The Beach

On Thursday afternoon we found a very scenic spot to just sit and relax. We got directions to a place on the beach where many campers are boondocking. They drive off the main road, into the sand dunes, find a spot with a view they like and that's where they stay. The sand dunes reminded me of Gunn's Beach at Good Spirit Lake (Yorkton).We found a spot on the beach where we could let Abbey run and chase seagulls. We watched the pelicans and kept our eyes open for the dolphins that are in the area. Senor Ping and Abbey both got their toes wet. As you can see from the photos we had the beach to ourselves.

Mexican Gardening Techniques

Here are the hedge trimmers at work outside of our RV park.

Never A Dull Moment

We can't complain about things being dull here in Mexico. Last night we checked out Happy Hour at a new place for us called Bananas. From there we headed to Froggy's and then home. Colleen and I have added to our photo collection of "our favorite waiters in San Carlos" which will be posted on this blog in the near future.
While we were gone there was a small electrical fire just a few sites over from us. A great way for the neighbors to get to know one another. The power to our site and those around us has been affected. And totally unrelated to the electrical fire was a problem with our new fridge. Thankfully one of our neighbors noticed and cut the electricity to our site and headed off another major repair job. Senor Ping was able to fix it this morning so the fridge is back on electrical.
Today is going to be a lazy day for us. I plan to check out the cooking classes this afternoon here in the campground and we have been invited to another campsite this evening to see pictures of a trip to Copper Canyon. I am going to take my camera and see if I can get some pictures of the flowers that are starting to bloom here in the campground. Maybe a nap in the sun down by the beach will also round out the day.

A Bad Day In Paradise

If there is ever such a thing as a bad day in paradise I think I am having one. Things started off wrong this morning when I put the sugar intended for my cheerios into my coffee. It was all downhill from there. We went to play our 3rd round of golf at the San Carlos Golf Club. Right from the first tee off I knew it was not going to be a good day. My heart must have been down by the sea because I was at the beach (sand traps) at every hole on the first nine (and sometimes more than once). I exhausted my vocabulary of cuss words and resorted to just groans. I am afraid my golf partners were of no help except when it came to keeping the ball rolling the odd time. At least they put up with my bad day and didn't kick me out of the cart at the end of the 9th hole. Now most of you would say things have only got to get better, but that was not the case. Between the 9th and 10th hole we came upon a rather large mud puddle. F&C went through first with no problems. Senor Ping made his way through only to spray mud up the back of the passenger's side (that would be were I was). And then when I thought it could get no worse we got stuck and I had to get out and pull us through the mud. I was covered in mud and Senor Ping did not have a spot on him. I decided at that point that I should forget about golf and think of the refreshments at the end of the game. It helped make the game more enjoyable but still didn't do much to improve my score. Now we are back at the campground and what should our neighbor be playing...... an accordian. Now, I must admit he is very good and the music is pleasant to listen to but I am waiting for him to start playing polkas....oops, he just started!!!
However, when I think about our poor friends back in Saskatchewan, slaving away at their jobs every day, either still shovelling snow or worse yet dealing with the mud on the playground I think to myself "How could there be a bad day when you are in paradise?"

Grilled Lime Shrimp

Last evening we had Grilled Lime Shrimp for dinner. Abel, the fish man, stopped by yesterday morning after our boat cruise and Colleen and I decided to split a kilo of medium shrimp. Since this was my first experience with shrimp Colleen came over and demonstrated the fine art of shelling and de-veining shrimp. Doug and Fred supervised with a Tecate in hand (Mexican beer brewed in Sonora).

I borrowed some skewers from Colleen and mixed up the marinade. Because it had lime juice in it the marinating time was just 10 minutes. The marinade also included chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, lime zest and oregano and cumin (neither of which I have). I decided to add a teaspoon of the dried salsa mix I used in the spanish rice last week instead. I marinated them and them threaded them on the skewers and in a few short minutes they were grilled to perfection (Senor Ping is also new at grilling fish but seems to be handling the challenge). I cooked some rice and green beans and our dinner was complete. This is a recipe I will add to my collection, the only problem will be finding fresh shrimp when we are back home in Saskatchewan. By the way, there were about 30 shrimp in the half kilo and it cost about $5 U.S.

Two Hour Cruise

This morning Fred and Colleen and Senor Ping and I went out with Gary's Dive Shop for a two hour cruise. On our way to the marina we sang parts of the Gilligan's Island theme song. We arrived early so we had plenty of time to decide where we wanted to sit. We moved about the boat and finally settled on the upper deck. We set off and did a bit of bird watching and our guide gave a comprehensive explanation of the geological makeup of the land and sea.
We spotted blue heron, blue footed boobies, pelicans and other birds. The view from the boat was spectacular. There are homes that seem to balance on the edge of the cliffs and secluded beaches beneath them.
We spotted a sea lion resting in the water and then it was off to see the whales. The pictures do not do justice to the magnificence of seeing the whales as they surface and blow water in a huge spray. We circled around and had a few sightings.

We then headed across the bay to look for dolphins. We were just about ready to give up when they surfaced. As we circled around the guide called to them and then they joined us and followed in our wake, jumping and having a great time.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave a brief history of the Sea of Cortez and provided lots of factual information about the sea life. And unlike the SS Minnow we did return from our two hour tour.

A Trip to Guaymas

Fred and Colleen recommended that we take the bus to Guaymas because we would not have to worry about parking and because of the convenience. This morning the four of us jumped on a new bus (9 pesos each) to see what we could see. We rode the bus to Plaza do los 3 Presidentes. There are beautiful statues of 3 former presidents and a large square with benches along the water. We followed the water to the Fisherman's Monument and stopped to watch a couple of men fixing a fishing net. We stopped along the way to check out a few of the local supermarkets and other shops. Our main destination was the Mercado Municipal which is a block or two of native markets selling everything from clothing to fresh meat. None of us were in the market for fresh beef or pork but by the looks of the heads of the animals the meat was definately fresh.

We circled around and stopped for an early lunch at Los Barcos, a very lovely restaurant which specializes in seafood. I wish I would have take pictures of our meal. Colleen had stuffed jalapenos (I forgot the Mexican name) and seafood cocktail. The jalapenos were huge and pale yellow in color. They were steamed and stuffed with shrimp, onion and cabbage with a soya sauce added. The seafood cocktail included what we would consider medium to large shrimp in a tomato broth. Fred had coconut shrimp, which we all had a taste of and declared them delicious. Senor Ping had the daily special which was shrimp in a peanut sauce with rice and vegetables. I had a fish taco and shrimp taco. We topped them off with a couple of corona and pacifica beer. By the time we were finished we all decided it was siesta time so we headed back to San Carlos.
The bus trip back was an experience everyone should have. We couldn't help but relate the trip to the many rides we have had on school buses over the years. Believe me, our bus drivers in Eatonia make it feel like one is riding in a cradle compared to the bus trip home. Who needs to go to Disneyland? Just take ride on one of these buses. The bus drivers don't want to get off schedule so they drive as fast as it is humanly possible just to get the passengers to their destination. (Of course since there is no air conditioning on the bus the faster the trip the better).

Flounder For Dinner

I meant to post this last evening but after a full day of doing nothing (that what happens after Tecate Tuesday) it was lights out early. This is a post for Megan and her International food bloggers. We had pan fried flounder, tomato puree sauce, spanish rice and fresh green beans. I used a recipe Kent posted the other day using onions, pepper, tomatoes and garlic. I had picked up some roma tomatoes at the market so I used them. Instead of lemon juice I added freshly squeezed limes. I used my little hand blender and it worked quite well. I made spanish rice using canned tomatoes and a couple of teaspoons of salsa mix I had purchased from an Epicure home party last fall. It was excellent. The green beans were from Tony's market. The flounder was fresh from the "fish man" who come to the park 3 times a week. I floured the fish and used the grill pan on the barbeque with just a bit of olive oil. Senor Ping and I were both pleased with the dinner. nex week we are going to try cooking prawns.

A Busy Day In San Carlos

Some of you may find it hard to believe but we have busy days in Mexico, just like those of you that are less fortunate than us and are back home working a 9-5 job (or if you are teachers 8-????). We arose early and it was Doug's turn to take Abbey for a walk. When he got back he made coffee and I crawled out of bed and was ready to start the day. My To Do list was quite long. I started with dusting and vacumning and had some clothes to put away after doing laundry yesterday. I also put our winter jackets under the bed (I don't think we will need them since the temps have been in the low 80's all week) and rearranged the cupboards. (I also shook out 3 rugs today!!!)Doug and Fred fixed my bike tire (apparently I had driven over a goat's head thorn) and then Doug vacumned and cleaned the truck. The propane truck was by and we filled our little tank and then the "fish man" stopped and so we bought some flounder for dinner this evening. Doug also gave our neighbor a hand with his awning. He is from Vancouver Island and he and his wife have been coming to Mexico for 23 years. He is 90 years old and was having trouble getting his awning down so Doug and another neighbor gave him a hand. When we headed out to the market we discovered the repair job on my tire was not quite complete so we went to find a hardware store that carries repair kits for tire tubes. We stopped at a few gift shops and the art gallery. Doug repaired another hole on my tire and just when we thought it was fixed the air started to leak out again. I guess that will be tomorrow's job. I decided to get a start on dinner and made spanish rice and a tomato sauce for the flounder I will pan fry later. Our plans for the evening were to head to a little bar about a block from here to see a Mariachi band. We were having a refreshment before hand and new neighbors arrived. We were quite surprised to see the "Roughrider" license plate and even more surprised to find out that we know our new neighbors. We will post a picture tomorrow and the first person to guess who they are will get a " Corona and lime".(F&C you can't guess)At 6:00 we walked over to the ElToro bar and met the band outside. They remembered Doug from last week. It was 2 for 1 Happy Hour and our waitress was very attentive. The mariachi band was much younger than your typical mariachi band and we enjoyed their music. On our way home we stopped at a "cooking school" and checked out the menu. We will have to stop back another evening. Back at the campground we stopped for a visit with our new neighbors and then headed home. It was a very busy day and that means an early bedtime. I think we worked so hard today we will have to take tomorrow off.

Golf Mexico

On Monday morning the four of us headed to the golf course for another 18 holes. It was a beautiful day, mid 70's, a slight breeze and almost no one at the course. Doug was pleased with the 85 he shot and I was happy I didn't lose a club this time (by the way no one ever turned in my 7 iron, but its beyond me why anyone would want to keep it). Some of the best things about this course are: no bugs, no water, no crowds, no rattlesnakes (yet) and it was Monday at 10:00 AM and we weren't at school!!! We will definately be back for another round before we leave San Carlos.



Just thought I'd add these photos for John and Marla and Debbie K. Wish you were here!!!

Our Home Away From Home

Here is a picture of our campsite and one of Humenys' site.

A Drive to Miramar

On Saturday afternoon we took a drive to Miramar, a village around the bay from San Carlos. Some might say it is a suburb of Guaymas. It might even be described as a "bedroom community on the beach". There are a few convenience stores but we could not see any evidence of a shopping district. We toured through some of the residential districts and were intrigued by the contrast in housing ranging from a shack on a sandbar to huge homes overlooking the bay. We also stopped at the Playa de Cortes. This hotel was build in the mid 1930's and we've heard that John Wayne and others used to frequent the hotel. We stopped for a refreshment in the bar and toured the grounds. It would be a perfect place to write "the great novel". It was so quiet you could have been in a monastery. There were beautiful wood carvings, antiques and a stained glass mural over a fireplace in one of the salons.



By the way, I discovered yesterday that people could not leave a comment unless they were "bloggers". I have now changed that so that we can receive comments from anyone.

Secluded Beaches of San Carlos

Here are a few pictures of some of the beaches at San Carlos. It was a windy day so we didn't even dip our toes in.
Frenchie's Cove

Tetekawi from the look out point by El Mirador Campground

Catch 22 Beach (also known as Algodones Beach

Tony's Market

We stopped to pick up a few fresh fruits and veggies as well as home made tortillas and fresh from the bakery bread.

Nacapule Canyon

We took a drive through the Ranchitos district of San Carlos yesterday. We passed the school for 6 -11 year olds. They travel to Guaymas by bus when they are older. The students were all in uniforms. We had noticed that about the groups of students we had seen when we went to Guaymas earlier in the week. After leaving the Ranchitos we headed up a dirt road until we came to a clearing to park the truck. The hike was unbelievable. We went from cactus to palmtrees and other tropical plants. The final destination was the pool of water and cave. Of course some people took the route that was marked with blue paint but we ventured off the main trail and climbed some steep rocks, crawled through a cave and even backtracked a bit but it was a great experience.

Life's Lessons We have Learned

It seems that we may be "old and retired" but there are still some things that we can learn. Here are the a few of "life's lessons" we have learned since arriving in San Carlos.
1. When they say the music will start at 4:00 you need to remember "Mexican time" and not arrive for happy hour so early. Yesterday F&C and Senor Ping and I arrived at 3:30 to insure that we would have a good seat at Froggy's for the well known entertainer. In actuality he didn't start singing until 6:00. Maybe 2 1/2 hours early was a bit too early.
2. After arriving for happy hour and staying until after dark one should take care riding their bike home. I won't say anymore except that Fred led the way, I was hot on his trail and Senor Ping was bringing up the rear and it was the other biker that took a spill. I am sure everyone in the campground heard us giggling when we finally arrived home.
3. Walking can be dangerous when you don't look where you are going. This morning I did a face plant when Abbey and I got going in opposite directions and I was doing too much looking around. Luckily there were no injuries, just a scraped knee and hand and a red face.

I am sure we will learn a few other things while we are here but in any case this is the beginning of our next level of education.

San Carlos

On Tuesday Senor Ping and I went for a short drive to check out a few of the sights in San Carlos. Here are a few pictures of the Sea Of Cortez.

Monday in Mexico

What does one do in Mexico on a Monday? Well, about the time the bell would be ringing back home and everyone would be scrambling in from the icy cold playground I was heading out on my walk. Abbey and I left the campground and walked along the water side of the street. We stopped to watch the pelicans dive for food and then headed down the street to check out the shops in San Carlos. After our walk Colleen and I rode our bikes to the outdoor market. It was quite facinating to watch the vendor (Tony) and his staff set out the produce and fresh meat and fish that they sell each day. There were boxes and baskets full of every fruit and vegetable imaginable as well as huge coolers full of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops, and packaged meat. Tony also sells fresh bread, tortillas (still warm), nuts, dates, coffee and other items you might be looking for to plan your menu for the day. I felt like a child in a candy shop. I know that the next time I go I will take a camera because I am sure Meg and her food blog friends might be interested. After an early lunch we golfed 18 holes at the local golf course with Fred and Colleen. Senor Ping, F&C all had good rounds and I was quite proud of the fact that I did not loose a ball in 18 holes. Of course Senor Ping did have to add that I had lost one golf club (my old 7 iron) but hopefully someone will turn it in to the clubhouse and I will pick it up the next time we play a round. The golf course is surrounded by beautiful homes and gorgeous scenery and the day was warm with just a hint of a breeze so it was a most enjoyable way to pass the afternoon. After the golf game we headed to the marina to see the boats and have a refreshment or two. Again I will have to take a camera on our next trip so that I can share with all of you the view as we sipped our refreshments and feasted on fresh salsa and tortilla chips.
By the time we arrived back at the campground it was time for a shower and some grilled porkchops. I am sure it will be an early night as we are settling in to watch CSI Miami and to catch up on news from Saskatchewan.

Happy Hour

Here are a couple of pictures for all our dear friends at home, especially John and Marla. You may be thousands of miles away but we are thinking of you.....as a matter of fact we even have a couple empty chairs. By the way we were toasting Colleen's birthday.

Finally Arrived

We have finally arrived and are fully set up in our campsite in San Carlos Mexico. It was not an easy trip by any means. We left Yuma on Thursday morning and had a good trip to Tucson. We found the insurance office without any problems but then proceeded to wait for 2 1/2 hours for all the papers to be processed. From there we headed to Camping World (apparently a must stop for all RVers). Our final stop on Thursday was at the Desert Diamond Casino, which is situated on the way to Nogales (our border crossing). We checked out their buffet and then made phone calls home to Mom D. and the kids (sorry Megan that you weren't home). We headed back to the 5th wheel about 9:30 PM with plans to get a good sleep and an early start. That was not to be. No sooner had we settled down for the night when we smelled smoke and then discovered an electrical fire in our fridge. Thanks to Doug's quick thinking we had the fire out in no time. There was extensive damage to the fridge and so we knew it would be back to Tucson in the morning to find a new fridge. We didn't get much sleep as both of us were worrying about when and how we would get the fridge fixed and how lucky we were that we were in the trailer when the electrical short took place. Early Friday morning we were in line at the RV Center and for a while it didn't look promising. Doug headed to Camping World and they had a fridge and also promised to get it installed before the end of the day. We unhooked the trailer and then just hung out and were pleasantly surprised to hear that it was fixed by 1:30 PM. Our freezer had been fully stocked and nothing had started to thaw so that was also a bonus. We were back on the road and stopped at the Walmart at Nogales (our first experieince at Walmart camping). I spent the afternoon cleaning the trailer. There was a strong smoke smell but I think we have gotten most of it cleared out.
Finally on Saturday morning at 6:45 AM we were back on the road to Nogales. It was a very uneventful border crossing and a good trip to San Carlos. We pulled into the Totanoka Campground by 1:00 PM. Of course we had a reservation but that really doesn't mean much. We found a spot on the road and were promised a site by tomorrow. But who could complain. The weather was beautiful, Colleen brought us lunch (it was great!!!!) and Fred and Colleen had cold beer. We also checked out Froggy's later in the afternoon. We had a very early night and both of us had a great sleep. This morning we were up and at the office by 9:00 AM. We had already checked out the empty sites and picked out the one we wanted. We are now settled in. The power and water are hooked up as is the satellite dish (as a matter of fact we are watching the Scott Tournament curling), the awning is out and the sun is shining. We are here for a month and if the first day and a half are any indication, there will be lots of R&R, lots of sun and lots of good company.

Extreme Makeover for Abbey

Just thought I'd share the before and after pictures of Abbey. We took her to a pet groomers yesterday in preparation for our trip to Mexico. She's so ugly sh'e cute!!!

R&R With R&R

We've just sent Raymondo and Roni off on the next leg of their journey. They are heading to San Diego where they plan to spend the next 4 days. They have a long list of places to go and things to see there before they start for home. We had a great visit and enjoyed touring around Yuma with them. On Monday we did some shopping and then relaxed by the pool. It was also time to do some laundry. Yesterday we took a trip to Los Algodones, Mexico. It is a short drive from our campground. We were a bit surprised to see the line of cars as we approached the border. We arrived early in the morning and spent a couple hours strolling though the market area checking out the blankets, pottery, metal work, and various other types of trinkets. We were amazed at the huge number of dentists and optometrists and pharmacies. We stopped for lunch and a few Coronas. If we were surprised by the line up as we were arriving I can only describe our reaction as SHOCK when it came time to leave. We walked toward the customs line only to find the line wound around the corner. As we walked almost a full block down the street to find the end of the line we were amazed at the number of people standing and waiting to leave the country. It was an hour long wait but we finally arrived at customs which took approximately 2 minutes maximum for all four of us to go through. I can only assume that it is like this every day as our neighbors here at the campground warned us before hand to go early and get in line to leave before 2:00 PM. Senor Ping and I did not buy anything as we are waiting for San Carlos to make our purchases (I couldn't see us moving around the big turtle and metal guitar player I had my eye on for the rest of our trip.) Ray and Roni did find a few things that will be keepsakes from the trip.
We arrived back at the campground in time for the Mardi Gras parade. Many of the park residents were dressed in fancy hats, masks and carried decorated umbrellas. There were a few golf carts and bikes decorated for the occasion as well. The parade circled through the park and it looked like they were having a great time (too bad I didn't have a costume or I would have joined in).
Today we are taking Abbey for a haircut and will do some shopping and packing for our trip to Tucson. We hope to get an early start so we can take care of insurance and other business on Thursday and head for San Carlos on Friday. We are also going to stop in for a visit with some other Eatonia folks and hopefully have a bit more R&R before we start on the next leg of our adventure.
The picture above was taken in the market area of Los Algodones.

A Day In Paradise

We are settling in to the "retired lifestyle". That means up at 7:00, walk the dog through the desert with 20 or more other dog owners, coffee on the patio and a good book to read. A nap after lunch is certainly a "must" and then happy hour begins. Of course by 8:00 PM most people's lights are out. After all they have had a busy day!! Actually, by the looks of the activity schedule in this park the residents are kept busy with aerobics, aquacizes, card playing, shuffleboard, horseshoes, line dancing just to mention a few of the choices. I think I'll go check out the aquacizes tomorrow morning. Today we went to visit some folks from Eatonia (Glen and Trudy) who are at a park near by. We went for a drive and stopped for lunch. It was a good chance for us to see some of the sights and get an idea of what we can do when Ray and Roni arrive. If anyone is watching the Scott Tournament be sure to let us know how the Sask rink is doing.

Finally in Yuma

The past few days we haven't been able to check our email or do any posting so I guess I should give you an update on where we are and where we have been. On Monday morning we left Great Falls and drove for 12 hours. We had bad road conditions through most of Montana but eventually it did warm up and the roads cleared. We spend Tuesday night in Provo. Senor Ping and I are both fighting colds we brought with us from Canada. Thankfully we had a short drive on Wednesday and we were set up in our campsite in Mesquite by early afternoon. We had to de-winterize the 5th wheel and buy some groceries. Mesquite has grown since our last trip and there is a new Super Walmart. And to think that Kindersley thought they had the "best Walmart in the country". I took the advice of some of the K-5 students at Eaton School and did some shopping at Walmart. We had a bit of time left to hit the casinos to leave some money for the others. On Thursday we headed to Laughlin. Another place that has grown considerably since our last visit. We stayed at the Riverside Campground and got some much needed rest. Doug had a bit of a winning streak and so we left with some money in our pockets. On Friday we were packed up again and off to Yuma. We are staying at the Bonita Mesa RV resort. It is very clean and we have a large campsite. We will be here until next Thursday. I am looking forward to doing some reorganizing in the 5th wheel and soaking up the sun (did I say that it was 80F today???) Raymondo and Roni will be arriving on Sunday and I am sure we will enjoy a few beers on the patio. We are going to do some sight seeing and maybe check out the flea markets. I am sure Senor Ping and Raymondo would LOVE to go shopping with their loving wives!!!

The Great Adventure Begins

We left home at 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 11. After a very short night (we didn't get home until 4:00 AM) and a very efficient cleanup at the hall we were on the road. It started to snow before we got to Medicine Hat and by the time we got to Taber there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. The next stretch of highway was very slow going. Once we got through the border crossing (which by the way was a breeze) we were on the I-15 and although it was still snowing we made good time. Abbey proved to be a good traveller so we reached our planned destination (Great Falls) and now have a few minutes to check our email and post the first entry for Senor Ping and Snowflake's Great Adventure!!!
We hope to reach Provo, Utah tomorrow but will be happy if we can get to Pocatello.

Just a Few More

Here are a few more pictures.

More from Tumbleweed

Here are a few more pictures from Trouble in Tumbleweed. Two nights down, 415 dinners served, 3/4 of the wine and beer sold and only one small disaster.... a table for 6 collapsed. A bit of cleanup and a complimentary bottle of wine and all was fine again.
Here are some of the citizens of Tumbleweed.

Trouble in Tumbleweed

The final rehearsal is over. In less than 24 hours it will be opening night. Hopefully everyone will remember their lines, not miss any entrance cues, remember to wait for the laughter (Oh God, what if there is no laughter????) and no one will lose a moustache. Here is a sneak preview of the entire cast of the Oasis Players production of Trouble In Tumbleweed.

Good Bye Deep Freeze, Hello Sunshine

After hearing the weather report today I have to say that I am very happy that we have begun preparations to leave the deep freeze we live in. The weather forecast is for cold, colder and coldest. It was -49 in Winnipeg this week, the forecast for Saskatchewan is just a bit warmer than that. However, Raymondo phoned this afternoon and reported sunny skies and "shorts weather" in Arizona. I can hardly wait to shed my winter coat and dig out my shorts and flipflops!!! Just 5 more days until we head out.

Bonding With The Family

Senor Ping and I were off to the city this past weekend to do a bit of bonding with the children. We arrived in time to have dinner with Megan, Allan and his friend Julia. The choice of restaurants was up to Meg and Al and after great deliberating they chose Joey Tomatoes. Good wine, good food and good company! After dinner Senor Ping and I headed to Bailey Bed and Breakfast on Oakridge. Accomodation was excellent as always, although this trip we were back in the Norwegian Suite rather than the exotic Guyamus suite we had during our last stay. On Friday Colleen and I ventured out into the snow and battled adverse road conditions on our search for a tea ball and collapsible collander. After browsing through every store in the mall and a few purchases not related to the items on our quest we did eventually find the tea ball. We arrived back at the B&B in time for Senor Ping and I to head downtown to meet Megan for light dinner before our evening of theatre. Another great choice of eating establishments! Allan was to join us for the opening night of The Knowing Bird which is a part of the Enbridge playRites Festival but got tied up and missed a very enjoyable and humorous production. I only wish I had the opportunity to see all the plays in the festival. after the show we hurried to the other end of the city to see the last 2 ends of curling match between the undefeated team of Dave, Jane, Ted and Colleen and their opponents (most definately rated as the underdogs in the match). Sadly, I must report that the winning foursome dropped their first game in two years. However, they did have time to discuss strategy and make a game plan for next week's match over a few beverages later.
Saturday morning was bright and sunny and we had time for breakfast with all the family before we started for home. A big thank you to the Baileys' for the great hospitality!!

Now That I Am Retired

Yesterday the K-5 students gave me a booklet they had compiled for my retirement. It included suggestions from all the students for things I can do now that I am retired. Some of the best were: play checkers at the retirement home where I live, (did Meg and Al forget to tell Senor Ping and I that they booked us a room at the EOL???). There were a few that said I should go shopping (and I will certainly take them up on that one), others that thought travelling to Mexico, Las Vegas, taking a cruise, Hawaii would be in my future, a few thought I needed a new job and some new careeer choices would be a doctor or working at Walmart. And finally, a few predicted that I would become a movie star, go to Hollywood, and the best.... I will become the next Canadian Idol!!!
I was a bit disappointed that not one of them suggested I sit back, enjoy the coffee and read a book while I hear the bell ring for the start of school.

Last day!!

RV Having Fun
I just had to say it, today is my last day of teaching!! I know there will be a few tears shed before the day is over, and I haven't really finished everything (I still need to do the handprints on the wall in the hall at school) but this is it, I AM OFFICIALLY RETIRED
Now I can join Senor Ping and we can both do nothing when we feel like it!!!

The Countdown

RV Having Fun
The countdown has begun! Well, maybe I should say the countdowns (Plural) have begun. Here is what we are counting down to:
2 more getups until I am officially retired. (That's Monday and Wednesday with a day off inbetween).
5 days until we will be in Calgary to see Meg and Al (something tells me Megan needs a hug).
10 days until our 3 day SOLD OUT dinner theatre begins (don't ask me if we are ready, because I am not sure if I could answer that).
Finally, exactly 2 weeks from today we will be on our way on our Great RV Adventure.
And with each of these countdowns comes a long list of chores to complete. so I best get on my way this fine Sunday morning and start doing some of those jobs instead of drinking coffee and reading everyone's Blog!

Curl Up with A Blanket

RV Having Fun
Tonight is a perfect night to put your feet up and cover up with one of the many afghans or blankets we have because the wind is howling and the snow is blowing. If we cross our fingers and pray a little we might even have "snow day" tomorrow.
Abbey just took a quick venture out the door. She took 3 steps to the left, 3 to the right and then right back in the door. Now I can only hope that I have a good book to read or that there is something worth watching on TV.

Making Our List

RV Having Fun
As the big day draws near, it became obvious that list making would be a good thing. Yesterday Senor Ping made a TO DO List and it looks like he checked off most of the items. I, on the other hand, did not make a list but did get a good start on the program for the dinner theatre, did the Bar Menu (this year we are serving bucket of blood caesars and poker face paralizers, just to mention a few), spent hours searching for a good recipe for cheesecake squares and mailed off tickets and the royalty payment. All in all I think we had a very productive day. Now we just have to start on a PACKING LIST. #1 Wine, #2 corkscrew, #3 wineglasses.........

Happy New Year

RV Having Fun
Our house is pretty quiet, Meg and Al are back in Calgary, we took Grandma home yesterday and so that leaves just Senor Ping, Abbey and I. The tree and decorations are packed up and the only evidence of the holidays is leftovers in the fridge (not from Xmas but the few days when I was cooking for 5 instead of 2). I hope everyone had a festive New Year's Eve and the best to all in '07.