Climb Every Mountain (well, 2 at least), Simply Beautiful Day, Clean Trucks and Happy Hour

I had gone to bed at 10 pm last night and dropped off immediately. That is the bonus (for me) to not having afternoon naps. I am usually good and ready to go to bed anytime after 9. If I’d wanted to stay awake longer, a nap would probably be a good idea. This morning, Saturday, Nov. 24^th, I was awake at 6 and finally got up at a few minutes before 7 to greet this beautiful day.

Don't you agree?

The sky was clear but the sun was not visible yet because of the mountains all around us. I call them mountains where they are probably just glorified hillsides. I opened blinds and turned the Keurig on. When Bill got up 20 minutes later, I slipped on my runners and hoodies (it was only 46F) and headed out the door. With my walking stick today, I headed up to the office first and hiked up the hill near the entrance.

From the peaks near the entrance, see the laneway to the left of the picture?

Looking back towards the park

That was a bit of a challenge, although not steep, it was rocky but I managed just fine. I came back towards camp and found some trails up to the ‘mountain’ that spreads out behind our rv’s. 

this looks like a post card shot with the highway to Las Vegas in the distance
and the morning moon in the western sky

This one was more of a challenge, finding safe footing but I used my stick and soon was at the crown looking down across the whole park. I texted Bill to tell him where I was and he documented my climb by taking some pictures.

Off in the distance, our home for this time period

and then closer, I texted Bill

Yup, that's me up there on the hilltop
It is actually higher than it looks

Queen of the castle

That felt great and I carefully found my way back down and came in to make our tea and coffee. We read some blog posts and then I hopped in the shower. Rob ‘reported’ in that they were headed into Bullhead City to wash the truck. He has been talking about it for a couple of weeks, as has Bill. Bill was otherwise involved in setting up the new Weather Station so we’ll go in another day for the same reason.

I did get some beautiful scenic views up there
This is overlooking the palm trees of the rv resort on the corner of Bullhead Pkwy
and 95S at Laughlin, NV

November is a tough month since it is full of travel days and that means lots of fuel for Black Beauty. It just means keeping a closer eye on what we spend and the funds get tight near the end before pensions pop into our accounts. 

Up on the hilltop I noticed this single Gambel Quail sitting in the little tree
but I didn't even notice the house behind until I downloaded the pictures

Creosote bush - such pretty flower clusters

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast at 10 and then I sat outside with my book. This is the time of the day that the sun is on our patio. So, I enjoyed that position for a couple of hours at least and Bill drove the truck into town to give her a wash as well. 

Testing the wind velocity

He needed a couple of ‘C’ cell batteries for the station, too bad he didn’t realize that we didn’t have any yesterday. When he returned, he sat with me and we had a drink and I had a Honey Crisp apple, cheddar cheese and Bill had cheese with 2 nutter butter cookies. Just enough to tie us over until supper.

Before Bill got back, he called me from the park entrance and
suggested I look up

It was pretty cool seeing the Good Year blimp go right overtop of me

It was around 2:15 when I decided I had sat and read long enough and needed to stretch my legs. I can only sit for so long and get the urge to move. I walked the long way around to the clubhouse to see if anything was going on and it was dead. There were 4 Albertan’s in the pool having a nice time but no one had started a jigsaw puzzle. I debated but it was too late in the day to start one. Maybe in the morning.

I walked back and Pat and I made arrangements to get together for Happy Hour after Bill woke up from his nap. Clemson is sitting on the floor as I type and I’m pretty sure that since it is 3 o’clock, he is waiting for his supper. Some days he gets it a bit before 3 (5 at home) and others he gets it later. We play it by ear with what we’re doing and what he is doing. He’s been pretty good and doesn’t pester much before 2:45 at least.

Some are stately and their colours brilliant

At 3:15 he got his meal and Bill and I took our chairs over to Rob and Pat’s. The temperature on this wonderful day is 76F. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, no doubt about that! We moved our chairs to the bottom of the ‘mountain’ behind us as it was in the sun. I meant to get a Happy Hour picture today but forgot to do that so instead I took more pictures of the quail. Pat and I got some pretty good close-ups of the little chatterers today.

This one looks elderly, with the colours fading

We solved a few problems, discussed a few plans for tomorrow and went our separate ways around 5. I had planned spaghetti for supper with homemade sauce that I had in the freezer. We had more crescent buns in the fridge so I baked 4 of those and proceeded to brown the ground beef w/onions and mushrooms while the spaghetti cooked in the pasta cooker. I’m not happy with the pasta we buy down south but neglected to pick up some ‘real’ spaghetti noodles back home. Darn!

Spaghetti is cooking

Supper was certainly not one of our better meals. Neither of us liked the pasta (spagettini or whatever the heck it was) and the sauce wasn’t anything I’d make again. At least not that recipe. It needed a kick or something, probably more tomatoes. Anyway, other than some sauce leftover that is the last of both those things and Bill is off the hook for trying any more homemade stuff from the garden. For now.

the spaghetti sauce is heating with the ground beef

We cleaned up dishes and I sat at my laptop to finish my post. It has been a relatively quiet day, especially for me, and I’ve enjoyed just taking it easy and getting a lot of my book read. Did I tell you? It is Bury your Dead by Louise Penny and getting to be better as the pages are turned. Bill is watching one of his movies but the best part about that is that an advertisement for Christmas at Graceland was advertised for next weekend. Yay! It will be premiered on the W channel.

Yah, it didn't taste as good as it looks

Recently, we have been dealing with a persistent pooch again about something highly out of his ‘ordinary’. Over the last few days, Clemson has decided that he needs to go out every 30 minutes in the evening, after supper. We can’t figure out what is going on but it is quite ridiculous and annoying to have to take him on his short leash that often. He may do a teeny job out there and then just wants to pull us around on the leash. Yes, you read that right.

One more view for you

So, we’ve decided that the way to deal with it is to put him on the rope leash that is tied to the step. It gives him about 8’ of lead to wander and take care of business. We let him decide when he is done sniffing and is ready to come indoors. He barks and we let him in immediately. It is crazy and I don’t know if it will change anything, but we at least can relax a bit more in the evenings.

Not a sunset picture, but another sunrise instead
Have a good night!

I hope you have enjoyed your day as much as I have. Thank you for reading.