SUNDAY ON THE LAKE

With temperatures in the mid to high 70's, a light wind, and plenty of sunshine, what better place to spend a Sunday afternoon, than on the lake. As spring break is in full swing, there was plenty to see yesterday, as we took in some of the action.

We took some food with us, and the first order of business was to stop in the middle of Thompson Bay, and have lunch, as we watched all of the boats cruising by. From there, we made our first pass through the channel. We've seen busier Sundays, but there were still a lot of boats and people congregating in what has to be "party central".

The scenery in the channel is always interesting, on a warm, sunshiny day, and it's not just the bikini clad ladies. Some of the names that folks put on the back of their boats are often amusing, particularly when the name has a double or triple meaning. I could easily do an entire blog post on just boat names. This beautiful dog wasn't necessarily "feelin Nauti", but certainly struck a perfect pose for my photo.

After making our way through the channel, and under the London Bridge, we stopped near Crazy Horse Campground, where the World Off Road Championship Series was in the middle of their motocross action. The uniqueness of this race track is the fact that it winds it's way down by the lake, and one of the best seats in the house just happens to be in your boat. The other scenery wasn't all that bad either, as dozens of boats either anchored, or drifted just off the shore where the racers were passing by.

From the racing action on the island, we transitioned to Copper Canyon, where there's always other kinds of action going on. I just happened to catch a couple of girls who climbed and jumped from the popular vertical rock. My guess is that it's about a 35-40 feet leap, and from the top of the rock, it probably looks much higher. With all of the spectators in boats, I would think that once you climbed to the top, it would be almost impossible to chicken out!

These two girls didn't disappoint anyone, and as they say - "the crowd went wild" after each girl made the jump. Copper Canyon is about a 10 minute boat ride from the south end of the channel, and is one of several spots on the lake where all of the partying takes place.


We made one more pass through the channel, then headed back to the marina, where I extended our slip rental a few days into April. One more weekend with the boat in the water, then it will be time to pull it out, probably for the summer, as the time for us to leave is rapidly approaching.

4 FRIENDS, 2 DOGS, & 1 BOAT

Yesterday was an almost perfect day for a few hours on the lake. With the boat in the water at the marina for the month of March, we headed that direction about 11am. When we cruised through the channel for the first time, there wasn't much activity, even though spring break is in full swing. Being the middle of the week, and the fact that the late night action keeps most of the kids in their motel rooms until late, we didn't see much going on.

Patty with Bob & Shirl Kase at Havasu Landing Restaurant

We cruised across the lake to Havasu Landing Casino & Restaurant, where we had a leisurely lunch. It was leisurely because they were busy, and it took quite awhile for the food to get to our table. Since we weren't in any hurry, it didn't matter, and the food has always been not bad. By the time we were finished, it was well after noon, and we headed back to the courtesy dock where we had the boat tied up. We then headed down to Copper Canyon, to see if there was anything going on. There were a dozen or so boats, with lots of noise, some of it was even music, but it was relatively quiet compared to the weekend activity in the party spot.

After a cruise around friendly island, we headed back north for another cruise through the channel. This time there were quite a few boats parked on both sides, and it looked like the kids were working up to another hangover tomorrow morning. The zip line was getting a workout as we watched several people taking advantage of the new spring break attraction.

After parking the boat, we headed home, and later, I BBQ'd a couple of pork tenderloins, and we had a nice dinner outside on the patio. I took a few photos of Bob & Shirl's new dog "BEAU", as he and Sami kept busy playing, and/or begging for some food from the table.

We have enjoyed having our friends here for the last couple of days, and look forward to their next visit. We're also looking forward to a visit from Bob & Diana Rush, who's trip south had to be delayed a few days due to my back problem, and Patty's cold.

A SURPRISE VISIT

Well, not exactly a surprise. Our buddies, Bob & Shirl Kase called a couple of days ago from Austin, Texas, as they were making their way across the country. They had just finished working the 2nd National Hod Rod Ass'n (NHRA) drag race in Gainesville, FL, and were headed for the 3rd race in Las Vegas. Since they were coming through our area, they wanted to stop and say hi. When they arrived yesterday morning, we met them at the old WalMart, and I convinced Bob to bring their rig up to the house, where they would have a full hookup for a couple of days.

It's not the easiest of things, when you try and back up a motor home and trailer into our yard, particularly when the combined total length of the 2 vehicles is about 75 feet. With my help, Bob expertly backed along side the house on the first try, and they will be here until tomorrow, when they have to make the drive to Vegas.

I didn't get a picture, but Bob & Shirl have a new dog, that has made it a little easier, after losing their beloved Beagle last summer. We visited with them last year at the Seattle racetrack, right after they had to put Hunter down. It was a tough time, and we're glad to see a new dog in their life, helping ease the pain a bit.

We spent most of the afternoon catching up with everything that has happened with our "race family", and later, BBQ'd some burgers for dinner. Since we left the drag race circuit in 2003, a lot has happened, and our so called race family has dwindled to not very many people. Bob & Shirl made the transition from the company we used to contract with - MainGate, to the Lucas Oil empire a few years ago, and we all agree that it was one of the best things that could have happened. Bob & Shirl are hard workers, do a great job, and are thankful to be working for Forest and Charlotte Lucas. Their son, Morgan Lucas drives a top fuel dragster, sponsored by Geico, and along with team mate top fueler, Shawn Langdon, the Lucas team is off to a great start for the 2011 season. Morgan won the first race in Pomona, and Shawn finished second!

We have the entire day to spend with Bob & Shirl, and now that my back pain has subsided a bit, we plan on taking them out in our boat, and showing them a little bit of Lake Havasu.

AN OLD NEMESIS

If we're all truthful, there's probably one, or more things in our past, that if we had the option for a "do over", we'd probably jump at the opportunity. I'm not just talking about relationships, or decisions that we've made, I'm referring to anything that has occurred, where the result wasn't always the optimum.

In my case, there isn't much that I would do differently. I've been blessed with opportunities that some people only dream about, and I have a wonderful partner to share these golden years, where we have the ability to fulfill many of our dreams about living life on our terms, during these retirement years.

Having said all of that, there is one thing that I would change if I could wave a magic wand over an event that occurred in 1987. This was the year that a traumatic, on the job injury, started a chain of events, that continues to this day. The net result of that injury wasn't all bad however. An early retirement opened new opportunities, and allowed me to have a second career as a business owner, with a great partnership with the Mitchell and East families.

Despite all of the positives and awards that came with those entrepreneurial years, if I could go back and undo that injury, there would be no hesitation. From time to time, mostly due to my own fault, and stubbornness, the ugly side of my lower back problem rears it's ugly head, and I pay the consequences. Unfortunately, that's what I'm dealing with at the moment, and will continue to deal with, for at least the near future. This usually happens every year or two, and it's always because my independent, do it myself personality, wins out over the little voice in my head that says, "don't do it". The don't do it in this case was the lifting of my motorcycle carrier that goes on the back of the motor home. The heavy lifting causes the two herniated discs in my lower back to swell against the nerves, and as a result, I have to deal with pain and numbness in one, or both of my legs. Sometimes the discomfort is mild & very temporary, and sometimes it can be intense & last for weeks. I think this latest episode is somewhere in the middle. The good news has always been that tincture of time takes care of the problem, at least until the next time I do something stupid. The difference is that for the first time, I'm not using any painkillers, other than over the counter stuff. That's another story for another time.

This issue is not something that is easy for me to talk about, simply because it's more of a private matter, and because in many ways, I'm a private person. What is important, is the reality of a condition that at times has caused a disruption in what otherwise has been a pretty normal life. If there were "do overs", or second chance's in life, this would be the one that I would take advantage of, and in the process, say goodbye to an old nemesis.

CHP MEMORIES

When I began the CHP Academy in early 1969, the cars that we drove during training, were 1967 Oldsmobiles. These patrol cars were pretty much gone from the field, but were still being used for cadet training. During the summer of 1969, after reporting to the Baldwin Park Office, the patrol vehicles in use at the time, were a few 67 Oldsmobiles, and mostly 68 Dodge Polaras.
It wasn't too long after my arrival in the field, that we started to see the arrival of the 1969 Dodge Polara Patrol Car.

From the moment we first were able to drive this new patrol vehicle, there wasn't much doubt that this was the fastest vehicle ever delivered for CHP use. To this day, the 69 Dodge is universally recognized as a one of a kind patrol car, that was equipped with special features.
It had a 375 horsepower, 440 cubic inch motor that was connected to a drive train specifically geared for high speeds. It had a heavy duty suspension, monster brakes, and was exempt from emission requirements. Just under 2,000 of these special ordered cars were built specifically for the CHP, and during these end years of the muscle car era, this was indeed a muscle car with a star on the door.

I remember one evening when I was working the swing shift, driving one of the newer 69 Dodges. I received a radio call from my shift SGT Lloyd Gabbert, who wanted me to meet him for a ride-a-long. This was a routine request, and was an opportunity for the supervisor to observe his subordinates as they performed their daily patrol duties. I don't remember much about the time Gabbert was with me, except near the end of the ride-a-long, I vividly remember what occurred. He asked me to take the Pomona Freeway east to a point where it ended, and a several mile unopened section began. I drove around the barricades, and at that point he told me to open it up, and get up to top speed. I was a bit surprised, but the hesitation was only for an instant, as this performance junkie didn't need much of an excuse to go really fast. During normal enforcement driving, we often had to accelerate for brief periods to catch a speeder, but here was an invitation to see what this new patrol car would do. Gabbert had a stopwatch, and when the speedometer had climbed over 140, he timed our travel through a mile that was delineated by mile post markers. I remember watching the speedometer climb well over 140, which was the top number, but had no idea how fast we had actually gone. When we had slowed, and he had calculated our speed by way of time/distance, he said "we just went 153 mph".

The 1969 Dodge Patrol Car was a lot of fun to drive, particularly when you needed to get somewhere fast, or to catch up to a speeder. During the subsequent years of my career, we never had another patrol car as fast as the 69 Dodge. Over the years, the CHP utilized several specialized vehicles like the Chevy Camaro, and the Ford Mustang, but when it came to brute horsepower, nothing came close to this black and white muscle car.

SPRING BREAK START

Among other things, Lake Havasu is well known as a destination for spring breakers, and this weekend was the kickoff for spring break 2011. What better way to check out some of the action, than a view from the water in our boat. The picture shows our boat in it's slip at the Lake Havasu Marina, where it will live through the month of March. We invited Bob & Jeanette to go with us on this Sunday afternoon, with nice warm temperatures.

I took the picture of Bob, Jeanette, & Patty, across the lake, in front of Havasu Landing. From there, we went south to Copper Canyon where there was the usual party going on, with a bunch of boats tied together in what is called a raft party. I caught one guy jumping off a rock, but you have to look closely, because he kind of blends in with the scenery.



The rest of the action is mostly in, and around the London Bridge Channel. Much of the channel mooring spaces were all taken, and the party was in full swing.

One of the photos shows 3 jet boats on the beach together, and it reminded me of the years that I had a Hondo jet boat, powered by a big block Ford engine. Mike & Marc learned to ski behind that boat, and they both became much better skiers than their Dad. They mastered the art of barefoot skiing, which I never did, even though I tried stepping off a ski several times, with the always predictable disastrous result.

This year, one of the new attractions is a zip line that's set up adjacent to the channel. I caught one guy just as he launched off the tower, and started his journey down the cable. With great weather, and so many attractions for the young crowd, I can see why Lake Havasu is one of the premier destinations for the college crowd during spring break.


The large influx of young people brings a few problems, but overall, the positive economic impact on the community is a big shot in the arm before the main boating season starts. From what we saw yesterday, it looks like a lot of spring breakers have chosen Lake Havasu this year for their spring vacation.


We were out on the lake for a couple of hours, cruised through the channel twice, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of this first weekend of spring break action.

ALASKA IN ARIZONA BBQ

Left to right - Jim Stebbins, Patty, Bob Fulton

We hosted our 3rd annual Alaska in Arizona BBQ yesterday afternoon, on a picture perfect day, with low 80 degree weather & a slight breeze. There were 10 of us this year, down from the record 17 who attended last year. Jim & Megan drove their explorer down from Las Vegas where their motor home is parked. Ron & Judy drove from their home in Kingman. Dave and Louise parked their motor home at the old WalMart, and drove the jeep up to the house. Bob & Jeanette live about a mile away, here in Lake Havasu City.

All of these friendships began in Skagway, Alaska, where most of us worked for the Corrington Family. Patty and I made the trip north in the four summers of 2004-2007, and all of us continue to be pretty much in agreement, that we thoroughly enjoyed living in that most beautiful little town in Southeast Alaska.

Bob Fulton, and Megan Stebbins

Patty and I enjoy hosting this reunion of friends, and providing a venue for all of us to get together, at least once a year. As usual, we had plenty of food, with burgers, chicken, pulled pork, beans, potato salad, and ice cream & brownies for desert. I don't think anyone left hungry. It was a pleasant afternoon, as we all shared many of our experiences from the previous year, and got caught up with everything else.

Louise Hawkins (David was on the phone), & Jeanette Fulton

David & Louise just purchased another Jeep Wrangler, set up for serious off road travel, and were on their way to meet some friends in Laughlin, NV. They spend most of the winter on their RV lot in the Phoenix area, and will be traveling toward the east coast in a few weeks.

Jim & Megan have their motor home parked at the Thousand Trails in Las Vegas, and will be heading east in early April, where they have accepted summer jobs at Dollywood in TN.

Bob & Jeanette spend the winters in their home here in Lake Havasu, and they will be leaving for Cody, WY in about a month, where they will be working this summer.

Ron & Judy don't currently have an RV, and are year around residents in Kingman. Judy works for a local bank, and Ron works at the county offices.

Ron and Judy Ellstrom

Today's weather forecast is for light winds, and more 80 degree weather, so, after almost a week in Yuma, it's time to jump in the boat, and spend some time on the water. Bob/Jeanette & Ron/Judy may be joining us, as spring break is starting to gain momentum, and the sights and sounds around the London Bridge are starting to get more & more entertaining.

BACK HOME IN LAKE HAVASU

We pulled out of the Yuma Fairgrounds around 9am, heading north on Hwy 95. Patty rode with Nancy, trying to spend as much time with her as possible, before saying so long. We stopped in Quartzsite for fuel, and the necessary chore of emptying the holding tanks, before continuing on to Lake Havasu. We stopped on the south side of town, where I snapped this picture of Nancy and Patty, and where we said goodbye. We vowed to not allow this wonderful friendship lapse into dormancy, as it had for many years.

When we first met Nancy back in the 1980's, she had just met a friend of ours, and as their relationship grew, he asked her to marry him. Coincidentally, at about the same time, the 4 of us were planning a Caribbean Cruise with a group of friends, led by the former owners of Modesto Harley-Davidson. At some point, the idea of Nancy getting married on the cruise became a focal point, and as a result, I arranged for a minister to come aboard the ship before we left Miami. Even though it was an informal wedding, with Harley T-shirts as the official garb, Patty and I were proud to stand next to our friends as the best man, and matron of honor.

As the years passed, we all became even closer friends, spending time together on motorcycle rides, and at each others homes. We often commented to each other, that Nancy was the best thing that ever happened to Jimmy, and Patty and Nancy became best buddies. Unfortunately, when that marriage ended, as often happens, we drifted apart, eventually losing touch with each other. When the reconnection occurred via Facebook, the wheels were set in motion for Nancy to visit us here in Arizona, in her new RV.

After spending the last week with Nancy, it was like there was never a gap in our friendship. When we caught up with all that has happened in our lives, there was lots of fun and laughter, and a new adventurous spirit. The past week has flown by, and it was with a lot of sadness that we said goodbye to Nancy yesterday. We promised each other that we would stay in touch, and that we would never let future circumstances pull us in different directions.

RALLY END

As they say, "all good things must come to an end". Such was the case last night, as the closing ceremonies brought down the curtain on the Gypsy Gathering Western RV Rally here in Yuma, AZ. Nick and Terry Russell, the publishers of the Gypsy Journal RV Newspaper, were the hosts for this rally, and after thanking all of the volunteers (above photo), it was officially over last night.

We had some fun, learned some new things, and have the date for next year's rally already marked on the calendar. We have attended RV Rally's in Georgia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Oregon, and California, but this is our favorite. We have watched this rally grow from it's inception in Casa Grande, to where it is today, and the smaller group (approx. 200 RV's), makes it feel more like a family gathering, as opposed to a commercial RV rally. Nick does a great job of changing it enough each year, to keep it fresh, particularly with his seminar line up.

Speaking of volunteers, the gal seated is Barbara Westerfield. She and her husband Tom, have been here at the Yuma Fairgrounds for almost 2 weeks, helping put this thing together. Without dedicated volunteers, these kinds of get togethers are simply not possible. Believe me, I speak from experience, having organized many events from a few hundred to a few thousand attendees. When we joined the Family Motor Coach Ass'n Golden Spike Chapter a little over a year ago, we met Barbara & Tom at our first chapter event in Oregon, when we all rode the Mount Hood Scenic Railroad.

One of the last day activities was described as the Golf Cart Rodeo. This picture is of Nick blindfolded, being told by Greg White where to steer the golf cart. The object is to talk the driver through the course without hitting, or running over any of the cones. The fastest time is the winner.

This morning, we're out of here with a northbound course for home. We'll say a sad goodbye to Nancy, who is heading back home to CA, with her first RV rally now a memory. Tomorrow, we're hosting our 3rd annual Alaska in Arizona BBQ, for a group of friends, who have shared our experiences, working in Skagway, Alaska.

SAT TV, PIZZA, & A QUEEN

The day started with the satellite antenna installers showing up at Nancy's, to get her set up for high definition TV, via the new Winegard Traveler Antenna, connected to DISH Network. It took a couple of hours, and with a few adjustments, she was up and running with a crystal clear, high definition picture on her Jensen flat screen TV. Later in the day, we stopped at Lowes, picked up a screen guard for her entry door, and after a few modifications, I bolted it to her screen door. A few days ago, Jessie, her Jack Russell Terrier, being in the super protective mode, came right through the screen, when I opened the entry door. Now, that won't be possible.

Around 6pm, we headed back over to the big hall, where pizza was being delivered for the pizza party. It only took a few minutes to get pizza distributed to several hundred people, and there was plenty left for a second helping. I'm not a big fan of Domino's Pizza, however, when one is hungry, like we were, it actually tasted pretty good.



The pizza, with my ever present Sharps, and a picture of the pizza serving tables.





The highlight of the evening was the Cactus Queen Beauty contest. We all waited with great anticipation, for the 7pm parade of aspiring Gorgeous George's, and believe me, we weren't disappointed. With Nick as the MC/comedian, and the lineup of potential royal queens, the laughter was almost nonstop. The idea of men dressing up as women is certainly not a new one, however, when you take a group of men who easily fall into the category of senior citizens, then it puts an entirely new spin on things.

How Nick convinced these 8 men to put on ladies clothes, parade around on a stage in front of several hundred people is beyond me. That certainly isn't in my wheelhouse, but it was enter-
taining to watch these guys pretend to be ladies. (Boy, that's a stretch!). When it was all over, and everyone had laughed themselves silly, by applause, the Cactus Queen was selected.

The last picture shows the winner standing, and trust me, it wasn't a pretty sight. But, I guess the bottom line was that we all had few laughs, and that's what it's all about.

Today, we're taking a break from the rally, and heading over to the Market Place Flea Market. We discovered this shopping experience several years ago, and as flea markets go, this one is the gold standard. For a couple of flea market junkies, today is going to be a good day.

A SEMINAR DAY

Our motor home in front of Nancy's 5th wheel at the Yuma Fairgrounds

A good part of our day yesterday, at the Gypsy Journal RV Rally here in Yuma, was spent at seminars related to the RV lifestyle. While I listened to Nick Russell talk about the Gypsy Journal, Patty and Nancy attended a "For Women Only" round table discussion. I thought about crashing the seminar, demanding equal rights, and claiming blatent discrimination against men, but the rational side of me prevailed, and I stayed away.

At the second seminar, the three of us listened to Nick moderate an open forum entitled "why didn't I think of that". With over 20 years of RV'ing under our belts, you would think we were pretty educated on just about everything related to the RV lifestyle. When ever we attend one of these rallies, there's usually some type of forum where folks share some of their ideas, and tips on things that you won't find written in any book. We usually hear about something where we say, "why didn't I think of that".

Patty, Nancy, and Betty from our Golden Spike Chapter share some thoughts.

After the lunch break, Patty & Nancy did a T-shirt tying seminar, and later, they intended to sit in on a Geocaching seminar, conducted by our friend, and fellow Golden Spiker, Barbara Westerfield, but they got tied up with the Satellite Company that Nancy was doing business with. I sat in on a transporting firearms in your RV seminar, instructed by an active San Diego PD motor officer. I have a pretty good handle on laws relating to firearms, especially in CA, but it's always educational, and sometimes entertaining when you sit in on one of these classes.

Later that evening, we briefly sat for the entertainment, some music by a duo called Easy Money. We listened to a few songs, and they were OK, but nothing like David Bradley, the singer from last year, who captivated the audience with his singing and his stories. He was supposed to be here again this year, but had to cancel at the 11th hour.

This morning, Nancy gets her Winegard Satellite Antenna installed, and with any luck, she'll be up and running with high definition TV later today. Patty and I will probably attend 1 or 2 more seminars, and the three of us will most certainly check out this evenings entertainment -
The Cactus Queen Beauty Contest.

THE GYPSY RALLY START

The speaker on the stage is Nick Russell, the purveyor of Gypsy Journal, an RV travel newspaper that he and his wife Terry publish. About 5 or 6 years ago, they started organizing an RV rally here in Arizona, first in Casa Grande, and now here in Yuma. They also put together a rally in the fall, somewhere in the eastern part of the country. This is our 3rd Arizona Gypsy Gathering Rally.

We subscribed to the Gypsy Journal not too long after Nick & Terry started the newspaper, about 10 years ago. I like the way Nick tells it like it is, not afraid to offend somebody, or having to walk the politically correct tightrope, like many folks in the public arena these days. I became a follower of his blog gypsyjournalrv.com a few years ago, and enjoy keeping up with their travels and adventures.

The good news so far, is that I haven't found anything in the vendor area that I can't live without. The good and bad news for Nancy, is I helped her spend a bunch of money on a Winegard traveler satellite antenna for her 5th wheel. Like I said, I'm real good at helping other people spend their money. Seriously, we have been really happy since converting our satellite antenna from King Dome (Dumb), to the Winegard traveler, and everyone I talk to who has one, is also quite pleased with it's performance. By tomorrow afternoon, Nancy should be up and running with her high def. TV, connected to dish network via her new Winegard satellite antenna.

After the opening ceremonies, Patty, Nancy and I drove over to Cracker Barrel, and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It had been awhile since we last ate at Cracker Barrel, and we might just have to sneak over there for another meal before we leave Yuma. The next three days will be filled with seminars, shopping, evening entertainment, and other activities here at the Yuma Fairgrounds. The wind has stopped, and the weather looks almost perfect for the next week, with temps in the mid 70's.

A BUNCH OF GYPSIES

The picture of our motor home in line with other RV's, was taken in the front parking lot of the Yuma, AZ fairgrounds. We arrived in Yuma a little after 1pm, for the "early bird" day of the Gypsy Gathering RV Rally, sponsored by the Gypsy Journal RV Newspaper. Patty rode with Nancy in her truck, pulling her 5th wheel trailer, and I led the way, driving the motor home. With a brief stop in Quartzsite for diesel ($3.84), and some almonds from Root Farms, who were open for the last day, we continued south on Hwy 95 toward Yuma.

While waiting in the staging area, we noticed Gracie in the basket on top of the counter by the sink. We had never seen her pick that spot as a place to catch a few winks, so I of course had to capture the moment with the camera. Equal coverage for the other critter shows Sam on the front passenger seat, one of her favorite places to sleep when we are parked.

We waited in the staging area for a couple of hours, while the parking crew methodically took a few RV's at a time into the fairgrounds. Two members of our FMCA Golden Spike Chapter, were part of the volunteer parking team. I had a chance to visit with Tom Westerfield, and Dave Cross during the intervals between arriving RV's. There's a lot of nooks and cranny's on the property, so it took a little time to get everyone parked. We are situated on the other side of the horse barns from where we were last year, with a 20 amp electrical connection.

The rally starts today, with opening ceremonies at 3pm. Nancy is thinking about getting a satellite TV antenna so I told her that I would be glad to help her spend as much money as she wanted. I'm real good at spending other peoples money!

The rally goes through this Friday, the 11th, with lots of seminars, evening entertainment, and even a golf cart rodeo. Except for some wind today, the weather is supposed to be in the upper 70's, and we're looking forward to some fun and relaxation.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Cooper on the right and Jessie on the left.

The best laid plans have a way of going in a different direction, at a moments notice. Such was the case yesterday morning, when Nancy and I were having a conversation next to her 5th wheel trailer. All of a sudden, one of my neighbors yelled "is that your poodle in the street"? We quickly discovered that Cooper had crawled under, or through the driveway gate, and was already several houses away. With many dogs, that wouldn't have been a huge problem, but with Cooper, when Nancy and I ran toward him, he apparently got frightened, and was off to the races. We chased him behind a couple of houses, then completely lost sight of him.

Nancy with her two dogs, after the capture

For the next several hours, Patty and Nancy drove around in the jeep, and I searched first on the scooter, then in my truck. No sign of Cooper, and we were all starting to feel that it was becoming hopeless, kind of like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. Nancy seemed to think that Cooper would probably continue running if he was scared, and that he might have covered a lot of ground in the hours that we were looking for him. At about 2pm, we returned to the house, and Nancy began to call folks like animal control, and the company that had Coopers information, from the chip that had been implanted. We began to make plans for making lost dog flyer's, and I told Nancy that we would cancel our plans to head for the RV rally in Yuma, remaining here with her to do whatever we could to help find Cooper. Patty and I know the feeling of unexpectedly losing one of your pets, having gone through the emotions of almost losing our cat in Washington last summer. Things didn't look very promising, until a little after 2, we heard a loud knock on the door. The same neighbor from across the street, told us that Cooper was just in the front yard, and that he again took off down the street. With the information from another neighbor or two, and after I grabbed Jessie to help lure Cooper back to Nancy, she was able to locate him, and snatch him up. To say that we were all relieved, would be the understatement of the decade.

After the little Houdini was safely put back in his house on wheels, and we all decompressed a little, we restarted our original plan to take a ride in the boat. With the boat already in the water, it didn't take long to get out on the lake, and enjoy a few hours of boating and sunshine. Nancy got some water views of the London Bridge, taking a bunch of pictures, then we headed up river toward Topock Gorge. Except for the delay of a couple of shallow water sandbars, we made it back to the marina around 5pm, and the rest of the day was pretty calm, compared to the stress of earlier in the day.

This morning, we're packing a few remaining items in the motor home, and heading south to Yuma for the Gypsy Gathering RV Rally that begins tomorrow. Nancy is driving south with us, and this will be her first RV Rally. We had a good time at this rally last year, and it should be fun and educational for all of us, once again. Then, we'll be back home on the 11th, in time to get everything ready for our annual Alaska in Arizona BBQ on Sat. the 12th.

A VISIT FROM NANCY

Nancy's truck and fifth wheel parked next to the house

When we lived in Central CA, back in the days when the Harley, and the associated activities were more prominent in our lives, we first met Nancy when she married a friend of ours. Patty and Nancy became best buddies, and we shared a lot of really good times with her, and our circle of friends. Like a lot of friendships & relationships, over time, and for various reasons, they often take different paths. Such was the case with Nancy.

Around the time we were starting to devote much of our lives to the Harley Dealership that we built in Jamestown, Nancy, who lived in Merced, became unattached, and we kind of drifted apart. We kept in touch sporadically, but as time passed, we lost touch with each other. Enter the magic of social networking. Patty and Nancy have commented that they often thought of each other, but until Nancy searched facebook, and found us, the friendship remained in hibernation.

When Patty drove to CA in November of last year, in preparation for her trip to Greece with her son David, she contacted Nancy, and met her for dinner. The friendship was rekindled, and plans were made for Nancy to visit us in AZ this winter. When Nancy retired from her job in January, she and Patty made plans for her to visit us here in Lake Havasu. Thursday night, she arrived, after a long drive from Merced. Yesterday, she and Patty toured the city, and we all caught up with what's been happening in our lives.

The two pictures of Nancy & Patty were taken last night, and yes, I'm still having trouble with the flash on my camera. It seems to have a mind of it's own, and last night it was saying, "I refuse to work". So, I had to artificially lighten the pictures, and they're a bit fuzzy, but it was good to capture these two friends on camera.

Today, the wind is calm, the temperature is supposed to be in the mid 70's, and I think it's a perfect day to take the boat out on the lake. We put it in the water on the 2nd, and it's just sitting in a slip at the marina for the entire month of March, waiting for us to jump in, and cruise around the lake. Spring break is right around the corner, so it will be fun to take in some of the action from the water.