Thanksgiving and more...

The last two weeks have been insanely busy!  Spotted these beautiful desert flowers on one of our geocaching hikes in Laughlin, Nevada.

We met up with Mary and John in Laughlin, and spent two nights playing the slots, eating way too much food, drinking some very yummy drinks and laughing so hard it made my face hurt!  We had a blast at the Colorado Belle playing a slot machine called "Reel Them In"  Here fishy, fishy!!!

On to Las Vegas, Nevada, where I had the chance to meet up with a very good friend of mine whom I haven't seen in over 6 years!  Wow, has it really been that long?  How time flies!  It was so good to collect hugs from Terri, see her wonderful smile and join in with her contagious laughter!  The visit was too short, but she had to get on the road and head home to Arizona! 

Headed west to California for a visit with children and a Workamp job on Bethel Island at an RV resort and Marina.  This job is "Barter for site,"  which actually should work out good as my daughter is due with a baby in February and it's only an hour drive from her.  The plan is to stay here until May, just in time to travel to Lake City, Colorado for our next Workamp job!

I'm so excited about having a new grand-baby that I've already started making things.  So far a new blanket and hat have been crocheted, and booties and sweater are in the planning stages. Will start on sewing some sleepers, even a few from Great Grandma Ann's old sewing patterns! And of course a few soft fabric books! Every baby needs a couple of cloth books!  A new life, a new little one to love!  Life can't get much better then this!

My beautiful girls!

Thanksgiving week was spent with my two daughters, here in California with Mary and John joining us!  We celebrated the holiday with a full traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

The Thanksgiving table

Turkey, cornbread dressing, Polish sausage, sauerkraut, ham, sweet potatoes, potato salad, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with mushrooms and onions, sausage soup, homemade macaroni and cheese, homemade cranberry sauce, homemade apple pie,  homemade pumpkin/sweet potato pie and the traditional ice-box cake that is now in it's third generation and I'm sure will be passed on for generations to come!  Mary and John took the leftover turkey and made the most wonderful Turkey Flautas with homemade refried beans and rice.  Talk about a great way to enjoy the leftover turkey!  Wow!!!  I think I've gained ten pounds over the last two weeks!

Even with all the trials and tribulations, we have so much to be thankful for this year.  Our new home, our health, a loving family, our Workamp jobs, time spent with so many friends and family over the last two months. 

Thanks for stopping by. Maybe now that we are "staying put" for a while, I'll be able to keep up with my blog!

Jo


Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.  W.T. Purkiser

A Five "C" Day!

Some people have a "Five Star Day", well, we had a "Five C Day!"
What is a "Five C Day" you ask?  It is Caching, Car-wash, Chinese food, Casino and Cocktails!



Caching - We started out our day by geocaching out in the desert.  There had been a CITO event recently so we went out to find the caches.  A CITO is a geocaching event that brings geocachers together to find caches and pick up trash.  CITO = Cache In and Trash Out.  It is one small thing that geocachers do to clean up an area and make the world a better place to live.  These geocaches took us hiking across open desert.  It was really a very exciting adventure.  We spotted a brood of Quail, many Hares, a few purple aster-looking flowers and even an old pick-up truck rusting away in a gully (Christine's Uncle?).  Some of the caches took us near a beach along the Colorado River and the others out to the middle of nowhere with deep gullies that were too deep to cross and we had to back track to a more level area.  We walked about 8 miles and enjoyed every minute of it!  But, that's us ... we never seem to find the easy way of doing caches.  Half way through, we discovered a parking closer to the caches which would have saved us a few miles of walking. But, what's the fun in that?  We enjoyed the fresh air and the arid scenery.

Car wash - After our latest adventures in the desert and driving gravel and rock roads, our truck took on a new color.  Dust! I don't mean just a little dust ... it has about a quarter inch of sand and dirt in the back bed!  We thought it would be a good idea to wash some of the dust from it and enjoy the beautiful silver color it was meant to be.  We found a car wash on our way home from geocaching and did the job.  With all that hiking and cleaning the car, we needed some food.

Chinese - Nothing fancy here.  We went to Panda Express for dinner.  We don't eat out often, but today, well, just didn't feel like cooking.  Fried Rice, Mushroom Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Dumplings and a couple of Spring Rolls.  YUMMY!

Casino - Since we are staying in a casino RV Park, why not take a few bucks and try our luck?  Having full bellies, feeling pretty good about having a clean truck and grabbing a few caches, why not?  We played a couple of machines with no luck.  Then, Paul played one slot machine and did well ... at least until it decided to take his winnings back!  He also played a machine that was so loud it made my ears hurt.  It must have been the noisiest machine in the casino! I actually took out my hearing aids and could still hear it!  Now that's a loud machine.  All in all we didn't lose much and had a great time playing the slots.

Cocktails - While sitting in the casino, the girls walk around saying "Cocktails?"  Ahh, what the heck, we're not driving so why not?  We had a couple of cocktails before calling it a night.

That was our "Five C Day" 


Wishing you a Five Star Day!


Jo


Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. - Hans Christian Andersen

Geocaching In Three States!

For those of you who don't know, Geocaching is a world-wide scavenger hunt using a handheld GPS unit to locate specific landmarks or hidden containers which have a logbook to sign, and treasures to discover, move on, or exchange.  You then share your experiences with others via the Geocaching web site at http://www.geocaching.com/

We cached today in three States: California, Nevada and Arizona.  Wow, I don't think we've ever cached in three States in one day before!   However, since we are currently in Laughlin, NV, it was easier than it would first seem.

Our first cache took us to California, this cache took us to a landmark which was a marker for the California/Nevada dividing line.  This marker commemorates the iron column erected in 1873 at the southernmost tip of the boundary survey line run by Allexey W. Von Schmidt, U.S. astronomer and surveyor. The line dividing Nevada and California was based on preliminary geodetic work by Lieutenant Joseph Christmas Ives. Ives determined the Colorado River end of the proposed oblique California-Nevada boundary. Von Schmidt calculated and ran the first complete survey of the boundary. His solar observations erred slightly -- the actual line now being 3/4 mile to the North.

Our second cache took us to Nevada, which was a very short distance.  The hardest thing was finding the right road to take!  We ended up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and praying for a spot big enough to turn around.  It was an adventure to say the least.  I warned Paul to be aware of scorpions and rattlesnakes as we were caching in the desert.  Paul even grabbed a cache that took him down next to the Colorado River.  He climbed down the rocky slope using his walking stick for support.  This was no small feat considering this one is better grabbed by boat!

After doing a cache that took us over the river to Arizona, we saw a sign pointing to Oatman!  Well, I've heard stories of Oatman where the burros wander the town streets.  So ... off we go, heading to Oatman.  We even found two geocaches on Oatman Main Street.  That made it all worth while!  We also watched a gun battled on that same Main Street and had lunch in a nearby saloon

Baby burro nursing on the streets of Oatman, Arizona

Heading back to Laughlin, Paul (typical, reckless, Paul) decided to take a back road and grab a couple more caches.  Well, the road we drove was nothing more taen rock and gravel with enough room for a single lane.  As we drove we discovered a few interesting places.  One was a memorial of crosses set up on a small cliff and another was a Korean War memorial with a pair of snake-skin boots enclosed in glass.

Arriving home, the empty RV lot behind ours was filled with blackbirds.  If I had just watched Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" I wouldn't have got out of the car.  There were hundreds!

Thank you for sharing our day!
Jo


If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Must have been really cold last night.  Went to flush the toilet and the water pump kicked in, but no water coming out!  Time to turn on the heater and unthaw the pipes.

 Lesson learned: Use the RV furnace at night not just the electric heater!

Frost on the truck!   Good thing we kept an ice scraper!

Challenges make life interesting, however, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. 
                                                                                                                                                 Mark Twain

Grand Canyon

I still remember looking out to the San Fransisco Peaks and being awed.  It still holds true today.  As we drove back down to Flagstaff to take our friend Bob's suggestion of driving up Highway 180 to the Grand Canyon, I once again found myself staring at this beautiful mountain.  I may never climb it, but that's okay.  To stand in it's shadow is enough for me!

San Fransisco Peaks

Having lived in Arizona for 7 years, I've been to the Grand Canyon a couple of times before at different times of the year.  Summer seems to bring tourists from every part of the world, and why not?  That's a great time to come and enjoy the wonder of this magnificent place.  Winter can bring cold temperatures and blowing winds that sting your face and make your eyes tear as you try to take in all the wonder it has to offer, as my cousins and I learned years ago during our winter visit here.  Today was actually a good day for a visit.  The temperatures were in the 40's, a bit chilly, but not cold.  There was no wind and it wasn't too crowded.  A perfect day for Paul's first visit!

From Paul:

I’ve been in the USA for over 25 years, and never seen the Grand Canyon. But my older brother visited the USA one time, a few years ago, and saw the Grand Canyon. It was on his bucket list.

I visited the Grand Canyon today and … WOW! It was an awesome sight. I just HAD to go to the very edge and feel the fear of the distance below me. Yes, I’ll admit it, my legs got very shaky when I was within two feet of a cliff edge that dropped down a mile below me. Who wouldn’t?

It's a long way down!

 This was an experience … to see one of the natural wonders of the world … up front and personal.

Ever wonder how the Grand Canyon got here? 

We spotted this going on behind a closed fenced area!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Paul, Jo and Charlie

 

Arizonia

Our New Mexico boondock morning

After spending the other night at the "no amenities" rest area in New Mexico, our plans were to boondock at the rest area just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.  As we approached the rest area, blockades and a sign stated, "Rest Area Closed."  Now what? We talked as we continued on our way, gauging the time and the setting sun.  Can we make it to Seligman before darkness falls upon us? That would mean doing the Ash Fork mountain pass in the dark, something I was really hesitant about doing.  We continued driving and Paul spotted the "Grand Canyon Train" depot.  I asked, "Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?  "No" was his reply, "But, I've flown over it!" As a smile swept across his face, I could tell the wheels in his head were concocting an idea. He drove to the next exit, turned around and we are now hooked up at Canyon Gateway RV Park!  Will get some things done in Flagstaff, banking, grocery shopping, and then off to see the Grand Canyon.  Isn't life wonderful when it places opportunities before you?

  

Arizona: Welcome Rest Stop sign

Flagstaff, Arizona: Is that snow on the ground?

 

“The Gods cannot help those who do not seize opportunities” - Chinese Proverb

Go West young man, well seniors too!

We really enjoyed Camp Hosting at Cherry Creek State Park, it was a wonderful learning experience and we met some of the friendliest people there. But all good things must come to an end. Or is it, that there are new adventures awaiting us? I think it’s a little bit of both! As part of our compensation we were given annual passes that are good at all Colorado State Parks.  Paul was given a "senior pass" which also allows us to get our RV sites for half price.  I knew he was a senior, but just didn't want to rub it in! *Grin  We’ll just have to make a trip back when the weather is warmer to use our newly aquired passes. Talking about the weather, we left the Denver area just in time, after a couple hours on the road, my daughter-in-law called and said, “It’s snowing”

One thing people don’t tell you about Interstate 25 in New Mexico, between hitting the border and Santa Fe, is how desolate it is. There are no billboards, no towns and no Gas Stations! We pulled into Las Vegas, New Mexico on fumes! Exit 345, which was the exit we needed for the truck fuel fill-up was closed so we drove down to the next exit and back tracked into town. First gas station we came to was closed, second gas station didn’t sell diesel, third gas station was boarded up. The truck was literally edging along on its last bit of fuel when we spotted an open gas station that sold diesel. Thank God! Now if we can maneuver into the pump without taking off the side of the rig, we’ll be okay. I don’t know why I worry so much, Paul has proved himself over and over at being more then capable of getting this 38 foot beast into and out of tight places.

On the road again and enjoying the warm sunshine and dry roads. The wind did get a bit gusty, and a High Wind Advisory was in effect, but the truckers all seemed to be doing ok and really, the winds were not that bad, otherwise I’d have made Paul pull into a rest area. About the rest areas along this route. They are nothing like the rest areas that we have used in the past. These rest areas offer no amenities other than a flush toilet and a sink to wash your hands. We drove until the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains. Then it was instant darkness. Not wanting to drive in the dark we pulled in to a “No Facilities” rest stop. It was right along the highway and offered nothing but a parking spot. No problem for us, afterall we havre everything we need to have a comfortable evening.  We put on the heat, had a bite to eat and called it a night. The one amazing thing about being out in the middle of nowhere with no city lights, is the stars! Looking up on this cold, windy night, we could see the Milky Way and so many stars that it was easy to get lost in the moment. Well, almost, because the cold brought you back to the reality that if you wanted to star gaze, you had better get out the hats, scarves and mittens! Yep, it was that cold. A low of 20 degrees made for a very short star gazing night.

Woke up to a frost and wanting to get an early start, it was time to hit the road and find some of that wonderful elixir of energy we all call coffee! I realized this morning that my coffee maker will not run on 12 volts. We drove past Santa Fe, filled up with fuel, got the coffee and are heading to warmer weather… Nevada via northern Arizona! Okay, so it going to take us a couple cold and chilly days to get there, but when we do… ahh, warmer days and warmer nights!

Jo

What a busy weekend!  Since the weather was warmer then normal, we decided to pick up the grandchildren after school on Friday and have them spend some time with us.  The campground filled and we even had an old 1978 VW Popup  pull into the site not too far from us.  Paul was talking to the young couple.  They boasted that it still had the original engine.  It looked great, I'm sure there has been body work performed on it!

It was a wonderful weekend of building memories and having fun together. Enjoying wildlife and nature.

These deer are about 10 feet from the back of our rig.

No only did we spot the deer close to our camp site, but we took a hike and spotted two bucks in the herd.  The bucks don't seem to travel with the does when they come through camp so it was a great find to finally spot them.

While having lunch outside at the picnic table in our camp site, we had a hawk swoop down not 50 feet from us.  It was after a squirrel.  Never seen a hawk go after a squirrel before!  The squirrel managed to stay away by climbing up the truck of the tree and circling around the back.  The hawk did a small semi-circle and gave up, flying off to better hunting grounds.

Look closely, you can see the squirrel escaping from the hawk.

We did some crafts, sewing and stuffing a teddie bear and painting race cars. It is always a delight to share time and do things with children, It is so much fun spending time with them, answering their questions and picking their brains about what they've learned in school.  They have given me some very wonderful memories.  We talked about Charlie being Grandma Ann's teddie bear and how Charlie is going to travel with me.  Emily in asll her wisdom, gave me a hug and said "You're never to old for a stuff animal!"  How right she is!

My son and his wife came for the kids and decided to stay for a few hours. The campground was full and there were many campfires all around us.  He built a huge campfire that sent off enough heat so no one was chilled when the sun went down.  We roasted marshmallows, which the kids really enjoyed, Paul even tried one, but as I suspected, it was too sweet for his liking!

Today was a busy day as we have been the only Camp Host here for the last week.  We cleaned 32 campsites, emptying fire-pits, raking the sites, checking the water and electric. This week is bringing colder weather and snow.  It's time for us to pull up stakes and move South and then West, probably on Tuesday morning. Just in case, Paul hooked up the generator to the rig, and it all worked fine so, we're ready for the next stage in our adventure.

Thanks for stopping by.
Jo

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

Was it that cold?

Woke up this morning to crisp and cool air and no water coming out of the kitchen faucet.  I didn't think it was supposed to get that cold last night!  Thank goodness for having some water in the holding tank to use until the incoming hose defrosted in the Colorado sunshine. Got to have that morning coffee to start the day!  Our water pressure gauge was damaged by being frozen so off to the store to get a new one but, actually, the day turned out to be a very nice one!
Tonight the water will be left dripping. I don't care if they say it's not going down to freezing temperatures! Better safe than sorry.