Damp Forecast, Getting Comfortable and a Special Birthday

So, the rain continued throughout the evening last night and Bill said even most of the overnight. I woke around 5 and then at 6 on Tuesday, Jan. 15th. That was all the sleep I’d be getting so at 6:45 we both got up. There would be no ‘first’ walk happening for me this morning as we heard the rain pitter pattering on the roof. The nights are mild though and our Blue Flame heater kept us cozy without overheating us.

I'll start off with a picture of our group

The thing about being out in the desert, it is even blacker outside after dark than back at the Ridge. Bill hasn’t put our solar lights out yet and with no sun there is no rush to do that. Nor has he tilted the roof panels but with the teensy possibility of some sun around 3 pm, he’ll probably get up and do that this afternoon. It needs to stop raining though! Good grief!

Our setup

We read on our laptops that there were flood warnings in this area and that since yesterday afternoon, Quartzsite received an inch of rain. All one can do is make the best of it and find indoor things to do. Bill has a model to start and I have many things to putter away at too. We had our first hot drinks together and then alternatively hopped in the shower. A together shower would save water, true, but not with water pump pressure only, thank you very much.

Water water everywhere........

While Bill finished up upstairs, I began frying the bacon and eggs for breakfast. After eating, Bill and Rob went into Q to fill their gas cans for the generators. They would be running more here than anywhere this winter. I cleaned up dishes and then did a thorough sweep through the Suite. There was so much sand and gravel mix at Borrego that it was evident throughout the house, no matter how often we swept.

And the wash behind us was running

I slipped on my rain coat and walked out to take some pictures of our set ups here together. Everyone likes to have the same directional positioning to get the best out of the sun’s rays and that puts us all spread across the area. We are further back from our location last year and not as close to the wash. Perhaps that is a good thing! The water puddles were everywhere and will get a lot worse over the course of the day. At least tomorrow looks dry.

I wrote on my post for a bit and made myself a second tea. Hmm, what do I feel like doing today? At 10:40 I heard Bill and Rob return in Black Beauty. She should be clean at least! They got what they needed plus a stop at K & B Tools and RV Lifestyles to check some things out. I have an Alta Fitbit, whether you remember that or not, and it has the capability to interchange bands. If you know me at all, I do like to co-ordinate colours as well as just change things up for fun, in clothes, décor and accessories.

So, they are much cleaner and now I know how to keep them that way

My sister, Gayle, is very much like me (or rather me like her because she is older) in that regard and when she ordered new Fitbit bands a while back, she offered me a few colours that she would never wear. I got a couple of dark ones for days like today and at the Ridge but have my own brighter colours that I’d ordered from Amazon last summer. I love the brighter coral, turquoise and the off white but they get dirty quicker. Or at least the dirt shows more.

I Googled how to clean them and everyone has the same issue with their lighter colours. Fitbit will replace them if they get stained from clothing because they can’t offer a valid resolution. Mine are dirty just from grime, I don’t sweat so much that the colours of a bright sleeve runs. LOL That would be too much strenuous activity! Therefore, the Fitbit solutions didn’t really apply to me anyway. Mine should be easier to clean.

It is filling up in here

So, I Googled just ‘how to clean light coloured rubber’ and got a few tips which I put together and tried. With an old toothbrush, some water, dish soap and some Dryel stain remover which we’ve had forever, I scrubbed them. Not all of the dirt came off but they are much better and I’m happy to have found a solution that works for me. I’ll have to respond to some of the questions and see if it helps others. For today, I’m wearing a brown one.

Bill up there tilting the panels
The sun's reflection on the Suite is kind of cool, eh?

Bill set up across from me at the table so when I finished that job, so I got my needlepoint kit out. This kit was started in 1996, the year Bill and I got engaged. Who knew it would take me over a couple of decades to complete? No worries, I have no place to hang it anyway and may have to make a cushion cover out of it. After all that, I decided instead to get a ball of wool out and crochet. I was in the mood to do something less involved.

After about an hour and a half of doing that, the rain had stopped so I put my raincoat on again and went for a walk. There were puddles everywhere and where they weren’t the ground was still very soft. I made my way up to the main road just taking my time, taking some pictures of the clouds and the mountains. The place was filling up and that isn’t surprising since the Big Tent Sale starts on Saturday. There is always lots of interest in the ‘big show’.  

Definition of 'hope'
the blue patch in the sky
and the pink patch on the mountain

I was past the Maintenance sheds, just nicely onto the paved road when it started to spatter rain – again! I turned around and picked up the pace. The rain got heavier and I knew I would be pretty wet by the time I got back. At the ‘y’ in the road, just after I turned towards the Suite I saw Black Beauty coming to save me. Bill was paying attention to the weather and came to pick me up. What a guy.

Rob and Pat came over around 1:30, Pat wanted me to trim a bit of her hair for her. When you are particular about something, you fix it. I still want to be her friend for a long time so I paid careful attention to her wishes of how much I was allowed to trim. 😊 She seemed pleased when I finished taking off the smallest amount of hair that I’ve ever cut. I trim mine all the time and this was easy.

They sat and had a drink with us and we all watched little bits of sunshine trying desperately to poke through the clouds. After they left, I worked more on my project with Clemson sleeping with his little head on my leg. Bill also dozed and when he woke up, he went outside to finish setting some things up. Like our solar lights, tilting the solar panels and placing my sunflower in a suitable location. He lit the Weber for me at 5 and I placed 2 chicken thighs on the grill mat on low.

Hey George Gooden! I told you they would come! :)

As I stepped out, the sun arrived between the mountain peak and the clouds. Just a brief enough appearance to draw Deb, Pat and myself out with our cameras. At least if it was going to be late, it came in its full dress uniform, just in time to disappear. Suzie, George, Tom and Rose all gathered to discuss the day. “What were you up to today?” “Crazy weather, huh?” Eventually, we snapped our last pictures and our supper was ready.

Tough choice tonight so you get them all

I had boiled a large potato inside so that was what we had with the chicken. It was a good meal and it appears that we are all set up now too. We cleaned up dishes before 6 and were able to sit down and watch NCIS. If you remember, it is our busy night for tv. It has been a different kind of day but definitely one to be spent inside. We all got a few things taken care of and we can enjoy the rest of our time here.

I can't end this post until I wish my first Grandson a very happy birthday. I assisted in bringing Taylor (TJ) into the world by cutting the umbilical cord and scaring his Mom half to death in the process. A story we'll laugh about forever. Taylor is 24 today and has fended for himself since he was 17. We are so proud of this young man.

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the visit to my blog today.