Up, Up, and Away!

I went walking on January 4 and found a Fed-Ex truck stuck in the wash south of us.  We were expecting a package so I asked if he had it.  He did and said he had never been on this route before and ours was the last delivery.  It took over an hour to get him out!

Fed-EX truck stuck in the wash

The Fed-Ex truck finally pulled out of the wash

We celebrated Dawn's birthday on January 6 at Sweet Tomatoes.  We had a good time but it was really cold inside.

Bethany, Krista and Colby at Sweet Tomatoes

Dawn opening one of her gifts

We had a package delivered to our old address so that gave us an excuse to to visit former neighbors and pick some grapefruit.  Always nice to see old friends and have fresh fruit!

The weather has been so nice we have ridden the bike to church several times.  I actually missed riding the bike.

Dawn, Vince and their family went to Disney World for their anniversary and Larry took them to the airport at 7 AM (no room for me in the truck).  A week later we picked them up at the airport.  I drove Colby's car to the airport so they could just drive home since they live on the south side of town.  We 'cat sat' while they were gone.

We've been going weekly to the chiropractor to help Larry get straighten around.  After eight months with our adjustable bed, he has finally found the "sweet spot" and is now sleeping thru the night without moving around and even better, "NO PAIN".  PTL!

The 'biggie' for the month was a hot air balloon ride to celebrate my 'big' birthday.  It was awesome!!  We were in the air over an hour and soared to 7800 ft.  We could see the San Fransisco Peaks and the Mogollon Rim.  We also saw a wild burro and her baby.  It definitely was the highlight of the year.

Our balloon taken from a nearby balloon

Getting our balloon 'ready'

In the balloon basket before we took off

The other balloon coming in to land

My birthday ice cream at Red Lobster

Happy New Year 2018!

Larry started December off with an appointment at BMW for his bike. Then he started focusing on getting the RV gates done before Christmas. His friend, Jay came over two different days and Vince helped out one day also. They had the frames of the big gates hung by December 9^th and Larry and I finally finished putting the panels up Dec 20. Larry still has a little to do to finish the walk gate to make it secure but for all practical purposes the gates are finished and I think they look great.

Using the port-a-crane to hang the gate frames

Two gates hung

All the gates finished

I had a Shooter's World shop on December 18^th and as always it was a fun day. Larry wanted to rent a gun that he thought he wanted to buy but he is so glad he rented it first as it was nothing like he thought it would be. A big relief to me that he won't be buying another gun anytime soon. (I hope!)

December 21 Larry had his annual checkup at the VA and had a very nice temporary doctor until they can find one to fill the shoes of his last primary care physician. He had a good report from his blood work and based on his complaints, they lowered his meds for his thyroid. He is feeling much better on the lower dosage.

December 22 I woke up to an odd sound and figured it must be hot air balloons once again. I went outside and there were five of them, three landing quite close to us. It is always fun to see them. Maybe someday I will get a ride in one.

Showing all five balloons

The three balloons that landed near us

We had a wonderful Christmas at Dawn and Vince's with lots of good food, fun playing games (Taboo and Cranium) and some great gifts. I received what I wanted, a FitBit and also a really nice silver band that I didn't ask for. Larry received all the items on his 'wish' list and promptly disappeared to try them out! We didn't get home until nearly 1 AM.

Our Christmas table

The Christmas tree with purple lights

Dawn and Vince preparing food

Krista, Colby and Bethany showing off their Christmas gift, 

 

a trip to Disney World

Vince and Larry  at Christmas

Tuesday evening December 26 we traveled to Avondale to Cummins for an appointment for our Jake brake problem and water leak problem. Both issues involved a lot of intense labor and we stayed in the customer lounge until 11 PM Wednesday night and 10 PM Thursday night. The mechanics work from 6 AM -11 PM in two different shifts and we were able to stay in their parking lot hooked to 50 amp electric. Friday December 29 after determining Cummins could do no more for us we went to Allison to have the transmission checked out. We finally returned 'home' around 3 PM on Friday and I promptly headed out for my BK shop. We still managed to play Train that evening with Dawn and Vince.

We stayed home to bring in the New Year and watched the ball down in NYC at 10 PM our time. All the folks looked really cold as the temperature was 10º.   So glad we weren't there!  A nearby neighbor spends a lot of money on fireworks each New Year's Eve and set off around 30 really lovely ones, my favorite being a purple and gold one. Then another neighbor set off several, sounded like grenades, the last being at 12:36 AM that shook the windows. He did that last year too. Glad New Year's comes just once a year!

Today is a beautiful day with clear blue skies and 72º temperature, what a great way to start 2018!

Where's winter?

On November 6 we visited friends Tom and Adele who are visiting from Alaska. They wanted our 'expert' opinion on a 1996 Foretravel motorhome they are thinking about purchasing. We spent the afternoon with them and when it came time to leave the bike started and then instantly quit. We ended up having it towed to BMW and Tom and Adele took us home. Since we had only the bike this summer and the nearest BMW dealer is in Eugene 125 miles away we are so grateful that didn't happen this summer!   BMW was unable to look at it until four days later and it was the battery. They also replaced the starter button that had been sticking and we are waiting on a navigation button release that is not working.

The evening of November 14 we took the MH to Gilbert to have our two inverters refurbished. We spent the night in their parking lot so everything would be ready to go first thing the next morning. We learned the two inverters were not 'talking' to each other as we had believed since they were installed 14 years ago which is what Monaco told us at the time. Fortunately Larry has always reprogrammed both of them separately. He did learn we are suppose to reset them every two months, something we have not done in the past so we feel fortunate they are still in good working condition. Because they were in such good shape, our bill was $900 less than we expected which is a BIG PTL!

Larry has been working on getting the RV gates built and both the metal and panels have been delivered.  Larry's friend, Jay, helped him weld the frames of the big gates (there are actually three gates, two big ones and a smaller walk in gate) together on November 18 and that evening we went to the Harvest Dinner at church. It was a great meal and we met some nice folks who normally attend the first service on Sundays so they were 'new' to us (we attend the second service).

Where walk in gate goes

Harvest dinner at church with 'new' friends

Walk in gate (not finished yet)

I ended up going to the chiropractor on the 20^th at 9 AM as I was in a lot of pain since late Thursday evening. Larry was so tired from the weekend he didn't even know I was gone.

I did another meal shop at the nearby Denny's for lunch on the 21^st. We made a big circle with 10 stops along the way and got a lot accomplished. It always feels good when things go right and you get everything you wanted done. With the exception that the main thing I wanted to get at Costco I forgot! We made a stop at a different Costco after church on Sunday so I now have that item.

Our yummy dessert from my shop at Denny's

We had a great Thanksgiving Day with our daughter and grandkids spending 11 hours with them! We didn't get home until 1 AM on Friday as we played Mexican Train with seven of us, so different than just the four of us for Fridays nights.

Thanksgiving Day with Bethany and Larry  with 'snacks'

Our delicious bacon wrapped turkey

Colby carving the turkey with Dawn making the gravy in the background

The beautiful Thanksgiving table

When I was walking on November 25 I ran into an old customer that I have not seen in 15 years. We had a great visit and plan on getting together again in the near future. She and her husband live about ½ mile from where we are. Something similar happened when we were staying on Charleston several years ago. It is always fun to run into former acquaintances, much like the RV lifestyle where that happens a lot where you see someone you met in another state several years before.

The weather has been really nice but we have had no rain and the coldest it has gone down to at night is 55º.  Hard to believe this is December!

Return to phoenix

Oct. 2 we rode to Las Vegas to meet our friends, Forrest and Rosie at the Silverton Casino for lunch and a tour of the Bass Pro Shop. The Silverton reportedly has the world's largest aquarium and there certainly were a large number of beautiful fish in it. The Bass Pro Shop has many displays of animals and we enjoyed looking at many of them. The store is so large we got lost in it and had to ask to find our way out.

Stingray

Larry, Rosie and Forrest in front of the entrance to Bass Pro Shop

Display of a pride of lions at Bass Pro Shop

Thursday, October 5 we left Preferred and headed to Verde Valley near Cottonwood, AZ. We had some trouble with our Jake brake which was a little scary as the descent down the Spring mountains is long and steep but we made it OK. We ended up in C section, one we have not stayed in before. At night I could hear a waterfall and just before we left I went looking for it and found it.  Surprisingly the Verde River had a lot of water in it, more than I've seen before. We discovered our friends, Ed and Lana, were at Verde Valley and while Lana had an errand, Ed came for a nice visit with us. They used to live in Capitan, NM and we visited with them in 2013 when we workcamped at Bonita Park. They have since sold their NM place and now live in Prescott Valley. They also have a new rig. While in Cottonwood we made a Costco run to Prescott via Jerome and then stopped at Sam's Club in Prescott Valley on the way back, again via Jerome.  Great ride on a bike!  Another day we rode to the V Bar V Ranch to see the petroglyph and also stopped to see Montezuma's Well. We had planned to visit Montezuma's Castle but ran out of time so that will be for another visit.  On two different occasions we had javelin roaming the neighborhood and I was able to get a picture of them.  Before we left Cottonwood we rode to Sedona to see the movie “Only the Brave” about the Granite Mountain Hotshots that were killed in the Yarnell Fire in June 2013.  It is a good movie showing how they came to be and the friendships they formed and I recognized the names of several of the fires they fought.

Entrance to V Bar V Historic Site

The largest petroglyph in the Verde Valley

At the west end of Montezuma's Well

Montezuma's Well

Waterfall on the Verde River near our campsite in Section C

                 

Javelin near our campsite at Verde Valley

October 25 we returned to Phoenix, again staying beside our daughter and son-in-law's place.  On Sunday Oct. 29 we went to church and enjoyed seeing friends and eating lunch after the 'Family Service'.  We then returned to the MH and went with Dawn, Vince, Bethany and Jena (Bethany's friend) to the AZ State Fair. We did a lot of walking and looking, enjoying the law enforcement tent seeing new things and of course, 'fair food'.  Dawn and Vince ended up buying a new bed that will be delivered soon.  October 31 I had an appt. with my podiatrist in Sun City West and we took the 303, a new route for me.  It seems strange to again be traveling in a car but nice that I don't have to 'suit up' every time we go someplace.

Gambrel Quail running across the driveway

Vince and Dawn discussing their new bed

Larry and his 'fair food'

My Taco Indian Fry bread

From smoke to cold to near perfect

For our last Sunday at Bend-Sunriver Chapel in the park, since Pastor Ken and his wife, Judy were leaving for Lodi, CA that afternoon many of us met at Gordy's for lunch and a last get together. We were there several hours before our goodbyes and hugs til next year.

The church crowd at Gordy's

Sept 5 we moved to Cascade Meadows for our last three weeks in OR amidst lots of smoke from the fires in the area. We went to Albany via US 20 which is the way our GPS took us-- big mistake as the GPS was programed for the motorcycle. Nice ride on a bike but not so nice for a motor home! Many curves and up and down lots of hills but we arrived OK in one piece. We had our navigation system replaced at Silverleaf before our Aladdin system crashed and on our way home on September 8 we stopped at Costco first, then Northwest RV Supply in Eugene before heading back to La Pine via SR 58, one we have traveled many times and much more suited for MH's.

Us at Silverleaf in Albany

Since Chapel in the Park was closed for the season, we went to Cascade Bible Church in La Pine for the last three Sundays we were in the area and really enjoyed the service. Pastor Jack is teaching the book of Revelation which he started in Jan 2017 and isn't even halfway through yet. All his sermons are found on line so I have been listening to them. He teaches a totally different approach to Revelation and it makes a lot of sense, simple, straightforward and not confusing at all.

Since it was getting close to 'leave time', I took advantage of the laundry at Cascade Meadows and washed all the rugs, bedspread and quilts. Meanwhile the rains came along with cold so the smoke dissipated and we had snow on the mountains which was awesome.

Snow on the mountains from Cascade Meadows

On Saturday the 23^rd we went to Bend to Larry's denturist for a re-fit and then stopped to see our friends, Art and Sherry. Sherry had knee replacement surgery on Sept 8 and we were the first visitors for her since her surgery. We sat outside on the paved driveway and had a nice visit with Sherry saying it was the first time she had been outside since her surgery.

Sherry and Art in Bend

We left OR on September 26 and stopped near Gerlach, NV so Larry could try out his new scope, silencer and super big revolver. After nearly an hour stop, Larry was refreshed and didn't want to stop where we had planned ( I again missed seeing all the stars) so we keep going and overnighted in Fallon, NV at the old Walmart store, now Dollar Tree, Beall's and Big 5 Sports. We made purchases at Dollar Tree and then went to Safeway next door. When we were nearing Hawthorne, NV going around Walker Lake we saw snow on the mountains, a first in 14 years.

Us ready to leave OR

Snow on the mountaintops as we were going around Walker Lake near Hawthorne, NV

We are now in Pahrump, NV at Preferred RV Resort and twice I have walked to Smith's for groceries, great way to exercise! It is just under a mile round trip. We took a ride to Front Sight on Sept 29 to buy Christmas presents at the Pro Shop. The weather was perfect for a ride. In September we went from smokey, hard to breathe skies to cold (22º) with rain and snow to blue skies and the 80's in NV. It's great to live in America!

It's always something

We were scheduled to visit Valley of the Rogue State Park near Medford, OR but the heat was really high there and 115º was predicted for the days we were scheduled there, too much like Phoenix, so I cancelled and extended at Bend-Sunriver TTN for two days and then we went to Cascade Meadows for the other three days. Then we returned to La Pine State Park for five days without TV or internet but God is so good as He provided a newbie couple from Manitoba Canada for us to hang out with. We shared a meal and played Mexican Train into the dark of night, having to finish the game the next morning! They knew about Mexican Train because they have spent several winters in Mexico.

Jamie and Betty from Canada

Our shared meal

We headed back to Cascade Meadows for two weeks and found another leak in the drain pipe under the sink. Larry decided to replace it with steel this time so I had to use a bucket under the sink until he could get the correct parts. It took several days to get everything he needed together and we tested the slide multiple times to be sure everything worked as it was supposed to. Larry had to make a few adjustments but it is working fine now. We enjoyed the salmon bake Potluck which was really well attended.

Broken plastic drain pipe under the sink

New metal pipe under the sink in the slide

We learned we are again great-grandparents as of Aug 15, Calvin Todd, born to our granddaughter Cerét in Tempe, AZ.

My dryer started acting 'funny' with all the lights flashing so upon further investigation, we discovered it was full of lint and the flashing lights indicted it was overheating and shutting down. The vent is an L shaped corrugated flexible aluminum 4” pipe so Larry decided if the pipe were smooth on the inside, the lint wouldn't catch as easily on the sides and clog up so quickly so he did some research and found some silicon 4” pipe including an elbow so that will be his next 'project'. Have to keep him busy you know!

The 'big' happening around here was the Solar Eclipse. We were able to see 97% totality with a thin spaghetti slice visible. It was surprising how much light there still was with so little of the sun showing. We went nowhere on Monday or Tuesday as the traffic was heavy heading south starting about ½ hour after the eclipse was over until late Tuesday afternoon.

Traffic heading south on Tues Aug 22 after the eclipse

On Aug 25 we moved back to Bend-Sunriver TTN and found a 50 amp site with TV reception too. We set up and then went into Bend for a Bible conference. We went primarily to hear the Canadian singer Trevor Baker who sings only songs the Lord has given him. We went back on Saturday afternoon to hear Trevor again and then we went to a nearby park for a yummy Bar-B-Q. We met a really nice couple from CA on Friday night, saw them again on Saturday and sat with a family from WA and OR at the Bar-B-Q and had some great conversations. Us being on the motorcycle was a big topic of conversation!

Trevor Baker singing at the conference

Sunday evening we left to return to Sandy, OR for more work on our water heater/furnace. They worked on it most of Monday running over 100 gallons of hot water on both diesel and electric so I think it is fixed. The float valve was overtightened so it was not working properly all the time.

When we returned to Bend-Sunriver TTN Monday evening around 7 PM there was lots of smoke.  Tuesday was even worse and we learned there were five fires started in the surrounding area.

Showing smoke looking south

More smoke

For Larry's birthday we went to Bend to Olive Garden for lunch (and had the leftovers that evening) and then went to Costco. We are getting good at packing the bike with lots of Costco 'things' which are usually 'big'.  Dawn called Larry after we returned home and they had a wonderful conversation which was a great way to end his birthday.