Finally Moving again - Along I-10 from the Phoenix Area to the Coachella Valley

Hi there, welcome back. Our last episode ended on Tuesday, May 12^th when we finally left Yuma, Arizona after a record setting four month stay. We didn't go far, and didn't change climates much, heading 153 miles northeast to Goodyear, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. Wednesday we went out in the late morning, stopped at a Chick-Fil-A for lunch, then did a Walmart run. After our supply run we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the day inside. About 5:30 my brother Ken and his wife Susan came over for a visit. They live in Goodyear, just a couple miles from the RV park. Although they still work, they are going out tomorrow with their new, 40 foot diesel pusher motorhome, for a weekend trip with friends. We sat and talked and had some pizza for dinner. They left around 8:00 and we watched some TV and went to bed.

Thursday, May 14^th, there was a cool front moving though the area so the forecast temps for today were in the low 90's, so we decided to do some geocaching. We left the coach about 12:30 and went out caching. Some of the first caches were in residential areas and then we moved out into the more rural farming and desert areas. We are working this year to get to 10,000 finds by the end of the year and wanted to get number 9900 today. We got to 9897 with eleven new finds and three DNFs, when bad luck struck. Most of our finds were just off the road, so we were parking on the shoulder to get the caches. On the last one we picked up something in the left front tire, because I no sooner pulled away from the cache when the “low tire” warning light came on. It only took a minute for the car to start to feel spongy, so I pulled over onto the shoulder of County 85, which many years ago was U.S. 80 and led from Yuma to Phoenix, way before the freeway. Now it is just a connector road, although it is fairly busy. I checked the tire and it was FLAT. Now, our car is a hybrid with a giant battery under the back area of the car, where the spare tire is normally kept, so it doesn't have a spare tire at all. You get a small 12 volt pump that has a bottle of “fix a flat” gunk that you can pump into a tire. After pumping half a bottle into the tire and not seeing any change I did a closer exam and found that there was a very large piece of metal stuck in the tread of the tire which made a very large hole that the gunk couldn't begin to seal.

So, on the phone to AAA. Of course, AAA doesn't have contract people that do roadside tire replacement or repair, it is strictly a service to bring gas, jump start the car, or tow you. I talk to the AAA service rep, he gets our location, determines the nearest tow service they have under contract, and tell me they are sending him. He is from Buckeye, the next town down the road, but the AAA guy tells me it could take 90 minutes. He then talks to me about where he should tell the driver the car is being towed to. I tell him I have a flat tire that probably can't be fixed, so I need a tire store where I can buy a new tire and have it put on. He tells me that there are a number of tire stores in Goodyear, but they are all more than five miles away, the maximum for free towing with AAA. I say I don't care, I just need to go to a tire store and if I have to pay some I have to pay some. He then comes back and tells me, “Oh, there is a Goodyear AAA Service Center located 9.9 miles from your location. If you get towed to a AAA owned service center the maximum towing is extended to ten miles, so it would be no charge.” I said fine, whatever, I just need a tire. Now he tells me that because of the COVID crisis there rules do not permit anyone to ride with the tow truck to the service center and that we need to provide our own transportation. He didn't seem to care how we did it, only that we couldn't go with the car. Then it was thank you and goodbye. Piss poor service.

In a couple minutes I get a call from the tow truck driver. He is very nice, tells me where he is, which is in downtown Buckeye, and that he is on the way and will be there in 15 minutes. He then told me that when he received the call from AAA they told him the car was going to the AAA Service Center in Goodyear and he asked me what the problem was. When I told him I needed a new tire he said, “well, that AAA Service Center is just a repair facility, they don't sell or repair tires at all.” He then told a story about a recent tow for AAA involving a flat tire where they convinced the car owner to take the car to the AAA center too. When he dropped that car off the owner went in and learned they didn't to anything with tires he was pissed. He got more pissed when the tow driver had to tell him that the AAA service was one pick up, one drop off. If he needed the car towed somewhere else he would have to pay the full price of the tow. The tow driver then offered me several alternatives, one of which was a Firestone Tire store a half block from the AAA service center. I called the store and determined they were open, would be for another couple hours, and had the right tire in stock. When the tow truck arrived I told the driver to take us to the Firestone store.

The driver, Kevin was very nice and the tow truck was a rollback type with the flatbed rather than a tow hook, which was nice because those hooks can screw up newer cars with all their plastic bumpers and body work. He loaded the car and told us he had no problem with us riding with him, that he never would leave a customer standing on the side of the road in 100 degree heat with no ride. We went to the Firestone store, got a new tire and were on our way by 5:30. What could have been a very bad situation turned out to be just a temporary inconvenience and we got everything taken care of. Needless to say, I am very unhappy with AAA because it was clear that the reps only motive was to get me to a AAA owned facility, because he probably gets a commission for getting a customer. He didn't care that the center couldn't take care of my problem, and didn't care how we got home. I won't be renewing with AAA after 30 years as a member. After we got the tire we went home, had a cocktail and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Friday, May 15^th, Happy Birthday to my lovely bride Jackie! We left the coach about 10:00 and headed towards Flagstaff with the car. About a year ago my son Roy Jr. sold his condo and bought an older 36 foot motorhome and went on the road. A few months ago he got a job as a host at a National Forest Service campground at Lake Mary, about 20 miles south of Flagstaff. For a while he was afraid it all might fall through because of the COVID thing, but last week he called and told me that he was moving in to his site at Lake Mary because the Forest Service was opening everything up in mid May. Since we were in the area we decided to drive up and see him. Since it was about 180 miles from Goodyear to Lake Mary, we decided to make a weekend of it and got a hotel reservation in Flagstaff for Friday night. We got into Flagstaff about 12:30 and stopped at a fast food restaurant for lunch. We called the hotel but they said we couldn't check in until 3:00, so drove to the campground and visited with Roy. The campground is still officially closed for another week, but he met us at the gate and let us in. We sat and talked with him for several hours and had a very nice visit. He seems really happy and doing well in his new lifestyle. We left about 5:00 and drove to Flagstaff and checked into our room at the Quality Inn. The hotel was a bit shabby, more so than I remember Quality Inn's being, but it had a bed and most of the amenities we needed for a one night stay and it was only $40, a bargain now days. We got some take out from the nearby Denny's for dinner, and just relaxed for the rest of the night.

Saturday, May 16^th, we were up, showered and packed up by about 10:00. We stopped at the Sam's Club which was right around the corner from the hotel and put some gas in the car. Then we did some geocaching, getting three quick caches, one of which was number 9900! Yea! We are now at 9901 headed for 10K. After finding the caches we got on the road and headed south towards home. The trip back took about the same as the one up, two and a half hours, and we were in the coach eating lunch by 12:30. After lunch we were finally able to get out to a Super Cuts in Goodyear and we both got haircuts for the first time in a while, two months for Jackie, more like four for me. After the haircuts we went back to the coach and relaxed for the rest of the day. We had cocktails and dinner, then watched some TV and went to bed in our own bed.

Sunday, May 17^th, we had a stay at home day. Got the Sunday paper in the morning and we spent the whole day doing small chores and relaxing. After dinner, about 7:30, Ken and Susan came over to say goodbye to us. They are working tomorrow and we are leaving on Tuesday, so we will not see them again this trip. They had gone on a Jeeping trip this weekend and we talked about their trip and our trip to Flagstaff and our adventures with the car on Thursday. After they left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, May 18^th, I went out about 11:00 to take care of some errands. I went to the Firestone store we were at on Friday and had the other three tires replaced. We know that we are going to keep this car at the end of the year when the lease runs out, so I thought it was time to replace the tires. After that I did a quick run to the Camping World store for a couple of things I needed. After I got home we just stayed in for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Tuesday was another travel day. We had the coach packed up and ready to travel by 10:00, heading west about 126 miles to Ehrenberg, Arizona, just across the Colorado River from Blythe, California. It was an uneventful trip with the only stop in Quartzsite to go to the Love's Truck Stop for fuel and to pick up some fried chicken livers at the Chester's Chicken there. We arrived at the Arizona Oasis RV park about 12:30 and got into our spot for our three night stay. After we got set up we just relaxed, watched some TV and then had dinner. We spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Wednesday, May 20^th, we went out after lunch to do some geocaching in the Blythe area. The weather was very nice today, in the mid 80's, so it was a good day to be out and about. We have stayed in this area a lot and have gotten most of the geocaches that are not out in the desert on roads I don't want to take our little car. We did have three caches to find, two north of town on Highway 95 and one out by the Blythe Airport west of town. It took us an hour or so to get the three caches because of the travel time, but we got all three. After caching we stopped at the Albertson's in Blythe for a few groceries, then went back to the coach and relaxed for the rest of the day. Thursday was another stay at home day. Did some chores, watched a movie on TV and generally just relaxed.

Friday, May 22^nd, we had another travel day. We left fairly late, at least for us, about 11:00, because we were only going 103 miles west to Indio, California. We arrived at Indian Waters RV Resort about 12:30, picked up our packet and got parked. This resort, like the last two we have been at, is totally non-contact. No office visit, no in person registration. After we got parked I ran to the nearby In N Out to pick up burgers and fries for lunch. After we ate we finished setting up. We just stayed in today as we were tired from packing up and setting up again in the heat. We watched some TV and went to bed. We will be here in Indio for a week. Of course, most readers will know that Indio was our home before we went full time in 2005. Our old house is only a mile or so from the RV park.

Saturday, May 23^rd, for the most part it was a stay at home day. I did some chores and repairs around the coach and we relaxed. About 2:30 we left and went out to have our first sit down inside a restaurant dinner in two months! Yesterday Riverside County announced that the State of California had given permission for the County to enter into Phase 1 reopening, which among other things, means that dine in service is again allowed in the county. Of course, we had to check to see if our favorite place, Cactus Jacks was going to open and when Jackie called we found that they had already opened. Yea! We arrived and found that they were taking precautions, half the tables and bar stools were removed to allow for distancing and all the staff were wearing masks. They even required you to have a mask to come in, although you could take it off once you were seated. Kind of hard to drink and eat with a mask on. We saw several of our friends for the first time in nearly a year, including George, the owner of the restaurant, Kevin, one of the bartenders, and our good friend Barry Cohen, who works as a greeter and general helper. We had a couple of drinks, sat at a bar, had a nice dinner, it was great. After our early dinner we went back home and just relaxed in the house until bedtime.

Sunday, May 24^th, was forecast to be the last day of reasonable temperatures for the rest of the week, reasonable being high 90's, low 100's. After lunch we went out to do some local geocaching. Although we have cached a lot in the Coachella Valley over the years, even still have two of our own caches hidden here, there are still a lot we haven't found. The Valley has a very active caching community, albeit less so in the summer, so there are always lots of caches. We went out for a couple of hours and were able to get a dozen new finds, along with one DNF, before we got too hot. Even the DNF was actually gone because we know the cache owner and Jackie sent him a message when we couldn't find the cache. He described what it was supposed to be and we told him that we found one part, but no cache. After caching we headed back to the coach and relaxed for the rest of the day. After cocktails and dinner we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, May 25^th, Happy Memorial Day. For the most part this was a stay at home day. However, we did accept an invitation to visit with some old friends of ours, Bob and Gloria Baron, for happy hour at their house. We knew Bob and Gloria from the time when we still had the house here in Indio. They were members of the Indio Elks Lodge and the Elks RV group, the Desert Drifters. In the early 2000's they also bought a house in the same country club that we lived in, the house they still live in today. It is one of those houses that has the large, RV garage attached. Bob and Gloria are one of the few people we still stay in frequent contact with because they are also members of FMCA and several chapters to which we belong. We left the RV park and drove to Indian Palms Country Club about 5:30. After we got in the gate we drove past our old house on the way to the Baron's place. Our house still looked pretty much the same as it did when we moved out 15 years ago. We got to the Baron's and had a very nice visit. We had some cocktails and Gloria had some snacks. As it was just the four of us we had a good time talking about a lot of things. We finally left around 9:00 and went back to our coach. We watched TV and relaxed until bedtime. This was our first real visit with anyone other than Peggy since the Corona thing hit and it was nice to get out for a change.

Tuesday, May 26^th, we had a stay at home day. The valley is in the grip of an early heat wave with temps in the 110's, so we just stayed inside and tried to keep cool. I did go out to get some pizza for dinner. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed. Wednesday we left the coach after lunch and went to the laundromat to do our clothes. After we were done we went back to the coach, put everything away and relaxed for the rest of the day. Thursday was a shopping day. We went out after lunch and did a Walmart run, then took that stuff home and put it away. Then we went to Costco for some supplies. After our shopping we stayed home for the rest of the day and evening.

Friday, May 29^th, another travel day. Today was supposed to be hot, so we got packed up and out of the RV park early, about 9:30. We weren't going far, only about 55 miles west to Silent Valley, our membership RV resort in the mountains below Banning, California. We arrived at Silent Valley about 11:30 and quickly found a great spot. This resort doesn't assign spaces, it's first come, first served. Another reason why we left early, so we could arrive as those who were going to leave today were just leaving their spots. It worked out because we got a great spot right on the main road near the Village Center, where the restaurant, bar, store, laundry and office are located. We have had this spot in the past and it made us very happy to get it again. We got set up and moved in and spent the rest of the day just relaxing. It is at least 15 to 20 degrees cooler up here at 3,500 feet than it was in Indio at 0 feet. We are going to be here at least 20 days before moving on, hopefully, to Santa Maria, California. Of course, all that depends on how quickly California “opens up” from the shut down orders.

Our arrival here marks a good point to close out this chapter and get it published. Until next time, stay safe and healthy, pray for our country and somehow manage to still have fun. See ya.

Finally, the Last Two Weeks in Yuma Arizona - Time to Move On

Hello again. Our last chapter ended on Sunday, April 26th while we were still hunkered down in Yuma, Arizona, dodging the COVID pandemic. So far, so good. Monday was another stay at home day. I spent a little bit of time helping Peggy get her coach ready to travel. She has decided that she is going to head home to Northern California rather than stay another couple of weeks with us. She has some friends who live in Washington state and have a winter home here in Yuma, Don and Barbara. They have decided that with the early heat they are going to leave tomorrow and head back to the Northwest. Since Peggy's destination is along the same route, she asked if she could tag along and they said sure. She met them some years ago on an RV caravan along the East coast, so she is used to traveling with them.

We had cocktails at 5:00 with Peggy and Belle, our last for a couple months, and then dinner. Our original plan was to order some chicken livers from the local Chester's Chicken place, but it turns out they are closed due to the virus. So, we ordered pizza and salad from Da Boyz, a local Italian place right around the corner from us. I went and picked it up and we had a nice dinner of pizza, calzone and salad. The girls played some cards and then Peggy went home. We watched some TV and went to bed. Tuesday morning Peggy was packed up and on the road by 8:00. I got up early to help her with some of the hookup issues and sent her on her way. After Peggy was gone we did our laundry at the park and by early afternoon we were all done. We spent the rest of the day inside, staying cool in the 100 plus temps and relaxing. We had our first cocktail hour with just the two of us. Unfortunately, we did hear from Peggy in the late afternoon and it turned out she had some coach issues near Hesperia, in the high desert north of San Bernardino. It seems that something came off the road and knocked a hole in the plastic radiator overflow tank. This set off alarms and she was able to stop the coach before it overheated or damaged anything. However, it also meant she was stranded. The last we heard the coach had been towed to a shop and she was at a motel in Hesperia. We feel really bad for her and Belle. We watched TV for the rest of the evening and then went to bed.

Tuesday, April 29th, we needed to get out for a while, so after lunch we got in the car and took a drive. We basically drove north of Yuma to the Martinez Lake/Laguna Dam area just to do some sightseeing. It was still very hot, just over 100 degrees, but we did do a few geocaches. For the whole trip we managed five new finds and one DNF with no heat stroke. We drove past Laguna dam into California and just continued down the rural roads until we found our way back to Interstate 8, just on the California side of the river. We continued on the freeway until we got back home. Our entire trip was a about three hours and we went 55 miles. It was nice to get out of the house. We did hear from Peggy who told us that the shop had found the part and she hoped to be back on the road by Friday. On the negative side, when the tow truck lifted her coach to take it to the shop they tweaked the body and broke a large crack in the fiberglass sidewall near the rear. Of course, the driver claimed they weren't responsible for any damages, which is bullshit, but no point in arguing with the driver, he is expected to say that. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then did some ahi tuna on the grill for dinner. We watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, April 30th, we had mostly a stay at home day. I did go out at lunch to get some money at the ATM and then picked up lunch for Jackie and I at the Del Taco just down the street. Went through the drive through, picked up the food and went home where we had lunch. It was really good. It has probably been more than a year since I had Del Taco, my favorite fast food Mexican. We spent the rest of the day inside doing some chores and relaxing. We had cocktails at 5:00, but no dinner as we had eaten too much at lunch. We watched TV until bedtime. Nothing new from Peggy. She is still hoping that she will be fixed by Friday and can start for home. She talked to her insurance agent and he said that the damages might be covered by insurance since the initial damage was caused by a road hazard. Fingers crossed because it's going to be pricey.

Friday, May 1st, MAY DAY, MAY DAY! Did you know that the use of may day as a distress call came about in England in 1921 when a senior official at a London airport asked his staff about coming up with something to call for help that pilots and ground controllers could easily remember and understand. Since much of that airport's traffic at that time was between Paris and London many of the pilots were French. One of the staff suggested the French word m'aider, which means “help me” and when pronounced sounds much like “may day.” By 1927 it had officially replaced “SOS” as the universally accepted distress call. Now you know the rest of the story.

We had another quiet day. I spent an hour or so starting to take down some of our decorations and lights. We are leaving on the 12^th, a little less than two weeks from now, and we have a lot of stuff out. No need for lights and decorations as we are some of the last people in the park and have no one around us to look at our lights anyway. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then did take out from our favorite fish and chips place in the Foothills, Mr. Fish. The dinner was great and boy were there a lot of people wanting fish today. There were 20 people waiting when I arrived. Everyone was outside as the dining room was closed, but everyone was respectfully distanced and friendly. The food was great and after dinner we watched some TV and went to bed. We did hear from Peggy and learned she got her coach back and was starting out on the road in a couple days when the winds in the high desert settle down a little.

Saturday, May 2^nd, we left the coach about 1:00 or so and drove to the mall area near downtown to go to the Dollar Store. We had a few things we had to return. Back three months ago, when we still thought we were going to rallies in March, Jackie and Peggy had been assigned to do the table decorations for the Monaco Rally. They bought $100 worth of stuff from the dollar store. When the rally was canceled Jackie was fortunate enough to be able to sell the bulk of the stuff, mostly plastic table cloths, to the Escapee's park in Pahrump and recoup most of the money. A couple things Jackie kept and we were only left with 16 glass bowls that they were going to use as the base for the decorations. The Dollar Store does not do refunds, but they will do an exchange, so today we put on our masks and went to the store and exchanged the 16 bowls for a bunch of little stuff that we do use, like shower caps (to cover bowls, not heads) and some decorations for the coach. Even though it had been over three months the store had no issue doing the exchange. After shopping we went back to the coach and relaxed the rest of the day. I finally went down to the pool at the park for the first time and splashed around a bit to cool off, and I did a little more cleanup of our outside decorations. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then did some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. We watched TV and went to bed.

Sunday, May 3^rd was a stay at home day. I spent a couple of hours finishing cleaning the majority of the decorations and getting everything stowed away. About the only thing left to put away when we leave in a week or so is the BBQ. We had cocktails 5:00, then dinner and TV for the rest of the night. Monday, Star Wars Day! (May the fourth be with you) We were up early and headed for Walmart by a quarter to eight. There are a lot less people there in the morning hours than afternoon. We were able to finally score some hand sanitizer as well as toilet paper and paper towels. Still no Clorox wipes, but we will get along. After shopping we went back to the coach, put everything away and relaxed the rest of the day and evening.

Tuesday, May 5^th, Cinco De Mayo. The day when everyone is Mexican for a while. Cultural appropriation at it's best, and I don't say that in a bad way. I don't think there is any problem with enjoying and celebrating traditions from other cultures. We had a stay at home day, played some cards, watched a dumb horror movie, and just relaxed. For dinner we did some carne asada on the BBQ, along with rice and beans and instead of our usual vodka we had margaritas! After dinner we watched some TV and went to bed. Un día muy agradable y relajante. Buenas noches. Wednesday we left the coach early, about 9:00 and went to the nearby Frys grocery. We got most everything we needed yesterday at Walmart, but we didn't have any steaks in the freezer and Fry's has good meat, and today was senior day, 10 percent off for seniors. Yea! We got a couple packs of the top sirloin steaks that were on sale, and also scored a pack of disinfecting wipes, the first we have seen since the hoarding started a couple months ago. They were store brand, not Clorox, but just as good. After we got back we put everything away and just relaxed for the rest of the day.

Thursday, May 7^th, was another stay at home day. Relaxed around the house for the entire day, trying to stay cool in the 104 degree heat. Made a meat loaf for dinner. Friday we took another driving tour just to get out of the house. Our first stop was our favorite street taco place. Although they are not allowing people to sit, in conformance with the executive orders in place, they are taking phone orders to go. We ordered our food, then sat in the car in the parking lot and had a nice lunch. This was our last chance to eat tacos here until we return in December. After lunch we drove north on Highway 95 out of the Yuma area, then turned west and drove across the Army'sYuma Proving Ground to the community of Martinez Lake. This lake is one of several along the Colorado River created by the Laguna Irrigation dam downstream. The community was formed in 1958 as a fishing village and is still primarily a vacation place. It has a wide variety of housing, from really old trailer parks and RV parks to huge new homes on the bluffs overlooking the water. We drove around

for a half hour or so, looking at the area, then headed back. Although California is right across the river, there is no road access here and all of the surrounding area on the Arizona side is part of the Army base. After our tour we headed back to the coach and spent the rest of the day relaxing. We did get one geocache on the way back home. We had leftovers for dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, May 9^th, we had another stay at home day. Did some chores and just stayed cool as we could. Did some burgers on the BBQ for dinner. Sunday, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Another stay at home day. Did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner, then watched TV and went to bed. One more full day here, then we finally ride. Monday was our last stay at home day, at least in Yuma. We did our laundry in the morning and I spent some time in the afternoon putting the last of the outside stuff away and doing some checks on the coach in preparation for our travel day tomorrow. The coach has been sitting for four months, so I needed to check the oil and coolant, the tire condition and pressures, and the batteries, to be sure everything was OK and there would be no surprises when I started the coach tomorrow. Everything was OK – yea! We had cocktails and dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, May 12^th, I can finally say we had a travel day! We had the coach packed up, closed up and car attached and were on the road by 9:30. We wanted to get an early start because even though the forecast temps were back in the high 90's, it was still hot and we wanted to beat the worst heat. We are headed northeast to Goodyear, Arizona, a western suburb of Phoenix. Still the desert, so still hot, probably close to what Yuma is, but at least it's a change of scenery. Plus, the Arizona Governor partially reopened the State yesterday, allowing restaurants to do inside service again, with some restrictions. They also opened hair and nail salons. Yea! We had an uneventful trip of 153 miles and arrived at the Cotton Lane RV Resort about 12:30. We have been to this park a number of times and knew just where to go for our spot. They have “no contact” check in where they tell you what spot you are in and you call them with your credit card when you get parked. None of the facilities are open, but except for maybe the pool, we don't usually use them anyway. We like to stay here because my brother Ken and his wife Susan live in Goodyear, just a couple miles from the park. After we got parked and set up we just relaxed for the rest of the day.

We have reached a great spot to close out this chapter and get it published. We are finally moving again after a long, four month stay in Yuma. Until next time, wash your hands, cover your face and stay away from me! Bye for now.

Springtime in Yuma Arizona - The Lockdown Continues

Hi there, welcome back to the story. Our last chapter ended on Sunday, April 5^th, while we were still hunkered down in Yuma, Arizona, sheltering in place due to the COVID19 pandemic. Monday was a chores day. Since we are grounded we don't get to go out much, but I left the coach about 9:30 to make another visit to the local Ford dealer. As most regular readers will know, our car is a 2017 Ford C-Max, which is a plug-in hybrid. The car comes with a 120 volt charger which plugs into a standard outlet and then into the car. The commercial chargers you see in parking lots are 240 volt models that charge the car twice as fast, but the one that came with the car will do it in about 6 hours, so it works overnight. At any rate, I have been noticing for the last couple weeks that I was getting a red “fault” light on the charger. It usually happened towards the end of the charge period and would reset when I unplugged the charger and plugged it back in. I did some research and learned that they had problems with the chargers in the past overheating, so in 2016 they came out with a new model with a device inside which would show a fault light if it started getting too warm, and shut it off if the heating continued. I suspected that this device was going bad, but it was intermittent. I went to the dealer fully expecting that they would plug it in, see that it was working, and say they couldn't do anything without seeing the problem. I only wanted to get it on the official record that I had seen a problem because the car's warranty is up at the end of this year. To my surprise, the service consultant at Alexander Ford here in Yuma listened and took both the car and charger into the shop and said they would check it out.

It took two hours, during which I took a little walk and got a nearby geocache. When the tech came out he said that their tests had determined that the charger was indeed going bad and they had ordered a new one under warranty. I was impressed. They even washed the car. Great service. On the way home I stopped and picked up a take and bake pizza for dinner, then went back to the coach. We spent the rest of the day in, getting some chores done around the coach. We had cocktails and then pizza for dinner. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, April 7^th, we decided we needed to get out of the house for a bit, so the three of us drove southwest out of the Foothills and down to San Luis, Arizona. San Luis is one of the three major border towns in Arizona, the others being Nogales in Central Arizona, South of Tucson, and Douglas in Eastern Arizona. The Mexican town on the other side is San Luis Rio Colorado and is in the State of Sonora. We have never been to San Luis because we don't like to go into the big Mexican border cities. Algodones is just fine for us for Mexican visits. San Luis is a fairly big town, almost 40,000 population, with almost 99 percent of the population Hispanic. San Luis Rio Colorado has a population approaching 200,000. In keeping with our virus protection protocols we just drove around town, doing some “drive by tourism” in the area. The downtown ar

ea right at the border crossing is pretty dumpy, but the areas away from the border are pretty nice with a number of new suburban housing developments. There are also some Barrio areas and while we were there a house fire brokeout in one of the them. They got it knocked down pretty quickly. After driving around San Luis we started back North towards Yuma, doing a little geocaching in the farming area North of San Luis, near Somerton, another small farming community. We were able to get ten new finds, and one DNF in about an hour. One of the finds was number 9,800 for us! Yea! We are on a quest to hit our 10K finds mark by end of this year. Less than 200 to go! After caching we headed back to the coach and spent the rest of the afternoon inside. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then had leftover ham and bean soup for dinner. After dinner we went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime.  It was the night of the full moon and had we not been quarantined we might have gone out to the desert for the "howl at the moon"gathering.  There is a country singer named Kelly Hughes who is from Idaho, but winters in Yuma.  He puts on a free concert in the desert on the night of the full moon during most of the winter months.  We have been to a couple and they are a lot of fun.  It has been called a "rave for seniors" by some.  However, with the virus scare they have been cancelled for the rest of this winter.  We did get a picture of the moon coming up over the mountains.

Wednesday, April 8^th, another day in lockup. Today we woke up to a stormy, rainy day. It rained on and off most of the day, sometimes pretty heavy with some strong winds. I was chasing patio furniture all day. We didn't go anywhere but did get a few things done around the coach. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle and then Jackie served a big pot of clam chowder, which was great for the cool, wet day. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed. Thursday was a quiet day. No rain, but we were still grounded. Peggy and Jackie colored each other's hair in the afternoon and I got some chores done. We had cocktails with Peggy then dinner at our house. We had leftover soups, a little bit of the ham and bean and some of the chowder. After dinner Peggy went home and we watched TV until bedtime. Friday we had another day of expected rain. We mostly stayed home and dog-sat Belle because Peggy went out on a Jeep run with some friends of hers. We did go out and do a Walmart run in the morning and then did our laundry here at the RV park in the afternoon. Peggy got back in time for cocktails and then after cocktails we had a nice dinner of chicken curry that Jackie made. After Peggy went home we watched TV and went to bed.

Saturday, April 11^th, the weather cleared again, although it was a little chilly. Although it was another stay at home day, I did go out by myself briefly in the morning to drive to the Ford dealer and pick up my new charger for the car. The old one was having issues and they replaced it under warranty. We spent another day in the house doing chores, today cleaning out a couple more closets. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then did some chicken on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday, April 12^th, Happy Easter. We had a stay at home holiday. Spent most of the day relaxing. After our 5:00 happy hour I did two racks of ribs on the BBQ for a non-traditional Easter dinner. The three of us had ribs, coleslaw and baked beans for dinner and it was wonderful. After dinner the girls played some cards, then after Peggy went home we watched some TV and headed to bed. Monday we left the coach about 11:30 with Peggy and drove to the mall on the other end of town. We went through the drive through at In N Out and picked up lunch, which we had to eat in the car in the parking lot as the dining room was closed. It was still a great lunch and the first outside food we have had in a month. After lunch we drove to rural farming area southwest of town to do some geocaching. We are fortunate that there are a large number of geocaches in the rural areas. They are not very challenging, mostly just caches for the numbers, but at least we were outside on a nice day and not around any other people. In a couple of hours we were able to score 20 new finds with no DNFs. After caching we headed back home, stopping at KFC on the way to pick up some more coleslaw. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then a repeat of last night's dinner with leftover rib and some more beans and coleslaw. The girls played some more cards, then Peggy went home and we watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, April 14^th, still on lockdown. Had a stay at home day. Had cocktails at 5:00 and then dinner for the three of us. I made a tuna casserole for us and it was pretty good. After dinner the girls played some cards, then Peggy went home and we watched TV until bedtime. Wednesday we had another stay at home day for the most part. About 5:30 the three of us left and drove to another RV park a couple of miles west to visit with my brother Ken and his wife Susan, who had just come down to Yuma from their home in Goodyear, Arizona, for a brief visit. Ken, who is my youngest brother by 20 years, and Susan have been RVing for about ten years now and have always told us that they want to go full time as soon as they can retire. They just moved up from a mid-size trailer to a 40 foot Newmar Kountry Star diesel pusher motor home. They have only had it out a couple of times and wanted to take it on a little longer trip to work out any bugs. We were anxious to see it. When we got to the RV park we got a tour of the new coach. It is about the same size as ours, and the exterior is similar, mostly grey and silver. The interior is all tile and grey leather and the coach has one of the new full length slides on the drivers side, which really gives the impression of open space. They really have a coach now that can accommodate an easy full time lifestyle. Susan has a couple more years before she can retire, so they have time to get into the rhythm of the motor home. We sat and talked for an hour, but then left so they could rest after their travel day. They will be here for about five days. After we got home we had dinner at Peggy's, she made a chicken and linguine dish with a mushroom cream sauce that was quite good. After dinner the girls played some cards, then we went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, April 16^th, we went out after lunch with Peggy and did some more rural geocaching. Again we were able to get 20 new finds, and no DNFs, in a couple of hours. After caching we went back to the coach, did a few chores and relaxed. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then did some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy went home we watched TV and then went to bed. Friday we stayed at home. Mid afternoon Ken and Susan came over to spend the day with us. We sat outside and talked for most of the afternoon and had an enjoyable time. At 5:00 we did happy hour and then around 6:30 I did some burgers and brats on the BBQ for dinner, along with beans, mac salad and coleslaw. Another great dinner, although it got a little windy and cool towards the end. Peggy went home after dinner and Ken and Susan came in our coach and visited for another hour or so. After they left to go back to their coach we watched a little TV, then went to bed.

Saturday, April 19^th, another day in lockdown. We had a quiet, stay at home day. Got a few chores done, but mostly relaxed. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then Peggy served an Asian chicken dish for dinner. It was an new recipe for her, but it came out pretty good. After dinner we went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime. Sunday Jackie and I left the RV park after lunch, drove over to the park where Ken and Susan are staying, and picked them up for an afternoon of COVID-safe geocaching. We got Ken and Susan interested in geocaching about seven or eight years ago and they are still caching. We went in our car since they have a new Jeep Wrangler that is lifted and setting on big tires, making it too high for Jackie to be able to get in and out of easily. We drove to the farm country southwest of Yuma and started caching. In a couple of hours we were able to get 25 new finds, along with a couple of DNFs. After caching we went back to the Foothills and dropped Ken and Susan off at their coach. We went back to ours and after a little rest I drove to KFC to pick up dinner for everyone. Ken and Susan drove over to our place a little after 5:00 and we had happy hour and sat outside and talked. About 6:30 we had dinner after which Peggy left and went back to her place. Ken and Susan stayed and talked until about 8:30 when they left for home. We watched some TV and went to bed. Ken and Susan are leaving to go home tomorrow. They actually have jobs! Our plans are to go to Goodyear, Arizona, for a week after we leave here in May, so we should see them again in just a few weeks.

Monday, April 20^th, Happy Anniversary to my brother Ken and his wife Susan on their 24^th anniversary. We had a stay at home and relax day. Didn't do much of anything until happy hour. Drinks with Peggy and Belle, then dinner at Peggy's. She made a cheese and sausage pasta dish that was very good. Had a nice meal and went back to our coach about 8:00. We watched a little TV and went to bed. Tuesday was another shelter in place day. Stayed in and around the coach all day. Had our usual happy hour and then dinner at our place for the three of us. Jackie made pasta and calamari in a cream sauce. Very good dinner. The girls played some cards, Peggy went home and we watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, April 22^nd, we needed to get out of the house, so about 10:00 the three of us got in our car and drove East to Wellton, a small farming community in Eastern Yuma County. It was only 23 miles from the RV park, but it was a rural, desert community with about 3,000 population. We did some geocaching there, getting eleven new finds in a couple hours. We had lunch at a Jack in the Box drive through, did a little sightseeing, then by 1:30 we were headed back over the mountains to the Yuma Foothills area. We were back home by 2:00 and relaxed for the rest of the day. We had cocktails at 5:00 and leftover pasta for dinner at Peggy's house. After we got home we watched TV and went to bed. Thursday was a stay at home day. Did a few chores but mostly relaxed. Jackie made chili relleno for dinner. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Friday, April 24^th, we left the coach about 9:00 with Peggy and drove to Sam's Club to do some shopping. We wanted to get there early to beat the crowds and also the heat. The triple digit temperatures are starting this week in Yuma. We got our supplies and headed for home. After we got the car unloaded we stayed in for the rest of the day. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then had left over chili relleno for dinner. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and then went to bed. Saturday was mostly a stay at home day. We did go out to Frys after lunch to do some shopping, but other than that we stayed in for the day. We had cocktails at 5:00, then did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner. The girls played some cards and then after Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Sunday, April 26^th, was another stay at home day. Today was the hottest day yet, about 103, so we stayed in except for our morning walk. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then did some hamburgers on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed. Today marks another three week mark for the blog, so it is time to close it out and get it published. Until next time, stay safe and pray we can all start to enjoy whatever we like to do again soon. See ya.

Winter in Yuma Arizona - Part 4 - The COVID Lockdown!

Hello again. Our last chapter concluded on Sunday, March 15^th, while we were still in Yuma, Arizona. Monday was another stay at home day for the most part. We are in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic panic of 2020, with all events and gatherings being canceled, including the two RV rallies we were go to starting this week in the Tucson area. Fortunately, we already had reservations at this park to the middle of April, so travel wise we weren't affected. Peggy was able to add another month to her reservations so at least until mid April we will remain hunkered down here in Yuma. Monday afternoon we watched the last 45 minutes of the film The Irishman, a Martin Scorsese mob film. It was a great movie, but at three and a half hours, a little too long. About 5:00 we drove over to another Foothills area RV park, Carefree Village, to have cocktails and dinner with Clark and Judi McKay. We had also stayed at Carefree for the previous three winters, but were not able to get reservations there this winter. We had cocktails and a very nice dinner with the McKays and talked for a couple of hours. We left around 7:30 and went back home. After we got in the coach we watched some TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, March 17^th, Happy St. Patrick's day. Of course, due to the ongoing virus crisis there are no celebrations. It appears that the dinner here at the park was not canceled, but we hadn't planned to go anyway. I got a nice, big five pound corn beef in the crock pot at 8:00 this morning and had two big heads of cabbage and some carrots standing by for cooking later. The news of the crisis continues to show more and more of a trend towards an unofficial martial law in the country. The government is now calling for the canceling of any gathering of more than ten people. Individual states are mandating the closure of bars, restaurants, theaters and any other place where people gather. I went to the store yesterday and the shelves are still eerily empty. Unlike a lot of people this does not scare me as much as piss me off. We did go out after lunch to the Dollar Store to try and return a hundred plus dollars worth of table cloths and decorations that Jackie had bought for the Monaco rally. The receipt said no refunds and the store manager confirmed that they would not refund the money or give a credit. She could exchange them for a hundred dollars worth of something else, but no refunds. After we got back home we just relaxed for the rest of the day. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then a very nice corn beef and cabbage dinner at 7:00 with Peggy. We watched a little TV after dinner and then went to bed.

Wednesday, March 18^th, we woke up to more rain. So far this year Yuma has gotten as much rain as it normally gets in a year, which is not really that much. Since it was cold and wet we had another stay at home day. Of course, the governments has us grounded anyway. We got a few chores done but mostly relaxed. For dinner Peggy made some Ruben sandwiches for us with leftover corn beef. It was really good. We watched some TV after Peggy left, then just relaxed for the rest of the day. Thursday I was out of the house about 9:30 and heading back to the local Ford dealer. Since we had the car serviced last week there has been a high pitched whistle inside the car which I finally narrowed down to something in the heating/air conditioning system. Before I got my hearing aides I would have never heard it. It varies in tone depending on the speed of the fan and stops when the fan is shut off. Since they changed the cabin air filter in the system when they did the service, I suspect that there is a small air leak. They took the car in as soon as I got there and a technician took out and replaced the filter and the noise was gone, so I was correct. I was in and out in 15 minutes. Yea! On the way home I stopped at a couple of grocery stores to see if I could get some paper products, but still no joy anywhere. I also stopped at the local gun shop since I needed a new holster for my concealed carry. The place was buzzing, with a couple dozen people looking at guns. After I got home we just relaxed around the house as is our new normal now. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle and had dinner at Peggy's. After dinner we watched some TV and went to bed.

Friday, March 20^th, the first full day of Spring! I was planning on going down to Mexico to get some adjustments on my hearing aides, but this last night the government issued an order to close the border to people just crossing for recreation and shopping. I think technically I could have gone, but I decided the work I was looking to have done was not important so we just stayed home. We spent the day around the house doing the usual things. Cocktails at 5:00, dinner at 7:00 and then a little TV before bed. Saturday we went out after lunch to do some geocaching. We had planned to go out to eat, but yesterday Yuma county reported it's first confirmed case of COVID19, a Marine at the air station, so under the Arizona Governor's orders, all restaurants and bars in Yuma County were ordered closed except for take out and drive through. We did get nine new finds and two DNFs in a couple of hours. After caching we stopped at Fry's for a few things, then went back home. We had hamburgers on the grill for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.

Sunday, March 22^nd, I decided to go out to Sam's Club on a supply run. We needed a few things, but mostly we were on our last bottle of vodka. I left the coach a little after 9:00 and got to the store around 9:30. The store opened at 10:00 and there was already a line halfway around the side of the building. I was probably number 50 or 60 in line. We all got in when the store opened I was close enough to the front of the line that I was able to get one of the large containers of paper towels, 15 rolls, before they ran out. They also had a lot of small water bottles, but we have good water and didn't really need that. I was able to get some paper plates, frozen fish, tuna, and a few other things we needed, including two cases (6 bottles) of vodka, one for us, one for Peggy. Still no toilet paper available, but we are OK for a few weeks. I stopped at a couple other stores in the area just to check on TP, but no luck. After I got home we relaxed for a while. We split the paper towels with Peggy and delivered the vodka. Around 5:00 Clark and Judi came over for cocktails and then we all did steaks on the BBQ and had a nice meal. After they left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, March 23^rd, we had another stay at home day, or shelter in place day as it is now known. Did a few chores but mostly just relaxed. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then we had dinner using the chicken I bought when I was at Sam's yesterday. After dinner we watched some TV and went to bed. Tuesday was mostly a stay at home day. We did go out and do a Walmart run after lunch to pick up a few things. We then stopped at Fry's just to see if they had things we were having a hard time getting. I was able to get toilet paper. Now Kleenex and hand sanitizer are the only things on our “yet to find” list. Yea! We spent the remainder of the day watching some of our shows on TV. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle and Clark and Judi came over for bit too. They had been to Algodones today to finish up some ongoing dental work Judi had going. They said the dental office opened just for patients like her who had work to finish off. Everything else, restaurants, stores, medical places, were all closed. I think their season is over early. After cocktails the three of us went to Peggy's and had sausage and sauerkraut. for dinner. After dinner we went home and watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, March 25^th was another shelter in place day for us. Peggy went off on a Jeep run with her friends Don and Barb, but she left Belle with us to dog sit. We had a quiet day, getting a few chores done, including some revised travel planning. The plan now is to stay here in Yuma for another month, with our leaving date now pushed out to May 12^th. We hope that this virus thing will have peaked by then and it will be safe to travel. Assuming that, we will be going to Goodyear for a week, then back to Indio for a week and then up to Silent Valley for a month before hopefully going back to our original summer trip schedule. Not too sure what Peggy is going to do, but she will likely stay here until at least May before trying to go home to Northern California. I have talked to my brother Ken, who lives in the Phoenix area, and he and Susan are doing OK. Both are still working as Ken is a part time flight instructor and part time executive pilot, and Susan works for Southwest Airlines in the reservations office. They just bought a new 40' diesel pusher and are really upset that they are temporarily grounded from their hoped for travel. They did go to Gila Bend for a few days just as a test run.

My brother Russ, who works in Las Vegas is home on an enforced vacation as he works at a casino. The governor closed all casinos in Nevada, putting a million people out of work for a month. Right now they are getting paid, but that can't last long, even for a casino company. Our friends Dick and Millie Duffin came over for happy hour and let us know that they are headed back to Pahrump tomorrow. They feel that they will be safe there assuming they can avoid contact with people on the way. After cocktails we had dinner at our place with Jackie making chicken enchiladas, rice and beans. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed.

Thursday, March 26^th, another stay at home day. I got a number of chores done today, including working on some small water leaks on the roof, weeding the yard and fixing some lights. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle and then did some fish on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed. Friday we are still staying at home for the most part. Peggy and Jackie went out after lunch and did a quick Fry's run for a few supplies. The stores seem to slowly be getting their shelves restocked after the panic buying from a month ago. I got a few more maintenance chores done around the coach. We had cocktails, then Peggy made dinner, a nice pork roast with sweet potatoes. After dinner we went back home and watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, March 28^th, another chores and relaxation day. I got some storage cabinets rearranged and cleaned out and a few other chores. We had cocktails at 5:00 and I made a batch of stuffed peppers for dinner. After dinner Peggy left and we watched TV until bedtime. Sunday we went out after lunch to do a little geocaching. We were with Peggy and caching in a rural area of Southwest Yuma, so we weren't violating any “social distancing” rules. We were able to get a dozen new finds, and one DNF, in a couple of hours. After caching we stopped at Walmart for a couple things, then went back home and relaxed for the rest of the day. We had cocktails at 5:00 and then Peggy turned the left over pork from the other night into chili verde. After dinner we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, March 30^th, we had another stay at home day. My big project for the day was to finish the quarterly newsletter for the Full Timer's Chapter of FMCA. I got it done and ready to publish by late afternoon. I had been cooking a pot roast all day, so that's what we had for dinner. After dinner we spent some time with the TV and went to bed. Tuesday and still grounded, now it appears for at least 30 days. We stayed home, did a few chores and continued to safely relax. Cocktails at 5:00, a dinner of cheeseburgers on the grill later. Watched some TV, went to bed. Wednesday we decided to get out of the house for a bit and left after lunch to do some geocaching. Peggy didn't go, so it was just Jackie and I. We had a fun afternoon, getting 14 new finds along with two DNFs. It was also responsible pandemic caching in that we were in a rural area and never got closer than 50 feet to another human who was not sealed in a vehicle. Washed and disinfected after caching, then went home and relaxed for a bit. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then a nice dinner of tamales. After we got back to our coach we watched some TV and went to bed.

Thursday, April 2^nd, was another stay at home day for the most part. I did some chores for Peggy that I had been putting off. Also did a few things around our coach. We mostly relaxed. After cocktails we had dinner at Peggy's, tacos. They were great. After we got home we did the TV thing and went to bed. Friday still grounded. I did go out before lunch, by myself, to do a supply run at Frys. Things are starting to look a little better in the stores. Still no toilet paper or paper towels, no disinfectant products like wipes or hand sanitizer. But the food isles are mostly full now, lots of dairy and eggs, meats, and most can goods. The pasta isle is still a little barren, but there are a few of most types now. I got our supplies, making sure to stay clear of people, then went back home. Did a few chores and some office work. For dinner the girls both had rack of lamb on the BBQ and I had a nice T-bone steak. We had some potatoes and asparagus to go with dinner. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Saturday, April 4^th, another day in the hunker bunker. Did get some office work done, including filing a dispute with the credit card company over the refusal of FMCA to refund all, or even any, of the $675 we paid for the canceled Tucson rally. Well over half that money was for the full hookup 50 amp parking site which FMCA would not have spent any money on yet. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then dinner at our house. We had Asian pork ribs that had been cooking in the crock pot all day. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed. Sunday we Jackie and I went out after lunch and drove to Sam's Club. I needed to return a computer hard drive I had bought just two weeks ago that just stopped working. All of a sudden it gave error messages and then the computer wouldn't recognize the drive any more. I tried to do the reformat fix, but it still wouldn't work. Although I didn't have the box, I did have the receipt and documentation, so they refunded my money with no problem. As long as I was there I picked up some more vodka and a couple other little things. Jackie came along just to get out of the coach, but stayed in the car while I went in. After we got back to the coach we just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. We had cocktails and then dinner with Peggy. She served some ham and bean soup which was excellent. After dinner we went back to the coach and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

It is now three weeks since we last published. Most readers will agree that this episode is pretty damn repetitive, and it is. However, it is something that we will want to remember in a year or two. It's like we are all living “Ground Hog Day” in real life. Same crap, different day. Oh well, this too shall pass. Until next time, remember the words of author C.J. Redwine. “Losing your head in a crisis is a good way to become the crisis.” Stay safe and see ya soon.

Winter in Yuma Arizona - Part 3

Hi there, welcome back. Our last chapter concluded on Sunday, February 23^rd, while we were in the middle of our three month stay in Yuma, Arizona. Monday was pretty much a stay at home day. We got some chores done but mostly relaxed.

Tuesday, February 25^th, we did our laundry here at the RV park in the morning. About 1:00 Jackie and I went out for a late lunch at one of the local diners, The Eatery. We had a great lunch and then went back to the coach. We watched a DVD of the movie Joker, which was up for a lot of academy awards. Joaquin Phoenix won for best actor and it won for best musical score as well. Jackie's brother had told us he thought the movie was among the best he had ever seen. I was a bit underwhelmed by the movie, overall but had to admit that Phoenix did an outstanding job portraying a mentally ill person spiraling out of control. Of course, in my opinion Joaquin Phoenix is crazy as a shit house owl in real life, so it was the perfect role for him. We also did a few chores, then had happy hour with Peggy on the patio. About 6:00 we left with Peggy and drove over to the Palms RV Resort to see a comedy show. The Palms is a very upscale resort which actually sells the lots rather than just rents or leases. There are a lot of very nice vacation homes on the property. We had stayed at the Palms about four years ago when we got a two for one coupon at a rally, so instead of a thousand dollars a month we only paid $500, which was the average rate for most of the Yuma RV parks. It

was enjoyable and we were there with four other couples, but it is too expensive for our blood without the discounts. During the season the Palms has a “Concert Series” which is mostly good tribute shows for various entertainers and bands, but when we got here to Yuma we saw that tonight they had a comedy show with Mark Cordes. Mark, who also bills his show as “The Spouse Whisperer,” is very funny. We have seen him twice before, five years ago at a Monaco International Rally in Pahrump, and then last year at the Monaco International Rally in Las Vegas. Before the show I had a chance to talk to him and he remembered me from Vegas since I was the sound guy for that rally and he also remembered being in Pahrump with the group. The three of us had a great time and he put on a good show tonight again. After the show we went back to the coach, had a little TV time and then went to bed.

Wednesday, February 26^th, the three of us left the park about 11:00 and drove to our favorite taco stand in the Foothills for lunch. We had invited Dick and Millie Duffin as well and the five of us had a nice lunch. After lunch the three went and did some errands and some geocaching. We stopped first at the Yuma Elks Lodge so Peggy could get a widows card for the Elks. Vernon was the member and his home lodge was Deadwood, South Dakota. For the years that he was a member they had nothing but trouble with the lodge. Being so far away they couldn't go to the lodge in person and the secretary of the lodge always seemed to be non-cooperative. Peggy found the same thing when she contacted the lodge to get a widows card, which doesn't cost anything but allows her access to any Elks lodge facility. This is important if you want to RV and use Elks Lodge facilities. The Deadwood secretary didn't want to do it, even though Vernon was still a paid up member for the current Elk year, which runs from April 1^st. He basically told her to join another lodge. Peggy called the Yuma Lodge and talked to the secretary who told her that she would handle everything for her if she just came in, so we did. Within a half hour she had a widows card from Yuma and was all set up for the next year. After stopping at the Elks we did some geocaching again, getting 13 new finds in a couple of hours. This gives us 24 finds for the week, yea! We are working towards the 10,000 finds milestone and hope to do it this year. After caching we stopped at the grocery store for a few things, then headed back home. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle and then Peggy made some shrimp and scallops pasta. We had a great dinner and after about 8:00 went back to our coach, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Thursday, February 27^th, we left the RV park a little after 9:00 and the three of us headed for Algodones, Mexico again. The primary reason for going down there today was I wanted to go see the only audiologist in town about hearing aides. They advertise, like the dental and optical places, that they are half the price of the U.S. hearing aide places. The girls just wanted to do some shopping and get haircuts. The audiologist couldn't get me in until noon or later, so I made an early appointment for next Wednesday. I tracked down the girls at the salon and when they were done they were pretty happy with their haircuts. Only $6 plus tip for a cut, not bad. We did a little shopping then stopped for lunch. We had a great lunch and finally got back into line to go back around 12:30. We missed the window for no one in line, but the line was still pretty short and it only took a half hour to get back across the border. We headed back to the RV park and spent the rest of the day around the coach. In the afternoon we watched a DVD copy of the movie Parasite, which was the movie which won the Oscar this year for Best Picture. It was a South Korean movie in the original language with subtitles. Other than the fact that the subtitles could be a little hard to see sometimes on the small TV screen it was an interesting and enjoyable movie. I am not sure that had it not been a foreign film about social classes that it was academy award material, but it was a good watch. We had no idea what to expect, but the term Parasite was because the plot involved a poor family, in which the mother, father and both adult children were out of work, scams a rich but basically stupid (they used the term simple) couple and their two children. All four of them scammed their way into the families employ based on one recommendation of a friend of the son's. The son was the tutor, the daughter was an art consultant, the mother the housekeeper and the father the driver. They all got their jobs by plotting to get the previous workers fired. The rich family was no aware that they were all one family. It was funny, violent at times, and tragic, but a good movie. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Friday, February 28^th, happy birthday to my brother Russ. Today was a stay at home day. We got a few chores done, but mostly just relaxed around the house. About 5:00 the Shade Pro guy came to do a couple of repairs to ours and Peggy's shades. We had one that had quit working and Peggy had a couple. We had happy hour and then did some fish on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed. Saturday was leap day. Jackie and Peggy left around 11:30 and went to their sushi place for lunch and then some shopping. I stayed home because I was booked to do karaoke again at the park next door. At 2:00 I went over there and got everything set up. We started singing at 3:00 today instead of 4:00 like the last time. We again had about ten singers at the height of the three hours. Everyone seemed to have a good time and we shut down the show at 6:00. It took me a half hour to tear down and pack up the stuff, then back to the coach for cocktails. After happy hour we went to Peggy's and she served her penne pasta dish that we love. We had a great dinner, then went back to our place and watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday, March 1^st, welcome to Spring, at least in terms of the calendar. We went out with Peggy about 1:00 and drove to the Arizona Market Place to wander around a bit and pick up a few things. It took a couple hours to walk it, then we headed back to the coach. We had cocktails at 5:00, then later did some steaks on the BBQ. After Peggy went home we watched a little TV and went to bed. Monday was mostly a stay at home day. We did go out after lunch to do a Walmart run, but then went back to the coach and relaxed. Jackie made chili relleno casserole for dinner, with beans and rice. We had a great meal, then after Peggy went home we watched some TV.

Tuesday we left the coach about 11:30 and drove to a new Thai restaurant near Walmart, not too far from the RV park. Up until this year this location in a strip mall had been a laundromat, however this season a Thai restaurant went in. It had been featured in the newspaper a couple days ago, so we thought we would give it a try. It had a fairly extensive menu, but no liquor license, so no beer. Service was terrible. It took ten minutes after we were seated to get menus, then another ten or fifteen before anyone came to take the order. We all ordered off the main dinner menu, not the lunch menu, but we got what I would consider to be luncheon size portions. Dinner choices are $12.95 vs $9.95 for lunch, but the portions were very small. The food was OK, but not spicy at all despite all of asking for at least medium spice. Our experience was such that we will not be back and unless things change I don't think this place will be here in another year or two. After lunch we drove into town to Sam's Club to do some shopping, then went back to the coach and spent the rest of the day and evening in the coach.

Wednesday, March 4^th, Jackie and I were up early and on our way to Mexico by 9:00. I had an appointment at the audiologist down there to get my hearing tested and probably buy some hearing aides. This is an actual trained audiologist that sells American made (Siemens) hearing aides at half the U.S. price. As expected, the test showed that the high frequency end of my hearing in both ears was very degraded. My low frequencies are fine. I ended up ordering two behind the ear 24 channel aides for $1,600 total. They will be in next week, so I will report on how they work out. Jackie also got her hearing checked and found she was OK for the most part, just slightly degraded across the all the frequencies and not a candidate for hearing aides right now. After the tests we had lunch at one of our places then headed back across the border. The line was only about a half hour, so we were back at the coach by 1:00. We then went to Fry's for a few supplies on “Senior Day” when all seniors get a 10 percent discount. After shopping we went back to the coach and stayed in the rest of the day. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then had leftovers for dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, March 5^th, we initially thought we were going to have to stay at home today because today was propane delivery day for the month and we needed some before we left in two weeks for Tucson. However, the guy showed up early this time, so after lunch Jackie and I were able to go out and do some geocaching. We were able to get another dozen finds with no DNFs. Yea! After caching we went back to the coach and did a few chores. We had cocktails at 5:00 with Peggy, then about 6:00 the three of us left and went back to Icon's, the local restaurant we had tried on our anniversary. That time they were out of prime rib. Jackie called ahead today to be sure they had it. All three of us had the prime rib and it was very good. However, the service at the place is still spotty and the music was way too loud for the size of the restaurant. Jackie and Peggy seemed to like the place, but it would not be a fave for me in the future. After dinner we went home and watched some TV until bedtime.

Friday, March 6^th, we pretty much stayed at home. Peggy and Jackie were a little under the weather with stomach distress. Since I had a little too, although less then them, we could only assume that it was something we ate last night. I got a few chores done during the day. Around 3:00 I left and drove over to Elks Lodge in Yuma to set up to watch the Friday night cruise for the annual Midnight at the Oasis car show. The actual show is Saturday and Sunday, but traditionally on Friday night most of the cars do a five mile parade route around suburban Yuma. For the last five years or so we have been setting up in the parking lot of the Elks Lodge, which is right on the parade route, near the end. It has

convenient parking, rest rooms and refreshments nearby and some shade. Peggy and Jackie didn't want to go, but I did meet Clark and Judi there and also some other friends of ours, Sally and Jim Calzada, who we met through Ray and Suzi Babcock. We sat and talked for the first hour before the parade started. It was really great weather and, as usual, the cars were wonderful to look at and listen to. After the cruise I drove back home, stopping at KFC for some dinner. The three of us had dinner, then after Peggy left we watched some TV. Saturday was a stay around the RV park day. Jackie and Peggy went down to the clubhouse at our park at noon for a ladies luncheon and fashion show. It lasted a little over ninety minutes and they seemed to enjoy it. While they were gone I gathered up all the karaoke gear and loaded the car. About 2:00 I went down to the clubhouse at the neighboring park and set up for my last karaoke gig there for this year. We started about 3:00 and although the group was smaller than the last couple of times, they were enthusiastic and ready to have fun. We had about seven regular singers in the rotation along with a number of group songs and duets. Our friends Dick and Millie and Clark and Judi also came to watch. We went on until 6:00 and everyone seemed very pleased with the party. I packed up the gear and by 6:30 was having a cocktail. While we were at karaoke Peggy cooked up some pasta and chicken parm which we had for dinner. We talked for a while, then went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday, March 8^th, was another stay at home day. We were having a group over this afternoon for a cookout, so we spent some time during the day doing house cleaning and other chores. At around 4:30 Dick and Millie and Clark and Judi came over and we had cocktails and played a few games of Left, Right, Center a dice game we like that is played for quarters. Of the three games Jackie won one and I won one. Clark won the third. We sat and talked for a while, then I cooked burgers for everyone on the grill and we had a nice dinner. Judi brought potato salad and Millie brought desert and the we and Peggy provided everything else. We had a really nice dinner, cleaned up and then sat and talked until about 8:30 when everyone went home. We went in and watched TV until bedtime. Monday we went out after lunch to do a Walmart run, then came back and stayed around the coach all day. We had planned to go out to the desert this evening for the monthly Yuma Howl at the Moon gathering. Kelly Hughes, a local country entertainer I have mentioned before started this several years ago and it has become quite the event in Yuma during the tourist season. Think of it as a rave for seniors. Music, dancing, booze and partying until the moon comes up. Then everyone howls, heads to their cars and go home by 7:00. We haven't been this trip, but it is going to rain tonight and the sky is completely clouded up and we wouldn't be able to see the moon come up anyway. Instead Jackie made an oriental chicken casserole and the three of us had a nice dinner. After Peggy left we watched a little TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, March 10^th, we woke up to a wet world. As predicted, the rain came in yesterday afternoon and it rained all day. We didn't go anywhere, but did a few chores done. I had one more karaoke gig to do this afternoon here at our own RV park. It was scheduled by the activities director before the beginning of the month, but I didn't know that “karaoke” on the schedule for the park meant me until two days ago when the activities person got around to asking me. The karaoke was scheduled for a brief period, an hour or so, after a pot luck dinner. It was raining cats and dogs at 5:30 when the pot luck began, but there were a couple dozen people there and the food was OK. I started karaoke around 6:00 and wasn't expecting much, and I wasn't disappointed. Except for the activities director, who gamely got up and did two songs, I had no other takers and people were leaving as soon as the food was done. The differences between the people in our park and the ones in the one next door are great. This park has a bunch of old people who act old. Oh well, our plan is to be in the park next door next year. About 7:00 I tore down and packed up and we went back to the coach. We watched TV the rest of the evening.

Wednesday, March 11^th, we left the park about 9:30 and drove to Algodones, Mexico again. The weather called for rain, but it was only cloudy. Jackie went into her new favorite hair salon to get her hair cut, colored and streaked. I was down here to pick up my new hearing aides, but didn't have an appointment until noon. I killed some time walking around and managed to walk a few blocks into town to get a geocache. About 12:30 my hearing aides came into the doctor's office and the audiologist took me in and fitted them to me and gave me some lessons on their use. We were done around 1:00 and went across the street and had some lunch. Although it was almost 2:00 before we got into line to go back to the U.S., the line moved fast and it was less than a half hour and we were in the car heading back to the RV park. After we got home we relaxed for a while, did a few chores, and watched TV. We had cocktails with Peggy and then the three of us went to Day Breakers for dinner. After dinner we went home, watched TV and went to bed.

Thursday, March 12^th, we had another bout of rain go through and it was pretty ugly weather wise. I left the coach about 8:00 and drove to the Ford dealer in town to get the car serviced. Other than the routine stuff the only thing they had to fix was one of the fog lights was not coming on. They did the service under the contract we have and the light was fixed under warranty. It only took about 90 minutes to get the car done and I was home by 10:30. We spent the day at home watching the rain come and go. We had cocktails with Peggy and some friends of hers who have a winter house here in Yuma. Peggy and Vernon met Barb and Don a few years back on an RV caravan on the East coast and they have remained good friends. Peggy served a nice lasagna with all the fixings for the five of us. We ate and visited until about 8:00 when we went home, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Friday, March 13^th, my son Roy Jr.'s birthday. This turned out to be a very interesting day. Around 11:30 we left with Peggy and drove to the taco stand for lunch. We had a nice lunch and afterwards went back to the RV park and stayed in for the rest of the day. We caught the tail end of the President's news conference where he declared a National State of Emergency due to the Corona Virus. We had read in the morning paper that the military was canceling all events, including the air show here in Yuma. Within two hours we were notified that FMCA has canceled the Tucson International Convention we were scheduled to go to next week. Shortly after that we were told that the Monaco International Rally in Benson, near Tucson, was also canceled. This was a pre-rally we were going to before Tucson. Fortunately for us, we already had reservations here in Yuma through the middle of April, so it will really be saving us money, although we are disappointed the rallies were canceled. Peggy will have to change her plans for the end of March and the beginning of April. What a bummer of a day and all because of media driven panic over a flu virus. We had cocktails with Peggy and Belle, then did some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. After dinner we watched some TV then went to bed. Saturday was a stay at home day for me. I had plans to go to the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma's air show today with Clark McKay, however due to the “ongoing COVID19 pandemic” the show was canceled on Thursday. The El Centro Naval Air Station show in California, also today, was also canceled. Jackie, Peggy and Judi still went to Julianne's, a local fine dining restaurant for a girl's lunch. I stayed home and did office work and computer backups. We had cocktails at 5:00, but no dinner since everyone was still full from lunch. We watched some TV and went to bed.

Sunday, March 16^th, we had a stay at home day, as I imagine most of days for the next couple weeks will be. I started the morning by starting a batch of chili colorado for dinner. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. In the afternoon we spent almost three hours watching most of the movie The Irishman. This is a Martin Scorsese mob film and is quite similar in substance to his other mob films, with a lot of the same main cast. DeNiro, Pesci and Pacino in the lead roles. In this case DeNiro plays Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran a mobster who ended up working with and for Jimmy Hoffa. It is a historical type film set as Sheeran telling his life story as a hit man, including, according the movie at least, that he is the one who killed Hoffa, although others took care of the body disposal. Most of the plot is based on rumor and supposition, but it was still an excellent film. We stopped with 45 minutes to go because we were tired of sitting. The movie is three and a half hours, which is a little long for a movie. We had cocktails and then a nice dinner with the chili colorado and fixings. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed.

It is now another three weeks in Yuma behind us. As I talked about early in this episode, this is where I should be talking about traveling to the Tucson area for our rallies with Monaco and then FMCA. However that is all off and we are now sitting here listening to constant news about the COVID19 pandemic and being told to stay home and hunker down. I can be lazy with the best of them, but two or three weeks of “hunkering” is going to get tiresome. Until next time, stay safe, stay clean and see ya soon.