Happy New Year

My grandson Gage's First Christmas.

As the New Year approaches I find myself doing things that remind me of my childhood.
My mom and dad had us kids clean house on New Year's Eve.   The beds made with clean bedding, grocery shopping, floors washed, cupboards cleaned and stocked, laundry washed, ironed and put away.  All in all the whole house cleaned.  I can remember my dad putting a penny on the window sill.

So as the New Year approaches, my wish for all...
May you always have a warm, sheltered place to lay your head when you need rest,  may you always have food in your cupboards to satisfy your hunger, may your closet hold clean clothing for any type of weather,  may good fortune always put a coin or two in your pocket and may you be blessed with good health, laughter, peace in your heart and love!

2011 had many moments that have brought laughter into our life.  There have also been times of sadness with the passing of loved ones and dear friends.   We continue to take life "one day at a time",  make new friends, cherish our old friends, and take joy that you have joined us in this journey we call life.

Below you see some of the wonderful moments that filled our 2011 with precious memories.

Celebrating Elizabeth's birthday

My new Grandson, Gage Moore born in Berkeley, California  

 St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner in Bethel Island, California

My birthday celebration

Jennifer's Flute recital in Spring Arbor, Michigan

 A Mother's Day celebration in Menlo Park, California

 A Tram ride up to the top of San Jacinto Mountain, Palm Springs, California

A visit to Yosemite National Park

Hoover Dam, Arizona

Jennifer's college graduation, Spring Arbor, Michigan

Saturday Pancake Breakfast, Sky Valley, California

Water Volleyball at Caliente Springs Resort, Desert Hot Spring , California

Norb and Barbara Kabuss, Palm Springs, California

Family gathering together in Spring Arbor, Michigan

Kevin on his way to Sturgis, South Dakota

Becky came to visit sunny California

Kevin, Elizabeth and Gage

  

A visit with my very good friend, Keith.  Park Forest, Illinois

Family visit to New Lenox, Illinois

Long ago advice: "You need 4 hugs a day to survive"

Sharing happiness

Make room for the new addition to the family!

Barbara and Ginny, life long friends.

Remnants of an old volcano near Amboy, California.

Hoping to "Win Big" with Mary and John in Laughlin, Nevada

Chile Cook-off contest, Caliente Springs, California

Playing in the park with my bud!

Picking pumpkins in the pumpkin patch 

Nothing fills the heart more then visits from family who live far, far away

Fancy Christmas Dinner celebrated with friends at Caliente Springs Resort

A Merry Christmas hug

Discussing work at the Employee Christmas party, Caliente Springs, California
NOT !!

Christmas Caroling

Let the feast begin!

Christmas group hug

A very proud Grandma

From  Emmanuel's Book II - The Choice for Love

You live a lifetime.  At the end of it you say to those around your deathbed, "What a long life!  Why, I lived ninety whole years.  Do you know how much I did?"  And then you die.

You wake up and ask, "How long was I gone?"  The Being of Light who is with you answers, "We hardly noticed you were gone at all.  You just sat down and dozed off for a second and here you are again.  What kind of dream did you have this time?

  

Ninety years...so long, so short.  

Happy New Year

Paul and Jo

The start of a very busy month!

We joined in the "Welcome Back Chili Cook-off".  There were 12 pots of chili entered into the "cook off".  Even though I didn't get to sample them as I was one of the servers, Paul did!  He came across a variety of different chili's.  Some had carrots, some pineapple, some plain, one seemed to be sweetened with brown sugar  but the one he liked best had corn in it!  As he said to me later, "It gave it a bit of a crunch"  I didn't take first place with my chili, but I didn't take last either, so I think I did okay.

Setting up for the tasting contest

Packed in and ready for a great night.

After the tasting contest and dinner that was all the chili's and the many different dishes that people brought to share we sat back and enjoyed the live music.  The Van-Horn's sang and played music that got the place hopping.  People danced, clapped, sang along and had a great evening. Since I missed being able to line-dance while serving for the taste-testing, Paul went up and asked them to play something so I could line dance.  They did ... I did ... what a great time!

Good music and dancing!

Sharon and Ted (Storage Security)

Chaplain George Cooper and his wife 

 

Dorothy and Dick (Garden Club)

Paul pumped up the tires on our bikes with his air compressor.  He's a man with a machine and knows how to use it!  We took off for a ride with our GPS's in hand and ready to find some hidden geocaches in the area.   We weren't disappointed!  We found some very interesting and unique hides.  Being mindful that there are rattle-snakes and scorpions, Paul and I took extra care when reaching under the brush or into the piles of rocks.

A really great cammo job on this cache. Can you spot it? Answer at the bottom.

Woke up to snow up on the top portions of the mountains.  The weather has been cool, I can't really say cold as it hasn't dropped to the freezing mark and probably won't happen.  But it has been in the low 50's to high 40's at night, and by the standards here, that is pretty darn cold.

I have always loved the effect a little rainfall can have on desert plants.

Yes, that is the bloom on a cactus!

The red thorns are new growth!

If you are ever traveling in the Desert Hot Springs area, make a stop at Caliente Resort.  As you can see, we are always having a good time!

Jo

[Hidden geocache: the bottom left bolt. It's modeled from clay and contains a magnet and nanocache]

October 2011

Once again it's time for a monthly update.

October has brought a few more "snow-birds" south for the winter.  We're told that the busiest season will hit after Christmas as the holidays are winding down and so are the northern temperatures!  Things are defiantly picking up, the telephones are ringing more as we make winter reservations for the travelers, answering more and more questions for the returning residents.  Yes, it is the start of out "In-season."   The view of San Janicto Mountain is ever changing with the clouds that make it this far inland.  Sometimes it looks like they are covered in snow, which will happen in the winter, and other times the clouds appear as lava flowing down the sides.  It's a beautiful view to look at everyday as I walk to the office.


Paul is staying very busy as the Assistant Manager here at Caliente Springs Resort, in the summer he also covered Sky Valley Resort, even though with less residents during the hot summer months, it was time consuming as he learned new things and took on more projects.  He's the one who does inspections for any improvements or changes to the exterior of their homes and approves all  landscaping.  He's had the pleasure of dealing with upset people when rules and regulations have to be enforced. He approves when a place can be put up for sale and makes sure all permits are issued and kept up to date.  He is the liaison between residents and upper management.

I've taken on the job, or should I say I've been given the job of billing for both Resorts, this is over 1600 home sites.  Doing the billing includes making sure their electric is billed correctly, rent charges are correct, late notices sent out when appropriate, cable being put on a vacation rate when they leave for the summer and  putting it on the regular rate when they come back for the winter. It also includes general trouble-shooting for billing errors and questions. There is a lot of computer data when we have new people moving in or out of the Resort.  I also work at the Front Desk, taking reservations for traveling RV'ers, answering phones and dealing with all the residents for a variety of issues.


This month we enjoyed a "Manager's Day Out" that included a wonderful dinner at Red Lobster and then Go-Carting afterwards. Of course not being the fastest driver or the most aggressive, I came in last for the go-cart races. All the managers had great time getting together to share each others company without being in the "work environment." 


We still continue to make weekly visits with our friends Norb and Barbara.  Going there is such a delight as we share stories of life experiences, sing old songs and do minor fix-it projects that neither of them can do.  Their dog, Baxter enjoys the company and taking a afternoon walk through the neighborhood.   Barb had decorated for Halloween and there were many chocolate treats waiting for us when we visit.  Our visits with them always bring laughter and fill us up with feelings of "family" that we miss with being so far from our families!

The weather is slowly changing to the Fall season, bringing cooler nights where we can actually sleep with the windows open to enjoy the sometimes gusty winds that come through the valley.   We've even added a blanket to the bed and used our fireplace to ward off the morning chill for a couple of days.  We are thankful for the cooler temps as the triple digits was getting exasperating day in and day out.


As you can see our October has been a busy month but we found some time to make a drive to Laughlin, Nevada and share some much needed relaxation with my cousin Mary and her husband John.   We played the slots, tried our hand at Blackjack, ate wonderful meals, shared jokes and stories.  All in all just enjoyed their company.  We lost, won, shared our winnings and collected many hugs.  Can't wait for the next outing with them both.


I've received pictures of my grandson Gage enjoying his first celebration of Halloween.   He is growing more and more each day.  I received weekly updates and pictures so that even though I'm far away I get to share in his life.  He is crawling and starting to stand on his own and will probably be walking by the time I get to see him for Thanksgiving.  What would we grandparents do without the wonderful technology that allows us to enjoy our grandchildren at long-distance?

The excitement in me builds as I wait to spend Thanksgiving with the enjoyment of family for the  holiday.  So far our Christmas plans will bring Paul's daughter and her boyfriend for a visit.  Christmas dinner at Barbara and Norb's home in Palm Springs.




Enjoy your holiday's and thanks for stopping at our blog.


Jo


Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. -Rabindranath Tagore



  

September

September has brought us many new things to experience and we have enjoyed them while learning more about our jobs here in Desert Hot Springs.


We joined the company of some of the many annual residents for their monthly Pancake Breakfast.  These ladies sure know how to cook up a morning meal that will satisfy even the hungriest appetite.  All you can eat pancakes, sausage, orange juice, fresh fruit and great coffee!  It was nice to spend a morning among the camaraderie of the wonderful people who live here and call this home.  It was very welcoming and enjoyable.

The cooks!

Filled up on good food!

We enjoyed a Labor Day barbecue and were treated to a rare rain shower.  The surprising thing was that no one "ran for cover" when it started raining.  Yes, some had their umbrellas ready and opened them over their heads but, for the most part, they just enjoyed the rain!  As a congenial group, we all sat there enjoying our burgers and made comments on how refreshing and good the warm light shower felt.  The rain gives the desert a very unique smell.  It's an earthy smell but instead of having the smell of the rich black dirt of the mid-west it's more of a wet dusty smell that becomes potent as the ground and brush soak up what little moisture it can.  We were blessed with a spectacular double rainbow over the mountains   When it started to appear, it became the focus of everyone's attention.  How rare to have rain in the desert and even more rare being blessed with this beautiful sight that always leaves me in awe.

A beautiful sight

A few days later, we woke up to the sound of thunder.  I went outside and watched as the soft rain fell and grew heavier and heavier until it forced me back into the shelter of home.  It's funny how one can take rain for granted growing up in the mid-west, here it is a treat and something that is greatly appreciated.  Dick, one of the residents mentioned that the rain was the most he had seen at one time in years!  I continue to tease Paul that it seems where ever we settled down, we seem to bring the area unusual weather patterns.  When we lived in Florida everyone said it was very unusual to have low humidity in the summer for the two years we were there.  When we lived in South Carolina they had a snowstorm that brought enough snow to build snowmen and have children sledding with their boogie boards on the grass!   That hadn't happened for over 12 years. While staying up in the California Delta area for 6 months, we were told they had an unusually rainy and cold winter with several days of frost.  Maybe it's Nature trying to tell us something, though I'm not sure what it can be. To get away from the heat of the desert in the Summer, there's always the close-by mountains and forests. We'll be going up there more often during the Fall to do exploring and hiking. We'll also go up there in the Winter to get some real snow fun.

Our daily view on the way to work

As for our work .... we are doing well, learning all the new things it takes to help run a Park Model/RV park.  Some residents are here year round but the majority are only here during the cold brutal months of the North.  They come from all over, Oregon, Canada, Washington and I've been told as far away as Europe!  Paul is learning much more then he anticipated.   Dealing with electricity and water issues, inspecting and approving new construction, authorizing resales, ensuring properties are maintained to a satisfactory condition, and also dealing with the day to day complaints and inquiries from residents. Paul seems to be always in a constant letter-writing mode when he's not out and about at both resorts in his golf cart, or having one on one meetings with residents. He's become a  member of the emergency response team, and participates in their weekly radio checks and training.  As with any job at his level,  he also attends Manager Meetings and gives me the lowdown on all the latest plans that he can share when he gets back.

I have been doing the front desk, which entails dealing with the residents' complaints,
maintenance issues, package pick-ups, answering the never-ending ringing telephone and making reservations for the traveling rver's.  It's always a challenge but also fun learning new computer programs and a new telephone system.   Just recently I have taken on the job of updating the monthly resident billing, which in itself takes quite a bit of time, detective work when there is a billing error, learning how to navigate new computer programs and patience with myself as I want to ensure doing a better then "good" job.  It is a big responsibility and I feel honored that the Resort Management trust my skills and knowledge to get the job done.

Over the summer we have been working at both Sky Valley Resort, which is an all age
family resort that has approximately 1200 sites and Caliente Springs which is the 55 plus
resort and has approximately 600 sites.  The resorts are approximately 5 miles in distance from each other.  Come winter Paul's focus will be on the Caliente Springs and I will continue to float between the two resorts.    It is starting to get busy, with the returning snow-birds, but working again sure feels good.

View from Barbara and Norb's patio

We are trying to make plans for the holidays,  maybe spend Thanksgiving with family up in the San Francisco Bay area and Christmas here, as Paul has elderly family friends in the area, Barbara and Norb.   They live on a beautiful golf course in Palm Springs, California.  We have been trying to go to their place once a week to help them out with doing odds and ends things.  Paul has been cleaning up her computer as it hasn't been updated for some time.  Me? I try to help out with anything and everything!  Barbara is in her late 70's (never ask a woman her age *smile) and Norb is 91.   After a bad fall, Norb has limited vision and uses a wheelchair to get around.  I guess God really had a reason for us being here and knew what He was doing before we even got the job offer.

That's an update of where our lives are at the moment.


Thanks for sharing in our journey,
Jo




"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia

July and August have brought a few new adventures.
While we are not traveling at this time our life continues to be a great adventure. 

One of the many views we enjoy on a daily basis.

Paul is learning the many different aspects of being the Assistant Manager at both Sky Valley and Caliente Springs resorts. Both resorts have a total of over 1800 sites.  Over the last few weeks he has done everything from: IT/having to reset the WiFi and company-wide network systems, plumber/tracking leaks in the pipes, electrical engineer/power outages and all around "Fix-it" person. He also has to deal with neighbor/neighbor disputes, landscaping issues, new construction approvals, waste management and environmental rulings, laundry equipment failures, and even legal litigation notices from the local and state governments that affect residents, but not our sites. It's amazing how, somehow, a dead Palm tree on one property seems to migrate to be the neighbors problem, not theirs.  However, Paul still has to smooth all those things over. Even simple things, like laying a 4x6 concrete pad needs his approval. He's getting pretty good at that :) He also seems to be getting the respect of the local community and contractors that they hire.  All in all, he's doing what he does well ... keeping the peace while maintaining resort rules and regulations.  In the Fall, he'll only be responsible for Caliente Springs, that is when the other Assistant Manager comes back for the winter season.
Me? I'm learning all the aspects of Front Desk: Reservations, Sales, Mail, answering whatever questions the residents ask.  I am also in the process of learning the billing system which can be quite complex. Tracking who is here, who is leaving, who has cable who wants it put on hold and not be billed for a month or two while they are traveling.  Summer may be the "slow season",  but it has been anything but slow!  The phones are always ringing with questions from travelers and residents alike, there is always something that needs attention and also preparing for the onset of the returning snow-birds has kept us both very busy.

Some desert landscaping.

Even with our busy schedule we have still found time to enjoy the area and people here.  We play water volleyball in the evening after work and on most of our off days.  It is a great way to relax, enjoy the pool and get to know people.  Some of the comments during the games will set off a contagious laughter that brings a stop to the game while we all try to compose ourselves. (After being hit in the head with a ball, someone exclaimed "Thank God for Fixadent!")

Water Volleyball

I have had the wonderful opportunity to make a trip back up North to spend some time with my girls and visit with my grandson.  It was a delightful visit that brought the added bonus of seeing a great-niece who happen to be visiting from the Mid-West.  We did a Trolley tour of San Francisco which I found to be very good and would recommend to anyone visiting that area.  I never knew that the old Victorian houses located in San Francisco had a 25 foot limit on their width when they were being built, or that there is a old Fort located under the Golden Gate Bridge.  We enjoyed walking the Farmers Market and getting free sample of chocolate from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.  We did take a bit of time to relax and have tea and tea-cakes at a tea house.  Is was fantastic!  My visit with my grandson reminded me how fast time goes by.  He is ready to start crawling and responds to everything around him.  He enjoys going out for walks, playing on the floor with his toys and loved to be included in whatever I was doing, whether it was making dinner or folding laundry.  The best part is his smooches, when you say "I love you"  he immediately turns his head to give you a big wet kiss.  I guess it's his way of saying "I love you too!"  Time spent with my girls always creates "special memories" for me to treasure.

Love that smile!

My daughter and great-niece

My daughter and grandson.

We have had visitors big and small over that last month.  My cousin Mary and her husband John came for a visit.  We played slots at the local casinos, played in the pool, enjoyed the hot tubs and just had a fun time with them.  John is very tall, and quite heavy set ... but in a good way,  and "made-do" being in our RV, even though he had to duck his head every morning when coming out of the bedroom!  Hummingbirds continue to visit on a daily basis, well as long as the hummingbird feeder is filled.  They tend to come in the morning and evening, seems the days are too hot for them too!  We have even spotted a beautiful Hawk who hung around for a couple of hours.  He didn't seem bothered by all the comings and goings near the pool.

John in the bedroom doorway

Hawk atop the WiFi receiver

Our daily visitor

We have enjoyed exploring here, from a new Armenian church going up in Palm Desert to discovering Lake Hemet while driving around the mountains on the Palms to Pines Byway up in the mountains. 

New church, really like the design. 

A road trip while geocaching, the Highway.

Lake Hemet.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing our adventure.


Jo


"There comes a precious moment in all of our lives when we are tapped on the shoulder and offered the opportunity to do something very special that is unique to us and our abilities, what a tragedy it would be if we are not ready or willing."  — Winston S. Churchill