So Happy to be Here

It doesn't seem possible that we have been here over three weeks, but we have.  Our shed has not been delivered yet, but we hope it will be here soon.  I have already ordered a rug for inside and a matching mat for outside of the shed.  We want them here to put into the shed, when it arrives, before we start putting things into the shed.  I think I will order at least a few shelves before it gets here too.
We wanted to show Diane & Jim a good time while they were here, so we took a road trip last week.  We spent two days in Roswell, NM, where the aliens landed......and one day in Alamogordo.  The trip was a lot of fun, but our accommodations  left much to be desired, and I made the reservations, so I can't blame anybody else.  Now for some pictures:

This green guy, and the sign on the right were in the office of our motel in Roswell.

 This picture was taken in the visitors center, Jim was out in the car with all four of our dogs.  Please remember that for clarification, I will refer to Diane's husband as Red, and my hubby as Jim.  The picture on the right was displayed in the International UFO Museum in Roswell.

 Red wanted to visit 
with some of the "locals".
 But the guys on the right didn't have much to say.

 This handsome dude was also in the visitors center when we were there.
Here are Jim & Willie on the bed in our room.

We saw this on our way from Roswell to Alamogordo.  Yes, it is wrong to deface natural things, but this was an interesting sight.

 We had to stop here.  So much to see.  Jim had to say hello to the lady, but she was too shy to speak.

There were many funny signs, but Jim especially liked this one.  Diane and I liked the one on the right.
I couldn't leave out this sign below that we also saw here in Hondo.

On our way to Alamogordo, we TRIED to stop and visit the Billy the Kid Museum, but wouldn't you know we came on the one day a week they were closed.  We did take some pictures outside though.  You can't miss the UFO and aliens on the right side of this sign.  I think it said this guy was Black Jack Pershing.


In Tularosa we saw this and just had to get a picture of this cute lawn decoration.

Finally we got to Alamogordo, and stopped at
PistachioLand to see the world's tallest Pistachio nut.  We bought some nuts, some pumpkin/pistachio butter, and souvenir stuff here.  About a half mile down the road we stopped at Eagle Ranch/Heart of the Desert where we bought pistachio wine, pistachio candy and pistachio caramel popcorn.  I signed up for the wine club so I will receive two bottles of wine of my choice every other month.  Now that was worth the stop, and as a member, I get a 20% discount on my wines.

 This was on the main street in Alamagordo.  It was in a large park that had a smaller train running around that people could ride on.
If it is possible, the motel in Alamogordo was even worse than the one in Roswell!!!  So we were ALL very happy to get back home to Arrey on Thursday.  Diane took some other pictures, but she hasn't sent them to me yet, so I will have to include them in our next blog.  
After we got back home and put things away, Jim hung up my newest owl. I love it, and now we don't have to hang the dog's leashes on those ugly plastic Command hooks!  Willie and Millie were so happy to be home that they spent the rest of the day in their own beds!  Traveling is a lot of fun, but it's always wonderful to come back home.  Yesterday I baked a cake, and we all enjoyed it very much.  I gave my big Kitchenaide mixer to a friend here in the park so now I have more room in my kitchen cabinets for my wine glasses and bottles of wine!  All is good.  

The trip was great, and we thanked God for our safe travels each day and getting home safe and sound.  Our God is an awesome God and never let's us down.  

Hopefully I will have the pictures Diane took and new pictures of our shed to include the next time we post our blog.
Bye for now, and if you are in a state that does this, don't forget to move your clocks ahead one hour tonight. 

At Home in Arrey

It feels SOOOO good to finally be here and get settled in.  At the end of my January post I said we hoped to go to the Biosphere 2 in Oracle, AZ, but we didn't get there.  My son Matt and his lady Shannon came to visit us in Casa Grande, which was wonderful.

As you can see above, Millie was happy to greet our guests!  Both are well.  I was hoping to see his beautiful dark blue Harley Davidson motorcycle, but it was cold and they came by car instead.
 
The next day we left for Benson, AZ.  While there, we took a trip down to historic Tombstone.  It's kind of hokey, but we had fun.  We saw several 
re-enactments of infamous shoot-outs.  Then we had our pictures taken in the saloon.

 One could take rides in this carriage, but we didn't take time for that.  Our dogs were at home, so we had to keep an eye on our time.  We saw the character on the right in the Bird Cage Saloon/Theater.

 This was one of many street entertainers we saw there.  After all of that, the guys stopped for some water from the horse trough, which was empty anyway.  

The next day we drove to Patagonia to visit the Paton Hummingbird Preserve.  It was cold, damp, and overcast so we didn't get a lot of good pictures, but we did have a grand time there.

 
 These two pictures were taken by Diane's husband, Jim, who we are calling Red to avoid confusion with my Jim.


When we left there, we drove through pretty heavy rain to get back to Benson.   After our three days there, we drove to Lordsburg, through rain and then SNOW. 

This was our car, outside Kranberry's Chatterbox Restaurant on February 11th.  We go there for dinner every time we drive out here.  Janice sent us pictures and video of the snow at Arrey RV Park, our home park.
  We weren't sure we were ready to face that, but the next morning much of the snow had melted and we were able to drive up here without any problems.  We still had some snow in the park for a few more days.  We got the RV parked in our permanent site and began setting up.  Our 8 foot by 12 foot shed won't be here for two or three weeks, so we still have stuff in here that will later be moved, but we did order the shed the very next day.  We have also ordered a 96 gallon propane tank that will be placed next to the RV and the company will come here to fill it, so we don't have to go get propane all the time. Yippee!!!  
Sunday we took Diane and Red to our church in TorC, and they really liked it.  That was when I really felt like we had come home.  More people than I could count came up to us to welcome us home.  
Pastor Ric and Mary were there, and after the service we stopped for lunch at Sam's Road Crew Restaurant.

Ric, of course called it the RoadKill Cafe.
We were glad to spend some time together, but we didn't think much of the restaurant.  We had a better meal the day we first arrived in Arrey and took Diane and Red to the A B Drive-in and I got my Philly Cheese steak sandwich.  I've been waiting for that for a very long time, and as always, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME.
In a few weeks I will post pictures of our home site after we get the shed all set up.  We are going to buy about a dozen concrete paving blocks for them to set the shed on so it won't be right on the ground.

For now I will close by saying that we KNOW God watched over us in all of our travels getting back home.  I know I reported on our brake issue in January.  Happily, we had no other problems of any kind on our trip.  I don't, for one single minute, believe that was just luck.  We are eternally grateful for God's traveling mercies.  We know He watched over us and kept us safe from any harm.  Our faith in Him is unshakeable because we have seen what He has done for us and for others around us.  I pray that all of you who read this, if you don't already know God, will find your way to Him and find the joy we have, from knowing we are never alone.  If I thought all we had to keep us safe was our own strengths, I would be so afraid of all the things we might do badly.  It is such a huge comfort to know that God is ALWAYS with us and He will protect us from harm, as long as we permit Him to look after us.  
Happy Trails to one and all!

On the Road Again......

Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.  I was sick through most of the holiday season with an upper respiratory infection, so we stayed home and tried to take it easy.  It was still a nice, quiet time.  We had a lovely lunch with Almita and Rueben before we left Menifee.  It was the first time we saw their home.  It is HUGE, and very beautiful.  We are used to living in a "tiny home" meaning our motorhome, so it seemed really, REALLY big.   
We had planned to drive out to Palm Desert on Monday, January 6th, but decided to wait a day since there was a forecast for high winds, and gusts up to 75 mph.  On Tuesday we packed up, bought propane, and set out for Palm Desert.  We got as far as Beaumont when our brakes failed and started alarming.  Long story short, we had to replace both rear brakes, and were delayed another day!  We finally got to the RV Park on Wednesday, after spending a night in Jim & Diane's 22 foot motorhome in Yucaipa.  I'm absolutely certain that God was watching over us, and saved us from harm both on Monday and on Tuesday.  If we had been running at our usual speed on the freeway when the brakes quit working it could have caused a major accident, and people could have been killed.  Praise God for His loving care.
Tony was supposed to come out to Palm Desert on Wednesday, but since we were exhausted from all that happened, he offered to wait until Thursday to come out.  Again, I'll make a long story short, and tell you that Tony was almost ready to leave Oceanside when his blood sugar plummeted and he passed out.  When he didn't arrive or answer my texts and calls, I called his girl friend who had someone go check on him.  His blood sugar was down to 39 and he could have died.  Praise God again for getting help to him before it was too late.  Now he is much more careful about making sure he eats something after taking his insulin.  I'm only telling this story because there may be another diabetic person reading this who is sometimes careless about monitoring blood sugar, or taking insulin as ordered, or making sure to eat something after taking insulin.  It is very dangerous, and could be life-threatening if you don't take your diabetes seriously.  Tony, I hope you will forgive me for sharing this story, but maybe it will save another person's life.  
After a few more days in Palm Desert, with Tony, we packed up again and traveled to Quartzsite, AZ.  Diane & Jim came with us in their motorhome.  Praise God again, no problems driving out here.  Unfortunately, Diane had a broken tooth and we had to drive over to Parker, AZ to see a dentist there.  She was able to get an appointment quickly and have the tooth removed and started on an antibiotic.  She said the dentist was really great and took very good care of her.  Praise God that she didn't have to suffer with the bad tooth very long.  
This week we have visited many of the vendors in the Big Tent, and bought a few things there.  We found more great stuff in the booths in Tyson Wells.

 We found these cute owls in a booth that sold all kinds of pewter items.
The beautiful rose quartz tree was an item I found on Main St.  Rose quartz represents never ending love.  I have both of these little items on our dining room table.

Jim found this amazing owl in a shop on Main St.  The owl is carved from a piece of quartz.  It sits on a block of fool's gold.  It is breath-takingly beautiful and I just love it.  In Tyson Wells we found this water fountain with two owls on the top.  The ball on the upper left side spins and is illuminated by a color-changing light while the paddle wheel turns.  We have to turn it off at night as the sound of the water keeps Jim awake.  I'm getting more deaf every day, so I don't even hear it when I'm right next to it!

On the left are Diane and Jim dressed to go out on the town.  LOL.  Then Jim and I had them take pictures of us too.  We still get pretty silly at times.

 In case you can't tell with that hat on, Jim is on the far left, next is Fred Wantz and then Jack North.  Standing between Jim and Fred is Carol North.  Carol and Jack have been married over 60 years, I believe.  The taller lady behind Fred and Jack is Peggy.  I'm sorry I don't know her last name.  She is a delightful person and has been a close friend and companion to Fred for several years.

One afternoon we spotted this guy flying over the park we are in.  This is a very nice park.  It's close to everything and not too expensive.  Fred & Peggy and Carol & Jack arrived on Monday and stayed until Friday.  It was great seeing them again.  


On Tuesday, Joan and Jim drove all the way out here from Laguna Hills, CA for a visit, and drove back the same day.  We went out to lunch at the Mountain Quail Cafe.  I was sorry to see them leave so soon, but life can be hectic, and I'm glad we got to see them before we move on to the east.  

On the news a few days ago we heard about a place called Biosphere 2, north of Tucson.  It's a rain forest out in the desert.  I am hoping we can make time to go see it while we are staying at the Elks Lodge in Casa Grande.  If we do, I will take as many pictures as I can to share on our blog.  

It's getting late and I need to fix dinner now, so I will close and wish everyone a wonderful year ahead. 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Again, I will apologize for not posting in anything in over a month.  Life seems to keep me a few steps behind all the time.  There has not been a lot to report but I do like to keep in touch.  
After a pleasant, but soggy Thanksgiving with my brother Tony, here at Wilderness Lakes, we went to Palm Springs Resort for eleven days.   One must always be grateful when California gets some much needed rain, even if we don't enjoy everything getting soaked.  One of the reasons people choose to live in the southwest is that the weather is almost always warm and dry.  We enjoyed a nice visit with our dear friends Ray and Carol,when they came out to Palm Springs.
After our time in Palm Springs, where we sent out a few Christmas gifts and a bunch of Christmas cards, we came back to Wilderness Lakes again.  I got busy setting up, as usual, and then put out all of our Christmas decorations.  The next day I got really sick.  I have a bad case of bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection.  Between the antibiotics and the medications for the infection, I have been napping much of the time.  Sadly, as we age we lose the ability to bounce back the way we did when we were younger.  Being sick meant we had to cancel invitations to be with friends.  The last thing they need is to have me coughing all over them.  As a result, we spent a quiet Christmas here in the RV with our two fur babies.  I mostly miss the fact that we couldn't go to the candle light church service here in the park.  It's always a very special service, but the cold night air would not have been good for me, and nobody wants my germs.  We are again having a lot of rain, good for California,  but not so much for me.  This cough is hanging on something terrible.  As I said before, there is no real news, so I guess I should close this up with my hopes that each of you had a very nice Christmas and wish you ALL a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.  Recognize all your blessings, and look forward to how you might share them in the year ahead.  

We will leave here on January 6th for seven days in Palm Springs, and then on to Quartzsite before we proceed to Arrey, New Mexico.  I am ready to head home, and looking forward to living there.  I know I will miss my family and friends in other places, but truly hope some will visit us in our new home once we get settled in.  

We will share pictures once we get everything set up.  
Happy and Healthy New Year to one and all.


 

Autumn is Upon us, but it's Still Pretty Warm

Happy Autumn everyone, I'm sorry I haven't written in quite a long time.  We seem to keep busy, but often with so little to show for our efforts.  We do housework, laundry, cooking and dishes, but none of that is newsworthy.  However, I will say I continue to love cooking in my Instant Pot pressure cooker.  I love to cook stews, soups, roasts, veggies, BBQ, chili, and best of all......cheesecakes.   You can't burn a cheesecake when you use a pressure cooker!  I have experimented with several flavors, and each has been my favorite when I made it.  But how can I lose weight when the Instant Pot calls me to make such yummy foods????

I am amazed to report that my Hawaiian Spider plant continues to thrive............since I learned that it is NOT supposed to be subjected to direct sunlight!  Is that amazing or what????  Praise be to God for watching over idiots, children and my plant.
Who knew I could kill my last one with too much water and too much sunlight?

As I mentioned above, we continue to have days that are above 80, and sometimes up to 90 here in So. Cal.  But the nights are getting much cooler.  The flannel sheets are back on the bed, along with a cozy, warm blanket under our nice warm quilt.  No cold feet in this house, except maybe Millie's.  LOL.  It's supposed to cool down about 10 degrees next week, which we are looking forward to.  
 
Our dear friends Diane and Jim are still traveling in their motorhome on the east coast.  She sent me these pictures, and I don't think I have shared them yet.  If any are repeats, just bear with me and enjoy.  Here they are at Niagara Falls.  Pretty chilly, but they enjoyed being there.

These were taken at the Tear Drop Memorial in the harbor of Bayonne, N.J.  It's 100 feet tall and the tear drop is 40 feet long.  It is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.  The Tear Drop faces the Statue of Liberty.  The tiles on the ground surrounding it contain the names of all who died that day.  This was completed by a Russian sculptor and brought to our country.  There has been very little publicity or recognition for this tremendous act of compassion and caring.  We think that is very sad.
 Diane and Jim are having a wonderful adventure on this trip and will be spending Thanksgiving with relatives in Georgia.  After that they plan to try to get back to California as quickly as possible.  We  have missed them terribly and look forward to seeing them soon, but we are very glad this trip has gone so well for them.  Here is one more picture they sent to me.  I don't remember just where it was, but still worth sharing.
In case you didn't notice, this "igloo" is made from a stack of ice chests.  Too funny.  










In case you haven't seen the news from California, there was a period of VERY low humidity and high Santa Ana winds, which lead to some really awful fires around the area.  Many, many acres of land burned, homes were destroyed and lives were lost.  Since there currently is only ONE way to get up and down the hill between Banning and Silent Valley, I got very nervous about the possibility of being trapped up there by fire, or of not being able to get our motorhome down the hill to safety.  After several days of worrying I asked Jim if he was willing to pack up early and come down off the hill before there might be a danger in the area.  We called and got a site in Wilderness Lakes for the week.  We packed up as quickly as we could and drove down there.  After we got into a nice site, I tried to put the living room slide "out".  I heard a terrible grinding noise, so I of course stopped.  I had forgotten to take down my adorable owl family clock from the wall behind the driver's seat.  It was shredded!  After I got the clock out of the slide, it went out perfectly.  Later I looked into the possibility of replacing the same clock.  To my dismay, the price had just 

about doubled!  I found another one to replace it, but no owls on this one.  We had to replace it because we always looked at that wall to see what time it was.  This is still a blue clock, our
favorite color, and its easy to see the time.  And it matches the color of our living room curtains.

Last Thursday we had to move from Wilderness Lakes to an RV park in Hemet for a week.  As we drove in the manager was outside and told us we would have site 43.  We drove back to find site 43 was already occupied!  I called Laurie back and informed of that, so she had to check the book to find us another site.  All is well and this is a nice enough site, but it was an unexpected surprise!  One must learn to "go with the flow" since these things do happen.  

I have one more cute picture to share before I close.

I think our friend Vickie Jo sent me this picture of a woodpecker trying to feed off 
this hummingbird feeder up in Silent Valley. 
Let's hope he found food elsewhere.




Before I close I would like to share again my holiday wishes for all of you.  Please think of all the many blessings you enjoy each day, and give thanks.  Also, please think of all the many people around you who are less fortunate than you are, and what you might do to help someone else.  Maybe you can invite someone to join you for Thanksgiving dinner.  Could you take dinner to a shut-in?  Make a donation to a homeless shelter or Food Bank.  Maybe you could volunteer at a Rescue Mission or Soup Kitchen.  
And don't forget about homeless animals.  The local animal shelters are always  over-crowded, but this time of year it's even more of a problem.  Have you considered opening your heart to a rescue animal?  You will be amazed how good it can make you feel to give a lonely animal a forever home.  Please consider rescuing a homeless dog or cat, but only if you are prepared to make a true commitment to providing a forever home.  These animals don't need to be taken in, and then abandoned later on.  If you can't take an animal home, please consider volunteering at a shelter, or at least donating food, or blankets, or bags of cat litter.  
The local hospitals can use donations too.  There are organizations that collect toys for children who might otherwise not have any gifts for Christmas.  Many churches collect food donations for families for the holidays too.  Please do whatever you can to share the blessings you enjoy with those who have so much less.  

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!!😊