let in. Although she thinks she would like to go for a walk I don't think she will last outside for very long.

This afternoon I am "home alone". I am listening to music, doing laundry and enjoying the extra space. I really should do some housecleaning but I think I will curl up with a good book and a cup of tea instead. We are going to enjoy the flounder Fred and Colleen brought us from San Carlos for dinner. Maybe if we turn up the heat in the house and drink margaritas while preparing dinner we can imagine ourselves back in the sunny south.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Safe and Sound and Freezing in Havre

We had excellent driving conditions today so we were able to get to Havre by 6:00 PM. Fred and Colleen and Maggie greeted us and supervised our parking. The flames game is on TV tonight so we set up the dish and then had a short Happy Hour inside. It has been a few years (well maybe more than a few) since we have stayed in Havre. A new hotel has been built and some of our favorite places have had facelifts. The entire main street is under road construction so it is a bit tricky to navigate with the trailer. We have found an alternate route and will try that tomorrow. We are going to do some last minute shopping and then head for home before lunch. If all goes well we should be home in the early afternoon. Just in time for everyone on the block to watch and listen to the Baileys' park the RV. I doubt that we will be able to top the departure but will give it a try.

One More Night???

This morning we are leaving Pocatello with plans to drive to Great Falls or Havre depending on the snow and road conditions through Montana. We had a rather chilly night last night. Temperatures have been unseasonably low here and so the maintenance man came around last night and turned the water off at each RV site. He was afraid of freezing pipes. We made a quick trip to Walmart to buy RV antifreeze and winterized the trailer. The satellite was working so we watched hockey and news from back home. We had our furnace going and were quite cozy until about 3:00 AM when we ran out of propane. Fortunately Senor Ping had filled our second tank so he was out the door to switch tanks the heat was back running in no time. It really has been no different than camping at Cypress Hills in May, however, we may be in for worse conditions tonight. I am digging out our winter jackets and boots just in case. Hopefully we will be able to post tonight to let you know where we are, if not, we'll catch up with everyone when we get home.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Zion National Park

Here are a couple photos of the spectacular view we had on our trip to the gates of Zion.





We also drove around Hurricane and thought it would be a place to visit some time in the future. I've heard the golf course is quite a challenge...especially the fairways and tee boxes with the homes close by. I would hate to put a ball through someone's window.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

The Last Stop

We arrived in Mesquite on Friday noon, right behind Fred and Colleen who had driven from Laughlin that morning. I am beginning to think that if we planned to meet or arrive at campgrounds at about the same time it wouldn't happen, but for some reason when you don;t plan it happens. On Saturday we drove to Zion national Park. We took Abbey with us because we weren't sure how long we would be away and how hot it would get in the 5th wheel. Not the best plan we have had. There was a $25 fee to enter the park and we couldn't go on the shuttle to see the canyon or take any of the hiking trails because of Abbey. We settled for lunch at the gates and plans to visit another time. We did take a few good photos of the beautiful scenery and I will post them later.
Today we did some cleaning and organizing and then spent the afternoon at the pool. We arrived back at the RV park in time for some excitement. It seems that our new neighbor had backed into a trailer behind him. We also met some people from Saskatoon and Doug had a short jam session with him. We have friends in common so it is indeed a small world. We are off to spend our last night (and our last $) in Mesquite and will start for home tomorrow.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Truck Stops Here!

We left Laughlin this morning with plans to spend the night at Mesquite. I am not sure how it happened but as we got nearer to Las Vegas our conversation turned to "I wonder what's new on the strip?", "We could stop at the outlet stores and Guitar Centre", "It has been a whole year since we were in LV" and before we knew it the truck turned into Sam's Town RV Park. So here we are, about to check out the strip, do some shopping and maybe see what new machines they have in Las Vegas.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Get Your Kicks On Route 66


We finally took the advice of numerous people who have visited Laughlin and area and drove to Oatman yesterday. About 30 miles from Laughlin, Oatman is a gold mining ghost town situated on the historic Route 66. It was a bustling town until the gold mines were closed down in the 1930's. It is also known for the wild burros that roam the streets looking for food. They are descendants of the burros used in the mines. We were advised to get there early because by 4:00 PM the mother burros call their babies and they all head for the hills. I read a brochure about Oatman on our way so we were expecting to see a few burros, some remains of the gold mine and a sign referring to Route 66. Our first surprise was when we went to look for parking and discovered that a many other people had also made the trek to Oatman. There was also a large number of motorcyclists who appear to cruise to Oatman for lunch. There were lots of burros ambling down the main street looking for a snack and just as many visitors carrying bags of carrots ready to feed them. We strolled the main street and browsed through the touristy trinket shops and then watched the gunfight put on by members of the Oatman Chamber of Commerce. We ended our visit to Oatman with a stop at the town bar for a beer. It is the original Oatman hotel and the walls are papered in dollar bills left by guests dating back to the early 1920's. This tradition has continued and we even saw a few $5 Canadian bills hanging.



Saturday, April 12, 2008

Laughlin: DIng, Ding, Ding

We moved on to Laughlin on Thursday morning. After packing up, Senor Ping and Keeny (our neighbor) sat down for one last jam session and then we were off. We have booked into the Rv park for a week, but also have free rooms at one of the casinos for a couple nights. The problem is Abbey is not included in the deal. We will either find a kennel for her or just use the hotel room to shower and use the pool etc and then sleep at the 5th wheel. We haven't quite worked out the logistics yet.
We are enjoying the casinos, shopping, restaurants and sight seeing around Laughlin. Internet service is poor at the RV park so we are becoming resourceful as we look for free WIFI. Today I am posting from the car wash we found last year. For $5 they take your vehicle and wash and dry it (by hand) while you wait in the air conditioned comforts of a coffee shop. The internet is fast and the leather sofas quite comfortable. I wouldn't be surprised if Senor Ping stretches out and has a nap. Good thing there isn't a TV or he would be taking over control of the remote!
The slot machines have been good to us. We are playing on their money and finding some new machines we haven't seen before. Hope this keeps up for the rest of the trip.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Listen To the Music

Today we are planning to tour around Lake Havasu, see the Parker Dam and relax at the campground. We also need to pick up some groceries before heading to Laughlin for a week. My morning started early with Abbey anxious to go for a walk before 7:00 AM. We took a stroll along the shore of the Colorado River and she chased ducks, yellow headed blackbirds and anything that moved, including her shadow. Then it was time for coffee and a chapter or two of my book. Fred and Colleen stopped over to tell us their plans to move to Buckskin State park and then it was time for breakfast. I was packing a picnic lunch and then we were going to head out when our neighbor brought out his guitar. Very soon Senor Ping was out the door and a discussion about guitars began. And then out came the guitar and the music began. What could be better than sitting back and listening to a couple of guitars and watching the birds and the boats go by.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Just for John


Before I left home I promised I wouldn't post as many pictures of us having "happy hour" this year because it was like rubbing salt in a wound for our friends back home. Last night we stopped at the Roadrunner Floating Bar and while we were enjoying the sound of the waves lapping at the sides of the dock and watching the sun sink behind the hills across the river we thought of our dear friend John. If he should decide to join the ranks of the retired, we want him to know that we found the dock for his boat and a great place for beer and tacos.

Emerald Canyon Golf

Here are a few photos of the Emerald Canyon golf course. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words....or something like that.


Monday, April 07, 2008

You Do What You Have To

It is 8:50 PM. I am sitting outside (almost on the road but not quite), there is only a sliver of a moon but the stars are twinkling and I can hear the last few guests at the Roadrunner Bar. Most important I found an internet signal and so I am mooching off of someone's WIFI to post tonight. It's not the best but as I said "you do what you have to". We had an awesome round of golf (well, it depends on who you talk to and what your definition of awesome is but in my books it was awesome). There are pictures to go with the golf but I don't think my signal is quite strong enough to add the photos so you will have to wait until I find a better signal.
After our round of golf we headed over to the Roadrunner Floating Bar. If you read Fred and Colleen's blog you will get an idea of what it's like on a Sunday afternoon, well, Monday evening is much the same. We are here in Parker for a couple days and then off to Laughlin. Abbey had her first swim in the Colorado River today and we are proud to say she actually knows how to dog paddle. We are back to the golf course tomorrow and then we plan to check out Lake Havasu and the London Bridge before moving on.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

5:01 in Salome

We are nearing the end of our stay in Salome. It's been a great place to golf and relax. My golf game has settled back to normal, with a good drive followed by a hit into the desert, back on the fairway and then a chip over the green and then an impossible putt. I did have an amazing putt yesterday and if Senor Ping and F&C had not been witnesses I am sure I would never be able to convince people that I put the ball down with an 80 foot putt. Since it was Friday yesterday we knew that friends at home would be anxious for 5:01 to start. So were we, but it was only 1:05. Oh well, it's 5:00 somewhere!!! After a few beverages and snacks we spent the rest of the day reading and enjoying the sunshine.

Today we will be getting ready to move on. It's time to do laundry and clean the 5th wheel. Our plans are to head to Parker for a few days. If we are lucky we will be camped along the Colorado River. We have tee times booked at the Emerald Canyon Golf course on Monday and Tuesday and will do a bit of touring around the area before heading to Laughlin. We will be without WIFI for a week so don't be disappointed if you don't see any new posts. I'll try to update the blog as soon as we get to a computer friendly place.

This afternoon we will be heading to Salome for supplies and a stop at the Cactus Bar. We will be toasting our friends Bob and Glenda on their recent marriage. Senor Ping and I will also raise a glass for our nieces, Kelly and Jaime, who celebrate their birthdays on April 6 and for our "first born" and favorite daughter, Megan, who will turn 24 on April 7. If you see these lovely ladies be sure to wish them a "Happy Birthday"!!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Browsing At The Bookstore

Just down the road a half hour is the town of Quartzite. We are told that during the months of January and February this town with a population of 1900 sees hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving daily to check out the rock and gem shows, the numerous RV shows and swap meet vendors. Since there are not enough RV parks for that many people and because some of them like to "rough it" the desert surrounding Quartzite is scattered with RVs of all sizes just parked for a day, a week or possibly even the whole winter. For my Eatonia friends, that would be like parking out at Eyre Park for a couple months. (But not anywhere near the hall or any other form of civilization).

Today Senor Ping and I decided to see what the main attraction was in Quartzite. We stopped at aroad side flea market and browsed through the stalls, picking up a few bargains. We saw a few vendors with lots of rocks for sale. Why would you want to buy rocks when there is a whole desert and surrounding mountains full of rocks for you to go and pick yourself? We stopped at Carl's Jr, Allan's favorite lunch spot, and had a bite to eat. We noticed that many of the people looked like they had been out scouring the hills for gold and had just come to town for supplies (and possibly a shower).

And then we noticed a book store and decided to stop and check out the used book selection. Colleen had given me the title of a book she has been looking for and I am always in the market for something to read. Sad to say, I didn't find the book Colleen wanted, nor did I find anything that caught my eye. Well, I guess I should add nothing that caught my eye to read. What I did see was the "bookman". Maybe this is what is drawing the hundreds of thousands of people to Quartzite each winter. Do you think if Eatonia had a "bookman", it, too, would draw huge crowds of RVers and tourists from across the country? Well, I took a photo and maybe I'll talk to town council when I get home and they can suggest someone that might want to take on this business venture. There might be few that wouldn't mind running the bookstore during the summer months but can you imagine December or January?



Tuesday, April 01, 2008

From 39 To 93


We are enjoying the golfing here in Salome. We have played two rounds and other than one group right behind us yesterday we have had the course to ourselves. They opened 8 new holes this year, making it a short 18 hole desert course. The greens are a bit rough but for the price and convenience we can't complain. Yesterday I scored my all time (and probably will never do it again) low score of 39 on the front nine. My back nine was not so pretty but I still broke 90 so I was quite happy. Senor Ping did not have quite as good a start, but we will blame that on his recent illness.
Today my game was a different story. Things did not go as well as the picture shows. Fred and Colleen and Senor Ping all improved their scores and mine, well, I got a better score than 93, but just by a few. Not that you will every hear me complain. After all, it's not snowing, we are enjoying sunshine and golf and good company and it's Tecate Tuesday!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Next Stop: Salome

We had a pleasant drive this morning to Salome, about 113 miles northeast of Yuma. When we arrived at the Rv park we discovered it was lunch time and would have to wait until 1:00 PM to check in. We went for a drive to check out the sites and found Fred and Colleen, in the process of setting up. After a short visit we checked in and are just a stone's throw away from them. We are pleased with the Rv park here. The sites are large and well graveled with a large cement patio. There is a pitch and putt course at the end of the block and an 18 hole course adjacent to the park. There is a pool and spa, laundry facilities etc. We have a nice view of the mountains in the distance and I am sure there will be an awesome sunset this evening.
We are planning on getting together with Fred and Colleen in a short while for happy hour and to catch up on the

Saturday, March 29, 2008

On the Road Again

The time has come for us to say farewell to our friends at Fortuna De Oro Rv park and hit the dusty trail. When we arrived at this park we thought we would try it out for a month since we had not yet experienced a long term stay at an Rv park in the U.S. Our four weeks has turned into six and we are reluctant to leave but know that some day we will be back.
Our experiences here have been great. We made new friends and enjoyed the life of a retiree. A swim in the pool always means you're in for a conversation or two about what part of Canada you're from (most often the Americans were outnumbered 2 to 1), a discussion about the weather back home, how the hockey/curling/BlueJays are doing and most recently, when you are leaving.
This evening we went to a farewell supper put on by the owner of the park. He and his crew served a mexican supper with wine to over 600 people. There were lots of goodbyes and "see you agains". It sounds like many people will be leaving in the next few days, many heading back to Canada.
We will be heading to Salome tomorrow to do some golfing. We are meeting Fred and Colleen and Maggie. The weather forecast is looking great! We will eventually start making our way north with stops in Laughlin and Las Vegas. We are hoping for better weather in Utah this spring because we would like to stop at Bryce and Zion national parks.
Since we aren't too sure what kind of internet service we will have for a few days we hope all is well at home and with the family and will be in touch soon.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Happy Easter from Yuma

We have had a couple of very relaxing and restful days. Yesterday, (Good Friday) we said our goodbyes to our neighbors. They helped us get settled in when we arrived (three men could not sit by and watch me direct the back up and parking so I graciously let them take over) and have enjoyed a few happy hours with them. The temperatures have been climbing so by 10:30 I was heading to the pool to cool off. We went grocery shopping later in the afternoon and then back to the pool for another swim before dinner.
Today we spent most of the afternoon at the pool. It was +34 so they finally turned the heater off (water temp was about 90 F). This evening we visited with some Canadians here in the park. Senor Ping and Pat played guitar and the rest of us exercised our vocal chords.
It looks like the weather will be more of the same for the rest of the week so we will probably spend our last week in Yuma at the pool and doing a bit of last minute shopping at Algodones and the Flea Market. We have not quite decided which direction we will be going from here. It may come down to a flip of a coin or we might have to see which way the wind is blowing.
We want to wish all our friends and family a Happy Easter! Hope you are having wonderful weather and enjoying the weekend. Be sure to have a Cadbury Easter egg for me!!!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Jamming with Senor Ping


The RV park has a weekly Jam Session. We went twice to watch before Senor Ping decided to join in. Last week he sat on the sidelines and played along as various performers from the park and outside of the park took a turn on stage. The music choices are not exactly what we would normally listen to, and certainly not something I am accustomed to hearing around the house but the large audience seems to enjoy old (and I mean old) country music.
This week Senor Ping decided to play a couple instrumental numbers. The audience was soon tapping their toes and there were a few shouts when he played "Ghost Riders" and his second number had many of the people singing along. I guess he will have to start thinking about what he will play next week. I thought I could maybe join in and play tambourine but that job is already taken so I guess I will have to just be a member of the audience.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Curling In Yuma

A "cold front" moved into Yuma on Saturday and yesterday was the coolest day we have experienced since we arrived. It was overcast and windy so we spent the day inside doing some long neglected chores and then washed the truck and toured some other RV parks. We decided to watch the final game of the Mens' Brier and invited our neighbors from B.C. to join us. Apparently the other night Senor Ping and I were watching a game between B.C. and Manitoba and they sat on their patio and tried to watch through our window. They were quite unhappy when Senor Ping blocked their view with his arm and nearly cried when I pulled down the blind (unknowingly).
Senor Ping moved the TV outside and we settled in to watch the final. As the sun set the jackets and jeans were put on and the blankets came out (you would have thought the alcohol in the system would have kept everyone warm but I guess not!) We were all rooting for Team Alberta so there were cheers from everyone after the final shot.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Vancouver at Phoenix

Glen Bews and I got tickets to the Phoenix-Vancouver NHL Game for last Thursday. A pleasant 3 hour bus trip and we were at the Jobing.com Arena. I also got to see the Football Arena, site of the SuperBowl (which I missed due to commitments to Drama!!) which is adjacent to the hockey rink. Very nice facilities. Lots of empty seats. Wayne + crew still have a selling job to keep hockey in the desert.


The blow-up doll is in a restaurant district just outside the arena. Lots up upscale eateries including Margaritaville. Game tickets were only $55.


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Soggy Peso Facilities

I'm sure many of you that are reading our blog regularly are also keeping tabs on Fred and Colleen in San Carlos. If you aren't reading about their winter adventures, check out their blog at http://warmerwinters.blogspot.com. Yesterday Colleen commented on a favorite palapa bar of ours called the Soggy Peso. She was excited to inform us that they had clean, new washrooms. Anyone that has not visited the Soggy Peso may not know why this is such wonderful news. Well, here is a picture of the washroom last year. By the way, it also doubled as a referee stand for the beach volleyball court.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Abbey Before and After

Last year before we headed to Mexico we took Abbey for a "Mexico Beach haircut" and she was shaved. People had to ask what kind of dog she was and whenever we met other dogs Abbey would cringe as if to say, "I know I have a bad haircut but it's not my fault."
When we left home this year it was too cold for a haircut so Abbey has been strolling the streets of our RV park looking like a scruffy little mutt. Yesterday we finally got an appointment for a grooming. Three hours later Abbey departed looking like a princess. There is a definite change in the way she holds her head as she prances up and down the streets. Here are some before and after shots of Abbey.

The Before

The After