March 31, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I hate to have to report today’s actions, but I guess I must.  While geocaching on the desert with friends, Jeff and Sonya, I lost my balance and fell, face first in the sand.  My left cheek is very bruised and swollen.

I ended up with sand in my mouth, my nose, my eyebrows, my hair, and my ears.  Immediately, my left cheekbone was swollen, and my left eye will barely open.  It looks dreadful tonight and will probably be even worse tomorrow.

And, NO, this is not an April Fool’s joke.  That will come tomorrow, I fear!

Todd, Bonnie, and the pups came to check on me this afternoon.  They were horrified.  Lexie was alarmed and jumped up to tend to me.  When they got ready to leave, she hid in the front of the motorhome.  She didn’t want to leave!

I have had an ice pack on it most of the afternoon and evening.  I will probably scare people tomorrow when I go to the doctor to get the report on my last blood tests.  More fun and games!

March 30, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We have decided Yuma is the land of the birds.  When we first came here in November we commented on the lack of birds.  Well, we must be in a migration path.  Now there are lots of doves, probably looking for nesting places, and our resident hummingbirds, but we see road runners and sometimes cranes. 

Today, while we were waiting in front of Todd and Bonnie’s house, we saw several quail.   Usually, when we see a covey of quail they are fairly small, and on the ground running from bush to bush.  We use to see lots of the little things on the Air Base where Brent lived in Tucson.  The one’s we saw today were quite a bit larger and they were running along the top of the brick wall between to RV lots.  When they got to corner, they turned and ran in front of our motorhome.  We don’t know how long they stayed on the wall.  We lost sight of them.

Maybe we should rename this Birdville!  Not only do the birds seem to like it here, but there are fighter planes and helicopters in the air nearly every day.

We are really enjoying being in Yuma!

March 29, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

It was still windy today, but not so much dust in the air.

This morning we watched helicopters flying at the base of the mountains.  They must’ve been on some kind of training mission.

We were south of town a few days ago and a Marine plane was dropping flares, four at a time.  When they would all land, four more would be dropped.  We have no idea what the purpose was.  There were lots of people parked and watching.  We didn’t stop so were not able to get any information.

The baby hummingbird continues to grow.  It seems to be hanging out of the nest on all sides.  It is fun to watch the little thing.  Several people have come to see it and take pictures.  We didn’t know we were moving to a “celebrity” neighborhood!  The paparazzi are every place these days.

March 28, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

The wind has blown today.  This evening, there was so much dust in the distance, the mountains to the north and the east were out of sight.

I have spent quite a bit of time checking and double checking the tax information I have prepared.  Maybe tomorrow, I will get things filed.  That’s what I keep hoping will happen.

I’ll keep you posted!

March 27, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We hope Easter Sunday lived up to your expectations.  It was a beautiful day here in Yuma…not too warm and very little wind.  The landscaping is one of the differences here in Arizona.

There are palm trees and lots of varieties of cacti, some of which have beautiful blooms.  There are very few “flower beds” like other parts of the country, but the many kinds of cacti makes up for it.  The weather is too warm and dry for traditional plants.

And you don’t have to worry about coming home to find a sack of zucchini on your door step.  We have seen several home gardens, but not many.  Of course, the commercial fields have many shades of green.  Even those crops will be changing as the weather gets hotter.

Cotton and wheat are grown locally, as well as several “seed” plants…onions, beans, peas…things like that are grown for the seeds.  The ground is allowed to “rest” from now until the end of August.

The little hummingbird is getting very brave.  Its little head is visible most of the time.  Bill thinks it is getting too big for the nest, but I think it is just like any other young creature…curious about the world out there!

March 26, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

There is a tiny hummingbird nest on one of the wires of the storage shed of the RV lot where we moved two days ago.  Sometimes we can see its beak sticking up and sometimes just a very little round head peeking over the edge of the nest.  The nest looks perfectly round and is about the size of a ping pong ball.  It is secured on a little light on a string of Christmas lights.  We often see an adult bird standing guard over the baby.

This turned into a very busy day for us.  We spent quite a bit of time watching the hummingbird family.  They are amazing little creatures.

At 11:30, we collected Todd and Bonnie to go to In-N-Out for lunch.  It was fairly crowded, but not as much as one would expect on a Saturday.  Todd seems to be doing well since his hernia repair procedure on Thursday.  He’s on the mend!

Before going back home, we stopped at Albertson’s for a few grocery supplies.  It was 2:00 before we got home.  I had about 50 minutes to rest before back to Todd and Bonnie’s to watch the Oregon Ducks play basketball.  Bonnie took pity on me sitting all these days without proper TV reception.  She knows how important the U of O is to me.

I am sorry to say there was nothing to quack about today.  They lost by a whole bunch of points.  It was as if someone had forgotten to tell them there was a game today.  They were pitiful, to say the least.  They did make it further than lots of other teams though!

Bonnie fixed spaghetti for dinner, with salad and bread.  Easter cupcakes rounded out the meal.  We all agreed it was a fun day!

March 25, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Several times during the night I woke up wondering where I was.  For several months I have been sleeping with my head to the north.  Last night I was heading south.  I was “lost.”  When Bill and I have been traveling a lot, we often woke up wondering where we were.  Last night was a little different.

Our new landlords came at noon.  They immigrated from Germany years and years ago.  It was nice visiting with them.  This seems like a good place to park and, if all goes well, we will probably stay here next fall when we come back to the area.

Todd and Bonnie are parked on the street north of us and one lot east.  Since we came to the area, Bonnie has given us the daily newspaper when they finish with it.  This morning it came flying over the back fence.  Now that is Special Delivery, in its truest sense of the word!

After our new German friends left, we went to see how Todd was doing after his surgery.  He seemed to be doing quite well.  I ask him when he thought he would feel like going to In-N-Out.  He answered “tomorrow” before I barely got the words out of my mouth!  So tomorrow it is!

Bill and I ate at Arby’s today and then made a quick stop at Walmart.  I stayed in the car, while Bill went in.  By then, I had just about reached my limit of endurance. 

Our TV satellite is still not working.  It may be next week before the problem is solved.  That’s to-o-o-o-o long, with March Madness still on and NASCAR, plus Dancing With The Stars Monday night.  This is getting serious!

March 24, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This was moving day for the Dane’s.  Bill wanted to get the windshield facing north so the sun wouldn’t heat up the coach so much.  All went well until we tried to get the TV to work. 

It was having a signal problem.  And wouldn’t you know it…just when the Oregon Ducks were playing Duke!  That was an important game in March Madness.  And it wouldn’t happen during a John Wayne movie.  Oh, no!  It wouldn’t dare! Doesn't anyone remember John's nickname was The Duke.  That would be totally unforgivable!  Batman and Superman would have been called into action for a national emergency like that!

Brent kept me posted concerning the score, and called me with the good news that the Ducks won!  Quack, quack!

Todd had hernia surgery this afternoon.  I went to their house twice to “pup sit” and put them outside for potty breaks.  It was a really hard job for me to stay with those two adorable little pups.  We had some time on the couch with one dog sleeping by my feet and the other one by my head, and me in the middle grabbing some z-z-z-zs.  It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it.  I’m glad I was chosen.  It was a labor of love!

Todd seemed in good shape when they returned.  He was glad to have it over with.  One more thing off the list!

March 23, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Bill went to an early morning meeting and brought me a donut for breakfast.  It was good, but just about too much for my system to handle.  Next time…if there is a next time…I will request something smaller.  I miss things like that, but hardly ever break my routine.

We went back to take a look at the neighborhood around the house we are considering buying.  There is only one questionable place on the block…the next house east.  We’ll just have to do some more pondering before making an offer.

At Bill’s meeting, someone told him about a place just going on the market.  We went to look, but decided it was much more house than we want or need.

I finished my tax work, with the exception of two very minor parts.  Hopefully it will be all taken care of and e-filed by the weekend.

It snowed in Loveland so Matthew had a snow day, because there wasn’t time to get the streets plowed safely.  I feel very sure I don’t need to send him a sympathy card.  Tippy was extra excited to be out romping in the snow.  It must of snowed just so he could play in it.

Bill was glad to be in Yuma where it was somewhat cooler than last week, but also very windy.  And not a sign of a flake…beside Bill.

March 22, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We only had a couple of errands to go on today.  Both of them, however, took quite a bit of time.

We spent about an hour and a half touring a house for sale.  We had walked around the outside several times…no one is living in the house…but today a realtor took us inside.  The house is much roomier than we had expected, with a large open kitchen and living room, two bedrooms and two full baths.  There is a garage with space for a washer and dryer, and a work bench along one side.  The covered porch on the front of the house is large.  The down side of the whole setup is a lot of junk on the lot next door.  There is a brick wall between the properties, but it only goes so far at hiding the stuff.

One other draw back is the price.  It is more than we want to pay.  We would offer them less than the asking price, and see where it goes from there.  Spaces for two RVs with 30 amp service are along the wall.  There are some cacti and several palm trees, but it needs a little more landscaping.

Bill and I will do some serious talking tomorrow before deciding what to do.

We went to Walmart where I was able to get a power chair to making shopping so much easier for me.

After resting off and on during the afternoon, I worked on our tax information project.  I have about another hour’s work.  Yippy, Skippy!

The high this afternoon was 81° and there was a breeze blowing that helped cool things down.  It was a pleasant day!

March 21, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Happy first day of Spring!  Some of the desert flowers are blooming.  The ocotillo with their tiny green leaves up each tall slender branch and the red blossoms are so pretty at this time of year.  They are probably one of my favorite native plants in this part of the country.

There are several plants I don’t know the names for, but maybe I will learn them next year.  At least I should be able to find information at the library.  I know there is a Garden Club here and part of their focus is native plants.

Bonnie baked brownies today and invited them over to share with ice cream.  It was a great way to end the day.  I thought my friend Alice was the best brownie baker I had ever met, but Bonnie’s were just as good.  Hm-m-m!  Bonnie the beader bakes the best brownies!

By the time we came home, a cool breeze was blowing.  It was a very pleasant Spring evening!

March 20, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

The weather was about the same as yesterday—-warm and dry.  This place could use a good soaking rain.  Sadly, I don't think that is in any of the weather forecasting.

We drove around looking at houses before going for a late lunch at Taco Bell.  More looking after eating and then back home to our air conditioned house…for naps!

I got a little bit done on taxes, but had to apologize to Michelle for not getting finished.  And my desk looks like a mountain of paper work.  If I attempt to climb the mountain,  I am afraid I will fall off, but I don’t seem to have much choice.  If you hear wild thumps, thuds, and screams, you’ll know what happened.

Oregon won their basketball game tonight!  Yippy, Skippy!  And     “Quack, quack, quack!”

March 19, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

The temperature was up today, but the air conditioner in the coach took care of the heat quite nicely.

I rested part of the day and worked on tax things some of the remainder of the time.  I hope to get back the that boring task as soon as I cut this blog short.  Tax Day is fast approaching!

“See” you tomorrow!

March 18, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

At 10:00 this morning, I went to see my primary doctor.  She had had some blood work done, and I wanted to get the results.  Three of the tests showed lower results than they should have been.  She is searching for a reason for my fatigue. 

She ordered four more tests and referred me to a hematologist at the Yuma Cancer Center.  I will see him next Friday.  She must have pulled some strings to get me into a specialist so quickly.  After getting the packet of info to fill out ahead of time, we went back to the lab for the blood work.

Todd and Bonnie called from Verizon and wanted to meet us at In-N-Out for lunch.  It was well after 1:00 when we all got there.  Besides eating, we had a lot to catch up on.  As usual, the place was very busy.

I took a nap when we got home.  At 4:30, we tuned in to watch the Oregon Ducks beat up on Holy Cross in basketball.  The Ducks have some really good players.  This was the first round of March Madness.  I don’t know who we play next.  I count on Brent to keep me up on the schedule and things like that.

Quack, quack!

March 17, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  We both wore green today so there were no pinches!  That’s always a good thing.  We had corn beef and cabbage for dinner, thanks to Sonya from next door.  That’s the luck of the Irish, I guess…nice neighbors!

After a late lunch at In-N-Out, we went to Walmart.  I drove an electric cart, so all went well.  For me, now, that’s the only way to shop.

The highlight of the day, other than eating at my favorite place and shopping at my favorite place, was talking to JP, my favorite solar engineer.  That’s always special.   We talked about places he and Natalia traveled with us.  He was also concerned about the fact that we might sell the motorhome.  He said he couldn’t stand the thought of us without a motorhome.  I assured him that he didn’t have much to worry.  When the time comes, we will get something smaller and easier to drive and easier for me to get into!

Brent called with the news that Courtney is now officially Dr. Stewart.  She has worked long and hard for it, and we are extremely proud of her.

March 16, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

At 10:00 this morning, we went to a Farmer’s Market that is held ever Wednesday.  It is in the parking lot of a Methodist Church.  Lots of people were there shopping  They had booths selling clothes, jewelry, and things like that. 

There was a large area selling produce, which is what we had gone for anyway.  It was very crowded.  We bought some tomatoes and that was it.  I had trouble with the crowd, and I wasn’t feeling well, so it wasn’t a good place for me to be.  I was very weak so Bill brought the car as close as he could.  It is frustrating to have these weak spells.  I go back to the doctor on Friday.  Maybe she will have found some answers in my last blood work.

We introduced the owners of the RV spot where we are parked to geocaching.  One particularly well hidden one had evaded them on four different tries.  We went to the spot and couldn’t find it, either, although we “logged” it several years ago.  We told Todd we needed help.  He had also found it years ago, but couldn’t remember where it was hidden.  He called a friend who was able to tell him the exact location.  We took Todd this morning, found it and were able to give Jeff and Sonya a hint.  It was a really tricky one!

Bill and I drove around house looking again this morning.  No luck, but we had a good time in our efforts.

Sonya cooked St. Patrick’s Day dinner a day early because of their work schedule.  She brought us corned beef and cabbage, and steamed potatoes and carrots.  There also were Rice Crispy Treats for desert.  Yum, yum!

March 15, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We had an 8:30 meeting this morning with a RE/MAX realtor.  The house had a lot of possibilities, but it had been added on to over the years and some of the additions were rather strange.  The main objection was the small size of the lot.  There was absolutely no way to add a garage without adding one more strange addition.

We really need and want a garage.  We need one to the get the Honda out of the hot sun.  These months aren’t the hottest yet to come and we know how much heat metal attracts in the blazing sun.  Today, although the temperature didn’t reach 90°, the door handles got too hot to touch comfortably.  And more importantly, Bill misses having a garage…a place to putter around.

We drove around several more neighborhoods, but didn’t see anything that interested us.  We will do some more looking around tomorrow.  We are getting well acquainted with various parts of Yuma.

We went to a place that advertised good fish and chips.  We were disappointed!  But we’ll just have to keep trying places as they are recommended.  It is kind of a fun new hobby and it goes well with geocaching.

March 14, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We got a much later start than usual this morning.  It was a truly late start for these two old people.

Our first stop once we got out and about was at Taco Bell and it was 1:30 by then.  We really had a lazy morning…and afternoon!

After eating, we drove around the neighborhood north of I-8.  It was a “regular” neighborhood, with mostly adobe houses.  The difference was that there were hardly any houses with RV parking.  On the south side of the freeway, very few places don’t have RV facilities.  On the north side where we were looking today, maybe 1% of the houses had RV accommodations.  What a difference!

Our third goal was to take a bunch of items to donate at a thrift store.  I have been collecting things for several months and the bag was full.  Now I can start collecting again.

Our last stop before going home was at Dollar Tree.  While there we met a very nice lady who lives not too far from us.  She told us about a house for sale in her block. 

We drove by, took the information off the sign, and called about seeing the house…tomorrow morning at 8:30.  Ouch!  These early morning “wake up calls” are about to do me in.

We just never know who will tell us about just the right house for us!

Bonnie and the two pups walked over to see us.  Those two adorable little dogs always expect a treat when they come to see us.  Hm-m-m!  I wonder why!  Todd didn’t come.  He wasn’t feeling well.  He’s kind of like me…some good days and some not so good!

March 13, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Today was the day for setting the clocks forward.  We had planned to do just that until we heard on the news last night that Arizona doesn’t go on Daylight Savings Time.  So we left everything alone.

This morning when we went to the Geocaching breakfast at the Holiday Inn, we were on time, so everything must have been A OK.

We enjoy meeting with the group of fellow caches.  We have made quite a few friends that way, and since we plan to spend the next few winters here, it is nice to know some of the locals.  Bill has done most of the caches since we arrived here in Yuma.  He went with Dwight and Sheila when they were in the area and with Todd since then.  Sometimes I go along and sometimes I choose to stay home.  It works for me!

This afternoon, we watched the NASCAR race from Phoenix.  Jeff is no longer driving a race car, but he is one of the announcers.  Kevin Harvic won today.  He said it was his little boy’s third birthday and his son didn’t want him to race today.  He wanted him to stay home.  Kevin said driving a race car was his job.  His little boy said, “Get Jeff Gordon to drive for you.  He doesn’t work anymore!”  Kids have a great way of solving problems, don’t they?  Too bad adults don’t retain that talent!

March 12, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I chose to stay home this morning to work on tax stuff.  Whoop-de-do!

I made good progress, but by noon I needed a break.  And surprise, surprise!  The first thing to pop into my head was In-N-Out!  Imagine that!

After eating, we went to Sam’s Club for gasoline.  I opted out of the fitness center, much to Bill’s chagrin. I was able to find my swim suit so I’m ready for tomorrow…maybe!

I napped when we got home and then started on my Saturday tax job again.  I’ve made good progress.  Hopefully, I will continue tomorrow.  Bret Maverick said if you see a train at the end of the tunnel, its time to change tracks.  Well, all I saw at the end of the tunnel was light, so I guess I can stay on the same track I’m on now.

I want to “get back on track” before bedtime, so I will cut this short and see how long it is until I have to inspect the inside of my eyelids.  In “Bill-speak” that means sleep.

March 11, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

At 10:15, we got Todd and Bonnie to go on an adventure with us.   The big hospital that serves all of Yuma, and the one I spent eight hours at the Emergency Room a couple of weeks ago, has been building a huge three story parking structure.  The crane, which was lifting all the steel pieces, was going to be dismantled today and tomorrow.

Todd and Bonnie’s son, Donnie, was a crane operator before he was disabled in a truck accident.  We have always been in awe of the very tall cranes, and from time to time ask Donnie questions about the operation.

The crane at the hospital was set up for about two years I think, and was about 10 stories high.  We parked a block away in an empyt lot and had a very good view of the whole setup.  Other people had brought lawn chairs and were sitting across the street in a parking lot.  We watched from the Honda.

There were four workers way up on the platform, making preparations for the two day event.  The crane operator was just that…the operator.  In the newspaper article about the event, it said operator had already gone to another job in Chandler, AZ.  He doesn’t put ‘em up or take ‘em down.  He just “drives” ‘em.

When everything was ready, the four workers climbed down the middle of the shaft, and the big move started.  Another crane lifted the platform off its perch, and very carefully lowered it.  There was a semi waiting at the bottom, but we couldn’t see if it was there to haul the platform away.

We watched for a little more, but think it might have been lunch break, because activity stopped.  We left, very glad we had been able to see the part we had seen.  It was amazing to watch.

We are easily entertained, eh?

We went to the Flea Market, ate lunch, and listened to music while we ate.  The two guys from the Cowboy Church were playing and singing.

We spent the rest of the day resting and relaxing.

March 10, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

After getting Todd settled in the Honda, with me in the back seat (so I can tell the guys where to go), we set off to do some caching. 

We went on the north side of I-8.  The desert was very, very rocky.  I got out and walked to the first cache.  After Bill made the find and was signing the log, Todd helped me back across the rocks to the car.  That was truly the “lame leading the lame” if there ever was such.  But we made it. 

The next two caches were equally rough so I stayed in the car.  Todd went to the last cache, which was further away from the Honda to the north.  Todd walked to that one and made it just fine.

Bill announced it was “bean time” which means he is ready for lunch.  McDonald’s was closest so that is where we went.  It has been a long time since we have eaten there, and it was OK.  It certainly was busy, as most places are at this time of year.  The tourists and the Winter Visitors make for a lot of “eating out.”

After resting back at the MH, Bill and I went to the fitness center to pedal the bikes.  I mean, as hard as I pedal, I just never seem to move an inch!  You talk about frustrating!

The temperature was warm today so we turned on the air conditioner and stayed in the cool coach the rest of the evening.

March 9, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This morning, via our left side bedroom window which is about 6 feet off the ground, we were able to watch our neighbor, Larry, getting his gold panning supplies and setup ready “for action.”  I haven’t felt like going over for a tour of his operation, so I just sat on the bed and looked over the back fence.

He had other people there to see what he was doing, so I didn’t feel like a “Peeping Raymonda.”  I could have called out the bedroom window to ask permission, but I didn’t.  When I feel like going to see him, I will “fess up.”

It looked like an interesting hobby.  Of course I have a lot of questions to ask Larry.  Several years ago when Bill and I were driving on the trails and gullies of Quartzsite, we came upon a professional gold panning operation.  It was quite a setup and we weren’t made to feel very welcome, even though the machinery was on public land.

Two years ago we were geocaching in the Plomosa area of Quartzite.  We were at the site of an old, rather large mining group.  We didn’t trespass their operation, but on down the road at another cache, a young man stopped to see if we needed help.  He said he is one of the caretakers of the old mine and they are allowed to hunt for gold there, but no one else is allowed to hunt for gold.  We told him we were looking for “treasure” of a different kind.  He was deer hunting, but before going on his way, he told us about an old miner’s rock cabin if we went on to the end of the road.  It was very interesting to visit, but we couldn’t imagine living so remotely all those years ago.

The afternoon was spent at the rec center riding their stationery bike.  Today I upped the resistance and made the peddling more of a challenge.  Of course, all of that effort called for a trip to In-N-Out for supper!

March 8, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

The temperature was 43° this morning.  Br-r-r-r-r!

We collected Todd late this morning and went to a fitness center not very far from where we are parked.  Yes, I know.  That’s a shock to everyone who knows how much I dislike exercising.  Bill thought we might go more consistently if we had put our “money on the line.”  We’ll see!  I know I really need to build some strength in my legs.  Maybe this will help.

A few days ago I told Bill I wanted to go to the center Michelle goes to in Loveland.  He wanted to get a head start by joining here and then we will be ready for the Loveland facilities.

I think Todd and Bonnie plan to join, also.  She really likes to swim so maybe they will get in the routine, too.

We took Todd back home before going to Penney’s to shop for shoes.  Can you imagine…he didn’t want to shop with us?  Hm-m-m!

Bill and I had Mexican food for lunch before going back home.  We had a conference call with Medicare at 2:00 and we barely made it home in time.  The call went OK, but we both needed naps when it was over, 45 minutes later.

At 4:00 we went back to the fitness center so I could start working out on a bicycle.  I lasted 10 minutes.  We had a 5:30 appointment to see a house.  It had possibilities, but the price will have to come down some.  The hunt will continue!

March 7, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

When I got up this morning, I felt good.  A little later, I was hit with an intestinal upset so I took some medicine and stayed close to home for the rest of the morning.

Bill went to the County Planning Commission to check on some legal aspects of the casita we are interested in purchasing.  Not good news!  It was not built according to the permits issued and could not have the updates we wanted.  We were glad to find out the legal things about it and cross it off our list.

By mid afternoon I was feeling better, so we went for a ride.  It is fun looking at houses, although we didn’t actually go into any today.  We are in the Foothills area and want to stay in this part of the city.  We are in the county rather than the City of Yuma where the major development has been done.  Probably 95% of the Foothills is housing…not very many businesses, except small ones.

We went to Arby’s for an early supper.  On the way, we noticed there were dark clouds gathering on the mountains to the east.  By bedtime, no rain had fallen.  The area is still bone dry!  The high today was 63°.  We needed jackets!  Wow!  We love this kind of weather, but know it might be 30° warmer next week.  We’ll enjoy it while we can.

March 6, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Today, I have felt better than I have in a long time.  I hope this isn’t just the “calm before the storm.”  I usually have some good days and then they change to several down days.

I was able to get my desk cleaned off, which was a big accomplishment.  Some of the top hadn’t seen the “light of day” in a long time.

Next on the To Do list is income tax preperation stuff.  Certainly not my favorite thing to do, but once I get all the figures gathered together, it really isn’t a very hard process.

We watched the NASCAR race from Las Vegas.  The weather there was dreadful…high winds, some rain which must have made mud balls, and a dust storm so bad it was hard to see the cars on the track.

About the time it was trying to blow “Lost Wages” off the face of the earth, we were hit by a wind storm.  It really shook the motorhome.  And the dust was so thick we couldn’t see the mountains to the east.  This wouldn’t have been a good day to be out Geocaching.

By the time we got ready to go to bed, the wind had calmed and the temperature was about 6° cooler than last night…two good things!

March 5, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

As usual, it was a busy day for us.  We went “casita” looking at 10:00.  Bill had an idea he wanted to go over with me concerning a place for a bedroom in a little tiny house.  I had already thought of the same place, but had some technical questions to ask.

We went to fetch Todd at 10:15 so we could find a few (very few, I might add) caches.  We went toward the Old Yuma Prison and got on a road that would take us on a road around the canal. 

The first hidden thing was on a rocky slope down to the edge of the canal.  Bill had to do all of the hunting because neither Todd nor I are very good on rocky, unstable ground, especially me.  After quite a bit of looking, Bill was able to find the container and sign the log for all of us.

The second cache was to the south of the canal.  We had seen a truck drive down that way earlier, so we followed his path.  The container was easy to find, but hard to get access to in order to be able to sign the log.  Both Todd and Bill were able to work together to accomplish the task.

We went from there back up on the road along the canal.  It was just about a repeat of the first canal cache, but Bill wasn’t able to find the hide this time.  Our last attempt was futile, also.  It was in a large weedy patch between two fields.  No luck!  Rats!  (Excuse me, Sweetens for using your name in vain.  A scratch behind your tiny ear might make you feel better, eh?)

It was a disappointing morning with only two “finds,” but we decided not to drown our sorries in the canal.  Instead, we went to In-N-Out for lunch!  Yea! 

After a short rest time, we went to look at another house.  It had possibilities so we’ll keep it on our list.

Back at home, we had some chores to take care of, and will wonders never cease, we were able to accomplish some things.  It was cooler weather today and that might have helped.

March 4, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I asked for a day off while Bill and Todd went caching.  I was glad I hadn’t gone with them.  They went east toward the mountains which isn’t on the Bombing Range, but is Trust Land.  I’m not sure what that means, but they didn’t get arrested, so their Range passes must be OK.

They found five caches and were in some terrible terrain.  It was a good thing I hadn’t tagged along.  It was very rough going, according to the guys.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, I had plans to get some chores taken care of.  But, alas, I got some extra rest, folded some clothes, and that’s about it.  So I’m just a tiny bit ahead.

We went to dinner at KFC tonight.  It is always good to get together with friends.  After eating and visiting, we went back to Todd and Bonnie’s house.  I wanted to see their two little dogs after they went to the groomer today.  I didn’t realize how “scrappy” they had both gotten until I saw them freshly scrubbed, clipped, and combed.

We sat outside visiting for almost two hours…until the temperature got cooler and the chill bumps began to pile up. 

March 3, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We were on the go most of the day, but…surprise, surprise…none of it involved geocaching.

We started off by taking a second, or maybe third, look at a casita that we really like.  Unfortunately, a bedroom would need to be added and it doesn’t look like a possibility.  We both liked the small house, but know it wasn’t quite big enough.  Big disappointment!

Oh, well!  Something will come along.  We aren’t homeless, yet!

We went to In-N-Out to “drown our sorrows.”  After eating and feeling energized, we went to Sam’s Club for a few supplies.  I was able to use an electric cart, which made it possible to roam around the store.

After Sam’s, we went to Walmart.  Once again, I was able to get a battery powered buggy.  We got a few groceries before going home to rest.  Having a “power mobile” to push me around makes all the difference.

I spent most of the rest of the day resting.  In spite of all the running around, this was one of my “down” days.  Sometimes it is even hard for me to stay upright.  I feel like the bones in my legs are melting.  Not much fun!

March 2, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

At 10:30, we got out onto the caching trail.  Our first attempt was to find a cache we had looked for yesterday. It still evaded us, even with Todd helping.  Our second of yesterday’s DNFs was under a bridge, not on a bridge where we had looked for a long time yesterday.  Thanks to Todd for the suggestion of where we might need to look.

Before we finished, we had found a total of six hidden things.  And then the guys started clambering for food.  We went to Sam’s Club to eat and then to the gas pumps to feed the Honda.  Todd said he couldn’t believe that we were so close to In-N-Out and ate lunch somewhere else.  I told him not to worry.  We would make up for it in the next day or two.  He voted for that!

On the way home we found our last cache for the day at a golf course not too far from where the motorhome is parked.

After resting for a while, we went to look at another casita with RV hook ups.  As far as we are concerned, it was “move in” ready, but there are lots of things to consider.

It was very warm today so we used one of the air conditioners in the MH.  We replaced both air conditioners/heat pumps last year when we were in Oregon, but hadn’t needed to use either one until today.

March 1, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

March, already.  Wow!

Our caching adventures this morning weren’t as successful as we would have liked them to be.  We were able to find three well hidden containers, but had two DNFs.  That’s no way to start a new month!

We had been told about a Mexican food place in an out to the way location, so we went there for lunch.  It was a small cafe with only six tables.  However, they were busy and people often had to wait for a table. 

In our estimation, the food was mediocre at best.  As usual, we each took home half of our lunch.  When we ate the leftovers tonight, my opinion of the food didn’t change.  I only ate half of my “dragouts,” as my Aunt Louise use to call leftovers.

We stopped at a shoe store before going home.  It was recommended by a “new friend” I made while waiting in an Emergency Room last week.  The shoes I was interested in were $200 so I didn’t even try them on.  Yikes, that’s a lot to pay for a pair of shoes!

I’ve felt good today, but kept going to sleep while watching TV tonight.  Bill gave me a good misting of water each time he wanted to wake me up, but it felt so good it kind of defeated his purpose.  I would just go right back to sleep.