March 18, 2009 Almost Over..

We have been down here in Indio almost three weeks and time sure has flown by. I have been negligent on the blog but I do have a good excuse.. for the last week the allergies hit and oh my, I am not a happy camper. Finally easing up and able to enjoy the last couple of days. Believe it or not, I was not even in the mood to shop.... The weather has gotten warmer and of course Ed has gotten his pool time in and 101 miles on the bike so he is happy. He also has his summer tan off to a good start. We did get to the driving range one day and I have concluded I need lessons badly. Hopefully when we are back down here I can get some lessons in.

I mentioned on my last entry that we were in a business deal down here. After visiting this resort for the last five years, we bought a lot in the Signature Resort Motorcoach Country Club. Because Monaco filed bankruptcy and had about 12 lots left, the price was reduced enough to be a good investment. It is what they call a water lot meaning we are on the water rather than a golf course lot or privacy lot. We should close on the deal in the next week but we do have possession of the property. We have a Casita... some have suggested we downsize our living quarters so from 5200 square feet to 117 square feet would be downsizing ? We are not giving up the house though... The Casita is pretty nice, it has a washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave and bathroom, some storage. We do have one minor problem.. trying to convince Ed it is a Casita and not "The Tough Shed"

This is the Yacht Club that is across from our lot. We have a dock, not sure what we will do with it yet but electric boats are allowed on the waterways.

This is our Palm Tree and flowers in front of the coach.


This is view from our lot.

Looking from the street onto the lot.

We will be driving the smartcar home, leaving the coach as we should be back in a month or so. I am now trying to figure out how I am going to get the clothes I need to take home and two laptops plus all the little stuff that must go home... should be an interesting trip..

Thanks to Sue and Gary for many answers to questions and hope to see you soon.

Time Slips Away March 11,2009

So much for keeping up with the blog everyday. We have had a great week since my last post. Last Wednesday we went to Palm Springs to get tickets for the Follies, the matinee was just about to start and two gentlemen were outside selling tickets. They were with an RV group from the San Diego area and we got a bargain $80.00 tickets for $25.00. We sat with this group and a lively bunch they were. If you have not seen this show, it is a must do if in the Palm Springs area.

Thursday and Friday cooled down here in the desert and that gave time for Ed to get over the sunburn. He is now patiently waiting for it to warm up enough to go back to the pool.

Saturday we went to the Craft Fair in Palm Desert, Ed was a good sport walking around as this is not his thing. We picked up a few items and then headed to the airport. There was a tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces and an air show which of course Ed did enjoy. Here again is a neat place to visit in this area. The air museum is very nice and quite a few planes to see. The volunteers are extremely nice and ever so helpful.

Last night we had dinner with John and family at an Italian restaurant in Palm Desert. Have known this guy since he was a year old and now a family of his own. He is in a blended family and ten kids between them, some are grown but the ones still at home range from five years to eighteen years.

These ducks would show up every morning and take a swim in the neighbors pool.

Ominous sky

We are in the middle of a business deal down here and there will be more on that later. For our friends still traveling, drive safe and for those at home, we will see you soon.

Ed is Red March 3, 2009

Good evening,

We have been here two full days and really not a whole lot going on. Relaxing is the main objective right now. Ed made his way to the pool the last two days and now we can call him RED. I mentioned yesterday, Ed you are getting red, response was I always get a little red.. hmmm crispy critter comes to mind. He is glowing. I think our pool time will be on hold for a couple of days. The weather will be changing with cooler temps and wind. The YELLOW TEAM arrived today and now the rig and smart car are nice and clean. The price was considerably lower than last year.

How many does it take to wash a SmartCar?

Ed checking the rig and approves.

Just talked to Butch and Betty and they are not planning to go home via Indio, however they were not going to stay in Arizona this long either so all travel is subject to change. They have seen Mike and Claudia in Mesa and reports they are very happy working and playing down there.

A couple of view out our front window.

Road Runners are playing outside our rig

I understand it is storming back home, guess all we had to do was leave to get the much needed rain. The gal that is taking care of our house is giving us updates on the rainfall.. 14.72 inches and still raining..

Indio California March 1, 2009

We left Orange Grove RV Park about 9:30 am, drove to 4 Corners, all the RV folks we travel with know 4 Corners, and had breakfast there. I took over driving for the next hour and got 68 miles in today. We drove a total of 247 miles in about five hours with time out for breakfast. When the road started to get narrower and narrower and curvy, I decided I should go back to reading my book and let Ed take back the wheel. The spot we are in this visit is not as nice as the last one, the view is not as spectacular and we are further from the pool. It is nice though and I am sure we will enjoy it. We got about a half hour bike ride in after getting set up.

Sue stopped by and said hello with a mutual friend of Pat and Jane Ellis.
We ran into Gary later in the afternoon on our bike ride. The weather is gorgeous and 87 degrees when we arrived. It is suppose to stay nice until Wednesday when it will cool down a bit. We are looking forward to visiting with friends we have down here, enjoy the pool and maybe get some time at the driving range.

Navigation system is cool has four screens so I can see the left side, right side and the rear with the tow car and the navigation system. It is great when we finally read the manual.

This is our spot in Indio, it was getting late when I took pictures and will have better ones during the week.

I have more pictures but the connection is not allowing me to upload them tonight.. So until tomorrow............

Back On the Road Again February 28, 2009

On the road again.. February 28, 2009

We are On The Road Again, and it feels so nice. Looking forward to several weeks of relaxation, sun, maybe a bit of pool time and hit some golf balls. This was our first trip towing the SmartCar and made it to Bakersfield without any incidents. And YES, Ed did drive the speed limit the entire way. ALL the way…. Yes he did. I did not get any driving time today, . Since we have a vehicle now, we went to Buck Owens Silver Palace for dinner, excellent food and oh my gosh one meal is enough to feed a family of four. There were two bands playing also and both very good. We really enjoyed the dinner and the show and recommend it to anyone passing through Bakersfield.

Talked to Rosie and Mike today, and we missed them in Indio by one day. DARN IT!!! Should have called yesterday and they could have stayed another day or so. Going to call Butch and Betty to see if we can catch up with them on this trip.;

I did not get any pictures today but will post some tomorrow.
Until tomorrow…. Goodnight!

The Furbabies

February 7, 2009

As we travel I adopt the dogs and even sometimes cats that travel with us on the road. When we leave, the three kitties we have at home are very well taken care of by a good friend who takes care of our place. We have Dufus, Louie and Floozie. All I can say is I am thankful Ed never had kids of his own, no telling what they would be called. Dufus is the oldest and we got her and Ufus (since passed) from the grandkids who were hysterical that mommy and daddy were sending the kittens to the pound. They know a softie when they see one. Louie we acquired from a neighbor in Elk Grove, he was the last one left so here ya see a pattern? SOFTIE? Louie was pretty cool, he would even go in the pool with us and was such a loving little devil until I took him to the vet for "the big operation" Good Grief, ever since then and that has been about seven years, I cannot catch the little devil anymore. I mean come on, it has been seven years so get over it!!! I did catch him when he was injured last month and got him to the vet, he even stayed in the house for a week and he is like a baby once you catch him, lays in your arms... but as soon as he hits the great outdoors.. he is gone in a flash. Then I got the bright idea that we needed a couple of barn kitties, the ones that hunt and keep creatures away from the house, the ones you don't get attached too? Yeah right... we picked up Orkle and Floozie... again Ed named the cats, just before a month long trip to Oregon, turns out they are the friendliest kitties we ever had and so sweet. What do we do? Can't leave the cats after a week and take off for a month. They both went to the Jackson Pet Bed and Breakfast Resort. Barn kitties? Pet Resort? Oh well... Orkle passed away last May, not sure why but we do miss the little guy. I am sure ya'll are just so thrilled about reading this stuff but I need to keep the blog up with something!!! So that is the story of my three spoiled kitties, they do live outside but they do have a cat castle and in the winter when it is really cold, a heat lamp... Oh the life........

Dufus

Floozie

Louie

What they do best!

Contessa and the Orphan

February 7, 2009


We are making progress, today we hooked up the Orphan and checked the lights and connections. We did not take it for a test drive because now we are getting another hitch thing so we can take the bikes. I am getting excited and think we will be on the road in about three weeks!!!! First stop, Orange Grove, is there any other place? We are planning on staying in Indio for about two weeks then either head for Arizona or Chula Vista.



Contessa and the Orphan







We ordered new bikes last year and was to get smaller tires for my bike since I am vertically challenged. The fella in Santa Cruz where we purchased the bikes was to bring the tires and other items up after our Mount Rushmore trip. Several calls were made and ignored and I finally got a hold of him today. He claims he shipped the items and I insisted they be delivered ASAP. He said he would deliver them Monday evening or Tuesday since he does reside in Jackson. I sure hope this guy comes through and we don't have to take legal action. Seems it is difficult to trust merchants these days.



We hope to meet up with some of our travelers from Amador County. I will make some calls as soon as we know the plans in cement rather than jello.

Until next time........

Finally Made It

Friday January 16, 2009



Just a quick note to the Mount Rushmore Travel Group!!! WE finally made it. The photo I sent to the Ledger last October finally hit the Ledger today!! Ed is not in the picture darn it, he was taking the picture. Check out the paper and a note to Butch, Betty and Len and Paula, I have picked up an issue for each of you.. Anyone else traveling and need a copy let me know..

The caption in the Ledger.

The Ledger Dispatch travels across country to Mount Rushmore with Sons In Retirment Branch 15 RV group.

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Sunday January 11, 2009

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Where did the time go? My last entry was almost three months ago, so much of keeping the blog up every month. I will try and do better. Just a brief recap of what has been going on the last three months.

November and Thanksgiving. I was busy with catching up on my social obligations. I have missed my two Bunco groups and lunches with the gals. Had some doctor and dentist appointments as usual. Sandy and I attended the Harvest Festival as we do every year. Such a neat craft fair and been a tradition for quite a few years.

Thanksgiving was a nice day with Daughter and family, Daughters Mother in Law Georgia visiting from Salinas Calif. The kids were on the WII as soon as they hit the door, the BIG kids. Son in law must wipe out all our scores on the Wii Fit... he does look silly with the hoola hoop which had daughter and me laughing so hard. Their Christmas gift was the Wii and Wii fit and I have heard of very late nights with the two of them challenging and trying to be in first place. I think the granddaughters will eventually wipe out their scores.

Ed has been busy on the newly acquired property next door. He is building roads and clearing out flat spots and just enjoying his Big Toys. We had the house painted inside and out and working on the rest at a slower pace. Going to be a project for 2009.

Ed as usual on the tractor

December and the Holiday madness. I was so proud to have most of my shopping done by December 15th. What a relief it was not to have to deal with the crowds, although the shops were not as bad this year. Having a clue what I was buying earlier rather than later was a huge PLUS!!! The second weekend of December, Sandy, Shirley, Robin and I attended the annual Bus trip to San Francisco, sponsored by Pioneer Travel in Pine Grove. This is such a fun trip, it started out as a shopping to the big city a few years back with one bus, over time added another bus and made it a weekend trip, this year there were three busses. Mostly women but a few brave men went along. We arrive in San Francisco about 11:30 am and stay at the Handerly Hotel near Union Square. Sharon our travel agent is awesome and books plays and an amazing brunch at the famous Cliff House for those that want to participate. We attended one play a nice dinner but forgo the Brunch this year. We had serious retail therapy to do in the city. There is a pub O’Doul’s right next to the hotel that many of the gals have a good time singing and dancing at the piano bar. We have been known to close the place down.

Union Square Chrstmas Tree

Christmas Eve was spent at Daughter’s home with several of their friends. A great dinner and lots of laughs, a good time had by all.

Christmas Day, dinner at my house, Daughter and family, Georgia and Ed’s best friend Frank from Napa were here. We were all tired of the traditional turkey or ham for Christmas I jokingly said; maybe I should cook a pot roast. Ed was right on it and said YES!!! Great idea, little prep and I was able to enjoy the family a bit more. Son was not able to attend because of work, but we celebrated the Saturday before with his kids. Was a great day.
New Years Eve, we had dinner at the Twisted Fork in Ione, one of the best restaurants to hit Amador County. Bev and George were unable to attend because they got the nasty cold we have all suffered, however Ed and Dorothy, Arnie and Marilyn, Ed and I enjoyed a great meal. We will have another celebration as soon as everyone is over the nasty cold and healthy.

Christmas tree

Steve and family




The Granddaughters

We do have a new addition to our RV traveling. We have an orphan, a Smartfor2car that we plan on towing with the RV. It is referred to as an orphan because someone ordered the car and for some reason did not take delivery. The dealership sends out a notice for those of us on a waiting list. The car was close enough to what we would have ordered that we took possession in late October. We are waiting for one more part of the tow package and hopefully be on the road end of February, beginning of March.

The orphan

That’s about it in a nutshell for the last three months. I will be updating a bit more often and of course daily once we are on the road again. Wishing everyone a wonderful and Happy New Year.

Catch Up Time October 15, 2008

We have been home over two weeks and ever so busy. Ed hit the ground running and has not stopped since. We have been to Napa twice so far and all seems well over there. The Elk Grove house is still on the market not one offer... I think we are taking it off the market next month and wait until next Spring.

I have been busy with doctor appointments, I think I am going to make my detectable this year. Good grief, out of five doctors, not a one can figure out what is wrong with my foot.. I think I may take up holistic healing soon!!

Last weekend, our group that went on the Mount Rushmore trip, got together for a great evening potluck. It was hosted by Leonard and Paula, thank you both for having us all over. It was great to see everyone and hope we can get together for the holidays. Our group camp outs are over for the year... Heyyyyyy Butch, what time we leaving?? Hope you are have a great time in New Mexico and having great golf games. Leonard and Paula are heading back to Arizona for the winter, safe travels my friends!!!

This last Monday, daughter Denise and I spent the day together, we stimulated the economy at Chico's our favorite clothing store. Denise drove me out to Roseville to the new shopping complex, called The Fountains! It is so pretty out there and the fountain dances to music, a small scale of the Fountain show at The Belagio in Las Vegas. They have plenty of places to sit and relax at this outdoor center and very nicely done. Had a great time a mommie and daughter day!!

Over the weekend, spent Saturday with my son Steve and a few hours with his kids. I have not seen them in a while and the oldest Jessica is taller than I, (I know not much of a challenge) Wyatt is getting so big and Baylee is active as ever.

Last night Ed and I, Sandy and Vern, Shirley and Bill who were across the arena from us the people around us thought I may have had one too many adult beverages.. but Shirley and Bill did see me!!! OH, we went to the Celine Dion concert. WHAT an AMAZING show. She is dynamic as always and just love her performances. This is the third time Ed and I have seen her show, way back when in San Jose, saw the Vegas show and then last night. It was a great evening even if we did get home after midnight.

I will be updating the blog with non camping posts from time to time, until we get back out on the road again. We are hoping to go to the Oregon Coast this Fall but with so many appointments and a few prior commitments it is getting iffy at best. It is also difficult to get Ed off the tractor .. We have a new project, the ten acres we acquired next to us and Ed is busy as ever.


Hope everyone is well... safe travels for those still out there on the road .......... Hugggs


Home Sweet Home

Ed on the tractor



Brother Tom and I on our birthday last August

Grandaughter and Date for Prom