A NEW CAMERA

Since the inception of this blog almost 3 years ago, the camera that has taken thousands of pictures is shown above. It's an inexpensive Kodak point and shoot that has served me well. Having said that, the flash quit working some time ago, and I had to pass up a lot of photo opportunities where the light wasn't adequate. In addition to no flash, the camera insisted on taking straight lines like painted road center lines, and turning them into broken lines. There were a couple of other things that it either wouldn't do, or if it did, not very well.

So, it was off to Wally World yesterday for a new camera. Without the help of my pal Nancy, who knows more about photography than anybody I know, I picked out the smallest point and shoot that I could find. This Nikon is half the width of the old Kodak, and the flash even works! My only complaint is that I just bought a Japanese Camera that's made in you guessed it - China! I'm beginning to wonder how the American people could even survive, if all of the products from China suddenly stopped coming into the country. I better jump off my soapbox before I really get started. This is a subject for another time.

One of the reasons we didn't go directly to Quartzsite from the FMCA RV Rally in Indio, is because we wanted to come back to Lake Havasu for the balloon festival. Last year, we missed the inaugural event, and with over 60 hot air balloons registered this year, we plan on being part of the estimated 30-50,000 people who are expected to attend. The organizers expected around 10,000 people for the first time event last year, and over 23,000 folks showed up. This year, the festival has been expanded to include everything from a carnival to classic cars. It all begins tomorrow morning on the island, with the ascension of dozens of balloons over Lake Havasu.

COLOR US GONE

The Western Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Rally in Indio, CA was history yesterday, and long before we ever ventured out of the motor home, motor homes were leaving in droves. I never heard how many were in attendance, but I suspect it was in the 1,000 - 1,500 range.

Patty and I were part of the clean up crew, and it took us about an hour to police our assigned area. Most people pick up after themselves, but as is the case with just about everything, there are always exceptions. I had to walk carefully in one area where somebody let their dog poop without them cleaning up. If you and your dog are out walking in the desert that's one thing, but in a public fairgrounds, Come On!

By the time we were finished, it was mid morning, and we started saying goodbye to our friends. When I took the picture, about half the motor homes in our area were gone. It didn't take me long to hook up the jeep, and we became part of the mass exodus from the fairgrounds.

We were home by 3pm, and within an hour, the tanks were dumped, dirty clothes removed, and the motor home was parked in it's house. We're home for a week, then we'll be off to do the "Q" in Quartzsite, AZ. We'll become part of the thousands that flock to this small desert community for the annual RV Show, and flea market. From year to year, we never know how many of our friends will be joining us at mile marker 99 on Hwy 95, approx. 3 miles south of town. This week will go by fast, and then we'll be on the road again.

LAST RALLY DAY IN INDIO

Not much to report about our activities yesterday, the last day of the FMCA Rally. I once again helped Bill deliver ice cream in the golf cart to the vendors, and other workers. Once again, I can say with all honesty, absolutely none of the ice cream bars and sandwiches were tainted, or otherwise unfit for human consumption. When we were finished with ice cream deliveries, we returned to the distribution area, and that was pretty much the extent of my volunteerism for the day. Patty helped pass out the ice cream, and when she was finished, we checked out some of the new motor homes, along with one more pass through the vendor building.

The main drag at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio, CA.

My only purchase of any significance from the vendors was a solar light for my flag pole. When I got back to the motor home, I installed the rechargeable batteries, and tried to test the light by covering the sensor per the instructions. No matter how I covered the sensor, the LED lights failed to come on. Again, per the instructions, I replaced the rechargeable AA batteries with regular batteries, and my luck prevailed - no lights. As I was putting everything back in the box, I saw where it was made, and I think everyone can figure that one out. No wonder there's high unemployment in this country, nothing is made in the good old U.S. of A. anymore! I'm starting to read labels more carefully, and given a choice, even if it's more expensive, the product made in the U.S. is what I'm going to buy. Unless the government creates an environment where our businesses can compete, it won't be long before almost everything is manufactured in China or some other foreign country.

When I returned the light to the vendor, they couldn't make it work either, and "oh by the way, we just sold our last light". Perfect! They offered to mail me a new light, or give me my money back. I had to think about that one for about 1 second, and you can probably guess what my decision was.

It's about 10 minutes to ice cream, and these folks are lined up.

This morning, Patty and I are part of the clean up crew which will take an hour or so, then we'll hook up the jeep and head back home. It's been a fun rally with our fellow Golden Spikers, and we'll be looking forward to our next get together.

"OK Dad, this rally stuff has us just plain tuckered out, we're ready to go home"

ICE CREAM

Most of the FMCA Chapters present at the Western Rally here in Indio, volunteer for different jobs such as gate security, trams, parade coordination, & a host of other responsibilities. Without volunteer labor, big events such as this would not be financially possible.

Our Golden Spike Chapter, has the job of passing out ice cream at the ice cream socials on Friday and Saturday. Our crew is pictured below, just before they started passing out free ice cream bars. Our Vice President, Bill Hall oversees this event, and while our chapter volunteers were busy handing out the ice cream, Bill and I put several cases on a golf cart, and delivered ice cream to the vendors, and other folks who were busy working. Now I'm not admitting that I had more than one ice cream bar, but during our deliveries all over the fairgrounds, it's slightly possible that more than one made it into my hand. Bill and I had a most important job, and part of that huge responsibility was to make sure that none of the ice cream was contaminated, or melted. I can officially report that of all the bars (Ooops, the ONE bar) that we sampled, there was no tainted ice cream!

Just before the ice cream social, our chapter members gathered in the main building for a group picture. I think this is the largest gathering of Golden Spikers at a rally since we've been members, with approx. 40 folks present.

Today is the last day of the rally, and the vast majority of motor homes, including us, will be out of here tomorrow. We'll be home for about a week before heading down to Quartzsite for the big Flea Market, and RV Show.

IT'S A PARADE

The highlight of yesterdays activities was the 4pm parade, here at the FMCA Western RV Rally. The Rose Parade this was not! In fact, in all of 15 minutes, it was over. The theme of this years rally is a Pirates Adventure, and some of the chapters got rather creative in turning golf carts and other conveyances into pirate ships. There were pirates everywhere, and we got pretty good at catching all of the candy being thrown. Do you know what letter is missing from the pirate alphabet? RRRRR!

The vendors were open for business for the first time since we arrived, and of course we had to see what all was for sale. Believe it or not, I only spent $4.95 on a water shut off valve, but there were a couple of other things that caught my eye. I still have a few days to pull the trigger, or perhaps wait till we get down to Quartzsite. Most all of the vendors who are here, will be at the big RV show in Quartzsite next week.

Earlier in the day, Bill Hall and I drove over to the local Costco, and ordered pizzas for the nights pizza party. Shortly after the parade was over, we went and picked up 12 pizzas, which was more than enough for our group of about 40.

One of the unexpected surprises at this rally was running into our friends Jerry and Sue Turnshek, pictured below. Jerry & Sue live in our old hometown area of Sonora/Jamestown, CA, and we have kept in touch since moving to AZ 10 years ago. Jerry was part of the original team when we opened Jamestown Harley-Davidson over 16 years ago, and the success of the business was a direct result of having great people like Jerry. Sue was kind of under the weather, so we hope she's feeling better today.

Jerry, Sue, and Chloe.

Patty, Anita Price, and Anne Slavicek all watching the parade.

After we were all stuffed with pizza, and had visited well into the hours of darkness, we headed back to the motor home for a little TV, then called it a day.

On the agenda today - 1. Chapter Picture at 11:15. 2. Our chapter passes out the all important ice cream bars at the ice cream social at 12:15. 3. More decisions in the vendor area this afternoon. 4. Dinner somewhere, and the evening entertainment in the big hall.

A CHAPTER FAIR & TRI TIPS

The first day of the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Western Rally began with the Chapter Fair, and the opening of the display coaches, (new & used motor homes for sale). Our Golden Spike Chapter had a nice display at the fair, with lots of information about our group, including the two nice banners. As a member of FMCA, an individual can belong to as many chapters as they wish. Some of our Golden Spikers are members of multiple chapters, but I think one is enough for Patty and I. Later in the day, I heard that our efforts were successful in recruiting 3 new members.

After checking out all of the chapters represented at the fair, and of course sampling much of the candy giveaways, we wandered over to where several RV Dealers had new & used motor homes on display. Some of the new models have features like 2 TV's in the living area, and for the life of me, I just can't figure that one out. Our one 32" HD TV is just fine for our small living area. Another new trend is the bath and one half models. I guess if you have a lot of company, the extra half bath would come in handy, but for just one couple most of the time, that seems like redundancy gone wild. Residential, all electric refrigerators is another new trend that I suspect has something to do with all of the problems and recalls of the Dometic and Norcold RV refrigerators. Considering all of the trouble we had with our first Dometic refer, that was replaced with a newer model a couple of years ago, the electric only, residential model might just be a good trend for the industry. The only downside is the extra batteries that are required.

Pictured left to right Bob Walker, Ken Carnes, and Bill Hall.

We capped the day with a pot luck dinner, and BBQ'd Tri Tips furnished by the Chapter. I helped with the BBQ which was spearheaded by our Vice President, Bill Hall. As with most pot lucks, there was more than enough food, and some delicious deserts. Dottie Poole's crock pot chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was gone in a matter of minutes. The chapter purchased a cake to commemorate & congratulate Dottie and Bob Poole on their 50th wedding anniversary. Somebody joked that they must have gotten married when they were in junior high, cause they sure don't look old enough to have been married 50 years.

Today is day 2 of the rally, with the vendors opening for business. Lets see, what is there that I just can't live without? There's nothing on my wish list, but I'm quite sure that I'll see some RV Gizmo that will leave Indio in our motor home.

THE GOLDEN SPIKERS

The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is a nationwide organization who's membership is comprised of those folks that are motor home owners. The current total membership is approx. 90,000. Within the FMCA, there are hundreds of individual chapters around the country, and the scope of those chapters varies greatly. The Golden Spike Chapters' focus is railroads, and the members are located mostly in the western states.

Patty and I joined this chapter almost 2 years ago, while we were traveling the summer months in the Pacific Northwest. Our first rally with the Golden Spikers was near Portland, OR, where the group rode on the Mount Hood Scenic Railroad. Since that first rally, we have gotten together with this fun group of people several times, and helped put together a rally on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Carson City last September.


The FMCA Western Rally here in Indio is not chapter specific, so this is the one rally that our group attends each year that doesn't include the riding of a railroad. This rally is open to all FMCA members, whether they belong to a chapter or not.

Yesterday was a kind of do nothing day, as the rally kicks off today with a few activities. The pictures of the group were taken yesterday afternoon, as we all visited, and enjoyed lots of snacks. I guess in some circles this is called "happy hour".

There are 20 Golden Spike motor homes in attendance here in Indio, so it's a pretty good sized group. At our last rally in Carson City, NV, we had 13 rigs show up. Oh, by the way, the weather has been perfect, with a slight breeze, and temperatures in the mid 70's. The forecast for the rest of the week is more of the same. Life is good!

A SEA OF RV's & A RIDE TO THE SKY

After spending Sunday night at the Wally World parking lot in La Quinta, our Golden Spike Chapter of 20 Motor Homes made the short trip to the Riverside County Fairgrounds, caravan style. Upon arrival at the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Western Rally, we were parked as a group, with connections to electrical power. Our arrival one day earlier this year seemed to make a difference, as the wait time, and parking was much quicker.

It's a virtual sea of motor homes parked at the FMCA Western Rally in Indio, CA.

It was early afternoon by the time we got everything squared away, and with nothing else on the agenda, Patty and I decided to drive to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a ride to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains. Many years ago, we had ridden this tram to the sky, and the car pictured below was what they used. The tram cars are now much bigger, holding approx. 80 people, and the floor rotates 360 degrees. During the 10 minute trip, everyone inside the car makes two complete revolutions, and the views are truly spectacular.

The elevation at the bottom of the tram is 2,643 feet above sea level, and once you reach the top, the elevation is 8,516 feet. The temps on the valley floor in Palm Springs & Indio, were in the mid 70's yesterday, but by the time we reached the top, the temperature was 49 degrees. At least we had enough sense to take a jacket and sweatshirt. Some folks went outside in their t-shirts & shorts, but were quickly back inside the building. There was a little bit of snow around the tram building.

This view is looking back down from near the top.

Looking up, as the tram approaches the top of the mountain.

Once we reached the top, the views of Palm Springs, and the surrounding communities from over a mile up was pretty incredible. We took in the scenery, snapped a few pictures, and then took the tram back down to the valley.

These tram cars are the worlds largest that rotate

Once we were back at the fairgrounds, it was time for the social hour with lots of snacks that the ladies had prepared. We sat around for awhile, visiting with our fellow Golden Spiker's, then it was time for dinner. Our buddies, Bill & "D" Hall introduced us to the Fisherman's Restaurant last year, and it was definitely a hit. The four of us loaded up in our jeep, and we headed off for some seafood here in the middle of the desert. It's a very popular place to eat, but fortunately, it wasn't quite as crowded as last year. The food was great, as well as the company. After we were all stuffed, it was back to our motor homes, and day 1 of our week here in Indio was history.

PATTON & THE CHIRIACO FAMILY

Our drive from Lake Havasu City to the fairgrounds in Indio wasn't an all day affair, so, with plenty of time, we finally stopped at Chiriaco Summit on I10, about 30 miles east of Indio. This is one of those places that I've passed on multiple occasions, vowing to stop one of these days, and check out the General Patton Memorial Museum. Yesterday was that day.

"Old Blood and Guts" was the nickname for General George Patton, and his place in history is firmly implanted. He wasn't your run of the mill military leader, he was unique in many respects. The story of Patton, and a host of other military displays inside the museum make the $5 admission fee well worth the expenditure. Without knowing, the average person might wonder why in the heck there's a museum dedicated to Patton, sitting here in the desert of Southern California. The short story is that right after WWII broke out, the fighting in the North African Desert wasn't going very well for the allies. Patton figured out right away that in order for an American fighting force to effectively campaign in the desert, they would have to trained in the desert, not in the swamps of Georgia. He established the desert training center, with numerous camps located in CA and AZ, and the headquarters was not far from where the museum is now located. Soon after Patton spearheaded the desert training center, he was sent to Europe as a Major General and as they say, "the rest is history". He was killed in a car accident, not long after the war ended.

In 1925, Joe Chiriaco came west from Alabama to attend the Rose Bowl, and never returned home. He heard a rumor that a paved highway was going to be built from Blythe to Indio, so he purchased land at what was then called Shaver Summit. In 1933, the new road was opened as Hwy 60, and Joe was ready with a gas station and general store. In the mid 1930's, the huge aqueduct project to bring water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu to Los Angeles was begun, and Joe worked for the water district as a surveyor. In 1942, when Patton's desert headquarters was established near Joe's well stocked general store, the soldiers flocked to his desert oasis like "bees to blossoms". In 1989, the Bureau of Land Management, in cooperation with Patton's estate and the Chiriaco family, opened the current museum complex. Joe and his wife died in 1996, about 4 years before commercial power was connected to the visitor facilities at Chiriaco Summit. For approx. 77 years, electricity was provided by diesel generators.

This West Coast Vietnam Wall sits outside the Patton Museum, and honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our nation.

Who in the world would consider breaking in to this motor home with such a vicious attack dog standing guard?

We arrived at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in mid afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with friends. I watched the end of the Denver - Pittsburg NFL playoff game that was won by Denver in overtime. Go Tebow! About half of our group walked to a Chinese Restaurant for dinner, and we called it a day.

This morning, we will caravan in order (I think we're #16) to the fairgrounds, where we'll get parked for the next 6 days. The rally starts on Wednesday.

READY, SET, GO

This morning, when I fire up the Cummins engine in the motor home, we'll be heading for the fairgrounds in Indio, CA where the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) is staging their western states RV rally. We'll be in Indio for a week, returning home next Sunday. It's about a 4 hour drive, so we're not in any big hurry to get going this morning.

We'll be meeting about 20 other RV's from the FMCA Golden Spike Chapter at the WalMart in LaQuinta later today, and we'll go into the fairgrounds tomorrow as one group. As RV rallies go, this one is on a larger scale, with hundreds, if not a thousand or more RV's parked at the fairgrounds. There will be the usual stuff like vendors, seminars, nightly entertainment, parade, chapter fair, and an ice cream social (yahoo!) that our Golden Spike Chapter is in charge of. Mixed in with the activities at the rally will be some off site things like a ride on the Palm Springs Tram. Should be a fun week.

RIDIN THE RIVER

We met Bob & Diana at Smith's Grocery Gas Station where we all topped off our fuel tanks at about 11am. When I had my Harley Motor rebuilt at our old business back in 2001 when the bike was new, one of the many modifications was the installation of bigger pistons, and a lot of custom head work. The compression ratio was increased to 10 1/2 to 1, and with an adjustable ignition module it does OK on 91 octane gasoline. But, what the motor really likes is racing fuel, or avgas. Due primarily to all of the custom boats in this town, about half of the gas stations dispense racing fuel/avgas at their pumps. Smith's has one pump with 100 octane racing fuel, so, at $6.99 a gallon, my almost 4 gallons of fuel came to $27.00. Glad I wasn't filling up a 50 gallon boat gas tank. The first time I cracked the throttle wide open, the extra cost was well worth it.

We left town heading south on Hwy 95 towards Parker, and our recommended lunch stop at the Bluewater Casino Cantina next to the river. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, with a great view of the river from the patio dining area.

Patty and I have been here for the boat races, where the Cantina and the entire beach area was mobbed with people and exotic race boats. Yesterday was a pleasant change from the large crowds. We had a nice leisurely lunch, leaving the Cantina a little after 2pm. The food was good, the location next to the river was great, and visiting with our buddies was as they say - priceless!

The patio area of the Bluewater Casino Cantina, next to the Colorado River.

From the Casino, we rode a little farther south into Parker, then across the Colorado River into California. Bob joked that since CA is so broke, we better watch out for Governor Gerry Brown, who might be around a corner soliciting money for the state coffers.

It's about 17 miles from Parker north to the Parker Dam that created Lake Havasu. This part of the Colorado River is called the "Parker Strip", and is a very popular boating destination during the hot summer months, and a snowbird roost during the winter. Our weather yesterday was almost perfect, with temps in the mid 70's, and a bright sunny, cloudless day. We stopped at the Parker Dam overlook, where I set my camera on Tweety Bird (Bob's bright yellow Goldwing), and took a picture of the four of us, with Lake Havasu in the background.

My sweatshirt has a picture of the building front of our old business, and it was the first custom logo that we had printed on T-shirts, and other apparel. We had several subsequent custom logos, but this first one was always my favorite.

We were back in Lake Havasu City around 4pm, where we waved adios to our pals. It was a nice ride with great friends, and a reminder of why we live here in the desert, at least during the winter months.

DUSTING THE COBWEBS

Yesterday afternoon, we stopped by Bob & Diana Rush's house for a visit, as they continue to do home improvement projects on their new winter home. Diana, yes I said Diana, had just finished putting a coat of grey concrete paint on their patio, and it looked great! Bob likes to say that he has a painter in the family.

While we were there, Bob showed me an obvious water stain in the sheet rock roof of their garage. A little later, the plumber they had called showed up, cut a hole in the ceiling, and sure enough, a copper pipe joint was dripping down onto the sheet rock. Just before we left, the repair was almost finished.

We made plans to go for a motorcycle ride today, and got a tip from the plumber that the Mexican Restaurant at the Bluewater Casino in Parker had great food. Bob & Diana arrived from Oregon before Christmas, and we've been talking about going for a ride, but with their relatives here for the holidays, and our travels to Tucson for Christmas, we haven't found the time. The weather has been ideal, with today's temperature supposed to be in the mid 70's, and a bright sunny sky. I think today is the perfect time to dust some of the cobwebs off the Harley, and go out and catch some wind.

THE BOOK & MOVIE CRITIC

The last few days have been unremarkable, just normal activities around the house. When we're home, the daily routine is normally not something to write about. Conversely, when we're on the road, almost every day presents itself with new adventures and discoveries, that are worthy of a description in the blog.

With most of my home projects completed, and Patty nursing a sore back, we've been kind of running into each other, looking for things to occupy our time. Patty loves her Kindle that I got her for Christmas, and has read multiple books. She can sit down for hours with the Kindle, or a real book, and her day passes more quickly. I'm not much of a book reader, so that's not my best option for passing time. I did just finish an excellent book entitled Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. This is a book that reads like a novel, but it's really more of a historical perspective, based on the participants, and the actual events. Thanks Mike, Amy, Marc, Chandra, & Laila for the cruise gift.

We're not big movie goers, but in the last week, we've seen "I bought a zoo", and yesterday, we caught the matinee of "War Horse". The Zoo movie was a cute family type movie, that was entertaining, and based on a true story. War Horse was a little more intense, and a really good movie. Would you expect anything else from the Director Steven Spielberg? For all of the horse people out there, this is a must see movie. For those prone to be a little emotional, perhaps some tissues in you pocket would be a good thing.

This stay at home period of time is coming to an end in a few days. Sunday, we're off to the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) RV Rally in Indio. Our FMCA Golden Spike Chapter will be represented with about 20 RV's, and we're looking forward to seeing all of our pals.

Note: I wrote this post yesterday morning, but for some reason it got lost in cyberspace.

CHP MEMORIES

My recollection of this story goes back to the couple of years that I worked in the Santa Cruz Office, and it occurred in 1974. In trying to keep these memories in a yearly, chronological order, I knew there would be times when the remembrance of an incident would pop up, where I would have to go back to a point in time that I had already passed by. This is one of those times.

I was working the swing shift, and had cleared the scene of an injury accident that occurred in the southbound lanes of State Hwy 1. There were a couple of injured victims who were taken to Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, but before I followed up with their statements, I had the name of an individual who left his name & address with one of the other drivers. Apparently, this witness to the accident wasn't able, or didn't want to wait at the scene, but at least he left his name & number. I had the dispatcher call the phone number (no cell phones in those days), to see if this witness was available, and indeed he was. His address was only a few miles from where the accident occurred, so I drove there to get his statement.

The address was a two story apartment complex, and the witness's address was on the ground floor. As I approached the door, I noticed an adult German Shepherd dog nearby. When I knocked on the door, this dog came up beside me, and seemed quite friendly. As I waited for the door to be answered, I gave the dog a few pets on the head, and it was next to me when the witness opened the door. I don't remember the witness's name, but he was an older gentleman, and he wasn't surprised to see me. The dispatcher probably told him that I would be stopping by to get his statement.

After telling this witness why I was there, he invited me inside. As I entered the apartment, the dog came in with me, with nothing being said by the witness. I naturally assumed that the dog belonged to this individual, and it was simply going back inside where it lived. Nothing unusual up to this point, but it's what happened next that could be classified as a little bit on the strange side. This guy had his TV on, and on the coffee table in front of the couch, he had a McDonald's bag with a hamburger & fries that were only partially consumed. Before I could ask him what he saw, in regard to the accident, the dog went right up to the coffee table, and started to eat the hamburger. At this point, I'm thinking that this is definitely a little bit strange, especially when the guy just allows the dog to eat the rest of his hamburger, and doesn't say a word. A few seconds pass by before I couldn't help myself, and I had to ask the guy if his dog was always allowed to eat what looked like part of his meal?

At that point, the guy stood up and his words will be imprinted in my brain for eternity. He said "my dog, I thought it was your dog!" By then, the rest of the hamburger was gone, and the dog was working on the fries. In an instant, my thought that the dog belonged to the witness, and his thought that this was my police dog, changed in a heartbeat. When we were both on the same page that this dog didn't belong to either one of us, the door was reopened, and it went quietly back out into the night.

I couldn't help but ask why he didn't protest when the dog began his larcenous behavior. His reply was similar to what was going through my mind when the dog started to eat the hamburger. He was flabbergasted that I wasn't controlling what he thought was MY dog, as I was similarly amazed that HIS dog was allowed to eat the hamburger. For a few seconds, both of us were speechless while this dog dined on a golden arch meal.

After obtaining an eyewitness statement regarding the traffic accident, we both had a good laugh and bid each other a good evening. The chances of something like that happening again, have to be 1 in a bizillion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It's been awhile since I rang in the new year with party hats, libations, and loud music. Last night was no exception. I did make it past my normal bedtime of 9pm, but not by much.

We had a little party here at the house last night, but it didn't include any of the above, just a nice dinner, and good company with Ron & Judy Ellstrom, and Bob & Diana Rush. Patty fixed a chicken enchilada casserole with Spanish rice. Judy brought a delicious spinach dip in a bread bowl, and Diana fixed a salad, topping the meal off with my favorite, a home made cherry pie. A nice, simple meal with good friends, and good conversation to cap off the very end of 2011.

Today is the start of a brand new year, and my hope is that our family and circle of friends all have a great 2012. Happy New Year everybody!

GOODBYE 2011

The years continue to roll by, and this past year seems to have come and gone in a blur. 2011 was a year that we stayed closer to home, not traveling as many miles in our motor home, but were still able to experience many new things.

The biggest change for us was a summer of work at the Grand Canyon National Park. We hadn't taken seasonal jobs for 2 years, so there were mixed feelings as we parked the motor home at the south rim in mid May. My job as one of approx. 50 transit bus drivers for the free shuttle bus system at the park, turned out to be challenging but one that I'm looking forward to going back to this coming summer. Patty's job in the General store also turned out to have some challenges, as she had to learn a complicated point of sale computer program, and became a grocery checker for part of her work hours. The length of time for our jobs was just about right at approx. 3 1/2 months. All of our national parks are uniquely beautiful, and we've visited many of them. We both agreed that the Grand Canyon is something very special, and living there for the entire summer was an experience that we hope to repeat again in the future.

We planned and coordinated an RV rally in Carson City, NV. for our Golden Spike RV Chapter that we became a part of in 2010. The late September event came on the heels of our working summer at the Grand Canyon, and most everything went as planned. We all had a good time, with the central theme of the rally being a ride on the newly restored Virginia & Truckee tourist railroad.

We ended the year with a Cruise, where we were able to take 2 or our 3 boys and their families on a week long journey to the Western Caribbean. This family cruise has been in the works for a few years, and I think it's safe to say that we all had a great time. I'm sure there will be another family adventure, and we'll make sure that all the boys can make the adjustments in their work schedules for a future trip.

Tomorrow will start a brand new year, and our expectations for 2012 are as high as ever. Patty has become quite the world traveler in the last couple of years, having taken trips to China with her brother & to Greece with her son. Her brother Michael is taking her on a two week trip to Paris this coming May, as she continues to log many thousands of air miles. I love to travel, but not in cramped airplanes. Give me an open road, put me behind the wheel of the motor home, or behind the handlebars of the Harley, and I'm a happy camper.

Tonight, we have a few friends coming over for dinner, and a New Years Eve party. Since our drinking days are long gone, I suspect that this party will not end at midnight with the singing of Old Ange Zyne, but conversely, the end will be much earlier with a simple good night, and a happy new year.

HOME IN HAVASU

The drive from Tucson to Lake Havasu yesterday was pretty routine, and with a lot less traffic than when we drove to Tucson 2 days before Christmas. Marc stopped by the fairgrounds on his way to work, and it was nice to see him again before we left.

The distance from the Pima County Fairgrounds to our home is just under 350 miles, and it usually takes us the better part of a day to make the drive. Our only stop was at the ZIP travel center on Interstate 10 @ Vicksburg Rd. (Exit 45). The diesel prices all along I10 at the truck stops like Flying J & Pilot were $3.82 - $3.84 a gallon. At the ZIP (huge American Flag), it was $3.75 ($3.77 for trucks) and has been a regular stop for us, not only for diesel, but for propane. I suspect due to the low fuel prices, it's always a busy place, and a wait is sometimes necessary.

When we arrived back at the house, our routine of emptying the fridge, & unpacking everything else is a process that we have down to a science. In 30 minutes or so, all of the stuff that needs to come out of the motor home is in the house, and after a day behind the wheel, I was ready to catch up on some of the TV shows that had been recorded. What in the heck did we ever do without a DVR?

Patty has an appointment with the eye Doc today for her 1 week checkup. The redo of her right eye went well as far as the surgery, but the vision improvement is still questionable. As she puts it, "it may just be as good as it gets". It can take up to 3 weeks for the full effect of cataract surgery to be implemented, so perhaps there will still be improvement in the next couple of weeks.

A LAZY MORNING & 5 GUYS

Laila, Gracie, & Grandma spending part of the morning all cozy in the recliner.

Our Granddaughter Laila, spent the night with us in the motor home, and yesterday, when we were all up and moving, she found a spot in the recliner with Grandma. Gracie also decided that was a good place to be, so when she jumped into Patty's lap, it created a "Kodak moment". All 3 stayed in the recliner while Laila watched some cartoons, Grandma read her Kindle, and Gracie decided she would grace the two with her presence.

Meanwhile, behind the recliner, Grandpa worked on the blog, and did some other computer stuff. Yesterday was the 2nd day of the 12-5 Horse Camp, so we did the lazy thing in the morning, which included Laila's favorite breakfast of pancakes, with a piece of bacon. Around 11am, we left on the 20 mile drive to the ranch, arriving a little before noon.

Three lazy bums together in the recliner.

After dropping Laila at the camp, we decided to spend the afternoon doing some shopping in stores that we don't have in Lake Havasu. Lunch was the first order of business however, and we just happened to drive by a Five Guys Burgers. For a year or so, I've been hearing from friends that Five Guys has the best burgers, some even saying that they are better than IN N OUT. Well, here was the perfect opportunity to check these guys out for the first time, so in we went.

As we walked in the door, Patty remarked that I had on one of my IN N OUT T-shirts, and that I was suddenly the competition in enemy territory. Once we were inside this very crowded burger joint, I began to notice that a lot of folks were staring at me. When we were sitting down, a lady came up to us and said "do you know you have an IN N OUT shirt on"? I didn't say anything, and Patty politely said "yes, he knows that". What was next? People yelling at me, or perhaps even worse - a flying chair at this miscreant who had the audacity to wear the competition's shirt behind enemy lines!

While we ate, we both kept an eye out for any Five Guys radicals, who might have chosen to make an example out of an IN N OUT guy. We were able to eat our burgers without any insults, or french fries being thrown at us, but it was touch and go there for awhile. Seriously, the burgers were excellent, and this burger connoisseur now has a second best behind the undisputed king - IN N OUT. I'm sorry Wendy, you're burgers are now relegated to third place.

Here I am in Five Guys Burgers, with my IN N OUT shirt in plain sight. Notice the worried look on my face, as the hostility from the crowd is noticeable.

We escaped from Five Guys with our arms & limbs intact, and the rest of the afternoon was tension free. We picked up Laila at 5, and when we took her home, we discovered that Chandra was sick with a head cold. I guess better now, than a few days ago on the cruise. Marc took Laila & us out to dinner, and we brought back a take out for Chandra. We said our good byes, and this morning, we'll be driving back to Lake Havasu. Thanks kids for a wonderful Christmas Holiday!