Heating Up, Puzzling, Tentatively Making Plans

Park Place RV Park

On Sunday, Mar. 8th it was 7:15 when my eyes popped open enough to look at the clock. My boys had been out an hour earlier and Bill was bringing the clothes onto the bed for sorting. Laundry day! How exciting! With the hotter weather, no jeans were dirty, so the two loads were smaller.

Good morning!

He went to the field after we loaded the machines and I was finished by 9 am. I washed my hair, and it dried quickly within the first 100' of my walk with Gibbs. Fine, thin hair does that. Gibbs walked well, leading the way like a proud little man, There was a lot of P-mail today!

He has a birthday this week so I wanted to make his doggie cake this morning. Well, I think the verdict is in.........the convection part of our microwave oven is on the fritz. Not completely, since it baked the cake about 25% - the top half.

I made a coffee and took it over to the clubhouse around 10:30. Using the oven there is a bonus for guests, and it was baked within 10 minutes. It didn't turn out as good as it did the last time, so maybe I doubled the recipe that year. 

Renae worked on the sky last night.
She's the night owl of our group.

While there, of course, I worked on the puzzle until almost noon when I returned home. We had lunch, I finished the last of my cabbage stew (heated on the stove) and when Bill and Gibbs stretched out for their snooze, I went back. The grass is probably the hardest but I persisted and made good progress.

Bill took Gibbs for his walk and I started my blog. Today is a warm one, 85F/29C, with a clear blue sky and some moderate winds around 8 mph. It seems hot inside the Suite but the breeze and our fans are keeping us comfortable. Gibbs is not panting so much anymore!

For supper, we are having leftover lasagna, coleslaw and a couple of rolls. The reheat part of the convection/oven works so we'll just play it by ear and weight out our options. This is our 2nd replacement!

The last of the lasagna
and the coleslaw.
Rolls are in the freezer.

Supper was good and filling so we skipped pie tonight. We sat out for a bit after clean up and Bill went to get a water jug filled. We are volunteering over the next 3 days so won't be going anywhere other than to the mail depots. This has been a great day.

Back home our family and friends lost an hour of their sleep time. Now, we are 3 hours behind them for a while, until we start heading across the states. 

A memory photo from
March 8, 2023.
Love the saguaros.
💖
Good night all!

Thank you for stopping by.

A Spurt in the Office

Park Place RV Park

On Thursday, Feb. 12th Bill and I stepped back into the role for the day. Helping Fred and Sue out so they had a day off. we woke to a somewhat cloudy sky but it soon cleared out. After a half grapefruit and a cup of tea for breakfast, I readied for the day.

Good morning!

Bill and Gibbs went out on the cart to check things in the park. As hosts and managers, they look for water leaks for the most part and make themselves visible to the guests. I'd say our faces are well-known here now and everyone is friendly to everyone. 😊

This morning, Bill went back
at the palm trees.

I walked over to the clubhouse and unocked the appropriate doors and turned lights on throughout. There is one rv expected in today and no departures, so a quiet day for the most part. I was able to work on the puzzle through the morning.

After a sandwich for lunch, Bill dozed and Gibbs sat behind me, keeping watch. 🐕 Bill has been busy trimming the palm tree after doing a bit of research on the proper technique to do that. He does like to earn his keep and Fred and Sue are quite pleased.

The puzzle is done.

I returned to the clubhouse and by 1:30 our new reservation had arrived and Bill had them in their place. He deserved the afternoon off! Mine was quiet so I finished the puzzle by 2:30 and sat quietly beside the phone in case it rang.

A mixture of sun and clouds
most of the day.
By evening, it felt like rain.

That was a bit boring so at 3:00 I uncovered the pool table and took a few shots, I need all the practice I can get! I 'played' 3 games against myself and won them all! Woohoo! It passed the time and before 4, I swept the floors down the back hall, into the common bathroom, shower and laundry.

Gibbs walks so far and then stops
to decide which way next. 
Silly goofball.

Backing up the daily system and locking up was the last thing I do before walking home. It was very warm in the Suite after being in a cooler clubhouse so I took Gibbs for a short walk and we sat outside together until 5:30. Bill suggested a quick, easy supper so mac & cheese did the trick.

He had no night flying tonight because they will be hosting night flying on Friday night instead. I went to Games Night with the ladies at 6. Another fun evening playing Yahtzee. Again, I didn't lose but I didn't win. Who says 3rd place is hard to take? 😂

These clouds were hovering.

I was home by 8:30 and watched a bit of tv with Bill until bedtime. It has been a great day, 79F/24C and we may have a bit of precipitation tomorrow. 

Love these memories.
Feb. 13th, 2020
at Yuma Lakes RV Resort
visiting Sharon and Jim Mohl.
Ken, Kim, Keith, Bill & I.
Great times.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are welcome.

Bottom Two in Pool, A Few Puzzle Pieces, Last Warm Day

Park Place RV Park

On Monday, Feb. 5^th I was up out of bed at 7 to join Bill, downstairs. I was going to hop into the shower immediately but waited until I finished a cup of tea. Not for any reason, the delay, I mean. 😊 Bill had decided early that he wasn’t going to the field. The weather was not a factor, there were things, hobby related, that he wanted to do at home.

I think I missed the best of the morning sky
but this was pretty darn nice.

All around us, north, south, east, west
Pink hues

After my shower, time was passing quickly so I took Gibbs for his walk in a different direction this morning – just to shorten it but still make it exciting for him. Then, I walked over to the clubhouse to join the ladies. There were 7 of us playing today, yay! Actually, a big or small turnout makes no difference to how I feel when I’m playing. I just love playing. ♥

I knew it was a pretty sky when our
door window lit up like this. 💗

We were done at noon and I tied for 6^th place. That means only one player ended up with a higher number. Low score wins. 😊 After our lunch, Bill had a snooze and I walked back over to work on the puzzle. I spent the afternoon there. I found a few more pieces of the puzzle and had some fun chatting with Sheila while she worked on a Pokeno ‘basket’.

By Poker Pool time, it had changed to this.

a couple more horses take shape.

By 4, we were out of there, headed home. I had a cup of tea and took Gibbs for a walk after playing my games. 

Our afternoon walk presented us with a
threat of the day ahead

For supper, Bill grilled some Brat sausages and with coleslaw it made for a nice quick supper. While I worked on my blog, we watched Willie Nelson’s 90^th birthday celebration. It was very touching as (if you know me at all) you have to know how much I love Willie!! Great performances! However, if you love Kris Kristofferson as I do, be prepared for his performance with Rosanne Cash. I cried all through it. 💖💘

This has been a nice day and a warm high temperature of 70F/19C under cloudy skies. Tomorrow, we’ll get some rain and cooler temps. We’ll take what comes.

Simple supper tonight.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by!

Third Place, Testing the New Machine, More Puzzling

Park Place RV Park

On Monday, Dec. 11^th I slept in until 7 before dragging myself out of bed. We were both in bed (well, all 3 of us) last night before 11. Unusual for me to be up so late and unusual for Bill to retire so early. Gibbs just snuggles in whenever, with whoever, as he sees fit. ♥ When he lays across my neck, up against me, his little face next to mine, I realize how much I’d miss him if he wasn’t around.

It was worth running outside for.

I made my tea, Bill was dozing, or trying to, in his recliner when we came downstairs and I noticed the sky out of my window. With no time for a jacket or anything other than my slippers, I ran out to get a picture. The clouds are never something we rejoice over seeing in this Arizona sky except for sunrise and sunset time! 😊 It was a beautiful pink photo that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on.

But the rest of the day looked like this
for the most part.

Bill left for the field without disconnecting our power as he knew I wanted to test my bread machine this afternoon. There still would have been plenty of solar power generated even under the mixed sky but baking bread would  put the pressure on. Gibbs and I went for our walk and it was a chilled one again. I think the thermometer read 39F/3.5C. Yup, that’s a brr to wake up to. We were toasty warm sleeping though with our heater on low.

I made my coffee and joined the ladies for Poker Pool shortly after 9. It was a great turnout with 8 of us eager beavers. Well, speaking for myself, I look forward to our pool days more than you know. It is just fun and I try to be a good participant and support my friends in their shots. Last week, Susan was the shark and even though she won today (again) 😊, Patti earned the name. She was doing herself proud! I came in 3^rd place which gives me my own pride.

On my way back, Dora and I chatted about something I’ve asked her to do for me before Christmas. You’ll see soon, I’m just taking her up on her offer from a few weeks ago. She’s a sweet lady. Bill and I had lunch and then I got my new Starfrit machine out of the box. Reading directions, so I don’t screw it up, I prepared the ingredients for a plain load of white bread. This one has a fruit and nut dispenser, which is why it was my first choice, not that I used that today.

My new machine gets a test run.

I left it to knead, rise and bake and went over to the puzzle. Dora and Gerald were playing pool, they are fun to listen to, and Susan was already puzzling away. We worked together until she’d had enough and I stayed until just before 4. Another one bites the dust, I took my picture and headed home. Thank you, Dora, for sharing this one with us. 😊

The bread had 40 minutes left to bake so I made my tea and started my blog. Bill was upstairs with Gibbs but when my tea and the bread was finished, I slipped my jacket on and took him for his afternoon jaunt. It has been quite a nice day. Honestly, I haven’t been outside much but back and forth and it warmed up to a pleasant 67F/18C with hardly any noticeable wind. For supper, Bill grilled pork chops, I mixed some coleslaw and sliced a few slices of the bread.

On our walk, Gibbs can't figure out where
Carol-Ann and Kobus went.

I’m only making 1.5 lb loaves right now so they won’t last long but it is good practice and since it turned out, I’ll be selling the black one. Everything tasted great. I had the right amount of pork for me, Bill had a chop to himself but I split one in two for each meal. They were cooked perfectly too. The bread was a success, still a tad warm. ♥

With a little practice, we'll get good at this.

The sun was disappearing
but it's hard to tell.

We cleaned up and after watching Carol Burnett, I finished my blog and we binge-watched a couple of Bosch Legacy episodes. It has been a great day.

Supper was good.
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are always welcome.

Flying, Walking, Puzzling

Park Place RV Resort

On Monday, Feb. 28^th we opened a new week and ended a short month. Gibbs and I went for our walk at 7:30 and when we returned, Bill was getting ready to go to the flying field. I was happy that he was getting back into the swing of things again. He was too! 

It was a warmer start, 44F/6.6C, and a great time to walk. There were a few wispy clouds and a bit of a breeze and a forecast of 77F/25C.

Being a dog owner,
I got a kick out of this sign at the neighbouring park

I peeked through the gate when I saw this SS Nova
parked beside a Mustang *sigh*

Bill left around 8:30 after disconnecting our electric and I sat with Gibbs to finish my tea and my blog from yesterday. I played the lazy card last night and didn’t feel like finishing it. I chose to spend the time with my guys. 😊 

Gibbs was very patient sitting behind me

So, with the post published and a couple of games played (Wordle and Wordle2 as well as a laughingly funny attempt at WorLdle) on my phone, I left Gibbs and walked to the flying field.

I walked past Celia's Garden

to the field

I noticed the wind had picked up as it usually does late morning so wasn’t surprised to see Bill was done flying. It was fun though to walk up behind him as he stood talking to his friends and slipping my arms around his waist. Hmmm, does it say something that he didn’t jump in alarm? 😊 I’m glad not to have frightened him but why was it natural for someone to do that? Ha ha, I did surprise him, pleasantly from the look on his face. ♥

I snuck up behind my sweetie
(he's the sexy one in black) 💗

One flyer had his plane up so I watched for a while and declined Bill’s offer of a ride home. I walked across the field in the area of Celia’s Garden and then out to the bike path along the road. I didn’t have my picture id with me but stopped in at the Quartzsite library for a peek. First time is always a charm and although no library ever disappoints me, this is a beauty. It’s very modern and I do prefer the old ones with creaky floors but I was impressed. I’ll register when I bring my wallet.

Another one bites the dust 😢

It's a very modern library
but it'll do! 😃

I walked home and felt quite hot and tired when I walked into the Suite. Bill had been home for about 15 minutes already, leaving the field soon after I left. We had some lunch together and I walked to the clubhouse to pack up my puzzle and start a new one. Pokeno was being played at the tables in the dining area and after an hour and a half of listening to that, I was ready to come home. Sorry but Myla’s monotone voice (which is fine if you’re playing) got to me. 😊

My next challenge
Woohoo!

This one is only 550 pieces
so I should be able to zip through it quickly

I sat outside for a while, reading, and then Bill and Gibbs joined me. We have been talking a lot about our plans for the homeward bound trip as well as next winter. With certain knowledge of what we’d like to do, there are things that we bring along that could easily be left at home. Cleaning out spaces and cupboards is always a good thing as it eliminates weight at the same time. It will be an ongoing conversation until we leave in the fall again.

this was before the zoomies hit him

I took Gibbs to the dog park but we didn't stay long. He doesn't seem to do anything but sniff. For supper, Bill grilled sausages and inside I put together a salad and boiled some potatoes. It all tasted great and we finished it off with the last of our cherry pie. 

Supper was good

My piece was too big but I ate it anyway. LOL It was the last sweet thing I’ll have for a while! Funny thing though, in the 3^rd last bite, I found a cherry pit. I asked Bill if that means something romantic like “does this mean our love is forever?” but I got an unexpected response. 😊 Wrong answer!

Our sweet fix for the week
I added cream to each piece

After loading the dishes, Gibbs crashed on the floor by the door, we turned the new episode (w/o LJ Gibbs) of NCIS on and watched it while I worked on my post. This was a beautiful ‘winter’ day for the last month of February. Down here, we know how March is going to come in and it won’t be a lion. ♥ I hope those of you back home can say the same.

There must be a myth when one
finds one cherry pit out of a can?
good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

Hola Mexico! Puzzle with my Buddy and a Quiet Evening with my Sweetie

After a night of dreams, one very unpleasant one, I woke on Wednesday, Feb. 13^th to the sound of Bill’s phone alarm at 6 am. He was up out of bed right away and went downstairs to turn the furnace and hot water heater on. He knew I was going to hop in the shower when I got up. With my shower done, we had our morning drinks and some cereal for breakfast.

This is our morning sky today

We met Rob and Pat at the truck at 8:15 and Bill drove to the Quechan Casino, west of Yuma. The plan was to meet Ken and Kim at 8:45 and yup, there they were. They followed us to the parking lot along the Los Algodones border. This would be their first time crossing into Mexico here and as I’ve said before, it is always nicer to go with friends who have already been. We were all excited to share this morning together.

On I-8 to meet our friends, I love this RV park setting
Back in off the road and surrounded by tall palms

Money was spent, we all found something that we were looking for and then we met at the indoor courtyard restaurant for a real breakfast. None of this toast and cereal stuff, let’s get real. This place was recommended to us and as many times as we’d walked through and past it, we’d never once stopped for a bite to eat. Today, we did and we all thoroughly enjoyed our omelettes.

Ken and Kim followed us to the border

I had the Ranchero and the plate came with a huge omelette, refried beans with melted cheese and Spanish rice. Oh, and toast. We parted ways after we ate and made the trek back to the entrance. 

We're all looking pretty serious here, as we enter Mexico
They muse be listening to the tour guide (Bill)

With a quick stop at the Purple Pharmacy we were pleased to see that the lineup back across the border was not that long. It took us about 20 minutes before we were through the line and on our way back to the truck.

Creative minds
I liked the Ant ferris wheel

Dental, optical, pharmacy?
No matter which way you look, there was no shortage

There is also no shortage of brilliant Mexican colours

We all loved the bright yellow courtyard for brunch
Notice the hanging noose in the tree?
Rob said that is what happened if you don't pay your bill

One to include Rob as well

My mouth still waters when I look at this picture
This was and AWESOME meal for $5

And then we are in the short line to cross back into the U.S.

Back home, Bill and I sat for a while together. He worked on his model and I did some crocheting. Clemson had been sleeping up on the bed and was happy to come downstairs to greet Mom and Dad. At 2, Pat and I walked back to the Clubhouse to work on a puzzle. This was a fun couple of hours too and we walked back home around 4:30.

We watched this Boeing C-17 Globemaster cargo plane circle over us
preparing to land
(it helps to have an airplane enthusiast in the family)

With my camera at the ready, I said come closer please

Closer, please

And he did
He was so big!

Bill turned our electric back on and I started prepping supper around 5. I made up some Cheddar tea biscuits to have along with our leftover meatloaf stew and because there were enough to share, I slipped next door with 4 for Rob and Pat. Just in time for their supper too. We cleaned up dishes and I went for a walk around the park before it got dark.

It's a pretty picture
Bottom right hand corner missing piece, drove Pat crazy
We hope someone found it

Meatloaf stew was wonderful even the second time around

While I caught up on my blog post, Bill turned the tv on and we watched some of the recorded programs from the past couple of nights. We had a great day and look forward to more of the same.

This guy beside the Clubhouse has his place
and birch tree all lit up
Pretty!

When I returned to our street, it was Bingo night
and I got a kick out of the golf car parking zone

Thank you for visiting with us today. Your comments are always appreciated if you care to leave one.