FLYING HIGH

Motorized Parachutes, and Hang Gliders are common sights over the island.

It's not unusual to see these personal aircraft being flown over the island here in Lake Havasu. Yesterday, I watched this fellow make several passes, before landing on a portion of the old airport, near the tip of the island. There was also an engine powered hang glider in the area, but that photo turned out too blurry.

Before Robert McCulloch moved the London Bridge here 40 years ago, the island was a peninsula. He dug a channel near the base of the peninsula, re-erected the bridge, and just like that, Lake Havasu City had an island, served by an iconic, stone bridge. During the early 1970's, McCulloch offered people free flights here, (mostly from southern California), as a marketing tool to sell residential property. The old airport was on the island, and when we moved here in 2002, the old terminal building, and most of the original airstrip was still visible. Now, the building is gone, as is most of the airstrip, both having succumbed to residential housing developments.

The island pathway makes a circle around the island, and the old airport. This is the time of year with lower temperatures, that more and more people start using the path. We're never here in the hot summer months, but I can't imagine anyone out walking or running when the temps are well above 100 degrees.

It's been a week since I re-started my morning routine of circling the island on the 3.6 mile path. Now that my walking muscles aren't sore anymore, it's time to start running (jogging) a little bit, and begin to increase that running distance as the weeks go by.

These cement markers delineate distances every one half mile.

PERFECT WEATHER

When this time of year rolls around, it's easy to understand why we made Lake Havasu our choice to spend the winter months. The daytime temperatures have cooled down into the 80's, and we are in that window where no more air conditioning is necessary. The night temps are also lower, into the 50's. So, good ole mother nature is keeping the inside of the house at a constant mid 70's temperature.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is also the time of the year when the snowbirds begin to roost here in the desert, and the winter activities are starting to commence. Some of the upcoming events include the Sunday Flea Market, Vintage Car shows, Winter Fest Arts & Crafts Festival, Quartzsite RV Show, Havasu Balloon Festival, Winter Blast Pyrotechnics Convention, the boat parade of lights under the London Bridge, the R.C. seaplane convention, and the Rockabilly Reunion to name a few. It seems like just about every weekend, there's something of interest going on.

When our summer travels, or summer of workamping is over, we always look forward to returning to our home by the lake, and all of the winter activities.

GARAGE SALE JUNKIES

This is the time of year when the snowbirds are starting to return to the southwest, and along with the increase in winter visitors, we have an abundance of garage/yard sales. Friday and Saturday are the two days that most folks pick for displaying their stuff, in hopes that it will all disappear, with a little cash in return. Yesterday being Friday, there were 43 garage sales here in Lake Havasu City.

After Patty's morning appointment with the Optometrist, we set out on a quest to find that perfect treasure. No, we didn't stop at all 43 sales, but after a couple of hours, we made it to quite a few. We enjoy searching through other people's throw away stuff, and often find things that we just can't live without. Such was the case yesterday morning.

When the dust settled, we had spent $19.70, picking up books, a plate, a small table, a CHP coffee mug, a glass pitcher, a Disney art set for Laila, seashells, a wind chime, and this green t-shirt that literally had our name on it. One of the residences had about 15 guns, ranging from an S&W 44 magnum, to a 50 caliber rifle. That was the one place where I had to muster up some restraint, as there were a couple of firearms that I almost added to my collection.

For us, I think the intriguing thing about garage sales is that they are kind of like an old fashioned treasure hunt. Every once in awhile, you run across something that you think you need, or something that is such a bargain, you convince yourself that you need it. Whatever the case, it's fun for us to spend a few hours searching for that perfect bargain. How does that saying go........."One man's junk is another man's treasure". More often than not, the phrase should go..... "One man's junk is another man's trip to the dump".

Patty's chance to wear her name on a t-shirt

2 DOWN, NONE TO GO

Yesterday morning, Patty had her second Cataract surgery in as many weeks. With the patch over her right eye still in place, it's difficult to judge anything regarding improved vision. This morning, it's back to the Optometrist for a quick check, and then the patch will probably come off. I still find it hard to comprehend the amazing advances in medicine, particularly when it comes to the most delicate of all our senses, the eye.

Thanks to all for the Happy Birthday wishes. I sincerely appreciate the kind words. Yesterday, I officially became part of the huge baby boomer wave, that will sweep the country for the next couple of decades. Born right after WWII, along with millions of other folks, I am among the first of the baby boomers.

Now that I have officially joined the Medicare crowd, does that mean that I'm destined to a sedentary life of TV watching, reading, and occasionally, drooling while taking an afternoon nap?
I don't think so! As they say, "you're only as old as you feel", and except for a lot of soreness right now from walking a whole bunch of miles in the last two days, I still feel pretty darn good. Now, if I can just figure out a way to have my buddies, Ben & Jerry visit me everyday, without gaining a bunch of extra pounds, I'll really be good to go!

THE ISLAND PATH

The day I picked to start walking & running was quite windy.

It was November 11th last year, when I started walking & running on the 3.6 mile, multi- use path that circles the island here in Lake Havasu City. When I stopped on March 3rd, I had logged 118.2 miles, and bicycled an additional 46.8 miles. The end result was a few less pounds, lower blood pressure, and a much lower resting heart rate. During that period of time, and over most of the summer, I said goodbye to my good friends - Ben & Jerry. During the last couple of months however, good ole Ben & Jerry have creeped back into my life, and yesterday was the day that I bid farewell once again.

During the winter months that we are here, the island path will once again be my morning home. It takes me about 55 minutes to walk the loop, and if I run (jog) at least half of the distance, the time comes down to approx. 45 minutes. This year, my goal is to increase the running distance from a best last year of 2 miles, to the entire 3.6 miles. We'll see how that goes. The old knees don't always want to cooperate.

This morning, Patty has Cataract Surgery on her right eye, and her eyesight will then be 100% bionic. The recovery from surgery to her left eye last week, has gone very well, and she's looking forward to getting past this 2nd procedure, with the end result being much better vision.

Not a good day to be on the lake with the boat. Lots of whitecaps.

UNBELIEVEABLE

What the heck is going on in this country? Here's another example of the pendulum swinging too far to one side, with a constitutional interpretation by a Federal Judge, that's simply hard for me to understand.

On July 1 of this year, the State of Florida enacted a statute that requires anyone applying for welfare to submit to a drug test. The basic premise behind this law is that the taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing the habits of substance abusers. Naturally, there are those folks who argue that it's an invasion of privacy, and violates the 4th amendment guarantee against unreasonable government search and seizure.

Until day before yesterday, the only such law in the nation was being enforced, and the arguments from both sides were coming in hot and heavy. The residents of Florida are overwhelmingly in favor of the law, but naturally, the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) is on the other side of the debate.

With the aid of the ACLU, Luis Lebron, a Navy veteran who is a student, supporting a 4 year old son, and a disabled mom, filed a lawsuit, contending that the government has no right to drug test him. He insists that he is not a drug user, but refuses to be tested in conjunction with his application for welfare.

On Monday evening, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Scriven sided with Lebron and the ACLU, granting an injunction against enforcement of the laws "suspicionless testing" of adults seeking welfare. Her opinion went on to say "Perhaps no greater public interest exists than protecting a citizen's rights under the constitution".

OK, so let me get this straight. Here's a case where an individual is asking the government (aka the taxpayers) for monetary assistance, but doesn't feel obligated to do anything, other than fill out the paperwork. This is a guy who was in the Navy, where he was subject to random drug testing, but now thinks that a test is unreasonable search and seizure, in exchange for free money.

I've got news for you dude! The taking of government welfare, without any obligation on your part, is in my opinion, unreasonable seizure of my taxpayer dollars! Hey Judge, what about my constitutional right to protect public funds from substance abusers? The basic point that Lebron, the ACLU, and this pinhead judge are missing, is the fact that no one is being forced to do anything. If you don't want to be drug tested, fine. Then don't apply for free money from the taxpayers. End of story.

Over the years, a multitude of laws allowing pre-employment, & random drug testing has been enacted, and stood up to all constitutional challenges. So what's the big difference between being subject to drug testing by an employer, and being subject to a drug test as a welfare applicant? In both cases, monetary compensation is the end result. The huge difference is that the welfare recipient doesn't have to do anything, except perhaps stay unemployed. The wage earner puts in his/her 40 hours a week, and in exchange for adherence to company policies, is compensated accordingly. If anybody should be complaining, or filing lawsuits about drug tests, it should be the wage earner, not the welfare applicant. There's something terribly wrong in this country when the entitlement mentality rises to the level where the Federal Judiciary has ruled that it's OK to drug test the work force as a condition of employment, but it's not OK to drug test a person requesting free money from the taxpayers. In a word...........unbelievable!

CRUISING THE LAKE

The last couple of days have been all about giving some exercise to a few of our toys that have just been sitting at the house. Yesterday, I hooked up the boat, and after a quick stop at KFC, we were on the water a little before noon.

Before parking in the channel, I cruised past the Nautical Resort, where I took this picture of a seaplane parked next to a few mega boats. When it comes to toys, I guess the only limitation is dollars and space. Later, when we made a loop around the island, the plane was gone.

"Yep, life is tough, but if somebody has to be on the lake, it might as well be me"

By mid day, the temps were into the 90's, and only a slight breeze. Almost perfect weather for a day in the boat. The peak boating season is over, but there were still quite a few folks out on the lake. We first went south to Havasu Palms, a small community on the CA side of the lake, after cruising through Copper Canyon, also on the CA side. On Friendly Island, the boat only campsites were all taken, with several tents pitched at one of the spots.

Parked in the channel before the area filled in with boats.

We learned last year, that the best place to park the boat is in the channel. It's a great place to have a picnic lunch, and people watch. I told Patty that I would look good with my hair spiked, and in a mohawk like the fellow who parked next to us. Only one problem, not enough hair left to even comb, much less turn into a mohawk!

We watched the Bud Party Boat cruise by a couple of times, with lots of young folks having what looked like a pretty good party. Glad they weren't parked next to us, cause the music was really loud. On the other side of the channel, A guy was throwing a ball for his cattle dog, and this little critter was putting on quite a show. He/she would leap into the water after the ball with such enthusiasm, there would be a huge splash. I tried to capture the action, but couldn't get the shot.

The slight sunburn notwithstanding, it was a good afternoon on the water, and even though the boat doesn't get used a whole lot, it's kind of like having the Harley in the garage. It's there when we get the urge to go out and play.

STREET ROD PARADISE

It's all about hot rods this weekend in Lake Havasu. The 34th annual "Run to the Sun" is in full swing with somewhere near 1,000 pre 1972 cars in attendance. Yesterday and today, all of the cars are on display at the Nautical Resort on the island, and that's where Patty and I checked out these beautiful machines.

Patty stands in front of a replica Cobra, one of the ultimate muscle cars.

After Cataract surgery day before yesterday, and with the eye patch gone, Patty says her vision through her left eye is now like looking through a clean window. Before the surgery, that window was pretty dirty!

As you can see, I'm a bit partial to street rods that have supercharged engines. The sound and look of a blown engine, with the carbs or the injector sticking out of the hood, is the epitome of a street rod power plant.

Hey Bob. This is what you need to match your other toy, and it's for sale!

While we were strolling around, admiring all of these works of art, I couldn't help but wonder what the total value of all the cars might be? If there were a thousand cars, at an average value of 30k (which I'm sure would be a really low estimate), that would be a total of about 30 million! That's a lot of cubic dollars to go with those big cubic inch motors.

This was one of my favorites, a pro street Chevelle, with a big blown motor.

After a couple of hours checking out the cars, and vendors, we headed home, where I uncovered the boat, and got it ready for a spin around the lake today. We haven't had the boat on the water since last March, so, with today's predicted temps in the low 90's, it should be a good time to get the fiberglass wet.

We ended the day yesterday, having dinner with our neighbors Tony & Michelle. The restaurant of choice was Cha Bones, and everyone agreed, the food was pretty good. My steak was excellent! It was a nice end to a day of custom paint, lots of chrome, and good friends.

DUSTING THE COBWEBS

2008 Kawasaki KLR 650

I had the best of intentions yesterday, and that was to get out to the Wally World shopping center, and check out all of the classic cars that are in town for the annual "Run to the Sun" car event. Well, I didn't make it. Instead, I chose to blow some of the dust off my smaller bike, and burn up some of the old gas that's been in the tank for several months.

When I bought this bike in 2008, while working as a supervisor for the transit system in Glacier National Park, I used it mostly to commute the 9 miles to work. During that summer in western Montana, I rolled up about 2,500 miles, and did some exploring in the surrounding National Forests. Since then, I haven't ridden the KLR very much, but there are a few times a year when I get the urge to get off the pavement, and get away from civilization. I've already decided that if we return to the Grand Canyon next summer, the KLR is going. While there this past summer, I discovered countless national forest roads that begged for further discovery, and this do everything motorcycle is the perfect vehicle. Every time I entertain the thought of getting rid of the Harley, or the KLR, all I have to do is go for a ride on either one, and those thoughts quickly disappear.

Today, the patch comes off Patty's left eye, and she will see the first images without a cataract impairing that vision. Speaking of medical procedures, our Golden Spike buddy - "D" Hall is recovering from hip replacement surgery, and we wish her a speedy recovery. By the time our fellow Golden Spikers get together again in Indio, at the FMCA Rally in January, our hope is that "D" will be well down the road to recovery.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO

In this day and age, Cataract surgery on the eye, is a normal, everyday procedure, that occurs by the thousands on a daily basis. My simple mind hasn't quite wrapped around the idea that surgery on the human eye is an ordinary, regular medical procedure.

This morning, Patty joined the millions who have had their vision corrected with Cataract surgery. A week from today, she will have her right eye done, and her visual acuity will be much better, without the constant aid of glasses. The recovery period is pretty straight forward, with an eye patch for about 24 hours, eye drops several times a day, and a follow up visit in 5 days. Then, next week, she'll repeat the routine.

Today starts the "Run to the Sun" annual classic car event. With around 1,000 pre 1972 cars in town for the activities, they are literally everywhere. While Patty takes it easy this afternoon, I think I'll head out to the Shops at Lake Havasu, where all of the cars will be on display

CHP MEMORIES

The California Highway Patrol is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in CA, with officers stationed throughout the state. As a result, the department was/is often called to assist smaller agencies, whenever circumstances dictate a larger uniformed presence.

Such was the case back in 1981, when the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant was about to be licensed by the nuclear regulatory commission. This large electrical generating plant in San Luis Obispo County, with 2 nuclear reactors, was the focus of large demonstrations against it's operation. In addition to the protesters who were against any nuclear power generation, the more specific objection to this plant was it's location near 2 earthquake faults, one of which is the famous San Andreas Fault.

With national media attention, the crowd of protesters grew into the thousands, and the local Sheriff's Department quickly called for assistance from the CHP. Each office in the central part of the state sent a contingent of Officers, and I was part of the group dispatched from the Los Banos Office. We drove to the National Guard Base just outside of San Luis Obispo, where we were billeted in the National Guard barracks. At the time, all we knew was that we were going to be there for several days. From there, the National Guard Helicopter detachment flew us over the mountains in Chinnok Helicopters to the power plant, which was located right on the ocean. That was the fun part of this assignment. The rest of the time, it was mostly pretty boring.

The strategy of the protesters was to trespass through the main gate, and with large numbers, occupy the property. Initially, they were successful, overwhelming the small security force, and the presence of the local law enforcement agencies. When the CHP had several hundred Officers present, we formed a picket line at the main gate, and physically prevented anyone from entering the property. We also patrolled the perimeter fence, arresting those that climbed over the fence.

Each shift on the picket line was a couple of hours, as we watched the large crowd parade in front of us with signs, and lots of media coverage. As some of the Hollywood crowd got involved, the multitude of television cameras only increased. I'll never forget one day when I was standing shoulder to shoulder on the "Blue Line" that delineated the Pacific Gas & Electric Company property line. If anyone crossed the blue line, they were subject to arrest for trespassing. One of the Hollywood protesters was Robert Blake, and at the time, he was most famous for his starring role in the TV series Baretta. Each time he walked past my position, he always had something very uncomplimentary to say, and several of us commented that wouldn't it be nice if Mr. Baretta decided to try and cross the blue line. He never did, but many years later when he was on trial for murder, my image of him always reverted back to those days when we were on opposite sides of a public demonstration.

We spent a week at Camp San Luis Obispo, and at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Except for the hours that we stood at the main gate, most of the other hours were spent standing around, or playing cards back in the National Guard barracks. During the two weeks of protests, local law enforcement and the CHP arrested approx. 1,900 people, mostly for trespassing.

Compared to a few other civil disturbances that I was involved with, this protest at Diablo Canyon was peaceful, except for the passive resistance from the hundreds that we arrested. When the crowds of demonstrators began to dwindle, and it was time to head home, we were all ready to get back to a normal life.

IT'S A PARADE

Before I forget..........Happy Birthday Laila! Today is our Granddaughter's 6th birthday, and she's with Mom & Dad at Disneyland. What better place for a 6 year old to have a birthday party than the Magic Kingdom!

Yesterday morning, we wandered down to Main Street (McCulloch Blvd.), to catch the London Bridge Days Parade. It's the 40th anniversary of the bridge's big move from London, England, to Lake Havasu City, AZ. This parade is part of a week long celebration which included an appearance by Governor Jan Brewer.

The U.S. Marine Corps Marching Band

When we set up our chairs on the curb, I expected maybe a 30 minute or so parade. Not! The parade started promptly at 10 am, and when it was over, with the ambulance passing by, it was 11:55 am. A 2 hour parade to celebrate a bridge's anniversary. Wow!

Mohave County K-9 Thor was a big hit when his handler stopped, letting the dog out among the crowd.

This parade had the usual politicians, marching bands, classic cars, and assorted business entries. The shriners from Phoenix had a big presence, with everything from motorcycles, to clowns with bare behinds!

The large contingent of classic cars was an early advertisement for the annual " Run to the Sun", a huge community car show that's coming up in a few weeks. This street rod was actually doing some small burn outs, but the driver wasn't showing off when he passed our location.

Everyone loves a parade, and we're no different. The London Bridge Days Parade exceeded my expectations, and was a fun way to start off the day. Watching this long parade was exhausting, causing me to work up a huge appetite. So, it was the perfect excuse to head down to IN N OUT for a Double, Double.

RV MAINTENANCE DAY

In with the new, and out with the old. That was my focus yesterday morning, as I swapped the motor home house batteries, redid the air ducting to the Cummins motor air filter, and changed the oil & filter on the Onan diesel generator.

As with any mechanical monster, regular maintenance is one of the keys to avoiding, or at least minimizing breakage. With all of the complicated systems on today's modern RV, it's somewhat amazing to me that most everything works as well as it does. Considering that an RV is subjected to a constant earthquake as it's being driven down the road, it's a wonder that more things don't fail. If you happen to drive a lot of miles on California's wonderfully maintained roads, it's a total miracle that RV's aren't scattered in little pieces along the sides of the Golden State's byways. When we're in CA, I often remark that if you could close your eyes and drive at the same time, there would be no doubt which state you were in.

Even though we are basically home for the winter, there will be many excursions in the motor home. We just don't stay gone for months, like we do during the summer season. We're hoping to spend a week or so in the Palms Springs area next month, when Everett & Lori bring their motor home south. We usually spend part of the Christmas Holidays in Tucson with Marc, Chandra, and Laila, and for about the last 15 years, we spend part of January parked in the desert near Quartzsite, AZ. Also in January, the Family Motor Coach Ass'n rally takes place in Indio, CA. February takes us back to Tucson, where we've worked the Tucson Rodeo for several years. In March, another RV rally will take us to Yuma, AZ for about a week, and somewhere in those months, we'll try and find some time to use our boat.

With yesterdays tasks completed, and a recent complete engine and chassis service, the motor home is ready for some winter adventures!

OFF TO DISNEYLAND

Yesterday was the big day! We drove south to Blythe, CA, where we met Marc, Chandra, and our Granddaughter Laila for lunch. They were on their way to Disneyland, but Laila was only told they were going to see Grandma, and Grandpa. Laila's 6th birthday is this Sunday, so we had balloons waiting at the restaurant when they arrived.

Laila has just been told that she was going to Disneyland.

After lunch, Marc asked Laila where Mickey Mouse lived? When she answered "Disneyland", that's when Chandra told her that's where they were going. Her reaction at first, was more disbelief, than excitement. She kept saying, "no we're not". I think it finally sunk in when we were all telling her that she was going to Disneyland.

Are you sure I'm going to Disneyland?

The last surprise was a new bicycle for her birthday. We first had Laila open a Disney water bottle that attaches to the bike. When we went outside, Grandpa had taken the bike out of the back of the pickup, and Laila got her birthday present a couple of days early. Even though she had just started to ride her first bike without training wheels, I left them on this larger bike, as she took a couple of spins around the parking lot.

In the background is Marc & Chandra's new truck that Patty would need a step ladder to climb into. With a 6" lift, custom 20" rims & tires, & a duramax diesel engine, it's a very cool truck.

The kids were anxious to get going, and get to Disneyland before it got too late, so after a bunch of hugs, they were off. Later yesterday evening, we got a phone call from Laila & her first question to Grandma was "guess where I am"? When Grandma played the 3 answer game, Laila told her she was at Disneyland, in the Disneyland Hotel! Marc told me that she was "bouncing off the walls", with total excitement about exploring the Magic Kingdom for the next 3 days.

Some one's almost too big to be picked up!

NEW RV BATTERIES

Sam's Club price for these GC2 deep cycle, 110 amp hour, 6V batteries was $78.83 each.

Living in the motor home, which we typically do about half of the year, is quite a bit different than living in our conventional house. The biggest difference is probably the lack of unlimited space in the RV. As a result, when living in the motor home, and purchasing stuff like groceries, consideration is always given to the amount of available storage capacity. When we're in Lake Havasu, that caution goes out the window, and we often stock up, and buy large quantities.

Yesterday, a trip to Sam's Club in Bullhead City (about an hour's drive), was the shopping trip that stocked us up on a lot of things that were gone, or almost gone. After paying the bill, I felt like most of our bank account was gone!

The other reason for the trip to Wally's other World was the purchase of 4 new 6 volt, RV batteries. The house batteries in the motor home are approaching 5 years of age, and their ability to hold a charge, has diminished considerably during the last year. We don't do as much dry camping as we used to, but we do park in the desert near Quartzsite every year, and I wanted to change the batteries before we make our annual January pilgrimage to this RV Mecca in south western Arizona. With good batteries, and 3 large solar panels on the roof of the motor home, our dry camping time is only limited by our water and holding tank capacities. When we work the Tucson Rodeo every February, we have no hook ups, and do just fine for 2 weeks.

This morning, we're waiting for the phone call from Marc & Chandra, to see when they're leaving Tucson. We'll be meeting them in Blythe for lunch, and that's where Laila will be told she's going to Disneyland for her birthday. Should be an awesome surprise!

THE BIG DAY

Tomorrow is the day that we meet Chandra, Marc, & our Granddaughter Laila for lunch in Blythe. They will be on their way to Disneyland, and Laila will be given the news sometime while we're having lunch. According to Marc, all she is being told is that they're going to see Grandma, & Grandpa.

Laila's 6th birthday is this Sunday, and she will celebrate the big day in Disneyland! For a 6 year old, it probably can't get much better than that. Mom & Dad have arranged a special birthday celebration with some of the Disney characters, and it should be a very memorable time at the Magic Kingdom. Grandma, & Grandpa have a new bicycle for her birthday, and we'll just follow Marc & Chandra's lead as to how this all plays out tomorrow.

After my post a couple of days ago, with pictures of the new bicycle, our neighbor Michelle called and said you have to watch a U Tube video entitled Lilly's Disneyland Surprise. Clicking the link gets to You Tube, then type in lilly'sdisneylandsurprise in the search area for the almost 3 minute video, that has received about 3 million hits. It's almost guaranteed to make you laugh and cry within that time frame.

With any luck, my camera will hopefully capture some of the surprise reaction tomorrow, and at the least, Patty and I will be present to share in the big announcement.

A LEAKY HEATER & A DISCOUNT

Oh, the joys of home ownership! Upon return from our trip to Carson City, and CA, I detected a small leak from the bottom of our house water heater. That's not a good thing, and is only a precursor to potential serious problems, like a flood in the garage. Our next door neighbors, Tony & Michelle had a similar issue not too long ago with their water heater, and the result was water damage.. The scary part of that story, is that both houses were built at about the same time, approx. 9 years ago.

Not wanting to deal with water damage, I called a local plumber who I've had good luck with in the past, and got a quote yesterday. Their price was $1,150 installed, with a 6 year warranty. Thinking that was on the high side, and not knowing the cost of water heaters, Patty and I took a ride out to Lowe's. After a discussion with a sales rep, we made the purchase. Total price - $570.84 including installation, with the same 6 year warranty. For those that don't know it, Lowe's gives all veterans a 10% discount with proof of service (DD214 or retired military ID). The savings on this purchase alone was $59.98. Over the years, I've saved hundreds at Lowe's, and a copy of my DD214 is always present in the glove box of my truck. Our local Home Depot would sometimes do the military discount, but often they would not. Usually, it was a hassle, so I decided years ago to take my business where my military service was appreciated. The discount is an added bonus.

If we only lived here in Lake Havasu City during the summer, when it's always well above 100 degrees, we could almost do without a water heater. The ground is so hot, that even running just the cold water, it comes out of the tap lukewarm. Most folks in the plumbing & water business agree, because the water is so full of minerals here in the desert, water heaters have a life expectancy of 6-8 years. Ours made it about 9 years, so I guess I should be happy?

A NEW BIKE & DISNEYLAND

Our Grand Daughter Laila's 6th birthday is only about a week away, on the 16th of this month. Last year, we gave her the smallest bicycle available, a 12" model. A few days ago on the telephone, she was proud to inform Grandpa & Grandma that she was riding that first bike without the training wheels. When I talked to Dad, he said that Laila had just about outgrown that little bike, so that made it easy for us to come up with a birthday present.

The pictures are of the new 16" bike that we purchased yesterday, and will give to Laila when we see her, Chandra & Marc on the 13th. That's when we'll be meeting them in Blythe, as they head west toward Anaheim, CA. Yep, they're going to Disneyland, and the whole trip is a surprise to Laila, that will be announced when we meet them for lunch. This trip has been in the works for about a year, and should be quite an adventure for Laila. Like most kids, she is fascinated with the Disney characters, and often talks about maybe someday visiting the land of enchantment. According to Marc, she thinks this road trip is only to go and visit Grandma & Grandpa, which is true. However, she has no idea that the trip will continue to Disneyland as the ultimate destination.

Hopefully, I'll get some good pictures of her face when she finds out where they're going. Hey Mom, and Dad, make sure someone isn't looking over your shoulder when you read this!

ACROSS THE DESERT

The drive across the Mohave Desert from Barstow to Needles on I40 has become a familiar one, since we moved to Lake Havasu City 9 years ago. This is the most direct route into CA, and one that we have traveled many times. Even though the scenery is mostly desert landscape, and there isn't much else to admire, it's a drive that I rather enjoy. If I'm on the Harley, I often take the old Mother Rode, through Amboy. It's a little longer, but Route 66 has a few communities like Essex, and Amboy that are kind of fun to check out, especially the old gas stations and restaurants that have long been closed.

We arrived at the casa in the early afternoon, and began the process of unloading the motor home. Since we have no plans to use the house on wheels anytime soon, we're not only unloading a lot of stuff, but also doing some serious cleaning before parking it under the shade cover.

It's good to be home, with lots of projects on the table, and ample time to hopefully get most of them done. Due to a rather normal routine while home, the usual daily blog post while traveling will become a little more sporadic. It's not exactly exciting, nor very interesting to write about trips to the grocery store, and mundane things along that line. If by Chance, there is any breaking news from Lake Havasu, rest assured that you'll probably read about it right here on Travel by Chance.

GOODBYE NANCY, HELLO BORON

We only spent one night parked at Nancy's house in Atwater, because we were anxious to get back to Lake Havasu, and Nancy was heading over to the Bay Area early this morning for an event. So, it was late morning when we hit the dreaded southbound Hwy 99, traveling through the metropolis's of Merced, Madera, Fresno, Visalia, Tulare, & Bakersfield. As much as I enjoy driving the motor home, this is one stretch of highway that I really could do without. I wish the government(s) would quit putting up these huge signs telling us how they're spending our tax dollars, and use that money to fix the darn roads! Just think how far a half billion dollars would go toward improving terrible roads like Hwy 99. Can anyone say SOLYNDRA?

It was mid afternoon when we rolled through Mojave, and I decided to stop a little early at an RV park in Boron, and give the local Mexican Restaurant a try for dinner. Our friends, Bill & "D" Hall have stayed in Boron while traveling in their motor home, and told us that the food at Domingo's Mexican Restaurant is excellent. I know, some folks are probably saying "where the hell is Boron"? Well, it's on Hwy 58, between Mojave and Barstow, and I've driven past the little burg a bazillion times, but never stopped. There isn't much in Boron, and it probably survives due to it's close proximity to Edwards Air Force Base.

We had an early dinner at Domingo's, so there weren't many folks in the restaurant. I must say, I can't remember having Mexican food any better than our dinner last night. Patty agreed, our tacos, enchiladas, and tamales were really, really good. We both thought that the meals we had at Ole, Ole inside the Gold Dust West Casino in Carson City were good, but the dinner last night was just simply outstanding. I don't normally rave about food, I just eat it, and move on to the next meal. However, in the future, if we're traveling in the area, and the timing is right, that wasn't the last meal I'll eat at Domingo's in Boron.


This morning, when we get around to motoring down the highway, we'll have about a 3-4 hour drive, and we'll be back in Lake Havasu. When we returned home from spending the summer at the Grand Canyon, we were only there for a few days before taking off for Carson City. This time, we'll be home for several weeks before getting back in the motor home, at least I think that's the plan.

THE KASTLE & A BACKHOE

Nancy's beautiful home in Atwater, CA

After I parked the motor home, Nancy gave us a tour of her property, and the house. If I were looking for a larger house, and some acreage, (which we're not), Nancy's place fits the bill almost perfectly. There's room for just about everything, including her two horses. The inside of the house is as elegant as it is practical, with an awesome kitchen, and as I said yesterday, way to many amenities to try and include in a narrative. It is indeed a "Kastle".

Patty and Nancy spent the afternoon visiting, while I caught up with a few things on the computer. Later, we drove into Merced, and had dinner at Applebee's, then returned to the house. I retired to our little house, while the girls continued their visit in the big house.

There's no big hurry, but sometime this morning, I'll fire up the Cummins ISL 400 diesel, and we'll hit the road for home. Driving south on Hwy 99 through the central valley of California doesn't exactly float my boat, but we're both anxious to get home, so the direct route is what it will be. I suspect that we'll probably stop somewhere in the desert, and spend the night before completing the trip home.

I took these pictures of Everett when we arrived in Jamestown a few days ago. He was in the process of fixing his septic system.

Despite the not so enviable job of fixing a plugged septic system, when you have a backhoe, it allows you to do stuff like this without calling in the cavalry.