Looks Like We Made It! Nothing Tricky About it

Park Place RV Park

On Friday, Oct. 31st, we were all up by 6:30, washed, dressed, fed, packed up and pulling out of Yuma Lakes RV Resort by 7:35. It was a lovely day with the same 'threat' (if you can call it that) of heat about to return again. 

Good morning,
it happened again on our
last morning at Yuma Lakes.

We pulled into the Maverick fuel station to get everything weighed. I won't go into detail, you can check out Bill's blog here for all that. This all took about 15 minutes and we drove across Yuma and found Southern Tire Mart next.

Southern Tire Mart
welcomed us

I had a feeling, when we pulled in the gate and saw at least 6 staff outside, that we were going to be looked after - immediately. Bill had received a quote on 4 new Hancook tires, recommended for what we needed and this is where it lead us. It was a changed from our original plan but it will work.

A much different view for Bill.
He didn't even get his hands dirty.
💖

Can you say tires?
Lots in stock, didn't have to wait for them
to be ordered in.
These guys were great.

Within 50 minutes, we were paying the bill, $200 less than the quote, and we were on the road again and our Suite had new shoes! Things felt even better when I played my Wordle games and guessed the Phrazle on the very first guess. Everything was falling into place. 😀

Gibbs kept an eye on our home.

Back across Yuma and out on the north end, we both were breathing some relief into our lungs. Gibbs wasn't completely happy in the back seat, at least still panting up a storm, but calmed down once we got on I-95 with no stops. 

I-95 northbound
We saw the blimp but missed
the big guns in the proving grounds.
We must have been on the phone
to Sue at the time we passed.

We did have to pull off at the Stone Cabin, which is now only a stop, for a real 'pit' stop. I could wait no longer, I think perhaps some excited nerves were in play here. We called Sue and Fred at the park after 9 to let them know we would be arriving a day early, within the hour.

Our views are lovely

They were ready for us when we pulled in around 10:30 and after hugs and a catch up, Fred met Bill at our site., #29 was indeed waiting for us. We have new neighbours beside us, Walter is not returning 😔, but nothing wrong with new friends. 

Yay! Quartzsite!

Bette had not arrived yet and Angie and Rusty were still behind us. Once set up, Bill did the outside stuff, wiped cupboards and countertops down inside. I vacuumed, which was long overdue, we sat outside with Gibbs on his rope and had a cold drink.

Once he gets used to being on his rope,
he'll be happy to stop and settle too.

Needless to say, we were both quite exhausted and crashed upstairs as a family for an hour. Well, I slept longer, total surprise to me! I made a tea around 4:15 and we sat to write today's blogs. I can't describe the feeling we get each time we come. 

Arrival looked the same

This year, it seems even better, and I think that is due to the whole tire debacle on the way down. We just wanted to be 'home'. Gibbs and I went for a quick little walk while Bill grilled sausages. We met our new neighbours, Dave, Natalie and Scott, siblings and quite pleasant.

It almost seems like we
never left.
It's good to be back.

Gibbs was the main attraction so we're just glad they like him and think he is 'just too cute!' We had the sausages on a bun but I'm not keen on these buns. I left a lot of bread remnants on my plate and ate the good stuff inside. Bill enjoyed his though. 😋

Site #29

This has been a nice day and nicer still because we ended up here. No more moving! We have come to not like the shuffle. Our first 4 years, that's what we did, at the beginning we moved every 2 weeks following our membership parks and the desert.

Supper on the Weber for a change

Here we have full hookups, can still use our solar most days and not have to go anywhere to dump or get water. After doing that all summer, this is wonderful! 

All I can offer for my wish of a
Happy Hallowe'en

Here in Quartzsite, we reached a high of 91F/30C and dropping down to 59F/14C tonight. 

The beginning of our Quartzsite
sunsets, they'll only get better.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.

A Pretty Lazy Do-Nothing Day

Yuma Lakes RV Resort

On Thursday, Oct. 30th we all slept in until 6:30, so it was light out when Bill took Gibbs out for his first nature walk. Usually, he needs a flashlight to find his 'droppings'. So the day began.

Other than Bill going into town, first to the Maverick fuel/weighing station to check out how to enter and second, after lunch, to get some tubing at Southwest Exchange to fix the fridge water line that got snipped during our last tire blow-out.

Good morning.
How's this little cutie for a wake up?
Hadley, pre K school picture

What did Gibbs and I do? I showered, clipped and painted my finger and toe nails, took Gibbs for a hot walk up to the shaded grassy area and sat listening to a recording of a Medium reading that my sisters and I had at LadyFest in 2016. That was cool!

Then there is the young man who
made Jess a hockey Mom.
Handsome Easton.

Reliving that again, I found quite interesting to hear of a few things that played a part in what is going on today with some siblings. Interesting that I was told I was 'business' material and have qualities for controlling people and things in a quiet methodical way. Fun stuff! I passed the video on to my sisters so they can hear it all again too. 😀

I debated going to the pool, for one last time, but really just felt like chillin' here with my boys. We tried to set up a couple of visits but because we only have one day available, it didn't work out. We'll see our friends in Quartzsite at some point. 

For supper, burgers done inside. We didn't feel the need to get the Weber Q out and they turned out quite good the last time. Bill brought the weather station in this afternoon and dumped tanks, including our fresh water except for a few gallons.

The sun is going down

Tomorrow morning, the plan is to run across the scales to satisfy curiosities, get new tires and head northbound. The burgers were messy, done inside, but still tasty. I won't have to fry them this way again for at least 5 months! It just made sense tonight.

The burgers were very good

After cleaning up the pans, I watched Matlock and Elspeth. I missed 9-1-1's conclusion but can catch it another night and I'll hope to not be disappointed. 😂 I didn't get out much and when I did, it was without my phone, so pictures are at a minimum.

It was a hot day, surprise surprise, but at 6:30, it had dropped off about 10 degrees and from 95F/32C to 61F/16C overnight. That will be nice!

Last year on this date,
we were sitting at Pilot Knob RV Resort.
Good night!

Thank you for your visit! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Los Algodones and Some Answers

Yuma Lakes RV Resort

On Wednesday, Oct. 29th (2 days before the spooks are out!) I was awake early, like 4:45 am early. My window was open and had been all night so the fresh air on my face was wonderful. It felt warm upstairs but I hadn't noticed until I woke.

Good morning!
Sometimes, the best pictures
are those you never plan.

Our plan today was to go to Mexico for glasses. We both need an update on our lenses and have decided that our frames are still good, comfortable and 'stylish' enough to keep. We left the house, after taking Gibbs out for a walk, at 8 and arrived at the border crossing of Los Algodones at 8:30.

We drive into California
and gain an hour but Mexico
runs on Arizona time.
Gets a bit silly.

It was great to see Israel and then our buddy, Andy, but we just kept saying 'no thank you' for our walk to find an optometrist. We've been to several different ones over the years and all I really cared about was that it was someone whom we could easily understand. 

Ladies first they said so now it is
Bill's turn.
He has been using old glasses since early summer
when his got broke.

So, we found Meyer Optical, a branch of our very first one, our first year. It isn't busy, yet, so we were taken care of right away with an eye test. We ordered lenses, 2 pair for Bill and 1 pair for me and disappeared for 2 1/2 hours. 

In the open square,
these children were dressed for the
Day of the Dead celebration
even though a few days early.
Quite the costumes!

We dealt with the vendors while we walked around for about 45 minutes. We picked up my shingles pills and Bill's cholesterol pills at the Purple Pharmacy and walked back to the Mi Casa restaurant.

Even the bull has a costume!

We don't often treat ourselves when we are on our own but we had time to kill. Last time here with the group, we enjoyed the restaurant. This time was no different. Bill had shrimp and I had the Big Burrito. Delicious! 

The first menu was in Spanish
and then he brought us this one.
I had my translator out. 😆

By the time our glasses were returned with new lenses, it was 2:30 so we beelined to the border. Thinking of Gibbs, alone at home for so long. No one was in line outside and only a handful inside. Bill was prepared to ask a question about the I-94 requirements but this is how that went.

I was first and answered the basic question of what I was bringing back. Then this:

Guard: you crossed at Detroit?

Patsy: yes

Guard: Did you apply for your I-94?

Patsy: no, we asked if we needed one and were told only IF we wanted one, would they issue it. They said it was not necessary for crossing.

Guard: That's not right. You need one and we need to issue you one right here, now. Just follow that guard.

Patsy: great!

Our passports were handed over and I was directed to another guard. He called Bill to join me (his guard did not have information for him), and we went back into a room with 2 other guards who proceeded to take a picture, and fingerprint us. I felt totally at ease, they were very pleasant. 

When Bill asked if we needed to fill out the other form, the answer was 'No, you do not have to fill out the G325R form now.' He asked our US address so we gave him the park address. They directed us to an ATM and another guard in a booth and we paid our $30 each, were handed our passports and wished a good day. 

Bill enjoyed his shrimp
and my burrito was wonderful!
I'm not big on the quacamole though.

Our I-94 #'s are on file now and valid until April 28/26. We can go back and forth as many times as we want, in and out of the US. Yes, we will have to apply again next fall BUT now we know to ask for it at the border. When we got home, we went online, found our I-94# and printed off the information. It will be with our passports all winter.

It was a nice quiet lunch
together.

For us, it is such a relief having all those confusing questions behind us. We checked off another box. One less thing to worry about. This is more than many of you need to know but if you are still at the point of confusion, as a Canadian, I hope this helps. 

We spent some waiting time
sitting in this courtyard outside the restaurant
where the
breeze in the shade was lovely.

We were back at home by 3, Gibbs was happy to see us and he and I went for a brief walk. It is too hot for even the little guy to want to be out for long. For supper, we voted on grilled cheese since that was a big meal. I have half of my burrito in the fridge so tomorrow's lunch, probably.

Our good little boy looked after
things for almost 7 hours in the
coolness of the Suite.
Tonight, he's getting lots of attention.

The sandwiches were good and just enough. We waited until after Survivor, which now comes on at 5 pm (3 hours ahead of home time), and then ate. by then we were hungry enough. 😋 Bill washed the fry pan and loaded the dishwasher. NCIS:Origins was on at 7 pm, so we watched it together.

A simple supper tonight.

This was a hot day. I dressed perfectly today with my mid-calf length linen dress that I'd ordered online this summer. It was just the right outfit for a hot day in Mexico! We reached the pre-requisite high of 95F/35C, so quite warm. 

Last year on this day, we
were at Pilot Knob RV Resort
and Gibbs watered the trees
there too. 😆
Good night!

Thank you for checking in on us and your continued supporting comments.

 

Mr. Fix-it, Heat and Pool

Yuma Lakes RV Resort

On Tuesday, Oct. 28th it was just before 7 when I got up. I woke up earlier but tried to push things to the back of my mind and go back to sleep. I guess it worked because that was 5:30. 

I didn't start off today feeling this good,
missing my phone, 
but before noon, I had this grin again.

Now that the tire situation was 'kind of' settled, we still had to figure out if we can stay here longer, yadayadayada, my phone issue was bumming me out. So! We had breakfast early, as while I was getting up, Bill had already found a phone repair place called 'Ubreakifix'. 

This man walks these 4 dogs
past our place.
Quite impressive since he does not
seem to be able to walk well himself.
💗

We left Gibbs in the cool Suite and arrived just as they opened their doors at 10. Leo, the young receptionist, explained what they would do, charged a nominal fee and we left her the phone for an hour and a half. Okay, Hobby Lobby here we come!

Leo and Michael helped us
out and offered some suggestions.

I have no interest right now in Ross or Marshall's. I don't need the temptation and I don't need any clothes. No kidding, right? So, Bill and I walked in separate directions. I did spend some of my money, it's hard not to with all of their deals, and came out with more quilling frames.

Their Christmas stuff is ALL 50% off right now and I thought 'it's a good thing we don't have a sticks and bricks home'........such great choices! We picked up my phone, learned a few tricks that our generation would have had to be told, and headed home at noon.

A healthy lunch with my
favourite keto bread.
The last of my garden tomatoes.

We had lunch and had to make a few changes regarding the tire installation time, but all for the better. Details to follow. It's another hot day, story of the week. Now that things are settled, we have a couple of things we plan to do while here.

As for today, I slipped into my swim suit and went to see what the pool area is like. It was 2 o'clock and not a soul was taking advantage. I thought it might be too hot to sit in the sun so put my towel on a shaded chair and took a pool noodle into the water.

I had the pool all to myself.
Perfect!
Lots of jet action going over the park
so I'm enjoying that rumble.

It felt cool but it was actually beautiful. I was in and out a couple of times, for about 15 minutes each and moved my towel to a sunny chair instead. You wouldn't think I'd get goosebumps coming out of the pool, would you? It felt great and I wore my ball cap in the pool and out.

At Yuma Palms mall, I spotted
this donut tree, reminding me of
Durham.

When I came back to the Suite, it was nice and cool indoors and my boys were watching a movie. I'm not into Christmas movies, as you know, so I popped ear plugs in and read my book at the table. It's warm upstairs in the bedroom so that didn't interest me. 😉

Bill hopped in Black Beauty and took our 2 empty water jugs up for filling at the kiosk in the park. $1 each, perfect. For supper, we had fish and chips, something easy to cook inside. As always, it tasted great and I splurged on fries too. 

Supper was good.

We cleaned up the dishes and watched the latest episodes of NCIS, NCIS Origins, NCIS Sydney. I've missed them. This has been a successful day. My phone is fixed, we're back on schedule, have plans for the remainder of the week and I made it to the pool!

A memory from Oct. 28, 2022
at Davis Camp Park near Nevada along
the Colorado River.

Congratulations to our good friends and neighbours, Grandma Dot and Grandpa Gord, for the arrival of their new grandson, Brecken. He's a real cutie! 💖🍼👶

This was from the same day.
Look how calm he is.
Good night!

Thank you for your visit.

Making Things Right, Feeling Better

Yuma Lakes RV Resort

On Monday, Oct. 27th we woke up feeling better about 'things'. Thank you to all commenters, callers and FB friends showing concern. As for being positive, believe it or not, we are. It throws us for a loop when things happen (over and over) and we feel defeated. 

Good morning!

In the moment, we don't take time to process before reacting and we come together, talk about and come to terms with it all. We know things could be worse, and we are fortunate in many ways. We also believe we'll get through it. Thank you for your support.

Another clear sky day

So, today, I slept in until after the boys had been up and out. When I woke after a great sleep and dreams, I remained where I was until 7. Bill and I had a plan after research yesterday and he put that to fruition after breakfast. 

Bill and Gibbs order tires

After finding the tires we want to order, he visited the tire shop in Yuma that would be installing them for us. When he came home, our hope restored, he ordered the tires on the website. Yes, it was an unexpected expense, a big one, but we'll use the newest tire to go on the rim for a spare tire.

Vegetables in various stages
all around the outskirts of Yuma

Because they would not be delivered to the shop for 6 days, it meant touching base with our park in Quartzsite and extending our stay here. With that settled, we took my grocery list of things we 'needed' to get by and drove back into town. 

For one of the Durham Golden Girls,
saw these at Sam's Club today.
No, I didn't buy them.

We renewed our membership at Sam's Club, got Gibbs' dog food and a few grocery items there. We drove to the Allpoint atm at Target in Yuma Palms to get some cash out, then to Home Depot for a small bit of tubing for the water line to the fridge that got damaged and finally to Fry's for groceries.

The choppers were loud as they
flew over us

It really only took a couple of hours and we were home again to Gibbs, restocked. My mood is not up enough yet to think 'pool' but I'm sure before we leave, we'll get there. It is also extremely hot to be sitting outside anyway. 

The sun was setting when Gibbs and 
I went for our walk before supper.

We had lunch and relaxed. Bill and Gibbs had their snooze and I browsed through my Google photos, cleaning up folders on my laptop. Last night, my phone started popping up with virus protection ads saying my phone was infected. I have turned it off and that's hard!

Our spot near the Bocce Ball
court
Games don't start until Nov. 1st

It hasn't cleared up so I am unable to do much on it before it gets interrupted. Anyway, on our way home from town, 2 marine choppers went overhead and were coming directly at us. Bill stopped Black Beauty so I could get a picture or two. They are impressive.

There are a lot of empty sites
but it is early still.

I watched a movie upstairs before supper and then we had meat pies. They hit the spot with a piece of French bread from Fry's. The bread is not like RoadRunner grocery makes in Quartzsite but it was still good. Bill cleared the dishes and we settled for the evening.

Just a meat pie but it
was good and easy.

It was another hot day here in Yuma, 90F/30C, so we stayed indoors again for the afternoon. 

It's not the best picture, but
this is the first time I've seen quail
here in this park.

At least it cools down late afternoon so Gibbs is getting out for his walks, which means we are too. 😉 We closed the night out watching The Road together. You can catch Bill's blog here.

Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.