Windy in the Sunshine

Lucky Star Casino, El Reno, OK

 On Monday, Mar. 31st I woke up a few times in the wee hours, not sure why. I was in bed last night by 9:15 so I was probably slept out. I still didn't get out of bed until 6:45 though and came down to join Bill. He'd already had his cereal and was washed and ready for the day. He wanted to get into El Reno to the Ford dealers early, in the hopes they could do a read on why our engine light came on.

Good morning!

When we left Walmart yesterday, there it was, ever ominous. Bill is not a mechanic and while he can detect and figure out many things, some things are better left to a professional. He left shortly after 7:00. I looked out the back window to the east and saw a beautiful red sun rising up over the horizon. Well, a transport was today's horizon but the sun was still glorious. 😊 After I ate my cereal, I saw the 2 strays were back around the area. They look friendly enough but to be safe, I waited until they wandered back across the field.

Sometimes, certain things just
call out to be photographed.
I made my tea, walked away and saw
this.
Cool, huh?

Spring is here
Dandelions and a Robin

Gibbs and I then went out for a walk. It is a cold morning, only 45F/7C made worse by the wind gusts from NNE at 17 to 20 mph. Not terrible but still cold. Thank heavens for the sun, which was battling with newly formed clouds overhead. I had my tea and played my Wordle games. I needed to stop watching the strays as it breaks my heart that they don't seem to have anyone to love them. Gibbs kept watch and would growl when they got too close to his home, at one point barking until they ran off. 

Gibbs relaxed this afternoon too
I trimmed his facial hair today so those
eyes pop and his beard is shorter.

Bill called a couple of times updating me on the truck progress, which turned out to be good news. We were expecting the worse but trying to be positive regardless. The diagnostic check showed that the air filter was partially clogged with dust and the perimeters were off, thus causing Black Beauty to seem to drag where she usually has real power. If you've ridden in her with Bill, you would know how she performs. Anyway, a new filter, an oil change (it was due) and Bill was home by noon. 💖

Supper was tasty

Nothing is inexpensive but this was less than we thought so are feeling pretty good about it all. We will be leaving in the morning to our next destination. The afternoon was spent watching movies and dozing and for supper, Rosy air fried sausages. I fried the last of the potatoes for Bill and cooked a large portion of cauliflower for me and finished the meal off with some freshly cut strawberries and cream. Yum!

Happy Birthday to my baby sister!
I love this picture of her at
Thanksgiving.

The Voice was on so we caught up with the next episode until 8 when the NCIS programs began. Being only an hour from our home, it is easier to catch our programs after our evening meal. This was a quiet day and we received good news about BB's trouble. It wasn't warm because of the winds but we did reach 62F/17C with plenty of sun. How was your day?

And we are also at the end of March.
Time is flying by.
Good night!

Thank you for coming along with us.

Too Cold! Getting out of Texas

 Lucky Star Casino, El Reno, OK

On Sunday, Mar. 30th we were up and moving by 7. It was a cold, bitter morning only 5C but feeling cooler with the strong winds. Get us outta here! Bill had eaten so went out to do his his tire check. After my breakfast Gibbs and I went out for a short walk. Short and wind-blown!

Good morning!
Our spot at the Information Centre

We were pulling out of the information Centre at 8:05 and pulled directly across the road to Buc-ee's. It is a brand new facility here in this location; 63 fuel pumps, easily accessible, no transports and there is a selection of stores and food venues. Beats walking across the busy highway to Denny's for a meal! Diesel was $2.80/gal. Another time we will venture over to see what is offered.

Gibbs waits while Daddy does last minute
outdoor things

It is cloudy so we hope to see some clearing throughout the day to charge our batteries. Needless to say we switched from shorts and sandals to long pants, jackets, socks and sneakers. Yes, we are spoiled after a winter of heat, leaving Yuma at 90F/32C. We got back on I-40E and by 9:30 we were in full sunny skies, just as I hoped.

Buc-ee's is huge
and roomy for small cars to
big rv's.

Across from Buc-ee's
is where we stayed overnight.
An easy entrance to I-40E

At a non-facility rest area (truck pull-off) we pulled off to let Gibbs piddle to help settle him. He took his last Gravol pill this morning so he's at least laying down. If he could only talk to tell us why he pants so much. This route, I-40, is where we see a lot of familiar sights from our trips since 2016.  In Groom, TX, the 19' metal cross (Groom Cross) is always picture worthy, most of us capture it as we pass. Plus, the Leaning Tower of Britten (Texas) has an interesting story of its origin but you'll have to Google these yourself. They aren't 'linkable'. 😉 

The Groom Cross
and
The Leaning Tower of Britten

Another few miles and we crossed into Oklahoma. I missed the picture again but I did get a nicer one. A full service rest area wasn't far down the road so we stopped there for Bill and I. We try not to open slides if we don't have to on the road, and our bathroom doesn't have access unless we do. I'm sure you remember THAT dilemma!🤣 This is where I captured a lovely Oklahoma sign. Wasting no time, I was excited for our short travel day, we were on I-40 again.

The Oklahoma Welcome Rest Area
Bottom left: light at the end of the tunnel?

The temporary clear blue sky was replaced again by clouds and with that, the temperature never rose above 50F/10C during our drive. We did reach our destination, Lucky Star Casino at El Reno, OK in good time, arriving at 12 noon. There are 12 FREE full hook-up sites available, first come first serve and today we were only 1 of 2 taking advantage. With a bit of a snag (so far) on Black Beauty, we plan to stay 2 nights at the minimum. We'll find out more on Monday. It's okay, we were going to be dragging our feet a bit anyway, not in a rush to cross back into Ontario's spring aka winter! 😜

Pretty ponies, more clouds but
smooth highway, spring blossoms!!

Once set up, that darn north wind is very cold, the sun made some appearances and we had egg salad sandwiches for lunch. Bill went in to register at the casino and the rest of the day is for relaxing. He didn't sleep well last night, worry keeps him awake too, so went up to the bedroom with Gibbs to catch some zzzz's. I put the furnace as soon as we got opened up since the Suite was only 55F/13C and we don't like that! We hope to reach about 61F/16C but the wind will determine that. We are safe and settled for a few days.

Arrival at a familiar spot
originally found on www.freecampsites.net
in 2016/17.
We've been back often.

A couple of our friends have arrived back home to their homes in Canada, one in B.C. and one in Ontario. Glad to hear that all went well and their wheels are on home ground. 😊 We watched a movie together and then at 5, wandered over to the casino for a meal. 

Our temporary back yard.

Bill says I've been good enough to deserve a night off cooking! (even though his meals aren't that great!) 💗 We got our fill and then took a chance on a couple of 1¢ machines and walked out with the loss of only $1 between us. Bill was luckier than me. 

Shrimp, mashed potatoes and gravy
with '5-way' (5 mixed veggies)
Tasty, hot and filling.

Back home, we found American Idol at 7 pm and it would soon be bed time for me after that. This was a great day and we hope tomorrow brings good news for Black Beauty. It will be another cool night so we brought the Blue Flame heater out rather than using the furnace. 

While my boys were dozing, these strays visited.
I tapped on the window and they wandered off, like
2 lost souls (no collars) up to the highway.
After supper, a single sweet looking dog came around
ours and the 2 neighbours sites. No collar. ????
So sad as they all looked friendly.
Good night!

Thank you for following us on our easterly route. Your comments are appreciated.

Texas, Here we Come!

Amarillo/Texas Information Centre

On Saturday, Mar. 29th we all slept in. It was 10 pm when I finished my blog last night and went to bed. Bill was up until 11:30, couldn't sleep even though he was tired. We were obviously all tired. It was7:15 when I crawled out. 

Good morning!
This is where we spent last night.

I took another walk into the store as I forgot to look for my Sola bread. They don't have the good stuff but I found one lower in carbs than most. Bill adjusted the starting pressure of all the Suite tires while I did that. 

The landscape was flat but the mountains
in the background are rugged and different
in many ways from what we've seen all winter.

This morning before we left, we met another Ontarien in the lot, seemed very nice. A fellow from Kansas beside us, with 4 girls and 2 boys and 2 dogs in a small Passport RV offered help if we needed it. People in this life style are so kind.

We pulled out at 8:50 and into a Maverick down the road a bit to fuel up. Price of $3.04/gal beat anything we'd get on a fuel app so that's a bonus. We paid $3.59 yesterday at the Flying J. Lol

There are always interesting things
along the highways, no matter which way
we all choose to go.

There were a few rain spatters early on, but 59F/14C was a comfy temperature. At Las Cruces we took Exit 135 on to 70E and stayed on it through Tularosa (cute town) and Alamogordo. 

We approached White Sands National Park
Just look at how clean that sand is!

An inspection station had us all slowing to a stop.
Our citizenship was questioned and we showed our
passports. Friendly agent.

This water tower needs some colour.
Largest pistachio, so they say!

We ignored Bill's gps that wanted us to get on US-54 up to I-40. This US70 is a better route, this time at least. We love the optical illusion that while we are going down, we are rising in elevation! It is like a national forest although I don't know it's name. ❤️

One of my favourite pictures of the day.
You must know why. 💕

It's a bit of a joy ride, up and down and very scenic. On the east side of Ruisodo we found an Allsups/Valero fuel station at Tinnie to give BB a drink. Fuel was $3.39. While there, we ate the egg salad sandwiches we brought along. 

My pictures don't do it justice so you'll
have to take my word for it.

Gibbs rode much better today, getting used to the drive and less panting. 💕  The rain never lasted earlier but there was more going through the forest, light again. The mountains, cacti and shrubbery of the lower southwest have disappeared.  This area is very flat .

We drove through a 10 second dust storm
today again but this one was natural.
It was quite windy.

We counted 15 oncoming trains today
on this highway. 

Big displays in Texas too

US70 connected with 380 which we followed through to Roswell. Breaking off 380 here, we carried on up US 70 to US60 across the Texas state line. We discussed whether we've traveled that route before, usually staying on 380 through the little alien town. Bill will check his maps. 

He was 'fussy' this morning but
after we stopped for lunch, he was a different
doggie altogether.💗

It is a long, flat, albeit quiet route with little traffic but neither of us care to travel it again. There are no rest areas but there are small towns if you care to stop. We didn't. The biggest thrill was counting the numerous trains we met on the track right beside the highway almost the whole distance into Amarillo. 😁

There was a bit of this STUFF as we followed
US60. I hate these and I wasn't even driving!!

We crossed into Texas, around 4:30, without fanfare because I missed the sign. However, we did lose another hour on our clocks. We had no need to stop, no nature calls necessary, Gibbs was so content to lay in his bed. Thankfully, we reached our familiar destination in Amarillo, TX at 7pm. This is a regular stop for us whenever we come this way. It is easy to get in to, quiet and close to fuel stations and a restaurant across the highway if we need it.

Gibbs went out for a piddle when we arrived
but couldn't take his eyes off these 'puppy eaters'!!
They are flat metal statues and he wouldn't go near them.

We got set up, the nature business taken care of and I started supper. Simple and tasty. Brown beans and hot dogs. Bill started the generator if I wanted to use an appliance but it was late and I was too tired to 'create a meal'. Planning supper didn't come together in my morning routine today. 

Our supper was good and we deserved
the ice cream treat after the long day!
Good night!

This was a good day. It was long, too long but I knew we'd get through it. We will sleep well again and look forward to a shorter drive day tomorrow. It is a cooler 65F/18C with no sun today. We'll need our duvet tonight at 41F/5C. 

Thank you for your visit.

Hitting the Highway

Walmart, Deming, NM

On Friday, March 28th, as scheduled, the Jello was set well and good. We were up, packed and pulling out of site #39 at 8:05. Our neighbours were out preparing for their wash and wax so we exchanged information.  I've really enjoyed meeting them, Sue especially. 🤗

Good morning!
Leaving Yuma Lakes RV Resort.

Some very pretty views on today's
journey.

It was a pleasant 61F/16C under a blanket of cloudy skies. A good day to travel.  We turned onto Araby Rd. and jigged the roundabouts and hopped on I-8E. Yup, there it is.  Our first step towards the east and home. 

These Ocotillos were not even bright green
but their flowers were gorgeous.

The interstate was smooth and once we were out of rush hour, it was clear driving with little traffic. We watched Saguaros disappear, temporarily, but the Ocotillos were beautiful in their blooming glory. I couldn't get a picture worthy of showing until we stopped at a rest area near Dragoon. 

Sitting at the rest area, I asked Lila
what she thought of the trip so far.
She was enjoying it!

It was 10 am and the leg stretch felt good for all of us. Business taken care of, we pushed onward. We arrived at Denny's/Flying J Truck Stop at 11:30, fueled up, parked in behind the store, opened slides to let Gibbs inside and went in to meet Ken and Nancy.  How good to see them again!💕

Making the correct turn toward
Eloy and Tucson

Eggs Benedict and hash browns and
avocado. Yum!

This is the 3rd time we've met here
and hope to continue seeing them each year,
for as long as we all can!

After a great catchup and delicious meal, we were on our way again. They live at Picacho Peak RV Resort, just 15 minutes down the road. It was 1:15 when we got back on I-10E. We got a few rough areas but nothing bad at all. Bill was keeping our speed around 60mph in the 75 zone. He is monitoring our new tire minder, learning how it works. 

the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm that
Ken works at.
A pretty dragonfly overpass and the streets
of Tucson.

Pictures of Saguaro along the way.
They returned near Tucson and beyond.
Teddybear Cholla cacti here too.

We stopped at the Dragoon (?) Rest Area, aka the big boulders for another stretch and facilities break. I don't know the real name but it is 'the big boulder r.a.' to me.  They are amazing all along that route. 😁 We were on the road again at 3:25. 

About 10 miles before the New Mexico state line, I-10 got rough again.  Once into the new state, it was much improved. Their welcome sign was also new to us, it's large and beautiful! It was a loss of an hour for us when the time jumped from 4:55 to 5:55. 

Dust storm!! Not really, there was
construction to the right of the highway and it
was windy. We mostly missed it.

The Continental Divide was not very close to the well-advertised trading post so I missed getting a picture of that sign. However, we did see that it was 4,585' elevation. Whenever I see those large advertisements it reminds me of the trip Bill and I took in our Toyota Corolla to see Michael, my little brother in Cold Lake, Alberta. The signs there were for WALL drug store. Nice memories. 

The 'big boulder' rest area.

At 7:00 MDT we found a spot at the Walmart in Deming, NM for the night. We are not alone but settled in nicely, away from interstate traffic noise. Now, if the truck beside us would only stop running…,…🤔🤔  

Gibbs, was unimpressed.
He looks pretty scruffy here.

Neither is us is hungry for a meal so we may only be snacking before we crash for the night. We do have a few groceries too pick up in the store. Gibbs was pretty good all day and I may have found a solution too make the long drive more accommodating. One more day and I'll share it if it works again. 

We crossed into New Mexico, lost an hour
and it looked like we stepped into another world.
The land was flat for miles and all the cacti
and shrubs were gone.

We are sitting at 73F/21C and it is a clear sky tonight. This was a great day!

this greenery really struck me odd.
All the trees are brown............not!
Arrival at Deming for the night and a water
tower for my blog.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping in. 

Last Day Here

Yuma Lakes RV Resort 

On Thursday, Mar. 27th I woke up to the sound of Bill stepping outside. It wasn't even 7 am yet and my man was at work! He wanted to check (& top up, if necessary) the tire pressure on the vehicles before it got hot. He didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday, that was very wise. It was a decent night for sleeping with windows open in the Suite, downstairs and up, even the little one beside our heads. With just a sheet over us, perfect!

Good morning!
This is the view to the west from our Suite window

It was a pleasant 62F/17C when I came downstairs for breakfast. We had a few things goin on during the day today but I was slowed down, somewhat, by my sciatica giving me some grief. It has been on and off throughout most days but this was a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. I'm trying not to grumble and complain because that isn't pleasant for anyone, so pushed onward. 

I took Gibbs out for his walk after my tea was done and we explored more smells at the dog park. There are a few nice sized 'paintable' rocks here so they slipped into my back pocket. 😂 Upstairs, I sorted our dirty laundry, it has been 12 days since we did it last. I expected more but other than our underwear (tsk, we all wear them!) we seem to have been wearing things a little longer. There were also a lot of Bill's t-shirts and my tops though, naturally. 

The laundry room was large enough
but only half the lighting worked.

We walked up the berm to join George and Judy for our last Bocce Ball game this season. There were 8 of us playing for the most part and during the last game, Sue (our neighbour whom I've come to know from the pool) joined to learn and play a round. She loved it and they may hang around longer just to partake in some of these games. They've been heavily involved in dental work so haven't had much time for fun while here. 

Gibbs does his  best to snuggle
in behind us - still.
Although, now he needs a boost up!
I might have the bigger chair space.

We always have a good time, enjoying the comradery of the mangers (George and Judy) and guests (Chuck, Bev, Dorothy, Al, Randy and Jeanine) here. Everyone present this morning gave us a handshake or hug, wishing us safe travels and good luck with everything, hoping to see us in the fall or spring of next year. 😍Very nice people. Back at our site, I did some relaxing, trying to ease my discomfort, while Bill hopped in the shower. Mine will be later this afternoon, before, after or in lieu of, the pool. 

We drove to the laundry up at the clubhouse and once we figured out the 'machine driven' payment procedure (!!) loaded 2 machines. Together, 30 minutes later, we switched them to the dryers. Washers are $1.50 and dryers are $2.00 (my reference) and they did a good job.

My next book has me
chuckling again.
Stephanie Plum, you'll never learn.

When the clothes were done and folded by the two of us, we were happy to have that job done. We may do laundry once more before we return home. Oh! By the way, I finally heard back from my laundromat boss in Durham. He says he does want me to work again this summer, that his maintenance man will be more than happy to hand over the reins. 😂😂 I'm quite happy about that, I was concerned that things had changed back home. Rumours, you know. That means that all 3 part time jobs await me when I'm ready.

We had lunch at noonish and planned supper. While Bill and Gibbs snoozed, I relaxed by starting my blog post. Today is cooler than the previous 3 but still in the low 90's/30's. Tomorrow is moving day and the heat wave will break and the winds will return. Hopefully nothing too bad for driving to our next destination. With us pulling up stakes in the morning, I wanted to do a dusting and vacuuming through the Suite. So, with Gibbs safely tucked on Daddy's lap from the big bad machine, I took care of business. 

Supper was delicious although
my broccoli steamed a little too long.

Supper was pork ribs in Madame IP, broccoli for me, fried potatoes and corn for Bill. It was all very good except that we turned the a/c off as a precaution while things cooked. It would likely be fine but we are not in the mood for an issue! 😜 We loaded the dishwasher one last time (for our journey home) as Bill dumped tanks earlier today. We have only the weather station and Starlink dish to stow away in the morning. 

Again, looking west, this time
at the sunset.

This has been a good day for our last one in the park. We reached a 'still hot' high of 92F/34C today but dropping slightly below 60F/16C overnight.

For those keeping track....

By the way, we caught our mouse in
an old fashioned trap. Hopefully, the one and only.

Good night!

Thank you for popping by.