December 5 and 6 - The Final Chapter

The temps are getting colder now again. The trip to Tallahassee was easy. We had our morning stop at the Florida Welcome Station. For lunch we ate the rest of the ham and cheese on the rest of the French bread loaf we bought at the Farmers Market in Gulfport behind the gas station where we filled up. It was a lot of chewing but it sure was a good sandwich.


Once we got close to Tallahassee we lost another hour as we got back on Eastern Standard time. The Tallahassee RV Park is on the east side of the city and really nice. We arrived around 3:30. The spaces are not big by any means, or cheap for that matter, but the setting is really nice in the tall pines. There are only 2 toilets/showers for 68 spaces so I guess most plan to use their RV facilities. There were a lot of snow birds there.

Jean and Paul picked us up for dinner around 5:45 and we visited in the RV for a bit then they took us to Ted’s Montana ???. It is owned by Ted Turner and they serve a lot of buffalo in addition to everything else. Bill and I were very happy with our meals. One of the best dinner salads I’ve ever had. We really enjoyed visiting with Paul and Jean. We last saw them both in April when we met in Florala camping, then Jean was down later for a girls get together. Too bad we live so far, they’d be a fun couple to camp with. We’re going to try and get together for a few days when Bill has spring break.

After they dropped us off we watched some TV and read and mentally prepared for the last day on the road. The temp was to be 29 so I made sure I turned the tank heaters on before bed.

December 6 - Last day, BUMMER! Since it wasn’t a long drive we didn’t plan to leave early, Bill wanted to be on the road around 9. It took a little longer to get packed up since he had to drain all the tanks before we could go. We did manage to leave around 8:30 though. It was COLD out for sure.

We stopped mid-morning and it was still pretty cold out. At least the rest area had heat today. At lunch time we stopped at a TA for the last fueling but they didn’t have any spaces we could park in for lunch as they were all back in spaces and I was not going to try that in front of all those truckers. So we pulled in to one further down the road and I parked while Bill went next door to the Kentucky Fried Chicken place. Since I was parked at an angle I looked in the passenger side mirror to make sure I wasn’t sticking out too far in anyone’s way and saw something hanging down from the roof. I got out and the slide cover was unrolled and just hanging there. When Bill walked up he noticed it right away. It was not like that we filled up so it must have just sprung. Well, this place wasn’t ideal for opening the slides and working on it so we went across the street where there was a big truck service place and plenty of space so we pulled along the fence, ate our lunch then discussed our plan of action. We had a ladder with us but would need two if we had to hand roll the cover up so I thought we could borrow one from the garage. Then I looked over there and they had 2 of those huge rolling ladders. We went in and asked if we could use them and they said OK, just don’t fall off. Duh! So we wheeled them over to the side and decided it was sprung and would not stay rolled so I got a utility knife and cut it off of the roller, then we slid the other end out of its bracket, folded it up, rolled the ladders back over and headed on down the highway! Once we get settled in I will call our mobile service guy who installed them and see if he can use the old cover if I get it re-stitched and have him order what parts he thinks it will need.

From there it was less than an hour to Winter Garden where we went by the warehouse to weigh the RV. I need to check the numbers but I think we’re about 2,000 under the loaded limit, so that is good. Then we came home and I pulled in the driveway and left it for Kurt to come back in the space after work. We emptied the fridge and freezer and most of the clothes and linens. Molly was so happy to get out on the porch again. She must have gone out 10 times but didn’t stay long since it was cold and getting colder.

We arrived home to several dilemmas. There was no water, no heat, no phone, the garage door opener was only working from the pad, no electric along one wall in the living room, no direct TV….. Yikes! Should have stayed on the road! I discovered someone had turned the water off outside, so that was easy. Once I checked the overflow pan under the AC/Heater unit, I checked the breaker and it was off, so I was relieved to hear it kick on once I flipped the switch. Bill called Direct TV and an hour later that was working. Funny thing about the phone, the internet was working but not the phone but I left it for Tuesday. I also realized I forgot to call State Farm to activate the coverage on the van and Bill’s truck, so that was a do first thing in the morning item. I did 3 loads of wash and yippee, the washer and dryer both worked. Bill hooked the batteries up to the vehicles and both started so that was another plus.

Kurt came to back it in and for a while it went well, then it happened. The truck got stuck like it did the last time. So the RV is way back in and needs to just be turned to the right and pulled forward but that will have to wait til Kurt can bring the Bobcat over to pull it out. Then Bill is renting a tamper to pack the new gravel down. It’s always something!

Now to get ready for Christmas and start planning our next adventure.

Thanks to all my family and friends for keeping up with us! I hope you enjoyed looking at our 800 photos!

December 4 Gulfport, Biloxi and area

Carved Katrina Tree

The party is really almost over! We had a great day today in Gulfport and surrounding areas. We slept in, well I did until 8:30 and boy was it nice. I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and we finally left about 10:30. We drove to Biloxi so we could see what casinos were left and where we had my parents’ 50th anniversary celebration. Not many casinos left but looked like they were doing some building. Then we went to the 6th Annual Biloxi Christmas in the City event downtown. It’s basically an arts and crafts event with Christmas carolers and of course a food court. We browsed the booths but only bought some pusharate, which is a Slavic dessert thing that looks like a donut hole but is very yummy.

An abandoned house along the gulf

Then we drove west along the gulf coast and could see where some house were rebuilt or repaired and many empty foundations stood, mostly with for sale signs. It is very sad knowing what old majestic homes once stood there for a 100 years and now most are gone and the new ones are primarily being built on 12 – 16 foot poles. We saw some of the wood carvings in the median that were carved in the trees left standing but destroyed by Katrina. We stopped for lunch in Long Beach at Lil Rays. It’s a seafood place and I thoroughly enjoyed my grouper po boy. They indicated on the menu that some of the prices had to be increased due to the oil spill. Which reminds me, we looked for miles but saw no remaining evidence in this area of oil, at least as far out as our eyes could see. We stopped a couple of times and walked on the beach and took some photos too.

No oil spills here

We returned to the RV for an hour or so to put more laundry in and to take Xena out. We went to the matinee of “Unstoppable” at 3:45. We both really like Denzel Washington and he was as good in this as his other movies. It was a rather tense one to watch and I hid my eyes several times. Back at the RV I made fish for dinner with the left over mac and cheese and the last of our zucchini. We talked to Carole, who told us about their visit today with Kerry. I knew she had been invited to Tucson by friends she met in Alaska, but didn’t know she was definitely going so that was a surprise for everyone. Later I called Jean to see about meeting her and Paul for dinner tomorrow night in Tallahassee. We’re to confirm around 1 tomorrow.

I had my shower tonight to speed up the get away tomorrow. I have mixed feelings about going home. I’m excited to see everyone and sleep in my own bed and cook in my big kitchen but not at all excited about having to get ready for Christmas in a few weeks and going back to work and going to appointments. Oh well, you have to take the good with the bad.

Time to post this and read for a while.

November 30 - December 3 - We Finally Left Texas

It was nice not having to hook up this morning and nicer yet that the wind had stopped. It was 29 when Bill took Xena out first thing but the sun came out and it was warming a bit when we left at 8:19. I made bacon this morning, toast, fruit and scrambled eggs for Bill. We didn’t have to leave really early as this was our short day.


The ride was uneventful. We started listening to an audio book so that made the miles go faster. The scenery was very drab and lots of nothing. We stopped first thing at Flying J just outside of El Paso to fuel up and then again mid-morning for everyone a bathroom break. This time the bathrooms did not have any heat and those seats were cold! We stopped at a small rest area for lunch that did not have facilities, but that was OK, we used the RV. We had to go through a Border Patrol stop where the dog sniffed our truck and RV and they asked if we were US citizens but didn’t ask for ID. Seems kinda pointless to me. Later we saw two Border Patrol trucks with horse trailers along the road out in no where.

Trail riders outside of Ft Stockton

We arrived in Ft Stockton at about 3 today but that is after the times changed back to Central Time. We’re at the Ft Stockton RV Park. We stayed here last summer. It’s a few miles east of Ft. Stockton, but since we’re not going into town that is fine. We think they put us in the wrong place as according to their map, this area is not a pet area. Bill said they didn’t ask him about pets. Once again we didn’t unhook, but we did put the water and sewer lines on. I did 2 loads of wash. It was really nice out when we arrived. In the sun it was pretty warm, but still chilly in the shade. I called Dr. Cox and made an appointment for my knee. Can’t see him until the end of December so hope it doesn’t get super painful before then.

After we got settled in we watched everyone else arrive. We counted at least 12 more units in after us, mostly Class A’s. I was going to fix pork chops on the George Foreman for dinner but they had a small café here and Bill really wanted to eat there since we didn’t get to last time we camped here. We both had chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, pole beans, a biscuit and a slice of pumpkin bread for dessert and a glass of tea. It was a good meal for $7.95. We got the last open table but it sat 6 so a single man came in and we asked him to join us. He’s from Michigan and now headed to CA for the winter near where his daughters both live. We had a nice time chatting with him.

After dinner we took Xena for another walk and I put chicken in the crockpot for overnight to make chicken and dumplings within a couple of nights. It appears our TV shows are not on due to “specials” so Bill is reading and I am going to try to get on the net.

December 1 – Only 24 more days until Christmas! It’s going to be a rough month when we get home.

We left at 8:45 this morning and again, it was pretty cold out. Some water that leaked made ice under the RV. We stopped for fuel first thing as there’s not a lot along the highway across Texas. I am so glad we have an audio book to listen to as there’s not much traffic and it gets really boring.

We stopped mid-morning for everyone’s bathroom break and again, there was no heat in the bathrooms and boy, those stainless steel toilets are cold! I guess it’s good in the summer! We stopped for fuel again in Junction, TX so after filling up we pulled around to the back of the station and had our lunch. Arrived at Boerne, TX at the Top of the Hill RV Park at 2:30. There are almost 100 spaces here and met people from Florida who are now full timers. Why you’d spend the winter here instead of Florida, I just don’t understand. They said it gets pretty full after Christmas and they have rally groups and nice facilities. It’s cold though!

We took Xena for a walk around the park and there are some nice units here but also some year arounders that I just don’t like. They tend to trash things up in my opinion unless they are closely monitored. I made pork chops, sweet potatoes and salads for dinner. Then we set up both laptops so we could each do mail and whatever else. I have been checking on seasonal jobs and volunteering in National Parks. We need to make some decisions and get our applications in for next year.

Watched a couple of shows and now it’s time to read.

December 2 – We left earlier than out deadline by 15 minutes! 8:15. No one should have to drive a big RV through 2 big cities in one day. Butthead drivers think you can stop on a dime and change lanes like you’re in a little sports car. I was glad to have them over with!

Just as we got on I-10 this morning we saw an overturned motorcycle on the westbound side and Bill said there was a body bag. Traffic was backed up a ways and there were tons of police turning it around and another bunch not letting any other cars come up the ramp. Later we learned that a guy challenged the police in the middle of the interstate after leaving home saying he was going to commit suicide. The police ended up shooting him on the highway.

Our morning break was in the nicest rest area we’ve ever been in in Texas. It was Guadalupe and it was a super nice stop. We spent most of our drive today listening to the rest of our audio book. That’s the only way to drive across Texas! For lunch we timed our stop for fuel also at Flying J. We also got our empty propane tank refilled at the same time and splurged on pizza slices for lunch that we ate in the RV.

The drive through Houston after that was LONG. It’s about 30 miles to cross the city and suburbs. We did see some Texas longhorns along the way and it was interesting that we were passed by a stream of Border Patrol vehicles again. We arrived at our campground, Hidden Lake RV Resort in Beaumont, TX at 2:45. It’s a really nice small park that is only 2 years old. It’s on a lake with catch and release fishing. There are about 10 back in sites on the water but we chose a pull through. Nice couple owns the place.

It’s easy setting up when you don’t have to unhitch or hook up the sewer! We took Xena for a long walk around the whole park and critiqued the RV’s. Then I made chicken and dumpling for dinner and fresh zucchini. The dumplings were not up to par since I used bisquick. Scratch are so much better! Went ahead and got my shower tonight and washed my hair so I don’t have to do it in the morning. Kerry called and we had a nice talk. I miss talking to her and Karen every day.

I spent some time tonight looking again for places for us to work at a National Park next summer, watched some TV and did my journal.

December 3 – I was not ready to get up this morning! This driving every day is getting old fast. We just had cereal for breakfast and a pear since we are out of bananas. Bill had to put some air in a couple of the RV tires so it was about 8:20 when we left.

Our potty stop was to fuel up at the same time but they had a problem with the pump so it took longer than planned. Then I wanted to stop at a Wal-mart along I-12 in hopes of getting some Hubig pies to take to my family and friends, so we planned it with our lunch break. I didn’t get the pies but got some bananas and subs from the Subway in Wal-Mart. We ate in the truck and kept on trucking...to another try at a Wal-mart down the road. Again, so Hubigs, so sorry to my family and friends.

My shopping stops caused us to not get to Southern Oaks Mobile Home and RV Park in Gulfport, MS until almost 4. It’s actually a mobile home park with one RV section and then several spots scattered throughout the park. It’s nice enough but not someplace you’d want to stay long as we gather most, even in the RV’s are permanent residents. It’s fine for 2 nights. I made venison cube steaks, broccoli and Bill chose Kraft mac and cheese for dinner. Then we took Xena for a walk and it’s cooling off outside. Guess we’re headed into that cool Florida weather we heard about.

Planned out our day in the area tomorrow, watched TV and read.

November 29 Heading Home

It was so cold this morning. We got up at 7 and after a quick breakfast and finishing putting things away, we were outside before 8 hooking up. It was easy to get lined up straight with no one in the space across from us. I had Bill hold the hitch plate at the angle of the pin and I backed right into it and hooked up. I was glad but Bill was extremely relieved after we had to put boards under the front of the truck to get unhooked. Carole and Herb ended up coming to see us off and brought a Christmas kitchen towel she had crocheted for me and my cookie tin I left at their house. It was really nice of them as it was too cold to be out if you didn’t have to. We were out of the gate at 8:15, so we were on time for us. Traffic wasn’t too bad leaving Tucson and as the ride on I-10 continued it got less until we got to El Paso.

Mountains as we were leaving
Arizona

We stopped at the last rest area in Arizona for our morning potty break and we were super quick because the wind was so bad and so cold. Then we stopped in Deming, NM for lunch. We parked in a shopping center next to a Wendy’s. It would be really cold in the RV and not fun to eat in the cold so we splurged on burgers. Of course I had a small Frosty and Bill had fries. We easily got right bank on I-10 and headed on our way east. We stopped at The Saddle Blanket Store in El Paso. We stopped there last year as it is right beside the interstate and has a huge truck and RV parking area in back. They have so much great southwestern stuff. Blankets, rugs, purses, pillows, placemats, runners and saddle blankets. The also have all kinds of leather goods including saddles, boots, hats, belts and purses. I could really do some damage there but today we left with only a new bedspread, a pair of matching wool rugs, a pair of matching throws for the couch and a couple of small gift items for friends.

Our campground, Roadrunner RV was only a couple of exits further down I-10. We came to a different one than last year, but this one is no nicer. It’s OK for overnight but has that unkept rundown look. No cable but at least there is decent WIFI. We did manage to get a pull through so we didn’t have to unhook. The wind was terrible when we were setting up. Bill did the electric and water only but after he did dishes he unhooked the hose because it’s supposed to be freezing tonight. We’ll turn our tank heaters on before bed and he hopes he put enough water in the freshwater tank to take a shower in the AM.

It was 55 in the RV when we stopped so I was quick to turn the furnace on. I left the shades up so the sun could come in and help with the heat. We settled in to read a while and I got really tired so took almost an hour nap. I guess I didn’t sleep so well last night.

We had our leftover venison roast for dinner it was nice not having to cook. Will have to take something out of the freezer in the morning. It’s a little shorter drive tomorrow and without the shopping stop we will be camped in plenty of time to fix dinner. Spent the evening watching TV, blogging and reading. We took Xena out for a walk and could see tons of lights across the river in Mexico. Too bad the borders towns are not what they used to be for tourists. Due to the drug gangs so many of the tourist shops have closed all along the border so I guess it has ruined the economy for many. Xena didn’t push to stay out to long as it was still cold. It’s down to 39 now and it’s not even 10 yet.

Time to post and read!

November 24 - November 28 Final Days in Tucson

After our walk and breakfast, Gene Kelley the RV mechanic came about 10:30 and got started on replacing our front legs. He had a terrible time getting them out due to the construction of the RV. At the end of the day he said he’d have to come back on Friday to finish. We were concerned about our bill going up but I guess he’s going to try and get more money from the service contract we have as he only charged what he originally told us he would charge.

Carole and Herb dropped off the valance. They picked it up when they picked up their chair. After they left and we had lunch we hung the valance but decided we wanted to secure it better than with only 3 screws into the ceiling paneling.

Airplane gravelard in Tucson on the
Davis Monathan Air Force Base

I did one load of wash and once that was drying we left. We visited 2 other RV parks so we’d have some idea of what else is available next time we’re in Tucson. We went to 2 used bookstores and Bill cleaned up. I think he found 11 books, so that should keep him for a while. I found 2 and a cookbook. We made a quick stop at Ace to get some panel nails to fix a piece of trim and paneling in the RV and L brackets to better secure the valance. When we got home I made risotto to take to dinner at Carole’s and did my trim and paneling repairs.

When we got to Carole’s, she and Janet were still out shopping. They ended up only being a few minutes behind us and the meatballs were in the crockpot and ready so dinner was quickly on the table. We all watched a sow Bill wanted to see and then we headed back to the RV where we watched a couple of shows, I cook my sweet potatoes for tomorrow then I read on my book for an hour.

November 25 – We slept in today and got a late start on our walk. I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and we did some “chores” before getting started on my sweet potato casserole to take for lunch. We were eating at 2 so we had some time. We left the RV at about 12:45 for Carole and Herb’s. Everyone was there and bustling around in the kitchen. I stayed clear as there were too many cooks in the kitchen for my comfort level. Everyone had their assigned jobs.

Xena and her blanket at Carole's

We had quite a spread of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rutabaga, 2 kinds of cranberries, gravy, rolls, olives, stuffed celery and green bean casserole. I think everyone was full to the gills when we left the table. We didn’t get into the pies until much later. After lunch some took naps, some watched TV and football and some went over the Black Friday ads before we made it back to the kitchen for pie. There was pumpkin, apple and razzleberry with your choice of ice cream or whipped topping. I can only vouch for the razzleberry and it was sooo good.

Bill and I went home at 6 to feed the girls and take Xena out. They each had special Thanksgiving food too. Xena always eats hers but Molly didn’t care for the turkey at all. She would only lick the broth off so I gave the turkey leftovers to Xena and gave Molly some salmon and rice and she chowed down on that. Not much on TV for specials and reruns. We both went to bed at 10 since I had to get up at 4:40 to go shopping.

November 26 – From 2 AM on I kept checking the clock to make sure it went off and I didn’t miss my 4:40 AM wake up call. I made it up, dressed, made a cup of tea to go, ate a banana and did a couple of emails before my ride arrived. First stop was El Con Mall to the JC Penney and Target. I did some great shopping at Penney’s and got some super deals and another 15% off with a coupon from Carole. Didn’t buy much at Target but sure enjoyed my Gingerbread Latte at the Starbucks there.

Then we stopped at Michaels and I only got a couple of stocking stuffers there too. Saw a saguaro cactus that lights up that I’d like but they didn’t have any more, only a display one that was made into a big floral arrangement thing. We will check again on Sunday to see if they get more in, but I think they won’t get another truck until next week.

The ladies met up with the guys at McDonald’s at about 9:30 so Carole and Herb could visit with their bus driver retiree friends. Since all I’d had was a banana and a latte I was ready for something more substantial. Carole had coupons so Bill and I got a buy one get one breakfast sandwich. We visited with everyone til almost 11 as the RV guy was to be back at 11 to replace the parts on the gas tanks and finish something on the level legs. He arrived right on time and in addition to completing his tasks, he gave us some good tips on RV products and suggestions on better ways to do things.

The latest family photo

After he was finished we headed over to Carole’s to visit and for dinner. Tera and JD had left about 15 minutes before we got there, so Xena got to go too. JD had to work on Saturday and they weren’t sure what traffic would be like. We had leftovers for dinner and that was fine as everyone was tired from the early start today. After dinner Bryan and Carole set up the living room for a family photo shoot. We haven’t all been together in probably 4 years so they wanted an updated photo of the 6 of us. We laughed and laughed at Carole trying to set her timer and Bryan trying to use his remote and of course generally harassing each other. We had our healthy dose of laughter, that’s for sure.

Then we left before 9 so we could see Blue Bloods at the Rv. Ended up being a repeat so we read instead.

November 27 – Bryan and Janet wanted to leave around 9:30 so we got up early enough to have our walk, breakfast, showers and get to Carole’s at about 9:15. They had their truck loaded and were pretty much ready to go when we arrived. We visited a few minutes before the good-byes. We invited them to come to Florida for a visit, told them what a good visit we had and had our good bye hugs. They were going to stop in Phoenix for a bit more shopping, then lunch before getting back to Camp Verde.

Once they left, Carole, Herb and us loaded in the truck and went out to Camping World. They were looking for an end table for their RV and we were looking for the parts to use our RV propane to fuel our grill and eliminate carrying the extra tank. We also got some new kind of stuff to use in our black water tank. Then we went to check out a couple of RV parks again. One was not an RV park but a park model place and the other was huge, about 1,000 spaces. Most were park models but they had 2 large sections for RV’s that were pet friendly also. A lot were pull thrus and Bill was pleased with that. At least now we have 3 places we’ve checked out for the next time we are here and we know more about what they all have and don’t have.

Xena and Kelly in the
recliner

We dropped Carole and Herb off, then we made a quick stop at the grocery for out trip home. Since we won’t be unhooking until we get to MS, it will be tough getting into a grocery store. We went home for lunch, took Xena for a walk, and visited with our neighbor who had a 2007 Cedar Creek. Bill cleaned what he could reach of the front of the RV and then I got on the roof and did down as far as I could reach and lubricated the antenna. We called Carole and told them we’d be over around 5:45 to go out to dinner. We decided to go to Texas Roadhouse. There was a 20-30 minute wait but a woman gave us her wait ticket as she gave up so we got in pretty much on time. Everyone was stuffed when we left. Those peanuts and rolls will do it.

We stayed a while and watched TV and then we headed home to take Xena out and ended up reading. Most of the shows over the holiday weekend are repeats so not much of interest on the TV.

November 28 – Sunday morning and our last day to sleep in for the next week! I finally got up at 8:30. Then we went for our morning walk and it was nice out. As the day progressed it got colder out. I made bacon, fruit, toast and eggs for Bill and fruit, bacon and a bagel for me. Then we finally got dressed and went over to pick up Carole and Herb. They went with us to Trader Joes. I wanted to get more orange chicken to take home and a few bottles of wine that I tried and liked. We dropped them off and went to fill our empty propane tank and fill up the truck for our getaway tomorrow.

When we got back to the RV is when it started getting colder. I made lunch while Bill started putting our outdoor things away. After lunch we put the stand in the back of the truck for Xena and Molly and I put some things away inside. It’s been nice to be in one spot for 2 weeks. I think we’ll start spending a minimum of 4-5 days at places on our next trip and most we’ll stay a week or more. We were concerned that a 5th wheel was going to park across from us, creating a bit of a problem for us to get hitched in the AM, but they ended up one space further over, so we were relieved. We left at 3:30 to go back to Carole’s so I could put a venison roast in the oven. A nice one pot meal will be easy to put on the table.

When we arrived in Tucson the weather was awesome. Capri daytime weather and chilly nights. Now it’s gotten cold during the day so you need long pants and jackets and in the high 30’s at night. Glad we got in for the good stuff!

My right knee gave out on me twice today and I was down. It happened going down our few little steps. I have felt some twinges the last few days but this was the first that it gave out on me and is hurting with any twist of my knee. Bill is worried I won’t be able to drive home.

While dinner cooked, Bill and Herb watched football and Carole read the paper and I caught up on my journal and talked with Carole. We ate at 6:30 and everyone was pleased with dinner. I made gravy too and we all filled up. There were enough leftovers for Bill and I to take home so we would have a ready made dinner tomorrow night on the road. We had a teary goodbye when we left at 8. We always have such a good time with Carole and Herb, whether it’s sitting and watching TV or being out and about during the day. It’s always hard to say goodbye.

November 19 - 23 What is Happening in Tucson

Santa Catalina Mountains and
Sonoran Desert

Carole and Herb picked us up at 8:45 to go with them to McDonalds where they go every Friday morning for coffee and/or breakfast with their fellow bus driver retirees and their spouses. We had eaten breakfast but tagged along to meet their friends and then the 4 of us were going to run some errands. They had a nice crowd over in their regular corner of the place and such a nice group of people.

From there we went across the street to Big Lots, but we didn’t buy much, just some odds n ends. Then we made quick stops at Home Depot, JoAnns and Micheals and a long stop at Sunflower Market. Those are really great grocery stores. They remind me of Whole Foods at home but have some bulk food items, which is nice. I picked up some stuffed chicken breasts for my turn to cook dinner on Saturday night and some bulk items I will probably take home.


Rincon Mountains

After they dropped us off we had lunch and did some duties around the RV. We picked them up at 4 to go to the swap meet that is from 3 to 11 on Friday nights and we thought that would be less crowded than going on Saturday or Sunday. It was really disappointing. During the 23 years that I have come to Tucson with Bill and gone there we have always had fun looking in the silver shops, the Mexican import shops, and of course the various clothing and “junk” shops. Well I guess this was the last time we will go back. There must have been 15 – 20 candy shops catering to the Hispanics along with produce stands and stands selling Mexican chips and snacks. There was only 1 remaining import shop and a handful of jewelry places. The orientals have started setting up their $1 items like at the Webster Flea Market at home and there were lots of clothing that was catered to young people. So no more Swap Meet for us in Tucson. Bill and I spent a whopping $4.50 on a bottle of Avon powder and 2 bungee cords.

The plan was Mexican dinner at Casa del Rio which is pretty much just up the road from the RV and their house. We only had a short wait for a Friday night, which was nice since the parking lot was packed and the place was full. I had the best tortilla soup and a green corn tamale which I never see at home. Herb and I shared a ½ liter of sangria too, so for me it was a great meal! We dropped them off and headed home to some TV and reading.

November 20 – One of our propane tanks was empty this morning so after breakfast Bill loaded it in the truck and we headed out on more errands. The furthest away was Mac’s Silver shop to pick up the items I had dropped off earlier in the week for repairs. Bill looked at some things but what he liked was not his size so he left empty handed but did find they could repair a couple of his silver items so we’ll ship them when we get home. We stopped at Trader Joes and got Cindy 2 bags of orange chicken until I see how much room I’ll have in the freezer. Got some wine to try also. They even had a dornfelder that was really reasonable so will give it a try.

Barrel cactus

We stopped and got the tank filled and then a quick stop at Fry’s for the last items I need for my part of the Thanksgiving meal. We were home in time for lunch. I did a load of wash and put some of the medallions on our walking sticks but it was getting really windy outside and so I put it away for another day. I put the I-hooks in and we adjusted the new bungee cords to them so maybe now the TV won’t be on the bed when stop at the end of our travel days. Luckily it hasn’t gotten damaged so far.

I got busy and made a blackberry crisp for dinner then when it was time I put the stuffed chicken breasts in the oven and snapped my green beans for lemon dilled beans and made a dill krauter with my only cucumber. Carole really likes it so thought it would be a nice addition. Didn’t make a starch tonight since we’re having dessert. They arrived a little early and I put out some goat cheese with pepper jelly and crackers. Herb and I tried the dornfelder and it was yummy! Will be getting a couple more bottles to take home on my next trip to Trader Joe’s.

We all decided to go to the movies to see “Morning Glory”. It was slow starting in my opinion but once it got going it was really funny. Everyone really enjoyed the movie so it was a good night. They drove so they dropped us off and headed home. No TV tonight, just some reading and lights out.

Sonoran Desert

November 21 – When I got up and awake we dressed to go for our morning walk around the park. We critique the various park model trailers and how the tiny yards are done and the size of the lots. We bid “good morning” to all the other walkers as we pass. Bill would like to spend a winter in a place like this and make friends and socialize with everyone, but when we already live in Florida it would be crazy to spend the money and winter here. When we got back I made Bill’s Sunday special breakfast. I had my tiny bagel with leftover goat cheese and pepper jelly, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and my bowl of fruit. The plan was to wash the front of the RV but it was overcast first and then when the sun came out the wind really picked up so Bill did what he could reach from the ground. I baked 6 ½ dozen sugar cookies for Thanksgiving week for everyone and put more medallions on the walking sticks until I got tired of the wind again.

We had a light lunch since we were going to dinner with friends of Bill’s in Green Valley tonight. Then we met the challenge of taking down the window dressing over the dining table that was coming apart. We took a while getting all the staples out and Bill suggested I see if there is an upholsterer that would staple it back instead of buying a staple gun and the sizes of staples. Good idea, so it’s ready to go. Then putting it back up all in one piece will be fun, since we took it down in one piece. I called Carole and asked her to look up upholsters in the phone book and she has a chair she wants to get done so tomorrow we will try to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Jumping Cholla Cactus

On our way to Green Valley we dropped Xena off over at Carole’s. They enjoy having her and she loves their back yard. Poor Molly, home alone again. We drove to Ed and Mary’s and visited at their home for almost an hour before heading to the Desert Diamond Casino for dinner. They have a nice sit down restaurant right in the lobby area. We ate with them there the last time we were here. The food is very good. The service was a bit slow but worked out well for us since we wanted to visit anyway. Bill and Ed coached together back in Ohio when Bill was just starting out. Since the casino is between Tucson and Green Valley we followed them there and left for home from the casino. Actually we stopped very briefly to pick up Xena then came home. There was a Sherlock Holmes show on at 9:30 that Bill wanted to watch and I was 3 days behind on my journal. I made Bill and hot chocolate and I had a cappuccino. He had crisp and a cookie and I just had 2 cookies. I was good at dinner so that was my reward.

Bill went to bed since he’s taking the truck in to get the valve stems replaced in the morning. Time for me to follow!

Prickley Pear or Paddle Cactus

November 22 – Bill left at 8:15 to take the truck in to have the valve stems all changed on the truck. I made a bunch of phone calls. I found someone to repair the valance Bill and I took done at the table and he can do it over night so we can put it back up before we head home. I was just finishing my calls when Bill got back. I finished washing up the dishes and then we went for our walk. Then Xena wanted to go so we took her for a long walk. I put a load of wash in. Carole finally called and once we all had lunch they picked us up to go to the upholsterer. They have a chair they wanted redone so it was a good time to take both items. Once Carole picked a fabric for her chair and discussed if they could do it by Wednesday, we headed to the mall to the movies. We went to see Harry Potter. There were hardly any people there for the 2:20 show. The movie was good. A bit darker than the last one but left us all waiting for the final chapter in July.

Carole and Herb dropped us off to take Xena for her walk and I put the clothes in the dryer and Bill feed Molly, then we went to Carole’s for dinner. She made the famous orange chicken from Trader Joes. It was really good. We had spaghetti squash and a mixed vegetable dish with mushrooms and pearl onions that was really good too. There were cookies for dessert. Then we went our separate ways to watch TV. I was in the computer room, Bill and Herb in the living room and Carole at the bar in the kitchen. After our shows Carole and I went through her paints to pick some for her to do our kokopelli stone with our names on it. Then we came home and watched Hawaii 5-0 then read.

Saguaro, the big boy cactus

November 23 – Bill left at 6:30 to take the truck in for an oil change and to check for a noise in the front end, but they found nothing wrong. He was gone 4 hours! While he was gone I did 2 loads of wash, spot cleaned some of the carpet, took Xena for a walk, did the dishes, did some email and made a couple more phone calls. Once he finally returned we went for a walk around the park. The mobile RV guy, Gene Kelley, finally called and said only one of our parts came in yesterday and he should have the other today and would call and let us know. So we made our plans for the day.

After lunch we drove out to Saguaro National Monument. There are 2, an east and a west. The east is only 8 miles or so. They have a loop drive that’s 8 miles with lots of turnouts along the way and several hiking trails. We hadn’t been there in 22 years and it looked so sparse compared to the number of cacti back then. We did a very short hike, more of a nature walk and stopped several times for photos. The highlight of the day was a stop at Javalina Rock. First we were just taking a look but then I saw there were people up on the rock, so of course I had to be on top of the rock. It seems like it took me forever to make it around and back and forth to get up on top. I was too short to get up where everyone else was climbing so I went a little further around and found some foot holes in the rocks that would get me up. Then to get down I was the last person up there and I couldn’t go back down the way I came so I had jump down where everyone else had and I had to push away from the rock to keep from scraping my back. Well, these old knees don’t have any spring left and I got down OK but fell backwards on my butt. The only injury was to my dignity! I did brush against several cacti going up and back down and the rest of the day I was picking the stickers out of my clothes.

Javalina Rock

From the park we went to Wal-Mart to pick up my prescription. Then we stopped at the gas station that sells propane and got our tank filled. It’s been cold here at night and we forgot to turn on the spare tank and we ran out of gas during the night so it was cold in here this morning. I needed a couple of last minute items at Fry’s so once we made that stop we headed home.

I made a blackberry crisp from the last of the berries I brought to take to dinner over at Carole’s. Bryan and Janet got there before noon and Janet and Carole were going shopping for the after-noon and we were invited to dinner. We took Xena over with us and Carole had fixed a pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables. After dinner we all watched NCIS, then they were going to watch Dancing With the Stars so we came home to was NCIS Los Angeles. Bill went to bed and I watched The Good Wife. About time for me to head in too.

November 18 Tombstone and Bisbee

Mining elevator in
Bisbee

We, well, I got early since Bill is always up early. We went to Tombstone and Bisbee today and wanted to be on the road by 8:30. We just had cereal for breakfast and were on the road early for a change. Since Bisbee was the furthest we decided to drive through Tombstone and start our day in Bisbee. We parked at the end of the main street in the Old Town Bisbee after driving almost all the way through the valley town. Then we stopped in a café for something to drink and to use the bathroom. Bill had tea and I had a latte. We passed on the yummy morning pastries. First stop was the post office across the street for stamps. They seemed have a lot of PO boxes so I asked about delivery service. All the homes and businesses in the old town do not get home delivery. We forgot that there is a whole other town out of the valley where we made our turn. They have 2 other post offices and the rest of the town gets delivery.

On the step of the Copper
Queen Hotel

We stopped in quite a few of the shops, specifically Killer Bee and tested numerous flavors of honey and several shops that had used books. Bill did manage to find one book, so he was pleased. We stopped in the Copper Queen Hotel, which was the first hotel in this silver mining town. At one time there were 20,000 people in the town, then about 30 years later it was down to 9,000. The hotel is very authentic looking still with it’s own saloon. The have a photo display of some of the history of Bisbee. We didn’t go on the mine tour at the Copper Queen Mine since we went on it 23 years ago. The tours are lead by former miners. They still mine in the area for gold, silver, zinc and copper. A shopkeeper told us they get lots of turquoise out and just dump it.

Lunch at Big Nose Kate's

Stagecoach in Tombstone

It was only about 20 minutes to Tombstone and as soon as we got parked we looked at the restaurants for dinner. We chose Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. The ambiance was great, the food was OK. Well, Bill said his burger was really good but my grilled chicken salad was full of small onion pieces and it was too dark for me to find them. I can’t eat raw onion so I picked out anything that looked like onion but still kept getting them in my salad and ended up with a sick stomach later. After lunch we went to some of the shops and took some photos of the 4 guys who play the Earps and Doc Holliday and of the stagecoach. They now charge to watch the gunfight, so since we’d seen it before, we passed. Upon leaving town we drove along another back street to see the places that were included in the stagecoach tour and then drove by Boot Hill, which we’d been to before also.

Deserted building in Fairbanks

When we left Tombstone we had to stop at the Border Patrol. We saw tons of border patrol vehicles inside fences along the road and driving all over. Of course we passed right through. They had a german shepherd sniffing the vehicles. We took a different route back to I-10 and stopped at the ghost town, Fairbanks. It was another mining town that bit the dust once the ore dried up in the area. Again we saw several border patrol cars and once we got on the main road we had to stop at another checkpoint. This one had a longer line of vehicles and again a german shepherd sniffed our truck. They just asked if we are American citizens and we said yes and they sent us on our way.

Carole and Herb had come over and gotten Xena so she roam in their backyard. We stopped by to pick her up and visited a while. We got home around 4:30 and put out our rope lights and put Xena’s bedding from the truck under the RV. It’s doubtful it will rain but we didn’t want our spot to look junky. We sat outside with Xena for a while before heating leftover buffalo brats and baking a couple of sweet potatoes and making salads for dinner. Kam called to go over the mail and I did a bunch of email and caught up on my journal.

November 14 - 17 Not Much Happening In Tucson

Everyone was up early today. The patch on the mattress didn’t do its thing. Carole said she had to pump up the bed every 3 hours. Guess that’s something else I need to work on!

This is how close I had to
get to the fence

Driving Day! Another only short drive though. I drew a crowd when I was hooking up the RV and getting ready to leave. Even Carole and Herb were waiting to see how I was going to get out of our skinny space without hitting the palm tree on the right and the awning on the left and the people’s yard across from us. It was more difficult to get the truck squeezed in across the street to hitch than it was it getting the RV out. The guy across the street was out on his patio making sure I didn’t take out his shrubbery, 2 guys walking and drinking their morning coffee stopped when they saw a woman driving and waited to see if I could get out and Carole and Herb were watching and waiting to head home. It was no show at all. I pulled forward as far as I could and made a sharp left and was clear on both sides to the disappointment of some of our spectators.

This is how narrow our parking
site is

Out on the road Carole and Herb had to stop for gas and said they’d catch up with us. We took the 202 loop around Phoenix to I-10 and headed straight for Tucson. Although it’s was a boring ride, we saw an accident remains. Traffic slowed just north of Tucson and as we passed we saw what looked like a one car crash. A red sporty looking car was smashed and on the side and lots of cars stopped but so far no emergency vehicle. Carole told us later when they had passed they had just gotten a small child out and maybe there was still an adult in there. It didn’t look good.

Getting to Rincon East RV Resort was no problem. It’s only 2 miles down the road from Carole and Herb’s subdivision. The resort is gated and luckily we were able to follow in behind someone. The office was closed on Sunday so Bill called and the camp host couple came up and partially checked us in. The husband was supposedly directing me into our back in space but he was horrible. I think I could have fared better with Bill. He kept having me turn the wheel the wrong way and go back and forth. Finally I got backed in and the space was not very long so we were kinda stuffed into the space. There’s a concrete pad with a nice patio table and 2 benches and space to park the truck. Well, then the fun began! We blocked up the RV and raised the front end and could not unhitch. We kept trying to jiggle the hitch with no luck. The problem was the front end of the truck was so much lower than the rear due to the slant of the driveway that we could not unhitch. I told Bill to put 2 inch boards under the front truck tires but that still didn’t work so we went up to 4 inches and it unhitched like it was nothing. The concern now is how we’ll get hitched back up in 2 weeks! While trying to level the RV we noticed it sounded like the front jacks were slipping so we left it a little lower than it should be. We decided we need to call mobile service tomorrow.

We are lucky to have empty lots on each side of us. Two spaces down are a couple from England who retired this year also. They bought their RV earlier this year and leave it when they go back to England. Very nice couple. We finally got to have lunch at 2:00 after our “short” drive from Apache Junction. I made an apple cake to take to Carole’s for dinner. We got set up and went to Carole’s. Xena was happy to go along and spend some time in the back yard. We stayed a while and then headed home where we watched some TV.

November 15 – It was nice to sleep in today. Not that I slept late, but since we didn’t have any plans or anyplace we had to go to, we could just relax some. I made Bill eggs with ham and cheese since we didn’t get to have our regular Sunday breakfast before leaving yesterday. I then got started on laundry. With the 10 gallon water heater we have to pace ourselves. I did a load of wash, then Bill showered, then I did another load of wash, then I showered, and then I did the last load of wash. The bathhouse is available but Bill has opted to use the RV instead.

Bill did some “stuff’ outside and Carole called with the name and number of a mobile RV guy so Bill called him and set up for him to come tomorrow. We had a late lunch and then stopped by Carole and Herb’s to get some directions before heading on our errand run. We were looking for a new satellite dish in addition to stopping at the grocery and getting some WD40. Carole invited us to dinner but I had taken out some buffalo brats to that that we had gotten in Kremmling. After dinner we did go over for dessert and watched TV for a while. At home we watched more TV and read.

November 16 – This morning was beautiful out. No wind today and the sun was out so went for a walk around the park before breakfast. I had read that today was a garage sale in the park but didn’t remember to bring money. We stopped at several on our walk and I did buy a colander since I don’t have one in the RV. Then we moved the generators from the RV to the back of the RV and clean out the storage in case the repair guy needed to get in there. He was due at 10 to see what is what. We didn’t have breakfast til 9 and the RV guy got here just as Bill was getting out of the shower. He said the gears were stripped and that he would order the parts and let us know when he would be back. He also checked our propane lines and there were several leaks so he’s getting the parts for that too. Luckily we have a maintenance policy and the jacks are covered and there’s no deductible so that part should not cost us anything. Whew! He called later in the day and said he’d be here Monday or Tuesday, depending when the parts actually arrive.

It was a cooking day. Just what I like. I made homemade chicken soup for dinner, sugar cookie dough so I can bake some Thanksgiving cookies, a small pound cake and for dinner I made cornbread. We invited Carole and Herb over. In between I made phones calls to CIGNA and to the manufacturer of the air mattress. Finally got someone and they’re sending a patch kit, so will see if that cures the problem. Then Bill and I shared calls about the darn dish. You can’t just go someplace and buy one. We figure no one ever has storm damage or anything to cause them to need a replacement. Finally someone at Direct TV gave us the name and number of a place in Tucson and they said they could check ours out and they have them to sell. Then the other place called and said they are bumping us up to Direct TV to send someone to check it here and replace if need be. So who knows.

Bill and Xena took a board over to Carole’s to cut and they stayed a while to visit. I took a walk around the park after I got my shower and went over to visit our neighbors a while. Just before dinner time I made a nice fruit salad so when our guests arrived all was ready but the cornbread and it was in the oven. Everyone seemed to enjoy dinner. Not a heavy meal but homey and hit the spot. We all watched TV and visited and made some tentative plans for tomorrow. We’re going to The Good Egg for breakfast, as Carole has free coupons. Who can pass up on that? They went home to watch Dancing With The Stars and I caught up on my journal, Bill went to bed to read and now I’m going to read for a while too.

November 17 – We picked Carole and Herb up at 9 to go to breakfast. Bill could not believe how many choices were on the menu at The Good Egg. Their food is very good and everyone was stuffed when we left. We headed on down the road to have our satellite dish checked. They guy gave us a new cord and said it was probably not going to work with the dents in the side but to check it using the cord. From there we stopped at the Tucson Mall. Carole had to go to Sears and Bill ended up getting new sneakers and I got some insulated winter shoes in case I end up in Colorado again some time or if I get to NY this winter. We checked out the section of shops that were Arizona “stuff”, like souvenirs and southwest décor and jewelry. We stopped by Penneys on the way out since I had a coupon for there and Carole and I both got jackets on sale and then with my extra 15% off. The new jacket will look good when I’m strolling down the streets of NY!

Heading back towards our side of town, we stopped at Mac’s Jewelry as I had 3 pieces I needed to get repaired. I can’t find anyone at home that works on silver like they do here. On the way down the street I spotted a place that sells rock for floors and walls and whatever. I wanted a piece that could have our name on it to put out camping when we can’t put our other one in the ground. Carole is going to paint on it for us. We found a really neat one that already had a kokopelli engraved in it and came with a stand. Carole found one with a painted on kokopelli for she and Herb. Lucky stop! Then Bill dropped me at Fry’s Grocery for a couple of things while he filled up the truck. We dropped Carole and Herb off at home and headed to the RV. We weren’t really hungry so had a light snack since it was after 2.

We tried again with the dish but couldn’t get channel 3 to come in on the TV to get the Direct TV box to work, so we gave up. I was going to do some fix it’s but didn’t have the right size drill bits so will get those in the next day or so. We ended up watching a show on PBS and I did the ironing I had. We left about 5:30 to go to Carole’s for dinner. She fixed Bill’s favorite, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, salad and veggies. She even sent meatloaf home for him a sandwich. It was a good dinner and then we all watched TV til 9. Back at the RV Bill and I watched another show and now he’s in bed and I will read for a while.

November 10 - 13 Enjoying Apache Junction AZ

Driving Day! Not for long though. We were up and packed up and on the road at 9:30. Bill called Bryan to let him know we were leaving and he and Janet were waiting for us to take photos and say good-bye until Thanksgiving. Of course there was no traffic til we got there so we didn’t linger too long. The drive on I-17 was not bad. Some 6% grades and curvy roads but no real problems.

We didn’t hit any real traffic until we approached Phoenix. We took 2 loop roads to Apache Junction and exited just a couple of miles from our RV park, Carefree Rv Park. This town is nothing but RV park after RV park. Bill wondered if anyone lives in real houses. We don’t know of any places in Florida like this. Lots are park models, but many spaces are like a regular campground. We are in space 1, right beside the pool. When Bill came out after checking in and pointed to our space, I wondered how we were going to get into the space. It was wide but had a palm tree in the middle, dividing the half that the RV would be on and one for parking. Then on the other side is a permanent model with an awning. So I knew how to pull along side and turn to the right to position to back in but geez, this was a space about 12 feet wide and the RV is 8. A guy came up and Bill asked him to help so he directed me and I got right in. I only had to pull forward once to straighten up the truck and it was done. It’s not a bad space at all. We have a concrete pad for a patio, a fire ring and place to grill and a nice parking space. The RV park is very nice. There are only about 140 spaces and all are very well manicured. The bathhouse, office, laundry and rec room are right in the center. It’s easy to get back to the main road for shopping and touristing.

Once we settled in we took Xena for a walk to scope out the park. Then we tried to set up the dish again and it still won’t work so we’re pretty sure it’s damaged. We needed a few things at the grocery and to fill up the truck so we ventured out to get our bearings. We had chicken in marinara sauce over pasta for dinner. Later I made a batch of scotch treats but with cappuccino chips instead of butterscotch. Yummy. We watched TV and read.

November 11 – We did some sightseeing today and had a really good time. First we drove to the old mining town of Superior to see the World’s Smallest Museum. It’s actually only about 8 feet long and 6 feet wide. You walk right through the middle and there are glassed in displays on each side. There’s information and memorabilia about mining in the area, info on western stars, Presidential memorabilia and old household products. The roof of the little building was made of Michelob beer cans. There was yard art made from wheelbarrows and old tires outside. The town itself was rather depressing. There’s a copper mine still operating but the town looks close to dead.

Charro Chapel

From there we drove back to the Apache Junction area where we took the old Apache Trail. The road runs along an Indian trading route. We went to the Superstition Mountain Museum. They had a lot about mining and a lot about the legends of the Dutchman’s Gold Mine. It was a small but nice exhibit. Out back they have some of the original buildings from the Apacheland Movie Ranch that was in the area. There’s the chapel from the movie “Charro” with Elvis and the original barn used in many movies. We really enjoyed the place.

Restaurant at Tortilla Flats

Then we headed up Apache Trail to Tortilla Flats. The road is quite curvy and up and down in grade. We could see Canyon Lake that was formed when Roosevelt Dam was built. There were some houseboats still on it and some kayakers and other boats. There are several campgrounds along the way but only 2 that we could get into. However, Bill said there was no way he’d ride in the truck with me pulling the RV on that road. The road was actually built to haul materials to the dam site. We drove up to Tortilla Flats which was a stage stop 100 years ago. It grew to about 125 people and currently there are only 6 full time residents. The town is actually owned by 4 people. The town consists of a restaurant, mercantile, post office, ice cream shop and old school museum. The view is awesome and there’s a campground there that is part of the forestry service. We had a wait of about 20 minutes for lunch so we visited the mercantile. Lunch was good. The novelty of the place is the walls are covered with dollar bills and numerous foreign currencies. The place burned in 1987 and at the time literally thousands of dollars were lost. So when it reopened in 1988 the tradition started again and the walls in every room are covered and some are covered 3 times. We stopped in the ice cream shop and shared a cup of prickly pear ice cream and it was really good. Kinda combination of strawberry and raspberry in flavor. We stopping the little museum and then took some photos and were on our way again.

On the way back we stopped for buns and thought Carole and Herb would be waiting for us at the RV. They weren’t there yet but pulled in just minutes after us. They got unloaded and we visited a while and Bill grilled venison burgers, hot links and some salmon for dinner. We had a nice evening just chatting and watching TV. Carole and Herb were to be the first guests to sleep on the inflatable bed stuck inside the couch. We didn’t know much about setting it up but Kurt had set it up once and said it was easy. And it was. The only thing we didn’t think about was to put the support legs down, but once we did that all went well.

November 12 – What a great day with Carole and Herb! After breakfast we went to Mesa Marketplace. We were to be there at 10 to meet up with a friend of Carole and Herb’s from Wisconsin who is in town visiting his daughter. Once we met up, they all went their way and we went ours. The set up reminds me of the flea market in Sanford. Bill and I walked every aisle and made a few purchases. We got a 2 pound bag of pepperoni sticks and some other edibles. Nothing big, as there isn’t enough room left in the RV to put anything big in. We spent 3 hours walking and looking. After a while you keep seeing the same things over and over. We decided to go home for lunch since we had grilled leftovers.

After lunch we kinda lazed around and walked Xena. Then late in the afternoon Carole and I went down to Wal-mart. The guys wondered what took so long but we took our time going up and down just about every aisle. Just picked up a few things we’d run out of. For dinner I made chorizo quesadillas, salad and refried beans. Everyone was filled up for sure. Then we watched TV and I worked on the computer til a show came on that we all wanted to see. I was relegated to the bedroom since I watched different shows.

At bedtime the fun began! We set the bed up like pros this time. Then Bill and I headed to our room and read for a bit. Then we heard the pump on the mattress turn on. Then a little later we heard the pump again. We asked what was wrong and they said the mattress was going flat. So Bill and I got up and went out and we stripped the bed and shortly found a tiny slit. We folded the bed up to get the repair kit out of the drawer underneath and then the glue tube to put the patch on was empty and dried out. So I got out some superglue and used it and then put duct tape on it and we pumped it back up and we headed to bed. Well, the story does not end there. When we got up this morning the mattress was totally flat and they were sleeping on the rails. Carole said she had to pump it up twice during the night so we knew it was a slow leak someplace. We stripped it again, turned it all around and upside down and could not find anything. I went back to where I had done the patch and put my ear to it and could hear a slight hissing so we figure it was still the same spot. We decided we would get some kind of glue today when we were out.

The RV park was having a breakfast in the hall from 8 to 9:30 for $3 each so we went and had eggs, pancakes, sausage or bacon and coffee if you wanted. We all enjoyed the breakfast and the great price. Then everyone got showered and dressed and we drove into the edge of Mesa/Phoenix to the Arizona Mills Mall. Some of the stores are outlets and some are regular ones. I mainly wanted to go to the JC Penneys and Reeboks. I got some really good deals at Penneys. They even let me use my 15% off coupons so that was another $8 off my already great prices. Bill and I both got sneakers at Reeboks and I got some good deals and used my coupon at Bath and Body Works. We had lunch at the food court and then sat and talked before doing the rest of the mall. We stopped in some places and looked, as it never costs anything to look.

On the way back we stopped at an Outdoor World to get a patch kit or glue to mend the mattress. After picking up that stuff we stopped to check out the waterproof jackets and I left with a new black one by Columbia that is really nice. Now to just get a trip planned to Europe so I can use it. We were going to stop at Big Lots but decided to go home and fix the mattress first and make that stop when we went out for dinner. I did my best to make do with what we got to patch the bed, so will see what happens.

We went to dinner at Chili’s and Carole and Herb so graciously treated us to dinner. We had planned to stop at Big Lots but Carole miscalculated where it was along the road so we missed it, but no big deal. Once we got home and everyone got ready for bed we blew up the mattress. It seemed to be holding so we all headed to bed with wonders in our head of how the mattress would do tonight!

November 6 - 9 Hanging out in Camp Verde

I caught up on email and Bill went in to read so guess now I will for a while. Really a boring day Driving day! But a really short one. We left Flagstaff at 10:30 and were in our campground in Camp Verde, AZ by noon. Even the drive on the interstate to here had numerous warnings of steep grades and places for runaway trucks. The drive was OK and some of the scenery just after leaving Flagstaff was really nice. We heard it was going to be 80 in Camp Verde so we donned our shorts and t-shirts and when we got out of the truck at the Krazy K RV Park, it was SO nice out. We almost had to turn the AC on but managed not to. The park is small, only 27 spaces but is nicely manicured, ample spaces, a pool and bathhouse. There’s no cable but after a frustrating hour we got the Direct TV up and running. I put a load of wash in and then Bill called his brother who lives just up the hill from the campground. They invited us up for lunch so we went up and visited and ate.

This afternoon we finished setting up and put out my cactus and did a second load of wash and just relaxed til it was time to shower for dinner. We were to be back at Bryan’s at 5:30. We left their house around 6 and had dinner at the Indian casino just around the hill from their house. Dinner was very good and we enjoyed just talking after dinner. Back at their house we had the TV on but mostly continued to catch up on people and of course, reminisced about the past.

Nothing of interest on TV tonight so Bill went in to read and I needed to catch up on my posting.

November 7 – It was almost a do nothing day. I made Bill’s regular Sunday breakfast and then he washed the windows outside and we took the battery out of the RV and checked the water in it. I did some cleaning and folding laundry I did yesterday. I peeled up the rest of my stolen apples and made an apple crisp to take to dinner at Bryan and Janet’s. Their granddaughter Tera is coming over so we can visit.

Bill went to the store to buy a beer so he could drink it as a toast in memory of his friend Jim. Today is the service and then everyone is gathering after at Jim’s favorite bar to celebrate his life. Bill is very sad that he won’t be there. So he went outside and made his toast and had his drink of beer.

I called Karen and we talked a while and caught up on things. Then I just did some email, read the latest magazines that Kam sent. It was another gorgeous day and so I sat outside while I talked on the phone and drank some tea. Very relaxing. We left for Bryan’s at 4:15 and Janet made potato salad and Bryan grilled buffalo burgers. They were excellent. Janet had made a key lime pie so we had plenty of dessert. Then everyone sat around and talked and Bill and I read the Sunday paper. We didn’t stay late, about 8:30. After Bill walked Xena and turned on the TV we realized that my show came on at 8 instead of 9 so I only got to watch the very end. Oh well, at least that was the important part.

November 8 – Nothing to special today. Bryan picked up us at 9:30 and we went to Prescott Valley to the M & I Bank to get our Christmas savings bonds and do some banking. Then we went to a number of stores, some at my request and some that Bryan wanted to go to. We went to Sam’s and I was able to get my membership card replaced that was stolen. We made stops at K-mart, Wal-mart, Best Buy, Ace, post office and had lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Bryan dropped us off around 2:30. We had a really nice day together and they reminisced about growing up and where they lived.

It was rather windy when we got back and our satellite dish had blown over and bent. Bill straightened it but we couldn’t get it to get a signal. We read and rested and then went over to Bryan and Janet’s and took our leftover lunch and we all ate our leftovers and leftover potato salad and continued to visit. We came home and walked Xena and watched some antenna TV and read.

November 9 - The propane tank went dry during the night and it got nippy. Bill saw the propane delivery truck in the park so set out our empty to be filled before we leave tomorrow. Bryan came to pick Bill up around 11:00 to go with him to meet a friend in Sedona for lunch. I put a load of wash in and got ready for Janet to pick me up to go to her ladies luncheon at the casino. There were about 12 of us. Lunch was good. I had some chicken enchilada soup that was delicious. After lunch Janet drove me around Camp Verde to see what had changed since our last visit. Then she dropped me off at the RV and Bill and Bryan had just gotten back. They were doing some work on our hitch to make a thing to hook the electric brake line to.

Once they left I made a blackberry cobbler to take to their house tonight. We read and watched TV till it was time to go. Janet made nice salads with chicken for dinner and later we had our blackberry cobbler with ice cream. We stayed and watched NCIS, then came home.

We won’t be leaving early tomorrow since it’s only about 2 hours to Apache Junction.

November 4 & 5 - Driving and Flagstaff

San Francisco Peak on our approach
to Flagstaff

Driving Day! We didn’t have far to go so there was no rush to leave. We emptied one of the propane tanks during the night so Bill took it to be filled before we left and then we got to talking to neighbors who have been full timers for 3 weeks. They’re just living in the moment and staying as long as they like then moving on. We finally got on the road at about 10:30. The drive to Flagstaff was only about 135 miles. The road was not the best and the quality of scenery was good and bad. Most of the trip was across Navajo reservation and there were many pullouts along the way that have flea  market type buildings where the Navajo sell their jewelry, pottery, dream catchers and other crafts they make. Most were empty since it was not summer and not a weekend but we did stop at a couple and got a beautiful Christmas tree ornament. One advertised jerky but was sold out. Too bad for Bill.

Our campsite

Our campground was just east of town, not even a mile from the city limit. Greer’s Pine Shadows is full of pine trees as the name implies. There is no bathhouse but that is OK. The sites are nice and level and the management super nice and the spaces are big. It’s very convenient to all of the tourist interests and is on the main drag through town. Once we settled in we had lunch and went into Flagstaff. We stopped at the Chamber to pick up some literature then visited some of the historical building in the old downtown, including the Hotel Monte Vista. We stopped in the stops and browsed and sat in an outdoor café and had a latte and biscotti.

For dinner I grilled steaks and we had the leftover beans and potatoes. It was to freeze during the night so Bill had to go out before bed and unhook the water hose. We put the tank heaters on and of course ran the heat all night.

November 5 – Bill was up with Xena at 5:30 and said it was pretty cold out. He said they sky was beautiful and the stars were really bright. He came back to bed and got up later. I didn’t get up until 8. After breakfast I had some calls to make while Bill showered. Then it was my turn. We finally left for town at 10:30 and went straight to the Museum of Northern Arizona. It had wonderful displays on the Hopi and Navajo cultures and the evolution of the native tribes in the area. The craft displays over the centuries was fantastic. There was also a nice display on the archaeological finds of bones and fossils.

The Museum Club

We checked out the area “across the tracks”. The railroad runs pretty much right along the main highway in town and there are a couple of crossings to the other side. One of the streets runs right into the college and the businesses along the street are primarily eateries and brewhouses. Gives the college students a place to eat and drink and walk back to their dorms. We stopped at an antique shop and it was crammed full of collectibles. I enjoy looking at all that stuff and thinking of all that my family used to have just like it and the prices they want for it now.

Before we discovered no food

We stopped for lunch at The Museum Club which is another historical place. We knew they played music there in the evenings and weekends and just assumed since we saw lots of cars there that they must serve lunch. NOT! They serve drinks but it’s a horse betting place. There were a dozen or there watching the overhead TV’s and placing their bets at the window. So we looked in the literature we picked Brandy’s Restaurant. It was on the Food Network show with Guy Fieri, so we decided to give it a try. Boy, was that a great decision. We shared a chorizo quiche and a southwest chicken salad and a half order of sweet potato fries. Thank goodness it was not a whole. We thought they got the order wrong when we saw it. Needless to say we were plenty full.

On the way home we stopped at what we learned was the NEW Wal-mart that only opened on Wednesday. The good thing was they had plenty of cashiers. We got our groceries but they didn’t have a water dispenser so we will fill our bottles in Camp Verde.

I took Xena for a long walk and then set Bill up to do his email. I finished my book and decided to take a short nap, which I never do but I was really tired. I must have been because I slept for almost 2 hours. It always makes me feel so groggy when I do that.

For dinner I fixed a frozen bagged dinner of orange chicken. We’ve never had it before and it was pretty fast. Needed more vegetables but it was good and there were no leftovers and only one skillet to wash. I think that’s what Bill liked the most. Once it was dark we took Xena for another walk to check out the stars, but they didn’t look any different to me than any other place. I could not get any internet service to work so we just watched TV and I caught up my journal.

Time to start a new book!