Saying See You Later, Getting More Supplies, Back to Blythe, Fun Happy Hour and Nice Campfire.

Our Location today is La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

Blame it on the Fresh Air I had while working outside yesterday. It took the Sunlight leaking around the Window Shades to wake me this morning. As soon as I could I headed downstairs and started getting things ready for breakfast. I’d barely gotten things set up and had just turned on my computer to check The Weather Network when Kathy was getting out of bed. 

Since it was just 8:00 we hoped we’d be able to finish breakfast before heading out the door. As soon as we’d eaten and gotten dressed we headed over to Bill and Patsy’s RV to say our “See You Down The Roads”. It was almost 9:00 when we arrived though all our other Canadian Friends had already extended their best wishes and we were the last. They were already hooked up so we didn’t hold them up long as they were heading into California and had a long drive. As the rest of us wandered back to our RVs they were soon on their way. 

After hearing that Happy Hour was at Dee and Mike’s trailer today Kathy and I made plans to get some errands run before. While Kathy got things together inside done I transferred more Drinking Water from our Fresh Water Barrel into the trailer. When the Fresh Water Tank on the trailer was full there was still about Fifteen Gallons of Water still in the Barrel but at least I could handle it & lift it out of the truck by hand. Minutes later after changing my clothes we were on our way. 

Our destination was Blythe but as we approached Tyson Wells Road we decided to have a quick look at K & B Tools. Since we didn’t have enough Awning Clips to hook our Sunshade we thought they might have them. Even though the Big Tent is closed we still had a hard time finding a Parking Spot. After a five-minute walk to get from the truck to their tent it took nearly as much time to find the Clips we needed but then we also spotted something else. They had gotten more Sunshades in of the Size and Colour that we had looked for earlier this season. Now we won’t be looking for one this coming fall. 

Another five-minute walk back to the truck and we noticed it was lunchtime and we didn’t know how long we’d be in Blythe so we decided to have lunch in Quartzsite. Driving by Silly Al’s, the Quartzsite Yacht Club, McDonalds and Burger King they were all packed so we went to Karl’s Jr. We enjoyed their Bacon/Cheese Burgers and they were more than filling, inexpensive and tasty. 

It was nearly 1:00 MST when we arrived at the Ace Hardware Store in Blythe. The first thing I did was to check to see if they carried any RG 58 Coaxial Cable, which they don’t. The smallest they carried was RG 59 which will not fit the SMA Connectors for the WE Boost system that I am trying to install in our trailer. When I explained the problem to the Clerk who got the Cable for us, she said to bring it back for a refund. While Kathy looked around for a Washable/Reusable Dust Mask I went over to the bolt section where I picked the Stainless Steal Bolts I’ll use when we add to our Solar Panel Array when we come back south this coming Fall. 

When I got dressed this morning I had put on a Red T Shirt. While walking around the ACE Hardware Store I had more than a dozen people asking me where to find certain products. My shirt was the same colour that the Store Clerks all wear. 

Going over to Radio Shack the Clerk who sold me those Connectors couldn’t believe they wouldn’t fit the Coaxial Cable. In an effort to save us continually running back and forth he found a Twenty-Five Foot Coaxial Cable with Molded SMA Connectors already assembled on Amazon. He’ll call us when it arrives later this week. With the Return of the Coaxial Cable and the Return of the Connectors it will only cost a Dollar more for a Molded Cable which is a better Cable in Damp Weather. 

Our next stop was Home and we still had a half hour to Happy Hour. We all gathered at Dee and Mike’s trailer at 3:00 and had a great time discussing everything from Travel Plans to Past RVs, Past RV Trips and we even talked about our Families back home. It was just before 5:00 when the temperature started cooling down which meant it was time for everyone to go Home to have their supper. 

Kathy and I had invited everyone out for another Campfire. The last time was during the Big Tent and everyone had worn themselves out during the day. This evening Gerry came over as well as Mike, Dee and Timmy. Even with the Campfire going the sky was filled with stars that just lit the night up. It was close to 8:00 before the temperature again dropped and everyone headed Home for the night. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Witty Words of Wisdom 

Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter since nobody listens.

More Complications, Feeling Down, Completing A Project and A Warm Sunny Day.

Our Location today is La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

After sleeping like logs all night Kathy just couldn’t seem to get comfortable sitting at the breakfast table. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t turned the heat on and it was only 49 F (9.5 C) inside the trailer at 8:00 MST. Hot Tea and Coffee along with Hot Cereal for Kathy along with the heater helped to warm us up. With the first meal of the day out of the way we spent the remainder of the hour checking our E-mail, Facebook News, Weather and the Blogs with almost instantaneous connections. (Happy Days are here Again) 

Love these Sunrises.

Once our usual morning chores were finished Kathy settled in to finish her Bookkeeping while I used the protective covering on the Dining Room Table where I started working on making the SMA Coaxial Extension for our WE-Boost. Hopefully once I have that installed if we run into areas that the Wireless Towers are overworked we might stand a better chance of a slightly stronger signal. It took a few minutes for me to remember how to operate the Coaxial Striper I have with the first attempt taking off more than it should but that’s why I got a longer cable then we need. After getting a clean cut the second time the project still came to a stop. The SMA Fittings were made for a RG-58 cable and the Coaxial Cable I had been sold was a RG-59 and try as I did the two would not fit. Another job “ON HOLD”. 

Only Minutes later.

Kathy was still busy so I went outside to work on the New Mounting Brackets for our HD Antenna Mast. As mentioned before I’d used scrap ends of Aluminium Angle Material left from the Solar Panel Brackets. If it had not been for the high winds we’d been experiencing they would have worked. I first had to remove those brackets before measuring the Trailer Ladder and Laying Out the New Brackets that will be much Sturdier. I once again used our Firepit as the place to drill the necessary holes as a way of keeping the Aluminium Shavings out of anyone’s tires in the future.           

Around 9:30 MST this morning the temperature was comfortable enough for Kathy to open the Outside Door so I knew when it was getting close to lunch because I could smell the aroma of Kathy’s cooking inside the trailer. She has become very efficient at using her Stove Top Toaster since we aren’t plugged into a post. She used it to make Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwiches to go with the leftover Salmon and Macaroni Salad. 

With a full tummy, it was time to get back to working on my projects. I had no sooner gotten back outside when our old neighbour from our previous stay stopped off to talk. Something that happened yesterday that really had me feeling down almost betrayed and even though Wayne and I were talking mostly about Technical and Mechanical things I was feeling slightly better by the time he left. 

Wayne stopping by for a chat,

Using my Hacksaw, I proceeded to Cut and Miter the Aluminium Angle Material purchased exactly for this job. Once I filed the edges smooth I shifted my attention to the Antenna Mast. To transport the Mast Sections I created a typical container using Black ABS Plastic Sewer Pipe. In order that the Caps on the Rear Bumper would still open for the Sewer Hoses I had to make it shorter than the Bumper which meant I also had to shorten the lengths of Mast. The problem was I didn’t quite shorten them enough so this afternoon I had to shorten them again by an additional two inches. 

Even with all the windows cranked open the inside of the trailer reached 82 F (28 C) so Kathy came outside and sat under the awning for a while. With the High UV Rating of the sun today we set up our New Sunshade so she would be comfortable. That was when we found out that what Size on the Package was Not the Size of the Sunshade itself and the colour doesn’t stop as much of the sun as we’d hoped.

For our supper tonight I grilled a couple of Boneless Pork-Chops on our Weber Q while Kathy made some Macaroni and Cheese for the side. With everything closed up outside we still managed to keep our door open until nearly 7:00 this evening. The Weather Forecast is calling for many more days like this in the near future. That’s what we came here for! Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

You Might Be a Redneck If 

A vehicle, a relative, and a family secret are all buried in your backyard.

Getting Warmer, Odd Chores, Updating Sidebars and Changing Plans.

Our Location today is La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

With all the Fresh Air that we breathed yesterday while at the Blogger-Fest neither of us had any problems sleeping. With our habit of warming the trailer just before going to bed then shutting it off overnight we also tend to stay cozy under the covers. I was shocked to have slept until nearly 8:00 MST this morning and I didn’t even have things ready for breakfast when Kathy came downstairs thinking she’d overslept. With no appointments or plans for the day she didn’t have to worry. 

Our plans for the day were to do what we could without overdoing it because we’re Retired. After getting partially caught up on our morning reading because of the poor Wireless Connection we started focusing on other more concrete things to do. Kathy had purchased a couple of pieces of Wall Art while we were in Lake Havasu that needed to be hung. Using Velcro as a means of fastening things to the walls eliminates screws into the walls therefore there are less air leaks. 

I was also going to hang the Over the Door Multi-Towel Rod we had purchased only to find the Product did not match the picture on the Box. We had similar Towel Rods in our other trailers that worked great but this style was more Fancy then it was Practical so we’ll be looking for something else that will do the job. 

I went outside to take measurements for a different style of Bracket to hold the Mast for our HD Antenna to the Ladder. The Brackets I had made before were from Scrap Ends of Aluminium Angle Material from the Solar Panel Brackets. Though these Brackets worked they were Not Practical due to the High Winds that we have been having and would allow the Mast to lean.  

This morning Kathy spent some time finishing a book she’d started yesterday before making lunch. By lunch time the outside temperature had reached 59 F (15 C) and felt comfortable if you were in the sun but we were still getting a Cool North Wind that felt extremely cold in the Shadows. For lunch Kathy kept it light with a Chicken Salad and topped it with some Strawberries we bought in Parker on Friday. 

Kathy has a little Family Project she is working on and since it required a steady hand and no movement in the trailer I was told to take a walk. I visited with George and Suzie for a short while before making a brief stop at Bill and Patsy’s RV.  

I’d made the offer to fill Mike and Dee’s Fresh Water Tank if they needed so they took me up on the offer but only if it wasn’t an inconvenience. Since I’d emptied our Fresh Water Barrel on Friday to make it easier to handle because we were going to Parker I needed to refill it today. When I arrived at the Water Fill Area one set of the Refill Faucets were marked “Out of Service” but it meant that there was a Higher Water Pressure in the remaining set. It took very little time to top off both our Neighbour’s Fresh Water Tank as well as Our Own. 

By 3:00 in the afternoon our outside temperature did reach 68 F (20 C) but still if you were in the shadows it still felt cool and since Kathy was done her project for the day I went inside to get some computer work completed.

Yesterday at Blogger-Fest many of the Attendees had Business Cards that they exchanged as a way of introducing you to their Blogs if you weren’t already following them. That meant I had to enter them on our Left Sidebar as “Bloggers We Have Met” and the ones that we were not already following are also on the Right Sidebar as “Blogs We Follow”. There were also a number of people that didn’t have Business Cards so when we get their information from Lorne Green I’ll add those at a later date. 

Ariane, Doug and Yuma.
From Yesterday's Blogger-Fest

For supper Kathy made a Vegetable Stir-Fry to go with a Spiral Sliced Ham we had and she topped it off with the remainder of those Strawberries we had earlier for another tasty treat. 

Since most of our Canadian RV Neighbours will be leaving La Posa South in the next few days Kathy and I might head down the road where our LTVA Permit is still Valid. That will give us a change of scenery and give us a chance to explore someplace we haven’t seen yet. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Words of Inspiration 

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. 

William Shakespeare

Getting Chores Finished Early. Successful Blogger-Fest and Eating Out.

Our Location today is La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

It was quite amazing that before going to bed last night I knew I needed to get certain things accomplished as early as possible this morning but I actually slept through the night instead of staring at the ceiling thinking about it. The fresh air from yesterday’s Cold North Wind along with my not getting much sleep for a few nights before might have helped. At 7:00 MST this morning I was using the flashlight to find my clothes that hadn’t been taken out before going to bed. Getting quietly dressed in the bathroom without waking Kathy on the other side of a door wasn’t easy but going outside without having to slam the entrance door shut was the biggest challenge. 

I had a few errands to run in Quartzsite so after making my way out of La Posa South without disturbing others Camping “Off the Grid” I quickly blended into the already steady traffic on Highway 95. The Outside Temperature Gauge on the dash showed 3 C (37 F) at 7:15 AM but luckily Today’s North Wind was light and not as cold. Still the first stop at the Gas Station to not only top up the Diesel on the truck but to fill a now empty jerry can with Gasoline for our Honda Generator was not something I took much time doing before getting back in the warmth of the truck. 

Lorne Green laying the Ground Work for Blogger-Fest Discussion.

My next stop was at RV Pit Stop where I had to refill the Thirty Pound Propane Tank that decide during Yesterday’s Cold Windy North Wind would be a good time to go empty. Thank Goodness for that second tank or it could have been a cold night for us. 

After helping the Quartzsite Economy, I was back Home by 8:00 and just the sound of the door opening from the outside had Kathy jumping out of bed on High Alert. She couldn’t believe I had already taken care of business that early. 

George and Suzie from Our Awesome Travels.

We turned the Furnace on to warm the trailer up before we had Breakfast but as soon as Kathy was dressed off it went. Hot Cereal and a Warm Trailer were the only way Kathy could survive such a cool morning. 

Croft. Yuma waiting her turn.

The Solar Panels were busy charging our Batteries so to help them along I shut down our Inverter. After fueling the Generator and reinstalling the Second Propane Tank I started talking with our Neighbours Mike and Dee. They were telling me how warm they were keeping the inside of their trailer by using a Blue Flame Catalytic Heater and it was just Sipping the Propane much more efficiently than their Furnace had ever done. They told me where they got it so Kathy and I will go take a peek at what that RV Dealer has to offer. 

Gaelyn from Geogypsy.

I went inside where Kathy already had made hot Split Pea Soup for lunch and topped it off with the Lemon Meringue Pie that she had made the other day. That helped to warm us up just enough for us to get ready to head out. 

John on left is still recovering from a stroke.
Glenda on the right from Casita Escapes.

We loaded our Camping Chairs in the truck and headed up to the Pavilion near the front of the LTVA. The reason was that at 1:00 the Third Annual Blogger-Fest was taking place. Kathy and I weren’t able to make the first two but with being in the area this time we made certain to attend this one. After bringing some snacks to share as recommended we had a chance to start meeting with and talking to some of the Bloggers we’ve had on our sidebar since we started Blogging. 

Diana from Life on the Open Road.

Lorne and SueGreen who were in charge of organizing this year’s event got things started by remembering some of the Former Blogger-Fest Attendees who are no longer with us. Lorne made certain to point out that this was not just open to RV Bloggers themselves but people interested in what it was all about. From there everyone had the chance to recall why they got into Blogging and if they ever regretted it.  

Barbara from Me and My Dog,

One of the Attendees had only walked from his site to see what was going on. He has been using his computer to log his travels for years but didn’t know anything about Blogging and how it can actually help others. He plans on trying to set up an RV Travel Blog. Another Attendee who suffered a major health issue had started a RV Blog about travelling with a disability but had stopped. I encouraged him to go back to it because not only would he inspire others with disabilities to travel but those who can’t will travel through the words in his Blog. Other former Bloggers also expressed that they may consider getting back into Blogging that many gave up for the ease of Facebook.  

Barb and Jim from Jim and Barb's RV Adventure

After the Round-Circle introductions were over everyone started mingling exchanging Business Cards and Tips they had discovered while doing their Blogs. There was a couple of group pictures taken of the approximately forty in attendance that will be shared at a later date. People started drifting away around 4:00 but in the end it appears that the 3^rd Annual Blogger-Fest was a Success. 

Kim and Shawn from Shifting Gears

We made a stop back Home before going out for supper. All the Fresh Air we enjoyed this afternoon made us too tired to cook. As expected on a Saturday Night in the town of Quartzsite we were lucky to find someplace to eat as they were all packed. We stopped at Times 3 Family Restaurant and were happy to see they had more Staff working tonight than our first visit. No sooner was a table emptied, it was cleaned and there was someone being seated. 

Dee from Gone RVing

We made it back Home before 5:30 and were surprised to be able to actually get Online at that early hour. Since the Big Tent arrived the Wireless System in the area has been overworked. What we’ll be up to tomorrow we’ll figure it out as we go. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Joke of the Day 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. 

Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

More Cold Windy Weather, Laundry In Parker and Surprises Awaiting.

Our Location today is La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, Arizona, U.S.A. 

Even though I spent part of the night staring at the ceiling again as soon as the sun started peeking around the window shades this morning I forced myself out of bed. By getting myself on my own sleep schedule I will be able to control the quality of sleep that I do get. There was one little price that I had to pay for that early hour though and it was getting up to an inside temperature of 39 F (4 C) at 7:30 MST so without giving it a second thought I turned the heat on for Kathy. With Kathy’s Diabetic Neuropathy the last thing she needs is to get up to a cold trailer. Strangely even with my Raynaud’s Disease the cold doesn’t seem to bother me first thing in the morning. 

I did manage to get Online for a short while but the only thing I could get to open was Our Blog. No Email, No News and No Weather Reports. As soon as the Big Tent shuts down and the Vendors that were brought in for the show leave the Wireless Connectivity in the area will greatly improve and Kathy and I are not the only ones looking forward to that. 

As we ate our breakfast we discussed things that needed to be done and the one was doing our laundry. Unless you get at the local Laundromat here in Quartzsite at 6:00AM MST in the morning during the week of the Big Tent it will take you hours to get one machine at a time. Kathy also wanted to go to Walmart and the nearest one is in Parker so that’s where we decided do our laundry while we were there.  

There was only one little problem delaying our departure. Last evening I’d filled our Fresh Water Barrel and most of that water was in still in the Barrel. All I could do was transfer as much water as I could and if it was enough I could get the Barrel Safely out of the truck. As soon as I stepped outside I knew why it had been so cold inside. Our Windsock was standing almost motionless at full length facing the south which meant we were getting another Cold North Wind. 

After going back inside to add another sweater I set our New Water Pump to work its magic and in no time our Fresh Water Tank was Full. Unfortunately, the Fresh Water Barrel was still Three Quarters full and there was no way I could safely lift it out of the truck. Seeing Mike and Dee about to leave I offered to fill their tank but Mike had just finished filling it before I came outside. Mike offered to help unload the Barrel but I knew he didn’t need to get injured helping me. So I walked over to George and Suzie’s RV and made the same offer. They still had water in their tank but it was down to a third so they had room. 

I backed our truck near their RV and George brought their car around to power the Water-Pump. We had to stand on the south side of their RV so we wouldn’t freeze. George and Suzie both said that in all the years that they have travelled to Arizona for the winter this has been the Windiest, Wettest and Coldest they have ever experienced. They appreciated the Forty Gallons of water and I appreciated them taking it because that way it was Not Wasted. 

By the time I got back to the trailer I used Firewood to weigh down the Barrel from blowing away since it was Empty. Kathy had researched the addresses of the Laundromats in Parker while I was outside and was in the process of making an early lunch when I got inside. The warm drink helped take some of the chill from my body. 

I separated the laundry and loaded everything into the truck and we were on our way to Parker just before 1:00 this afternoon. Even though we basically were driving into the wind there were some Gusts of Wind that caused us to swerve a bit. Most of the Mountain Scenery was hidden behind a wall of dust. 

You can barely see the mountains due the dust in the wind.

We found Both Laundromats in Parker quite easily but they were full of people using them. Their parking lots were also filled with Class Bs and Cs that I am sure I’d seen leaving La Posa South this morning while I was outside. We switched to Plan B and checked out the Ace Hardware Store. It is much smaller than the store in Blythe and their prices are reflective of that. 

Parker Walmart

Our next stop was Walmart where we looked unsuccessfully for the Towels that Kathy was shopping for. We did however manage to get the groceries on our list to tide us over for a few days. 

Kathy reading in the truck.

We finally got to the Kofa Street Laundromat around 3:15 and I was fortunate that a number of machines had just been emptied. Kathy sat in the truck reading her book while I took care of business. 

By 5:00 I had all the clothes all folded and we were ready to go to have our supper. We wanted Fish and Chips but didn’t feel overly hungry and we didn’t want to put up with the crowds in Quartzsite so we chose to have the Filet of Fish at the local Mickey D. Not quite the same but close enough. 

It was nearly 7:00 by the time we got Home and we had a few more surprises waiting for us. As we entered La Posa South a Coyote ran across the road in front of us. The second surprise was our refrigerator showing it had no Propane so I had to go outside and switch over the valve to the other tank but will get the empty one refilled tomorrow. 

Since we missed Happy Hour today we are planning on attending the 3^rd Annual Blogger-Fest here at La Posa South tomorrow afternoon. It will be nice putting faces to the people behind the RV Blogs that we read. Hoping to see you there. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Office Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes 

Employee Evaluation 

"This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."