Here it Comes! A Fun Evening Out, Remembering Mom

The Ridge

On Thursday, Apr. 17th I woke up at 7 and rolled over onto my back. All of a sudden, there was a furry bundled stretched across my chest. He was obviously waiting for me to move and pet him but I wasn't ready to get up yet. I could hear Bill downstairs soundly sleeping, emphasis on 'soundly'. 😄 Gibbs fell asleep right there, where he landed and at 7:30 it was time to move. That's when the morning kisses and cuddles ensued.

Good morning!

Normal stretches underway, I got up feeling pretty good. The sky was completely blue, no clouds whatsoever. Fist pump! Yes! I could feel that finally our warmer days were coming. Our patience will be rewarded. ♥ Bill and I made our hot drinks and he had his cereal while I had some of my treasured yogourt. We had an empty propane tank so off he went into Durham to get it filled. Soon, that process will slow down.

Over at Dot and Gord's filling our bladder
That is Caper, Gibbs' friend in the forefront.
Remmy (?) was playing congo ball with Bill
on the left side of the truck.

At 10 we drove over in Black Beauty to Dot and Gord's, next door, to fill our water bladder. It is closer than Pat's and the offer was available to us. I got my Dirt Devil vacuum out and did the floors, upstairs and down. They were badly in need! I dusted the few open counter tops as well and relished in one of the bonuses of having small living spaces. 😁😁 We had a nice chat with Dot and a tour of their home that is in the process of being remodeled. They are making great progress. It is going to be so nice!

I took a walk down the lane 
Alone, you can see how far as Gibbs got
so I carried on down North Line.

Back home, Bill transferred the water to our tank and it is obvious our gauges are off as we still have about half a bladder after filling. At least, with the overnights warmer it won't freeze this time. Our Starlink needed to be mounted on the roof of the Suite so before lunch, he took care of that. Today, our forecast is calling for full sun and a high of 11C/52F and very little wind. We'll take it! That sunshine makes all the difference in the world.

Left: our Suite from the front field
Right: the corral hill and the little bum
waits for me on the step.

We had our ham, cheese and lettuce sandwiches for lunch and then had our showers to prepare for the rest of the day. At 2:30 we were ready to go for an evening out. Gibbs was going to be well looked after by our neighbour and good friend, Dot. She picked him up later on with Caper, her sweet pooch whom Gibbs remembered. ♥ He spent the rest of the day and evening until about 8:00 at their house. He had a good time and told us all about it when we got home. 😀

Uncle burger combos at A & W
Delicious!

We drove to Hanover, picked up Donna and Gerry, and drove to Dorchester, 2 1/2 hours from home. We stopped at A & W and pigged out on Uncle Burger combos before driving over the 401 to the Donnybrook Legion. Our son-in-law, Chris, was playing for the last time in the band, Wheeler, and we didn't want to miss it. Other than being loud, our 70+ ears can't handle that volume anymore and would much prefer to be able to converse occasionally at the same time. Oh well, they were great, especially Chris. He is amazing on those lead g-ee-tars!! Yes, I'm biased but honest.

Let the dancing begin!!
Bill took these while Donna and I were
on the floor.
We are in two pictures, can you see us?

It was an incredibly late night but a surprise for Bridgette and Chris. Brenda and Randy, good friends from London, joined us for a couple of hours as well and it was great to see them too. 

Chris in his element,
Bridgette in hers.
It was impossible to get them together

With my temperamental sciatica issues over the last 3 months, I wondered if the long drive and the dancing would bother me. NOPE! Donna and I danced up a storm and Bridgette wasn't ever far away on the dance floor. We had a great evening and so pleased that we could go.

Our good friends
and
The band Wheeler 

It was 12:30 am when we pulled into our lane and Gibbs was happy to see us. Performing on the bed, telling us all about his day. ♥ "Time to go back to sleep, little bum". 

Seems like Gibbs learned to drive
and surely enjoyed his time with
his friends. 💕💕
Thank you Dot, you are one special lady.

It was a pleasant day outside and a few more things got done at home too. The overnight temperature only dropped to 6C/42F , a change for the good. Finally lastly, and certainly not least, our sweet Mom is celebrating her 99th birthday in heaven today.

Happy Birthday, Mom.
One of my favourite pictures.
I hope you're dancing up your own storm today!
Good night!

Thank you for visiting today.

 

Pooling Up and Warming Up

Park Place RV Place

On Monday, Mar. 18^th we were up with the birds….well, the sun at least. I don’t know what time the birds got up. It isn’t like on The Ridge back home where we hear a lot of birds outside. Depends on where you walk here. 😊 I do use my Merlin bird app to distinguish one sound from another.

Last night after I posted
the sky put on a performance

I've been missing the good ones
but this made up for that.

It was a nice morning, 50F/10C, and a slow-moving one. Gibbs and I went for our walk and then I cut a grapefruit and that was breakfast for me. I always have some of my yogourt too, just not together. I was the first to leave the house today, at a few minutes past 9. I walked over with coffee cup and cue stick in hand to meet the ladies.

This morning's sky
was equally as beautiful

Poker pool today consisted of 5 of us. A small but lively group. 😊 All final scores were 8 or less so we walked away pretty pleased with ourselves. I finished second for those who care. (Lorne) It was 12 noon on the dot when we finished and I walked home to have lunch with Bill. He was working on another project, near completion, so I made us toasted omelette sandwiches for lunch while he finished. Another nice job too.

Started a new one.

We all sat together inside, me with my book and the two of them snoozing beside me. I actually closed my eyes too at one point and may have dropped off for a few minutes. At 2:15, I walked over to start a puzzle. This one is only 550-piece and with larger pieces, shouldn’t take too long. There was no indication on the back that the ladies had done it this past summer so I started in on it.

Our afternoon walk

At 4, back home, there was more sitting with a book, a walk with my favourite furry companion and then a plan for early burgers. Bill began grilling at 5:00 and we were finished eating before 5:30. Monday night is our show night and they start at 6 pm MT so we need to plan for them. After clean up, NCIS and NCIS Hawaii kept us entertained. Unfortunately, they were reruns this week so I worked on my blog at the same time.

Bacon cheeseburger for supper.
Never disappoints.

This was a nice day. We reached a lovely high of 74F/24C today with higher temps on the way. ♥

A memory from March 18, 2022.
Happy Hour with Tom, Deb, Nancy,
Gayle and John at Roadrunner BLM.
Good memories.
Good night!

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

Potluck Soup Day, Warm!! 😊

Park Place RV Park

Sunday, Jan 14^th – can you say ‘warm’? I sure can. We woke up to a pleasant morning. Even though the temperature was only reading 42F/5C, it was calm and felt warm. I got up just before 7 and we sorted the laundry. Bill carried the basket over with/for me and we loaded 2 machines. Bill left for the field shortly after I transferred from washer to dryer. I was done folding with clothes put away by 8:30. That’s the way I like it. 😊

As Bill and I walked over to the laundry room
the sky was waking up.

Gibbs and I went for our walk around the park and then back home before 10. Today, at the clubhouse, it was Potluck Soup Day for any who wished to attend. We went last year and I’d signed us up this year too. Yesterday, I had the bread maker knead some dinner rolls to take. (As Rick said, 'it's a real science') 😁 After they'd risen, I baked them last night. The rolls turned out great and before bed, we had to sample one while it was still warm. Yummy!

Oh my, they were good and I'll make them again.
Often. ♥

Thank you to my commenters with their suggestions on how to keep the bread fresher, longer. I’m definitely going to try a few of those ideas with the next loaf. For lunch, we each had a couple of slices of the bread and then Bill sliced up the rest of the loaf to take over with the rolls this afternoon. I had the vegetables cut, spices and other ingredients ready for Instant Pot Hamburger Soup. It didn’t take long and while it was cooking, I sat outside with Bill and Gibbs. What a gorgeous day!

Before the sun rose, such a pretty sky.

Yup, I'm back in shorts! Yay!

We reached 66F/17C today. This is more like what we expect here in Arizona so we’re going to pretend that winter is over. 😊 There were 14 signed up for the potluck but I’m sure some didn’t make it. We had about (I didn’t count) 8 pots of soup plus Rick and Patti’s pulled pork and buns. Various kinds, my favourite being the cheese broccoli. I made it last winter, it is one of the best – ever.

I tried 3 of the offered soups but this one
was my favourite. Thanks John!

It was a good time and my homemade bread and rolls seem to be enjoyed. At least no one said otherwise and they were half gone. Just enough left for a couple day’s worth of sandwiches for Bill and a few rolls for me to munch on. ♥ It was nice to not have to think about supper tonight, but we may have a snack later.

a commenter asked what I was crocheting.
For you avid crocheters - you'd have this done 
in a heartbeat. Me? give me a few days. 😄

There will be leftover soup/stew for a couple of nights. It turned out pretty good too. Because Dora and Gerald were on duty, I first dropped off a container with soup and rolls for them. He reported later that they enjoyed it. 😊 Gibbs and I went for our walk around 4:45 in amongst my attempts at the body of this silly dog I’m making. Ha! The head and nose are done so I will persevere!

From the west end of the park,
Gibbs and I took this picture.

We’ve all had a good day. 

Never fails
Clouds = beautiful evening sky

And good night!

Thank you for the visit.

A Warmer Day, More Sky (I’m addicted!)

Park Place RV Park

On Tuesday, Dec. 19^th It was 7:15 again when I got up. I slept well but my sleep was full of dreams, at least in the early morning hours. 😊 I walked around in a bit of a haze, remembering parts of it. It was a strange one and I couldn’t put my finger on any one ‘character’ who played a part. I emptied the dishwasher, while Bill still slept in his chair. He was up with Gibbs around 6.

A can't take credit for this beautiful picture.
Sheila messaged first thing and shared this with me.
It looks like the ocean.

By the time I got out there, this is
what I got. Still pretty but #2. 😃

I made my tea and Bill headed off to the field. Gibbs and I got out for our walk and it was turning into a lovely start to our Tuesday. The sky was lovely again. After 9, I walked over to the clubhouse to put in a few pieces of the puzzle. Susan and Adele were plugging away at it too. Pieces began falling into place and progress was made. At noon, I was back home to have lunch with Bill.

Susan worked on the bottom, me on the side
and Adele on the top. It will be pretty finished.

Bill's sandwich with homemade bread

He sliced the small loaf of bread and it was so much nicer, much more like a sandwich. That will be what I do from now on. I had my keto bread and we both finished off the egg salad. It is always a nice change. Bill was charging batteries and so I left the two of them and went back to puzzle some more. There was a large group playing Pokeno so I put my ear buds in and listened to Sirius XM radio. Good tunes on The Bridge. 😊

Bill tidying up and Gibbs waits patiently for Momma
Isn't it appropriate that the sunbeam ends on the little guy? ♥

Our afternoon walk in a different direction

Around 3, Susan and I sorted through the many, many, many puzzles that are in the clubhouse cupboards. I’ve done some on my own, before they arrived here, they did some, over the summer, and we’ve done a lot together. It was time to weed through them and get rid of any with pieces missing and some we have no desire to do again. I’ll load them in Black Beauty and drop them off at the thrift store or library.  

Back home, Gibbs and I went for a walk in a different direction and for supper, we had leftovers with a vegetable. We watched The Voice together and then watched a movie. 

Leftovers - yum
good night!

This has been a good day. We reached a warmer 71F/22C today with calmer winds and clearer skies.

Thank you for the visit!

More Shopping, Changing it Up, Warming up Too

Park Place RV Park

On Wednesday, Dec. 13^th it was close to 7:30 again when I got up. Bill had his club meeting and elections this morning so was ready to leave close to 8:30. Gibbs and I went for our walk after I finished my tea. I didn’t dress quite so heartily today after seeing the sunshine and clear sky. Bill had turned off our power before he left and when Gibbs and I got back, the furnace (which we ran for a couple of cycles) got turned off. Note: Blogger changed things up on me so not sure if you'll notice any difference. LOL

Off for our first walk

Good morning, Madame Mourning Dove!

The temperature has been on the cool side over the last week or two but when we think about it, it is still winter here and December, in particular, is normally a downside of the weather. Days are shorter so we don’t get as much of this gorgeous sun here in Arizona either. However, when we do get it, it is hotter than it is back home because we are closer to the equator. 62F/15C here, depending on the winds, is shorts weather, back home, close but not so much. 😊 We accept it and still love it!

On my own walk, I can't help but enjoy the
beauty of the mountains all around me. 
Although the "Q" has faded somewhat, the highest peak in the top picture
is the Q Mountain.

I dropped Gibbs back at home and slipped out the door with my fanny pack once more. We need ½ and ½ cream, so I decided to walk up to Roadrunner Market. It is further than Family Dollar by almost a block maybe, so I went the back way. From N. Plymouth Rd. I cut across to E. Mockingbird St and walked through a different neighbourhood.

I turned onto E. Mockingbird St. for some
new sightings - and I got them!

It’s older, with some scruffier looking homes, many of which are rv’s or park models. There are some nice lots though. I cut through the back of the market and got creamer and some cheddar cheese. We were getting low of that too and the price wasn’t too bad – really. 😊 Walking home along Main Street, I slipped into Family Dollar to see if they had any sticky letters, but their craft section is non-existent.

I tried to flag down the stage coach but it
was racing away from this fellow, it seems. 

BUT their ½ and ½ was .65¢ cheaper so I bought a second one. When I noticed that their gallon of 2% (& whole) milk was .60¢ less than it has been, I bought a jug of that too. Oh-oh, that all makes for a bit of a heavy load for the walk back home, but the exercise was good for me. Good for the upper arms, right? Let’s just say I was grateful to see the nose of the Suite when I got back into the park. Phew! I did get over my 6,000 steps again today though, so kudos to me.

Airstream lovers should get a kick out of this oldie.
Looks like it is just storage now but look how the outside
still appears!

I decided this morning to change my day up today. There was coffee hour(s) this morning in the clubhouse anyway so no puzzling for me. My choice entirely. Instead, I wrapped the gifts I’d picked up for Bill and Gibbs, stuffing stockings at the same time. That done, I changed into shorts and chatted with Johnny and Rich next door until Bill got home around 11 and then Gibbs and I sat in the sun, soaking up that warm Vitamin D. It was beautiful!

These lucky owners have this
beauty in their back yard.

 We had lunch and we went right back to our outdoor activities. Until the sun dropped behind the Suite, I wanted as much as possible. I came inside when it turned shady and cooler and decided to refresh my brain on crocheting. I have many hobbies so like to keep switching it up. Bill joined us and they had their snoozes while I worked away quietly.

These pigeons have a meeting every morning.
Now that is dedication to the job or maybe it is
morning happy hour?

We’ve chosen to visit the Times Three Restaurant for supper tonight, so I had my tea at 3:30 and took Gibbs for his walk before we left. Getting to the restaurant around 5 was good timing as we were able to get right in. First off, they need to replace the seats in their booths but other than that, we had a sweet young server, and she accommodated our every need. 😊 We each had butterfly shrimp and our choice of potato, but we managed to save room for dessert by having senior meals.

Gibbs was dozing under my chair
this afternoon, it was very warm!

Oh my, we were glad we did. This was a good day ending with a lovely dinner out together. I didn’t have to cook!

Our shrimp plates weren't too colourful
but these desserts were worth a photo.
Chocolate Slip pie and Bread Pudding w/brandy sauce.
Yummy!
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.

Warmer Still, Some Downtown Shopping

Park Place RV Park

We woke up to another promising day in Quartzsite on Tuesday, Mar. 28^th. Our time is quickly drawing to a close. Bill noticed the low to nil winds and decided to drive to the field to see if any of the pilots were flying this morning. I hopped in the shower and then Gibbs and I went for our usual walk. Back home, Gibbs got a treat when I walked over to get going on my puzzle.

Nice start to the day, right here

I worked alone on the puzzle and made great strides with the fireworks in the sky before returning at noon for lunch. 

The new puzzle, bright and colourful

I finished my last two pizza slices and heated up in the air fryer, they were still delicious. This morning I took the time to put a few things away in the overhead cupboards so I could close them with bungee (?) cords. Remembering where to put things safely takes some thinking! 😊

Last S. A. pizza until November.

Bill had vacuumed when he got back this morning so that was another job off the list. When things are removed off the counter tops, I’ll do one final dusting before we leave. The hummingbird feeder is empty so Bill brought it in and washed it for me. I won’t fill it until we get home. The stupid thing leaks, yes, my new one that I got for Christmas so it doesn’t hurt my feelings to put it away even though the hummers did frequent it this winter.

3 cupboards ready for travel

After lunch, we drove to a few stores/vendors down town and I bought a new purse. I'm hoping it will work to hold the things I need without having to carry a big one around. A picture tomorrow, if I remember. I've been looking at it in the Outpost for a few weeks. 

This store is going out of business on Friday so
we stopped in to see their gift-type items
The owner is retiring

We also went to Celia's Gardens
to leave a few of my rocks

7 of these are mine

Quite a collection

I was watching where I walked, it is hot
and critters may be out so when I noticed something
skittering across, I saw him.
Can you? He's looking right at me.

Now he is posing. 

I went back to the puzzle at 2:15 and quietly worked on it while chuckling at the Pokeno ladies. Patti, my favourite, is so funny. I enjoy her so much. 😊 I worked on the lower part of the puzzle and returned home at 4. 

It's a fun puzzle and yet challenging too

Instead of a cup of tea, I made myself a gin and tonic this afternoon. Then when it was finished, I took Gibbs out to walk it off. My little blood hound found a teeny baby bird that had fallen from its nest in the storage area of the park. 

Gibbs found this little baby and wasn't
quite sure what to make of it

Poor thing had a cut on its head and was on its back. Sad to say it didn’t survive. ☹ Back home, we relaxed watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy before starting supper.

Yum

NY strip steak, baked potato and fried mushrooms was on the menu with the finale being the last dregs of the ice cream. Thus leaving us room in the freezer again. Everything was delicious. Three programs are being recorded for later entertainment and I’m going to try and see the planets that are lining up beside the moon tonight.

The sunset was pretty so scanning the sky is never a waste regardless. I did go out at 9:15 just before posting and there are so many bright starts/planets around the moon that I was at a loss. Still beautiful to see so many stars. 

This was a good Tuesday and I hope y’all can say the same from your neck of the woods. We reached a high temperature of 77F/25C under gorgeous sunny skies and now at 7 pm, it is still 75F/24C. ♥♥ 

Good night!

Thank you for popping by.