Birthdays, Happy Hour, Goodbye Hugs

Park Place RV Park

It was obviously cooler on Easter Sunday, Mar. 31^st when we got up. Nothing surprising, we’d been paying attention to the overnight temps. There was rain in the forecast and although I didn’t hear it after I went to bed at 10:30, Bill said it did make an appearance. 😊 He wasn’t long coming up after I was settled and because I didn’t hear him, I was surprised that he was in bed beside me!

Good morning!

We didn’t have much planned for today, other than laundry, last minute packing and a bit of cooking. We had our morning drinks together and I went back and forth getting our clothes cleaned. It would be the last washing until we get home. Throughout the course of the day, Bill went about getting the water jug filled, folding and packing the mat, Gibbs’ outside bed, the bbq and eventually our chairs. He found room for everything. I brought the hummer feeder and my twirly-jig from Mike and Mae in for storage.

There is just something about how this picture
turned out, that makes me love it!
That cloud is just hanging there.

I vacuumed and dusted inside, taking advantage of Gibbs being out of the Suite. He doesn’t like that scary monster so he was happy to be out of reach. We had lunch, just sandwiches today, and I had the bread maker mix the dough for my dinner rolls. I debated, because of the carbs, but I love them and will enjoy having them for lunches and with dinner on the journey home. I could freeze half of them so they last longer. 😊 They are my favourite thing the bread maker does! (so far)

They have obliging doubled in size,
ready for the oven.

Before baking them, Bill and I popped down to visit Sheila and Randy (& little Benji) for Happy Hour. We took our drinks and a couple of pieces of cheesecake pie for a ‘house warming gift’ since I had nothing else to give them. I wish I'd taken a picture. When we returned home, after goodbye hugs, I popped the rolls into the oven, they’d risen perfectly in my absence, and put the roast into Madame IP. Gibbs and I got out for our walk and we managed to give goodbye hugs to Dora and Susan on the round trip around the park. 😊

The sky when Gibbs and I walked

Depending where you looked, east, west, north, south,
you might see some blue sky.
We also heard a loud grumble of thunder from
a large black cloud overhead.

The rolls were done when we got home and boy do they look and smell delicious! For supper, we had roast beef, asparagus, corn and potato salad. I saved the broth for gravy for another night. We’ll have leftovers for a few nights eating and that was the plan. I opted not to make stew or chili for this homeward journey, we wanted to just wing it this time. 

I broke them apart and we HAD to have one each
for supper. Soooo good and that's bad. Ha ha.

In the morning, I’ll finish putting things away inside, Bill will dump tanks and disconnect things. A quick pop into the office to pay our electric bill and then we’ll be on our way. Today, we wish my little sister, Wendy, and my high school friend, Ruth, a very Happy Birthday. Miles apart but both being thought of today. 💖🎂

A strange gathering out our north window.
Clouds can be beautiful, with a performance all their own.

Supper was good but the eye of the round roast
disappointed me. Might have to get creative to get
a nice meal out of the leftovers.
The rolls and salad were the best!

This was a good day. We are anxious to go but sad to leave. We had a cooler 66F/19C (although it felt cooler) strong winds at times and some rain starting around 7:30. 

A cute picture of Wendy from a few years ago
with Jack White. In the flesh. 💘
Happy Birthday, little sis!

Thank you for the visit!

A Low-Key Day

Park Place RV Park

Saturday, Mar. 30^th was going to be a pretty easy-going day. I can’t say that many of my days are busy anyway, but we had nothing major on the agenda except some relaxing and perhaps some pool. 😊 Sunday will be a different story. Bill went to the field once more before the winds picked up to see who might still be around. Gibbs and I got our walk in around 8 and then we just hung here at home.

Good morning!

He supervised me going through my clothes cupboards until he got bored and came downstairs. I managed to fill a grocery bag before I was done and now have made space in a couple of drawers. When Bill got home, we sat outside for a while and the winds picked up. The sun was warm so Bill and Gibbs were scrambling for shade but with the awnings flapping, Bill ended up moving indoors.

Gibbs enjoyed his outdoor time with
us today

I walked down to Sheila and Randy’s to offer a hand with their tasks today and then returned for lunch. A pastrami and cheese sandwich on keto bread was just the ticket. I love this bread! We all read for a while and then at 1:45, I walked over to play some pool with Gerald. I enjoy it and will miss it over the summer. ☹ We had 5 games of which he was the overall victor BUT I did win a couple of games so I’m proud of that (even if they were by default!) Ha ha.

At some points, from the clubhouse, we
couldn't see the mountains. The dust and sand
was blowing so much.
Then blue sky appeared below the clouds.

The winds have gone crazy, gusting to 28+ mph and when I took Gibbs for his walk, we had to run home. That little boy doesn’t like rain!! ♥ I had my tea, chatted with Sheila for a bit and mixed up potato salad for supper. I air fried the Brat sausages and cooked a vegetable on the side. It truly felt like summer then! 😊 We were eating later than usual, 6:30, but it tasted great and so did the cheesecake pie for dessert.

Gibbs and I timed our walk
perfectly to see Sheila and Randy
move into their site.
It's a really nice home.

Yummy and hey! It looks nice enough
for a magazine today for a change. 😁

Bill loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the pot used. I finished with my blog and worked at finishing my book. This was a very nice day and although I didn’t help, I’m happy to see our friends get moved into their ‘new to them’ home. 

Our view at home.
Look at how the grass at the road is
greening up!

One more day and we’ll be saying goodbyes. 😟We still had a warm day, regardless of the wind and spotty rain. 77F/25C felt pretty good and the winds were welcome.

Krystal sent us this adorable
picture of Alexander all ready for Easter.
10 1/2 months.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.

A Nice Easy Summer, er, Spring Day in Arizona

Park Place RV Park

On Good Friday, Mar. 29^th I stayed in bed until 7, with Gibbs beside me. My face wash and kiss were the first perks of my day. ♥ I stripped the bed, removed the chair covers and the recliner blankets immediately and walked over to get them washed. It was such a lovely morning, already 59F/15C with clear blue skies, that when I returned to remove them, I took them all out to the clothesline. It reminds me of home when I can hang our laundry  week. 😊

Good morning!
Happy Good Friday!

Fresh sheets and blankets on the line

I finished my tea at home and took Gibbs for his walk. Even though the wind had picked up, Bill took one of his last drives to the field and around to say a couple more goodbyes. He’ll miss the guys and the social side of the club. Back home, I dry mopped the floors and then sat outside with my book, pretty much until lunch time. Bill and Gibbs came out and while Bill arranged ‘things’ in the truck bed for our journey, I just enjoyed this summer-like spring day.

The White Oleander is blooming now.

In a week, we’ll be in Texas and who knows what weather we’ll have. Enjoy it while I can, is my motto. One of them. 😊 For lunch, on Good Friday, we had bacon, eggs and toasted French bread. 

No, we don't play in the park in the morning.
He could hear dogs from the park across the wash.

Bill was finding room in Black Beauty's bed
for 'things'.
Everything in its place, you know?

We used to eat bacon and eggs every day.
I need to try and do that again back home,
on the weekends at least.

It was yummy. Bill and Gibbs sat in his recliner with a book and at 12:45 I walked over for my last game of Pokeno this time around. I didn’t need to beg, borrow or buy today and that had me very happy. It was fun, just 5 of us playing at one time today. When Barb left, Patti joined.

My laptop screen saver changes often.
This would be a great puzzle!

I was home by 2:30 with a few pennies for next fall. We relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon and it was such a beautiful day! We reached a high of 79F/26C with a nice breeze all day. It was perfect inside the Suite. Our new friends, Jess and Jessie, are leaving today so we made sure to say goodbye before they pulled out, We exchanged cards so we can stay in touch and we’ll see them next fall. Such a lovely young couple.

Jesse gave us one of her homemade
cards from her business. These are adorable!

She had a nice little booth at Tyson Wells
with her wares. 

Gibbs and I got out for our walk and Sheila popped for a visit, catching up on our day. For supper, we had a mixed meal. Bill had a porkchop and I had some beef liver. Those are the meats we are each partial to. I’ll eat a p.c. but he wouldn’t eat the liver so I packaged them individually before putting them in the freezer. It was all very good, finished off with a piece of the Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yum. I managed to finish the last of my bottle of wine too. 😊

What a great meal!
Liver & onions, mashed spuds (way too many!) veggies
and condiments. Yum!

Topped off with a keto dessert.

For some reason, the tv wasn’t coming in tonight so for me, it was a blogging and reading night. Hopefully, Bill will be able to capture a movie later. This has been a nice day. Happy Easter to everyone!

Good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

Another ‘Last’, Dare I Say Hot?

Park Place RV Park

On Thursday, Mar. 28^th I managed to get my butt out of bed by 7. Gibbs was waiting, as soon as I moved, he was ready with the kisses and face wash. He’s being a real goofball at night with the zoomies as he squirrels his way under the covers and then waits, squirms then waits. He’s just waiting to hear my giggle and then he moves some more. Gosh, I love this little guy and his antics. ♥

Good morning!
I didn't notice when I took this pix,
but the ring around the sun is obvious.
A sign of possible rain

While I had my tea , Bill drove to Blythe Ford to check something out and then on his way home stopped at the field for a bit. Gibbs and I got out for our walk after 8 and yes, he got his Gerald ‘pets and tummy rubs’. What a little ham. I wasn’t home when Bill returned as it was my last day for Ladies Poker Pool. ☹ Sad, since I won’t be playing again until we return in November. I do still have a tentative game planned with Gerald but not likely until Saturday.

Just in time, the Ocotillo cactus
blooms full for me.

Once more, only 4 of us playing, and we managed to get 4 or 5 games in this morning. I tied for second place with Patti with a pretty decent 8 points. 😊 I sat with Bill and Gibbs outside for a few minutes and then we had lunch. I ate the last 2 pieces of my Silly Al’s pizza (3 days in a row!) and Bill had a sandwich on the French loaf. I had no need to go and work on a puzzle, the Grand Canyon was finished the other day and a new one had been started before I got a pix to share. This one I've done so have no interest in working on it. 

The ladies in today's game.
It was a fun finale for me.

Before we leave, I want to make more of the dinner rolls that I love. Goodbye waistline! They will serve me well for our lunches on the road. We relaxed in our recliners, reading and dozing and then I walked over to keep Sheila company while she did her laundry. My day is coming, I’ll get everything come Sunday so we have a ‘clean’ closet for our trip.

The sun this afternoon showed no ring.
Does that mean the rain is no longer
a threat? 😵

Gibbs and I walked late, around 5:30, but the air was so nice, he didn’t mind walking in the sun. I had mixed up the last of the thawed pumpkin and made a pumpkin cheesecake. Of course, that means heating up the Suite so I waited until we were turned on to electric and starting supper. Fish in the air fryer, chips in the deep fryer and the cheesecake in the convection oven. With windows open, the overhead ceiling fan and exhaust fan running, it stayed cool inside. 😊

I took a picture of our site
without the gazebo, table and barbecue.
I guess we're going somewhere. 

Everything was delicious and the dessert is for another night when we’re not so full.

This was a hot day, reaching 81F/28C with sunny skies and a light wind. What I call a perfect day. I finished watching the series The Village and started watching Anzac Girls the other night. I’ve also watched a few episodes of an old tv show that we watched as children, The Rifleman. How fun! I finished my book last night too so have started Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. Should be another good read.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Bill was first to notice the
Candy Floss sky to the southeast.
Good night!

Thank you for the visit!

More Heat, More Pizza, More Steps!

Park Place RV Park

On Wednesday, Mar. 27^th we were up and about before 7. Bill wondered why I was up early and my only explanation was the lovey dovey dog that came and laid across my chest when I rolled over. Who can ignore those doggy kisses and face washes? Not me! By then, I was awake, so we got up. ♥

Good morning!

While I had my tea, Bill took a drive to the flying field to see who was still around. Gibbs and I took our walk and just before 9, Bill returned and we walked over for the Coffee & Donuts hour at the clubhouse. Bill’s first words “is this just women?” 😊 Well, mostly, yes, and unfortunately today, he was the only male attendee, other than one of the hosts who sat for a short bit.

Bill packs the gazebo away.
Notice how clean BB is? The reflection tells it all! 

He returned home just a few minutes ahead of me and was busy taking down the gazebo. After that, the bbq, my gravity chair all found their place in our ‘basement’. It’s a lovely day, warm, but just the way we like it. I decided today was the day to make the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies that Bill likes. One bag of the pumpkin I had in the freezer thawed yesterday so I had to make use of it. These are not keto except for the sugar. I always use Splenda as its replacement.

Sorry for the blur, but the small All Meat pizza
is my favourite at Outback.

The batter had to sit in the fridge for an hour which meant it was there until 3 o’clock. We didn’t have lunch at noon, instead, we met Doug, Deb and Riley at Outback Pizza. Yes, another pizza meal. 😊 I’m glad we had one more opportunity to see them all again before they, too, headed off for our homeland. It was a fun get together. After hugs, we said our goodbyes and returned home.

Leaving with full tummies and doggy boxes

Riley, Deb, Doug, Bill.
Safe travels, friends!

Gibbs and I walked around the park, him trying to get to shade the whole time. I baked about 36 of the cookies and they turned out pretty good. They’re not my favourite but I enjoy the occasional one for a treat. 

The cookies turned out great!

When they were done, Sheila and I got out for our walk. By now, it had cooled down a bit so it was a very comfortable walk. I also got my steps in for the day!

Today, we reached a high of 78F/26C and only dropping to 55F/13C tonight so windows will be open again. 😊 Bill and I just had some French bread with cheese for supper, lunch was late so we weren’t overly hungry. This was a good day and I believe the heat will be on higher tomorrow. PS – our place looks funny without the gazebo and barbecue set up. (picture tomorrow)

Good night!

Thank you for popping in. Your comments are always welcome.

Feeling Like a Loser! Grand Finale.

Park Place RV Park

On Tuesday, Mar. 26^th I first woke up at 6:40 after another nice sleep. Gibbs was asleep beside me so I don’t know what time they got up originally. I got washed, dressed and came downstairs to join Bill. He was at the laptop instead of in his recliner and that through Gibbs’ morning into confusion. 😊 He didn’t know where to sit when usually it is on Daddy’s lap.

Good morning!
Last drive to Parker this season.

It was government pension payday for us so there was some banking to be done before we started our day. Once ready, we left the Suite with Gibbs at the helm and drove to Walmart in Parker for a grocery stock up. We knew it would be a pricey outing but nothing shocking. We got a lot of food for pantry, fridge and freezer, and it should last us for the next 3 weeks, short of dairy items. We’ll be stopping at a lot of Walmart’s on our way home to get those things when necessary.

Not our last Walmart though!

Unlike a certain 4-legged member of our
household, Black Beauty likes her bath. 
I'll have to get an 'after' picture tomorrow.
We took the time to dry her off before we left
the lot.

It still doesn’t quite feel real that we will be on the road in less than a week. Gibbs only got a short walk this morning so I made note that he’d get a longer one later today. He’s really a good little camper and understands that we’ll be back when we say it. ♥ We were home by 11 and had unloaded the bags half hour later, just in time for lunch. I air fried 2 of my leftover pizza pieces and it was gooood – again.

Gibbs and I walked late afternoon
A gorgeous day!

While Bill and Gibbs had their snooze, I walked over with my small amount of pennies to play Pokeno. I really shouldn’t have gone but took some change to buy more from the ladies. I was feeling like a real loser, especially after being gifted handfuls of pennies from Sheila and Susan. That enabled me to play all games. It was by a mere stroke of luck when the 3 of ♥’s was called and I won the final round called Blackout. I guess I’ve lived to play another day. 😊

Gibbs wanted to go to the dog park today. He doesn't
usually go to the gate. He did a lot of sniffing and
then we played, running around the tree.
He ran, I pretended.
Top photo - he's in running mode although it looks like
he's doing something else. 
"Come get me, Mom!"

Back home, I just relaxed outside with Gibbs in my chair and turned more exciting pages in my book. I’m really enjoying these stories, they are mysteries to solve but still tickle my funny bone at the same time. I took Gibbs for his walk around 4, stopping at the park's dog park, read some more and we had supper around 5:30. 

More sniffing and then it was time for home.

Across the wash from the dog park, the 
Quartzsite RV Park is looking mighty empty.
Just like the influx at the beginning of November,
most of us depart in the same manner. One after the other.

Grilled bacon cheeseburgers tonight and this will likely be our last use of the Weber until we are home. Bill will begin a major pack up tomorrow.

Bill knows how to cook these burgers
perfectly, every time. 💖

Bill went this afternoon and got his last haircut down here this season and shouldn’t need one for a while. We communicated with Doug, who is in a Quartzsite blm and made plans for one final meet up tomorrow with Deb and Riley. It will be great to see them all again before we part ways for our respective homes. I doubt any of us are in a real hurry – yet. 😊

Bill took this picture of a little visitor
we had the other day. It's twice he's visited our site.
Gibbs chased him, so he hasn't been back. 

It has been a lovely day, with a high of 73F/23C and a low tonight of 52F/11C. Perfect for sleeping. The winds have died down, finally, so I was able to enjoy our gazebo once more this afternoon. I hope you’ve had a great day too.

Another couple of photos with credit to Bill.
On Sunday morning around 6:30, he caught the
moon dropping behind the mountains to the west. 
Gibbs was watching it too. 
Good night!

Thank you for the visit!