Was too busy last night watching The Mind of the Married Man on dvd to add to Richard's comments. So....
As Richard mentioned, we are still in the Tucson vicinity. This is surprising as upon our arrival here Richard was quite anxious to leave for Quartzite as soon as the moho was repaired. At this point, I think I will mention, that although none of these vehicle problems have been a big deal, they all require time, and to me, it feels like we are always dealing with something....finding a screw that has popped out, looking for a piece to hold a wheel cover in place, getting it washed, waiting until the propane tank is empty so we can repair the leak, etc. So although the motorhome affords us freedom in terms of where we can spend the night, it also costs time and energy. This can be frustrating. For example on Thursday, we were supposed to leave for Tubac (we tried to do this for 3 days in a row) but instead spent the entire day driving through the city (towing the van) looking for a part that we never were able to find. Unfortunately motorhome part suppliers are not in the same areas as thrift stores, so I had to go along. (The previous day Richard had non moho related errands which took the whole day, but as 'Clara' our GPS guided us through the streets to our destinations, we passed a Savers or a Twice as Nice and I was able to be dropped off and picked up after his business was finished. I don't always get stuff, but as Gandhi used to say, it's not about the destination, it is the journey and what a fun journey Twice as Nice is!)
Enough about the moho and frustrations, I would like to talk about the amazing time that we have had in Tucson. As we may or may not have mentioned, we happened upon Gilbert Ray by accident. Not only is it beautiful, but situated in an interesting area outside of the city. Firstly, whenever we went into Tucson, we took the Gates Pass Road, which is magnificent. I wanted to watch the sun go down from its 4,500 ft vantage point, but our timing was never right. So the ride to Tucson was terrific. Fairly early during our stay, we went into Tucson Estates, a retirement village a few miles from Gilbert Ray, to do laundry and found an awesome Mexican restaurant. During the next 3 days we went to Los Nopales, for dinner that night, for breakfast the next day and for lunch the third day. This was a very busy place with people lined up out the door, but on our 3rd visit the waiter said, "Haven't you guys been here 3 days in a row?" The tables are really close together and we got to meet some of the locals, which was fun. One guy came up to our table and said to me, "I gather that you are traveling with your uncle." SWEET!!!
While we were in Weatherford, Texas, I fell on the ice at the Walmart. It didn't stop me from enjoying the Tucson Gem Show or the thrift stores, but it did make biking and hiking uncomfortable. Three doors down from the laundromat near Gilbert Ray campground was a healing centre. I went in, spoke with the owner, and while the clothes were drying, I had my first reflexology treatment. It was incredible. (I'm still dreaming about it.) The next day I returned for a massage. Also awesome. I mention these because we were not in the middle of an urban centre. It was desert and mountains everywhere you looked. Also while in this place, it isn't really even a town, we went to some open houses for a new development. OH MY GOD, these places were incredible and so beautifully furnished in a Western motif. Once again, mountains out of every window and panoramic views of the desert in all its glory. It is not like we would ever move down here, but it is fun to try on that reality for a few minutes. One of these places could be bought for the same amount that we would get selling our house in Barrie. Real estate throughout our travels has been for the most part cheaper than at home, except for the villas and really wonderful places nestled in the foothills.
After our 7 day allotment at Gilbert Ray was up, we moved to Catalina State Park on the northern outskirts of Tucson. This place, nestled in the foothills of the mountains., was also very spectacular. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, but the truth is that you are walking distance from an upscale plaza. At night, the coyotes roamed the campground and sang.
The day after we moved, Richard and I spent the day in town in the university district. We went to the Centre for Creative Photography which houses/displays the original Ansel Adams photographs. We also saw a show entitled Face to Face 150 years of Photographic Portraiture. This included originals by photography icons including: Dianne Arbus, Edward Westin, Alfred Steiglitz, Dorothy Norman and many others. It was really inspiring. After that we wandered through the Southwest Native American craft show, but unfortunately, they were in the process of taking it down. The university area is really cool. ...great little restaurants, shops and a terrific cupcake place.
On Monday, we went on the Canyon Loop Hike with Jazzy (pictured carrying her own waste out). It was lovely, not too taxing and surprise of surprises, there was water in one of the rivers. (Many of the rivers in this area are totally dry. Driving through town you will cross these huge bridges and look down into a dry washes.) I guess that I shouldn't be that surprised because the previous night it had snowed in the mountains. By the time we took the hike though, it was in the 70s.
This campground had many large rigs, electric hook ups and town water. Luxury! Our site faced the mountains and so we had more privacy than most. However, a point worth mentioning is that our neigbours had an electric palm tree which they lit at night and a lighted perimeter around their RV. (the better to see the scurrying coyotes) It is very interesting how people personalize their rigs: carpets, lanterns, bird feeders, wind chimes, and flowers, but this was my first electric palm tree. It made for easy navigation back from the showers.
The next place that I want to talk about is Tubac, but I will save that for another day. Richard and I are heading back to town today, so I can go to the Fox Theatre to see the Academy Awards on a big screen....
and the Oscar goes to.......
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25: Pictures from the last few days....
Here are some photos from the last few days:
Above: These saguaro cacti don't grow their 1st arm until they are 75 years old! Leah's standing beneath a Methuselah.
The next few photos are from the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.
Above: This mountain lion is behind a Plexiglas window...but still, a powerful looking animal close up.
...not so powerful, but quite colorful. And below, both powerful and colorful!
Above: One of several Desert Museum structures made from Mesquite. Really smooth feeling wood!
Above and below: A bike ride near Gilbert Ray campground
Below: From my hike near Gilbert Ray:
Below: Sunset and moonrise from our campsite at Gilbert Ray campground outside Tucson:
Below: Our coach at the overflow area at Catalina State Park campground:
Below: A hike in Catalina State Park
Jazzy being a responsible hiker, packing out her own waste.
We left Catalina State Park on Thursday, the 24th, intending to get to Tubac, about 20 miles south of Tucson. However, we ended up searching all over Tucson for a really simple RV part--went to three different places looking for it, but none had it. So we just left anyway--at about 5 PM--and arrived last night at the Desert Diamond Casino just south of Tuscon. These western casinos are massive...and they solicit RVs to park in their lot, which is enormous...like 2 Super Walmart lots. About 60 RVs and 20 trucks, and no one feels crowded. We're on our way to Tubac, an artsy town that houses a gallery run by the 80-something year old wife of the artist Hugh Cabot, famous for his paintings of the American West. We want to visit the gallery, since we inherited two of his paintings. Before we left on our trip, Leah phoned the gallery and spoke with Olivia Cabot...and she sounded like a character. More in another post.
Hope everyone is well,
Richard
Above: These saguaro cacti don't grow their 1st arm until they are 75 years old! Leah's standing beneath a Methuselah.
Below: From my hike near Gilbert Ray:
Below: Sunset and moonrise from our campsite at Gilbert Ray campground outside Tucson:
Below: Our coach at the overflow area at Catalina State Park campground:
Below: A hike in Catalina State Park
Jazzy being a responsible hiker, packing out her own waste.
We left Catalina State Park on Thursday, the 24th, intending to get to Tubac, about 20 miles south of Tucson. However, we ended up searching all over Tucson for a really simple RV part--went to three different places looking for it, but none had it. So we just left anyway--at about 5 PM--and arrived last night at the Desert Diamond Casino just south of Tuscon. These western casinos are massive...and they solicit RVs to park in their lot, which is enormous...like 2 Super Walmart lots. About 60 RVs and 20 trucks, and no one feels crowded. We're on our way to Tubac, an artsy town that houses a gallery run by the 80-something year old wife of the artist Hugh Cabot, famous for his paintings of the American West. We want to visit the gallery, since we inherited two of his paintings. Before we left on our trip, Leah phoned the gallery and spoke with Olivia Cabot...and she sounded like a character. More in another post.
Hope everyone is well,
Richard
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February 13: From Walmart to Gilbert Ray Campground
Note: We have been in an Internet black hole. That's why we couldn't publish this Feb. 13 post until today, Feb. 22.
For the last three days or so, we've been in the Tucson Walmart parking lot...
Even though our eventual destination was Quartzsite, we kept finding reasons to stay in Tucson--like a brand new (to us) chain of thrift stores--Twice as Nice (I'll let Leah tell you about that), as well as minor motorhome fixes, new restaurants, etc. Oh, and I should mention Gene Kelley, the mobile RV repair guy, whom I called to fix a propane leak. I chose him after reading several favorable reviews on the internet. We'd agreed to meet at the motorhome at a specified time, and when I drove up (Leah was at Twice as Nice), he had already checked for a leak. He was a big, slow-moving guy, about my age, I judged, and as we chatted, and it came out that I had taught English, he said, "Uh oh, I only speak Texan, and that not very well," in that slow Texas drawl. When I asked to interview him on video, he said, "No, no. I'm as ugly as a mud wall in the rain!" We hit it off quite well, and we must have talked for longer than he worked, but he only charged me for the site visit, not his additional hourly rate, which is the custom. He gave me all sorts of useful tips for the motorhome, as well as for restaurants and local attractions. He'd come to diagnose a propane leak, and had found none at first, but, since I swore I'd smelled propane, he checked more carefully and discovered "the tiniest propane leak he'd ever seen." He also let me in on a secret that he had observed over his 25 years as a mobile RV technician: "Do you have a wife?" I allowed that I did. "Women can smell propane much better than men, "he confided, implying that, in the future, I might use my wife as a leak detector. That means Leah must be defective, or not a real wife, because she couldn't smell it at all!
As he was about to leave, I asked him how to attach an electrical device I had purchased but not installed. He told me it was the wrong one, but that he had 3 or 4 of the right ones "layin' around the house", and that I should just drop by and he'd give me one. These things are not cheap at about $50, so I was quite impressed. Later, I did drop by his house, though he was not there. So he left the part on his BBQ just inside the fence, and, just so no one would call the police on me, he included a signed letter indicating that the part was mine. So if you find yourself in need of an mobile RV repair person in Tucson, call Gene Kelley 520-906-9676. I highly recommend him. He is skillful, friendly, honest, and fair. What more could you ask?
Another reason we stuck around Tucson was that I remembered having visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, a large outdoor desert educations center about 20 miles outside Tucson, on the other side of a low mountain range. I recalled that even 25 years ago, it was well done and worth an extended visit. And of course, now we have time for an extended visit. So, after breakfast off we went in the van, over the mountain range and into... The desert. Oh my goodness! What we missed staying the Walmart!
Here, on this side of the range, we were IN the desert and mountains, not just looking at them from a busy parking lot. Continuing on our way, we passed a turnoff for Gilbert Ray campground, and thought we'd take a look. Well, one loop around the campground convinced us to immediately pay for 3 days, go back to the motorhome, hook up the van and drive back to Gilbert Ray. Here's our (electric) site :
\
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is just a couple of miles down the road, so we'll probably head over there tomorrow. Right now, it's sunset:
Hope you're all well and enjoying life,
Richard
Leah's Take:
So as you know from Richard's posting, we are in Tucson and have been for a few days. Well not actually in Tuscon now, but only about15 minutes out of town. This, for me, is a perfect situation, but more about here later. The time we spent in Tucson was so much fun!!! We had no real agenda, (except hitting one thrift store each day....I don't think that that is too excessive) and just enjoyed trucking around the city.
Lots of things to note:
Firstly, the weather! It is sunny, warm and beautiful here every day. We don't even need sweaters during the day...just in the evening when it is cooler. It really feels like summer; so much so that I was surprised when we drove by a school and there were kids there.
Secondly, the landscape - when I thought about Arizona in the past, I remembered manicured cacti gardens, and yes, these do exist in some of the suburbs, but for the most part, it is very wild - even on main streets. There are also many, many different kinds of cacti and they are beautiful, but also in varying stages of decay. This whole area is very dry, which also surprised me as it is winter, so I expected a bit of green. The only green that we've seen is on golf courses and even there it is intermittent. The architecture is also so very interesting. We've driven through a variety of neighbourhoods just to see the houses and landscaping....lots of pink stone, stucco, archways, beautiful tile and wooden beams. I would love to see the insides of some of these houses.
Thirdly, the second hand stores - there are a million of them. Now at this point, I would like to give credit to Richard and his numerous technological devices; they have really come in handy locating and navigating to the thrift stores. Not only can we find these with ease, there are customer reviews available to us on his phone. What a world!!! I started at a Goodwill and it was just o.k. The fatter one gets, the slimmer the pickings. Boo hoo. Savers (Value Village) was good and conveniently located by the Costco, which Richard needed to go to anyway. I also went to a large store called Speedway Thrift. It was well reviewed and cheap, but had no change room. The most awesome store is called Twice as Nice, which I found by chance. It is very well organized which means less time spent looking, has beautiful things (a special section for linen) and although slightly more expensive than Goodwill, much more fun. It also gives you a $2 coupon for your next visit and offers $5 off when you spend $30 and $10 off when you spend $50. Their jewellery counter was very well stocked.
Speaking of jewellery, #4 is the Tucson Mineral and Gem Show. It was unbelievable. Vendors attend from all over the world and everything is so beautiful. I saw a piece of petrified wood, which had been carved into a ball, felt like glass and shone in the sunlight. It cost $9,000 dollars. There were tables and tables heaped with beads of every colour. And of course, the jewelry...tons of beautiful stones cut and mounted in silver and gold settings. I couldn't resist the turquoise and picked up a few small pieces. I spent 2 half days at a variety of venues....there are about 50 markets throughout the city. Many hotels are hosting the show and vendors rent rooms and turn them into stores complete with glass showcases and display tables. The lobbies, convention rooms, yards, parking lots .....everywhere is filled with tents and people selling their magnificient stuff. I think that one could spend a week here and not see all that the Gem and Mineral Show has to offer.
Well I've saved the best for the last....the restaurants!!!! Throughout the entire trip, Richard and I have been treating ourselves to great food. Lots of Cracker Barrel as we motored across country. We also love Pei Wei Chinese. Richard gets the Hunan chicken with brown rice and I get either orange peel chicken or shrimp. We've had huevos rancheros in numerous places as we've traveled west.... at a side of the freeway truck stop overlooking a small pond in Arkansas; in Van Horne, Texas, at a place frequented by John Madden and dubbed John Madden's Haul of Fame; at little place beside a trailer neighbourhood in Tucson where you'd swear that you were in Mexico; and in fancier chain restaurants. Love those huevos rancheros!
I think that our favourite Mexican food was at a chain called On the Border in Weatherford, Texas, when we were stopped for 3 days because of ice on the highway. Their enchiladas and grilled vegetables are really, really good. Two days ago, we drove by an On the Border in downtown Tucson. Today is Valentine's Day and perhaps we will go there to celebrate. There is also a Twice as Nice down the road. (At this point, I know that most of you are feeling sorry for Richard because of all the thrift stores....especially Gavin, who had to endure this when he was travelling with us.)
This campground (Gilbert Ray) is totally awesome!! We will probably stay here for the full week allotment. The pictures do not do it justice. You have the view where you can see other motorhomes, but in three directions, there are no other people. We have a site which is beside a dried up riverbed, and this morning I put my anti-gravity chair (Richard calls this my queen chair) into the riverbed and read for about an hour. I did this because even at 9 o'clock the sun is very strong and the riverbed is shaded. The coyote incident of a few days ago and the threat of rattlesnakes make me slightly anxious about being alone in there (no quick getaway is possible) but not enough to not do it. Last night I watched the sunset from the comfort of our couch...windows open of course. I did this because of the higher vantage point the moho affords. I had my earphones in and was listening to Nick Drake, Iron and Wine (thank you Kim Shepherd) and Nickelback...perfect accompaniment to the light show. Tonight I might watch from the roof.
We now have clean running water so life is easier. We also have an electric site, so after the sun goes down, I have been watching Breaking Bad, which takes place in New Mexico in similar terrain. What a terrific show! Looking forward to the release of season 3.
That's all for now....If there was too much detail about boring stuff, I apologize. L
P.S. Hope to post some cactus pics soon.
For the last three days or so, we've been in the Tucson Walmart parking lot...
Even though our eventual destination was Quartzsite, we kept finding reasons to stay in Tucson--like a brand new (to us) chain of thrift stores--Twice as Nice (I'll let Leah tell you about that), as well as minor motorhome fixes, new restaurants, etc. Oh, and I should mention Gene Kelley, the mobile RV repair guy, whom I called to fix a propane leak. I chose him after reading several favorable reviews on the internet. We'd agreed to meet at the motorhome at a specified time, and when I drove up (Leah was at Twice as Nice), he had already checked for a leak. He was a big, slow-moving guy, about my age, I judged, and as we chatted, and it came out that I had taught English, he said, "Uh oh, I only speak Texan, and that not very well," in that slow Texas drawl. When I asked to interview him on video, he said, "No, no. I'm as ugly as a mud wall in the rain!" We hit it off quite well, and we must have talked for longer than he worked, but he only charged me for the site visit, not his additional hourly rate, which is the custom. He gave me all sorts of useful tips for the motorhome, as well as for restaurants and local attractions. He'd come to diagnose a propane leak, and had found none at first, but, since I swore I'd smelled propane, he checked more carefully and discovered "the tiniest propane leak he'd ever seen." He also let me in on a secret that he had observed over his 25 years as a mobile RV technician: "Do you have a wife?" I allowed that I did. "Women can smell propane much better than men, "he confided, implying that, in the future, I might use my wife as a leak detector. That means Leah must be defective, or not a real wife, because she couldn't smell it at all!
As he was about to leave, I asked him how to attach an electrical device I had purchased but not installed. He told me it was the wrong one, but that he had 3 or 4 of the right ones "layin' around the house", and that I should just drop by and he'd give me one. These things are not cheap at about $50, so I was quite impressed. Later, I did drop by his house, though he was not there. So he left the part on his BBQ just inside the fence, and, just so no one would call the police on me, he included a signed letter indicating that the part was mine. So if you find yourself in need of an mobile RV repair person in Tucson, call Gene Kelley 520-906-9676. I highly recommend him. He is skillful, friendly, honest, and fair. What more could you ask?
Another reason we stuck around Tucson was that I remembered having visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, a large outdoor desert educations center about 20 miles outside Tucson, on the other side of a low mountain range. I recalled that even 25 years ago, it was well done and worth an extended visit. And of course, now we have time for an extended visit. So, after breakfast off we went in the van, over the mountain range and into... The desert. Oh my goodness! What we missed staying the Walmart!
Here, on this side of the range, we were IN the desert and mountains, not just looking at them from a busy parking lot. Continuing on our way, we passed a turnoff for Gilbert Ray campground, and thought we'd take a look. Well, one loop around the campground convinced us to immediately pay for 3 days, go back to the motorhome, hook up the van and drive back to Gilbert Ray. Here's our (electric) site :
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is just a couple of miles down the road, so we'll probably head over there tomorrow. Right now, it's sunset:
Hope you're all well and enjoying life,
Richard
Leah's Take:
So as you know from Richard's posting, we are in Tucson and have been for a few days. Well not actually in Tuscon now, but only about15 minutes out of town. This, for me, is a perfect situation, but more about here later. The time we spent in Tucson was so much fun!!! We had no real agenda, (except hitting one thrift store each day....I don't think that that is too excessive) and just enjoyed trucking around the city.
Lots of things to note:
Firstly, the weather! It is sunny, warm and beautiful here every day. We don't even need sweaters during the day...just in the evening when it is cooler. It really feels like summer; so much so that I was surprised when we drove by a school and there were kids there.
Secondly, the landscape - when I thought about Arizona in the past, I remembered manicured cacti gardens, and yes, these do exist in some of the suburbs, but for the most part, it is very wild - even on main streets. There are also many, many different kinds of cacti and they are beautiful, but also in varying stages of decay. This whole area is very dry, which also surprised me as it is winter, so I expected a bit of green. The only green that we've seen is on golf courses and even there it is intermittent. The architecture is also so very interesting. We've driven through a variety of neighbourhoods just to see the houses and landscaping....lots of pink stone, stucco, archways, beautiful tile and wooden beams. I would love to see the insides of some of these houses.
Thirdly, the second hand stores - there are a million of them. Now at this point, I would like to give credit to Richard and his numerous technological devices; they have really come in handy locating and navigating to the thrift stores. Not only can we find these with ease, there are customer reviews available to us on his phone. What a world!!! I started at a Goodwill and it was just o.k. The fatter one gets, the slimmer the pickings. Boo hoo. Savers (Value Village) was good and conveniently located by the Costco, which Richard needed to go to anyway. I also went to a large store called Speedway Thrift. It was well reviewed and cheap, but had no change room. The most awesome store is called Twice as Nice, which I found by chance. It is very well organized which means less time spent looking, has beautiful things (a special section for linen) and although slightly more expensive than Goodwill, much more fun. It also gives you a $2 coupon for your next visit and offers $5 off when you spend $30 and $10 off when you spend $50. Their jewellery counter was very well stocked.
Speaking of jewellery, #4 is the Tucson Mineral and Gem Show. It was unbelievable. Vendors attend from all over the world and everything is so beautiful. I saw a piece of petrified wood, which had been carved into a ball, felt like glass and shone in the sunlight. It cost $9,000 dollars. There were tables and tables heaped with beads of every colour. And of course, the jewelry...tons of beautiful stones cut and mounted in silver and gold settings. I couldn't resist the turquoise and picked up a few small pieces. I spent 2 half days at a variety of venues....there are about 50 markets throughout the city. Many hotels are hosting the show and vendors rent rooms and turn them into stores complete with glass showcases and display tables. The lobbies, convention rooms, yards, parking lots .....everywhere is filled with tents and people selling their magnificient stuff. I think that one could spend a week here and not see all that the Gem and Mineral Show has to offer.
Well I've saved the best for the last....the restaurants!!!! Throughout the entire trip, Richard and I have been treating ourselves to great food. Lots of Cracker Barrel as we motored across country. We also love Pei Wei Chinese. Richard gets the Hunan chicken with brown rice and I get either orange peel chicken or shrimp. We've had huevos rancheros in numerous places as we've traveled west.... at a side of the freeway truck stop overlooking a small pond in Arkansas; in Van Horne, Texas, at a place frequented by John Madden and dubbed John Madden's Haul of Fame; at little place beside a trailer neighbourhood in Tucson where you'd swear that you were in Mexico; and in fancier chain restaurants. Love those huevos rancheros!
I think that our favourite Mexican food was at a chain called On the Border in Weatherford, Texas, when we were stopped for 3 days because of ice on the highway. Their enchiladas and grilled vegetables are really, really good. Two days ago, we drove by an On the Border in downtown Tucson. Today is Valentine's Day and perhaps we will go there to celebrate. There is also a Twice as Nice down the road. (At this point, I know that most of you are feeling sorry for Richard because of all the thrift stores....especially Gavin, who had to endure this when he was travelling with us.)
This campground (Gilbert Ray) is totally awesome!! We will probably stay here for the full week allotment. The pictures do not do it justice. You have the view where you can see other motorhomes, but in three directions, there are no other people. We have a site which is beside a dried up riverbed, and this morning I put my anti-gravity chair (Richard calls this my queen chair) into the riverbed and read for about an hour. I did this because even at 9 o'clock the sun is very strong and the riverbed is shaded. The coyote incident of a few days ago and the threat of rattlesnakes make me slightly anxious about being alone in there (no quick getaway is possible) but not enough to not do it. Last night I watched the sunset from the comfort of our couch...windows open of course. I did this because of the higher vantage point the moho affords. I had my earphones in and was listening to Nick Drake, Iron and Wine (thank you Kim Shepherd) and Nickelback...perfect accompaniment to the light show. Tonight I might watch from the roof.
We now have clean running water so life is easier. We also have an electric site, so after the sun goes down, I have been watching Breaking Bad, which takes place in New Mexico in similar terrain. What a terrific show! Looking forward to the release of season 3.
That's all for now....If there was too much detail about boring stuff, I apologize. L
P.S. Hope to post some cactus pics soon.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Short, pictureless update...
Tuesday during the night I smelled propane gas, so we packed up and went to a Motel 6. Next day got a mobile rv tech (with great reviews), Gene Kelley, to come out to the motorhome. He said we didn't have a leak at all, but I was sure I could smell it, so he probed around a bit more with his very sensitive wand-type device...and eventually found "the tiniest leak I've ever seen." Told us not to worry--that the leak was so small we should just keep using it until the propane tank was empty, then have a small valve replaced. Not to worry.
Today was another great day in the desert! We visited a local bike shop which carries recumbent trikes. However, Leah's back was still sore from a fall on an icy parking lot several days ago, so she wasn't going to try to ride any. Well...after about 15 minutes, she was tooling around the parking lot sporting the now-familiar 'recumbent grin'. Found one she liked (Greenspeed), but not up to snuff in the gear department.
Also dumped and dewinterized. Yeah, we have running water!
We've had great food: Pei Wei, On the Border, Cracker Barrel... and several more. Jazzy went to the hairdresser and she looks great. This afternoon, a walk in the desert and an encounter with 4 or 5 coyotes! Leah was hilarious--and we have it on video. But, darn it, can't get Windows to recognize the video file type used by my phone, so can't post!! I'll figure it out, but it will take some time.
Anyway, we're both well and having a terrific time. Leah's back is much better. We should be on our way to Quartzsite on Saturday.
Wish I could post pictures and video but having technical difficulties. Please stand by.
Hope everyone is healthy and enjoying life,
Leah and Richard
Today was another great day in the desert! We visited a local bike shop which carries recumbent trikes. However, Leah's back was still sore from a fall on an icy parking lot several days ago, so she wasn't going to try to ride any. Well...after about 15 minutes, she was tooling around the parking lot sporting the now-familiar 'recumbent grin'. Found one she liked (Greenspeed), but not up to snuff in the gear department.
Also dumped and dewinterized. Yeah, we have running water!
We've had great food: Pei Wei, On the Border, Cracker Barrel... and several more. Jazzy went to the hairdresser and she looks great. This afternoon, a walk in the desert and an encounter with 4 or 5 coyotes! Leah was hilarious--and we have it on video. But, darn it, can't get Windows to recognize the video file type used by my phone, so can't post!! I'll figure it out, but it will take some time.
Anyway, we're both well and having a terrific time. Leah's back is much better. We should be on our way to Quartzsite on Saturday.
Wish I could post pictures and video but having technical difficulties. Please stand by.
Hope everyone is healthy and enjoying life,
Leah and Richard
Friday, February 4, 2011
Leah's Take
So, Richard is calling this 'our' blog, but he wrote it all. My view is slightly different. Let's begin with how long it has taken us to get here. Throughout all his posts he will make reference to my frequent stops at second hand stores. Oh, that it was so! (I actually wanted to call this blog Goodwill Hunting, but that was nixed as not reflective enough of both our experiences.) To begin with, I would like to set the record straight that few of our frequent stops have been the result of my obsession with 'goodwilling.' Yes, I have stopped at a number of stores, but have fitted these in when: a) we were unable to travel because of weather; b) Richard was buying or researching his tech purchases; or c) he was on the phone or online with tech support. Yes, it definitely is awesome being wedged between two transport trucks for the night in the Walmart parking lot and still able to check what is up with my Facebook friends, but let me tell you the technological devices have definitely cost us some time. But to quote the Seinfeld crew, "Not that there is anything wrong with that," ...we are now retired and have lots of time. But readers, if there actually are any of you out there, I ask you, does anyone really need two GPS's to get to the Starbucks less than a mile away from the Walmart? It gets particularly confusing when each of the voices offers different directions simultaneously.
Richard has told you about the snow, the freezing cold, and the poor road conditions but has neglected to mention that we have not dewinterized the moho for fear of water freezing in the tanks or pipes. Fortuitous, given the current weather. This means that we have no running water and must go into the Walmart to go to the bathroom or brush our teeth. Here in Weatherford we know both the morning and night Walmart greeters by their first names. It should also be noted that Richard has perfected the 'baby wipe sponge bath' and smells sweet in spite of the conditions.
I would like to close this entry by relating an incident that occurred on the day that we arrived in Weatherford, Texas. We had stopped early because of hazardous road conditions. As we pulled into the Walmart, we noticed a massive FedEx transport truck spinning his wheels on the ice as he attempted to leave the parking lot. We went into the store, bought some food for supper, wandered around for a while and upon returning to the motorhome, the same driver was still spinning his wheels. I made dinner and Richard went into the bitter, windy cold to change a fuse in the van. It should also be noted that during this whole time transport trucks were coming and going and no one stopped to help the FedEx driver. After Richard finished with the van, he went over and suggested that the FedEx guy buy some salt. He replied that he had no money, so Richard bought him the salt (only pool salt was available), helped him put it down, and broke the ice ruts with a mallet. While they were spreading the salt, the driver slipped and Richard caught him. Saved by a senior citizen! After all this, he drove away and Richard came in and had dinner.
Yes, life on the road is good!
Richard has told you about the snow, the freezing cold, and the poor road conditions but has neglected to mention that we have not dewinterized the moho for fear of water freezing in the tanks or pipes. Fortuitous, given the current weather. This means that we have no running water and must go into the Walmart to go to the bathroom or brush our teeth. Here in Weatherford we know both the morning and night Walmart greeters by their first names. It should also be noted that Richard has perfected the 'baby wipe sponge bath' and smells sweet in spite of the conditions.
I would like to close this entry by relating an incident that occurred on the day that we arrived in Weatherford, Texas. We had stopped early because of hazardous road conditions. As we pulled into the Walmart, we noticed a massive FedEx transport truck spinning his wheels on the ice as he attempted to leave the parking lot. We went into the store, bought some food for supper, wandered around for a while and upon returning to the motorhome, the same driver was still spinning his wheels. I made dinner and Richard went into the bitter, windy cold to change a fuse in the van. It should also be noted that during this whole time transport trucks were coming and going and no one stopped to help the FedEx driver. After Richard finished with the van, he went over and suggested that the FedEx guy buy some salt. He replied that he had no money, so Richard bought him the salt (only pool salt was available), helped him put it down, and broke the ice ruts with a mallet. While they were spreading the salt, the driver slipped and Richard caught him. Saved by a senior citizen! After all this, he drove away and Richard came in and had dinner.
Yes, life on the road is good!
Escaping the Canadian winter in Texas...Not!
But the good news is that warmer weather is on the way. We should be back on the road tomorrow, with our destination Pecos, TX. Quartzsite is still over 900 miles away...but we're gaining on it.
We certainly can't be accused of making good time; we've been gone 8 days, and we've only come about 1500 miles. Of course, the last 3 days we've been parked, waiting out the bad weather. And we've really enjoyed having Virgin Mobile Broadband to go--read about it on Croft's Mexico (blog). Here is the link: http://croftsmexico.blogspot.com/search?q=mifi $40 a month, no contract, unlimited broadband, and with their Mifi router, we can have up to 5 devices online at once, as long as they are closer than about 30 ft from the router. Since I don't have a data plan on my unlocked Rogers Samsung Captivate with AT&T sim card, I just slip the Mifi router into my shirt pocket and I'm a walking hotspot. I can be connected to the internet wherever there is Sprint 3g coverage (Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint network)--and that's most places we've been so far. There have been some connectivity problems, but Tech Support has walked me through the solution. That has been just great!
No really good thrift stores, yet, Leah reports...but that's not for want of trying!
Best food: On the Border Mexican restaurant. Surprisingly, it's a chain!
Runner up: Cracker Barrel. Yes, Leonora, really!
Oh...here's a better picture of Jazzy:
That's enough for the first post. Please forgive any noobie mistakes.
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