GRAND BOATS & A GRAND CHANGE

This is the annual Desert Storm Poker Run/Shoot Out weekend here in Lake Havasu City. This event really kicks off the boating season, and draws power boats from all over the country.

About noon, we wandered down to McCulloch Blvd. (Main St.) where we checked out all of the boats and other displays. Some of the equipment available for viewing was truly incredible, like this huge boat with Patty standing between the propellers. It was here last year, and is one of the largest, trailer able boats that I've ever seen.

Many of what I call the super boats, are being built over 8 feet wide, so trailers are now being designed to carry these over width boats at about a 45 degree angle.

We saw several boats that at over 40 feet, are longer than our motor home. On Saturday, at a closed 2 mile course in front of Rotary Park, the shootout takes place, with last years winner clocking 188 mph!

I can't ever remember seeing 4 Merc 350's on a boat, but here's proof that 4 will fit. That's 1,400 outboard horsepower!

Now, here's some real horsepower in the form of a blown big block V-8. This was the kind of engine that was being stuffed into 18 foot flatbottoms back in my day of performance boating.

When we returned home, all of our current plans for the coming summer were tossed high in the air, with no apparent landing zone. In about 4 weeks, we were going to leave Lake Havasu in the motor home, with a first stop in CA to visit with Patty's son David, other friends, and attend the wedding of Everett & Lori East's son, Trever, on June 11. Then we were heading for OR & WA to spend most of the summer at Thousand Trails RV parks, where we are members. In fact, I had already booked our stays at those parks well into August.

All of that changed, when we listened to a message on our telephone recorder from the Grand Canyon. The supervisor of the transit system, whom I had spoken with several times, left a message to give her a call. When we last talked several weeks ago, she had offered me a job as a transit bus driver, but had no spots left in the village RV park. With no place to live, Patty called the retail supervisor at Delaware North (1 of 3 park concessionaire's) and declined to accept the job she had been offered, for the same reason, that we had no where to park the motor home.

When I called back, I was again offered a driving job, and for some reason, there was now an RV full hookup space available right there at the south rim. After discussing a tentative start date of May 24, and the requirement to take care of a few formalities like an interview, and drug test, I agreed to take the job. Now the question became - was there still a position for Patty? After leaving a message, the supervisor from Delaware North called back and said that there was indeed, still a spot for Patty, and so.................it looks like we'll both return to the work force this summer, at least for about 3-4 months. On Monday, we both have appointments at the south rim, to formally interview for the jobs, and get the drug testing out of the way. While there, we'll be able to check out the RV space that they found for us, and I assume that we'll both be given an actual start date for work and/or training.

To say that a phone call yesterday, turned our world's upside down would be an understatement. Our mindset has gone from a summer of working, to a summer of RV travel, back to a summer of working. Since jobs at the Grand Canyon were our first priority, we're both happy that it looks like that's actually what's going to happen. We're also sad that we will miss seeing many of our friends, and particularly, the fact that we won't be able to attend the wedding of Everett & Lori's son Trever to Kelsey. If there's one thing that I've learned over the years, it's that it ain't over till it's over. Translation - I'm not canceling any plans or reservations until after our interviews this Monday, and I know that working and living at the Grand Canyon is most likely going to be a reality.