Because We Can

With John and Judy leaving this morning it was a time for saying goodbye, but also a time for exchanging books. It was after they were gone that Linda said to me, "You know that Bill Bryson book?" "Yes, it was really good" I replied. "Well, you're going to laugh at me just as you did reading that book." I was puzzled by her comment, and started to say something when she continued, "I thought those were coffee stains on the front where I'd spilled coffee on it. I was trying to scrub them off when I realized it was a design on the cover." I laughed with her and told her that was really funny. You can bet it was another of those times when I sure wasn't going to tell her what I was thinking. A few days ago we added the replacement ghost shrimp to the aquarium in hopes of controlling an algae outbreak on the leaves of the two plants. Those shrimp may not be perfect eating machines, but they are certainly beginning to clean thin...

It's not really what it appears to be, though it sure looks like it. I'd talked to Don at All Seasons the other day about our refrigerator problem, and he said he would be out our way in a couple of days and would stop by. Turned to he was already working on a coach a few spots from us, and stopped in on a trip to that coach. He took a quick look, asked a couple of questions, and in the end we ended up with some free advice. Need to connect to a direct 12 volt source when it goes out, like the coach battery to eliminate the cause being RF interference, if it still doesn't work the board is the cause, and we should get a Dinosaur Board to replace it. We can do that ourselves, just be careful when installing it. The frig has worked like a charm since we arrived, so we will take that advice and try to stay out of cold weather for now. Superstition Mountain rises up in front of us, and as the sun sets it turns red. Temperatures in the 70's and scenery like this, wha...

What a beautiful day, and the beautiful woman in the photo only serves to make it more so, proving I truly am one lucky man. Canyon Vistas is a fairly large place, with around 600 sites, and Linda was anxious to know just what the distance around the perimeter of the park was. So before we left the coach to head out, she showed me she was wearing her pedometer. Some time later, after circumnavigating the place, it was determined we had walked one and an eighth miles. I suspect if we walked every street in the park it would be approaching two miles, though something tells me that an expedition such as that is unlikely to happen if Linda was to be part of it. Glad she has some common sense to make up for me. We are in a little appendage of the park known as the short term area. There are 37 sites, five of which are occupied. We like this park because it is only 15 minutes or so to some major shopping, yet it is on the very outside edge of Phoenix metro area, plus it is Passport A...

The box of Christmas presents was at the post office this morning, and as quick as we could, we packed up and headed to warmer weather. Our destination being Canyon Vistas in Gold Canyon, AZ, a park we have stayed at several times in the past, and where the weather is warmer. As always, the Border Patrol checkpoint on Hwy 11 a few miles north of town was our first stop, and with no traffic, the agents asked a number of questions about the fulltime lifestyle. As I've said before, I don't envy their job, standing along a lonely stretch of highway on a cold, windy day, but they have an important job to do. Linda always gets nervous when she sees signs like this. I think it has something to with that incident in Mississippi this spring with the MotoSat. And of course our route was taking us under that bridge. Looking over at her, I could see Linda was very tightly holding her seat securely in place, something only someone as brainy as she is would think to do at times like ...

When you are in Columbus, New Mexico on the day after Christmas, the day all the big box stores advertise their super special sales, what do you do when there are no stores? You go down to Palomas and enjoy the wonders of The Pink Store . It is the place to go when you are are here, great food, great people, great shopping and great services. Park in a nice lot on the American side, walk across, one block down on the left side of the main street. Enjoy margarita's and lunch, buy a few things, walk back across the border and five minutes later you are home. Life is good. We were there with Lew and Helen who have an RV lot in Columbus and had found the Daily Journal. We had a great time visiting, great food and fun shopping afterward, picking up a few Mexican specialties and having a great time. If our box is at the Post Office tomorrow we will be off to the Phoenix area. If not, we know the secret to the Notcold Norcold, so another day in Columbus is no problem. Sometimes Li...

It was a cold morning, the overnight low being in the mid teens, with the thermometer showing 18 when I first looked at it this morning. Later, after it had warmed up considerably, Linda came out announcing it was so cold in the bathroom there was ice on the window frame, and she had a photo to prove it. Just so everyone will know what she exposed herself to during her early morning duties, here it is. At least she didn't have to have me come back and pour water on the toilet seat to get her unfrozen. Now that would really have been an experience and a half, none of which could ever be talked about. If I talk about her, I'd better balance it out by pointing out that as far as I was concerned, it was also cold. But where there's a will, there's a way, and a few minutes in front of our heater does wonders. I usually don't heat my clothes, just my razor, but since it was Christmas, I though I would treat myself. Actually it wasn't bad at all in the front ha...

It was a good morning today, as we were greeted with snow and sunshine this morning. While it looked similar to yesterday, fortunately it was not causing any of the problems with travel that yesterdays storm had brought. Also the temperatures had only dipped into the upper 20's, and the sun quickly melted much of the snow. About 10:30 Linda headed off to the post office, a three minute drive, to see if the box of presents had arrived. Or at least I thought she had left, but as I sat at my computer I caught a glimpse of a wildly waving arm. Looking up, I saw a snowball heading directly for me and I instinctively ducked. It splatted against the window in direct line with where my face had been a split second ago. Then I watched in wonder as she reached down, scooped up some more snow and fired another one right at where my head was now located. As she raised both arms over head in triumph and walked towards the car I realized that all that softball talent our granddaughters h...

This is what greeted us this morning, a beautiful snowy landscape. The storm had come through during the night and we were actually on the southern edge of it. Interstate 10 across much of New Mexico was closed due to snow and ice, but we weren't going anywhere, so it was of no consequence to us. That meant we had time to enjoy the snow covered Sotol outside the coach. Then we discovered we weren't the only ones looking at that Sotol. Out in the expanse of snow Linda caught sight of a jack rabbit wandering around, and as she reached for her camera, it started making a rabbit line to our Sotol. She caught it in mid hop just before it ducked under cover. It must have been a case of any port in a storm because that rabbit stayed safely tucked under the Sotol until I later ventured outside, at which time he took off like the proverbial scared rabbit. What a beautiful sight, at least when you look at someone's blog and see a scene like this. It hasn't been very ...

No, it's not what it seems though we were doing something else to the refrigerator. Now that it is working like it should we were getting water in the produce keeper. Checking, the tray below the fins, we could see it was full of water, meaning the drain tube was not draining. Linda got a pin, and when I used it to clean the black thing at the end of the tube, water immediately started dripping out. I put it back into the little black pan by the burner tube, and checking it a while later found the pan almost full. Using a rag to sop up the water it was soon empty, a task that need to be repeated once again. The weather forecast for the next several days is for a severe winter storm, with temperatures plummeting into the low teens and daytime highs below or at freezing. The last time we turned on the heater for the wet bay, the small 12 volt DC heater that keeps our water lines from freezing, the pilot lights hadn't come on, but I ascribed that to the fact the pilot ligh...

Yes, it's what it looks like. This is definitely not good. Think of the car along the road, the hood up and some poor unfortunate person peering under that hood, as if looking at it could solve what ever the problem is. One thing for sure, our refrigerator wasn't working, but then again, that was nothing new. Backing up a bit, she who sleeps past dawn was heard to be moving about in the back, I ground her coffee beans and started to brew a pot. Thinking good thoughts, I proceeded to begin fixing breakfast only to brought up short when I opened the refrigerator to find it dark inside. A glance at the controls confirmed it was once again not working, a not so surprising event given the way it has performed the past few months, but still it was, shall I say, disconcerting. Eager to share the news with her royal highness, I opened the sliding door and approaching her as she perch on the throne, blurted out, "The frig isn't working again." I have no recollection...