Slow Saturday, Walks, Puzzling and Happy Hour

Park Place RV Park

On Saturday, Nov. 30^th, the last day of this lovely month, we were up by 7 or soon after. I slept well, as usual, with the blue flame heater on low to keep the chill out of the Suite. The sky was clear with the exception of a few low-lying clouds on the north-east horizon. They were pink and pretty enough for a picture. I enjoy these morning walks, even though it is brisk at 7:15 when I leave.

Good morning!

The sun pops by the time I turn the corner onto E. Coyote St. allowing me another nice opportunity. 😊 I returned home, made my tea and sat with Gibbs while playing my Wordle games. The 4-letter seems to beat me often! Patty texted about a walk so the 3 of us walked around the park, up to Quail Trail and back to our site. I dropped Gibbs at home and Patty and I carried on down Coyote to Las Palomas, Quail Trail and back on Riggles. Lots of steps these days!

I had 1/4 of a Pomelo today

I went to the clubhouse to the puzzle. I’ve neglected it for more priority things! 😊 I flipped the remaining pieces over and finished the border before starting the body. Should be a good one. Bill and I had lunch at noon and planned supper. I started my blog and then took Black Beauty into the grocery store for a couple of things. We didn’t stop at one in Yuma yesterday but this works.

Does anyone remember from last winter
our sister park's sayings?
This one is another good one.

I got what I needed and at the Family Dollar, found a ‘bogo’ special. If you are smarter than me, you know that means ‘buy one, get one’. Duh, thanks Patty for bringing me up to speed. We had visitors for Happy Hour around 3:00 and the 6 of us carried on right where we left off from our last get together. No shortage of laughs. Kim and Ken left around 5:30.

The puzzle got some attention today

I began cooking the bacon wrapped filet mignons around 6 and Rosy, the af cooked them quite nicely in 20 minutes. I reheated some leftover dressing and cooked mixed vegetables on the side. It all turned out pretty good! We each had a piece of pumpkin cheesecake for dessert and watched a Christmas movie together while I finished my blog for the day.

Supper was good.
Mine still had some grizzly pieces
but it was cooked perfectly and the
beef was tender.

We’ve had a great day and I did really well with my step count today. Tomorrow is laundry day and maybe decorating day too. We’ll see. It was a bit cooler with a high of 69F/20C but the winds were from the north making it feel cooler. 😊 If you are at all interested in our friend, Duncan’s, blog, he is a ‘newbie’. It is also on my side bar under Sharp Corners.

Outside at Happy hour and inside this evening,
He sleeps. 💘💘
Good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

A Trip to the Big City

Park Place RV Park

On Friday, Nov. 29^th (or should I say Black Friday?) we were up before 7 and I followed through with my walk by 7:20. The temperatures overnight have dropped below 50F/10C again and will be that way for a few days. It’s great for sleeping but cool to start the day off. Bill ran the furnace through a couple of cycles before turning it off.

Good morning!
A lovely walk again.
I've yet to be disappointed in the sky.

I needed my gloves this morning and a couple of layers. I was plenty warm by the time I finished though. 😊 Bill spoke to the park host yesterday about keeping an eye on Gibbs today IF we were going to Yuma. She has her own two dogs, Della and Annie, so being a dog person, she graciously said ‘yes’, she’d be happy to let him out and take him for a walk. We will return the favour when she wants to get away for a day.

Entering Yuma Proving Grounds has us looking for two things.
The Aerostat Balloon (Blimp), which was tethered down when we passed.

and the cannons

We all 4 left our site around 9:15. We drove Black Beauty today but will switch off with Duncan for some day trips too. It was a nice drive and we showed them things that we find interesting things on the drive along I-95S to the big city of Yuma. Our first stop was Harbor Freight so Duncan could snafoo the last wooden hobby box and then we went to Target to withdraw cash at the Allpoints atm.

The prettiest Bougainvilla bush I've seen
was at the Harbor Freight lot.
PS - we were disappointed that the .99 Store is closed.

We wandered around and now I can actually say that I have started my Christmas shopping! I only shop for Bill and Gibbs but you gotta start sometime. Sant usually needs help with the stockings. 😊 From there, we decided on lunch at Lin’s Chinese Buffet. Well, that turned out perfectly and Duncan and Patty said they would gladly go back. Such good food for $12, all you can eat.

I mostly ate meat, shrimp, chicken, beef
and seafood.
Then there were the muschrooms and deep fried zucchini cakes.
Yum!
For dessert, I had peaches, a small round eclair and candied (cherry sauce) bananas.

I get better each time we go, putting less on my plate and being very particular about what I take. I was full but not stuffed. We left there and drove to the Arizona Market. We missed going last winter and were pleased with what seemed like more vendors. It was quite full! We all found a few goodies, Patty and I found a piece of clothing each and some cute earrings.

Homemade and 2 for $5.
Couldn't go wrong.

We enjoyed the market.
Pedal Pushers?? Who remembers those!!??

On the way home, we stopped at a farmer’s market for some fresh items and I walked out with Pomelos. If you don’t know, they are an orange/grapefruit in one. Hmm, P & D tasted one and approved it so we all bought some. They look wonderful! We were home by 5 and Gibbs was happy to see us. He was obviously well looked after in our absence. Thank you, Bette!

I never get tired of these mountains

We stopped at the market.
Tomorrow, I'll cut into these Pomelos.

We weren’t hungry but I made a cup of tea and wrote my blog. If we’re hungry in a bit, there is always dressing and cheesecake for a nibble. 😊 This was a great day! We reached a high of only 65F/18C and will drop to 45F/7C overnight. Others aren't so lucky.

Sunset at the park.

My sister, Donna, sent these pictures of their back yard. They got something overnight so we’re glad we’re not home.

Left and top pictures were this morning.
Bottom right, their evening picture.
Yeuch!
Good night!

Thank you for your visit.

Happy Thanksgiving! A Gorgeous Day!

Park Place RV Park

On Thursday, Nov. 28^th we were up and moving by 7. I was out the door by 7:10 and had a wonderful walk. It was clear this morning and the sun had yet to appear when I left the Suite. As I walked towards Quail Trail and was half way to Plymouth Ave, it popped. There are some views better than others so I waited until I was through the congested areas to take my pictures. 😊

Good morning!

There are two ladies that I meet most mornings. They spend their winters in the sister park to ours, Arizona Sun RV Resort, and depending on the time I get out, we meet at differing spots. They go around twice so I meet them twice on my single route. Today, after good mornings were said, they said Happy Thanksgiving! I had one ear bud in my ear as I listen to Sirius 70’s and didn’t hear what was said. Also, it took a minute since it isn’t ‘really’ my holiday.

One of the pretty things on my walk.

I told them I was Canadian so they understood my hesitation in responding. 😊 Back home, I had my tea and cereal. It was then Gibbs’ turn so we walked for his ½ mile, in a different direction (confusing him all to heck!) and back home along Quail Trail. ♥ I delayered a bit and sat outside on the patio with him in the sun, with my book.

We walked back to my favourite home
I love how the sun's ray is shining on it.

Love the Saguaros
It's neat how this one is having babies
from the bottom rather than the top.

Patty texted to see if I wanted to go for a walk with her around 10ish so we headed to the residential homes. Duncan and Bill were just returning home so they drove and we walked to show them the lovely adobe-style houses in the Arroyos area. We ooh’ed and aah’ed at them and took a final lap around the park before joining the boys at home.

The pool table is covered with food.
Stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole,
spinach salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls,
turkey and ham. Oh, and under the tin foil is a
brussel sprout casserole dish. Yum!

We had an early lunch, around 11:30, and I showered before starting to make the Stuffing w/Sausage dish I was also making for the potluck. It didn’t turn out too badly but because of some variables in the recipe and my doubling up, it was mushy. Crap! I quickly improvised by making another box of Stove Top dressing at 10 to 3 (3 o’clock was dinner time) and mixing it in. I think that did the trick, it tasted pretty good. 😊

A nice turn out with food for more.
I wish I'd taken a picture of our table mates. Duh!

We sat with our friends, of course, and our other friends, Jess and Jesse. We love their company and knew the 4 of them would also enjoy each other. The food was great, so much, even for a gathering of 20 (ish) and everyone had leftovers. It was close to 4:30 when we left the clubhouse.

We used our plates from Gayle
for the first time.
Dessert for me was Pistachio salad
and pumpkin cheesecake. I was pretty full
so only had a bit. 

Back home, Patty and I took Gibbs for his walk while Bill loaded the dishwasher. I emptied Madame IP of the leftover dressing and we settled for the night. There may be plans to head out of town tomorrow but we won’t know until morning. We reached a pleasant high of 67F/19C with fully, sunny skies. What a wonderful day!

It was a pretty sunset too
Good night!

Thank you for your pop in and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday Coffee, Roadrunner Happy Hour

Park Place RV Park

On Wednesday, Nov. 27^th I was up just before 7 and out the door by 7:15. What a lovely morning! It was the warmest yet, I think, 58F/13C, under cloudy skies. All I needed was a windbreaker, no gloves, no toque. 😊 Perfect! When I returned, Bill was doing our banking and that means our government pensions went in at midnight.

Good morning!

On my walk. two bunnies and a
green Ocotillo

It isn’t nice that our Canadian dollar is a ridiculous price today. That really hurts but long ago, we decided we just have to tighten our belts where possible and go with it. $1.00 US is $1.4367 Cdn today. When he was done, he left for the field with Duncan and I made my tea and had my cereal. Lo and behold, I forgot coffee hour at 9. I really didn’t need to eat anything here at home, Sue always makes a treat.

A fried tortilla with cheese,
bacon, ham lettuce and mayo.
Yum! Quesadilla!

I took Gibbs for his walk and then walked over to the clubhouse. Patty followed about 5 minutes later. It was a decent turnout, 11 of us altogether. The conversation flowed until about 10 when it broke apart. I cleaned up the puzzle off the table and walked back to the Suite. The ladies were setting things up for the potluck tomorrow and it is looking very nice in there.

I hope it tastes as good as it looks

I had time before noon to make the pumpkin cheesecake so set about doing that. When I finished, I had a bit of time to just sit out in the gazebo and play my online Word games. At noon, they switch to another set for the afternoon. 😊 I made it on time and came in to start lunch. It was 12:15 and yet I know Bill doesn’t need me to wait for him if he is late. So, I made a quesadilla. It was very good.

Still waiting, I walked over to start a new puzzle. I didn’t get far when Bill texted that he was home making his lunch. 

This is the next puzzle.
Should be a good one.

All 4 of us headed to Roadrunner BLM at 2:30 for Happy Hour with our friends. Ken and Kim were expecting us and it was another fun visit. Patty and Duncan had no idea what boondocking really looked like until they saw how people park out there. I remember that first experience well.

Cheers, it's the happy hour gang!

The drive home from the blm

At 5, we returned home for Bill to grill our bacon cheeseburgers for supper. While Bill started, I took Gibbs for his afternoon walk. The burgers were, as usual, delicious and extra sloppy. ♥ 

The burger making process
and the
final result. Yum!

I’d made banana bread with cranberries yesterday so we each had a piece of that and it was pretty good. I’m not a big fan of banana bread but needed to use them up. We did the few dishes up and I worked on my blog with the tv on in the background.

One of today's favourite pictures

This was a pretty great day although a tad on the cool side, especially sitting out in the desert wind. The clouds make a huge difference too but once that sun comes out from hiding, the temperatures increase considerably.  We’ll be dropping below 50F/10C for the next week’s overnight but daytime highs will still be pleasant.

A peek into the lit up gazebo.

Gibbs likes to be outside when Daddy is 
barbecuing, like at home.
But he does like me to be outside too.
This is another of today's favourit pictures. 💖
Good night!

Thank you for your visit today.

Clouds Moving In

Park Place RV Park

On Tuesday, Nov. 26^th we were all up and mobile by 7. Bill was in the shower when I rolled out of bed. It looked like there were a lot of clouds but the sky was pink all around. What’s the saying about a pink sky in the morning? Sailors take warning, right? 😊 I’m not a sailor so I’ll not concern myself.

Good morning!

I went for my walk and when I returned, made my tea and cereal. I’ve been having a bowl of Rice Krispies most mornings, which is not in the keto ‘diet’, but it is keeping me more regular (ahem) than when I don’t eat it. Then it was turn for Gibbs so we went on his sniff-a-roo walk around his block. I noticed Patty was out doing a park walk so glad she is feeling comfortable here.

Pink tipped mountains in the west

Duncan went with Bill this morning at 8 to the field and then Jim’s. I think Bill took him on a bit of tour around town before they returned home. Patty and I sat on their patio for a while and then I made a coffee, she made a tea and we walked over to the clubhouse. I wanted her to know where things were and meet Sue. A new host arrived late yesterday afternoon so I met Betty while there.

Walking along, I noticed these
posts all had rocks on them.
This reminded me of Daddy. 💖

I finished the puzzle after Patty walked back and found only 1 piece missing. I was sure there would be more but things eventually fell into place. 😊 Bill and I had our hlc sandwiches (ham, lettuce, cheese) then he had his cat nap. I hitched a ride with D & P to Roadrunner Market and picked up a few grocery items we were running low of.

A pretty sunrise and a look at the change here.
A new host has moved into Site #1.
She seems nice.

We visited our park's Dog Park

I don’t want to go to Walmart before Thanksgiving. It will be a zoo, so I spent more than normal supporting the local town. After we got back, I used 3 of my over-ripening bananas to make a loaf of banana bread. The clouds were completely covering the sky so Bill turned our power on which allowed me to bake it in the oven. I hope it turns out okay.

Patty at her site.

Happy hour ensued around 3 and it was nice that Ken and Kim were able to join us again. It seems once we start chatting, it just never ends and that is not a bad thing. We all have such a good time together. 

The puzzle is finished

Just before 6, we said goodbye for now and I started baking the pieces of pork shoulder for supper. A last minute decision was to have mac and cheese on the side and although not the best meal (I didn’t enjoy the pork), it was filling.

Gibbs was getting a brushing
He found Tigger in his basket and wouldn't
let go.

We cleaned up and settled in for the evening. This has been another great November day. The warmth of the day was surprising with the clouds and no sun. We reached 77F/25C at the highest peak and only dropping to 58F/14C overnight. I hope you’ve had a nice day too. With the American Thanksgiving around the bend, tomorrow will be a day to do some baking. 😊

Supper - so-so
Good night!

Thank you for popping by.

It’s a Grand Day!

Park Place RV Park

On Monday, Nov. 25^th I was up and out by 7:30 for my walk. It was a lovely morning, with the promise of a lovely sunrise and a mild 50F/10C. There were some wispy clouds but that didn’t stop the heat from warming up the start of our week. For some of you, your week starts on Sunday, for me, Monday is the beginning. 😊

Good morning!

Mr. Bunny was at the post office outlet
again.

I do believe my walks are getting easier, I was home before I knew it after a good trip around the big block. It was a cleaning day so I dusted, vacuumed and washed the floors in the Suite before hopping into the shower. Yes, I needed cleaning too! I took Gibbs for his walk and noticed Medic Ambulance and a fire truck down around the corner. A resident was being taken to a hospital. ☹

Pop! 

With my chores done, at 10:30 I walked over to work on the puzzle. Sue showed me how she’d set up the Pokeno cups I gave her and it looks like we’re ready to go in December! I worked on the puzzle until noon hour and returned home to my boys for lunch. We had ham, lettuce and cheese sandwiches and they were good. We finished off the last of the rice Krispie squares.

Bill got the panels cleaned
and one of them tilted to face the afternoon sun

Patty and Duncan were keeping in touch and would arrive soon so instead of going to the puzzle, I held the ladder for Bill to go up on top and wash the panels. They were filthy, he said. I trusted that as I was not about to climb up to check it out. When he finished, we did a poor job on the windows but tried. Around 1:30, the familiar Newmar motor home pulled in with 2 smiling faces in the ‘cockpit’. 😊

The Sharps arrive

They were set up beside us by 2 and we left them alone to have their lunch and get settled. Bill fiddled with his plane and I went to the clubhouse and worked until 3 on the puzzle. When I returned, we had heard that Ken and Kim were at Roadrunner and were coming in for a Happy Hour. Yay! It’s so nice to have a group together again, even for short term.

I think one more day should do it.
All these last pieces look the same!

We all sat in the gazebo together for about 3 hours, just catching up and sharing stories. We made a few tentative plans for the near future. Lots of laughs and a few beverages later, they took a tour of Patty and Duncan’s new home and left for the night. Bill and I had already planned bacon and eggs for supper and they hit the spot along with my cup of tea. After clean up, we watched NCIS and NCIS: Origins while I worked on my blog.

Ken, Kim, Patsy/Bill, Patty, Duncan
Gibbs was in the house.

This has been a wonderful day! I’m sure there are more to come. ♥ We reached a pleasant 72F/22C this afternoon with a forecasted 55F/13C overnight.

A quick meal. We had some caramel corn
'for dessert'
Good night!

Thank you for your visit!