Another Three Weeks in Yuma: Things Starting to Look Up, Maybe

Hi there, welcome back to our story. The last chapter concluded on Sunday, February 21st, while we were still wintering in Yuma, Arizona. Originally we were going to leave Yuma in a couple of weeks, early March, to head back to Pahrump, but because of the fact that we need to get our second Covid vaccination in late March, we have extended for a month, so now we won't be leaving until about April 1st.

Monday, February 22nd, we had a stay at home day. I spent most of the day in the office taking care of admin work. We got our mail the other day and had everything for our taxes, so I did those and e-filed our tax return. I also did the blog and took care of several other admin chores. A very productive day. Jackie spent some time painting rocks for our friends. We had cocktails with our little group at 5:00 and then did some hamburgers on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed. Tuesday Jackie and Peggy went to a ladies luncheon and fashion show at the clubhouse. I did a few more admin chores. After the luncheon the three of us did a Walmart run. After we got back we put away the groceries and relaxed for a while. We had happy hour with the group and then Jackie and I had a simple dinner of tacos. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Wednesday, February 24th, was a stay at home day. About 12:30 I went over to the clubhouse for the jam session. It was a little smaller group today, but we still had fun. Len came and played for the first time this afternoon and seemed to enjoy himself. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00, then Peggy did a pasta and scallops in a cream sauce dinner for us, and her and Millie. We went home around 8:30 and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday we babysat Belle while Peggy went out Jeeping with her friends. For lunch we went over to the clubhouse for the burger bash. After lunch we walked Belle, then drove to Sam's Club for supplies. We were back home by a little after 2:00 and Peggy came back around 3:00. We had cocktails with the group on the patio, then did some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed.

Friday, February 26th, Jackie and I left the coach after lunch and went to get our toes done. Jackie gets a full pedi, I just get a trim. After our toes we went back to the coach and relaxed for a bit before going over to the patio of the clubhouse to listen to a band. The park brought in a trio called “The Dependables” who have played at a lot of other parks around the foothills. They are three baby boomer age guys, a drummer, a lead guitarist and a bass player, who do a variety of music, oldies, country, rock, you name it. They have a good rapport with the audience and were pretty good musicians. It was a two hour concert, 3-5, and it we enjoyed it a lot. We had cocktails with the group after the band and then the four of us had some KFC for dinner. After Peggy and Millie went home we watched TV for the rest of the night.

Saturday, February 27th, we went to the taco stand for lunch with Peggy and Millie. After lunch we went back to the coach and relaxed for a while. About 2:00 I went over to the clubhouse and set up for karaoke. I got everything up and working, but at 3:00 no one showed up again. Since I had the stuff set up, I did some practice singing, working on some new songs. I also let Dottie, our activities director sing some songs and we worked on a couple of duets to try when people start coming to karaoke again. I later learned that one of the other parks had scheduled a band for the afternoon, so that's probably where the music people went. About 4:30 I packed everything up and we did our happy hour with the group. After happy hour Jackie and I had leftovers for dinner then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Sunday, February 28th, happy birthday to my brother Russ who hit the big “6-0” today. We had a stay at home day. Around 4:00 I set up all my sound equipment outside our rig in preparation for a park wide block party. It was advertised as a 'howl at the moon” party, but we missed the full moon by a couple days, so it doesn't come up until almost 8:30 today. So, the party is just a 5-7 happy hour. I was very pleased when we ended up with at least 50 people sitting, talking and drinking around our coach. I just played a variety of music and everyone seemed to have a good time. Since it was a little cool tonight they even brought out the propane fire pits from the clubhouse patio and put them in the street for people to sit around. We partied until about 7:00 when I shut it off and dismantled my equipment. We had a late dinner at Peggy's, with Millie and our other neighbors, Jerry and Debbie. Peggy made her penne pasta and it was wonderful. After dinner we went home, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Monday, March 1st, was a stay at home day. Welcome to the beginning of “calendar Spring” and maybe warmer weather. It wasn't today, as the high was only to be 67 degrees. I finished packing up the equipment from the block party last night and got everything back in it's proper place. Today was also laundry day and we had everything done by mid afternoon. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00, then we and Peggy and Millie had a meat loaf that Jackie made. After they left we watched TV and then went to bed. Tuesday we went out after lunch to do a grocery run at Fry's. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores. We had cocktail hour with the group and then six of us shared a big pot of shrimp, asparagus and mushroom risotto that Jackie and Peggy put together. After everyone left we cleaned up and watched some TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, March 3rd, Jackie went out for lunch with Millie, Peggy and Debbie to the Ninja Sushi restaurant. It worked out well because I don't care for sushi and was going to the jam session at the clubhouse today. I went over there about 12:30 and got set up. We had a great group, mostly the same people I have been playing with since I started going. I got to do three songs and played along on many others. After the jam I went back to the coach and relaxed for a while. We had cocktails with the group, but no group dinner tonight. Jackie and I had left over risotto for dinner. We watched TV until bedtime. Thursday Peggy and Jackie went out again for lunch, this time to Thai food at Lemon Grass Cafe. After lunch they stopped at the optical place so Jackie could pick up her new glasses. I left the coach about 12:30 and went and played golf with Len and Debbie Forrest and a friend of theirs named Bonnie. We played the very easy, and inexpensive, Foothills par 3 course. Regular readers will know that I just recently bought a new set of golf clubs to replace the set I gave away almost 16 years ago when we left the Coachella Valley and went full time in the motorhome. I only played for fun and was never any good at golf. I didn't like to play alone and I didn't like to play with strangers, and I knew when we went out on the road that those would be my only choices. So, I gave up the game. Never thought much of it until we got the place in Pahrump and now I have friends that golf, also only moderately well, and a near by golf course, so I thought I would start up again. Today was the first time I have played golf since 2005, and I was predictably bad, but actually did par the third hole. I almost quit after that win. We had a great three hours and I am glad I am out with friends again. After Jackie and I both got back to the coach we just relaxed until cocktail hour with the group. After happy hour we and Peggy had pork loins baked with onions and side dishes for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and then went to bed.

Friday, March 5th, was a stay at home day. We did a few chores and mainly relaxed until about 2:30 when we went over to the clubhouse for another concert on the patio. Today the entertainer was Kelly Hughes. Regular readers may remember that Kelly is a country western entertainer from Idaho who winters in Yuma and does gigs all over the Southwest in the winter months. In Idaho he has a full band and does bars and small venues up in the north country during the summer months. He is also the one who started the “howl at the moon” phenomenon about 15 years ago here in Yuma and frequently plays at the howl parties. We have seen him a number of times and always find him fun and easy to listen to. When he is in Yuma he normally performs alone, although at the howl parties he has some friends who may come to play with him. Today it was just him and he put on a great two hour show. After the show we had our cocktail hour with friends, including Len and Debbie today because they came over the the concert. After cocktails we and Peggy did pork green chili for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, March 6th, the morning started at 7:30 when we got a table set up for the park-wide yard sale. Jackie had a bunch of stuff out that she wanted to get rid of. She ended up making over $30, so it was a success. They shut down about 11:00 because it was starting to get hot. Peggy and Jackie went to Fry's after lunch to get some steaks that were on sale. I stayed home and started getting stuff ready for the karaoke session this afternoon. At 2:00 I took everything over to the clubhouse and got set up. The session started at 3:00 and we initially had the same six people we had two weeks ago, but at one point we had eight in the rotation. Yea! We had a great time and everyone got to do at least five or six songs if they wanted. A little after 5:00 I shut it down and dismantled all the equipment. We then had happy hour with the group and after happy hour we and Peggy did our steaks on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched some TV and then went to bed.

Sunday, March 7th, we had a stay at home day. Enjoyed the paper and coffee in the morning and spent the day doing chores and relaxing. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00 and then Millie served dinner on the patio of her coach. Salad, a very nice Italian soup, and a nice desert. There were eight of us for dinner as Len and Debbie also came over. After dinner we went back in our coach and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night. Monday we left the coach about noon to go to lunch and do some geocaching. Peggy was staying home waiting for a service guy to come to unclog her toilet. We stopped at Del Taco for a quick lunch, then did some geocaching. We were able to get five caches in an hour and a half or so. On the way home we stopped at Walmart for a few things, then went back to the coach. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00 and then we and Peggy did some burgers on the grill for dinner. After dinner we watched TV and headed off to bed.

Tuesday, March 9th, we, along with Peggy, left the RV park about 11:00 and drove to downtown Yuma to go another of our favorite places to eat, Da Boyz, a pizza and Italian place. They also have a store out here in the Foothills, but we have found the food, service and ambiance better at the downtown location. All three of us had Calzones, and I took half of mine home for dinner. After lunch we just headed back to the coach because Peggy had stuff to do. We spent the rest of the day in the coach relaxing. One great thing, both Jackie and I were able to make our appointments for the second Moderna Covid shot. We go in on Friday, exactly 28 days from the first shot. Yea! Peggy, who got the first shot on the same day was unable to get an appointment, but when she called the hospital she was told to try again Wednesday since she thought they were allowing appointments to be made by people in the same order as when they called for the first shot. Peggy made her appointment a day after we made ours for the first shots. We had cocktails with the group, minus Millie. Millie's son and his wife flew back into Yuma today and they are planning to leave for Pahrump tomorrow. After cocktails we went had a light dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, March 10th, we had a stay at home day. I went over to the clubhouse at 12:30 for the jam session and Peggy and Jackie came over later to listen for a while. The group continues to grow, we are up to about 16 people now. Had a good time and sang a couple of songs. Millie left Yuma today with her son driving the motorhome and his wife driving Millie's car. They are planning on a one day trip to Pahrump, which would be way too far for me at 335 miles. We had cocktails with the group and then we and Peggy did some Ahi on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we spent the rest of the evening watching TV. Thursday I went out about 12:30 to play nine holes of golf with Len. We played the par 3 course and I did better than last week. Not great mind you, but better. I even got a birdie on the eighth hole. Yea! Peggy and Jackie went out to a local Thai restaurant for lunch when I went to play golf. After we all got home we relaxed until cocktail hour. We had happy hour with our group and then had chili that was made by Jerry and Debbie, our neighbors, who are part of our happy hour group. We ate in our coach because they live in a 11 foot truck camper and their “house” is a little tight for five. The chili was excellent. After dinner everyone left and we just relaxed with the TV until it was time for bed.

Friday, March 12th, we were on the road with Peggy around 10:00 headed to the Civic Center to get our second Covid shots. Yea! Jackie and I had appointments for 11:00 but Peggy wasn't able to get an appointment until the day after we did, so she was closer to 1:30. We went and got our shots then went to Mi Rancho Mexican restaurant for lunch. After lunch we went back to the Civic Center and arrived about a half hour before Peggy's scheduled time. However, they were not busy and took her in early. After Peggy was done we went back to the coach. We had cocktails with the group but no dinner because of the big lunch. We watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, March 13th, my son Roy Junior's birthday. Jackie woke up feeling really badly. She was having the same reaction to the second shot as she had with the first. Major headache, body aches and fatigue. She ended up spending the entire day in bed. I just futzed around the house all day. I did go over to the clubhouse about 3:00 because the owners of the RV park were putting on their appreciation day, just like they did last year. They had a dinner with some BBQ and fixings, but I just took two plates to go. Jackie didn't feel like eating and I had eaten lunch. I had mine later for dinner, but Jackie's is still in the fridge. Hopefully she will wake up tomorrow feeling better. She was at 90 percent the next day a month ago.

Sunday, March 14th, as predicted Jackie woke up feeling much better. Not quite back 100 percent, but better. She was still a little tired and weak feeling, so we spent the day in the house, but at least she was up, showered, dressed and doing better. By cocktail hour she was OK enough to go outside with the group. For dinner we and Peggy did some pork chops on the grill, along with sweet potatoes and a very nice zucchini dish that Peggy put together. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed. We are now three weeks out from the last time we posted, so it is time to close out this chapter and get it published. Until next time, consider the words of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Get out there and experience something! See ya soon.

 

Still Wintering in Yuma, Covid comes, Covid Goes

 Hello again. Our last chapter concluded on Saturday, January 30th, while we were still in Yuma, Arizona. Sunday I woke up pretty much sick. I had much the same symptoms as Jackie, slight cough, achy body, tired and listless. We stayed in all day. Monday was more of the same. Late in the day I got the results of the Covid test we took and on Saturday and I am now positive. My luck had run out. Jackie was also positive, but with her I am sure it is just residual from when she was sick as she is feeling pretty much OK now. So we are now officially quarantined for at least two weeks.

Tuesday was a stay at home day. I didn't feel any worse than yesterday, but not better either. Just stayed home and rested all day. Wednesday started out pretty much the same, but by the end of the day I was actually feeling a little better. We had a hamburger helper meal for dinner and for the first time in four or five days I actually had a decent size meal. When I went to bed I was feeling at least 50 percent better. Thursday I seem to continue to improve. I am now getting by with just a decongestant tablet and a couple of Advil every six hours. For dinner we ordered a pizza delivered from the nearby Pizza Hut. Not the bets pizza in the world, but pretty damn good today. I think I am headed in the right direction.

Friday, February 5th, happy birthday to me. Yea, 74! Still feeling about the same, good but not completely well. This damn Covid kicks your ass even when you don't get it bad. We had some nice scampi for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed. Saturday we just stayed home and relaxed. I seem to have plateaued, not getting worse but not better either. Mostly it's the cough and the associated headaches and stomach issues that come from it. We had some salmon on the BBQ for dinner. Sunday was our 17th wedding anniversary. And Super Bowl Sunday! We were both rooting for Brady and were not disappointed in the game. We couldn't go out for a celebration of our anniversary, but we had a nice quiet day at home. Again. Monday was another of our anniversaries, this time the 23rd anniversary of our reunion. We had a nice day at home. I continue to improve a little each day. Everything is pretty normalized except for the occasional cough, which still nags me.

Tuesday, February 9th, was the day that the health department had given me as the probable date I would be over the Covid symptoms. Although I am better, I haven't quite reached that goal yet. I have decided to give myself until Saturday, just to be sure I am not still infectious. After Saturday I am out and about. Did a nice pot of chili for dinner. Wednesday I continue to improve. Had a quiet day at home and actually sat outside for cocktail hour, the first time I've done that in a couple weeks. Even took the car for a five mile joy ride to be sure it still worked. We did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner, a real dinner for a change. Today we also got a call from the Yuma Medical Center that we had appointments for our first Covid shot Friday morning at 10:00. They got both Jackie and I and were also able to get Peggy in at the same time, so we can go together. Millie got her shot a day or two ago, so our whole group will be vaccinated soon.

Thursday was a stay at home day. We were babysitting Belle while Peggy went out on a Jeep run. Didn't do much but some chores around the house. Friday we and Peggy left the RV around 9:30 and headed towards the Yuma Civic Center, which is in Central Yuma. Although the clinic for the shots was at the City's building, the actual event was being put on by the Yuma County Medical Center. It was very well organized and the lines moved along quite well. It was not a drive through clinic, so we did have to get out of the car. Within a half hour we had our shots and were sitting in the recovery area. They keep you there for at least 15 minutes to watch for any serious reactions to the shots. By 10:30 we were out of there and back in the car. We all got the Moderna vaccine, which means we have to get the second shot after 28 days. That means we will have to extend our time here in Yuma by a few weeks or a month, but it if means we get inoculated, so be it. We stopped at El Charro, one of our favorite Mexican places, for lunch. Jackie and I both had machaca, which is wonderful there. Peggy had enchiladas and was a little disappointed. Just this morning the local paper published the “best of” awards for Yuma and El Charro was number one for Mexican food. Our next favorite place, El Rancho, was number two. After lunch we went back to the coach and hung out the rest of the afternoon. We had leftovers for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.

Saturday, February 13th, we ended up having a stay at home day because Jackie was having some reaction to the shot from yesterday. She had a rough night and was kind of achy and out of sorts. Sunday, Happy Valentines Day and happy birthday to my granddaughter Courtney. We left the coach, just Jackie and I, and went out to brunch around 12:30. After brunch we went to the Arizona Market Place, the outdoor shopping mall, and walked around for an hour. The only thing I bought was another “Old Guys” tee shirt from a friend of ours who has a booth in the market. We then went home and relaxed for a while. We had dinner at Peggy's with Millie and Peggy made spaghetti and meatballs. It was pretty good stuff. This was the first time we have all been together for 3 or 4 weeks. After dinner we went home and watched TV until bedtime.

Monday, February 15th, Presidents Day. We had a stay at home day. We did our laundry and some other chores, but basically stayed home. For dinner we had some pork chops on the BBQ and had Peggy over. Millie's birthday is tomorrow and her kids surprised her by showing up in Yuma this morning, so she is busy with them. Tuesday we left around 11:15 and drove to the taco stand for lunch, our first tacos in about three weeks or so. Peggy met us there for lunch. After lunch we went to a “yard art” store that was next door to the taco stand. We are looking at decorations for our shed in Pahrump. We didn't buy anything today, but did find a couple of things that would work. About 2:30 our friend Len came over and he and I spent an hour playing guitars. We had a good time, the first time we have played together since leaving Pahrump. About 5:00 Len and Debbie came back for our happy hour on the patio. Today was Millie's birthday and her kids were scheduled to leave around 4:00 to head back to Salt Lake City, but we later found out that they couldn't get out until Friday because of weather delays around the country tying up the airports. We had BLTs for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.

Wednesday, February 17th, I went to the jam session at the clubhouse for the first time in over a month. They had shut down the clubhouse for a couple weeks prior to my getting sick, and then I couldn't go for several weeks after they reopened. I was only able to stay for the first hour of the jam because Jackie finally had an appointment to get an eye exam and new glasses after her cataract surgeries. She had one a couple weeks ago but had to cancel because she was sick. After a couple hours she had her glasses on order and we went into Albertson's, which was right next door, to get a few things we couldn't find in other stores. After shopping we headed back home and had cocktails on the patio with Peggy and Millie. Around 6:30 Jackie served chili relleno casserole for the four of us. By 8:30 we were alone and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday we went with Peggy to Mr. Fish, our favorite fish and chips place in the Foothills. After lunch we dropped Peggy off and did a Walmart run. After our shopping we went home and spent the rest of the day in the coach. We had cocktails on the patio and Millie's son and daughter joined us for a while. The are due to leave tomorrow if the airlines are back on schedule. We had leftovers for dinner and then watched TV until time for bed.

Friday, February 19th, we stayed at home for most of the day, doing some chores and relaxing. About 4:30 we left, along with Peggy and Millie, and drove to the Yuma Elks for dinner. Friday is prime rib night and everyone was in the mood for prime rib. We had a cocktail and a nice dinner. Their prime rib is only $16 and you get a nice piece, along with a salad, potato and veggie, so it is a nice dinner. After dinner we drove home and were in our jammies by about 7:30. We watched some TV and went to bed. Saturday was a stay at home day. Around 2:00 I took my equipment over to the clubhouse to do karaoke. The park's social director asked if I would do it and told me she actually had some people coming to sing. We started karaoke at 3:00 and we actually had six people in the rotation,including me and Len and Debbie Forrest. I had called them to let them know we were doing karaoke, which they love to do and haven't been able to do a lot of because of Covid We actually had a fun two hours. By 5:30 I was packed up and enjoying a cocktail. We and Peggy had dinner, lamb for them, a steak for me. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Sunday, February 21st, we had another stay at home day. I spent a couple of hours installing a new thermostat for our A/Cs and furnaces. The old one was very hard to see and I found a new one that had a larger and brighter display and was also Bluetooth compatible, so I can control it from my tablet. It was a little too large to fit into the old space, so I had to do some carpentry work to install it. Jackie made a big pot of clam chowder and we had both Peggy and Millie over for dinner after our normal happy hour. The chowder was excellent. After they both left we watched some TV and went to bed.

We are now about three weeks into this episode and it is time to get it published. As with the last one, there are few photos simply because we haven't been doing that much. Now that we are both well again that may change some. Until next time, ponder the words of author Shauna Niequist. “When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” See ya soon.

Covid Finally Comes Knocking on our Door

 Hi there, welcome back. Our last chapter ended on Saturday, January 9th, while we were in Yuma, Arizona, staying at the Sunset Palm RV Park. We are now about a month into our planned three month stay. Sunday we left about noon with Peggy and drove into central Yuma to have lunch at a new, at least for us, Asian restaurant called Lemon Grass. It is in a spot where one of our favorite hamburger restaurants was until it went out of business last year. The menu was extensive, with mostly Chinese dishes, although I did see a few Vietnamese and Thai choices. The food was plentiful and good. Jackie and Peggy both had lemon grass curry noodle soup and the bowl was huge! They only finished about a third of the dish, which had chicken, fish, and shrimp, along with noodles and some veggies. I had the more traditional sweet and sour pork and also took a good portion home with me. We will be going back again before we leave Yuma. After lunch we went back to the park because Peggy had an afternoon hair appointment. We spent the rest of the day at home. Around 2:30 or so our good friends Dick and Millie Duffin arrived in their motorhome and parked in the spot next to Peggy. We have known them for years from our time in Pahrump, first at the Wine Ridge RV Resort, and now at the Escapees Park. They have also been coming to Yuma in the winter for many years, but the private lot in the Foothills that they used to stay at changed ownership and they couldn't get it this year at terms that were acceptable to them. Of course, they didn't have any problems getting a spot in our park since it is probably 25 percent down in residents from previous winters. They got settled in and we visited for a bit. They came over at 5:00 for cocktails and we talked until about 6:00. The Duffins went back to their coach and we had some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, January 11th, we had a stay at home day for the most part. About 5:30 we left the park with Peggy and drove to the Elks Lodge on the other side of town so Peggy could be interviewed for membership in the Elks. Vernon had been an Elk for many years and they enjoyed the organization as well as the privileges, like the RV parking at many lodges. After Vernon died Peggy was able to get a widows card based on his membership, but it didn't offer many privileges outside of being able to go into the Elks bar for a drink. This year she decided to join as an Elk herself and thought that the Yuma lodge would be a good one to join as it was very large and she comes here for at least a short time every year. Part of the process after you apply is to be interviewed by the membership committee. Jackie needed to be there also as a current Elk who is proposing Peggy for membership. I was along to drive. This coming Wednesday the lodge will vote and the following Wednesday will be her Initiation into the Order. We will, of course, be there for that meeting. After the interview it was about 7:00, so on the way home we stopped at the new Daybreakers II restaurant. We have been going to the original Daybreakers, which is in the truck stop in the Foothills, but recently they opened a second location in an old Applebee's space near what is know as the “big curve” of Yuma. The menu is the same as the original, but the place is much more modern and clean looking than the truck stop. Peggy and I both had liver, which was great, as it is at the original. Jackie had an omelet, which she said was good, but they forgot the avocado. After dinner we went back to the park and we watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, January 12th, we had a stay at home day. Peggy was having her carpets cleaned and we were dog sitting Belle. We had cocktails at 5 on the patio with the Duffin's and Peggy. After cocktails we did some burgers on the BBQ for us and Peggy. After Peggy went home we spent the rest of the evening with the TV. Wednesday we left the park about 11:00 with Peggy and went to the taco stand for lunch. We met Dick and Millie there and had a nice lunch. After lunch we stopped at the vet's office so Peggy could pick up some food for Belle, and then at Walgreen's so Jackie could get some eye drops. She has been getting sore eyes from dry eye. After our shopping we went back to the RV park. I was supposed to go to the jam session in the clubhouse at 1:00, but had gotten a call from the activities director that today's session was canceled. She didn't give a reason, but it was off. Dick and Millie had a coach wash outfit at their place washing their coach, so Dick suggested we go to the driving range for bit so I could see if I still remembered how to swing a golf club. Surprisingly, it went pretty well. After a couple of hits I found I wasn't hitting any worse than I was 15 years ago when I quit playing. I am not good, but I am ready for social golf. After the driving range we went back home and relaxed for the rest of the day. We had cocktails at 5:00, and in addition to Dick and Millie, we had our neighbors Jerry and Debbie and were also joined by our friends Mike and Darlene Neighbours. Mike is president of the Full Timers Chapter of FMCA and also a Vice President of the International Area. They got into Yuma a few days ago and will be here for about three weeks. We had a nice visit with everyone. We had dinner with Peggy about 7:00 and she served tamale pie. After dinner we went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, January 14th, was a stay at home day. Jackie woke up with what appears to be allergies. She has an intermittent cough, running nose and itchy eyes. I took her temp a couple of times and it is normal, so it does not appear to be a virus. We stayed in all day and Jackie didn't even go out for cocktails at 5:00, so I know she is not feeling well. We had a simple dinner of bacon and eggs and watched TV until bedtime. We are going to keep Jackie in for a few days at least and monitor her temp. Friday was another stay at home day as Jackie was still feeling badly. The cough has given her a sore throat and headaches, but other than that she feels OK. Still no fever. I did go out briefly to Fry's to pick up fixings for some chicken soup, which I made for dinner. We spent the rest of the day and evening in the coach.

Saturday, January 16th, Jackie was still feeling poorly. It was another stay at home day. I did a few chores and played on the computer some. We had a light dinner and watched TV until bedtime. Sunday, January 17th, Jackie was still sick and wanted to go to the urgent care, so we left the coach around 10:30 and drove to the Primecare Foothills facility. They were not real busy and almost everyone who came and went was there for something related to Covid, whether to get a test or get test results. When the doctor finally saw Jackie he told her that her cough and sore throat could be a Covid symptom, despite the lack of fever. He suggested some OTC medications for the symptoms, took a urine specimen and suggested a Covid test. Since she was getting one and it didn't cost anything, I got one too. Now we wait for 72 hours or so for the results. So far I am feeling fine. Just before we left our friends Dick and Millie came in too. Dick has been feeling poorly off and on for several days and they also wanted to get tested. After we got back to the coach I got Jackie settled in. Later in the afternoon I took a quick trip to Walgreens for a prescription for Jackie. We spent the rest of the day in, and given the fact that we may be Covid exposed, we will probably be under a voluntary quarantine for a week or two.

Monday, January 18th, I was awakened at 4:30 by the sound of truck engines and when I looked out the window I saw flashing lights. I got up and checked and saw that there was an ambulance and fire truck parked on the street, in front of Peggy's coach and Millie's coach. Since I knew that Dick wasn't feeling well yesterday I assumed it was probably for him. I got dressed and went outside and saw that they had brought Dick out on a gurney and put him in the ambulance. He was partially sitting up on the gurney, so I knew he was at least conscious. I talked to Millie when the fire engine and ambulance left and she said that he got continually worse as the night wore on and by early morning she was very worried and called for an ambulance. My educated guess is that he was dehydrated and exhausted from not eating or drinking and not sleeping. Millie said she was going to wait a few hours before going to the hospital, so I went back home and back to bed.

Jackie woke up still feeling about the same, not worse, not better. We did hear from Millie that Dick was responding to treatment and they were going to admit him for a day or two at least. They also confirmed that he tested positive for Covid. Of course that is worrisome, not just for him, but for all the rest of us who have been around them for the last week and a half. Almost all of our interaction has been outdoors and somewhat distanced, but it is still a concern. Since I consider us now quarantined, at least for a while, we spent the rest of the day inside. Since I am still not sick at all I did make a quick run to the store to stock up on food for Jackie. We didn't do anything else all day but stay inside.

Tuesday, January 19th, Jackie was still feeling about the same. We had a stay at home day. Interestingly, we are not missing much as all of the activities here at the park have been canceled due to illness in the park. About half way through the day I checked on my Covid test from Sunday and found out I was negative for the virus. Yea! We tried to get Jackie's results but hers were not done yet. Later in the evening I checked again and her test came back positive for Covid, so, despite the lack of any fever she has the virus. Dick's condition is still about the same. He is stable and on oxygen but not intubated. Peggy got her results and is also negative. So for the moment Jackie and Dick are the only one's testing positive. Wednesday continues as a partial lockdown. Jackie seemed to a little bit better, but still pretty down. I did a quick run to the store for some stuff. I still don't have any symptoms at all. I made spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner.

Thursday, January 21st, Jackie doesn't seem to be getting better. She said the sore throat is a little less painful, but now she has body aches. We had another stay at home day. Friday was another stay at home day. I did go to Walgreens briefly for some supplies, including an oxygen saturation meter, one of those thingys they put on your finger to check blood oxygen levels. It occurred to me that Jackie might be low, which could lead to the constant headaches. She was a little low the first time I checked, but after a couple puffs of oxygen from one of the little bottles she has on hand for high altitudes brought it up to normal and it was fine the rest of the day. Other than that one short trip we were inside all day. We are now approaching 10 days with Jackie, so I would expect to start to see some improvement soon.

Saturday, January 23rd, Jackie finally seems to be turning the corner and getting better. Fewer headaches and less body aches, other than the lethargy that comes from not doing anything physical for two weeks. We stayed in all day. Sunday was yet another stay at home day. Late in the day I got really bad allergies from something. My eyes were watering uncontrollably and I felt like I was running a fever, although the thermometer didn't show one. I took some Niquel went I went to bed and that seemed to do the trick. Monday was more of the same. I did go out and get some KFC for dinner. Jackie continues to slowly improve.

Tuesday, January 26th, we stayed at home all day. Jackie seems to be over most of the physical symptoms, but is very sad and depressed over the whole isolation thing, Dick's condition and just life in general. Wednesday more of the same. Thursday, more of the same. Stayed home all day. Friday Dick lost his battle with Covid. Millie and two of his four kids were there with him when they disconnected the machines. Very sad. I made chili colorado in the crock pot for dinner. I did go out in the afternoon to do a grocery run at Frys. Other than that we stayed at home.

Saturday, January 30th, we along with Peggy drove into Yuma proper to go through a drive through Covid testing clinic. We had signed up for the tests last week. This was not the swab up the nose test, it was a spit test. You put a small sample of saliva in a tube which was then tested for the virus. It is supposed to take at least two days for the results to come back. After the testing we stopped at the Lemon Grass Chinese restaurant for lunch, then did a quick stop at Sam's Club, mostly for vodka restocking. After Sam's we headed back to the coach. Jackie appears to be feeling quite a bit better. I am now a little unsettled, slightly light headed and slight tummy distress. Not sick, per se, but not a hundred percent either. We spent the remainder of the evening in the coach.

We are now three weeks into this episode and it is time to close it out and get it published. Until next time, ponder the words of Physicist Albert Einstein. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” See ya soon.

Winter In Yuma, Arizona - Part II

 Hi there, welcome back to our story. Our last chapter concluded on Wednesday, December 23^rd, while we were in Yuma, Arizona. Thursday, Christmas Eve, was a stay at home day. It was very cold and windy, so a good time to stay inside. We had dinner at Peggy's and she made chicken picata, which was very good. After dinner we chatted a while, then we went home. We watched some TV and went to bed.

Friday, December 25^th, Merry Christmas! Today was also a stay at home day. We spent most of the day doing chores, playing on the computer, and watching some funny Christmas movies. Around 6:00 we had a very nice Christmas dinner with Peggy. Jackie cooked a turkey breast and made some stuffing. Peggy made green beans and mashed potatoes, and we had it all with cranberries and gravy. We ate way too much, but it was great. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and then went to bed. Saturday we left after lunch with Peggy and went out to do some geocaching, our first in quite some time. We went to midtown Yuma and picked up eight new finds, and one DNF, in a couple of hours. After caching we headed back to the RV park. We had leftover Christmas fixings for dinner and it was just as good the second time around. After dinner Peggy went back to her coach and we relaxed for the rest of the evening with the TV.

Sunday, December 27^th, was a stay at home day. We did a few chores but mostly just relaxed. For dinner we went to Peggy's and she made penne pasta, one of my favorite dishes. After dinner we went back to our coach and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Monday we left the coach about 11:30 and headed out for lunch and some shopping. Our original plan was to eat at a new Asian restaurant near the mall on the west side of town. However, when we got there it was closed due to a maintenance issue. So we went down the street to Ninja Sushi, one of Jackie and Peggy's favorite places. I don't care for sushi that much, but they also have a limited menu of other Asian dishes. I had orange chicken and the girls had lots of sushi. What they like about this place the most is that from opening until 5:30 is “happy hour” and all sushi is two for the price of one. After lunch we went to Sam's Club, put some gas in the car, and did some shopping. After Sam's we stopped at Sprouts, which is right down the street. After our shopping we headed back to the coach and stayed in for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, December 29^th, we had another stay at home day. Again, a few chores and some relaxing. For dinner we did fish on the BBQ. After Peggy went home we watched TV until bedtime. Wednesday was a stay at home day as well. About 12:30 I went to the clubhouse for the weekly jam session. It was a good crowd, both players and listeners. After the jam session we did do a quick run to Walmart for a few things. For dinner we had chicken on the BBQ. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed. Thursday, December 31^st, finally, the last day of cursed 2020! We went out for lunch with Peggy to Mi Rancho Mexican restaurant, one of our Yuma favorites. After lunch we headed back home so I could get set up in the clubhouse for the New Years Eve party. I am doing the music for the party. I got everything set up and working and then just relaxed at home until 6:30 when the party started. There were not a lot of people at the party, maybe 20 to 25 and a good part of them were park staff and volunteers. We still had some fun. They had a light pot luck, which we didn't eat because of our big late lunch. They then did their version of horse races, where the horses move across the floor based on throws of the dice. You got to bet on each race, a quarter a bet, max of two bets. Both Jackie and I broke even for the most part. After the horse races we played some dance music and a few people danced, but by 9:00 people were drifting out even though the party was supposed to go to 10:00, which would be midnight in New York. By a quarter to ten we had the place cleaned up and we were back in our coach. We watched new years in New York, went to bed around 10:30 and were awakened at midnight when all the fireworks started going off. After about ten minutes it got pretty quiet and we slept the rest of the night.  The picture is of one of the residents of the park who likes costumes.  He is Father Time -2020.  Very appropriate, I think.

Friday, January 1^st, 2021, my first time typing that year. Today was a stay at home day. I spent about three hours or so cleaning up all the Christmas decorations and getting them all put away. I then got out some of our normal outside decorations, various flamingos and lights, and set that stuff up the rest of our stay here in Yuma. We had cocktails with Peggy and then she did dinner. She made a flank steak that I cooked on the BBQ, and we had that with potatoes, coleslaw and bread. It was a great dinner. We went home about 8:00 and watched TV until bedtime. Saturday we went out about 11:30 with Peggy and went to the taco stand in the Foothills for lunch. As always, lunch was great. After lunch we dropped Peggy off at her coach and we went caching. Peggy had some chores to do and didn't want to go out caching. We had a fun afternoon getting eleven new finds with no DNFs. We were even able to swap a couple of travel bugs, something we haven't been able to do in several months. After caching we headed back home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. For dinner we went to Peggy's and used the left over beef from last night for beef dip sandwiches, which we had with baked beans and coleslaw. We went home about 8:00 and watched TV for the rest of the night.

Sunday, January 3^rd, we had a stay at home day. We did our laundry at the park, which took until about 2:00. After that I went to Peggy's and helped her with a couple of “honeydew” projects. After that we just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. We had cocktails on the patio and then had a nice pork loin roast for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed. Monday was another stay at home day. We did a few chores and just relaxed for the afternoon. We had leftover pork, turned into green chili, for dinner. After Peggy went home we watched some TV and went to bed. Tuesday was another stay at home day, at least for me. Jackie and Peggy went out for a girl's lunch at the sushi place and then some shopping. I spent the day doing some chores and relaxing. We had cocktails on the patio with Peggy and our neighbors on the other side of our coach. After cocktails we went inside and Peggy went home. We didn't have any actual dinner as the girls were still full from lunch. We watched TV all evening and then went to bed.

Wednesday, January 6^th, was another stay at home day. We attended a presentation at the park for SkyMed, an emergency evacuation insurance company. They do an hour presentation and provide a lunch. The lunch was a box lunch, sandwich,chips and a cookie, but it was OK. Besides the free lunch we also went because the representatives who do the presentations, Jack and Karen Cotton, are acquaintances of ours, who we first met geocaching. We don't need SkyMed because we already have this coverage through another company, MASA, which we have had since 2007. After lunch I went to the jam session and we had another really good session, with a dozen players and singers. Also today my new golf clubs arrived!

I started playing golf back in the 80's and was never very good at it. I played only with friends, none of whom were all that good either. When we went full time in 2005 I gave away my clubs because I didn't like playing alone, or with strangers, and I knew when we were on the road that would be the only choices I would have. Plus, they take up a lot of room in the coach. Now that we have a spot in Pahrump I have a shed to keep the clubs in and at least three friends there who play every other week or so, so I decided to take it up again. Dick and Millie Duffin will be here in Yuma next week and Dick is one of my friends who urged me to take up the game again and play with their group. Now I need to go to a driving range for some remedial work and practice. We had some steaks for dinner and after dinner Peggy went home and we watched some TV for the rest of the night.

Thursday, January 7^th, we went to clubhouse patio around 11:30 for lunch. The park had a “burger bash” with hamburgers and hot dogs on the BBQ. It was relatively inexpensive and we had a chance to visit with some other residents while we ate. After lunch Jackie and I went to Walmart where we first both got haircuts. I haven't had mine cut in at least five months and it was getting a little long and shaggy. After our haircuts we did some shopping. A few groceries, some new supplies for my golf bag, balls, tees, that kind of thing, and a new coffee maker. Our old Mr. Coffee, which lasted about three or four years, finally gave up this morning It wasn't that it wouldn't turn on, it wouldn't turn off. The only way to shut it down was to pull the plug. After shopping we went back to the coach and put everything away. We had cocktails on the patio with Peggy and our neighbors, and then Peggy served some clam chowder that was quite good. After dinner we went back to our coach, watched some TV and went to bed.

Friday, January 8^th, we went out after lunch to Fry's to get a few things that Walmart was out of. They had a good sale on rib eye steaks, so we picked up a couple of pairs for the freezer. After we got home and put everything away we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Jackie made a nice meat loaf for dinner and we had that with potatoes and veggies. After dinner Peggy went home and we watched TV for the rest of the evening. Saturday was another stay at home day. I was scheduled to do karaoke in the clubhouse from 3 to 5 and got everything set up. However, like last time, no one showed up, so after a half hour or so I tore everything down, put it away and went back to the coach. Without the Canadians that were here in large numbers last Spring, none of the current residents are interested in karaoke, so I will no longer set it up absent at least a couple people on a sign up sheet. We had lasagna for dinner, with a salad and garlic bread from Peggy. After Peggy went home we relaxed with the TV for the rest of the evening.

We are now more than three weeks into this episode, so it is time to close it out and get it published. Until next time, ponder the words of Charles Schultz, “father” of Charlie Brown. “I think I’ve discovered the secret of life – you just hang around until you get used to it.” Great idea! See ya soon.

Our Winter Travels Begin

Hello again. Our last chapter concluded on Thursday, December 3^rd, when we arrived at the Indian Waters RV Resort in Indio, California. We had just finished a three month stay at hour new “home” at the Escapees RV Park in Pahrump, Nevada and then an overnight stay in the high desert of California on our way to Indio. Our one week stay here in Indio starts our winter travels, after which we are scheduled in Yuma, Arizona for three months.

Friday, December 4^th, I had a 10:00 appointment at Palm Springs Ford to get the car serviced. After I dropped the car off I went into the dealership to talk to the finance manager about buying our car. We had leased our great little Ford C-Max from Palm Springs Ford back in December of 2017 and we have now completed our lease. We have until the end of December to either give the car up or buy it out. Since we love the car and it has been great, we plan on buying it out. Initially the dealership representative gave me the impression he wasn't interested in helping us out. Because the car is registered in Montana to our LLC, he said we had to deal with someone in Montana. The other alternative was to buy it here but pay California taxes because they wouldn't do another out of state delivery like they did when we leased the car. The reason did make some sense, the car actually belongs to the Ford Motor Company and the dealer would make no money off the deal, so he had no incentive to provide out of state delivery. After a while, and a few phone calls, he finally said that if I came back on Monday morning they would help facilitate getting a Montana dealer to do the paperwork for us. We shall see on Monday.

After the car was finished I went back to the RV park, picked up Jackie and we went to our old favorite restaurant, Cactus Jacks, for lunch. We had to go today because California is shutting down all on site dining again on Sunday. We got to see George Bishop, the owner of Jacks, as well as our friend Kevin, who is the bartender. We had a nice lunch and then drove to Costco to do some shopping. We wanted to get some things before going to Yuma because there is no Costco there. They do have a Sam's Club, which is OK, but some things we like at Costco. After shopping we went back to the coach, put everything away and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Saturday, December 5^th, we went out after lunch to do some shopping at Home Depot and then Walmart. After our shopping we went back to the coach and stayed in for the rest of the day and evening. Sunday our old friend Barry Cohen came over about 1:00 for a visit. Barry became my best friend when I moved here in 1998. Jackie had known he and his wife Colleen for many years and Barry and Jackie both went to Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. Although they knew a lot of the same people, they didn't know each other back in the 50's. Barry and Colleen became our best friends and even beat us to being full time rvers when they sold their condo in the early 2000's and bought a lot at what was then the brand new Outdoor Resorts RV Resort in Indio. We traveled with them a lot, first with the Palm Springs and Indio Elks lodge RV travel clubs, and later after we bought our coach and went full time. Colleen passed away of cancer back in 2013, but Barry continues to live in his motor home at the same resort, which is now called the Motorcoach Country Club. Barry used to own and operate a transmission shop in Cathedral City, but he retired and sold the place in 2012. He and Colleen had planned to travel more at the time, but Colleen got sick. Barry has not traveled much since then. It was really nice to be able to spend some quality time with him, as the past few years he has been busy working at a part time job when we visited the Coachella Valley. We had a nice dinner of burgers on the BBQ and visited until Barry left about 7:00. After Barry left we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, December 7^th, Pearl Harbor Day. I left the coach about 8:30 and drove back to Palm Springs Ford in Cathedral City to work with the people there to buy out our completed lease on our car. I talked to a different finance guy today and he was very helpful. By the end of the day I had finished all the paperwork, gone to the bank and got the money, and our little Ford C-Max was now actually ours and fully paid off. Yea!!! The process took all day. After we got back home we had dinner, watched TV and went to bed. Tuesday was a stay at home day. I did go out and pick up lunch from one of our favorite Indio restaurants, TKB Deli. Like all restaurants in California, they have been shut down for all but take out and delivery, but they have an online ordering system that makes it very easy to order. This is only a sandwich place, but it has been voted Number One in the country by Yelp several times over the last five years. Other than that, we stayed home and did chores.

Wednesday, December 9^th, we went out after lunch and spent a couple of hours driving around the Coachella Valley, just to see what was new and/or different from last year. We didn't find too much, but had a nice drive on a very nice desert day. We went back to the coach, I spent a little time cleaning up so we can leave tomorrow, and we relaxed for the rest of the day. We did some fish on the BBQ for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed. Thursday was another travel day. We left about 10:00, heading southeast to Yuma, Arizona. The trip was about 156 miles and was, for the most part, pretty easy. Some of the California roads are crap, but there wasn't much traffic after we got out of the Coachella Valley. We arrived in Yuma at the Sunset Palm RV park about 2:30 because we had a time change when we came into Arizona. We got settled into our spot, where we will be probably until the first week in March. We got set up and then relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Friday, December 11^th, was mostly a stay at home day. We did go out around noon for lunch at our favorite taco stand, Las Cositas. Unlike California, Arizona still allows limited restaurant dining. The tacos were great. After lunch we went back home and I spent a couple of hours setting up our RV site with lights and decorations. I did the Christmas decorations first since this is the first time we have done Christmas in Yuma. Normally we are in Indio because the FMCA Western Area rally was always the first full week in January. This coming year the rally has been canceled, so we came to Yuma early. We spent the rest of the evening in the coach with the TV.

Saturday was a stay at home day. We awoke to a relatively rare sight for Yuma, thick fog.  Could hardly see down the street at 8:00, although it burned off by 10:00.  After lunch I spent some time getting out all the karaoke stuff and taking it across the street to the clubhouse. Our spot this year is directly across from the clubhouse at the park. Although at the beginning of this year we were staying in the park next door, I was doing karaoke every other weekend at this park. Both parks are owned by the same company. The recreation director was happy we were coming back and made sure that we got a spot in this park. Today was supposed to be the first day of karaoke, but Dottie, the rec director, told me not to be too surprised if no one came. She said the park is at least 25 percent off from last year in terms of the number of seasonal residents and the vast majority of the Canadians, who tend to be more active, are not able to come due to Covid restrictions in Canada. I went over at 3:00 to start karaoke, but the only ones who showed up were Dottie and her husband. We spent the two hours just talking and had a very nice visit. Dottie's husband Lavern is a woodworker and has made a number of guitars and other stringed instruments. He brought a couple of his lap slide guitars over and they were gorgeous. About 5:00 I packed everything up and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach.

Sunday, December 13^th, we enjoyed the Sunday paper, which is now delivered to our doorstep. When we come to Yuma we subscribe to the Yuma Sun newspaper. For a small paper it is pretty interesting. After lunch we went out to the Yuma Marketplace, the big, outdoor shopping area on the east side of town. It was not nearly as busy as it has been in previous times, and there were only about a third of the usual vendors there. The empty stalls far outnumbered those still in business. Our friends Dan and Roxy were still there selling, but they actually live in Yuma pretty much year round. We spent a couple of hours walking around, bought a few things, then headed back to the RV park. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach with the TV.

Monday, December 14^th, we went out after lunch so Jackie could get a pedi. After her pedi we did a Walmart run. Once our shopping was done we went back to the coach and put everything away. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach, doing some chores and relaxing. Tuesday was a stay at home day. In the morning we did our laundry. It was very convenient to be parked right across the street from the laundry at the park. We were able to go back and forth without having to use the car. After the laundry was finished we spent the rest of the day relaxing. Wednesday I went to the jam session in the clubhouse about 1:00. There were about eight musicians there, most with guitars, but one with a violin and one with a mandolin. We had a great time, with each person doing a song, then moving to the next. Over the two hours each person got to do about four songs. I need to update my music lists to keep up next time. After the jam session we did a Fry's run to pick up some things we couldn't get at Walmart the other day. After Fry's we relaxed in the house for the rest of the day and evening.

Thursday, I spent some time in the morning working on setting up Jackie's new computer. To replace her old laptop she used to use on the kitchen table we got an “all in one” computer with a 24 inch screen, quite a bit bigger than her old 17 inch laptop. It was pretty easy to set up, especially since she doesn't have a lot of programs on her computer. She mostly does email, Facebook and games. I also worked some on a new tablet that I bought. Faster and with more memory than my old one, which will now become my music book. We stayed home all day, just working on stuff and relaxing. Friday was also a stay at home day. I spent a couple of hours working on the newsletter for the Full Timers Chapter of FMCA. I am the editor of the quarterly newsletter for the chapter. Jackie spent some time painting rocks. We spent the evening with the TV and went to bed.

Saturday, December 19^th, we went out after lunch and did some shopping. We went to the Dollar Store and then to Walmart for some supplies. After shopping we went home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. About 7:00 we went over to the clubhouse for a Christmas gift exchange party. There were probably 30 people there, all of whom brought a gift to share. It was the usual process, pick a wrapped gift from the table or steal one from someone else. It was a lot of fun, and in the process the host also gave away a bunch of dollar store door prizes. Near the beginning of the party a parade of decorated vehicles came through the park and we all went outside to watch. It was expected as it was the annual “Foothills Parade of Lights” which has been going on, and growing in size, for several years.

First of all one has to know that the Foothills is an unincorporated area of Yuma County that stretches east roughly from the Yuma city limits at the airport/Marine Corps base on both sides of Interstate 8 all the way to the mountains at the East end of the valley. This area is pretty much a retirement and snowbird community with dozens of RV parks and hundreds of individual lots set up initially for RVs or park models. The Parade of Lights has turned into a three night event where a bunch, over a hundred this year, of people decorate their ATVs and other vehicles with Christmas lights and caravan around on a designated route all through the Foothills area. We had seen in the paper several days ago that our RV park was one of the ones on the route. After they came in the park it was a line of vehicles that took almost 10 minutes to pass through our park. It was very entertaining and fun to watch. After the parade the party resumed and went until about 9:00. Jackie ended up taking home a nice coffee mug and some home made candies. I finished with a box of microwave popcorn, which is great because we like popcorn, and some chocolate candies. After the party we watched a little TV and went to bed.

Sunday, December 20^th, was a stay at home day. We did some cleaning and other chores and just relaxed. I had a corn beef brisket in the crock pot for dinner and we had a nice meal. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed. We have been getting daily reports from our friend Peggy Bullock, who left Redding, California a couple days ago and started her five day journey to Yuma. She will be parked right next to us here at the park for at least a month or two and is supposed to be here Tuesday afternoon. Monday was a shopping day. We left after lunch and drove to the mall on the west side of town. We stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond and then at Target, getting some new bed sheets and a new trash can for the kitchen. After our shopping we headed back to the coach and stayed in for the rest of the day and evening.

Tuesday, December 22^nd, we had another stay at home day. Peggy came into the park about 2:00 and got parked. This was the first time we have seen her since we were in Redding in August. She got parked and I helped her with the utilities hook up. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing while Peggy got organized for her two month stay. For the first time in a while we had cocktails on the patio, then Jackie did the traditional chili relleno “welcome Peggy” dinner. After dinner Peggy went home and we spent the rest of the evening with the TV. Wednesday we went out about 11:30 with Peggy to the taco stand for lunch. We usually end up here once every week or two. After lunch we went back to the park and I went to the clubhouse for the weekly jam session. After the jam session Jackie and I went to Walmart for a couple of things, then went back to the coach. Peggy and Jackie played some cards and I was in the den. We had leftovers for dinner and after Peggy left we watched TV until bedtime.

It has now been about three weeks since we published, so I will close out this chapter. Until next time, consider that when I publish this the new year, 2021, is only a week away and we can then look back on 2020. It was an interesting year. It was a unique Leap Year. It had 29 days in February, 300 days in March, and five years in April. See ya soon so we can all hope 2021 brings improvements.

At Home in Pahrump, Part IV

Hi again. Our last chapter concluded on Saturday, November 7^th, while we were in our home park in Pahrump, Nevada. Sunday was a stay at home day. Although the rain that we got on Friday was gone, the cold had stayed. I went out and got the Sunday paper in the morning and we spent the rest of the day doing chores and relaxing.

Monday, November 9^th, we left the park around 11:15 and drove to the Mountain Falls Country Club restaurant for lunch with the Lucky Rollers Escapees Chapter, which is the local chapter for the RV park. There were maybe a dozen or so people there and we had a nice lunch. We also met a couple of other couples from the park whom we had not yet become acquainted. After lunch we went into town to pick up mail and do a Walmart run. Once we were done with Walmart we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in. Tuesday we put a pot roast in the crock pot first thing in the morning. After lunch we went to the nail salon and had our toe nails done. I just get mine cut, Jackie did a full pedi. After the nails we stopped again at the mail store to pick up a package, then stopped at Walmart again. Jackie had to return a blouse she had bought yesterday because it didn't fit. We also had to pick up a small air fryer that we had ordered online from Walmart.

While we were picking up the air fryer in the back area of the store we saw a small refrigerator with a clearance sale sign. It was a 7.4 cubic foot studio apartment type refrigerator that was new but out of the box. It was on sale for $137, which was about half of what similar small fridges were selling for at Home Depot. We were shopping for a small fridge for our shed so we can keep beer, soda and ice outside for when we have people over. Since it was such a good deal, and, according to my measurements, would fit in our car, we bought it. It did fit, after some moving stuff around, but the hatchback wouldn't completely close. It was only about an inch too long, so I just tied the hatch down and we headed home. The fridge was small and light, so Jackie and I got out of the car and in the shed with no problems. We plugged it in and it worked. Yea! I put the interior of the car back together and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach. We had a nice pot roast for dinner.

Wednesday, November 11^th, Happy Veterans Day. We had a stay at home day today. Our friend Len Forrest came over about 1:00 and we spent a couple of hours in the shed jamming on guitars. We had a good time. After Len left we just relaxed for the rest of the day. Thursday I went out about 6:30 in the morning to the dermatologist's office to have my second MOHS procedure. This is a procedure for removal of skin cancers where the doctor cuts out a sliver of tissue and sends it to a portable lab which has been set up in the office. It takes less than 30 minutes for the lab to determine if the tissue still contains cancer cells. If it does they take another sliver off and this continues until the sample is clear of any cancer cells. A couple of months ago they found two small cancers, one on my ear and one on my neck. They did the ear last month and today they did the neck. Fortunately for me, the piece they took showed no cancer, so they stitched me up and I was done in 45 minutes, albeit with a big hole in my neck. I have to go back in two weeks to get the stitches out, but other than that I am done until next year. After lunch we went to the clubhouse for a couple of meetings. The first was an open house held by several board members just to get input on things going on in the park. The second was a meeting of a committee I joined that reviews and recommends changes to the governing documents of the park. By 3:00 we were done and back in the coach, where we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Friday, November 13^th, yes, a Friday the Thirteenth in 2020! The horror! We went out after lunch to run some errands. We drove to the the edge of the desert so Jackie could collect a few rocks to paint, then did a Walmart run. After Walmart we went back to the coach, stopping at KFC to pick up dinner, and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach. Saturday we went out for a late lunch at the Terrible's Roadhouse Casino and also stopped to get mail. After lunch we went back to the coach and relaxed until about 5:00 when we left to go to the Elks for karaoke. Karaoke lasted until about 9:00 after which we went home, watched a little TV and went to bed. Sunday we had the usual relaxing morning with the Sunday paper. From late morning into early afternoon we did our laundry here at the park. After the clothes were done we put everything away, made the bed, and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Monday, November 16^th, we were up early and on the road about 8:00, heading for Las Vegas so Jackie could go see her eye doctor. Although they have an office here in Pahrump, it is only open on Tuesday and Wednesday. Jackie's doctor has been off for a couple of weeks so their schedule has been upended and they have been changing a lot of appointments. Jackie's second cataract surgery is scheduled for this Thursday and they needed to do some measurements of her eye to determine the size of the lens needed and what adjustments to the laser are necessary to correct her astigmatism in the left eye. The appointment was an hour so, after which we went to a place called The Cracked Egg for brunch. Like the Omelet House, the Cracked Egg had a two for one ad in the Sunday paper and there was one of their places fairly close to the doctor's office. Jackie had an omelet, I had a pastrami sandwich. Both meals were very good. After lunch we headed back over the hump to home, arriving back around 12:30. Other than a run to the mail store, we stayed at home the rest of the day.

Tuesday, November 17^th, we had pretty much a stay at home day. I did go out to pick up some parts to adapt our coach's propane system. In the past we have run low on propane in the coach while parked somewhere we couldn't get propane. I wanted to install a “add on” system where I could use an external propane tank, the 15 or 20 pound size you use for BBQs, instead of the coach's onboard system. I ordered the parts on Amazon and was installing it, but I found after I got everything hooked up, I had a leak in the original hose that led from the coach's tank valve to the coach pressure regulator. The hose is 15 years old and the rubber had gotten very hard. I suspect that in taking it on and off I cracked the hose. I was able to hook up the external tank that I also bought today without any leaks, but our onboard tank is currently not connected. I know where I can get a hose made tomorrow. Late in the afternoon the RV service guy I called came to check on our front air conditioner/heat pump. It worked fine a few days ago, then yesterday it wouldn't run. He got up on the roof and found that the motor that runs the fans was bad. Good news is that the motor can be repaired so we don't need a whole new A/C yet. The bad news is that it is an old unit and parts are hard to find, according to the service guy. He is going to try to find one before we leave, otherwise I will have to wait until we get to Yuma in a couple of weeks. The good news is that the heat is gone, so we don't need the A/C and we can get by without the heat pump now that I have the propane fixed. About 6:00 we left the coach and drove to Terrible's Roadhouse Casino for dinner. Tonight was two for one baby backs. We met Dick and Millie Duffin there and had a very nice meal. After dinner we stayed and gamed for half an hour or so, then headed back to the coach for the rest of the night.

Wednesday, November 18^th, I went out in the morning and ran some errands. I gassed up the car, got some cash from the bank, picked up mail and went to a propane company to get a new hose made for our onboard propane tank. After I got back to the coach I put on the new hose and checked for leaks. Finding none, I declared that project complete. About 2:00 or so we went to the Pahrump office of Jackie's eye doctor for a checkup. It didn't take long we were back home. We spent the rest of the day in and around the coach. Thursday we left the park about 12:30 and headed over the hill to Las Vegas so Jackie could get her left eye cataract surgery. She had a 2:00 appointment, but the doctor was running way behind and she didn't go into surgery until after 3:30. She was done around 5:30, and of course, it was dark by then. We did a quick drive through at In N Out so she could get something to eat, then headed back over the hill, getting home around 6:30. We spent the rest of the night in the coach.

Friday, November 20^th, we left the coach about 11:00 and again headed to Las Vegas. Jackie needed to go to the eye doctor for the next day check up and because of the delay in her surgery we couldn't go to the Pahrump office, which is only open on Wednesday and Thursday. We stopped at a Greek restaurant called the Big Greek for lunch before her appointment. The food was quite good. I had a steak gyro because I don't care for lamb, and it was excellent. After lunch we went to the doctor, finishing up around 3:00. We headed back over the hill, getting home around 4:30. About 5:30 we went over to the clubhouse for bingo. I won part of one shared pot, Jackie didn't win anything. After bingo we watched some TV and went to bed.

Saturday, November 21^st, Jackie went at 10:00 to a meeting of the park's Election Committee, on which she volunteered to serve. I had a meeting at 1:00 of another of the park's committees, a By Law Review Committee. This park is run by volunteers and the Board of Director's has a couple dozen or more different committees made up of residents who assist in operations of the park. After our meetings we went out and ran some errands, going to the mail store and stopping at the Dollar store so Jackie could get some cheap reading glasses. Her “new” eyes work good at distance, but she still needs help with close up. About 5:00 we went to the Elks for karaoke. We had the usual crowd, except that neither of our friends, the Forrests or the Howells, were there. A little before nine we were done and headed home. We watched a little TV and then went to bed.

Sunday, November 22^nd, I got the Sunday paper and we enjoyed a relaxing morning. After lunch we did a Walmart run, returning an air fryer that didn't meet our expectations, and picking up a few items. After shopping we headed back to the park. We stopped and visited with Millie and Dick at their coach for a half hour or so before going back to ours and spending the rest of the day and evening inside. Monday was a stay at home day. Did a few chores, played some games and had a relaxing day. Tuesday I had another committee meeting at 10:00. This one was for the grievance committee. This is the committee that reviews issues that might come up between two residents of the park and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, who have the final say. After lunch we ran some errands. The little refrigerator that we bought at Walmart a couple weeks ago, and thought we got such a great deal on, quit working! So much for buying cheap. We loaded it into the car again and took it back. Fortunately, Walmart didn't have any issues, just checked the serial number to be sure I was returning the same unit, then refunded our money. We picked up mail and then went back to the coach and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach.

Wednesday, November 25^th, was a stay at home day. I spent some more time taking down decorations and storing equipment for our departure next week. Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving! Today was a cold and windy day. We had another stay at home day, except for a quick run to the local Family Dollar store to get a new bottle of propane. Typical to run low on propane when it is cold and you need the furnaces. Jackie did a great Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us. We had turkey breast, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Yum! After dinner we cleaned up and spent the rest of the evening with the TV. Friday morning we left about 10:30 and drove to the health center, where our primary physician's office is, to go to the pharmacy there and get our flu shots. We had held off getting them because we didn't want the possibility of any minor side effects, like a fever, to interfere with Jackie's eye surgeries. However, being the Friday after Thanksgiving, the place was closed except for the urgent care, which doesn't do flu shots. We went back to the coach and spent the rest of the day at home. I did some more clean up in the early afternoon and about 3:00 our friend Len came over and we jammed with our guitars for about 90 minutes. After Len left, about 5:30, we had dinner and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

Saturday, November 28^th, we had pretty much a stay at home day. About 1:30 we left and drove to Red Sky BBQ for a late lunch. As usual, we had the full rack of baby back ribs, eating half and taking the other half home. After lunch we picked up mail and then went back to the coach for a while. Around 5:00 we left again and went to the Elks for karaoke. It was a little smaller crowd, so we got to do four songs each. Our friends Len and Debbie were there. Tom and Phyllis didn't come because Tom was not feeling well. We were done about 9:00, after which we headed back home and watched a little TV until bedtime.

Sunday, November 29^th, we had pretty much a stay at home day. I did go out and get a newspaper in the morning and we relaxed with the paper. I spent several hours in the afternoon taking down decorations and getting our lot cleaned up for our departure on Wednesday. Everything we are taking is now stored under the coach and we are getting close to being ready to head for Yuma, via a week in the Coachella Valley. Monday we were up early and on the road by 9:30, headed for Las Vegas for Jackie's last eye doctor appointment. She is getting the final checkup and clearance on her left eye after cataract surgery. The doctor told her she is doing well and said see me next year for a follow up. After the eye doctor we stopped and had lunch, breakfast for Jackie. We then stopped so Jackie could get a haircut, then headed back over the hump, arriving back in Pahrump before 3:00. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing in the coach.

Tuesday, December 1^st, our last full day in Pahrump. We did some chores, checking things on the coach and doing a Walmart run and picking up our mail. Wednesday was a travel day. Today we went about 180 miles from Pahrump to Victorville, California. We stayed in a park we have never been in before, called Shady Oasis. The park is an old KOA that has gone private. Had it not been late in the day we might have just gone in, looked, and left. The park was old, poorly maintained and appeared to be almost all “full time” folks who can't afford to be anywhere else. We did stay because it was just for one night, and everything was fine, but we wouldn't come back again. Normally we stay down the road in Hesperia at the Elks, but with the virus stuff we weren't sure the Elks would be open. Thursday morning we left the park around 10:30 and continued on 120 miles to Indio and the Indian Waters RV Resort. It was a very stressful two and a half hours. Traffic was terrible, with big trucks everywhere, traffic tie ups, accidents and construction. In addition, the Santa Ana winds came up and the last 80 miles I had all I could do to hang onto the coach. By the time we got to Indio my tummy was in knots. We got checked in and set up for our one week stay and just relaxed and chilled out for the rest of the day. At least the weather here is nice, in the low 70's today.

Our arrival here in Indio marks the beginning of our winter travels, a week here in Indio and two or three months in Yuma. It also marks a good place to close out this chapter and get it published. Until next time, ponder the words of author and radio host Bernard Meltzer. “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” See ya soon.