Friday, April 13, 2018: Today I played games and "house" with Lucy. One of the games used a rubber band to contain playing cards. We decided to learn to shoot the rubber band I showed her how to point her finger then stretch the rubber band on her finger and let go. She didn't quite get it but figured out how to stretch and throw the rubber band I doubt Lucy's Mom would approve of teaching Lucy to shoot a rubber band Click the photo to see her stretching and throwing the rubber band at the same time.

Later Lucy showed me how she can ride her balance bike. She told me she doesn't know how to use pedals and doesn't want to until she is as big as Daddy. Here is a short video with Lucy showing me her riding skills.

Thursday, April 12, 2018: I took a morning hike to the top of the mountain overlooking the GOld Ranch RV Park in Verdi, Nevada. The spaces are generous, especially those against the mountain where I like to park. I'm parked second from the left in the row closest to the bottom of the photo. It's a "drive-forward" spot so the view in the windshield is toward the mountain. Last night we got three inches of snow but it was gone by the time I took this photo.

Then I made craft projects with granddaughter Lucy in the afternoon. Today she was most interested with making characters in clay. She began with a snowman, then frog, then bee, then beatle. After that, we played "house". I need MORE energy to keep up with her.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018: Why is Ben, my son, digging a hole in his backyard? The state of Nevada has a program to help the endangered desert tortoise. A team approves volunteer habitat locations prepared by Nevada residents. Ben wants to be one of those volunteer locations. An inspector will arrive on Saturday to inspect Ben's habitat. If it meets state tortoise. standards, a Desert Tortoise. will be put onto the governor's plane from Las Vegas and delivered to Ben's habitat. The hole will be covered with plywood to make an underground burrow. The whole area will be contained so the tortoise can wander but not out of the habitat. Click the photo to enlarge.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018: After having lunch with my son, Joe, I stopped by to visit Lucy. She immediately convinced me we should get her craft supplies and make something. We made felt characters first then turned them into "sandwiches" by gluing the bottom half of the character onto the top half.

Then Lucy switched to making necklaces from her box of beads and pipe cleaners. On her first attempt, her necklace was too short. But she's had experience with pipe cleaners and knew how to fix a "too-short" necklace. Soon, she was showing off her invention. Click the photo for a larger view.

Monday, April 9, 2018: This is Monday, so swimming lessons for Lucy. But after the swim lessons, a trip to the park to meet her friend, Molly. They played on everything in the park but particularly like the Teeter Totter. Molly told me "this is our first time on the Teeter Totter". They rocked on it for twenty minutes then asked, "how do we get off". "That is a challenge", I told them. I helped them dismount. Click the photo for another view. Watch the short video above for the Teeter Totter experience.

Sunday, April 8, 2018: A traveling dinosaur exhibit comes to Reno and Uncle Joe was able to get tickets for Lucy and her Dad. At first she was very concerned about the size of some of the dinosaurs but her Dad and Uncle Joe made her feel more comfortable. The exhibit hall was very noisy with children talking and screaming plus the imagined sounds of the dinosaurs. Not much was left to the imagination. The dinosaur replicas were true to size and details of each dinosaur were printed on a sign next to each replica. Lucy liked the inflated dinosaur slides the best. Click the above photo for another view. Watch this video of Lucy in the dino ride.

Saturday, April 7, 2018: This is an eventful day for me. My granddaughter Elise is standing. If she was doing it before I arrived, it was a secret. This was my first time to see her standing and nearly walking while holding onto the cart. Click the photo for another view.

Friday, April 6, 2018: This is a day to do my laundry at Lucy's house. While I'm waiting on the laundry I help Lucy with her most recent Koala Crate delivery from Kiwico. Lucy receives a craft project appropriate to her age, in this case called Koala Crate, once each month. I have subscribed to the service for her. The crate had three projects which took us about one and a half hours to complete. Lucy did ALL the work herself. The first project were the finger puppets of four different animals. A chicken, cow, horse and pig were created from felt material. Lucy then chose to complete the vegetable garden. The vegetable where created from beads and pipe cleaners then planted into a cushion base. Last, we built a cardboard barn using velcro dots to close the barn. The barn actually has two sides with the inner side printed for a farm countryside. Kiwico suggests these activities might lead to story telling and that is exactly what happened. Lucy sets up her vegetable garden and barn near her Dad and begins telling the story of the animals who love vegetables. This was amazing to me from a four year old. Click the photo for another view.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018: Off to Bodega Bay for the day to walk on the beach.

The kids played chase the waves for an hour. Then we noticed a couple flying large kites and decided to go talk to them.

First, Chloe was invited to fly the yellow kite, a large, seven feet wide, kite.

Noah decided to join us and he got to fly the kite too. The kite owners are kite collectors and plan to spend much of their time with kites once they retire.

The kids also ran the beach looking for silver dollars and collected many.

Of course there are plenty of Pokémon characters.

Click each photo for more views.

Monday, April 2, 2018: Our plan was to continue our spring break vacation this afternoon. Before we left, the kids played Uno with Great Grandmother. This can be a very long game if the right cards don't appear quickly. Click the photo for another view.

Here is the photo we took just before leaving for the day.

Sunday, April 1, 2018: I have joined my son Ben and his children Chloe and Noah for a short vacation during spring break. But before we arrive at our spring break location, we stop in Lodi, California to visit my Mother. She is Great Grandmother to Ben's children.

Great Grandma wanted to join us for a walk around the block. She rode in her wheel chair while her caretaker, Michelle, pushed her. Chloe and Noah pushed their scooters and waited at every corner.

I took a video of our adventure.

Friday, March 30, 2018: Let's go for a hike along the Truckee River. We get to cross a suspension bridge over the Truckee. This is also the Tahoe Pyramid Mountain Bicycle Trail. Our destination is a lunch stop at the base of a nice cliff to climb. Check out the video of the suspension bridge crossing. Lucy carried her own pack with water bottle and snack food. After lunch, Dad and Lucy went climbing to the shelf near the top of the cliff. Click each photo for more views.

Yes! We DID get to see Amtrak heading up-river toward the town of Truckee, California and we saw a long freight train heading down-river toward Verdi, Nevada.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018: Another play day with Lucy and Elise. This time our play started in a nearby park where Lucy was playing with Molly, one of her friends. The two little girls wanted to be chased so I accommodated them and made a video of their reaction.

After the park, Lucy wanted to show me how she could twirl so I made a video of her twirling. She likes to spin.

Here is the video.

Click this photo for another view.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018: A day with Lucy, first we played engineer with her blocks. She designed a "tall tower" more than once. She chose the block by shape and size then used every block in the box. Click the photo for another view.

Lucy has a favorite pizza place. It's Mod Pizza where the customer makes the topping choices. It's one of my favorite places too. Lucy ate 3/4 of her pizza and took the last piece home for lunch.

Mod provided stickers for customers to customize and stick to the wall. Lucy wrote her name and then her sister's name on a sticker. Click her photo to see it.

Monday, March 26, 2018: Lucy likes to collect rocks so Gwen and I brought her a bag of rocks collected at the Quartzsite Rock Show. We also collect desert rocks with Lucy in mind to add to her collection. She was very excited about the new rocks and immediately began reorganizing the rocks. I thought she might organize by color but she organized by size then added all these rocks to her substantial rock collection.

Today was swimming day for Lucy, another swim lesson. After the swim lesson we returned home and played boat with a large box then the box converted to a shipping container. Lucy wanted to be shipped to her best friend, Molly. Then shipped to Uncle Ben's house, then Uncle Joe's house. All this lasted nearly 2 hours. Since I was the engine for the boat and then the box delivery driver, I was pretty exhausted.

Saturday, March 24, 2018: My daughter, Mindy and her husband Scott (the parents of Lucy and Elise) are very special cooks. They turn "real food" into very delicious meals. I've enjoyed all.

Today Scott was giving a lesson in how to roll the perfect no-meatballs made from black beans and mushrooms. Mindy made the mistake of commenting how perfectly spherical his no-meatballs where. Scott then gave us detailed lessons of the way to do it. Click the photo to see what I mean.

These are two fun people to be with!

Friday, March 23, 2018: Chloe and Noah are waiting for school on a very cold day. A sheet of thin ice covered a portion of the playground and they decided to help out the teacher on duty by smashing the ice into pieces (to melt faster).

This morning follows an evening with their cousins Lucy and Elise who were visiting. A wild time of play happened for about an hour just after dinner together. Here is a short video of the cousins playing together. Click the photo to see the "train" they made of all the cousins.

Thursday, March 22, 2018: Today I continue with Lucy's week of activities. She goes to gym class where she learns balance and strength activities for her whole body. Click the photo for another view.

Monday, March 19, 2018: Isn't this a great igloo? Lucy is very proud!

March 18, 2018: This is a travel day from Lodi, California to Verdi, Nevada. Interstate 80 over Donner Summit (7224 feet) is my pathway to Nevada. The last few days the Sierra Nevada Mountains have been in a major spring storm but Interstate 80 opened with no controls this morning so I'm on my way. Our favorite parking location is Gold Ranch RV Park. Our space was plowed just before I arrived so I'm parking on dry asphalt but surrounded by 18" of fresh powder. I added water to my freshwater holding tank then drained my hose knowing the night time temperatures will be well below freezing. I'm not sure where the sewer connection is but won't need that for several days. I've got 50 amp shore power to help keep Miss Dory warm. Miss Dory got sprayed with sandy roads most of the drive so she is dirty again. I've made a video of crossing Donner Pass if you haven't been this route after a snow storm. Click this photo for another view.

Saturday, March 17, 2018: My newest granddaughter is playing with her sister's craft box. I purchased these in Lodi, so while here I ordered one for Elise. It was delivered today because we are careless since Gwen has the car while visiting her daughter. Click the photo to see the personalized box for Elise. The lady doing this is an artist and hand paints the boxes. She doesn't have a Webpage but does have a Facebook page where you can contact her if you have grandkids too. Quick story: since we are careless, we decided to try Safeway home delivery of groceries. We ordered corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, desert, horseradish to be delivered today. However, when our "shopper" was getting our order he sent me a text message saying the desert was out of stock. A short time later he sent a message saying the corned beef was out of stock and he was substituting ravioli! At this point I returned a text to cancel the order. I do like the grocery delivery idea for my Mother but there IS a fee involved for the service. Next, my plan is to drive to Reno, Nevada tomorrow to visit my children and grandchildren before returning to Oregon. I must drive over California's famous Donner Summit (7,200 feet) to reach Reno. California Sierras have been getting slammed this week with a week long snow storm so I've been watching the road cameras and monitoring the chain requirements. Click the road condition photo for another view near the summit. There is a "window" tomorrow of clearing weather so the condition should be better. The road is clear of snow (barely) but looks sloppy wet so Miss Dory is going to get dirty. I called the Reno RV park and asked if my space had been plowed. I was told it still had 18" of snow but the snow would be "pushed" before I arrive. So from a winter in Arizona where we saw two short rain storms to Reno with nearly two feet of snow on the ground. We left Arizona early because we want to leave for British Columbia in mid-May and have much to do before then. This will be fun.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018: This is "Pi" day (3.14159...) so I wore my ultimate Pi Day T-Shirt I got back in 2015. I set out the t-shirt last night to be sure I got in on this morning. I wore into the house and found Mom ready for her lovely breakfast which was fixed to perfection by her caretaker, Rosie.

This was a day with a variety of weather. Rain in the morning then overcast then more rain then slowly clearing. Rain expected again tomorrow.

Gwen has our car in Klamath Falls so I've rented a car for tomorrow when we have multiple appointments with Mom.

Monday, March 5, 2018: This was "senior day" at the Star theaters in Lake Havasu. Only $4.50 and free popcorn to see a movie. We chose, "Red Sparrow", a very suspenseful spy movie with Jennifer Lawrence. This was a dark movie (physically dark), I assume it was intentional and not the theater equipment. The darkness set the mood and there were certainly enough "dark" scenes. As Gwen said, it was entertainment. I thought it was very realistic, and did not show the Russians in a good light.

Saturday, March 3, 2018: This is a travel day from Yuma to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. On the way out of town I took Gwen to "From the Farm" restaurant and antique shop. This is a unique little cafe and farm about eight miles north of Yuma on Highway 95. It is set up like a huge antique store where everything is for sale including the table, chairs and decorations on your table. They have a specialty menu which probably changes from day to day. I had biscuits and honey plus coffee while Gwen had a breakfast burrito. We look forward to finding this cafe again the next time we are in Yuma. Our drive to Lake Havasu was a bit under 200 miles with a strong crosswind the whole distance due to a major storm in northern California and Oregon. I did make a 7 minute video of the desert between Yuma and Quartzsite. Click this photo for a view of our dry-camp location in the Elks parking lot, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Friday, March 2, 2018: This is packing day but we still had time for our last float in the hot tub and pool. Then we took ourselves for a drive to the "sister" RV park next door which is more expensive. It is much larger, wider streets, more than one pool, more tennis courts and more designated space for traveling RVs. After walking through their clubhouse we saw the "Big Hoss" in the parking lot. I talked with the owner who didn't want his photo with the bike because "he is wanted". It has a Corvette V8 engine. Looks like fun.

Thursday, March 1, 2018: We visited the Peanut Patch, one of Gwen's favorite places because of the unusual food inventory. For example local processed vegetables, beans, peppers and peanuts of all kinds and flavors. But, of course, the main draw for us is the ice cream, hand scooped. Your choice is one or two scoops, both cost $2. Tough choice!

Tuesday, February 27, 2018: Our friend Ray is leaving tomorrow but before he leaves he would like to visit Mexico. He has never been to Mexico so we make a trip to Algodones just across the border from Yuma, Arizona. Algodones is a border town with lots of retail street shops mostly with the same inventory in every shop. It also has many dentists, eye glass retailers, pharmacy's and liquor stores. After exploring and buying only gifts, we eat in a popular cafe with shrimp tacos. Toward the end of our meal, we have a surprise visit from indian dancers. Here is a short video. Ray learned you have to say "No, thank you" ("no, gracias") many times to the requests from each vendor to buy jewelry, belts, purses, hats, pots, stained glass, leather holsters, blankets, shirts, jackets, ponchos, eye glasses, dental appointments and yard ornaments.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018: Nearly two years ago we were tailgunners on an Alaskan RV tour. Guy and Vicki were the trekmasters for the tour. We met up with them today and talked about old times. We remembered many of the RV guests which we led on the tour and the events we attended. Then we caught up on what each of us have done over the last two years since the tour. Guy and Vicki are leaseholders at Rover's Roost, the Escapee park in Casa Grande where we are parked. They are doing well and already planning some long trips this summer.

Click the photo to see a panorama of Rover's Roost.

Saturday, February 17, 2018: We are leaving Apache Junction tomorrow and wanted to get the laundry done today. The Superstition Express was probably the most expensive ($20.50 for two weeks of laundry) we used but nice large front load washers and very busy with customers. You had to buy a card to use the machines and if you were a local, a $100 card could be purchased for $80 so that would have made our $20.50 wash today only $16.40.

We walked by the Ace Hardware store during laundry time. Two employees were out front explaining to customers that their "system was down" and no transactions (including cash) could be conducted. This was a reminder of how dependent we are on electronic infrastructure. If electronic control systems are interrupted for any reason we would not be able to get gas, diesel, heat or air condition houses, food from grocery stores would soon be gone, can't pump water for drinking water or sewer systems, etc. Living in an RV can be considered a "bug out" location as long as you don't need to move (no gas) and no long term need for propane (refrigerator needs propane, one tank is good for about four weeks). Our solar will recharge batteries indefinitely as long as we have sunlight. Fresh water could come from a creek, lake or river if needed (that's what I usually do when I backpack). We generally have a two week supply of food stored too. So an RV can work for survival up to a month but after that, fuel would be needed to move somewhere closer to survival supply sources. Of course people experiencing the recent hurricanes have first hand knowledge of what it takes to survive when the infrastructure is "down".

Thursday, February, 15, 2018: This is moving day from Cholla Campground on Roosevelt Lake to Apache Junction, Arizona. We chose Apache Junction because it has great views of the east side of the Superstition Mountains and a nice Elks Club for RV parking. The Elks Club provides a level space without any hookups so we are still dry camped. The fee is only $10 per day with discounts for remaining for a week or month ($50/week, $150/month). This also gives us easy access to the major parts of the Phoenix area. Click this photo to see our location at the Elks RV parking. The highway 60 leading from Roosevelt then Globe then Apache Junction is very scenic but today we had unusual weather with rain much of the way and low clouds obscuring the view. Still, we made good time arriving just after noon selecting a nice site at the Elks Club. Once we arrived we found the restaurant we were looking for, the Handlebar Pub. It has an exceptional menu with great prices. I had a choice of "sides" which was difficult to choose between a smoked sweet potato and a whole acorn squash. Then, fill the propane tank and look for a car wash.

Sunday, February 11, 2018: In the mountains only 9 miles from our campsite are cliff dwellings in use for several hundred years, abandoned in 1450. It is a relatively easy hike to the dwellings with pavement on the trail and gentle switchbacks up the steep mountain side. These people were farmers growing corn in the valley below. Roosevelt Lake was not in the valley, instead, the Salt River was in the valley and used to irrigate the many crops cultivated by this group. They also made good use of the seeds, stalks, branches and poles from the native desert plants. Click all the photos for more views. On the return hike we found evidence of Javelina in the area. The Hedgehog Cactus has been stripped of the juicy meat inside the pulp.

Saturday, February 10, 2018: Gary, Jeanne, Gwen and I visit Globe mostly to shop at the Pickle Barrel, a unique combination antique, western, Indian, garden and home crafts and decorations. This shop also includes personal items such as T-shirts, clothes, hats, blankets and jewelry. This is a story with so much inventory it takes hours to really see it all. While driving to our picnic location we passed a store where Gwen yelled, "STOP". This was a fun day and we did find a couple of items to decorate our motorhome.

Thursday, February 8, 2018: Gwen, Gary, Jeanne and I take a drive through Payson then higher to the Natural Bridge State Park. There is some good hiking and excellent views of the natural bridge. Gary and I attempted a hike through the underground tunnel but came to an area which was beyond the ability of our shoes (too slippery) and age. We had just talked to some twenty-something hikers who came through the tunnel but after looking at the path decided we'd hike around to the other side. This side was the best for photos however. At top, while Gary kept his dog busy, Gwen, Jeanne and I hiked to the observation decks on the other side of the bridge. Click all the photos for additional views. On the return drive, we stopped at the historic Strawberry (name of the town) School House. The oldest log school house in Arizona. Click the photo for a description.

Monday, February 5, 2018: Today was a moving day from Bouse to Roosevelt Lake, Arizona. This is not our first time at this location, it has become one of our favorites. We are here to enjoy slightly cooler weather from Bouse and enjoy the water. Today we have the kayaks which we did not have two years ago. So we will spend some of our time on the water, not just looking at it. Like two years ago, our friends Gary and Jeanne will be joining us here and we both have similar goals of things to see in the area. Click both photos for enlarged views.

Friday, February 2, 2018: We drove to Quartzsite for more than one reason today. Mainly to see the "Art and Craft Show" at Tyson Wells which turned out to be a disappointment because it was little more than what we had already seen. While walking the show, we DID get to meet Darci, the editor and founder of Etched Magazine published in St. George, Utah. I was attracted to the "Retro-Trailer" which Darci and her assistant take with them to promote their new magazine. They have done a nice job of decorating (click the photo to see the kitchen area). Here is another view of the dining area. It takes a lot of work even with a trailer this small. Etched is part travel magazine, part artistic and part history. The theme is to promote the southwest USA. The magazine is published in St. George, Utah. The advertising makes St. George look attractive and a place an RV traveler should visit.

Thursday, February 1, 2018: It's warm in the desert today so I'm relaxing in the shade after desert hike. I put Gatorade and ice in my insulated cup and enjoyed the view. You can see the view, just click the photo.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018: I'm looking for an easy route to the top of "3 Hump". You see, Steve and Tina will be visiting this next weekend specifically to hike to the top of 3 Hump. I want to make sure we have the best route with the most scenic views and a mine shaft along the way. Anyway, I'm searching for the easy route to the top and believe I've found it. Of course this was the perfect hiking day, very little wind and 78 degrees. It felt pretty warm to me and I was taking in a lot of water. The forecast for Saturday is even warmer, 83 but with a nice breeze. I saw lots of rocks I wanted to collect be didn't want to carry the whole hike. Once to the top, I had to collect a rock, in this case, some desert lava. Click the photos for larger views.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018:East of Bouse is a reservoir called Alamo Lake formed by a dam on the Bill Williams River. It is almost 2 hours driving time from Bouse but I wanted to explore hearing about the potential of boondocking on the edge of a large lake since we have kayaks. This was my first view from a distance as I approached the lake (a panorama, be sure to click the photo to enlarge). I learned that a spillway is to the right of the dam and 50 feet below the top but the water has never reached the spillway. When you look at the photo, if the spillway is 50 feet below the top then the water appears to be more than 100 feet below the spillway. Since the southwest has been in a drought for several years, it's understandable for the water to be so low. The dam was built to control flood water flowing into Lake Havasu. The Bill Williams River was where we kayaked when visiting Lake Havasu. Next I visited the Alamo Lake State Park where for $25 per night you get a campsite with 30/50 amp power and water. But the park is at least 150 feet above the level of the lake and I was more interested in the boondocking at the edge of the water. After following about ten miles of gravel road I found the boondocked RVs. Most were camped in the desert a considerable distance from the water. I did find about half a dozen RVs next to the water but all water camp locations were taken so nothing for anyone new except the desert. It was my observation there was no reason to drive an hour to a remote lake just to be next to the water with our kayaks. The scenery was better in Bouse and the lake offered no coves to explore or cliffs to paddle next to. It would be OK for paddle exercise and boat handling practice but too remote to make it comfortable. Apparently most of the RVs are here for the ATV trails and for the fishing. We don't do either. I did see burros for the first time on our trip which is always fun. Click all photos for more views.

Monday, January 29, 2018: Gwen and I take a 1.5 hour drive to Wickenburg, Arizona, a historic Arizona town. To get to Wickenburg we drove through Hope, Arizona. We laughed at the sign when leaving Hope. Gwen was hoping to visit the quilt shop again but learned it is open only on the weekend plus Friday. So we drove to the Chamber of Commerce where we got maps for a walking tour of the historic district. We found lots of shops with Southwest Arizona theme or western coyboy theme. Many of the historic buildings are now antique shops or western shops with items for the tourists. Click all the photos for larger photos. We were lucky, when standing next to the historic steam engine, the Arizona and California train came through. This is the same train which passes through Bouse, on the average, twice each day.

The photo to the left I took to remember the idea of how to use the rocks we find in the desert and in the rock shops/vendors in Quartzsite. The base is solid rock and the body features a rock slice. The rest of the art is wood. I believe this is something I could design and make, just have to remember the idea.

Sunday, January 28, 2018: After refinishing the kitchen cabinet fronts and drawer fronts in Miss Dory, we take a walk into the desert looking for rocks for our friend Tina. We were imagining lots of small rocks and got her a gunny sack to collect them. However, we came across this rock and decided this one had her name on it. It is much bigger than we were planning but decided to take a photo to learn if she wanted it. Tina and her husband, Steve will be visiting this weekend. Our plan is to collect rocks and hike to the top of the three hump mountain. Click the photo to see an enlarged photo of the rock.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, January 19 - 21, 2018: We make a short trip to Phoenix to shop at Costco, WinCo and Wal-Mart. It is two hours one-way to Phoenix from our location in Bouse. The traffic is crazy as you get closer to Phoenix and the Costco shopping was so busy it was nearly shoulder to shoulder inside. Still, we had no problem finding all the items on our list. The highlight of the trip however, was getting to visit with our friend Bo on Friday and Steve and Tina on Saturday. Bo is a friend we made when we were tour tailgunners in our Alaska trip two years ago. We hadn't seen her since the Alaska trip. Much has happened for her in the last two years and she is now permanently in the Phoenix area. Steve and Tina have been friends from Oregon for quite a few years. They have also moved to the Phoenix area permanently. A very different weather pattern from Oregon. They love their new weather pattern and have created a resort setting at their new home. Click their photo to see the resort setting I'm talking about. What great fun it was to visit with both Bo and Steve/Tina.

Thursday, January 18, 2018: Click the photo to see a panorama of the inside of the most popular eating establishment in Bouse. This is where the locals get a $1 draft beer and a hamburger with fries. We decided to check it out tonight. You can't be in a hurry when they are busy, it took more than an hour to get our hamburgers. They were good.

Monday, January 15, 2018: Gwen took me to Quartzsite today to look for painted metal flowers. I had seen them a couple days ago and she decided she wanted one. We walked the whole show looking for the booth I found. But we found the dogs modeling hats and "cool mats", photo to the right. Click the photo to see all the dogs. We found hundreds of cast iron wall hangings and garden decorations. We found hundreds of cow bones too. But we didn't find the booth I was looking for. Fortunately, we DID find some painted metal flowers which made Gwen happy.

Saturday, January 13, 2018: While I'm searching for quartz rocks in the desert, Gwen did the laundry then strung a line from the motorhome to the car to dry. The humidity is only 30% so the clothes dry quickly. Gwen and I are waiting for the NFL playoff schedule to start at 2:35 pm mountain time. We listen to the start of the game but then take a desert hike during the third and fourth quarter get back in time to hear the Eagles win.

Now we are listening to the Titan, Patriot game hoping the Titans win but realize they have little chance.

Click the photo for a nice sunset tonight.

Thursday, January 11, 2018: Another hike into the desert around us. We are amazed at the hardy plants and trees which grow in this tough environment. It seems we see something new every time we walk into the desert. Today, Gwen spotted what appeared to be a property marker so she investigated more. On two sides of the marker were pieces of paper into glass tubes. She opened one of the tubes and found a Placer Mining Claim to the area around the marker. We looked around and saw no evidence of any mining but also saw nothing worth mining. The claim was dated 2012 so no telling what the claim owner has in mind. Click these photos for more views.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018: Sometimes using a Verizon Hotspot works fine for my Internet connection and sometimes not. The hotspot works only sporadically out in the desert. To be fair, I believe the Verizon tower is about 20 miles from our location. So today I brought my laptop to the Parker Public Library to upload the pages and videos I've made. Even then, the library WiFi took forty minutes to upload one video and when I tried to upload a second it was reporting a sixty minute upload. At that point I turned on my Verizon hotspot in the library and the upload to less than half that time. Go figure! It is a nice library. Click the photo to see one of the outside of the library published on their Webpage.

Friday, January 5, 2018: We chose today to make a quick trip into Algodones, Mexico near Yuma. Most USA tourists walk into Algodones for four reasons. They are shopping for liquor, prescription drugs (no prescription needed), dental work and eye glasses. We are going for something different. Gwen is anxious for a blanket to cover our motorhome couch, she also wants a metal plant for display with out fifth wheel back home, and Vanilla since the USA price for Vanilla is very high. We found everything we were looking for quickly so we were back into the USA about noon time. I made a video of this trip so you get the idea of this Mexico visit.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018: You wouldn't want to see a photo of the propane station, garbage transfer station or the county park water faucet where I get the water to refill our freshwater holding tank. After taking care of those utility items, the wind had picked up to better than 10 mph so here's a photo of my single line kite with 16 foot tail. Here's a short video if you've forgotten how a kite flies.

Sunday, December 31, 2017: There is a group of ultra-lite fliers about two miles from our parking location. They like to fly in the desert when there is no or very little wind. I hope to watch them take-off some day. I'd like to know how the parafoil fliers get into the air. This flier was directly overhead on his way to the mountains just behind our location. Looks like fun. Click this photo to enlarge.

Saturday, December 30, 2017: Every Saturday during the winter months a large "Swap Meet" happens along the Colorado River north of Parker at the La Paz County Park. Today was our first time to see the swap meet. There were many RV vendors. What I mean by that, these are RVers who pull a large utility trailer loaded with product, usually on wheeled display units. Storing the product this way makes it easy to setup and take-down. These vendors often travel from one craft fair - swap meet to another. The vendor displaying the wind mobiles has very high quality items but also priced more than I'd like to pay. That vendor also has some high performance parafoil kites that I'm interested in. I did buy a stocking cap from the vendor at right. It was lined and only $4. I like them as a sleeping cap when my head gets cold. Click on both photos for larger views.

Friday, December 29, 2017: We are parked very close to the Arizona Peace Trail, a 750 mile loop in southwest Arizona for offroad vehicles. This is a newly mapped route by Arizona State Parks with support by the many offroad vehicle clubs and the towns along the route. At least one new Arizona State Park will be created to support this offroad trail through some of the most scenic areas of Arizona. A new state park and AZPT staging area is planned for Bouse. Much of the trail is good enough for us to use our Forrester on the trail. We will be exploring whatever we can of the trail. This is the best map I've found. You can enlarge to show better detail.

Thursday, December 28, 2017: For the last ten days we have been visited each day by what appears to be a dog abandoned in the desert. It's about 18" tall and probably weighs 15 lbs. When it first appeared, Gwen gave her some water, very thirsty. When it appeared the next day, we gave it water and some dry dog food. She will not let us approach any closer than four feet and won't take food from an outstretched hand. It has been hanging around during the day but leaves every evening. Last night I followed her at a distance hoping to learn if she actually has a home elsewhere. She walked about 3/4 mile into the desert and laid down next to a bush. I waited and watched for 20 minutes then returned home. Two hours later, at dusk, I hiked back to where I had left her and she was still there. I tried coaxing her to follow me but she would not. Unlike Morgan, this dog does not trust humans but wants the food they make available. I had errands in Parker today, the La Paz County seat. I visited the animal shelter and talked with the county animal patrol officer. She took my information and promised she would come soon to Bouse to help capture the dog. We have no experience with "shelter or rescue" dogs but I can see that this dog will need a lot of rehabilitation and socialization with humans. Currently it has no desire to be near a human or touched by a human. Having said that, the last few days it has laid somewhat relaxed on our outdoor carpet seeming to want to be in our "group", just not closer than four feet to any human. To me, she looks full grown with paw size matching the rest of the body but she has the temperament of a puppy wanting to chew on everything and barks playfully when frustrated by not getting a treat since she won't take it out of my hand. Her personality is opposite of the Golden Retriever we experienced for the last 17 years. Our Golden only wanted to be with humans, interacting in every way possible.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017: Running errands today. Getting propane, water, checking for mail and delivering garbage to the transfer station. I still had enough time to check the wind speed for my new, single line parafoil kite. This kite really needs a steady 10 mph or more to fly well. I realize you can't tell the size. This is a large kite, about 12 feet from tip to tip, hence the need for strong wind to keep it aloft. Today, I barely showed a 10 mph wind but I was able to keep it aloft for an hour. This is a parafoil so it's made only of fabric, no stiffening ribs needed. Click this photo for another view.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017: I'm off to do the laundry today in downtown Bouse. While there, I met a family from the Netherlands touring north America by bicycle. They started in Canada and have ridden as far south as Tucson and are now headed toward San Francisco where they will board a plane for home in March. Sjoerd is dad, Hanneke is mom and Ramses is their little boy. Hanneke is writing a Facebook page of their travels. Her page is in Dutch so unless you can read Dutch, here is the trick. Right click and choose "Translate to English". I got a message which said, "This page could not be translated. Options". I clicked on options then chose "Dutch" as the language to translate from. I also checked the box, "Always Translate" then clicked the box, "Translate". Like magic, everything is now in English. Click this photo for another view. Enjoy Hanneke's report.

Saturday, December 23, 2017: Our motorhome has a built-in large propane tank but if we aren't moving around, either parked in the desert or an RV park, it's a pain to have to move the motorhome just to refill the propane tank. So I installed a fitting to allow the connection of a external propane. This tank can be taken to the nearest propane refill station eliminating the need to move the motorhome. Today I believe I learned something new (by accident) which I will confirm next week. I left the valve open to the large tank when connecting the external tank. When I opened the external tank valve, the propane seemed to be flowing from the external tank into the larger tank. That is good news for more than one reason. If I can refuel the large tank from the external tank, it will reduce the number of times I must take the motorhome to the propane refuel station. Also, when at our home base in Sutherlin, Oregon, our park has a propane refill station with prices at least a dollar less than the in-town price. However, they can't connect to a motorhome. If I can refill the motorhome tank from the external tank, I can save a dollar a gallon. My large tank is at the half full mark, next week I'll learn if I can add propane from the external tank. Click this photo to enlarge.

Friday, December 22, 2017: Our location in the Arizona desert is surrounded my the Palo Verde Tree, the Arizona State Tree. Palo Verde is Spanish for "green stick". Virtually every part of the tree is green. I always joke that every bush and tree in the desert has thorns and the Palo Verde is not an exception. The end of every branch is a very sharp thorn. They are found mostly in the washes around here. When there is any rain, the water ends up in the wash. I assume the majority of the rain is during the summer monsoons. We certainly have had no evidence of rain during the last month. It would be nice to have just ONE day with something other than clear, sunny weather, it's getting boring. Click the photo to see a green branch.

Monday, December 18, 2017: Quartzsite is known at the "rock capital of the world". This is one of the outdoor vendors selling all sorts of rocks and minerals by the pound. Most are rough, straight from the mine. Some have been cut into slabs, see the photo at the left. Click both photos to see a wider view. This is only one vendor and their are more than a hundred around town.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017, Gwen took me on a desert hike today to the top of some nearby mountains where we got views of the surrounding area. We saw RVs scattered around the desert as well as a distant view of the tiny Bouse community. Click the photo to the left to see Gwen on the mountain top with the view behind her. Below you see Miss Dory as we return from the hike. At dusk, we got another fabulous sunset, just click the photo below to see what it looked like.

After the hike we drove to "Family Dollar" a new store in Bouse. I had just read the NPR article about how "General Dollar is Transforming Rural America" so I wanted to see how Family Dollar (a store with the same business plan) compares. I also needed "C" batteries for my weather station. These "rural" stores are suppose to have good prices. I got 50% off the second package of batteries but still not as good a price as Costco but I only bought 4 batteries rather than 14 (the Costco package). The inventory reminded me of the old style "General Store" found in small towns 80 years ago. Inventory jammed together, narrow isles, trying to have something of everything, even a toilet seat.

Next, we went to the historic Ocotillo Lodge for their Taco Tuesday special. It is a restaurant bar with a "rough" interior, a "tavern" atmosphere. Click my photo above to learn how Gwen enjoyed her Taco Special.

Sunday, December 10, 2017: We decided to visit Quartzite, Arizona for the first time this winter. Quartzite is a unique town with many snowbirds visiting and camping in the nearby desert or the many RV parks. The parking fees are probably the cheapest in Arizona. It is located 25 miles from our desert parking location. Quartzite is also unique because it has more winter temporary vendors than any other location I know of. Many vendors return every year and the RVers know where they are located so they return to that location each year. For example, Gwen like the kitchen vendor and often waits to purchase from that vendor. There are many specialty tool and RV parts vendors which I like to visit. The tools are often unusual, inexpensive and can't be found easily anywhere else. There are also unusual parts found in Quartzite vendors. For example, there are many RV parts sold as a complete unit when all you need is a single lever which is part of the unit. You can find the lever here for 1/10th the price of the unit price. Unfortunately, it's usually a "treasure hunt" where you must do lots of searching to find exactly what you are looking for. Also, the dilemma is not having a need for the part NOW, but MAYBE in the future, so should I stock up NOW or wait until I really need it? Many vendors specialize in items needed in the desert. For example, the giant nails. The desert is often windy so awnings, mats, table, chairs need to be "nailed down". We use the giant nails on our awning and we found a nice RV mat so will use the nails and washers to nail down the mat. You can also find services in the RVs, such as the barber or pet groomer. I took a photo of the "Hand Puller" because I use to own one and it saved me several times. If we driving into the desert off-roads, we might need it to pull us out of at problem. No, I didn't buy it. Behind that photo are Tesla's connected to charging stands. My assumption, these folks are driving between Phoenix and LA and know Quartzite is a good spot to recharge. I asked one of the owners and was told it would take 30 minutes for a full charge. I did buy a mat, nails/washers, small tool bag, T-shirt, rocks for the grandkids, specialty tools for projects I'm planning and a kitchen knife sharpener. Click all photos for more photos.

Friday, December 8, 2017: This has been one of our toughest days. Our Golden, Morgan, has been with us for our entire RV lifestyle. Today she was 17 years and 25 days old and we had to have her euthanized. This Website has hundreds of pages and she is found on nearly every one. I've been trying to figure why it bothers us so much to loose her and have decided it is because she has been the perfect "human". Or perhaps the perfect human companion. She was never demanding or complaining, always happy to see us. We weren't perfect parents but she was always forgiving and didn't hold a grudge. She was never unhappy with the music I played and didn't demand money so she could buy an X-box and video games. She was never mean in any situation and had no understanding of violence. In fact, once when attacked by another dog, she only cried, didn't fight back, not understanding why this animal would hurt her. She enjoyed every part of life but was always happiest when with her family. The Webster definition of "friend" is: "one who you like and enjoy being with, a favored companion". Morgan was my friend. So she was the perfect "human". I believe humans could learn how better to BE human from this K9. Here are some links to a few of the other pages in this Website so you will understand how much she enjoyed her 17+ years. Just click each link, then the "back" button to return here to go to the next link. Beginning her life as an RV dog. Then she gets her first bath as an RV dog. When she was young and strong she even wrote a story of her adventures mountain biking. She learned along with us how to enjoy a new lifestyle at Howard Prairie Resort for five years. She went to the top of Table Mountain with me. Morgan just misses seeing a bear. Here's another story she wrote about fresh water. Morgan has a cousin, Jackson, who wrote a story about his visit to meet us when he was just a puppy. She has visited many states, here is her experience in Blue Water Creek Canyon, New Mexico, click the creek photo to see her, Alberta, Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, Illinois, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. Morgan had a litter mate, Amica, which she would often visit in Lodi, California. More fun times at Howard Prairie Resort. She has hiked to indian petroglyphs. Hiking was one of her favorite things to do. As she got older we tried to get her to use a ramp, but she didn't like them. She couldn't be embarrassed. She has another cousin, Gunnar, who taught her a new area to explore. Here she is in Hat Creek, California, a remote area of northern California. Of course she always loved the beach. Nearly two years ago, she had to have an eye removed. Still enjoying the beach with friends, with Brook and Gwen's son Dave. If you explore these pages, you will find many more photos of her adventures. This morning she struggled to get up and wait at the door for permission to leave Miss Dory. This was her final trip. Finally, here is Gwen's story of our Morgan.

Thursday, December 7, 2017: This was our first "utility" day in Bouse where we took our garbage to the transfer station which is open only Thursday thru Saturday. Then we went across the street to the Bouse Community Park to fill our six gallon fresh water jug for a nickel per gallon. Next, to the Bouse Library to get local news to learn about the happenings in the community. Next to Renee's New and Used store. She seems to have a little of everything but you'd have to search thru everything to find it. Next to Renee's is Salgado Produce where we shopped for apples, lemon, banana, cantaloupe, asparagus, yams, squash, green onion and avocado. All pleased Gwen who thought these vegetables better than any she could buy in Parker. Selgado is in Bouse only Thursday and Friday. Click the photo to enlarge.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017: Our first day in the desert is a nice clear day, great for solar charging the batteries. I watched the charge controller carefully today. At 10:45 a.m. I noticed the battery voltage at 14.2 volts nearing full charge. I saw 100%, fully charged by 11:30 a.m. When fully charged, the charge controller reduces the charging amps from the solar panels to a trickle charge (about 3-8 amps). That was when I switched the refrigerator to electric using the inverter to send electric current. I watched the solar amps jump to 23 amps. The charge controller sensed the refrigerator draw on the batteries and immediately increased solar amps to a maximum of the panels. In fact, 23 amps is beyond the rated output of the panels. What I learned from this exercise was 1) all three panels are working at 100%, 2) I left the refrigerator on electric for 2.5 hours and the batteries never dropped below 100% and not lower than 13.3 volts so I will switch to electricity to conserve propane every day, 3) the refrigerator must draw around 15 DC amps. All of this is of interest to me because we are considering a residential refrigerator. The propane/electric refrigerator is an "absorption" model with no moving parts. It is very inefficient and will not hold a normal refrigerator temperature reliably. Additionally, they do not work consistently on propane at higher altitudes. We have had our share of problems with our refrigerator so believe the next problem will cause us to switch to a residential refrigerator. Most of the new RVs are coming standard with residential refrigerators now. That's a good thing unless you want to boondock camp as we do. A residential refrigerator will likely mean the need for more solar panels and more storage batteries. I don't intend to do either. Our friend, Ray, camped with us with his new Allegro Red. It has a residential refrigerator and six 6 volt batteries (I have four six volt batteries). His batteries seemed to power the refrigerator all night. Ray's new motorhome has an automatic start generator which will start if the battery voltage drops too low. I suspect a residential refrigerator will cause us to use our generator first thing in the morning to speed battery recovery and perhaps last thing at night to top off the batteries before going to bed. Winter nights are 13 hours long while summer nights are only 8 hours long which may make a difference in our routine. Another thought, several new RVs have NO propane. Room heat and water heat is by diesel and the kitchen is all electric (stove and refrigerator). That might require new challenges to boondockers. I've always said, we are in the five percent club of RVers. Ninety-five percent travel from one RV park to another so an all electric kitchen is not a problem. The five percent group would have to figure innovative methods to dry camp in the wilderness. Click both photos for different views.

Sunday, December 3, 2017: Gwen takes me on a hike along the west shore (Arizona side) of Lake Havasu. The trail is a combination of dirt, rocks, sand following the serpentine edge of the lake. If you continue to follow this trail, you'll arrive at the BLM lake side campground found here. Knowing that, it would be possible to backpack into this lakeside camp site rather than paddle to the site.

Yes, we came back after sundown but got to see some fine clouds and scenes to the west.

Thursday, November 30, 2017: Today was a travel day from Laughlin, Nevada to Cattail Cove State Park, Arizona near Lake Havasu City. We were here eleven years ago with Morgan and our first fifth wheel, a quality King of the Road. It all seems new to us now so we will have to explore again. Back in 2006 we were not full time RV and could only spend a month traveling before we both had to be back to work. This time, we will spend five days before we move on to boondocking further south.

We have a friend, Steve, in Havasu City. Steve is a certified RV repairman. When we purchased Miss Dory two years ago we knew the refrigerator was on a "recall" from Norcold because of overheating problems. Within a month we had the service done which is only a small black box attached to detect overheating then cutting power to the refrigerator. Six months after the service, the black box cut power but I was able to reset it. I did not have another problem until a couple months ago when it would not reset. I still used the refrigerator (not a good idea) until I could get to Steve in Havasu City. That happened today. He found that both the black box and the sensor leading to the black box were defective and replaced both. So we are back to operating the refrigerator safely. If we continue to have problems, we will replace this refrigerator with a residential model. That may pose problems with boondocking but we will deal with that when the time comes.

We are at Cattail Cove to use our kayaks on Lake Havasu. The Ranger told us of the wild life refuge on the Bill Williams River only a few miles from here. We will make that our destination while we are here.

Friday, November 24, 2017: Gwen got me out of bed early today because she had found a yard sale where the first line of the ad stated, "Quilting Stuff". She wanted to be there when it opened. So we were up at 6 am because across the river where the yard sale was happen was Arizona time, one hour later. We were on the road by 6:40 our time which was 7:40 Arizona time. The yard sale opened at 8 am. She found a selection of fabric for only a dollar. After the garage sale, we went shopping for groceries. After returning home, I had enough time to put together everything I needed for an overnight kayak trip tomorrow.

We had arranged to have a special dinner to celebrate Gwen's birthday. We chose a Riverside restaurant which was nice enough to have table cloths and Christmas decorations like the tree behind Gwen in the photo. Gwen chose crab stuffed prawns which came with free crab legs. Our friends, Bud and Anita, came with us and they order the same thing. I ordered an Italian dish with chicken, spinach, artichokes, kalamata olives, capers in a wine sauce. You can see my dish by clicking Gwen's photo. Gwen got a special Cherries Jubilee which Casey fixed at our table. Click Casey's photo for another view.

Thursday, November 23, 2017: For Thanksgiving, we joined friends, Bud and Anita at the Harrah's Casino Thanksgiving Buffet. It's always a popular location on Thanksgiving. The line was long, exactly a one hour wait as the line slowly moved to the cashier. The surprise for me was how patient and friendly the Harrah's staff was. You'd think after greeting hundreds of hungry guests, their smile and enthusiasm would be worn out. But we were treated as if we were the first in line. The food was worth the wait. I believe we dined for nearly two hours which included visiting and the dessert competition with each other. Click the photo to see the view from the line into the dining room.

Monday, November 20, 2017: On the water again, finally. The wind was forecast to be on 7 mph, well..., it was a bit more than that but still a good day to get onto the water at Lake Mohave. The Seda Tango 21 is a heavy boat (because it's a double) but a boat which gives the paddler confidence with it's stability. So we enjoyed a 3 hour paddle on Lake Mohave plus a lunch break in the middle of the paddle. This was our first time to have the Seda in chop and waves and what a solid feeling and confidence building boat. I'm looking forward to spending more time in this boat. Click this photo to see one Gwen took from the front cockpit. Also, watch our short video of today's trip.

Saturday, November 18, 2017: This was a clear but very wind day so we chose to go to a movie at the Riverside Casino Theaters. I wanted to see the new Agatha Christie, "Murder on the Orient Express" and we were not disappointed. As expected, we were drawn into the movie from the very beginning by the characters and the graphics. Neither of us guessed the outcome. We walked to the theater across the pedestrian bridge into the Riverside Casino where the theaters are located. The view from the bridge to the north is toward the Lake Mead Recreation Area and Lake Mohave. The view to the south (click the photo) is toward all the rest of the casinos in Laughlin. The Colorado River is to the east with a pathway along the river, perhaps a good plan for tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017: We are on the road again, heading south on US99 in California. It always seems like a long, tough drive to Bakersfield. The first half of the drive seems like one continuous city stretched to 100 miles. The second half is through a major part of California's agriculture. Then we arrived in commute traffic in Bakersfield. We planned ahead to refuel at Costco in Bakersfield. Costco fuel is a minimum of 23 cents cheaper. We inched our way through Bakersfield after refueling and drive east to Tehachapi. There is a tiny RV park we like to stay next to the mountains. The city of Tehachapi is at 4,000 feet and the home of a sailplane airport. There is great ridge soaring at the nearby mountains. The RV park is on the edge of the Sailplane runway. You can see the sailplanes parked on the right of the photo. If you stay at the RV park, it's easy to watch the sailplanes fly. My college roommate was a sailplane pilot so I've been in one twice. I'm tempted to go for a demo ride. I believe it would be easy to transfer my experience as a power plane pilot to these gliders. Click the photo above for a satellite view of the RV park.

Monday, November 13, 2017: This has been a tough couple of weeks because Mom has not been feeling well. But she has improved in the last few days and almost back to her energetic self. This is her birthday so when she came to breakfast she ordered a big meal. That's a good thing since she hasn't had an appetite. Happy Birthday, Mom. Click to enlarge.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: We had more visitors today. Ryan and Kristin are behind Mom. They are my sister Sandy's children which makes them Mom's grandchildren. Lindsey is sitting to Mom's right, she is Ryan's wife. They drove from the bay area today and brought lunch which we all appreciated because we didn't have to cook. We enjoyed talking about Ryan and Lindsey's trip to New Zealand. Then Kristin told us of her experience with the recent devastating fires near her in Fairfield. We also shared our stores of Telegraph Cove.

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Today, my son Ben and his son Noah came to visit their grandmother/great-grandmother. Since her birthday is on Monday, they wanted to visit. I sneaked them away for a couple hours to take a ride in the double kayak. Ben sat in the front and took this photo. Noah sat behind me in a hatch. We all had fun watching for turtles and spying on the ducks.

Thursday, November 9, 2017: Continuing with the clean-up, Dennis is the owner of the carpet cleaning company. Mom had Dennis clean her carpets a year ago and he did an excellent job. Mom's carpets are difficult to clean because they get a great deal of use. A year ago Mom thought Dennis charged too much so she called and told him so. He remembers that conversation and my mother. We wanted Dennis to return because no other cleaner has done such a good job. Click the photo to see his impressive equipment. He did another great job.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017: The clock is ticking. We plan to move in a full time care giver next Monday. For that reason we hired Larry, a "handyman" to paint the care giver bedroom. While Larry is painting, I climbed onto the roof to make repairs. When that project was complete, I spent an hour cleaning the chest of drawers for the special bedroom. It was also my job to paint the valence for that bedroom. About that time, Larry let me know we would need another gallon of paint so a quick trip to Lowes. About that time, my sister, Sandy arrived to help. Click Larry's photo for another view.

Saturday, October 28, 2017: Gwen and I spent a couple morning hours finding garage sales. The very first one, Gwen found fabric and brand new quilt books with many new ideas. The rest of the garage sales were a waste of time. Then we went to an "estate sale", a bigger sale than I've ever seen. Probably a thousand buyers in attendance. There was a line about two hours long to get into the house. I would like to have seen the inside of the house but unwilling to wait the two hours. We were able to view the grounds of this 6,500 square foot house, well manicured with lots of statues and yard decorations. The line to pay for items was also long. We didn't buy anything but enjoyed seeing the crowd and a house and grounds we would normally nor be invited to see. Click the photos for more views.

Friday, October 27, 2017: My daughter,

, Lucy and Elise (on the left), drove from Reno, Nevada to visit with my Mother, their great grandma. My niece, Shannon and her baby Jacob drove from Woodland, California to see great grandma too. Of course, Mindy and Shannon are good friends and both were anxious to visit with each other and share baby stories. My mother was the biggest benefit of the visit enjoying both her grandchildren and great grandchildren. We enjoyed pizza and children playing and visiting family together.

Sunday, October 22, 2017: Dorana and Robin own a canoe and they know of some paddling in a nature area on the Cosumnes River Preserve. First we met at their house for a late brunch and visiting then off to the Preserve.

For Gwen and I, it was a tough launch because we mounted the wheels too far back which made the boat heavy and it was a long walk to the water. We learned our lesson and set the wheels further forward for the return trip, it was much easier.

The paddle was very nice with perfect weather, little wind and great company. The Cosumnes is slow moving so little current to deal with. A two hour paddle was just what we needed.

Thursday, October 19, 2017: It's time to learn if the SEDA, Tango floats. Gwen and I take the first kayak paddle in the Mokelumne River only one mile from Mom's house. At first we thought we would paddle, gentle Lodi Lake but learned there was no direct access with the boat launch closed. Then we learned of a "Canoe/Kayak launch into the Mokelumne River which leads to Lodi Lake. Look at Gwen's new, pretty water shows she found in Reno. Yes, we both had to step into the Mokelumne to launch the kayak but we stayed upright. We first paddled to Lodi Lake then turned around paddling up the river. I've combined a video of this kayak trip with the trip I take with my sister tomorrow. Check that description for a link to the video.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017: I always look forward to Mom's "To-Do" lists when I visit. The first item on the list was her electric dryer. When she opens the door to the dryer, it doesn't stop turning. Well, that was easy to diagnose, the door switch was not working. I was able to find a replacement switch online within 5 minutes but I wasn't about to order it without knowing how to replace it. So I did a YouTube search and found this video which made it look easy. The new switch will arrive on Thursday.

Another item on the list was to make sure the downspouts were clear and ready for the rain which will eventually begin in central California. This is a perpetual problem so I purchased these downspout screens and inserted into every downspout. Hopefully these screens will delay a downspout problem long enough so they can be cleaned before a problem happens.

Sunday, October 15, 2017: This is our last day in Reno. Tomorrow we travel to California to visit my mother. We spent some time today with Noah and Chloe. Noah is working on a birth present. It's an interesting "toy". The manufacturer came up with a unique idea for a toy. Encase a plastic dinosaur skeleton in a block of dried clay. Digging tools and a brush are included in the kit. Kids carefully "retrieve" the bones, brushing them out of the block to avoid breaking them. Chloe liked the bubble machine I gave her. She also played with the wood train I built several years ago. Chloe plays a lot of soccer and in the second grade this year. We said good-bye to everyone then returned to begin packing up.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017: After grocery shopping, Gwen and I spent the afternoon with Mindy, Lucy and Elise. In this photo Lucy has stolen my hat and wants her photo taken with it. Gwen and I took turns playing with Lucy. Turns because she would wear us out quickly so Gwen and I were "switch hitting". Lucy never got tired. Click the photo for a view of the three of us.

Saturday, October 7, 2017: Beautiful, sunny day in Reno. I am at Chloe's soccer game today. Chloe plays the goalie during the first half of the game then the middle during the second half of the game. An exciting game with goals scored on both teams. Meanwhile, during the half-time, Noah and I walk over to the playground where Noah likes the climbing wall. Click both photos for second views. Here is a short video of the soccer action.

Thursday, October 5, 2017: This was play day for ALL the grandkids, Noah, Lucy and Chloe along with Scott, Lucy's Dad. Scott took us to the "Mogul Park" which was new to everyone except Lucy. New apparatus is always exciting. Everyone did the rock climbing wall at least once plus the regulars: slides, bars, stairs, suspension bridge and more. After the park, we hiked the nature trail along the Truckee River and read all the signs. At the pond, we searched for frogs. Click all photos for more views.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017: This is library story book day. Lucy always like to sit in the front row so she can easily see the pictures in the book. This librarian read four books to the kids and they were all focused on everything the librarian said. The children also listened to music and each held hand bells to ring along with the tunes. I made a short video at the end of the lesson, missed the stories but caught all the action in the room. Lucy gets a hand stamp at the end of the lesson then discusses it with her Mom. Click the photo for the video.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017: This is Tuesday. Tuesday turns out to be a special day for Lucy, Mindy and Scott. We visit "Mod Pizza" which is a relatively new restaurant idea. It's a place where you build your own pizza. Lucy ordered her own and ate it all. Mindy, Scott and I did the same. Gwen ordered a salad, It was a fun place, affordable and each of us had exactly what we wanted. One of Mod's promotional features is a "MOD" sticker where you write a message then post to the wall inside the restaurant. This sticker was in our booth and Lucy pointed it out to me. Click both photos for additional views.

Here is a video of Lucy with her Dad at the playground.

Monday, October 2, 2017: Scott and I took Lucy on a hike today to the neighborhood park. Lucy spent much of the time with a friend chasing the friend's dog. The rest of the time she used the swing, the slide, the rock climbing wall and the climbing apparatus. Click the photos for other views.

Sunday, October 1, 2017: This was pumpkin patch day with the grandkids in east Reno. Lucy, Elise, Chloe and Noah showed up with their parents to choose just the right pumpkins and gourds. While at the pumpkin patch the kids got to jump in a bounce house and pet the animals in the petting zoo. Uncle Joe was there too. We all picked out our favorites and promised to come back to the corn maze when we had more time.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017: Tomorrow is the day we leave Sutherlin for as much as six months. So today I cleaned up the yard with the string trimmer between rain storms. Actually, I cleaned up the neighbor's yard too keeping the string trimmer running until it runs out of gas. I don't want gas sitting in the carburetor during the six months we are gone. I loaded more camping gear into Miss Dory with the idea I might do some camping in Arizona. Gwen and I had wanted the camping gear when in Canada but we left it in Sutherlin so I decided to bring it along this time. I've also loaded the 30 lb propane tank rather than the 20 lb propane tank. We expect to do a lot of boondocking which means burning a lot of propane and I'd like to reduce the number of times I must refill the tank. Finally, I used this "Little Green Pro" to clean Miss Dory's carpet. It's a spot cleaner but does OK for the RV carpet since it's a small area. It helps to cut down the "Morgan" smell too. Still much to do tomorrow.

Monday, September 18, 2017: Both Gwen and I are working on preparing for our winter trip south. However, the biggest event today was Morgan getting a grooming. Morgan is at the age she finds it difficult to stand any length of time so I volunteered to help with Morgan while Tiffany did a great job of grooming. Tiffany has been Morgan's groomer since 2012 and we have always felt she was the best. Look at all the fur which won't be in our vacuum.

Sunday, September 17, 2017: This is the empty box of the new mattress we bought for Miss Dory. Gwen has not been sleeping well on a "hard" mattress and I didn't like the old mattress because it was a "short queen" we had moved to Miss Dory from our Lazy Daze. Miss Dory is made to fit a full size queen, 80" rather than the 74" of the short queen. So the empty box is on it's way to recycle. We are trying (after testing) several mattresses the 14" tall Gel mattress which comes in a box. Yes, it came from Costco. We will be leaving "home base" soon, looking forward to the new mattress.