More RVer/Blog friend visits

Since we've moved across the road to La Posa North, Katie and I had visits from three of our favorite people - I'm going to miss this place where so many of our friends are.  It's funny, I don't even think of them as RVers or Bloggers any more.  They've become just friends now, and that's "a good thing."  (I'm channeling Martha.)

First Hazel and the two Big Dogs, her Greyhounds, Fleur and Power, have been by a few times.  The first time just to visit - with the dogs, and on Monday Hazel came back without the dogs and we went into town to do laundry and have lunch.  Yesterday we went to Parker for lunch and a Wal-Mart run.  She is still across the road in La Posa South camping with the Dingbats. 

Her dogs are perfectly behaved and always a pleasure to have around, whether we all sit inside The Palms, or outside in the shade.  I see Hazel so much, I seldom think of getting the camera out, and I forgot to get pictures again.  The photo below was taken on another day, but Hazel and Fleur and Power and the desert all still look the same.  :)  Check the link here to see Hazel and her beautiful dogs.

Then Denise came over for a visit on Tuesday afternoon. We always get together at least a couple of times.  We were camped in the same area early in the season and saw each other frequently then.  We're both in different LTVAs now, she likes to move around like I do.

Denise knows just about everyone it seems and rides her Harley to visit.  I always watch for her when I know she's coming so I can get photos.  :)  It's always kind of exciting to watch her roar up on that monster bike - she's so graceful riding it.

Geez, her bike looks bigger than my house!

She gave me some good information about tire monitors and I'm looking forward to her post when she gets hers in the mail and installs them. I might get the same ones next year when I'm in Quartzsite.  We sat in the yard and talked and talked and talked.

Denise wanted to get up on my roof and take a 360 degree video of the desert around us.  While we were up there she took a look at my tilting arms for the solar panels.  She's got some hardware that she doesn't use anymore that will make it easier for me to bring the panels up and down, and said she'd come by again to drop them off.  Thanks, Denise, I appreciate it!  We cleaned the dust off the panels while we were there - they were really dirty!  Then Denise roared off to the fresh water area to fill up her water bottles.  She didn't have Bennie with her because of the box of large empty bottles on the back of the bike. 

Nancy McKenna came by on Wednesday - she's camping with the Lazy Daze group right now, across the road from where Katie and I are camped and she walked over for a visit. 

We first met Nancy here - gosh, that was a great FREE campground!  Remember when Katie got bitten by the ferocious RED ANTS?  Nancy really helped me out that day.  Of course, I also got large critters in the engine compartment while we were there and left soon afterward to overnight a few nights at Wal-Mart - but still, beautiful campground.  And did I mention FREE? 
 

We had a great visit.  The weather was really nice so we sat outside and got caught up on each others lives since we last met.  And of course, Katie was a total pest - she still LOVES Nancy and kept trying to lick her face.  Nancy, you're such a good sport - looking at the photo above makes me laugh.  Katie is going to get that kiss in if it kills her!  :)

I'm going to make myself some homemade hand/body cream and have been looking for some essential oils - and asked Nancy if she new anything about them.  I want Lavender and Orange, and it just so happens she has some Orange that she doesn't need anymore - and she's going to bring it over on Friday for me.  Thanks, Nancy!  I'll have all my ingredients on board to make my cream.  Can't wait to see how it turns out.  Thanks for visiting - I look forward to seeing you again soon.  :)

By the way, remember the lump that Katie had on her ankle?  Just thought I'd let you know it finally went down, and it's gone.  It's been gone for a while, so I don't think I have to worry about it. 

WELCOME to our two new Followers:

First, Audrey the Redbone.  Audrey is actually a dog, and her mom (who I assume is really our newest follower) has a blog about Audrey called Audrey the Redbone, a Dog with Cancer, which is about her 5-year-old Redbone Coonhound. The author is a very good writer, this is what she said in the first post, "I will share what is happening with our dog and if you are ever faced with these decisions, perhaps you will gain insight into what it involves."   If you decide to click on the link, go back to the very first post - it gave me goose bumps and I had tears in my eyes.  In the most recent post, the writer shares that Audrey is now in remission, which is a reason to rejoice, for sure. Thanks for following along with us - Welcome Aboard to you and Audrey - Katie sends kisses.  :)

Welcome also to Denis and Sandy Leterndre!  Their blog is HAPPY TRAILS, and according to her profile, they started traveling full-time in 2007 (WOW) in their 2006 Triple E Commander 38' motor coach, and they are loving it!   They've been to most of the states and it looks like about half of Canada.  Even though theirs is an RV blog, the current post has a recipe for kale, and I'm on the verge of getting some. I LOVE veggies, but have never had kale, so I'm going to try her recipe - thanks Sandy!  And thank you for following our blog, me and Katie appreciate it - Welcome Aboard!!  :)

Super windy today and it looks like a lot of cloudy days in the forecast with temps somewhere in the 60s.  We've been here for the perfect weather, and now it's almost time to head south.

We're going into town to have the two rear tires checked before we get on the road to Hot Springs LTVA.   I want to make sure that huge rock that was stuck between the two tires didn't do any damage.  I'm not expecting any damage, but want to make sure.  This is definitely a better safe than sorry situation.  Keep your fingers cross for me.  We do not want to buy two new tires!!!  I'll let you know what happens.

Really pretty skies at sunset last night:

From me and Katie, have a GREAT Thursday everyone!   :)

Wordless Wednesday - Creative naps

This mom is super creative, and this baby is a REALLY sound sleeper!

The Mom, Sioin Queenie Liao, is a free-lance artist living in California.  She has three sons, and these photos are of her youngest, Wengenn.  Check out her site, Wengenn in Wonderland, for more info and photos. 

From me and Katie, have a Wonderful Wordless Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Modeling the new sweatshirt jacket :)

I've been asked for a photo of me wearing my new sweatshirt jacket, so when Debbie and Gayle came over for a visit, I asked Debbie to take a couple of pictures.

Here's the jacket.  I really love it.  It's so pretty, I think, and more colorful than my normal attire, and it's really comfortable.  I'm happy I left my "frugal" home the day I found it.  :) 

Before I stood up, Debbie said she liked the "Katie sitting in my lap" pose and wanted to snap that first.  So we stayed there for a quick pic before taking the jacket photo.  I seldom post photos of myself, in fact I seldom have photos of me, but I liked the Katie and me part, so I thought I'd post it, too.

Here we are, "The Palms Girls."

Yesterday morning I looked out the window, and there was a big balloon getting ready to take off right on the other side of the wash.  Talk about colorful! 

I remember a few of you posting about going up in a balloon, but it's something I've never done.

This has been the best, most fun of my three visits to Quartzsite.  I was able to visit with lots of people I already knew, I met a bunch of new people I really like, the weather was perfect, I was able to visit The Big Tent Event this year and stroll through all the small vendor booths and make some purchases that were either needed or fun.   It's been a really good Quartzsite season.  I can't believe I'll be here almost four months by the time I leave for Hot Springs or Pilot Knob.  I've never stayed in one area this long before.  The time just flew by. 

We're leaving next week and looking forward to our next adventures.  :)

From me and Katie, have a great day everybody!  :)

A visit from Gayle and Debbie and a gift for Katie!

This morning Gayle and Debbie stopped by for a visit, and it was so nice to see them. Sorry I missed you, Jim, but I understand.  I wouldn't have wanted to have to sit through hours in the laundromat, either.  :)

Debbie and I had already seen each other a little bit ago, but this is the first time I've seen Gayle since Rockhound State Park in NM last year.

It was really good to see them both again today! We sat outside in the sun, it was a perfect morning, but the sun got warm and chairs were moved into the shade.
 

Unfortunately that's when I took most of my photos, and Gayle was really in the full shade in her photos with Katie.  The photo below was so cute of both Gayle and Katie, I lightened it as much as I could and cropped out the super bright parts.  I loved just their faces.  Really sweet picture. Katie is loving her new antler and isn't letting it go.

And here's Katie giving Debbie kisses - sorry about that Deb!  I think Katie's thanking you for her gift.

Debbie brought Katie the end of an antler for her to chew on.  Debbie's dogs, Elliott and Rupert, love antlers, but when one is small enough to fit entirely in Rupert's mouth, Debbie is afraid he'll try to swallow it.  So she brought the latest small end over to Katie to try.  They are very expensive to buy and I didn't want to invest in something I didn't know Katie would like.

Well guess what?  She likes it!

Thank you , Debbie!  I love my new antler!  And thanks to Elliott and Rupert, too,  for chewing down the edges and then sharing with me.  :)

WELCOME to our newest Follower, Peggy!  I don't see any information about you, Peggy, so I can't let people know about your blog, etc., if you have one.  Let me know if you do, and I'll pass it along.  Thank you for following along with me and Katie, we really appreciate it - Welcome Aboard to You!  :) 

We've had some overcast, but warm, days lately, but today looks like a winner and the rest of the week is forecast to be bright and sunny with temps in the mid-70s.  Thursday is shown to be 80 degrees.  Wow.  That'll be nice.

I'm making my list of all the things I want to do this week while we're still here in Quartzsite - laundry, top off propane, dump tanks, top off fresh water tank, get the tires checked that had the rock wedged between them, change the anode rod, get Dollar Store ice cream bars, and finally call Brian to un-tilt my solar panels for the first time (and I'll learn how).  I'm sure it isn't difficult, but he mentioned something about loosening the outside nuts, but not too much.  If they slip off, when I loosen the inside nuts the weight of the panels will topple them over the edge of the roof onto the ground.  That's not an experience I want to post about.  LOL   So I am going to call him the first time they are un-tilted and climb up on the roof to watch and make sure I can do it correctly by myself. 

Can you tell I'm getting hitch-itch?  I have to be in San Diego on February 10 and want to either stay at Hot Springs for a while on the way or check out Pilot Knob (I haven't been there yet) and stay there for a week or so before the mountain drive to San Diego.

That's my least favorite drive - El Centro to San Diego County.  It's only a 2 1/2 hour drive, but for some reason driving through those mountains is a problem for me.  The first time I drove it was at the fastest posted speeds on my way to the emergency room for surgery that night.  Boy, that drive seemed to take forever, but I was driving from Quartzsite, which made it longer.  And then remember last year when I was coming back from San Diego in those high winds and ended up with tendonitis in both hands?  My right thumb, which was the last part of my hands to heal, finally started bending on August 1 - five and a half months later. No wonder I don't like that drive.  :(

This year I'm going to drive 55 MPH or less and try to enjoy all the beautiful mountains and vistas along the way.  Maybe I'll stop at a good place along the way and rest or have lunch.  I'm going to try to get some good memories imprinted on my brain this time so I won't dread that drive so much.


From me and Katie, have a great Sunday, everyone!  :)

The Vixens, the Wii Fit U Meter, and the Award

We've moved again - this time we moved across the street to La Posa North where it is a little quieter, quite a bit roomier, and there's much less dust floating in the air.

It was getting pretty crowded at La Posa West in the area closest to the wash.  Across the wash is the beginning of the RV Show and The Big Tent Event - it's a short walk, so that's prime real estate during the show.  Tomorrow is the end of the Big Tent Event, but I'd guess many of the other vendors will stay to increase their sales. I hope it's been a good year for them all.  Even I left a little money over there, and got some things I really wanted and/or needed.  Y'all know I'm pretty frugal, but I did open my wallet a few times.  LOL

The Vixens

One of the reasons it was getting so crowded around us is that the Vixen 21 group arrived a couple of days ago.  These are interesting looking RVs, and they parked right in front of me.

I'd guess these Vixens 21s would be categorized Class B RVs? I was able to go into one, and it was really nice inside, seemed to be lots of room, with a full bed in the rear that looked pretty big.

I walked over to get some photos and talk to the owners.  They mentioned they had six or eight more Vixens coming.  I was wondering where they would camp; there really wasn't much room left nearby for another vehicle.

I was planning to leave La Posa West in a day or so and head back to one of the quieter LTVAs where I'd have a little more room and a little less dust.  So I decided to leave early the next morning and let them know so they could save the area for the Vixens arriving soon.  I got an e-mail from Gayle this morning and she said they "had taken over" my previous spot, so I guess the newcomers arrived.

They all have a similar shape, but each one is different from the next.  They look European, I think, but they were made in the USA.  From their website:  Approximately 587 Vixen 21 motorhomes were produced by the Vixen Motor Company at One Silverdome Industrial Park in Pontiac Michigan between 1986 - 1989 when the company closed.  Retail value ranged between $40-$53K.  Each model got between 22-30 mph.  If you are interested in the history of these motorhomes, click on this link:   History of Vixen Motorhomes.

The Wii Fit U Meter

Yesterday morning Katie and I walked over to Highway 95 and then walked along the road, over the freeway overpass, and headed to Main Street and Quiet Times.  I had a small package waiting there, and was really excited that it had arrived.  Since it was a straight shot to Quiet Times and back, I didn't take Katie's stroller.

I'll tell you, though, with the traffic right now, it was a little scary walking along that overpass with big rigs whizzing past.  Next time I'll put Katie's halter on.  I was a little worried she'd get spooked and try to slip her collar again, although it's still tighter since the Doggie Dental man moved the buckle to the next hole. It really was too loose before - comfortable for Katie, but too loose if she tries to slip out of it.  Or I'll just put her in the stroller.  That would probably be easier.

It was a quick walk to Quiet Times; we walked pretty fast for a bit over an hour and the bottom of my feet were actually slightly burning when we got back to The Palms.  I think I wore the wrong shoes for that kind of walk.  Katie and I were both happy to get home and relax!

Then I opened my package and there was my new Wii Fit U Meter!  Yeaaaaa!  I got it to use as a pedometer  - and then sync it to my Wii  system.  I read that until January 31, if you have the system and the balance board, if you buy the Wii Fit U Meter, you can download a free game that will be for sale after January.

I tried and tried, checked the instructions, went on line for more research, and just couldn't get that little meter to sync.

I finally called Nintendo, who makes the Wii system, to see what I was doing wrong.  Well, unfortunately my Wii system doesn't work with the meter.  I need the NEW Wii Fit U system, at a cost of $299.99.  Oh.   Well.   I didn't even know there was a new Wii system.  Maybe I don't need a pedometer that syncs to my Wii.  :(

So I packed up the Wii Fit U Meter - and I do love it still, I wish it had worked with my older Wii system - and now Katie and I are going to walk over to the post office to return it.  Or maybe we'll drive over when we do laundry and top off the propane tank.  I was so disappointed! 

But if YOU have a new Wii Fit U system, the free game is available only through 1/31/14, and you need a Wii Fit U Meter to sync with the game after you download it.  After that, you have to pay for the game, $30 I think.  Here's the link to the Nintendo website if you are interested.

The Award

Did you notice the award near the top of the left sidebar?  Florida Outdoors RV just awarded this honor to their Top 50 RV Blogs - and Me and My Dog ...and My RV was included! 

Click this link to go to their website and see the full list.  I'm sure many of your favorite blogs will be there.  I was so excited, the first thing I did was put the award on the blog, and then I checked many of the other blogs, and they had not put theirs up.  At least not yet. So one of your favorite blogs might have been included, but you'll never know unless you check out their list.  

Thank you, Florida Outdoors RV, I'm really honored and appreciate being included in your first group of 50 winners!  :)

It's overcast today, and Katie and I are going to take it easy all day.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: What a life!

From me and Katie, have a great Saturday, everyone!  :)

Katie the Movie Star, and a visit with the Dixons

I've felt bad for Katie when we've been walking through the desert in wind storms.  Sometimes she just needs a potty break while the wind is blowing.  I wear glasses and sometimes shield my eyes or turn my head out of the wind.  I've even worn a dusk mask.  But poor Katie, she just walks along close to the sandy ground, with the dust and sand blowing right in her face.  And Chihuahuas' eyes kind of pop out with no protection.  So when I saw a dog wearing glasses yesterday, I thought about getting some for Katie.  This morning we walked over to the Big Tent again and walked all through it, up and down the aisles, and then outside through all the outside vendors and then across the street up and down all those aisles. I walked for about four hours.  I didn't have my pedometer, but I'm sure I scored close to 10,000 steps again.
 
The plan was to leave La Posa West this morning and head back down to La Posa South or Tyson's Wash, and I wanted to see everything and purchase everything I wanted and be done with the Big Tent and the various vendors for this season. 
 
We walked back to The Pet Patio where I got Katie's visor and looked at their sunglasses/ goggles for dogs.  The woman owner was so cute with Katie - she opened a couple of packages and tried them on Katie, and we decided on the smaller size.  Katie just sat there and let us put them on and adjust them, she was such a good girl.  I decided to get them, and had her wear them until we were back in the campground.  She did really well.
 
As soon as we were back in the campground area and she was out of the stroller, however, I let her down to walk on her leash, and she started rubbing her face in the dirt and trying to get the goggles off with her paws.  She tried that twice, and I told her no, and she stopped.  She is so responsive to commands, it's kind of hard to believe.  Anyway, I'm going to save the goggles for those days when we have bad winds and super dusty/sandy air, then I'll get them out and her eyes will be protected.  
 
And sooooo...  without further ado - Heeeerrrrreeeee's Katie!
 

Hello, Darlings.

 

Yes, you may pet me, Big Boy!

 

 

Aren't I Fabulous?

These Doggles, I'm told they are called, are just too funny!  :)

And here are two more fabulous people, Jim and Sandie Dixon.  They came by Tuesday late morning for a visit.  I haven't seen them in a long time, but they were so kind to me when I rushed out of here two years ago on the way to San Diego and Emergency Surgery.  They offered all kinds of help, and they hardly knew me.  Sandi and I are followers of each others' blogs, so it's been easy to keep up through the months since then, but we haven't had a meet-up in a long time.
 

 
It was so nice to visit with you both, Sandie and Jim!  I really enjoyed seeing you again, and will see you next year, if not before!  
 
And one last photo of Katie - when we walk, sometimes she gets to the end of her leash and then turns around as if to say, "Are you still coming?"  This was one of those times. 
 

Are you coming?

 
This morning Katie and I are picking up a package at Quiet Times, then getting fresh water, then we'll find a new campsite far from the madding crowd.  :)
 
From me and Katie, have a great Thursday, everybody!  :)

Wordless Wednesday - Mom makes toys from kids' drawings

Isn't this a great idea?  Any mom or grandma with sewing skills could so easily duplicate drawings and make them into three-dimensional copies. 

 See Child's Own Studio's website, or Blog for more information.

From me and Katie, have a great Wordless Wednesday, everyone!  :)