Shopping today

Had a haircut today, yoicks, looks as if I put my finger in a light socket. Oh well. Then we headed out to get some more beads at Joann's and Jay's another bead place we found. I am getting brown beads and fillers for brown necklaces, etc.

After that we got a pair of New Balance runners and a pair of slippers for me, and we had lunch at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant. Yum yum. Memories of Greece.

Later went over to a gorgeous store called the West, all run by volunteers. Proceeds go to women and children in need. They have a huge selection of needlepoint and cross stitch stuff, it's marvellous. Also some wonderful giftware items. I got the Cross Stitchers Bible and some other small things. I could have spent a fortune, as their things were gorgeous. Most remarkable was the selection of different flosses, I even bought a pattern for a Cross Stitch designed by Thea Dueck of Victoria I believe. The watercolor threads were to die for there but I resisted.

Later bought 2 used books at Bookman's, one a Nora Roberts, and the other a new author for me, C.J. Box.

Chinese food for dinner. Tomorrow we hope to see some more Grand Prix horse jumping at the Fairgrounds near here.

Tucson Rodeo Parade at 9 AM today

Had a super time at the Rodeo parade today, though we got up at 6:45 AM to go to a local mall and catch a shuttle bus to the Grandstand area. Didn't have to be there that early, but as it was a lovely day it worked out perfectly anyway. Nadia and Walter S joined us in the grandstands, they had walked from their hotel.

Enjoyed the 2 hour parade with them, saw horses, miniature horses, ponies, mules, buggies, carriages, a Mexican mariachi band, a huge barbershop group, Tucson local High School marching bands, Mexican riders in huge skirts, floats, politicians and local interest groups, it was ll so neat. No engines, just horse power in the truest sense of the meaning. No disasters that we saw either, just good wholesome fun in the warm Arizona morning.

Afterwards back on the shuttle buses to the same mall for drop off. Very convenient.
We then went to Best Buy and bought our first GPS. The 'goddess' will take over the navigating for us, hope it is handy. Some things like arriving in a new town and finding the nearest food shop/ gas station/restaurant are a great idea.

We continue to find Tucson very intersting and very easy to get around in ourselves, having been here 5 years ago for a month staying out in the same southeast area of Tucson is also a big plus. Being married to a navigator is the best of all. Yeah team.

Home around 1:30 or so, we searched for a hairdresser for Di, I desperately need a haircut, and will go tomorrow when the girl I was recommended to is working. It's one of those walk in type of places, but apparently you can phone ahead and see how their day is going, for a kind of appt. Hmmmmmm. It's called Cost Cutters.

Now it's nearly 5:00 and you know what that means, HAPPY HOUR. Jose Cuervos and I will get together, not sure who Lary will be joining. Ole.

Pancakes today for Shrove Tuesday-yesterday

Went over to a neighbouring RV Park, Voyager, on the other side of I-10 at the end of Kolb Road. They had a crafts sale and it was a super one, very big, about 50 vendors or so, very nice quality things. I bought silver earrings and a dichroic glass pendant that is irridescent blue and green, on a leather cord. I had wanted such a pendant for ages but they are very expensive normally.

Came home, had a quick bite and then I went to the beading group, and made kind of a lariat to go around my neck and hold a nametag, instead of pinning it on my top, where the pin makes a hole. I haven't tried it as yet, but made it mostly with the composite "turquoise" rough beads I have, and some coral and small seed beads in a coral colour. It looks kind of like a necklace in reverse as I put the big beads behind my neck, and the finer ones toward the bottom of each wire, so that I can attach the nametag near the bottom. It's about 32" or so.

Lary was in the pool and sunbathing there, so I got on my suit and went over there to cool down, floated around talking to a lady who is renting here in the park, and another lady Ann who is from Manitoba.

Then we went out to IHOP and had pancakes as yesterday was Shrove Tuesday. I had blueberry ones and Lary had pecan caramel ones with granola in them. Yum yum.

Friends from Nanoose Bay here for lunch today

Nadia and Walter S came for lunch with us today. We fed them tuna salad and tabouleh on a bed of romaine lettuce. It was really hot, and sunny, during lunch since we were sitting kind of crowded at the dinette, we put on the air conditioning. It got to 83 today, we showed N & W all around this complex, and they were very impressed.

There are quite a few rental park model trailers available here, they go for about $1500 a month, and are 1 Bedroom, 1 bathroom, fully furnished, self contained, and of course the park has about a million things to do. I just discovered there is silversmithing and lapidary, as well as woodworking. There is also a sewing room, a coffee/reading room, and the list goes on. There is bocce, and new bocce courts being made, and there are pickleball courts, too.

Walter had brought us a movie he recorded, Slumdog Millionaire. Very nice of him.

After lunch they left around 3 PM, and we said our goodbyes.

Then we went to the pool and had a nice swim, though the hot tub wasn't hot for some unknown reason, so we didn't go in it.

Later we went out to the IHOP or International House of Pancakes, as it was Shrove Tuesday and we wanted to have pancakes. No joy, at 7 PM there was a lineup out the door and along the sidewalk, so we went back to a lovely Italian Restaurant, La Dolce Vita, and had a super dinner.

The owner is Italian and had spent many many years in Surrey outside of Vancouver. He was very friendly, as was his staff. He's been down here now for some 30 plus years. One of the waitresses came from Chicago, and other restaurant patrons with us in the restaurant were from Hamilton, here on a bus trip, so we chatted to them also. Our waiter had spent 13 years living up in Seattle, but he's back here now, though he loved it there. Small world indeed.

A couple of days ago a record high temp was set at 91 degrees.

Monday Di went for a pedicure, Lary got propane and diesel, then we went to the pool. The truck temp registered 90 then 92 degrees, so Lary felt hot......!

Cold Chicken plate for dinner Monday, that hit the spot in the heat.

Old Time Fiddlers Contest today

Went to the Old Time Fiddlers Contest here today in Reid Park. Lots of talent, even the tiniest youngsters. We met Nadia and Walter S there, then around noon we 4 went to eat Fish Tacos at a local restaurant, after that Lary and I went out to the Pima Fairgrounds to watch the end of the Grand Prix horseshow jumping. It's free, such a wonder to just walk in and sit down to view such high calibre horses and horsemanship. Some of those jumps are 5 foot 8 inches high, frightening up close!!
I met a very nice horsewoman, Ann Frankel, with a very nice calm horse, from California.

Home and watching the Academy Awards tonight.

Tucson Rodeo starts today- whoopee!!

Got up this morning and the increased warmth is incredible. Still a wee bit chilly in the mornings, but today it reached into the mid to high 70s at the rodeo. And the bright blue skies are incredible.

Went to 9 AM coffee in the clubhouse/auditorium. That's where you find out what is happening for the next few days. Coffee and doughnuts. Then walked around the outside roads of the park twice in the warm sun with Lary.

Then we headed off to the first day of the Tucson Rodeo. It starts at 12:30 noonish, and as we were waiting to buy our entry tickets for today, a man came up and asked us if we were going to buy tickets. He had 2 tickets to sell, in the second row, in a box, for $20 each. His friends had to cancel out as she went to hospital with heart problems last night. Tickets are non refundable, so we gained great seats for a decent price. And we sat with them, he's ex US Air Force. They are in a 5th wheel staying on Davis Monthan Air Base here in town. We were right in the dust zone, great seats, perfect to see everything. Nearly right down in the arena with the competitors.

First was 'mutton busting', where little kids up to 6 years old try to ride running sheep, recently sheared ones. They wear helmets, and hold on for dear life, but they always fall off nearly right away. It is so cute, and they get picked up and dusted off right away. After that it's Junior Rodeo, kids from about 6 - 12 do some form of rodeo events.

At 2 PM til 4:30 PM there are the professional Rodeo events, and a perfect mix of types of events, team roping, barrel racing, bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, and bull riding. Also there is a precision girls horseback drill team that performs at a gallop, and 3 horseback acrobats who are incredible, as they also perform everything at a gallop, doing flips, hanging off the side of the horses, standing, vaulting back and forth across the horse. There were 2 girls and a fellow, so impressive.

All in all a terrifically entertaining day. Lovely horses, very skilled cowboys, great announcer and a very funny principle rodeo clown. The announcer said that the highly competitive horses they ride are worth about $100,000 each!!!!! And of course the trade show on the rodeo grounds has tons of neat things to look at and drool over. Very pretty rodeo oriented art, as well.

Had steaks for dinner here, and did the laundry after that.

Nadia and Walter S may join us again tomorrow at the Old Time Fiddling Contest.

To Mission San Xavier del Bac & Tubac

Last night we got a call from Nadia and Walter Shworan, they are here in Tucson staying in a hotel for a week. So this morning we picked them up at 10:00, had coffee with them, and went down to see Mission San Xavier del Bac church, an indian church on the Tohono Odham Indian reserve, just south of Tucson.

From there we went south again to Tubac, an old town that has been made into a lovely arts village, about 4 streets long, it has mostly art galleries and higher end gift shops. Nadia was in heaven. We girls paired up as did our hubbies, and Nadia got some new inspiration from all the beautiful art work that is just everywhere. There is also incredible jewelry.

Nadia and I were drooling over some Tahitian Black Pearls in a gorgeous jewelry shop, and the girl showed them to us. Price tag was $16,500, but they are marked down, some 40% or so. Sure, we both got a set. NOT!!!!! They were lovely. That shop makes nearly all their jewelry themselves, and indeed, it is beautiful and very different.

Nadia and I talked to different artists all over the small town, though we didn't have much time, it was fascinating to see the many different styles and colors.

Lary took me back into a gallery to see a lovely southwest landscape painting he adored, and I had just told Nadia I loved it too. I loved it a lot, and it would look just superb in our living room. But it was $7,200 -though they would ship it their cost, to our house, on approval, and we could hang it for a few weeks to see if we liked it. Hmmmmmmm.

Walter took us all out to lunch there, and then we came back to their hotel, had a cold drink, and we headed for the body shop to get our truck, $$$, and turn in the rental car. It was a Pontiac and was very comfy. I was a bit disappointed in the truck repair as they scratched the back of the cab paint removing and reinstalling the back window. Oh me.

We came home and had dinner, then went to the entertainment here in the park, it was Cahal Dunne, an Irish singer and entertainer. He was very good, lovely Irish songs with lots of chances to sing along, and clap, etc. We went with our neighbour Chris who is from Qualicum, they suggested originally that we come here. Lary bought his CD called 'A Little Bit of Ireland'. After the show we went home to their park model, had a cuppa tea, and chatted.

Then we watched both Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien's last show in New York.

It was a lovely sunny warm day today, we wore shorts and lightweight shirts, and enjoyed the bright blue skies and warm temps up into the 70s.

Tucson McGraw's with Jan and Russ

Yesterday in the morning Lary got up really early and took the truck to the body shop to get some body repairs done on it, then he got a rental car a Pontiac G6 GT, in a nice burgundy color. It will take 3 days to repair the ouchie on the back of the cab, left side, right behind the driver. Luckily the window wasn't broken, as the body shop won't guarantee that they won't break it getting it out and then in again.

Back home, heard from Jan and Russ that they were going through Tucson and on to Tombstone, so we went to the coffee morning that Beaudry RV was sponsoring. They brought an '08 Cougar 5th wheel for everyone to view, but bunk bed model, and a big Class A, costing $250,000 MSRP, but now down to $175,000. We both looked at the Cougar, but only Lary looked at the Class A. He reported that it had 5, count them, 5 TV sets, including one down low in the underbody storage area. You just open the locker, sit down and view it outside!!!!!!

After coffee Lary decided to go up onto the roof and do some cleaning, then we went over in the early afternoon to Pima Air and Space Museum to meet them, Lary and Russ went in but Russ specially wanted to view their boneyard, the huge storage area where thousands of planes are mothballed, but still ready to go back into service if necessary. Sadly those tours were sold out, taken around 9 AM each day due to their popularity. They both toured one big hangar, but that left 4 more to do. They ran out of time, though they took a tram to view a portrayal of the US Air Force involvement in conflict worldwide from World War 2 forward in time. Jan and I went shopping, though the mall we went to was very old, and mostly empty. We both found some things to buy, there are lots of end of season sales on right now, and the clothes are suitable for us up north.

Then we 4 met back at our trailer, had a Happy Hour together, and went over to Tucson McGraw's a Bar/Steak place on Houghton Road, with a very nice view over the south side of Tucson. It was too cold to sit outside, the temps plunge with the sunset, but we all ate ribs or tri tips. Yum yum. Then we parted, us to come back to the campsite, and them to go on I-10 back to their temporary Park Model home in Mesa.

That's about all the news for today. Tomorrow is a Beans and Ham dinner here in the park put on by the Sawmill Club, the woodworkers group. And Lary will finish cleaning the rubber trim all around the roof, a huge dirty job, but very necessary.

Not much new news today

Yesterday Lary and I did a bit of retail therapy, me at Michael's and Joanne's for beads, and Lary bought some socks and a nice shirt at Ross Dress For Less.

We went and looked at a Cardinal trailer at Beaudry's lot, just to see it. It wasn't the exact unit we bought, but gave us an idea of quality for Cardinal trailers. Wow they are much higher end than our current one, with winterization and a stand up bedroom which we will welcome, specially when it comes time to change the bed.

Lary bought a new 5th wheel tailgate at Camper's World. Lary thought he might install it himself in their parking lot, but when he looked at the goodies included with it, he decided that they should install it. We also don't have the hinges from the truck tailgate to put on this one, so we have to be careful not to let it down without holding on to it. But it's great, we can hook up the 5th wheel without putting it down, and we can put stuff in the box of our truck and travel with it there, without it falling out.

Today Wednesday the same dealer Beaudry where we were yesterday put on a coffee and donuts morning presentation here in the park, and they brought a 5th wheel, a Cougar, and a big Class A bus. Lary checked them both out, but I only went into the 5th wheel, as it was a bunk bed model and we just bought a nicer unit, that made me very happy. The colors in the Cougar were yucky, and it had the feel of a used unit. It was an '08.

This afternoon I am beading with my craftsy ladies, not sure what Lary is doing. Russ and Jan called us this AM as they were passing through, they decided to go to Tombstone, we thought Russ wanted to see the Air Museum here, but guess not, or maybe another time. They are down from Mesa, near Phoenix.

Cold again overnight, near freezing, but slowly warming up today. Lary is outside in the sun, we have a rental car as we are getting the dent in the cab of our truck fixed down here. Truck and trailer kissed each other as we were backing in to this site, guess they shouldn't be jack knifed, no matter how tight the spot is.

Monday beading in the afternoon

Only news today is that I went over to the arts and crafts room, and made another necklace. It's turquoise chips, coral unglazed squares, and silver. I made it a bit longer than the usual, and it's very southwestern. And I made black and red crystal earrings to go with the necklace I made a while ago.

The ladies are inspirational, they are making pretty fine beaded bracelets of Swarovski crystal and fireline, a kind of fishline. But they aren't my style, so I do my own thing, and enjoy the conversation that burbles all around me. Some ladies only come for the conversation.

Later tonight Lary and I went over to the hot tub for a short soak, we haven't been in since we arrived here due to the chilly temps, but it seems to be warming up into the 70s by Thursday, hooray. Warm weather over the weekend should be good for the Rodeo attendance, it starts this weekend.

Sleepy Sunday in cloudy, cool Tucson

We had a lazy day today, it was cloudy and kind of overcast, the weather is definitely going downhill for the next few days.

Lary and I went to several places for some 'retail therapy' today, first we went to the Big 5 sports store and Lary bought a sweatshirt and a lightweight dark brown jacket, both for a reduced price. Jacket is a New Balance one, very nice quality.

Then we went across town looking for the Old Time Fiddling contest, in Reid Park, just to find that it's next week, not this week. At least now we know how to find it, and the lady inside the Rec complex there was very helpful to us.

After that we stumbled on Bookmans, a giant used book, used CD, used DVD, used record store. They seemed to sell other stuff too, like kids games and some electronics. Used is the operative word. Di was looking for Craig Johnson books, they had Cold Dish and Death Without Company, both of which I had read. He has written 2 more, they are sheriff mysteries set in Wyoming, and his way of writing his mystery novels is so interesting. Lary bought a belt, and I bought some beading mags, and some used CDs for the truck.

Then we found an antique mall with tons of vendors kiosks inside it, where Lary got a nice gold pinkie ring, it has a black etched stone in it with what looks like a Roman centurion carved into it. A great find, and a good price to boot.

Speaking of boots, there were several pairs of gorgeous cowboy boots, down here they are so interesting, snake skin and so many kinds of embellishments on them, it's all fascinating. There is of course lots and lots of western memorabilia.

We need to go back there and spend way more time, there are several antique malls around Tucson, and there is a ton of very unique jewelry, at pretty wonderful prices. Being as this is a state full of different minerals and gems, the things in the stores are gorgeous, and fascinating, too. I find both malachite and lapis lazuli very pretty. Also the combination of turquoise with coral and silver attracts me a lot. There are always long strands of gemstone chips available, for great prices. Only challenge is what to do to utilize them attractively in jewelry making.

Home after the shopping blast, we find that some of the Arizonan drivers are pretty ghastly, one car we saw today, a van with a smashed in rear end, sped quickly over from the passing lane right into the exit ramp area with no signal or sign of its intention, almost crashing into the car that was legally exiting the highway at the same time. No wonder his rear end was all smashed up. He sped across about 4 lanes with no warning at all. Crazed.

We drove through some nice looking housing areas, and some dreadful ones, too. Lots of the homes have bars on the windows, guess that way they can leave the windows open without fear of burglary.

It is quite chilly again tonight, with the feeling that there is more bad weather in store for us.

Tomorrow Monday is a holiday - Presidents Day. There have been a lot of very interesting programs on TV recently about Abraham Lincoln.

We have ordered an external antenna for the laptop, hope that it will make our WiFi reception better.

Heard today from Nadia, she and her husband are down here in AZ at the moment on holiday. It would be such fun to get together with them while they are down.

Also got a long email from cousin Richard H.

Tanque Verde swap meet today

We went to the Tanque Verde huge swap meet here in Tucson today, but all we bought was produce from the vendors there.

Lary had gone to the coffee get together this morning in the clubhouse, and after the Swap Meet we bought a few groceries at Safeway, then did some retail therapy at a store called Catos. Di bought 3 tops, of t shirt material, and one pretty 3/4 sleeve lacey top with a v neck.

Staying in the trailer tonight for Valentine's Day, Lary is cooking us steaks on the barby, there is a dinner and dance in the park, but there weren't any tickets left for us when we asked about them when we arrived.

Not warm as yet, truck temp said about 57 degrees, the wind is still chilly and it's cold in the shade. We really had our Valentine's Dinner last night at a super Italian restaurant.

I forgot to say that yesterday the beading ladies all asked me where I had been as my face and arms were so tanned. That was from Desert Hot Springs, CA which we have decided for our purposes suits us much better, as it's sea level and way warmer now than Tucson. Tucson is 2500 ft elevation, and you can sure tell that by the temps.
Also DHS is so much easier for us to reach than here.
People in this park are so wonderfully warm and welcoming, but then they are also pretty friendly at DHS. And DHS is way way warmer.

That's about it for today, we welcome any and all personal email, please keep them coming.

Happy Valentine's Day all.

We bought a new 5th wheel on the internet OMG

Wow and more wow. We bought a new 5th wheel Cardinal 30SB from Voyager RV in Winfield BC today. It's a 2008, and we are very excited about it. Got a great trade in on our current trailer, and we'll pick the new one up when we cross over into the Okanagan mid April. How exciting. We have been in touch with the dealership for a while now, and I guess perseverance paid off.

Today I went to the crafts room and made 2 necklaces, one a pretty rose quartz with silver spacers and clear beads, and the other one of pearls, a kind of pinkish baroque pearls that I bought recently. The company of the other women was so enjoyable.

Lary and I went out to dinner tonight at a nice Italian restaurant. We just found it by coincidence, and it was wonderful.

Lary went out today to get the windshield wiper washer fixed, and at 7:15 this morning he had to scrape ice off our truck windshield. It goes down to the 30s overnight, and goes up to the 60s during the day. Kind of a cold spell, but still lovely bright blue skies during the daytime. It is supposed to warm up again once another storm front passes through.

We had a hotdog lunch here in the park today, lunch was put on for the residents by Laurel Creek, a park model home manufacturer in Phoenix. We chatted with one of their employees who had journeyed recently to BC, they want to expand their sales into BC, so they did some research up there. The park models here have only one bedroom and bathroom, and are a few square feet smaller than what we allow in western Canada. They seem pretty tiny, with very little storage. Some have sheds behind them, which would be a great idea.

We toured some new park model open homes, a newly renovated home, and a lovely home on display by its owners. They are so interesting, they have add ons called Arizona rooms, and the newer ones look out the park into the desert, with mountains beyond that. If you want more space you would have to buy a mobile home in a different type of park.

We also found out that this park has to keep a certain number of RV spots, they can't have all park model homes, apparently the owner George O'Leary has recently fixed up quite a few of the RV spots, adding handsome tables and chairs with heavy mosaic tops, and making wider more open spots easier to get into. Also there are specific areas where you camp if you have pets, so that the pets don't get walked all through the park, only in specific locations, both in the RV and the park model areas.

Dave and Wendy left Catalina Spa RV Park in Desert Hot Springs, CA to go off on their cruise today. Their cruise is from the park door to door to Ft Lauderdale, then cruising through the Panama Canal. Dave called us just before they left, they will be gone 2 weeks or so.

Tomorrow we want to visit the Tanque Verde swap meet, and Sunday there is an old time fiddling contest in one of the local parks. It is so wonderful to be able to hold outdoor events all through the winter and early Spring.

Thursday Tucson news

Today we went and bought tickets for the Tucson Rodeo Parade, the biggest non motorized parade in the world. It is about 2 hours of horses and riders, no motorized vehicles of any kind. We really enjoyed it 4 years ago, and it's on Feb. 26th at 9 AM. We are really looking forward to it.

Also Lary and I went back and made another visit to the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, where I bought a few more beads and findings to make jewelry. There is jewelry making here in the park 3 x a week, so that should be super to find others with the same interest. Our friend here in the park showed me through the ceramics room today, whew, they do some lovely things there too. We talked briefly to a lady from near Edmonton, she and her husband have just bought a park model here. It costs $1,500 per month to rent a 1 brm park model in this park. There are many people who have them, many folks have been coming here for years.

Yesterday there was a free coffee morning sponsored by the local Chrysler dealer. They fed everyone coffee and doughnuts, and gave out a ton of prizes. There was also a raffle/draw and lots of people got $5.00 each when their tickets were drawn. It was very timely as Lary needed to get the truck windshield washers repaired, one is broken. We went down to the dealership today, and ordered the part which they will install tomorrow. It would have taken 4 days to get the part in Nanaimo, but here it is just a matter of bringing it over from somewhere else here in town. It is a very big place, but very easy to get around. We can remember our directions quite well from last time.

The overnight temps are in the 30s but in the daytime they go up to the 60s. There is another storm coming in over the weekend, or just after it, but then the temps are going up once again. The bright blue clear skies are just lovely during the daytime, but it isn't warm quite yet.

SNOW in Tucson,yuck oh yuck

Woke up this morning and were totally disgusted to see snow on the ground and on our truck. Isn't that why we are here, to get out of that stuff? It is actually very pretty on the nearby mountains, but it caused lots of school closures nearby.

Together with Dave and Wendy we went to see the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show here in town, a lot of it is nearly over, but many many places still have tons of beads, geodes, and about a million zillion pounds of jewellry on offer. And minerals and gems of nearly every type available in the world. Millions of cut stones to view, too. Wendy and I saw emeralds from Colombia, and a lot of other stuff.
There are 30 locales all around town showing the gems, and beautiful, incredible stuff on view everywhere.

Tucson has nearly 900,000 people, and there is a lot of ongoing construction on 1-10 that goes through the city.

I bought a bit of stuff for more jewelry making, but had to be a bit restrained, the beads themselves are very heavy, and also costly.

We had gone out to dinner with Dave and Wendy on Monday night, at McGraw's cowboy bar and restaurant, high up on a bluff overlooking southeast Tucson. We loved it before, and it's still as colorful as ever. Ate fall off the bone pork ribs, yum yum.

In fact we arrived here in Tucson Monday after a short drive from Casa Grande, about 2 hours or less, and the park we are in, Rincon Country East RV Resort is lovely, there are a ton of park models, the small vacation type house trailers that are so nice down here. It was a bit of a windy trip, but not that bad. Very grey clouds that eventually brought rain, high winds, and snow overnight, we are NOT impressed.
There are many many activities to do in this park, including beading 3 x a week.

This evening we went to a pot luck in the park, given by Canada and some western US states. We took bought macaroni salad, and played bingo for small prizes, also enjoyed the company at our table. Since it started at 4 PM, we were home by 5:45 or 6:00 PM. Made me feel really old indeed to attend something at such an early hour.

We're waiting for the weather to warm up soon, but there is supposedly another storm brewing. Tomorrow there is a free coffee hour here in the park.

Dave and Wendy have left to return to DHS for their 2 week Panama Cruise, so we're on our own for the next month.

Nice that we know a couple here in the park.

Casa Grande and WiFi finally but weak

HI all, you won't be surprised to hear that we have been very frustrated not to have Wi Fi til now, and very weak still at that.
Yesterday Feb. 7th we went into Mesa near Phoenix, about an hour north of here to visit Jan and Russ Butterfield, who are in a rented Park Model trailer up there.
We had a super swim in the park pool, and then went out to dinner at the Black Angus restaurant. Steak and prawns. Yum yum.
A very happy visit.
Our last couple of days in DHS we didn't have WiFi, then on to Ehrenberg, AZ where we also didn't have WiFi.
Another trip into Quartzsite, very near there, got a few nice jewellry supplies.
Then on to here, Casa Grande, there's a big 2 storey kiva house here, from about the 1300s or so, I believe. Then it was mysteriously vacated.
Tomorrow Monday we push off down to Tucson and into a park there, called Rincon East, for a month, which will be nice to stay in one place and get the internet
sorted out hopefully.
All well with us. We had a bunch of rain last night, we were already home, but it kept up most of the night, and this morning when I woke up it was sunny and raining still.
A pleasant break from the sun, the temps are going down somewhat, but still dry and very pleasant.
We have been in touch with our dear friends Bernice and Gordon Elderkin, who are also here in this park for a few days. They are traveling with a niece of theirs and her hubbie.
That's all for now. Hope you haven't lost interest as we haven't been posting.
Arizona has the most lovely sunsets, and a huge wide open sky. Very pretty.
It will likely be a pretty desert spring after this rain, it's nice to see the desert green, folks at breakfast this morning said there was rain in December too.
Truck is running well, and diesel is $2.05 a gallon.
Bye for now.

Sunday, Feb 1st Desert Hot Springs still

Whew we've had a busy but not remarkable week. The weather has warmed up once again, the wind has kind of blown away, though it's still winter season here. We are now back to wearing shorts and tee shirts. Bits of snow on distant mountains only.

We bought a new outdoor plastic type woven carpet in Quartzsite, 10 x 16 for outside the trailer. Lary put grommets in it, with a grommet kit. It was so windy here that we had it all staked down with nails through washers. It held well.

I got a camera case and a new chip for my camera. And we found out much to our delight that Jen and Sue are coming down to join us and stay here at our park, in a rented self contained park model trailer, for a week, in early April.

Di went to a new watercolor painting class Tuesday and started painting a picture. The teacher Sue Honnell is really nice, and paints wonderful pictures. Di has decided she won't be the next Picasso, Van Gogh or whatever. She's still searching for the painting genes of her great aunt Sophie Pemberton. Think that 'talent' is a result of a lot of hard work and practice. There are so many things to paint down here, all those swaying palms and wonderful sunsets, etc. Cactus, birds, foliage very different from what we are used to at home.

Retail therapy on Tuesday, Ross Dress for Less, Big 5, and Walmart. Stocked up on Bush brand baked beans. Also Jose Cuervo for margaritas. Whoo, tail wind here we come!!!!!

Lary got some new walking shoes as he's walking each morning before it gets too hot.
Dave needed a sports jacket for his upcoming cruise, they leave Feb 14th for the Panama, so he and Lary went to buy sports jackets at Men's Warehouse, similar to our Moore's mens shops, they both got a sports jacket and two pairs of pants each.

Dave and Wendy have been looking for a new trailer, and particularly a Cardinal 5th wheel, around 33 feet. Much to and froing here, as you never know what you will face at the border for importing it into Canada, state taxes here, and the like.
They are now over the moon as Dave found one in the BC Okanagan, and I think it will even be delivered down here, and their old one taken home in trade. A great resolution for them. So much more clear with it being in Candian $, the exchange at the moment is running around 1.25 Can for a US 1.00.

Relaxing days here, happy hours together with Dave and Wendy, some dinners here at the clubhouse for a very reasonable price. More pool time again.

Saturday morning we went to the street fair at the College of the Desert, Fred Waring and Monterey Sts. Lovely things there, arts, crafts, jewellry, housewares, clothing, farmers market, furniture. We just got a few things, Di found some beading supplies she needs. Wendy was selling her crafts here at our own park in the morning.
In the afternoon we went through a mobile home park near our trailer park, in Desert Hot Springs, just for interest- looking casually at house trailers there on a small golf course. Nice spot.

In the evening we four went into Palm Desert to the first of the springtime Saturday evening Jazz concerts, at the Gardens mall/shopping centre, on El Paseo, the swankiest shopping street down here. Lovely music by Brian Simpson, a jazz pianist, and another talented guy on a saxophone, and 2 super backup musicians for Brian. The site itself is incredible, on a lawn beside the shops, with pretty outdoor bronze sculptures of children cavorting in the gardens.
You only pay $10 which all goes to charity, you get 2 small glasses of wine, and a plate of appies, and an hour of wonderful music by big local talent, in a wonderfully pretty setting. Gardens and flowers everywhere around you.
It starts at 5:30 PM in the daylight, music from 6 PM to 7 PM, but by golly, during that short hour the temps go from summer to chilly, quite quickly. We were glad to get up and get moving at the end of the concert, as we were all pretty chilly.
Headed out together and ate at Olive Garden restaurant.

Today Sunday in the park there is a Super Bowl party, though we may have one of our own, our TV is bigger than the one in the lower clubhouse.
Tonight there is a showing of a movie on a bigger screen, The Other Bolyn Girl or something like that. We may go.

Tuesday we leave here, going first to Ehrenberg 2 nights on the Colorado River, CA/AZ border, then on to Casa Grande, AZ for 5 nights, then over to Tucson for a month, from Feb 9th or so.

This may be our last posting on the blog for a few days as we move. Not sure if we'll find good WiFi in the parks or not, it's pretty weak here in our trailer, better when we come down to the lower clubhouse.