11.23.19 ARIZONA YUMA BALLOON FESTIVAL

Four fifteen came much sooner than we wanted.  There was a definite chill in the air so we all dressed in jeans and sweatshirts and jackets too.

Soon after we arrived we figured out that we got here too early.  There wasn't a balloon to be seen!  We did see a couple of the trailers but they weren't even close to unloading.

We took notice of this really cool playground at the park where the mass ascension was to take place.

Wait for it....wait for it....

Walt is always a good sport when I want to take silly pictures.

The sun is finally starting to peak through.

 Balloons are finally starting to be inflated.

We started hearing rumblings that they may not take off.  Seems the winds are too strong up higher.  What a disappointment!

And then another started to inflate,,,,maybe it will be a go after all.

Nope, not gonna happen.  Its just too windy.

The Wells Fargo stagecoach did inflate but it didn't go anywhere.

Me, Walt and Shelly.

The crowd started leaving once the official word was given that they weren't flying.  We went for a ride around Yuma.

The River Walk.

This is Southern Pacific Engine 2521

1907 -1957

In its lifetime this engine logged 2.5 million miles hauling passengers and freight through the southern states.  It was a main-line hauler through Yuma for more than 40 years before it was replaced with a modern diesel engine.  The Southern Pacific Railroad donated the engine to the city of Yuma in 1957.

Late morning found me and Walt taking a jaunt into Mexico.  You know, your typical drug run.  Drugs for gout.  Drugs for blood pressure.  

We wandered up and down  the few safe streets where are all the shops are.

We bought a really pretty flower pot for only $10.00.

Further down the street we stopped in another store, an actual store, and bought this cross.  It price started at $30 and we paid $15.  This is made from a Teddy Bear Cholla and twine.

A view of the street.

The Pharmacy.

We had to wait in line for about a half hour to enter the States again.  It seemed no one was returning to the USA  empty handed.  We saw a LOT of pharmacy bags.

We spent the afternoon back at Bobby and Shelly's.  The Moon Glow is tonight and we're going to that.  Bobby and Shelly decided at the last minute that they were going to stay home so just the two of us went.

I'll tell ya up front.  It was a bust.  The wind was just slightly too much and the balloons had a hard time getting inflated.

We have decided that we are going to seriously think of going to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque next October.  

It was one busy day!

11.22.19 Arizona Yuma

Today the Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival starts.  This is why we're here.  This morning is a mass ascension but Walt and I  chose not to attend this one for two reasons.  First and foremost Shelly had to work today and couldn't go with us and secondly, we both knew we would never get up at the crack of dawn to go.

So we had a good day visiting with Bobby.  Walt also puttered around the camper and Boss had a great time exploring the yard.

When Shelly got home we set our plans for tomorrow morning.  We're getting up at 4:15 a.m.!  I can't remember the last time I got up at this hour ON PURPOSE!

Needless to say it was an early night!

11.21.19 ARIZONA APACHE JUNCTION / YUMA

WHAT A NIGHT!   Strong winds, very strong winds!  RAIN!  We're talking torrential downpour, raining cats and dogs, a deluge!  Let's not leave out the thunder and lightning that kept waking us up.  The camper was definitely rockin' and rollin' with the wind.  None of us got much sleep and I for one can pretty much sleep through anything.  Not this night.

Lucky for us when we got home yesterday there was a break in the rain and Walt was able to get outside and get as much as he possibly could get done in getting us ready to roll this morning.

We pulled out of Lost Dutchman State Park around 9:30 and  this is how our day started.

 We had quite a drive to Yuma, a little over 200 miles and we knew we wouldn't get there until mid to late afternoon depending on traffic, wind and how many stops we made along the way.

We pulled into Bobby and Shelly's around three.  For those of you who didn't spend the summer in Juniper Ridge, Bobby and Shelly are former Delawareans too.  I met these two back in '05.  We met in an RV forum and then we met them at the beach one weekend when we were down.  Another couple we had met camping were also there and the six of discussed full time RV'ing over dinner.    As it turned out Bobby and Shelly were the first ones on the road.  This past summer they were in Juniper Ridge, right around the corner from our place.

They have a small home in Yuma and full hookups for their RV'ing friends.

See that brick fence?  Not once did Boss even attempt to jump over it and it certainly would have easy enough for him to do so.  Because he didn't, he had the run of the yard which he absolutely loved!

I took this picture, well, because I could.

After visiting with our hosts after dinner we called it an early night because of lack of sleep the night before  and the long haul today.  

It feels good to be back in shorts and tees and flip flops!

11.20.19 ARIZONA A Long Overdue Visit

We were up and early this morning as Walt had a doctor's appointment at nine.  His appointment went well and luckily the doctor's office had the form we needed in house.  That saved us a bunch of time!

From Chandler we headed towards Casa Grande.  I've seen what I'm about to tell you about dozens of times, yet every time we pass this way I look for it.

This "space capsule" caused quite a stir back in February of 2017.  Many calls were placed with 911 about the space capsule, complete with parachute, that motorists on Interstate 10 saw on their morning commute.  Fear not!  We weren't invaded by aliens in this space craft.  In fact, its not a space craft at all but is a cement mixer painted to resemble a space craft.  Its art!  It was placed here by the artist with the farmer's permission.

We found the address we were looking for and I couldn't wait to knock on the door.  You see, I'm re-connecting with a dear friend that I haven't talked with in about two and half years.  The reason why doesn't matter, what matters is that we're both on the same page now and its all good.  

Me and Bonnie.  Friends again.

We bought a Traeger grill from Bonnie and we're here to pick it up and have a nice visit with my friend.  I've missed her....a lot!  She even got to meet Boss.

They haven't had any rain yet but it looked like they could at any time so it was time to move on.

Of course on the way back to Apache Junction we ran into rain and wind.

10.19.20 ARIZONA More Errands

We were up bright and early this morning.  I don't know why, we just lazed around and watched TV.

Around eleven we decided we had better get this day started.  First stop, Lenscrafters so that I can get the sunglasses I bought in September adjusted so that I can wear them.  And also to get the glasses I sat on fixed.  We were in and out in no time at all.  Glasses fixed and adjusted.

Since we were in a mall I was able to pick up another Christmas gift.  A few more things and I'm done!

Next stop was Walmart.  Had to pick up some black tank deodorizer and that's all I have to say about that!  We also picked up some flannel shirts for Walt.  "George" brand flannels were on sale for $5!  We picked up four.  That knocks flannel shirts off my Christmas shopping list.

We were supposed to pick up a form from Motor Vehicle to take to Walt's doctor appointment.  Well, that didn't happen.  We forgot.

A few other stops for nit picky things and we headed back to the campground.  It was getting cloudy and we wanted to get home to be able to walk Boss before the sky opened up.

11/18.19 ARIZONA Trip to the Valley

We are back on the road!  Only for a week this time though.

The first part of the trip takes us to Apache Junction to our favorite campground in this area.

This is why we like this campground so much.  The view is outstanding.

We have several reasons to come to the valley this week.  One of the most important was to deliver a fishing pole.  This pole was custom made for Walt's brother Doug and was given to a close friend of this brother when he passed on.  When we were in Delaware recently we picked up the pole because this fellow had passed on also and his family wanted this pole to go back to the family.  So we picked it up and wrestled with this 12 foot pole that doesn't break down into shorter pieces.  Trying to find a place to keep it while traveling and then living in the camper with it was a true pain in the butt but this pole means a lot to Walt's nephew so we did what we had to do.  SO,,, we get to the campground and I hear,,,,well, what I heard wasn't important and not printable here,,,,Walt forgot the fishing pole at home.

Now when we left Show Low this morning it was a nice day.  A very nice day.  It was nice when we got to Apache Junction.  We got set up in our site and we then took off to go visit some friends, Jen and Glenn as we were invited for a lasagna dinner.  Jen made a delicious meal for us!    Many thanks Jen!  

After  a fun time with Jen & Glenn we headed home to the camper.  A busy day to be sure.

WELCOME

Welcome!

I'm going to keep a journal of our journey's right here on this blog.  Feel free to follow along.  As many of you know, I wrote a (nearly) daily blog for 10 years when I was a full-time RV'er.  

If you are new here and would like to start at the beginning scroll down to Blog Archive and click on September.  Scroll down to the bottom and click on the last one.  When you've finished reading remember the date you left off on so you know where to pick up.

Feel free to leave comments.  I hope you'll click follow.

Snookie

MONDAY 11.18.19 ARIZONA APACHE jUNCTION

We're back on the road!  Only for a week this time.  

This journey first takes us to Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction.  We'll be here three nights before we move to the next location.

After getting set up we went to friends Jen & Glenn's home for dinner.  It's always a good time catching up with good friends.

We've got two busy days ahead of us.

WEDNESDAY 10.30.19 NEW MEXICO / ARIZONA

In a word, today was terrifying. There is just no other way to put it.

We knew we had a long haul today because we wanted to make it home even though we had a little over 400 miles to go. When towing, 400 miles is a lot, at least for us.

We were up early since we had so far to go. I started getting the inside ready for travel and Walt started on the outside. In just a few minutes he was back in. He informed me that the truck and trailer were covered in ice and that it was only 22 degrees outside. This is not good. Still, he was determined we were going. I had second thoughts but kept them to myself. I won't do that again!

As we made it to the main road we hit a few patches of black ice but we could see the Interstate and it was moving fast. Great, lets hit the road!

We weren't on I-40 too long before we saw a tractor trailer overturned.. Hmmmmm,,,,this isn't good. A very few miles more and we saw another one jack knifed, We were hitting patches here and there so Walt slowed way down. Further down the road we started seeing tractor trailer after tractor trailer either jack knifed or turned over on it side. By this point I'm a nervous wreck.

At one point we pulled off the side of the road to give Walt's white knuckles a rest. It was scary just being on the side of the Interstate because we never knew if a tractor trailer would slide into us. 

After awhile traffic started moving again, slowly, but moving. Walt got out and walked across the lanes of I-40 and where we were the road was dry. Just a ways down the road and it was really icy so I begged him to get us off the road. We pulled into an abandoned gas station with 15 other truckers parked all around us. When they started moving out, so did we. 

About 15 miles down the road we were at a standstill. Traffic was backed up for miles but we didn't know why. Finally a tractor trailer pulled up beside us and he had his window down. I asked him if knew what was going on. Having a CB he was in touch with truckers up ahead. There was an accident involving three tractor trailers and they were turned over on the road. All I could do was sit in the passenger seat and cry. I know that didn't help Walt at all but I was scared to death. All in all we saw about 40 - 50 tractor trailers either jack knifed or turned on their sides. Several demolished their trailers and their loads were all over the place.

We kept going at a steady pace finally and watched the temperature rise slowly. Very. Slowly.  Out of the ice and bitter coldness we were making headway.

 The Welcome to Arizona sign never looked so good! I even got in about an hour and half of driving time....on completely dry roads of course.

We made it home after being on the road for 9 hours. It was a long day to say the least. We took only what we needed out of the trailer to get us through the night.

If felt good to be back in our bed again!

So the trip was a huge success! We had a great time, got to see family and friends and had experiences we'll never, ever forget.

We hope you enjoyed the journey.

SUNDAY 10,27 - 29.19 OKLAHOMA / NEW MEXICO

Today is very special day. We are going to see someone very special to me. And now to US. And especially to Boss!

We are headed to Norman, Ok to see LaVon. I met LaVon in 2008 when she and her husband Don were the chaplains for the park we were in near Casa Grande, AZ. We were parked side by side and LaVon and I hit it right off. Instant friends and we've never lost touch.

Last year on our way east we stopped and met Don & LaVon for breakfast. They met Boss at that time too. It was always fun during these years when I would talk on the phone with LaVon because I could always get her laughing really hard and Don would look at her and say, "You're talking to Snookie aren't you?" He knew every time. Sadly, Don passed on 11 months ago. I certainly felt his absence.

So we stayed from Sunday to Tuesday morning and we had a blast! We talked and laughed and we ate very well. She had a pot roast in the crock pot and her lovely home smelled wonderful when we first walked in.

We were able to meet two of her grandchildren. Names I've known for years and now I could finally put a face to the names. Not that I haven't watched them grow up to be young adults through pictures.

LaVon fell in love with Boss and Boss fell in love with LaVon. Simple as that. If LaVon moved to another room, Boss followed. He sat or laid by HER chair. She pet for him hours on end which made for a very happy Boss.

Walt fell in love with LaVon and LaVon fell in love with Walt. It was like they had known each other for years. This trio had a wonderful visit!

What made this visit especially nice is the fact that we had been to the Creation Museum and we had questions. LaVon can explain things in the Bible like no one I know. I've called her many times over the years with questions and she's always given me satisfactory answers in a way that I understood. I am so thankful for her.

Monday night I kicked LaVon out of the kitchen and I made dinner for all of us. Shrimp, kielbasa and green beans and Old Bay and garlic mashed potatoes. She enjoyed it very much and that made my heart happy.

Tuesday morning came much too soon. We did some picture taking because with me and LaVon, well that is just a must!  Now Lavon is pretty tall, unlike me and Walt.  We always have a laugh in the difference in height between the two of us.

When it was time for her and Walt to get their picture LaVon remarked that may she should pick Walt up....so she did!

After tearful so longs, we hit the road and there's bad weather ahead.

We drove till we got to Tucumcari, New Mexico. We stayed at the Elks Lodge there and they aren't open on Tuesday's. There was already a motor home there and the fellow came over and asked if we knew how to pay since there wasn't anyone in the Lodge and there wasn't a drop box. Another free night of camping I guess.

Before we closed the door for the final time that evening it had started raining lightly and it was COLD outside.

SATURDAY 10,25.19 ARKANSAS / OKLAHOMA

We had an easy run today. Only three hours to Checotah, OK. We stayed at another Corp of Engineer Park, again on a lake. I think COE parks have a requirement of water like KOA's have the train tracks. We'll take a COE park any day!

When I called to see if there were any openings the lady assured me there were plenty available. She asked if we wanted to make a reservation and I declined since it was such a short run for us and maybe we would decide to go further after all. She said that was fine and if the campground office wasn't open we could pay the fee to the camp host.

We got in early afternoon and had our pick of spots. We got all settled and found that the camp host wasn't there. 

Another camper stopped by to admire Boss and told us they were gone for a few hours but would be back and would stop by our site.

A site, one down and across the street will be in this park for two weeks. They are new to full timing in their RV and had lots of questions after learning I was a full timer for 10 years.

Back at home Walt was outside and took notice that the guy moved his truck. Not far, just a truck's length deeper into his site. A few minutes later we heard this loud crack and two large limbs fell off the tree and the limbs landed right where his truck was. Of course we went over and he said when he went in he heard the cracking noise and thought it would be better if moved his vehicle. He did just in the nick of time. He cut the tree limbs with a hack saw, since the camp hosts were off site and he didn't have access to their chain saw, so he made do.

We didn't have cable at this site and only a few TV channels by antenna so we played a game and called it an early night.

We never did see the camp host and the office wasn't open at 7:30 so we figured this was just a free night of camping.